Kit... climbed the staircase to the next floor, carrying a lit candle in one hand. She entered her room, looked warily about, and closed the door, turning the key in the lock. She sighed and stretched, set the candle down on the closest table; she paused to touch the lace doily that decorated the table, tracing the fine latticework. She frowned to herself, momentarily distracted by its unusually shoddy appearance. Seems strikingly out of place, she thought. This may not be a wealthy inn, but all the same... Dismissing it from her mind, the elderly fox paced slowly towards the fire crackling in the room’s small fireplace. Her old shoulders slumped with weariness and age.

“About time you got here,” a quiet voice spoke suddenly, making the old vixen jump in alarm. “How was the chicken?”

Kit Suni inched cautiously around the large chair set in front of the fireplace until she could see the form of a body wrapped in a large overcoat and scarf seated in it. “I’ve been trying to catch you for some time now,” the stranger said, as he raised a teacup. He sipped from it before speaking again. “I missed your last campfire; seemed I was a few hours off this morning.” It stood, and two large appendages, like rabbit ears, popped up from the top of its head, which was no surprise since he was, in fact, a rabbit. Kit paused and then laughed at ease as she recognized the stranger.

“I never thought to see you here,” the fox laughed.

The stranger smiled and doffed his hat. “You might not have if I hadn’t deduced that you might be passing this way. I was lucky in that you chose to pause for the night.” He brushed a shock of green headfur back from his eyes, and shook his head disbelievingly. “It’s good to see you again, sister, but I must say that you have seen better days!”

The fox laughed again, and turned away, lifting her hands to her face. There was a shimmer of light, and she turned towards him again, lowering her arms. Years faded from her face and her fur was bold russet once more. She grinned impishly and her eyes glittered with youthful mischief. She fell into a warm embrace with the green-furred stranger. “Hello, Flags.” Felicia pecked the rabbit affectionately on his cheek. “It’s lovely to see you again.”