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Prince Dream Rose
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“You could tell us about the books you’ve been reading,” Serah suggests. “You liked There Is Such a Thing as a Tesseract. What did you think about about Aesop’s Fables?”
“I like the fables,” Dotti ‘says’, “But he doesn’t know a thing about foxes. Why does he assume we all like grapes, and that we’re huge flatterers? At least he knows we like to eat chickens. And why are tortoises racing hares? Tortoises never race unless they have to.”
“I don’t think Aesop knew very many foxes,” Jek smiles.
“Are you saying all those stories are based on ideas humans have about foxes that are maybe only a little bit true?” Dotti frowns.
“Yes. They’re called stereotypes,” Serah says.
“Well, that’s stupid.”
“It’s not that much different than how you thought about humans a few months ago,” Jek points out.
Dotti rolls her eyes. “Yeah, well, whatever.”
“You’re starting to sound like Landi,” Serah jokes.
“Ew!” Dotti opens her mouth and gags. “Well … Serah, if you want to know about what foxes are actually like, I have some foxy wisdom for you. Very rare. Very special.”
I’m a little skeptical, but listen a little more closely.
“A chicken in the mouth is worth two in the coop, unless you figure out how to sneak inside the coop.”
“Makes sense,” Serah says.
Dotti puffs out her chest proudly. “The early bird gets the worm, but the early fox gets the bird!”
“Does all fox wisdom have to do with food?” I ask, deadpan.
Dotti growls at me. “Food is very important! You’re so skinny, I hoped you would understand.”
“I’m not skinny. I’m lithe.”
“Does fox wisdom have anything to say about compassion?” Serah asks.
“Yes!” Dotti says. “Nice foxes eat last.”
“I walked right into that one,” Serah sighs. “What else did you learn from fox, uh… society?”
“I had a skulk for a bit,” Dotti ponders, “But food got scarce, and we split up. I never saw them again. But I did learn a lot from foxes when I was on the other side.”
Serah leans in, curious. “On the other side?”
“Yeah. When I was dead,” Dotti says, as if it was obvious. “Being dead wasn’t that exciting. Not many spirits had much to say. But there were a few foxes who stuck around before passing on. They usually had advice for me. Human spirits were a lot…” she pauses, looking for the right words. “Heavier. Humans were like giant boats passing through, and I couldn’t get near them without getting capsized. I was smaller. Nimble. Harder to catch.”
“What did the other foxes have to say?”
“There was one who had a story a lot like mine,” Dotti says. “He said he was tamed by a boy. A prince, even.”
“A little prince?” Serah purses her lip, racking her brain for something she can’t quite put her finger on.
Dotti nods. “He told me I was smart to try and tame a human. One only understands the things that one tames, he said. Humans have forgotten how to understand anything. They buy things already made for them at shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so humans have no friends any more. So if you want a friend, you have to tame one. He was sad when the little prince left, but he always remembered the color of his golden hair whenever he saw fields of wheat.”
“How wonderful,” Jek says. “But who was the human you tamed? Was it the girl you were looking for whenever we stopped in cities and towns?”
“Yes.” Dotti pauses. She wrings her paws. “Her name was- is- Petra. We were best friends, and… I died protecting her. I need to find her to know if I succeeded, or if something horrible happened to her.”
“You came back just for her?” Serah asks, hand to her mouth.
Dotti nods. “I won’t cross over to the other side until I see her again. I can’t.”
“We will protect you. I promise,” Serah says. “Dotti, this is incredible. I wish you’d told me sooner.”
Dotti sniffles slightly. “It’s hard to talk about. But it’s getting easier. Just a little.”
“This would make a wonderful story,” Jek says.
“A story…” Serah snaps her fingers. “Dotti, you could write letters to all the mayors from here to the sea describing what happened, and asking if there’s anyone they know who recognizes it. I’ll stamp the letters with my seal, and that will guarantee a response. Dotti, we can do it. It’ll take work, but we can find her.”
Dotti hugs Serah tight. “Thank you. Thank you, thank you!”
I wonder what kind of response Serah’s father will have to this letter campaign, but I keep my thoughts to myself for now.
Is there anything I want to ask from Dotti, Serah or Jek before I take first watch?
This is the last post before the group advances up the mountain and faces combat.
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