Tales of Woolhope #1

It was cold. And there was fog.

The familiarity of the fog was not the most important observation Pepper had made when she first opened her eyes. There, surrounded by dead trees that poked out of the icy land, a Scarfox lay in the snow, slowly melting the crystals around her with the tightness of the essence that made her who she was.

Existence was such a messy thing sometimes, and at this moment, Pepper was considered the messiest of them all. Perhaps not literally, but it took a strong force to undo the weave. And an even stronger force to convince the All Mother to rip the seams apart and sew them back together.

Pepper groaned with the effort to sit, her insides squirming around like worms excised from the earth. She was long, easily six feet from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Mostly leg. And her fur was a light cream color. She had an elegant spotted bow tied around her neck, and her arms, as fanned out as they were, looked of a similar spotted ribbon as the bow.

She smoothed her vest down, wincing as she bent, as if all her seams were bleeding and sore, though nothing escaped from within so she must have been okay. As pale as her colors were, she was surprised that she was even able to see herself. The sun was shining and it blinded her, so she quickly closed her eyes and settled into the comfort of darkness.

A stiff wind blew over the crests of the mountains and rattled the naked branches of the barren forest. It felt as though it were about noon and Pepper struggled to her feet as all her threads stretched and stretched until a loud popping noise echoed through the woods and Pepper plopped into the snow once more, much smaller than before.

A paltry three feet tall.

The shock of the sudden surge of magic and the tightening of her threads forced an ugly howl out of her. It was an unnatural sound. Like a wild beast that had just been caged, and Pepper couldn’t make much sense of it. All she could understand was that she was cold and she was no longer in pain. Something that she could readily accept.

At least for now.

Pepper took a deep breath and scrambled her way out of the drifts of snow until she found solid ground. Much like waking and standing, this took a monumental amount of effort, and she had even considered giving up until she finally stood firm on a blanket of frosted over leaves and dirt.

She held a large hand up to block the intense rays and blinked until her eyes adjusted to the searing white of the landscape. Between her blinks, she could see a vast mountain range that spanned in every direction as far as she could see, the peaks hidden by thick clouds and falling rain in the far distance. The wind blew again, a threat, and Pepper held her lop ears down before she was carried off by the elements.

She had approximately an hour before the harsh wind became rain or snow, and the only option was a tiny little hamlet at the bottom of the foothill. Pepper could see it, but even the foothills were steep and jagged. Displeased with intruders and willing to claim lives without recourse.

The trek was a long one. Pepper had even grabbed a stick to help stabilize her, but without any shoes, her strides were wobbling and slow. Without her previous height, she sank into snow drifts far too often. And her slow pace left her out in the rain when it slashed through the air and pelted the land. It was like walking through a curtain of daggers and she refused to give into it.

Hours later, rain still pelting her, her cloth-like skin dirtied from the snow and underbrush, Pepper finally made it to the little hamlet, which was devoid of life. The snow-crusted leaves had become wet leaves and the slush had become wet dirt by the time Pepper had made it to what appeared to be the main road.

There was no sign either. Just a dirt path winding through the little cottages and shops. And there were many many eyes peering from behind the shutters. Most of them were colorful and bright, but some were dark and foreboding. Locals who were concerned with this tiny Scarfox dragging herself through the rain with nothing but a walking stick.

The little road that wound through the hamlet ended about a mile or two north and there were maybe twenty buildings total. Throttleshed was the name, and the residents did not look very friendly. Pepper stared back at all the eyes, at all the people who were unwilling to open their door for a soggy stranger. To offer a fire, a cup of tea, a blanket, or a towel.

Pepper would remember them, and a surge of vitriolic hatred flowed through her so powerfully she almost felt herself rip apart again. But she couldn’t concern herself with their ire. She had to keep moving. A force beyond her understanding compelled her to keep walking this road until she found a place that would be more accommodating.

And for hours more, she walked.

She walked until the rain had stopped.

Walked until the sun had gone down and come up again.

Walked until she had seen a sign.

Woolhope was the name of the next town over. It was much bigger than the hamlet, with roads that spidered out in all sorts of directions between buildings of various quality. All dirt roads and all wooden buildings. By then, Pepper was filthy and tired. Her delicate creams had become a muddy brown and her pinks and blues had faded somewhat. She looked as though she had been trampled, but the filth was not what bothered her the most.

