FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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CHAPTER 16

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Let us protect you.

That's what he said. It was difficult to even consider letting someone else protect me. Jan'Zar and Callen had trained me to be completely self sufficient. To take on challenges and win fights that the average fur couldn't. There were very few individuals alive today that could do what I could do, that made it difficult to let others do something that could get them killed.

"Is everything okay Young Master?" Jovani asked as he pulled along side me on his dando.

We had been riding for a few hours already. The darkness of the forest made it difficult to tell just how long we had been riding for. This was our third day in the forest. It was beginning to affect us, even me. The constant darkness. The relentless chill from the lack of light. The scent of decomposing plants all around us. Not to mention the constant threat of attack from some unknown predator.

"I'm fine." I smiled to assure him. "How are you?"

"I will be better when we leave the forest." He admitted. "But I am well. Thank you for asking."

"Is it just me or does it seem brighter?" Loire asked.

Looking around he was right. There were several more pools of sunshine managing to pierce through the canopy than normal. The result of which meant that there was far more greenery around, lifting the mood considerably. A promising sign that we were finally through the worst of this forest.

Sure enough the further we pressed on the more life the forest took on, the more light managed to filter through the trees. After another couple of hours we left the forest entirely. The sunshine was incredibly warm now we were fully exposed to its rays. We rode a fair distance from the tree line and took in our new surroundings. To the East there was a range of mountains. There were gentle rolling hills stretching out before us. It was beautiful. But we didn't have time to stop and admire the view.

"So where do we go from here?" Loire asked.

"Give me a minute." Malnark said as he examined the horizon, trying to work out where we were. He was our guide in this region. He had spent time travelling these lands while looking for the Zangarians who never returned back to Zangar after its fall. "There is a town a few hour West from here. They will be able to help us get the lay of the land."

"What is the town called?" I asked.

If we could get some help there then it was a valid destination.

"It's the town of Tanjarr."

"Tanjarr?" Jovani repeated. He had an unusual excitement in his tone.

"That's right."

"What's so special about this town?"

"It is where Lady Maiyuri lives!" Jovani said excitedly.

"Maiyuri?" The name sounded familiar to me but I couldn't remember how.

"The Lady Maiyuri Anaris." Malnark said. "Lord Anaris's sister. Your aunt."

Well now, that was unexpected. I had heard about my aunt from my father but I never thought I'd ever meet her. Jovani seemed particularly eager to go and meet her. I guess it was decided that Tanjarr was our destination.

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As we walked through the town we were met by curious stares. I kept my travel hood of my new dire wolf cloak up as we walked through the village, so as not to attract the wrong kind of attention. Despite Malnark's assurances I knew once some of the Zangarians here found out of my heritage there would be some ill feelings. Every drake here had been driven from their homes by the wolves after all. You don't forgive things like that. This wasn't like in Zangar, where my fathers influence would prevent the majority of those who disliked me from acting out. Even if my Aunt held a position of influence, I didn't know her and she didn't know me. I had no idea if she even knew if I existed or not, let alone how she would react to me.

The majority of the buildings were made of wood. Their walls built up from long logs laid one atop of one another. A few were made from stone, but they were less common. With the forest nearby wood was the most abundant material for the town to use, also easier to work with.

The streets were busy, furs going about their daily lives, making a living. Groups of young cubs could be heard laughing and giggling as they played. The warm sun over head The street was wide enough for a wagon to pass through with ease,

The local population had a variety of species living here, but the overwhelming majority was quite obviously Zangarians. The villages location allowed for a much more diverse variety of species in comparison to Zangars isolation in the mountains. In the distance I could here the clatter of weapons, warriors and trainees honing their skills at the practise grounds. The scent of cooking meat wafted through the air from somewhere nearby. It was making me hungry.

"Warlord Ranear!" A middle aged Zangarian strode towards us, wearing high quality steel armour and a long black cape which fluttered behind him. He had two swords on his left hip. "It is good to see you again!"

"You as well old friend!" Malnark grinned before they embraced each other.

"I had no word that you were going to visit! What gives us the honour of your presence?"

"We are on an important mission. I was hoping Lady Anaris would be willing to aide us."

