10 – Smoke and Ash

Things had been so peaceful in Tiode of late that I’d managed to find a comfortable, regular routine in tending the farm. I’d check the crops for pests or blight, removing anything that needed removing, and I’d harvest anything set to grow. Then I’d check on my scrumpy, of which I had already bottled several jugs worth..

Most of my money came from selling apples, potatoes, and grain to Mikan or the other merchants that now passed through Tiode. Though I kept some behind to help supply the inn’s pantry.

I’d feed the cows, and groom them as needed grooming. They were still a ways away from being bred and thus milkable but I still treated them well every day. Then came the chickens, who I’d feed, clean their coop as needed, and gather up eggs. Same as with the crops, some of them went to the inn while others were sold off.

The difference now was that, as I walked my land, I was flanked on one side by Smoke and on the other by the jackal cub. Her wounds had healed and she was a bit bigger now, but... well, still a pup. Though now her ears stood pricked up at all times, instead of flopping at the sides of her head.

“We don’t need this beast patrolling the ground with us, Father,” Smoke said, watching the jackal from the corner of his eye.

“Six eyes are better than four,” I replied, shrugging.

“I thought you said you weren’t keeping her,” he grumbled.

“She’s free to leave if she wants to.” It seemed, however, the daily meat she got was enough to keep her both present and content. And anyway, for a wild animal, she was very well behaved. Never thought a jackal could have manners, but she sure did.

Smoke scowled, his ears flat against the sides of his head. “She’s a freeloader, Father. Why keep her if she doesn’t work?”

Smoke, even without working thumbs or fingers, was capable of doing basic labour around the farm as needed. But the jackal was well behaved and I figured she was good for warding off pests. Foxes and crop-thieving birds, things like that.

“If I didn’t know any better,” I said, kneeling to check the potatoes. “I’d say you were jealous.”

Smoke balked at me, his eyes going very thin. “Wha.. you... jealous?” he asked, huffing indignantly. “Of... of a scavenger?! As if! She... she doesn’t even have a name!”

I looked up at the sky. Grey and overcast, and there was a persistent chill in the air. We were on the cusp of the Chilling Season, and the locals said Tiode got damn cold this time of year. Snowfall was likely...

“You make a good point.” I reached over to pet the jackal’s head. She leaned into my touch and peppered my fingers with quick bites. “You need a name, little lady.”

Smoke groaned and rolled his eyes. “So you are keeping her!” he accused.

I shrugged. “Why not? She hasn’t caused any trouble. I think you ought to relax.” Smoke may have had some human intelligence, but a lot of animal instincts mired his brain.

I stared at the jackal, who dangled slightly on my index finger by her teeth. She was mostly black in colour, save for a few thin golden streaks in her coat. “Obsidian?” I asked aloud. “No, that’s a little too... verbose.” She flopped onto her side, nipping at the tips of my fingers. I continued to quietly inspect her coat, and I got a very odd sense of familiarity as I did so. It reminded me of my mother’s old stove, where the piles of ash would be streaked away to reveal some of the brassy interior.

I snapped the fingers of my other hand in a sudden realisation, the name striking me with the force and clarity of a lightning bolt. “Ash!” I exclaimed. “That’s a perfect name for you, little lady. Smoke and Ash.”

Smoke gave a pained groan at the declaration. Ash seemed not to notice. Some sort of fly buzzed past her, and it was evidently far more important for she turned and sprinted after it.

“Must she have a name tied so closely to mine?” Smoke asked, aggrieved.

“You’re sounding more and more like an older sibling, Smoke,” I told him. I couldn’t fully suppress the little smirk that was tugging at the sides of my mouth. “So easily annoyed by your little sister.”

I’d be lying if I said I thought of Smoke as being my son. More a particularly talkative kind of pet... but I didn’t see any harm in teasing him.

“She is no sibling of mine!” Soke said indignantly, giving an annoyed huff.

“Oh calm down. Really. She’s been here for over a week without incident. Whatever you think is going to happen clearly hasn’t happened.”

I’d asked around Tiode and nobody else knew much about plains jackals. Save for Guang who had shrugged at me and told me they were scavengers, tended to be territorial, but were largely harmless if left alone. The exception was with hellcats. For whatever reason, those two species really had it out for each other.

Part of it, Guang had reasoned, stemmed from competition over resources. But he also said that sometimes their fighting went beyond the usual anger of territorial animals.

Well, it just fell to me to make sure the two kept apart and behaved themselves. I wouldn’t tolerate violence on my land, especially not from my animals.

“I don’t like jackals,” Smoke admitted, sniffing at the air. “And I doubt there is such a thing as a trustworthy one.”

“Give her a chance, would you?” I asked. “I know all about bad people, Smoke. I happen to be something of an expert with regards to that. Just... try to get along with her.” We pressed on, making for our apple trees.

Still had a decent number of fruit on the branches. Part of me had to wonder if the alchemically-infused soil would be able to keep our crops going strong through the coming cold. Only one way to find out.

Smoke grumbled, giving me a sideways glance. “Fine,” he eventually said. “Fine, Father. I will try. But know I will keep a close eye on her, in case she tries to act... untoward to the farm.”

I smiled faintly, reaching down so I could pet Smoke behind his twitching ears.

“Good lad.”