She was still small. That hadn’t changed.

“Hey there, lass.”

Pepper looked up as a shadow eclipsed the sun. Another Scarfox, tall and colorful, loomed over her. He looked like a jester almost. Or a clown. Covered in gaudy red baubles, with sweeping black arms and thick white fingers. A dense beige ruffle encircled his neck. But he also looked friendly, and he stooped low to get eye to eye with Pepper.

“You’re not lookin’ so good, nyehehe.”

Pepper, startled, took a few steps back and dropped her walking stick, which fell with a sad wet slap into a puddle.

The other Scarfox gasped and covered his face with his hands. “Oh, don’t be afraid! I didn’t mean to scare you, lass. I was just checkin’ to see if you was okay, nyehehe.”

Pepper’s arms went limp. Oh, so they were not a threat. “I’m just passing through.”

Her voice surprised her. She hadn’t felt the need to speak in all the time she had been descending the foothill, so when her voice was smooth and almost eerily calm, it shocked her. Perhaps, she thought, her innocent appearance in the deep puddles was an illusion even to her.

The other Scarfox bowed deeply, taking care to maneuver carefully around Pepper as to not frighten her again. “Name’s Piero! I run the local inn here. You look like you could use a good night’s sleep. Or a good day’s, nyehehe. Oh, that is of course if you would have me.”

Pepper craned her neck to look up at the sky, which was a beautiful painted pink as the sun began to rise. Somehow, this was wrong to her. It was all wrong. The morning sun should have made the sky blue. There should have been birds chirping. Perhaps even the sound of waking livestock. But there was none of that here. Only the sound of the locals rising and starting whatever made up the majority of their day.

“I don’t have any money.”

Piero laughed. “Well, how about this. I help you out now and you just pay it forward to a Scarfox who needs you. Deal?”

Pepper looked back down at her ragged self. Maybe it was a good idea to accept this stranger’s help. She did need it. And Piero didn’t seem like he was up to no good. Pepper nodded and Piero clapped his hands together in earnest, guiding Pepper to the largest building in Woolhope.

There was a beautiful chestnut-colored sign that hung above the door to the place, inscribed with the name “The Ugly Cloth”. Pepper hummed, the irony not lost on her as Piero opened the door and ushered her inside.

This early in the morning, The Ugly Cloth was still sleepy as many other Scarfoxes made their way to the dark wood tables to eat a modest breakfast. Some were still trying to catch a few more moments of shut-eye before they were off and some even greeted Piero as he made his way up to the simple reception desk to grab a key. He shushed the young-looking Scarfox at the desk, who eyed Pepper suspiciously before handing over a key with a defeated sigh.

Pepper stared back at them, though her eyes remained closed, and she did not look at any of the other patrons as she continued to follow Piero through the halls of The Ugly Cloth.

“So what’s a Mini doing all the way out here by herself?” Piero asked as climbed the stairs.

The stairway was clearly made for Scarfoxes much bigger than Pepper was now. And she had to hop up each one with a pointed grunt each time. At some point, she just sighed and started to hoist herself up using her hands as well. Piero considered asking if she needed help but decided against it. Pepper was oddly quiet and there was something off about her that he tried to ignore.

“Yeah, we’re waiting on a carpenter to come out here to refit the stairs.” Piero trailed off. “I don’t blame anyone for not wanting to come out to Woolhope. Sorry, nyehehe.”

“What is a Mini?” Pepper asked once she was at the top of the stairs. She was already starting to dislike the smell of polished wood.

“What?”

“A Mini,” Pepper replied. “You called me a Mini. What is that?”

Piero blinked a few times and returned the inquiry with a wide smile before it slid off his face. It seemed that his new tenant was not joking.

“It’s just what we call you when you’re small,” Piero said. This was all wrong. She felt so familiar. She should have known this. It was innate knowledge.

Pepper didn’t respond. She could sense that she had said something wrong because Piero was suddenly stiffer and moved a little faster. He quickly unlocked the door to a rather small room and pushed the door open, dangling the keys down so Pepper could grab them which she did without hesitation.