"I'm sure she will!" The drake grinned. "Come, she is at her home. I will escort you! While you are all here I hope you will make yourselves at home."

"Your generosity is most kind, Warlord Hanril." Jovani bowed politely.

"Jovani?! You are probably the last drake I expected to see here! Is Lord Kaldor okay!?"

"He was in fine health the last time I saw him." Jovani replied.

"That is good to hear! So are you here to see Lady Mai?"

"Not specifically. But I am most eager to see her again!" He admitted. "It has been a long time."

We followed Warlord Hanril through the town. Our presence seemed to be attracting the attention of the young cubs. A group of eight cubs were following us giggling and laughing. It was nice to see Zangarians mixing with other species like that. What I found quite shocking was that amongst the group there was a white furred wolf cub. So there were wolves living in this town as well!? Now that was quite a surprise!

We approached a large wooden house, one of the few that had more that one floor, so it stood out from the rest. Who ever lived there was either rich, a fur of importance or both. On the upstairs balcony a female drake looked down at us. Her stare was hard, judgemental and unforgiving. A moment later her expression seemed to soften. To my surprise she leapt off of the balcony and spread her wings. She glided down to the ground and landed in an elegant crouch. Once her wings were folded behind her she stood up and smiled.

"Now isn't this a most pleasant surprise!"

Jovani stepped forwards to greet her. He bowed and she hugged him. The act seemed to catch Jovani off guard for a moment before he returned the gesture.

"It is good to see you again Lady Maiyuri."

"Hey!" She elbowed him in the side. "How many times have I told you Jovani!? You can call me Mai!"

"It is good to see you Lady Mai."

"Good enough!" She huffed with a smile. "I wish you would drop the Lady part! I no longer live in Zangar you know!"

"You will always be Lady Anaris to me." Jovani smiled. "The same beautiful dragoness who I grew up with."

"Always such a charmer!" She smiled sweetly at him.

Malnark cleared his throat. Just enough to get their attention.

"Malnark!" She smiled and embraced him and he her.

"Lady Mai."

"It has been too long since your last visit!"

A shrill cooing cut through the air. A small dragon floated down from the balcony towards us. It looked just like Spryte! The small dragon creature flew around Jovani before landing on his shoulder and nuzzling the side of his head. That was when I realised that it was Spryte! I remembered now that Spryte had a habit of disappearing for weeks on end. So this was where he went!

Spryte noticed me, even though I still had my hood up and cooed loudly before flying over to land on my shoulder. I reached my paw up and he nuzzled his head into it. My aunt was now looking at me curiously.

"Well, well. Spryte seems to like you."

"Lady Mai, if I may." Jovani stepped forwards. "I would like to introduce your nephew. Malakye Anaris."

"Nephew!?" Warlord Hanril exclaimed with a tone of gleeful surprise. "So Kaldor actually settled down?"

"Not exactly." I said as I lowered my hood.

Warlord Hanril couldn't hide his initial reaction to my appearance. It was just honest surprise, as far as I could tell. I didn't sense any malice from his reaction. My aunt seemed quite surprised as well. Just like Hanril her surprise seemed to be honest and lacked any judgement or hatred.

"I see. You are actually quite handsome despite everything." My aunt commented.

"That's not the reaction I was expecting." I said.

"Oh? So should I have thrown my arms around you lovingly? Or perhaps you expected me to insult you, or banish you from the village?" She joked. "Kaldor told me all about you in our letters. Although, last I heard you were dead!"

"Letters?" I asked.

"Every now and again we have Spryte here carry our letters back and fore. But most of the time he comes because he misses me. But as I said, last time Kaldor mentioned you was to say you had died defending Zangar from the wolves."

"As far as he was aware that was true." I answered.

"The Young Master has only recently returned home from a long absence." Jovani added.

"And where were you?!" She asked with a sharp tone. Almost as if she was accusing me of something.

"If I may interject Lady Mai." Malnark interrupted. "This is a conversation better suited to a more private setting."

