章 16: Chapter 16 Is it theft if you steal from a thief?

Kitty lay under the tree, listening to the wind blowing in the branches above them. Her fur protected her from the majority of the winds bite, but Timmy was curled into a ball shivering for all he was worth. With a sigh, she decided she couldn't let the boy get sick from the cold, so she curled her entire length around him and then covered him with her wing.

Her warmth must have felt good to him, because he snuggled into her belly and let out a small sigh in his sleep. A weird sensation fell over her, and she looked at him carefully. Thinking hard about the feeling, she decided she didn't need to have kittens yet. She had too much going on in her life and she had too much planned for the future. The sensation slowly faded after her decision was made, and she lay her head down to sleep.

When the boy woke the next morning, she watched him fumble with the stones to make a fire. Remembering well the kindling that Dane had used, she gathered the necessary items for a successful fire, then left the actual fire building to the boy.

"I don't need a fire to stay warm, but you don't have the benefits of a warm coat like mine. So, it is very important that you learn how to make fire to cook your food and keep yourself warm. We'll see about getting you a warm coat in the future."

Timmy nodded as he struggled. "I'm sure grateful for all you've gave me. I prolly would be dead if'n it wasn't for you. The food you bro't was sure good."

She nodded back to him, and watched. After he failed to keep his spark alive the twentieth time, she sighed and showed him how to nest the materials to keep the wind off of the spark.

His eyes danced and he gave a shout of joy when his next spark took and a warm fire sprung up.

"You're so smart! Thanks so much for help'n me!"

"You don't think I did this all for you, did you? I need someone to prepare meals for me as is befitting my stature. I understand you're weak and unfit at the moment, but soon you will be healthy again. A goddess such as myself understands the need for growth in her underlings."

"You're a Goddess?!" he fell back away from her, and just managed to stop himself from bowing in the dirt again. She chuckled at the confusing war that ensued as he wanted to pay her the proper respects, but wasn't sure how.

"You need not grovel before me. You have the unique position of being my first follower. That awards you certain rewards. It's not everyone I would provide stew to when they're hungry and will cuddle to keep them warm." She looked at him carefully, to make sure he understood her words in the way that she meant.

His face turned pink from her words and a grin broke out again. "I liked that stew! I've nev'r had anything that good before! Not even my own ma could cook like that."

"And yet, you shall learn to cook it. I have provided some food items in the bag that the fire starter came from. Once you've cleaned the pot out, you may practice making a pot of stew yourself."

He looked at the large pot warily. "It's awfully big, how will I get it clean?"

"There's a stream not far from here, where you can soak it and then scrub it with some of the stones. I'll carry it for you, seeing how you're too weak at the moment."

He nodded and fed the fire with several more sticks before standing up and brushing the dirt off his paltry clothes.

Kitty sighed at him. She had her work cut out for her. After several days of practice, they finally figured out how to make a decent pot of stew. She had to return to the town several more times to grab things, but he was getting stronger and healthier with the warmth and decent food. And through out it all, she kept up the charade that she was a young goddess. He was so gullible, she almost felt sorry for him.

When she wasn't helping him in one way or another, she was asking him about the world. She was disappointed to find out he didn't know much. The Demon King was too outside of his realm of understanding and means of survival for him to have paid much attention to any gossip or news.

As she finished her meal of venison, curtesy of a pack of wolves that had killed one close to them, she informed the boy that she would be back.

"If any of those wolves come here to bother you while I'm gone, climb the tree to escape them. They can't climb."

He nodded very seriously, as he wiped his mouth clean.

Looking at him for a moment longer, she nodded to herself in satisfaction, before jumping into the air and heading for the town again. It was dark, so no one would see her approaching. The wild dogs were anxious for her arrival, because she had taken to giving them some of her scraps to keep them from attacking her.

Approaching one of the houses, that she hadn't stolen from yet, she overheard some of the people inside talking.

"The head mage, at the tower, said that the thefts are probably from the beast that escaped him the other day. He's offering a reward to anyone who can catch it, alive or dead."

"That's nice and all, but he didn't give a description of it."

"Well, we know it can fly. And it has to be pretty big considering the amount of stuff that's gone missing."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure some of the stuff that's been reported missing, hasn't just been 'misplaced', if you know what I mean."

"That's a possibility, especially considering the number of people who've been through town lately. I kinda wish we didn't have the mage living just over the hill."

"Maybe it's time to move to another town? This place has grown pretty big since we first came to live here, and we don't really like to have that many people around us."

"It does make it difficult to carry out our business. Do we want to mess with this bounty, then?"

"Naw, let the locals take care of it, if they want. I say we pack up in the next day or two and move on."

Kitty moved on as their conversation turned away from her and the mage, and moved on to the store house that was next to their house. Peeking in the door, hoping for chickens, she was surprised to see a strange setup.

Slipping inside, so she could shut the door and look around without anyone noticing the door being open, she began to snoop. She had seen enough television shows to know something illegal was going on here. A foul-smelling barrel contained bits and pieces of meat, floating in some chemical that made her nose burn.

Not finding anything that would immediately benefit her, she left the storage room, and headed back to the house. The two inside had turned in for the night, and snores were drifting out through the window. Peeking inside, she could see them both, deeply asleep in their beds. Hanging on hooks by the door, were a number of coats, and various clothing.

With her tail flicking back and forth in anticipation, she made her way to the door, and opened it slowly, taking care not to make any noise. She tiptoed into the room, and started perusing the clothing. Some of it was way too big for her boy, but she figured it would be better than the rags he was currently wearing. Taking the things she thought would be best suited for him, she made a pile by the door. She sniffed through the food supply, that they had on a shelf by the fireplace, and quietly acquired the things she liked.

Turning to leave, she spied a sack laying under the bed of one of the men. It would be nice to put all of this in a bag, so she grabbed it up with her already heavy bundle, and snuck out of the house. Pausing outside the door, she shoved everything in the bag before quietly shutting the door. They would be upset in the morning, but Timmy would be warmer.