The Dragon Soul and Trouble Fox

The tiny pup walked carefully over the heavily traveled paths through the snow leading away from the palace. She didn’t want to get her fur too dirty, especially not the delicate white paws on her right side. The ivory fur stained so easily and it certainly wasn’t befitting a princess to have dirty toes. Kiyohime did well to remember what her dad told her, have poise and decorum outside the palace. Ikigai was the best, she was always so beautiful and graceful. Kitsune was a close second, she moved her paws like magic. Then there she was, her little frame was anything but graceful. If her mind wandered too far her paws would swiftly cross and tangle beneath her. Shuriken wondered if she spent more time on her face than her paws.

Her pace was slow as she went through the sad forest around the palace towards the beach. The tropical plants here were being killed by the extended winter. Not that the girl could tell or know that. All she knew was what she heard from the adults. They needed warmer weather for the plants to come back. As she tried to imagine a world without snow Kitsune’s fiery pelt caught her eye. She was carrying something in her mouth, but Ike wasn’t about to raise her voice. She tilted her head curiously and aimed to intersect her sister.