All around us villagers were looking on and listening to our exchange. Curious to the newest visitors to their town. My aunt seemed to acknowledge this and nodded. She motioned for us to follow her into her home. Warlord Hanril joined us. Once we were inside and seated around a large table she stared at me with a determination that told me she wasn't going to settle for any half assed answers. There was no point in lying here anyway. We were here for their help, so we may as well be honest.

"So." The tone she used to say that one word told me a lot about how she felt right now. "Tell me where you were! The letter your father sent to me... he was heart broken. It was almost enough for me to abandon everything and run back home to his side!"

"After the battle I was seriously injured." I admitted

"From the reports that were given, Malakye single handedly turned the tide of the battle by charging into the wolven lines and prevented the wolves reinforcements from reaching the gates. We assumed he did so by igniting their reserves of black powder." Malnark added. "We had assumed he died in the explosions."

"So where were you?" Mai asked accusingly.

"I was taken to Aaru." I replied.

"Aaru!?" She seemed to recoil in confusion and disbelief. "What kind of story are you trying to feed me here!?"

"I assure you Lady Mai, what the Young Master is telling you is true." Jovani said, trying to assure her.

"And how the hell can you know that!?" She snapped.

"It does seem implausible." Warlord Hanril added.

"But both Lord Anaris and the council or Warlords are convinced by the evidence Malakye put forward to support his claim." Malnark stated. "So much so that we gathered a small army and marched on Rengilar because of it."

"You marched on Rengilar!?" Hanril exclaimed. "What happened!?"

"I don't care about Rengilar!" My Aunt snapped. "Start making sense! Lets assume I believe you were taken to Aaru! Why were you taken there and who took you?"

"I was taken there by the Guardian Deities because of the fact that I am a wolven k'tan." I replied. "Wolven k'tan are dangerous when they are untrained. Some think they lose their minds and go on killing sprees."

"I have heard the stories... but I didn't believe them to be true." She replied.

"Wolven k'tan..." I wasn't sure how much I wanted to tell them.

The fact that wolven k'tan were shaman was a carefully kept secret. I had told the Warlord council as I doubted that they would go blabbing that secret to the wolves, but merchants from her could head North and ask the wrong question if they overheard this secret from someone here.

"You have heard the stories that wolves sometimes go missing and return as k'tan?" I asked.

"Yes?" My aunt replied.

"Well they are taken to Aaru to learn to control their powers." I explained. "If they are not trained then there is a chance their power causes them to lose their minds. Their power can manifest in any number of ways."

"So you must be pretty strong then, if you were trained in Aaru by the Guardian Deities." Hanril speculated.

"He is." Jovani cut in. "He fought and defeated Zaraki Kamir."

Jovani was missing out the part where he and my father helped to defeat him.

"That's... incredible!" Hanril exclaimed, a slight look of disbelief on his muzzle.

"But I have yet to finish my training. I was sent on an important mission." I stated quickly before Jovani could exaggerate any further on my behalf, than he had done already.

"Which was?"

"To hunt down a curi'nakra."

The silence that fell over the room was heavy, but I knew they immediately understood the importance of my mission. This was the first step to getting them to help us find the fur responsible. They would have connections in this region, or perhaps had heard rumours that could help us figure out where the curi'nakra was going.

"Is that why you marched on Rengilar?" Hanril asked.

"Yes." Malnark replied. "But unfortunately by the time we got there the curi'nakra had already left with a number of wolves heading to Banuke."

"And you've travelled here from Banuke to find them?" My Aunt asked.

"We were hoping that you may have information we could use to figure out where they might be heading." I answered.

"What makes you think we would know that?!" She asked.

"Lady Mai." Malnark cut in. "You have many contacts in this region. You will have heard rumours and legends that may give us a clue where they may be heading."

"I can't say I know many of the local legends... but I know who would."

"Kantril." Hanril said anticipating my Aunts thoughts.

"Exactly! Kantril is in charge of selling our goods in the capital."

"He spends a lot of time amongst merchants and travellers." Hanril added. "He is always telling the young drakes stories he's heard from the locals. He is also the most well informed in regards to politics of the region."

"Where is he?"

"He is currently away on a trade mission to the capital, but we are expecting him to return any day now." My Aunt said. "In the mean time you are more than welcome to stay here. I have a couple of spare bedrooms here. And the rest of you are more than welcome to stay in the warriors lodge."

