Page 19 of Moon Tamed

“You’re going with two wolves. They’ll do all the hunting for you.” Dad killed the engine and considered the block of concrete, stone, and brick buildings. “Were you aware that Moonriver was modeled after several Earth cities?”

“Yes, Dad. That’s also why the nearest spaceport is ten hours from here. We’re old fashioned.”

“Ah, but do you know which cities?”

I shook my head. “I never looked into it because I felt Moonriver would lose some of its mystery and charm.” Unbuckling my seatbelt, I got out of the SUV and waited for my father to join me on the sidewalk before saying, “I do know our planet is in a historic lock. Our tech, outside of pollution measures, doesn’t change. Those who are forward-thinking head to Earth or some other world. Full shifters always come back after their ten year stint on Earth. And Earth sends us animals we might be able to save before they go extinct.”

Our home made an excellent place for wild animals from Earth, as we had more space, numerous large, inhabitable islands with a good mix of climate types, and the tech needed to help with species preservation.

“It’s more about our magic, too.” Dad waited until I double checked I had everything before locking the SUV. He offered his arm, and I giggled at the old routine, which he’d started the instant I’d been tall enough to reliably hold onto him.

Some things I hoped would never change, and being able to hold onto my father was near the top of the list.

We headed in the direction of the bookstore, and I wondered at the buildings and what my father was trying to hint at.

Not far from the store’s entrance, he asked, “What would you change about Moonriver if the choice was yours?”

“Very little. I’m among the lowest of the low, and I get by. I put food on my table with one job—a job I have a choice in. It would be nice if I could afford more luxuries, like buying myself a digireader, but I can go to the library. I’m not really missing out on anything.”

“But if you could change any one important thing, what would it be?”

I wrinkled my nose, stepped into the store, and pulled free of my father to snag a basket. “I’m not sure. Perhaps the pressure on the unaffiliated? We serve an important role. We take over when the factions need us. We’re like glue. We make sure everything sticks together like it should. If someone becomes ill, we’re ready to take over, so they can get better without worrying about the mess their absence otherwise may cause. If a faction is short-staffed, we’re ready and able to serve. That’s important.”

“Create a faction,” my father suggested. “If it’s that important, prove it.”

“Someone can’t just make a faction, Dad.” His comment had merit, though.

Some people, like me, just wanted to help when others needed help, and Moonriver didn’t have a faction just for helpers. They relied on the unaffiliated instead.

“Why not? Your grandmother did. Why can’t you? Once you pick your jaw up off the floor, you can find me either with the digireaders or waiting for you at the cashier. Try not to take all night.”

After conferring with my bank account and confirming I’d still be able to pay my bills, I bought two new books. The first, an Earth classic written before the invention of Universal Standard, would test my grasp of British English. Neither Britain nor its variants of English existed outside of historic media, but the lost isles fascinated me.

The second book promised a high sea adventure with pirates, a runaway princess, swords, and sorcery, written by a star-faring cargo hauler with a love of the sea.

My father caught me in the act, and he raised a brow at me. “I’m buying you a digireader, and you’re here buying paper books?”

“I want these two in paper,” I informed him in my most serious tone.

“Add them to my pile.”

“I can afford these, Dad.”

“Pile,” he ordered.

A wise daughter did not argue, so I handed over my books. “Thank you.”

“Go wait at the doors without trying to buy anything else,” he ordered before heading to the cashier to pay for everything.

“You’re being excessive.”

“The doves were excessive. This is only the start of my revenge,” he promised.

Rather than teach my father the difference between seeking out revenge and offering a reward, I went to wait near the doors. Twenty minutes later, he joined me.

“Did you get waylaid by some books on the way?” Bookstores had a bad habit of setting traps for the unsuspecting book lover. Sometimes, I made it to the counter without being ambushed, but only sometimes.

“The bookmarks got me. And we now have some chocolate for the road. I need some chocolate after all that shopping.”

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