Citizen 720 Tainia

It was a brisk spring day when the new pup arrived. No one could place where she came from, and it didn’t really matter, she slotted into the village without anyone needing to figure it out. Only one rex knows and Tainia’s memory of that early part of her life is already fading. Tainia had been wandering for some time before encountering the village. It wasn’t the first town she had encountered, and at first it didn't appear any different from the ones she had visited before; it had houses, gardens, and a grand central plaza. nor did it seem that different from the ones she had visited before. The pup was searching for something that she couldn’t quite put a finger on, but to anyone who had one before, it was quite obvious: a home. The little ocean rexal scampered between the houses, exploring the new place. She managed to avoid being spotted by any of the residents; she had a lot of practice avoiding the eyes of adults. In these kinds of small towns, an unknown child tended to draw questions, unlike in the city where she is just one unattended child among the crowd. It was easy to slip notice in big cities like Atlas. Tainia had left anyway. She had spent a couple weeks enjoying the easy pickings, swiping food from carts, but after that time she couldn’t stand the simpleness of it. It felt wrong to slip below everyone’s attention so thoroughly and deep down she knew that wasn’t the means to her end. Her pilgrimage hadn’t been easy, she spent many cold nights hungry just off the road, hoping that the proximity to civilization would keep her safe. Why not stay on the road? It was a risk, one much too large to stomach. Staying on the road meant that an adult might find her, and they would immediately know that she was alone. Adults like to make choices for pups that are alone, and Tainia refused to have someone else make a choice for her. She would choose where she curled up to sleep, where she roamed, and eventually where she grew up. This village was quiet in the low light of the early morning; some sleepy mutterings could be heard through open windows, and some clanking as rexes started about their day, but nothing that immediately concerned Tainia. A high pitched shriek pierced the air from the house directly to her left and Tainia jumped, running to hide. The shriek was followed by a chorus of giggles and a frantic, “Stop, stop! That tickles. I am getting up, I swear,” before it devolved into more uncontrollable laughter. The lonely pup relaxed and slipped out from the crate in which she had hidden. One happy family was no solid indicator of quality. What Tainia was looking for, she didn’t know, but she knew she would know when she found it. Tainia crept and skulked through gardens and backyards, dashing from shadow to shadow and bush to hedge. A heavenly smell wafted through the air as she scurried under the window of a large stone building, pulling her to a stop. She took a deep sniff and looked around. The second her stomach caught on to the fact that there was food nearby it chose to protest its neglect. She hadn’t eaten all day, choosing to get a lay of the land before hunting for her meal from easy thieving targets. There was a thump right above her head, and Tainia stiffened, holding herself stock still. There was a rex at the window she was under. The rex only stood at the window for a second before whistling as she walked back into her home. The pup didn’t move a muscle until the footsteps faded from hearing. With a soft breath, she carefully let herself loosen her muscles and stretch up her head slowly, agonizingly slowly. Once she could peer through the window, she realized that the rex had come over to place something on the window sill. Something that smelled delicious. Before the little pup was a golden pastry with steam rising enticingly above it. It smelled sweet like honey, rich like deer cheese, and had a faint whiff of bay leaves. The rex who had created it was nowhere in sight and Tainia’s belly gave a pathetic grumble. Quick as a hawk, claws sunk into the cake and pulled it off the window sill. Tainia scampered to a secluded spot she had scoped out earlier to enjoy her prize. The moment her teeth sunk into the flaky dough, her mouth was filled with sweet rich cheese. In between layers of the honey and cheese mixture was more crisp pastry, giving her teeth some extra resistance and making the bite all the more delightful. She devoured the whole thing and licked her fingers, carefully chasing the sweet honey that still stuck there. It was like nothing else she had managed to swipe before, warm and fresh. In the past, the only desserts she could steal were those that were cold and stale: forgotten, much like herself. Something in the experience of eating this cake, clearly lovingly prepared, cracked Tainia, and suddenly she found herself in tears. “It’s going to be missed. Someone is going to notice that it’s gone. Maybe they will search for it, maybe they will be angry when they can’t find it,” she hiccuped as she tried to keep her sobs as quiet as possible. The little rex curled up on herself and ended up falling asleep, tears still falling down her cheeks, exhausted from her months-long ordeal. When she awoke, the town seemed abuzz with anticipation. Flitting from garden to garden was much harder as the rexals of the town prepared for whatever big event was happening. Tainia didn’t care, she had a mission and she discarded her stealth tactics to rush towards the stone building she had stolen the cake from. She didn’t let herself pause at the door, instead pounded her little fist against it as hard as she could. When the rex opened the door, Tainia didn’t let them get in a word before loudly proclaiming, a little waterily, “I am here to help make another cake.” ~~ Tainia frequently indulged in placenta cake after that first day, and every bite reminded her of that silly need she had felt to make up for her theft. It was probably the best decision she had made in her life, going back to help replace the sweet in time for the spring hatching. It led her to stay, it led her home.