“Get some rest, traveler,” Piero said. “There’s a bunch of soaps in the washroom. Whenever you’re ready, and if you need it, I’ll be out and about, but you can ask for whatever you need.”

“Pepper.”

Piero quirked a beady black brow.

“That is my name. It’s Pepper.”

“Well, Pepper,” Piero replied with another deep and sweeping bow. “Please enjoy your stay at The Ugly Cloth. I’ll let you get some rest. Housekeeping comes around tomorrow morning, nyehehe.”

He shut the door with a quick snap and Pepper was alone again. The Ugly Cloth was warmer than the outside, but it was so odd to her. She wouldn’t think about it much again until the morning, but she would at least wash herself up and get some sleep before she worried about what, exactly, had happened to her.

---

The next morning, Pepper was startled awake by the deep sound of a heavy knock on the door. She had managed to wash up the previous night but hadn’t really done much other than fall into the feather-stuffed mattress. She was curled under the blankets and nearly drifted off again until another heavy knock slapped the sleep from her eyes.

“Housekeeping!”

Pepper untangled herself from the blankets and hopped off the bed - which was clearly made for a Scarfox much much bigger than even a normal Scarfox - before heading to the door. She had to stand on her tip-toes to reach the handle, but she finally managed to swing it open.

She was greeted by a portly Scarfox. A kind-looking dusty grey fox with a fanciful apron and hair tied into a ponytail.

“Morning!” she said. “Housekeeping. Can I clean your room?”

Pepper looked back to the mess of blankets and the towels littering the floor. “I was tired last night.”

“Poor thing,” came the response. “I heard from Piero. It’s perfectly fine, deary, I’ll clean up! But just so you know. I only come around once a week.”

“Okay,” Pepper whispered. “I guess I will leave you to it, then?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Pepper grabbed the key to the room and attached it to the same hook that held her egg-shaped brooch in place. The key was heavy around her neck, but she couldn’t think of a more suitable place to put it for now. She had to leave and figure out what had happened to her and she figured Piero would be the best fox to ask.

As she made her way down the stairs, back to the reception desk, she noticed that it wasn’t that much different from when she had first arrived. There were the same Scarfoxes occupying the same tables and participating in the same activities. Breakfast, papers, snoozing.

“Lookin’ for Piero?”

Pepper jumped the last two steps and crossed the room, the key clacking against the brooch noisily.

“Yes,” Pepper replied. “He said I could ask him for whatever I needed.”

The Scarfox tending to the reception desk was pouring over a ledger. She was equally as tall as all the other foxes in the communal area, but it was clear to Pepper at least, that she wasn’t a fan of her being there. The frown appeared to be a permanent fixture on her face just barely caressed by locks of navy hair.

“He’s not here.”

Pepper noted the edge to her voice. “I see.”

“So what do you want?”

Pepper looked around the communal area of The Ugly Cloth, hoping that maybe somehow this would force Piero out of hiding. Something she had noticed about him was that he seemed to appear out of nowhere and he laughed a lot. Punctuated a lot of his sentences with odd giggling, like he was barely holding back a bad joke.

He had shown up yesterday seemingly through magic and there was something inherently mystical about him. Maybe it was the ostentatious ruff collar or the fancy patterns on his face. Or the darned laughter.

“I am going to find Piero,” Pepper said after a long period of silence.

“I just told you Piero’s not here,” the other Scarfox snapped, slamming the ledger shut and storing it under the counter.

Pepper ignored her and made her way to the front door, which was propped open to allow the fresh morning air to circulate. The sky was still a dusty pink color.

The morning was surprisingly spry. Woolhope bustled with the morning foot traffic, but the denizens were quiet and hushed and moved about with purpose. They paid no mind to Pepper as she trotted through the soggy streets. Piero was nowhere amongst the groups of Scarfoxes, and Pepper was growing irritated with the insistence that he stay out of sight. She had questions, and she knew that he would have answers.

But despite her wanderings, Piero was nowhere to be seen, and Pepper found herself on the main road leading north of Woolhope. Beyond the town’s signposts were slightly raised stone walls and fields that stretched deep into jagged and uninviting mountains. Piero wouldn’t have left town, right?

“Lost?”