"Warrior lodge?" I asked.

"It's located next to the training grounds. Any warriors or those training to be warriors are welcome to stay there. Many warriors often stay there before they settle down and start a family." Hanril explained. "There are plenty of beds."

"Thank you for your generosity." Malnark said.

After some small talk we left my aunts house. She invited us to join her for dinner. It was more of an order than a request, since she wasn't going to take no for an answer, but we were all eager for good home cooked meal. Jovani was an excellent cook, but there was only so much he could do with limited supplies.

I went with the others to lodge. My aunt was insistent that I would be staying in one of the rooms at her house, an offer which I accepted, but I wanted to clear my head. The lodge itself was a huge building! It was able to house fifty beds with ease, and also had an area big enough to seat the same number of furs for them to eat. Once Loire and Mantou had been shown their bunks in the warriors lodge we all went to the training ground to exercise.

Hanril had offered his spare bed to Malnark who gladly accepted. It was probably for the best. If Hanril hadn't offered Malnark that room I would have given him the one in my Aunts house. Malnark was at an age where he shouldn't have to sleep in a lodge such as this. Not that it was uncomfortable or anything, just for the privacy.

The training grounds were actually located on top of a plateaux on the Northern most part of the town. It was small for a town this size, but functional. I sat on top of a large boulder and began to clean and sharpen my sword. It had been a while since I had maintained my weapons and armour properly. We had been busy chasing down the curi'nakra for so long now, I had only been able to do basic maintenance for a while now.

Once I had finished my sword I rested it against the boulder I was sitting on and loosened the straps holding my chest armour. Once I slipped the thick leather from me I relished the cool air as it washed over me. I was quite ripe. I would definitely need to bathe soon. I grabbed the rag I had been using to clean my sword with and began wiping down the inside of the armour.

"You're Lady Anaris's nephew aren't you!?"

I looked up to see two young drakes. If I had to guess I'd put them both at around fifteen winters old. They both carried a sword at their waist and wore simple leather armour. I stayed silent for a few moments to examine their expressions and stances. They were both nervous, The quiet one more so than the other. At least that told me who the leader of the pair was. But why were they here asking that particular question? If they were asking me that then they already knew the answer; after all how many dragon/wolf hybrids was there in town?

"What if I am?"

The one who had spoken stepped forward another step and sneered at me. His brown eyes shone with an anger I couldn't place. It was aimed at me, but I wasn't the cause of it. He had a slender build, but he wasn't without muscle. Like many Zangarians, he had number of short blunt spikes on top of his head. His paw gripped the hilt of the sword at his hip. I moved my gaze to meet his and tried to appear as calm as possible, but I was ready to react if he drew his weapon. His friend seemed extremely nervous, and was much stockier than the angry drake in front of me.

"Then I've got to tell you that I hate you!" He said.

"I've never met you." I countered. A little surprised at the suddenness and bluntness of his declaration.

"That still doesn't change the fact that it's your fault I never got to meet my brother!" He snapped.

"Your brother!?" I exclaimed.

"He died when the wolves attacked Zangar!"

He was blaming me for his brothers death, something that happened nearly two decades ago! I don't know how he could blame me considering the fact I had only been a newly born cub back then! It just didn't make any sort of sense. If I had to guess, he was using his bothers death as an excuse for this confrontation. But why?

By now his raised voice had drawn the attention of the other warriors who were now looking on. He reminded me a little of Kaleb. Desperate to make a reputation to step out of his father shadow. That's when I realised he was probably just trying to make a reputation for himself, and he was using me to attain it. I decided to just ignore him. I huffed and returned to cleaning my armour.

"My brother died because your whore of a mother couldn't keep her legs closed!" He cursed.

"Kran!" His friend exclaimed, mortified by his friends actions. "Lets stop this!"

I stood up and squared up to the little punk. I stared him dead in the eye and huffed angrily. He could say all the shit wanted about me, but no one, no one, would disrespect my mothers memory! The young drake was intimidated but held his ground and squared his jaw.

"Hey kid!" Loire and Mantou ran over and stood between us. "I don't know what your problem is, but you really don't want to do this!" Loire told him.

