Oz is Dorothy’s Horn
Rattle, rattle, rattle…
The sound kept going.
It was annoying.
Why does it keep making that sound?
But that wasn’t important right now.
Right now, hiding was more important.
Dorothy was playing hide-and-seek with Sindbad on top of a giant fish.
She quickly climbed up a tree and saw Sindbad looking for her below.
Good, now’s the chance. I’ll jump and surprise him!
Dorothy jumped from the tree.
Her body floated in the air.
Oz flew beside her, flapping his ears. The tail on Dorothy’s hat also started moving up and down like it was trying to fly.
But then—
she remembered.
“Ah… right! Dorothy’s hat only has one tail!”
At that moment, her body suddenly began to fall.
That’s right.
Birds have two wings. With only one, you can’t fly.
Oh no! I’m falling!
“Help! Oz, help me!”
She shouted loudly, but Oz didn’t seem to hear her. He kept flapping his ears and flew far away.
The wind rushed past her face and ears with a whistling sound.
She started crying.
But then—
someone woke her up.
“Dorothy, Dorothy, wake up. It’s just a dream.”
She opened her eyes.
Her mother was looking at her with a worried face.
It was a dream.
Relieved, Dorothy hugged her and cried.
Then—
her stomach growled loudly.
Grrrr… grrrr…
Very loud.
“Dorothy, there’s a food bug living in your belly.”
Her mom said with a smile.
A bug?
That’s bad!
If a bug lives inside, it will eat her stomach like those worms she saw in the mountains!
She quickly looked down at her belly.
Her mom laughed again.
Tears started falling.
Maybe Mom hates me now…
She said there’s a bug… and she laughed…
“Dorothy!”
Her mom quickly hugged her.
“Mom, do you hate Dorothy now?”
“I’m sorry. That’s not it.”
But she was still smiling.
Dorothy cried louder.
Her mom reached out and pulled a basket from the corner of the wagon.
A cloth covered it.
A delicious smell came from inside.
Sniff, sniff…
Her mom giggled.
“It’s meat!”
When the cloth was removed, there was bread and meat inside.
Next to it were small black wrinkled things.
“I know this.”
Raisins.
They were very expensive.
Her dad bought them even though Mom didn’t want to.
“I want to see you and Dorothy eat it.”
That’s why he bought them.
“Mom, can I eat this?”
“After you eat your meal first.”
“Okay!”
Dorothy took a big bite of meat.
Her eyes widened.
It was delicious.
Even tastier than her mom’s cooking.
She remembered the merchant saying it had special seasoning.
Her dad said it was something used in his hometown.
Her mom almost cried while buying it because it was expensive.
That made Dorothy laugh back then.
Dorothy kept eating, then quietly gave some to Oz while her mom was talking to her dad.
Oz quickly took it and moved behind her, eating secretly.
Don’t get caught, Oz.
Mom gets angry if you give meat.
She only wants to give Oz grass.
So Dorothy always secretly shares.
Oz nudged her again for more.
There wasn’t much left…
Dorothy dropped a piece into her hand and passed it behind.
Oz took it again.
Now all the meat was gone.
Tears formed in her eyes.
But—
“Dorothy will endure it. Because she is Oz’s big sister.”
Tears started falling.
Her mom came back and saw her.
She sighed and said Dorothy could eat raisins now.
“If you’re going to cry like that, don’t give it away.”
“Mom, that’s amazing! How did you see? Do you have eyes behind your head?”
Her mom smiled helplessly.
Dorothy ate a raisin.
Sweet…
and sour…
and something strange that made her eyes close a little.
“What is this?! It’s so delicious!”
She gave one to her mom too.
Her mom said, “It’s sweet and sour.”
That’s it!
Dorothy remembered.
She stood up and ran toward the driver’s seat.
Rattle, rattle…
The wagon shook.
Ah—this was the sound from her dream.
She reached out with raisins.
“Dad, this is really delicious!”
Her dad turned slightly and opened his mouth.
She carefully fed him.
“It’s salty.”
Her dad said something strange.
“Dad, raisins are sweet and sour!”
“Yes, it reminds me of something I ate before.”
“Then why salty?”
“Because of your fingers.”
“Am I salty?”
Her dad laughed.
That’s strange.
Dorothy stood up again.
She ran to Oz.
She put Oz’s paw in her mouth.
Not salty.
Just fur.
“Oz tastes like fur.”
Her mom laughed.
Oz stomped angrily.
“Too bad, Oz. Dorothy is salty.”
Oz pushed her with his head.
Again and again.
“Stop, Oz!”
She got pushed into the corner.
Then—
she touched his forehead.
It was hard.
“Oz, what’s on your head?”
Oz lifted his head proudly.
Dorothy looked closely.
Something small and sharp.
“A horn?”
She touched it.
It was real.
A small horn had grown.
“Oz! You have a horn! Mom! Oz has a horn!”
Her mom came and looked closely.
“Oh my… Oz really is a horned rabbit.”
Oz lifted his head proudly.
Dorothy was happy.
Very happy.
But—
she lowered her head.
“Dorothy wants a horn too…”
Her parents laughed loudly.
Oz came closer.
His small white horn was visible.
“Oz is lucky… he has a horn…”
Oz jumped onto her head and sat there.
Her mom smiled.
“With Oz on top, it looks like Dorothy has a horn.”
Her dad agreed.
“Oz can be Dorothy’s horn.”
Really?
She couldn’t see it, but maybe it was true.
She felt a little happy.
Oz lightly tapped her head.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be your horn.”
That’s how it felt.
“…Mom, can I have more raisins?”
It was supposed to take a day and a half, but it took longer to catch up to the merchant caravan.
They could have made it if they traveled a bit more at night—
but Red Sword always stopped at sunset.
“Traveling at night, especially in winter, is dangerous.”
Torches weren’t enough to see the ground.
And hungry beasts appeared more often in winter.
For two days, they gathered wood before dark and took turns keeping watch.
There were rules for night watch.
If parties were equal, they rotated.
If not, the imbalance had to be compensated.
“If fairness isn’t maintained, conflicts will happen later.”
Rewards, easier work—there were many ways to balance it.
“Never give too much or too little.”
People always want more if they can get it.
Adventurers especially.
This time—
Red Sword and Juhwan’s group took turns.
Lizzy wanted to help, but Juhwan stopped her.
“If she pushes herself without experience, she’ll collapse.”
Still, she overworked herself driving during the day.
Her muscles became stiff.
Despite that, the journey was calm.
Even Red Sword was quieter.
Each group used their own supplies.
“Unnecessary kindness can cause problems.”
Among adventurers:
“If you give something, you will receive something in return.”
Juhwan asked:
“If you kill someone, is it really not a problem?”
The youngest Red Sword member answered nervously:
“If it’s during a fight, it’s usually fine.”
The guild doesn’t interfere in small conflicts.
But—
“If you go too far, the guild can punish you. That’s like social death.”
Also—
If relationships are involved, it can cause trouble.
Or revenge.
Juhwan thought:
“This world is hard for women to live in.”
He glanced at Red Sword, then at Lizzy.
She looked worried.
He smiled gently.
“It’s okay. I understand how to live now.”
On the third day at noon—
they finally caught up with the merchant caravan