Pepper spun around to find Piero with his hands full. He was carrying bags of corn and seeds and he looked out of breath.

“I was looking for you,” Pepper said.

Piero chuckled. “I had no idea that I had left such an impression. I promised to be back, I was only going to get some seeds, nyehehe.”

Pepper hummed, brow furrowed in concentration. “You laugh too much.”

“Would you like to walk with me? These bags are rather heavy.”

Pepper nodded and Piero waddled his way back to The Ugly Cloth, huffing and puffing the whole way, though he didn’t dare ask for assistance.

“Your worker doesn’t like me,” Pepper said, continuing a train of thought she had not previously shared.

Piero laughed. “Hanabi is like that. Superstitious is all.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Pepper replied. “I did nothing to her.”

Piero shrugged, clearly backpedaling but not making the effort to look convincing. “I’m not sure, unfortunately. Please forgive her, she doesn’t mean anything by it.”

There was nothing but a grunt in response and when the two of them made it back to The Ugly Cloth, the communal area was empty outside of the same dusty grey Scarfox that had woken Pepper up this morning. She was rigorously cleaning the benches and tables, whistling to herself.

“Ah, Hanabi!” Piero cried, lugging the bags of seeds to the reception desk. “Good morning. Hope everything was agreeable. I have more seeds, nyehehe.”

Hanabi was not amused and stuck her tongue out as seeds spilled from a tiny tear in the woven fabric. “We don’t need this much, Piero.”

“What do you mean? I got a great deal for all this and we are going to use it!”

Hanabi frowned. “And your guest? When is she leaving?”

Pepper’s apathy towards Hanabi turned to burning hate again, and it ripped through her, flashing red hot before it was gone. Piero held his hands up in mock surrender, spilling more seeds on the floor.

“I, uh, well I was going to actually talk to you about that. Maybe even both of you at the same time?”

Hanabi folded her arms, and the jingle of metal piercings clacked together. The rings were connected to small lanterns that bumped against the wood of the desk. Pepper’s ears flicked in annoyance but she didn’t respond.

“I need someone to run some errands for me,” Piero started, wincing as Hanabi shot him the filthiest look she could muster. “I’d ask you to do it, but I need you here.”

“Piero, you can’t keep dragging every stranger that crosses your path in here,” Hanabi started. “You have no idea what this fox is all about.”

“Pepper,” Piero whispered.

Hanabi snorted, but lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned over the desk. “You don’t know who she is or what she’s doing here. What if she’s one of them foxes from up north? Don’t you think we have enough problems on our hands?”

Pepper had long since checked out of the conversation and had made herself comfortable on one of the cleaned benches. She was tired still from her abrupt awakening and these Scarfoxes were talking about her like she couldn’t make her own decisions. As soon as she was able, she was going to start heading north.

Piero looked over his shoulder and kept his voice down as well. “Look at her, she has no idea where she is. You think that would be happening if she was a danger to us? She lost her memories, it’s clear as day.”

Hanabi didn’t buy it for one second, but she unfolded her massive arms and grabbed the two sacks of seeds. She couldn’t really fault Piero for being like this, but she hated that every time Piero brought home a lost Scarfox, something bad happened to the denizens of Woolhope. He could make fun of her superstitions all he wanted, but Hanabi knew a bad omen when she saw one.

“If she causes any trouble at all, I will not hesitate to kick her out, you hear me?”

Piero smiled wide, showing all his teeth. “Of course. She’s not going to be any trouble. I’ll send her off on a job asap. Then you will realize that you can’t do it all alone either.”

Hanabi huffed and dragged the seeds into a back storage room, where her presence was announced by a bell tinkle and the clattering of pots and pans. Piero sighed and spun around, going to take a seat across from Pepper, who had her head resting on her arms.

“I don’t like her,” Pepper said.

A frown flashed across Piero’s face. “It’s complicated. She’s usually a lot more vocal about when she doesn’t like someone. Maybe that means she doesn’t think you’re that bad, nyehehe.”

His laughter faded into an awkward silence as Pepper lifted her head, incredulous.

“Anyway,” he added. “I’m actually serious about asking you to work for me. Run some errands if it would please you.” Another awkward pause. “I mean, I would allow you to stay here for as long as you work for me? And maybe there would even be a bonus at the end of the month for a job well done!”

