Master Tho-Nosho was not very big. Making his way through the market places, Jallin had seen some bruisers, big ratheads with weapons and armor. And he'd seen some fat ones too, like his former landlord. But Master Nosho, or Tho-Shiko, whatever, was lean and not much taller than Jallin. In fact, the female standing behind him and holding a large, leather bound volume, was taller.
As Jallin understood it, and he really didn't understand too much about kinto-shah, it was better for the males to have longer snouts or muzzles or whatever they called the prominent nose and mouth they had. And their ears were supposed to be more leaf-shaped, less delicate looking. The females were supposed to have more rounded ears, a shorter muzzle, and it was a fashion for females to be gray in color. Many females actually bought expensive powders to make their fur gray.
They also trafficked in parasite powders and perfumes as well, and both of these kinto-shah in front of him smelled strangely like...Jallin thought about it...he wasn't sure what to say they smelled like. Together, they were like some sugar-coated pastry or cinnamon, or maybe a whole bakery. From Tho-Shiko, he thought he smelled a more ruddy, herbal, earthy smell, or maybe something like trees, or maybe some of the bushes that grew down near the seashore. From the female, it was a sweeter smell, but also with a faint twinge of sour or bitter to it, almost like a fruit of some kind.
Both of them had dark, dark eyes. The female's deep, dark bluish colored eyes. Tho-Shiko had eyes the color of dark wood. He had stripes going along the edges of his face, too; she didn't or she covered them up. Something drew Jallin's attention to the female for a bit longer than the male. The female had tattered ears, and there was a scar on the topside of her muzzle and one above her eye. When she looked up at him, he looked away and hoped she hadn't noticed him staring.
Both of them kept their ears up and open towards the two children, and Jallin thought this was a good thing. It was when their ears went flat, like an enraged raig's ears, there would be trouble. He couldn't tell if they were smiling or not, and whatever other body language he gave, Jallin couldn't read it either. He wondered how much they knew about humans.
When he finally spoke, Jallin could not see his mouth. Instead, he saw the whiskers moving on either side of his face.
"Ju," he said, pointing at Jallin. "Ju je boy child?"
Jallin looked for Hurga to see if he should answer. When he repeated his question, Jallin nodded.
He stepped over to stand in front of Eja.
"And ju je geyerl child?"
"My name's Eja," Eja declared.
"Eja?" the kinto-shah asked her.
"It's short for Ejalina (need to check this). We don't have a last name." She looked at Jallin. "Or did we decide it was...."
Aunty Hurga put her hand on Eja's shoulder to quiet her. The master of the house flipped his ears and came back to stand in front of Jallin again.
"And she ees jur...vord ees?...Aunt?" he pointed at Hurga. "Mother seester?"
Jallin nodded again.
"Hurga-seduka, vare ah they clothing? Pozeshuns?" He turned around and gestured at the female behind him. She shifted the book in her hands and opened it across her chest. Jallin looked at all the writing in it, trailing all over the page, like little meaningless pictures. He didn't know if the handwriting was good or not, but he liked looking at it. What did it say? He stood on his tiptoes to get a better look.
Tho-Shiko pulled out of his vest a peculiar stylus, not a quill or an ink pen, but just something like a little stick, carved beautifully out of wood. He turned his back to the two children now and while the female held the book, he scribbled on the page. Without ink or even ash, the words appeared. For a brief moment, they appeared to be on fire, and then settled to a normal black color against the ivory-colored backdrop of the parchment.
"Hurga, vat-needers they?" He looked over his shoulder. "Vat things? Ju vill buy for them?"
"Yes, Tho-Shiko." As though she had waited her entire life to shop for these two children, she listed items. "The boy, he'll need boots, sturdy pants, a few tunics, a pair of gloves, and a hat. We'll also need a bit more food for both of them. The girl, she'll need...hmmm...a good skirt, some shoes, and...." Jallin heard her stop.
"Vat?" the master asked. "Vat ees it?"
"She'll need some medicine, Tho-Shiko."
Jallin nearly choked. Medicine? She wanted medicine for Eja? Never, since his mother made them join the Trochaya church had anyone ever been promised anything more than just prayer and sympathy. He turned his head and looked at the woman standing behind Eja. She briefly glanced his way, then back at the master. She looked nervous.
"Vat kind?" he asked her. Jallin didn't think he was angry, but he couldn't tell. The female looked surprised.
"For her cough, Tho-Shiko. She may be sick, sir."
His ears flipped again. Now, Jallin didn't think he was so happy.
After a tense moment, the master waved his hand. "See Kir-Tuko for it. I vill allow her if ju think it vill help her?"
"I think so, sir."
"They vill vurk?" He gestured to the entire compound.
Aunty, and now that she was getting medicine for Eja, Jallin didn't mind calling her that, nodded enthusiastically. She squeezed Eja's shoulder and Eja wiped her mouth and looked up.
"I vill send Shi-Feo for the children's things. She must go to market, anyvay. You vill go and speak vith Kir-Tuko about the medicine. Now, Hurga-Seduka, take the children to their house." He dismissed them with a gesture, and the two kinto-shah left the pavilion, heading back towards the house together.
As soon as the master was out of sight, Eja broke into her worst coughing fit yet. She doubled over and gasped. Jallin went to her and slapped her back, hoping to knock the sickness from her. He looked around. When could they get the medicine? Where was this Kir-Tuko?
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