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Book Two

Scroll I

Written by Arian Mabe (Amethyst Mare)

Life in Sodom continued at a bustling pace after the 'fertility festival', as it had been explained to Edith. The motherly Canaan dog padded through the narrow streets at a brisk pace, carrying a large, clay pot in her arms. The muddy orange pot was taller than it was wide and entirely undecorated, though the aromas seeping forth turned the heads of many furs on the road, noses twitching. Regardless of the fact that she wore fine sandals, the canine was nude from muzzle to toe, enjoying the lick of warm air on her fur. Though she smiled amiably enough, Edith's mind was on other matters, besides keeping her footing in the too-loose paw-wear - borrowed in a quick flash of gratitude. A mother's concern was warranted when she had not set eyes upon her daughters or husband since embracing the ways of Sodom at the initial night of the festival. It had been too long since she had held them in her arms already.

But she had an idea of where she may begin her own search.

The wooden door of the inn had been worn smooth by many suns of sand and Edith wondered how she could not have appreciated its aged beauty before. Light in colour, the wood could have mimicked her creamy underbelly if not for its scratchy tone and tinge of gold. The canine could only speculate as she was not privy to the skill and artistry of carpentry, despite having cousins involved in the trade. She should have learned more, let her curiosity rule her when she had had the chance.

Cocking her head, she studied the door some more and a single humped camel in the street behind gave her a querying look as he passed. How she could have missed the finer details in the door, the hidden lines, she would never know and wondered to no one in particular, lips moving soundlessly. Her ears slanted back halfway to her skull and she twisted her fingers together. Perhaps she had been too busy staring at the heels of her husband's sandals to notice the world around her.

No more of that! Enough time had been wasted. Raising a trembling paw, Edith tapped three times on the door.

It took several long, heart-pounding moments before she was able to discern movement on the other side of the door, some manner of shuffling and cloth rustling against fur. The door swung open as if the bottom edge was trapped in thick mud, even though it hardly scraped against the frame and moved without a sound. A slender Corsac fox stood within, a head taller than the canine and dressed simply in a loose, tan tunic. He could almost have been the spitting image of the little handmaid Edith had spied upon her earlier visit, but Edith thought it churlish to inquire as to any relationship between them. The fox licked his lips but made no comment on Edith's appearance. Suddenly tongue-tied, Edith looked between the fox and the interior of the inn, a blush creeping up her neck.

"Yes?" The innkeeper said mildly when she did not speak, leaning forward into the street. "Is there a matter I may help you with? I'm afraid there are currently no rooms available, although a lady as divine as yourself would find a partner willing to share a sleeping mat with no difficulty."

Edith barked a laugh, startled into mirth. The fox hesitated for a moment as if considering his reaction before permitting a small smile to tug on his lips, brightening his whole demeanour. He seemed so serious when he did not smile, Edith thought even as her body rumbled with suppressed amusement, chuckling to herself for longer than was strictly polite. Once, such a comment would have embarrassed her and now it gave her a rush of power.

"I apologise for my behaviour," she said at last when her chuckles died down. "It would be too much to explain in full but your comment amused me. Something that happened recently...just was in my mind. I do not mean to be rude."

She nodded and smiled, keeping her teeth carefully covered with her lips to show no sign of threat.

"I am looking for my husband and daughters," she continued, voice catching subtly, though the tremor was noticeable to the informed. "They last stayed here, I with them. It was Raguel, I believe, who arranged their lodging with you?"

Her tone betrayed a question as she did not truly know if Raguel had had any liaison with the innkeeper at all but it was a fair bet when all was said and done. The fox' expression gave away little, though his ears pricked noticeably at the name. A sigh escaped his delicate muzzle.

"I'm unsure of how much help I will be to you." He spread his paws wide. "Of course, Raguel was a guest here and I remember him well. He stayed many nights. However, he has already left."

Edith's heart leapt in her chest and, a heartbeat later, sank somewhere in the region of her sandaled hind paws.

"Please," she caught his sleeve as he made to retreat back into the inn. "You are the only assistance I may have if Raguel is indeed gone. All I want is to find my husband and daughters again - nothing else. Do not fear any trouble from me unless you are secluding them within your home."