Pepper hummed thoughtfully. She honestly had no reason to reject the offer, but Woolhope made her feel uneasy and she couldn’t place her finger on why. The way the residents avoided her if they could. The general silence, the lack of chirping birds, and the biting cold of the rain. This place was miserable and she hated it.

“And if I refuse?” Pepper asked.

Piero blinked a few times. “I, uh, err, well I’d just let you go of course! Maybe find someone else.”

“Why me?”

“Well, you don’t seem like the gossiping type if I’m being honest, nyehehe.”

Pepper arched a brow, the dot of her eyebrow disappearing into her nest of hair. Piero laughed awkwardly and scanned The Ugly Cloth before leaning over the table entirely to whisper.

“I commissioned something very special for Hanabi and I don’t want her to see it until I’m ready to ask. I can’t get anything by her, so if I go myself, I won’t be able to get past her.”

“What did you commission?”

Piero flushed, his cheeks puffing out as mist welled up in his face. “I’m going to ask Hanabi to marry me and I commissioned a ring and some appropriate attire.”

Pepper frowned. “Fine, I’ll go.”

Piero leaned back and clapped his hands together excitedly. “Excellent! I’ll draw up the letter you’ll need and get you a travel pack ready if you don’t mind waiting a day or two. Feel free to explore Woolhope in the meantime and I can’t thank you enough, nyehehe.”

---

When the last of the residents went to bed for the evening, The Ugly Cloth settled into a routine that involved Piero and Hanabi cleaning the communal area and balancing the ledger. There was a stilted silence between them and Piero struggled to find a way to break the silence. Hanabi was difficult to talk to when she was in a mood like this.

And, perhaps, she was even right about her superstitions. Piero couldn’t argue with that, at least for now. He wasn’t the arguing type to begin with and his stance was usually a flaccid attempt at humor before giving in, but it couldn’t be this way this time and he knew that.

“I know you want to talk,” Hanabi said, bent over the table. She was scrawling in the book in front of her with a comically large feather quill, but her eyes were focused. “So you might as well get it over with.”

Piero was thankful for the invitation and he crossed the room to sit across from Hanabi, who pointedly did not look up at him.

“I, uh, well, I don’t know where to start if I’m being honest,” he said, his legs trembling. “I couldn’t just let her be out there on her own.”

“Because she’s a Mini?” Hanabi snapped.

“No.”

Hanabi sighed. “Piero, she’s going to be nothing but trouble. She’s off. Wrong. I can feel it, and I don’t want her around here at all.”

Piero swallowed. He loved Hanabi more than anything in the world but she was stubborn as all hell and did not back down from her convictions. It was part of why he loved her, but also what made her so difficult to approach sometimes.

“I just didn’t think that she should have been allowed to travel for so long without someone asking about her!” Piero leaned over the table as well. “I can’t help it, Hanabi. I see someone who is clearly in need and I have to help them! I’d do it for anyone!”

“Even one of those foxes from the north?” Hanabi spat.

“Yes!” Piero cried. “Because I think that it’s important to be a community, still. Even though this place is falling apart. I just can’t stand to see people get hurt. Because of my own inaction? I know I’m a clown, but it just didn’t sit right with me.”

Hanabi huffed and Piero leaped out of his seat to circle around and wrap his arms around her shoulders.

“Hanabi, you’re concerned,” he said, his voice tender, loving. “I know you get scared because it feels like everything is going to go badly. But, I have a good feeling about this. And do you remember what happened last time?”

Hanabi sighed and put her quill down. Piero was such a soft-hearted fox, and sometimes she wished that he would be a little less selfless. But, in the same breath, she really wished that he would never change. It was part of the reason why she loved him so much.

She snapped the ledger shut and turned into Piero’s hug.

“Fine,” she said. “You got me.”

Piero laughed raucously, heart swelling with joy as he squeezed Hanabi in the tightest hug he could muster.

“She better not cause any trouble, though,” Hanabi added with a wheeze. “I mean it, I will let you have this, but if she causes me problems, I want her out of here.”

Piero crossed his finger over his chest. “I love you so much, you know this, right?”

Hanabi rolled her eyes. “I love you too. You big goof.”