“..I-I’ll be counting on you, then..”
My master is still so embarrassed that it seems to rub off on Alice as she replies.
“Oh, I can teach you that too..”
“That?”
“Mmmmhmm.”
Alice is packing her things, since it’s late. In fact, I’m so sleepy that I’m yawning. That’s why it feels like what she says flies right into my open mouth.
“The innkeeper’s wife tells me that you’re humming the tailor’s song completely out of tune.”
Guh.. a strange noise comes out of my throat. If I was human, I would be rolling on the floor and laughing while holding my belly. Alice is laughing too, though my master’s standing pencil-straight. Her face is so red it’s obvious even in the orange candlelight.
“Um, uh..”
“Hehe.. well, it’s too late tonight. I’ll teach you when we get the chance. I didn’t want to sing it in my first year, but I had to learn it. I have to sing it in the middle of the town square!”
Alice is holding the linen and other things in her arms as she remembers this. My master is almost in tears from her embarrassment. But I can see happiness in those eyes as well.
“On one condition, though.”
Alice walks up to me as I wag my tail, and rubs my stomach with her foot.
“You’ll have to teach me the song of the shepherds.”
I get back up and stare at my master. Her face is frozen solid. She spins around and looks at her staff, a sure sign of her old trade. It’s completely unnecessary for a traveler, but she’s too sentimental to leave it behind. She spins back around to Alice, her lips quivering as though unable to find the words to say. But Alice speaks first anyway.
“I heard it from Joam already. He’s in the loan business because of his family. It causes no shortage of worries for me. Oh, hey, don’t be so nervous about him.”
Alice walks up to her and talks to her softly.
“It’s just that my husband wanted to be the one to negotiate.”
“..”
My master has rich facial expressions. I am impressed. Alice squints. She’s also interested in the facial expressions of my master, I guess. Then she says “bye” and walks to the door.
“And you, little dog, I’m sorry for yesterday.”
I have a name, you know. It’s Enek. I bark to make it clear that I’m upset and eye her as she leaves. After that, the only sound that remains is the burning candles. I look back at my master, who is still standing there. Her hands are covering her complicated facial expression. She still needs to practice if she wants to be able to handle the different situations a priest has to work in. She’s still covering her face as I rub her feet, but she finally talks to me.
“Did I hear her wrong, or did she say ‘my husband?”’
So my master is interested in things like that? Well, I guess it can’t be helped. She’s a normal girl after all. She probably should be interested in such things.
* * *
The innkeeper’s wife brings my master a Bible from the church along with our breakfast. Joseph has apparently been awake for most of the night writing things for my master. She’s so tired she wanted to sleep in until noon, so she tears his letter so that all that’s left is the parts she has to remember.
If the nice meal we had last time was thanking us for helping Joseph, then today’s breakfast is for helping the entire town. My master shares her food with me, but she can’t help but toy with me as she does so. I’m not very powerful, but I’m happy to be toyed with her. A knight’s duties include always cheering up his master.
“..sit tall before the Lord..”
She removes her sandals and massages my back with her feet as usual. She even tugs my fur between her toes before moving to another part of my back. Eventually she sighs and massages my belly. Lakes look clear because they’re deep enough for the silt to settle at the bottom. I’m willing to accept the silt for her, but I honestly would like to be rewarded sometimes. I’m being tolerant because I know she needs to study, but is her massaging supposed to be my reward? I don’t want her toes poking in my ears! I look up and scratch her foot back with my icy nose.
“The light in the sky will spread.. because, because.. ugh..!”
She can’t remember the words, so she yells out softly in frustration like a bleating sheep. But she then jumps up suddenly.
“Because it obeys the will of God!”
It’s almost like she’s debating with herself. It seems she’s managed to recite that part completely, though her feet are rubbing me harshly in the process. I know she can do it, so I’m not worried. I can’t talk, but I remember how quickly she became an excellent shepherd, so remembering words shouldn’t pose much of a challenge to her.
“Whew.. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to remember all of that.. I didn’t think it would go that easily.. hey, Enek, were you listening?”
She looks down at me, and I can finally crawl up and lie down beside her. Her face has a rare look of pride as she caresses my head.
“Can you remember a couple of sentences too, Enek? I’m sure you can!”
Knights don’t have to talk, so I turn away. She’s like a kid who’s showing off. She hums through her nose and rubs my head crazily. I’m not sure if I can take much more of this. But it’s been a really long time since I saw this kind of look on her face, so I decide to kindly let her continue and pretend I’m happy.
“Oh, jeez, what time is it now?”
The window’s open, and if we were in a sheepfold she’d have no trouble telling. But in an unfamiliar room, not even I can tell what time it is just by how the sunlight changes. My master stands up and stares out the window, which is a new thing to me. Usually she just lies on her back in the grass and stares up at the sky like that, next to whatever mice, chickens, or ducks are in the area.
She’s trying to tell the time from the sky, but she looks pretty depressed and hopeless. It saddens me to think that we’re more fortunate than we were before when she’s struggling like this. But then it seems like someone we knew just passed by the window, because she waves her hand.
“Enek! We have to go right now!”
I bark and walk up to the door. My master nervously prepares herself, then reflexively looks back toward the bell-less staff leaning against a wall. She hesitates, and the loneliness, sadness, and shame in her heart is written clearly on her face. That staff brought her such suffering, but she won’t let it go. It’s what brought her here and now.
I’m worried enough to sit down by the door, but she finally turns to me and smiles. We can only go forward. I have to let go of the past too. That’s my duty. Not being sad or ashamed. I have to appreciate the present. My master rubs my head and I bark again, ready to step outside into the wide unknown as she opens the door to the inn.
Translation Team
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Translator: Terrence
Editor: Bashzestampeedo
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Spice & Wolf XIII (DWT) Page 13
