It had been a few weeks since her young visitor had come and spent the day in the farmhouse that Sage was making her own. Sometimes it got lonely, and she would go riding; Lennon was good company. Even now he grazed, thick snout rummaging through the frost to find viable greens. The Ma-Tzu watched from her small kitchen window, humming to herself as she tidied up the little house. It was cozier now, and it did not feel so foreign to her anymore. Now, amongst the kitschy decor sprawled her own decorations, colorful pelts and furs, and even her own artwork adorning a few walls. She was proud to call Ichika her home, and even prouder still to hold the honor of Ma-Tzu. Nayru and Razekiel had entrusted the lives of the pack's animals to her, and it was a privilege she was happy to be a part of.
Once Sage was satisfied with the level of cleanliness in the house, she threw a fur over her shoulders and went out the door. Her bag fell across her shoulder, bearing tasty treats for her animal friends. It was mid-afternoon, but the tawny coyote still had work to do. She would need to see that all of the animals had plenty of water, and that their stalls were all clean before the sun went down. Without light, she would have a much harder time finding the droppings, and the fear of stepping in them alone made her want to finish the task early.
The goats were silent as she crossed the yard and entered their pen, carrying a bucket of water to pour into the trench. One of the smaller ones came up to her and started chewing on her skirt-tails. The leather was ragged enough as it was, she didn't mind too much, but pulled the cloth from his mouth anyway with a laugh. They were constantly hungry creatures. She let the bucket dangle on her arm, now empty, as she dug into her bag and produced an apple for the persistent creature. The others were off in the corner rummaging, and she was thankful they didn't see her sharing the apple, lest they take her entire stash. She had the horses, cows, sheep, and llamas still to visit. The llamas were a handful, so Sage always saved them for last.
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