She tried for a smile alongside her half-hearted jest, tail lifting with the semblance of her mood. It did not good to be so forlorn all the time. Others would think her crazed. The innkeeper did not need to know that she would have some choice actions for him if he was truly hiding her family from her.

Shaking his head, the Corsac fox tucked his tail between his legs. Despite his resemblance to the handmaid, Edith could not help but notice that he was considerably less...fluffy? Was that a way in which one could describe a male fur? She suppressed a deluded giggle. Where was her family?

Unaware of her observation, the fox scratched his chin.

"Please, do come in." He stepped back to allow her entry. "I am afraid that I only have some time to spare, but I will do all I can. Perhaps there is some information I may impart to further your search."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Edith padded inside before he had the chance to change his mind, fearing that she would be out on the street in the next moment, no further along her search than she had been the previous day. The fox gestured that she should follow and the canine trotted close upon his heels into the guest room Raguel had introduced them to only a few suns ago. How many suns had it been? Seven? Ten? More? She'd lost count. It could have only been yesterday for all she knew.

She took the offered cushion with a sigh of relief, sinking into the plush surface and kicking each sandal aside. Before she had breath to ask for water to wash her hind paws, a petite Corsac fox with darker fur folded to his knees at her side. Edith studied him from under her lashes, taking note of the faint blush colouring the tips of his ears. He wore a simple loincloth tucked around his waist that looked as if one tug would send it tumbling about his ankles.

Quickly and efficiently, the little fox dipped each of Edith's hind paws into a shallow bowl of water, scrubbing the dirt from them with the use of his own paws. When done, he rested both of her hind paws on a soft, clean cloth and lowered his head so that his chin touched his chest, sliding his gaze away from the canine's every time she sought it out. She shook her head as he rose and walked away, tail flattened as much as possible over his small rump; Edith's stare lingered until the innkeeper cleared his throat politely. Looking between the younger fox and the innkeeper, Edith tilted her muzzle and considered.

"My nephew." The innkeeper answered her unspoken question, waving the fox away with a smile that brought warmth to his eyes. "I had need of another around here since Esther disappeared."

The innkeeper frowned.

"I have been rude. I know your name from your residence here, but you do not know mine." He inclined his muzzle gracefully. "My name is Malachi and, as you are aware, I take care of the inn. It is a humble business, but one I delight in holding."

"For the time that I was here, I found the room of great comfort," Edith smiled. "It is a pleasant abode."

Though no more than acceptance of her compliment and statement was required, Malachi fell silent, stroking the back of one paw with the fingertips of the other. He dropped to one of the free cushions a comfortable distance from Edith with a quiet grunt of satisfaction, clearly eager to take the strain of the day off his hind paws. Seconds stretched out like minutes and Edith wondered if her nakedness made him feel uncomfortable as he was far more modestly clothed and evidently preferred those in his employ to be similar if 'Esther' and his nephew were anything to judge by. Ruffling up the fur on the back of his neck, Malachi cleared his throat and gestured at the vase that the dog still cradled preciously.

"What have you there?"

Thankful for the break in quiet, Edith was eager to tell.

"A gift for the innkeeper where I am residing until my family returns." Edith lifted the pot so he could appraise. "I'm told herbs and spices are most desirable within Sodom's walls. I hope it sweetens my liege some." She hesitated. "I may be overstaying my welcome."

"Why would you overstay your welcome?"

"I have no currency to pay for my stay," she confessed. "It is my friends in the city who are ensuring that I am not sent away, though I am able to stay with some of them if so required. Things will be easier here once my family is found."

"I understand your concern for your family," Malachi's eyes grew dark, the pupils dilated. "I did mention in passing... My handmaid has disappeared. I cannot be entirely certain...yet it is most unlike her to run away, she was very happy here. This is one of the few places in which she is..." He paused. "Safe."

"What is it you're trying to say?" Edith shook her head, sliding her gaze to the left as she thought hard. "Too much has transpired for a disappearance to be out of the ordinary. Don't you believe she's joined in with the festivities and gotten caught up? A young fox like her should have plenty of admirers."

"Esther did not engage in that manner of being," Malachi said firmly. "She is not quite what she seems to be."

He flipped his paw dismissively, firmly moving them along.

"No more on that. I do not mean to question you, but knowing that it is very likely that she is with your husband and daughters from when she disappeared... Edith, can I trust you?"

"With your life."

