Being Followed

It had been a few days since the fight and daring escape from the Duke’s manor. Kanin was surprised that he’d not seen any more of the Duke’s flunkies, or at least none wearing his brand. He and Anika had ducked into an alley for a moment while he checked his pouch, pulling out meger coin. He checked all his pockets and pouches for a hopeful spare coin but came up empty, while he did he heard his small charge’s stomach growl.

“I’m hungry.” she said pitifully.

Kanin frowned at the coins in hand. “I know.”

Kanin grunted as he folded his ears back and pulled the hood of his cloak over it. Hiding most of his oddness. “Let’s get you something to eat.”

Anika nodded and started to lead the way, but Kanin strided to her and pulled her hood up over her head as well. “We have to keep out of sight, remember?” he said. “Don’t wander off,” he added.

As they exited the alleyway Kanin happened to look towards the gates to town, seeing an odd pair talking to the guards. They were too far away to hear even with Kanin’s incredible hearing, but he watched the man of the pair making wild gestures and saw him put up his hands to mimic large floppy ears. He scanned over to the woman who was standing a bit away leaning on a long mage staff listening to her companion and seemed amused, then Kanin noticed the symbol on her robe. He couldn’t place its name but he knew it was one of authority and if they were looking for him it wasn’t good.

“Head down.” Kanin said, pulling his cloak then Anika’s more over their faces and pulling her down the road.

“Hey I wanted to go to the baker we passed yesterday.” she tried to pull away.

“Some of your uncle's men.” Kanin said they weren't wearing the same clothes as the others but he worried they might have been hired.

Once they had walked a fair distance taking random turns and crossing back over their own path in an attempt to slow or throw the people following them off completely, Anika finally forced Kanin to stop. “I’m hungry.” she said again pointing to a bakery window.

Kanin pushed open the door and a little bell dinged above the door as he led Anika inside. “Pick whatever you want,” he said, looking out the window as she trotted up to the counter.

“One sweet roll please.” Anika said, smiling up at the middle aged woman behind the counter.

“Well ain’t you just as pretty as sunshine.” the woman beamed a smile back at Anika. “And for your father?” she asked, looking at Kanin.

“Nothing for me.” he said, holding up a hand.

The woman nodded and smiled, before wrapping the sweet roll in some paper to keep it from being too sticky and hard to eat. “That will be eight copper.” she said.

Kanin pulled out the coin again, recounting it, and set his jaw before patting his pouches again.

Kanin could see the woman eyeing him and then Anika looking them both up and down. “How short are you, hun?

“I’ve only got five,” he said.

“Then today it's five copper.” she said.

Kanin shook his head, “No you said it was eight.” he said, “I can’t in good conscience take it for five.”

“It is my business I can change what I please and I am charging you four copper for the sweet roll.” the woman put one hand on her hip and was holding out the sweet roll in the other.

Kanin relaxed a bit and held out the coin in his hand, the woman only took four leaving him with a single copper. She then handed the sweet roll to Anika. “Have a good day sweety.” she said, giving a wave as the two parted.

Sitting outside on the edge of a fountain Anika watched Kanin looking around, so she tried copying him even though she didn’t know what she was looking for.

Out of the corner of his eye Kanin saw Anika raise something into view. She had ungracefully torn a chunk from her sweet roll and was offering it to him. It was frankly a mangled half mushed mess of sticky dough but he took it. “Thank you.” he said, seeing the girl eyeing him expectantly. He gave a small shake of his head and a smile before eating the chunk of sweet roll, then Anika dug into the remaining part, which was most of it.

“Good kid…” Kanin thought, “Wanted to make sure I ate something first.”

Anika chewed loudly as she ate too fast like she thought someone or something might steal it from her. All the while Kanin was watching for their strange new shadows. Kanin’s focus was cut off by Anika next to him making little kissy sounds. When he looked to see what she was doing he saw she was trying to get the attention of a stray dog. When it finally approached it made a small growl at Anika’s outstretched hand, and Kanin was ready to stop it from harming Anika, but it only grabbed at the extended sweet roll bit. That it promptly scarfed down, then the girl held out the paper stick side towards the stray.

Anikia giggled a little as the dog licked at the paper then her fingers, but Kanin tensed up seeing the duo stopping at stalls asking a question or two before moving on. Kanin pulled his hood lower and sloughed down more. From under his cloak he watched as the man with the strange eyes would ask a question, walk away and confer with his ice blue haired companion before moving on to ask more questions.

“Stay calm and stay still.” Kanin told Anika. “We need to stay here until they leave,” he told her.

“Do you think they are dangerous?”

“The one with the icy hair is. I think I could handle the man with black hair. But not both at the same time.” he said.

Anika nodded, she’d seen what Kanin could do and if he wasn’t willing to fight them best to keep her head down.

They waited sitting like normal people for a while before the pair of investigators had moved on down the road enough for Kanin and Anika to make a casual escape. But even though he heard no shouts to ‘stop them’ or ‘freeze’ he couldn’t help but feel like eyes had clocked him and he would need to be ready to run or to fight sooner rather than later.