"Get out of my way!" Kran yelled, shoving Loire back. "And don't call me kid!"

None of the other warriors were trying to intervene. Either they knew this drake was just full of hot air or they were curious as to how this whole situation was going to turn out. Perhaps both.

"I know your trying to provoke me." I said coldly. "If you want to fight me, just challenge me! But let me say one thing, and you'd better listen, because I'm only going to say this once!" I growled. "Don't ever mention my mother again!"

"Oh yeah!? Or what!?" Kran spat defiantly.

"That's enough!" Loire grunted and pushed the kid back in an attempt to create some distance between us.

"I declare a Kinyar!" Kran yelled loudly enough for everyone to hear.

His delivery of the challenge was certainly not traditional, nor particularly elegant, but the intent was clear. He had openly challenged me. I could refuse, some might consider me weak for doing so, others probably would understand. It was egotistical of me, but I didn't like others viewing me as weak. The pride of a warrior was usually their downfall. Encouraging them to take stupid risks to prove themselves.

But there was something to be said about defending your pride. Even when you lost a battle while defending it, you could feel proud for taking a stand. You could garner respect just by fighting your hardest. This young drake was trying to prove himself in some way, either to himself or someone important to him. He was going the wrong way about doing it, but if it took me knocking him on his tail to feel better about himself then I would grant him that much.

"You do not want to do this!" Loire tried to reason with the young drake.

"Of course I do!" Kran shoved Loire aside and strode towards me and grabbed the hilt of his sword.

"If you pull that sword from its scabbard I will accept your challenge." I said stopping him in his tracks. "I will give you one chance to walk away, and that challenge you just declared will be forgotten! But once you draw your weapon I will treat you as an enemy!"

He scowled at me and pulled the blade out and pointed it at me. There was a cheer from the other warriors. I didn't know if they were happy that this runt was actually challenging me because of who I was, or if they were excited to watch me put him in his place. There was also the chance that like this young drake they bore ill feelings towards me due to my mixed heritage. Well fuck them if they did! I survived the wolves, and I would survive them!

"I tried to warn you!" Loire shouted as backed away with his paws in the air.

I stood there and waited for Kran to make the first move. But he didn't. He seemed nervous, his earlier bravado almost gone. If it wasn't for the fact he had challenged me I would actually feel sorry for him. I don't know how good he was with a sword, but I was confident I would beat him easily. His body was tense, making his movements stiff and easy to read.

"If you're that scared, your friend can join in too." I mocked him.

"What?!" His friend flinched in fear, taking a step back..

"Screw you!" Karn spat.

That seemed to snap him out of what ever fear was holding him back; anger was useful in that way. He swung his sword at me with some amount of skill. I knew my way around a sword. I was no master on swordsmanship, but even I could tell he had some skill with a blade. The fluidity of his movements, despite the desperation behind them was obvious. He knew his way around a sword.

I backed away and side stepped his attacks, getting a feel for his movements before stepping forwards and grabbing his wrist with my paw. That seemed to shock him and after a moment of squirming he realised he was not going to be able to pull himself free of my grasp unless I allowed him to, or he forced me to let go.

He tried to kick me, I blocked his kick with my leg and then twisted his arm and tossed him head over heel onto the flat of his back. He scrambled back up and grabbed his sword which he had dropped when he had landed. He readied himself and attacked. I side stepped his swing and punched him in the snout. His eyes went squint from that blow as his vision blurred. He backed away, checking to see if he was bleeding with his free paw; he wasn't.

"What is going on here!?" I turned to see Hanril approaching. He did not look pleased. One of the warriors told him that Kran had challenged me and that seemed to make him get angry. "KRAN!"

"Leave me alone Father! I'm busy!"

Kran was Hanril's son! That was a surprise.

"I must apologise for my sons actions!" He stepped between us and bowed.

"Dad! What are you doing!?"

"I am trying to save your life!" Hanril snapped at his son. "Please forgive my sons stupidity!"

"You should warn him about the dangers of declaring kinyar against others."

"I will."

"Then I shall leave this to you." I turned and walked away.