"I hope that it would never come to that," he found some humour in the moment. "Esther is, in less serious terms, my cousin. In more serious terms, she is," he swallowed, "physically a male."

Edith blinked.

"How is that possible?" Her jaw worked, struggling to form words that would not come. "She looks... No, she is female! It is clear for anyone to see!"

"I assure you that she is naturally a male," Malachi corrected. "She identifies as female and that is how I address her as my cousin. She takes certain herbs - something beyond my interest - to maintain her breasts. She is one who is not the gender she was born with. Have you not heard of this phenomenon?"

Sitting back on her rump - when had she leaned forward? - Edith fought against her natural instinct to reject this information. She had not heard of such a thing where she had come from. Then again, she had never contemplated enjoying sexual activity either. Was it wrong for one to be another gender? How could Esther be a female if she had male genitals? The canine frowned and rubbed her head, warding off the brewing headache. Of course, there could not be anything wrong with it; Esther had not hurt anyone with her choice and had not forced it on others from what Malachi had told her. Malachi allowed Edith time to absorb what he had told her but even he grew impatient: time was short.

"Whereas her lifestyle and chosen sex is nothing to be ashamed of or something frowned upon in Sodom, it is rare and Esther was not confident enough to proclaim it publicly. Why should she?" Malachi tilted his chin up, eyes hardening. "She is who she is and that is no concern of anyone else's."

"No, of course it isn't," Edith bobbed her muzzle twice quickly. "It's just...well...different. She must have found it difficult to adjust or even come to the conclusion that she is, um, not male. How does she know that?"

The fox sighed and brushed his ears back with one paw, smoothing the fur down flat in the correct direction. He was always fussing with his fur in one form or another and Edith's paw twitched, the dog aching to run her fingers through its silken softness. It was an uneasy thought and perhaps one that she was utilising to distract herself from the notion of a male becoming a female. She resettled herself upon the cushion and waited for the contemplative fox to speak, irritation at his slowness bubbling a breath below the surface of her composure. Maybe all the sex had gone to her head to leave her so easily frustrated: she could not tell. Releasing a sigh that carried the weight of a hundred worries, the fox spoke at last.

"Others may not be as accepting as you." Malachi's eyes darkened. "It's a tenuous concept for even you to grasp, though I see you try. Sometimes trying is all we can ask for."

Edith flinched. Was it that obvious?

"Does it matter if others don't accept her?" Edith licked her lips, struggling to recover. "As you said, it is her life and her decision. As long as she is happy, this is not a choice that harms others. Esther should be happy."

Malachi's short bark of glee surprised her but there was no amusement in the sound. Almost pityingly, he shook his head at the older canine.

"And what of your husband?" Edith swore the fox half-rolled his eyes before catching himself on the edge of rudeness. "Do you believe he will not 'mind' my cousin's unexpected gender if discovered? Will he let it pass by so smoothly?"

"Lot..." Edith paled, her whole body falling under a sudden chill. "If he finds out what Esther really is. Malachi, there's no telling what he'll do to her!"

"That is what I am afraid of."

Malachi's ears pricked stiffly, tail rigid at his rear. Every muscle in his body was locked in place, mind racing through every terrible possibility that presented itself to his frantic mind. Calm, calm now.

"This only makes it even more vital that I find my family soon," Edith said quietly, the gravity of the situation sinking over her. "For the sake of my daughters and your cousin. Malachi, you have told me much in such a short time, but can you help me?"

"I may," he dipped his muzzle. "Or if what I know of their direction is not enough to assist, I am tracking Esther through my contacts in the city. She was seen with your family on the second day of the festival. The trail dries up after they reached the city wall, however."

Edith fought not to interrupt the silence that he once again drifted into, his gaze fixed somewhere in the distance above her head. She turned her head from side to side, wondering if he actually saw her sitting in front of him, yet bit her hard enough to spurn a bead of blood.

"I know little more than what I have already told you, Edith," he said at last, rolling each word on his tongue as if he was choosing them with the utmost care. "I have searched and I am still searching. I see your fire and passion for your family. Perhaps you can help me."

She swore she caught a flicker of sadness laced with desperation, not dissimilar to hers, in his eyes. The fox swallowed noisily and stroked his tail.

"Perhaps you may return my cousin to safety."

He paused, eyes glassy.

"Please return her to me, Edith."