Chapter 1

The breeze was cool and dry as Horo and Lawrence rode their wooden oxen pulled cart along a rutted and rough country road. It was starting to turn from the cool of fall to the cold of winter and today's breeze was but a gentle call from the departing past. The sun shone weakly through a tattered cloth of clouds overhead but it still had enough strength to warm the fair skin on Horo's face. She basked in it longing for the summer, having forgotten the irritating heat that also came with it. The sun felt great on her pointed ears.

Sighing, she rolled her face downward over the side of the cart and watched the frail brown dried grasses lining the road stroll by at the lumbering pace of the stoic oxen. Strands of her long brown hair hung down and, wafted to and fro in the gentle wind, allowed her ruby red eyes to catch small glimpses of the world around her.

The oxen labored pulling the heavily laden wagon filled with sacks of raw crystallized sugar. Lawrence clucked his tongue and shook the reigns a bit to encourage them to lumber a bit faster. They didn't even take notice and Horo snickered; like she was in on their rueful joke. Lawrence eyed the wolf deity with just a bit of sharpness and sighed.

"Lawrence?" she called in a quiet voice.

"Hmm?" he replied absentmindedly while he watched the road.

She continued, "When we get to Jungen will you buy me some apples? Fresh ones this time, not like those dried up wrinkled things you said were apples back in Minsengar." She poked him in the side making him jerk away involuntarily.

"Those," Lawrence replied a bit irritated, "were the only apples they had. And even then they were expensive." He sighed and asked, "Do you have any idea how much money you owe me?" Horo took on a defiant look.

"Do you have any idea how much money I've made for you?" she snapped back. "Wasn't it me that helped you back there while negotiating for the sugar? I told you that they had cut their cane sugar with sugar beet when I smelt it. They couldn't deny it after all and gave you a ten percent discount."

"That's because they were honest merchants," Lawrence interrupted. "And, I would have found out it had been cut after I'd tasted it. Besides, this is raw sugar. It needs to be refined before anyone will pay a decent price for it. The commodity rate for mixed sugar is what I was willing to pay anyway."

"So confident are we?" Horo chided. "The great of wise wolf of the Yoitsu had no bearing whatsoever on the price that was reached, did I?"

Lawrence smiled at her, "Yes, you did." Horo smirked back then opened her mouth. "And yes," he said, again cutting her off, "if they have fresh apples I'll buy some for you."

"Enough to fill by belly?" she asked in a semi demanding manor.

"Enough…" he said and turned his attention back towards the road.

Horo drew her tail from under her skirt and flicked it around in the air before she pushed her head under his arm onto his lap. He looked down at her, the wind tousling his white hair. "Be sure its enough," she said quietly. He smiled, a bit red in the face, and lifted his arms as they hit a large pothole. The cart jumped sharply and ejected Horo from his lap and she landed with a small thud on the bench seat. She "humphed" and turned away, swishing her tail in his face energetically.

Lawrence brushed her tail away and scratch his stubbly facial hair on his chin. "After we sell of this sugar to Jonna," he began, "I was thinking we should seek out a business opportunity somewhere up north; perhaps around Yemeth? Do you remember if that's anywhere near Yoitsu?"

Horo turned to face the road and replied, "No. The names you humans use and the names we use are non-related. It wouldn't help us at all. All I know is that we need to head north from here…"

While Horo went on about this and that Lawrence nodded and thought to himself, when we get to Yoitsu, I guess Horo will leave... His mouth turned down a bit and Horo stopped and looked expectantly at him. Lawrence noticed her and cleared his throat. "What're the chances you'll have paid back your debt to me by the time we get to Yoitsu?"

She scowled at him but didn't say anything. She climbed into the back of the cart and lounged on the sugar sacks. Her tail gently brushed the side of this face as they rolled onwards. A few minutes later she said, "I'll have you paid back in full, and even owing me a debt by the time we get to Yoitsu." She rolled onto her back and spent the rest of the time stroking and preening her tail.