It was better for me to distance myself from this situation now before some other warrior decided to challenge me. I gathered my armour and sword and headed back down the hill towards town.

"Why did you do that!?" I heard Kran yell at his father.

"Don't you know who that is!?" Hanril growled at his son. "Not only do you disrespect Lady Maiyuri's family, but you challenge someone you couldn't hope to defeat! I've taught you better than that!"

"But..."

I was not able to hear anymore as I made my way down the hill towards the lodge. I would find some where to meditate in peace. Meditating always calmed me, and right now I was still pretty pissed off about how that runt spoke about my mother. I hope that Kran's attitude towards me was an exception, and not a prelude to the attitude of every other Zangarian that lives here, or the time we spent waiting for this Kantril to return was going to be extremely tense!

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"Jovani! Sit down!" My Aunt Mia scolded.

Jovani had just attempted to help her carry through the meal she had helped prepare for all of us. All night she had insisted Jovani simply relax, but Jovani being Jovani could not sit still and not attempt to help in some way. He had been thrown out of the kitchen several times and for the first time ever I was actually seeing a glimmer of frustration flutter across his expression.

"But I..."

"SHUSH! You are not in Zangar now! You are my guest, and you will act as such! Is that clear?!"

"I must say..."

"Is. That. Clear?!" She repeated, ensuring to carefully and deliberately emphasise each and every word with a threatening tone.

"Yes my Lady."

I could see his shoulders slump in defeat. The ever resilient Jovani defeated. It was quite amusing to watch. He regained his composure and took his seat at the table. Once he was seated she left the room and returned to the kitchen.

My aunts home was quite impressive to look at, both inside and out. The décor was pleasant, homely and comfortable. The house had the feel of a home which was lived in and not just for show. There were several paintings of Zangarians, I recognised them from similar portraits back in the Anaris household. Apparently my Grandmother had duplicated them herself. I never had a chance to meet her, she passed away a few winters after I arrived in Aaru. She had painted them herself. She was a talented artist to be sure. Amongst the paintings was a family portrait, my aunt and father along with their parents. Jovani too, although he was still just a cub. She had considered him family and not just a servant.

There were a few items which stood out from the rest; items of obvious value. These I assumed were gifts to my aunt. My Aunt held a position of importance in the town, she was essentially their figure head. She was the one that dealt with all political matters. Which from the stories she had been telling us, rubbed a few nobles the wrong way being forced to deal with a female. She had told a few amusing stories regarding that matter while we waited patiently for dinner to be served.

But despite being quite wealthy, and a figure of such importance, she was surprisingly down to earth. She did have servants, but she also helped with the household chores. And tonight in between entertaining us she was back and forth helping in the kitchen.

She and the servants she employed, a female cheetah and two Zangarian females, carried the meal through to us and placed a plate in front of all of us. Once our food was in front of us she sat down herself and the cheetah placed a plate on the table in front of my aunt. She could have carried her own food through, allowing the cheetah to serve someone else, but I saw the act for what it really was. She was a good host, ensuring her guests were fed before she was herself.

"I would like to say a prayer before we eat." My Aunt declared, bowing her head. We all followed suit.

It was not unusual for furs to say thanks to what ever deities they attributed to the meal they were about to eat. It was just not a practise that I had not followed since my mother passed away.

"I wish to give thanks to Gias, for the fertile soil that we grew our vegetables in. Solas for the sun and warmth that allow our crops to grow. Hesh'na for the rain that is essential to all life. A thanks to Callen, who blessed our hunters with a successful hunt. To Pyrrat for the gift of fire with which we cooked our meal and keeps our homes warm. I also wish to thank Shal'Naresh for the gift of having old friends and new family to share this meal with." She paused for a breath. She was not done yet. It was traditional to end these things with thanks to one last Deity. The most widely considered as the most important. "We give thanks to Asurmen, father of us all. He who protects us from the darkness, and shelters us from its cruel embrace."

That last part was different to how I remembered my mother doing it, but it was still appropriate. With the thanks given we all began eating. She had made us a three course meal. The first course was a vegetable broth. Light, flavourful and refreshing.

