Pyra 24, Imperial Year 1645
Newhope – The Square
Kithri woke early. The sun was still low, the air cool. She stretched – arms up, back arched, tail curling – and listened. The town was waking: a dog barked, a baby cried, someone hammered wood. She liked Newhope. It was small, quiet, and the roofs were low enough to jump between.
She dressed quickly – leather vest, loose pants, soft boots – and slipped out the guest house door. No one saw her. She was good at that.
The Rooftops – Morning
She climbed the well first. Just because. Then the schoolhouse. Then the granary. Each building had its own grip – rough wood, smooth stone, slippery slate. She found the holds without thinking.
From the granary roof, she could see the whole square. A woman hung laundry. Two boys chased a chicken. Mira was already at the kitchen, smoke rising from the chimney.
Kithri sat on the peak, her tail wrapped around her ankles. The wind tugged her ears.
"Hey! You!"
She looked down. Elara stood in the square, hands on her hips.
"What are you doing up there?"
"Watching."
"Get down before you fall."
Kithri grinned. "I never fall." She stood, walked to the edge, and dropped – landing silently in front of Elara.
"Show off," Elara said.
"Maybe."
The Laundry – Midday
The class girls were washing clothes in a big wooden tub. Celia scrubbed a shirt. Miku wrung out a sheet. Talia sorted the pile. Hikari folded.
"Need help?" Kithri asked.
"You want to do laundry?" Miku said.
"No. I want to watch you do laundry."
"That's weird."
"I'm a cat. We're curious."
She sat on a barrel, tail swishing. The girls worked. Kithri watched.
"You're not going to help?" Celia asked.
"I'm supervising."
"You're staring."
"Same thing."
Elara laughed. "She's got you there."
Celia flicked soapy water at Kithri. Kithri dodged – fast, fluid – and flicked back a drop from her claw. It hit Celia's nose.
"Hey!"
"Sorry. Reflex."
Miku shook her head. "You're impossible."
"I've been told."
The Rooftops – Afternoon
After lunch, Kithri climbed again. This time, the new watchtower at the edge of town. It wasn't finished – just a frame of wooden beams – but she scaled it like a ladder.
From the top, she could see the sea. Blue and endless. Gulls circled. A ship was a white speck on the horizon.
Roderick climbed up after her. Well, he used the stairs. He was too heavy for the beams.
"You again," he said.
"Me again."
"Vlad's looking for you."
"He knows where I am."
Roderick leaned on the railing. "You like heights."
"I like seeing everything. From up here, nothing can surprise you."
"Except the wind."
"Wind doesn't surprise me. It annoys me."
He grunted. "Fair."
They stood in silence. Kithri's ears twitched.
"You're quiet," she said.
"I'm always quiet."
"No. You're thinking."
Roderick looked at her. "Maybe."
"About what?"
"About how you're not as silly as you pretend."
Kithri smiled. "I'm not pretending. I'm just not always serious." She looked at the sea. "Being serious all the time is exhausting. Someone has to be the one who climbs things."
"That's not a job."
"It is now."
Roderick almost smiled. "Come on. Vlad's waiting."
They climbed down. Kithri took the beams. Roderick took the stairs.
The Square – Evening
Supper was stew again. Mira's stew. Everyone ate in the square, at long tables under the fading light.
Kithri sat between Corvin and Gunnar. Across from her, the class girls whispered and giggled. Vlad sat at the far end, eating slowly, ignoring everyone.
"They're still staring at him," Kithri said.
"Let them," Corvin replied.
"It's been three days."
"He's still pretty."
Kithri shrugged. "I guess." She stabbed a potato.
Gunnar looked at her. "You don't think so?"
"I think he's Vlad. Pretty or not, he's still Vlad."
Gunnar nodded. "That's the right answer."
Kithri finished her stew and stretched. The sun was almost down. The stars were coming out.
"I'm going to climb the well again," she said.
"Why?" Corvin asked.
"Because I can."
She walked across the square, tail high.
Behind her, the class girls watched.
"She's weird," Miku said.
"She's free," Elara replied.
End of Chapter Ninety‑Three