family ties
#1
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for jace!

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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#2
309

She was still of the same mind, abjectly telling herself that she would not go see Noah and see how he was. But inside she was crumbling and it had only been a few days. It hurt her inside that her brother would think her against him, she understood the need to punish him for his actions, he had trespassed after all but her heart refused to put her against him and this created an uncomfortable crush of emotions inside of her, she wasn't on her whole game today at all.

It was with some trepidation that she shucked on her polar bear fur coat, drawing the pure white fabric around her form and stepping out into the cold day. Normally she would have relished in the cold but she was still feeling the aftereffects of jumping into the river and saving Shiloh. She growled quietly, shut the door securely behind her and walked swiftly away from her home. As part of her ranks requirements she was responsible for checking up on the various livestock Ichika kept and so that was where she headed first, after this she would go on patrol.

Curiously despite knowing of the female's existence Jace had never met the Ma-Tzu, they had always managed to miss each other when doing their respective duties. But today was the day they finally would meet as she spied the coyote woman in the distance exit her house and disappear into the ranch part of the whole complex. The woman picked up her pace and soon found herself surrounded by the scent of animals and hay and manure. She smiled gently as she looked upon the assembled animals, while they were here for Ichika's consumption Jace was fond of the creatures they kept. Her voice sounded loud in the confined space even though she spoke quietly to her own ears,

"Sage?"
#3
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<3

After finishing with the goats, Sage had moved into the stables to care for the horses. Their water was mostly still fresh from the morning, but she carried a bucket through anyways and refilled the troughs for those who were extra thirsty. She was in the storage room gathering a bale of hay to pass amongst them when she heard the voice. It was familiar, and saying her name. Large ears swiveled as her head rose, turning towards the source. As she stepped out of the room with hay in hand, her nose and eyes quickly recognized Jace. She hadn't expected visitors, but she was glad for the company. Sometimes it got lonely on the farm, despite the many animals to chatter with. A broad smile filled her face as she stepped towards the Yakuso, greeting her pleasantly. "Jace," she called, "good to see you! I wasn't expecting anyone." It was never an inconvenient time for her packmates to stop by the farm; after all, many of them used this stable frequently. She was used to the traffic, but not many stayed to chat. Maybe they didn't want to interrupt her work, but the coyote was often thankful for the reprieve of friendly conversation. Dalgina was the last visitor she had, and the Ma-Tzu wondered if the girl had told her mother about her. Hopefully, she hadn't gotten her into trouble. Children were good at making up stories, after all.


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#4
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Word Count → 222


An empty room was what met to her gaze and Jace frowned in momentary confusion before the disappearance of the Ma-Tzu was made clear. She had passed on through into the storage room to gather either foods or treats for the animals in her care. Jace looked about the stable fondly remembering her time as the stand in Ma-Tzu before Sage had joined their ranks. Her eyes snapped to Sage as the woman reappeared holding a large handful of hay within her grasp. Her tail wagged and hit a stable door producing a quiet thump that got the attention of several horses. She looked behind herself and grinned slightly embarrassed, a short laugh leaving her throat,


We haven't managed to catch each other before and for this I am sorry. I came to offer my assistance as well as making an attempt at getting to know you, if you accept that is. She would not force her company upon Sage if she did not want it or if she were suffering hard times and wished to be alone. At this moment their relationship was non existent but it could be a good one if Sage and herself proved compatible. Jace had found during her time in Phoenix Valley and now in Ichika that one could never have an excess of friends.


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#5
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<3

The hay felt itchy on her paw pads, so she shifted the weight of it as she stepped forward, intent on the first stall. "Sure, love, that'd be wonderful," she chirped with a smile, tossing a good chunk of the hay into the first horse's feed bucket. "If you want to grab another bale, you could help me feed the horses," she suggested. "But how are you, Jace? And your children, how are they? Dalgina came around not long ago. Such an inquisitive little one." The memory made her laugh. Sometimes, Sage wished she had children to care for; with all of the farm animals, though, she sort of had them. As she shoved hay through the bars of the next room, she turned and added, "I've still got the llamas to tend to, as well."


Sage wondered if Jace had more luck with them. A few of them were sweet and had come to like her, but the others were disinterested, and even aggressive sometimes. The coyote had always been so good with animals, but the llamas were different. They were independent, and even smart. She'd carried a few brief, stunted conversations with them in low speech, but they most of them were quite private. She had seen a few of them nosing at the gate latch before, though, and it made her think twice about double-checking it.


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