"So then Malakye." My Aunt smiled at me. "Other than the fact you returned from the dead and were trained in Aaru, I don't know very much about you."

"And I know even less about you." I countered.

"Touché." She smiled. "We must remedy that. After dinner I would like to have a long talk in order to remedy that."

"That sounds fine." I said, not sure what else to say.

"Good!" She smiled.

She looked surprisingly like my father when she smiled like that. It was kind of unnerving. She had the same golden eyes as he did. A similar shaped muzzle, although hers was much more slender. In fact, she was just a shorter and much more slender bodied version of my father. I wondered for a moment if they were twins. I knew practically nothing about her, but I think a fact like that would have come to light before now.

Spryte cooed in my ear as he hovered in the air above me. He was hungry. The cheetah female returned and made a soft clicking noise which attracted Sprytes attention. The little dragon flew over to her and landed on the ground at her foot-paws. She placed a small bowl in front of him and he began eating. With Spryte fed she slipped back out of the room.

"I must say this meal is excellent!" Malnark exclaimed.

"Why thank you." She smiled. "But I can't take all the credit. As much as I enjoy cooking it is Chyril who makes sure it tastes as good as it does." Chyril was the female cheetah who had just fed Spryte. She and the others had retreated from the room once the food had been served. "We have access to some spices and herbs that I don't think have made it as far North as Zangar yet. They come from the Primal Lands. Expensive but definitely worth it!"

"Interesting. I should try and get some for Harold. I'm sure he would love to experiment with some new flavours." Jovani said aloud to himself more than anyone.

"I'm sure I can spare you some. How is that sweet, little drake?" She asked. "I heard from Kaldor that he had become quite the cook!"

"Indeed he has!" Jovani nodded. "He is the best cook I've ever met. No offence to you or Chyril."

"None taken. From what Kaldor has told me the praise is well earned. I would love to try his cooking someday."

"Master Kaldor would love to see you again. He has said so on many occasions."

"My brother, as sweet as he is, is a sentiment fool." She chortled. "It is one of his more charming faults. He always had a soft spot for family. It crushed him when mother and I refused to return home."

"More than just him." Jovani added.

"I do apologise for that. But after what happened..."

"You do not need to explain yourself." Jovani cut her off. "So long as you are happy Master Kaldor is as well."

"You know, you could just call him Kaldor." She smiled. "He isn't here after all and you are amongst friends."

She was teasing him. I had had similar discussions with Jovani, but the drake just refused to drop the formality. He always addressed everyone by their proper names and titles. It was as frustrating as it was commendable.

"I couldn't!" Jovani said almost offended at the thought.

"I know." She smiled a heavy smile. "Perhaps one day."

"Perhaps. One day..." Jovani repeated, staring at his plate.

An awkward silence fell over the room. It sounded as if there was story there but now was not the time to push on that. It sounded deeply personal and had my doubts as to whether or not they would tell me, let alone everyone else here.

"I had expected to see Hanril here." Malnark said, implying the question he had not not asked.

"I had invited him, but after the incident at the training grounds... he decided that it would be best if he spent some time with his son. The boy is quite the swordsman, just like his father, but is extremely volatile. Not like his father at all in that regards."

"It did seem like he was going out of his way to provoke a fight with Malakye." Loire spoke up. "Bringing up some dead brother he had never met. It reeked of desperation to me."

"He was just seeking attention." I said.

"I do think that is why he acts up." My Aunt said. "His father is always so busy with his duties, and the only time I see Kran behaving is when Hanril is teaching him how to use a sword."

"I caught up Hanril when we first arrived. He told me that his son acts up from time to time. Some boys are just like that. They crave attention from their parents, regardless of what type of attention that is." Malnark sighed. "I have known many young drakes like that."

"Ever since his mother passed away two winters ago he has been like that. I do hope you don't hold any ill feelings towards him." My Aunt asked me.

"No." I said flatly. "I won't hold anything against him, unless he mentions my mother again."

"Your mother... oh dear." My Aunt shook her head. "Hanril asked me to pass on his apologies to you."

"It's fine." I assured her.

We all finished our soup, although Mantou had finished long before the rest of us had. He always was the first to finish a meal. The drake was also a bottomless pit. No matter how much food you put in front of him he would be able to polish it off. My Aunt called the servants and almost immediately they appeared and gathered the dishes. My Aunt helped them and after a stern glare in Jovani's direction, warning him to remain seated, she left the room.

The next course consisted of a beautifully tender cut of meat, served with a variety of vegetables. Conversation was casual and relaxed. We talked about anything, and nothing in particular. We all shared stories, although everyone seemed to be curious about my time in Aaru more than anything else. I told them a few stories about my experiences, the furs and species that I had met during my time there.

After desert, a mixture of sweet, diced fruits that were served with a large helping of cream. I had never tasted cream before. This cream was made from the milk of domesticated Karu. It was light and fluffy, with a smooth texture. I eagerly finished the desert and reclined in my chair, my belly fit to burst after such a tasty meal.

My aunt offered everyone a drink of a spirit she called brandy. After finishing their brandy the others excused themselves. Loire and Mantou returned the lodge to retire to bed. Malnark headed to warlord Hanril's home, who had offered him a bed during our stay here. That left Jovani and myself with my aunt, who had offered us the two spare rooms she had available.

"Jovani, where are you going?" My aunt asked as Jovani stood up from the couch.

"I didn't want to be crude by announcing it, but since you asked, I am going to go and relieve myself."

"Very well." She nodded. "The out house is out back. But if I hear you help the others clean up, and I will find out!" She threatened, pausing for effect. "I will make sure you are punished for it! You are my guest, and you shall act as one."

"Very well Lady Mai." Jovani bowed his head. "I shall be back promptly." He left the room with a slight hurry in his pace.

"I love Jovani but he does frustrate me so!"

"It's his nature." I added.

"He is a busy body!" She chortled. "He means well but he just can't help himself."

"Why don't you let him help?"

"Principle." She smiled. "He spent his entire life serving my family. I may still be part of that family, but this not the Anaris Household! It is my home and I will not have my guests lift a paw while under my roof!"

"Much to his dismay." I chuckled.

"Quite." She smiled back. "Now than Malakye, I think it's time we learn more about each other."

"I told you quite a bit at dinner."

"You told me about your time in Aaru. Not about yourself." She countered. "I know that you were raised by the wolves, perhaps raised isn't the right word for it..."

"Survived."

"I suppose." She smiled. "You eventually made your way home to Zangar, and from what I heard from the others you managed to flourish there. And from what I've heard from the others, you've managed to impress a lot of drakes!"

"I guess you could say that."

"That gives me an idea about who you are. But I want to know more. Like is there anyone special back home?"

"Well..."

"So there is!" She seemed quite excited by this. "Tell me about them!"

"I didn't really know my feelings for them were so strong until I saw them again."

"Returning from Aaru?"

"Yes. I was always concerned for her."

"So it's a she!" She smiled. "Who is she? What family is she from?"

"Yes... but she is not a Zangarian." That got a surprised look from her. "She is a Erythean."

"Ah! Yes I do remember Kaldor mentioning a couple of Erythean dragons coming to stay. Go on."

"Her name is Kassandra. I don't actually know her family name. She never mentioned it. She doesn't like talking about her past." I explained. "She is arrogant, bad tempered... almost every male hates her. Even the females keep their distance..."

"So she's strong then?"

"She can hold her own in a fight. Only a pawful of warriors can beat her in a fight! Not to mention that she hates every male she lays eyes on!"

"She sounds like trouble to me."

"Oh she is!" I smiled. "But she has a vulnerable side. One that took me a long time to find."

"That's sweet." She smiled. "You must care for her if you put up with her long enough to allow her to trust you."

"I guess I do." I smiled.

"And she obvious trusts you if she is willing to be vulnerable around you." She smiled knowingly. "You get that from your father."

"What do you mean?"

"Even when we were young he was always well liked. He would go out of his way to speak to everyone, especially those who tried to keep their distance." She explained. "He doesn't care what others think of him, but for some reason you can't help but like him."

"I think I see what you mean." I said. Thinking back on the times I spoke to my father. I always felt like I could talk to him about anything. He was just someone you couldn't help but open up to. "What about you? Do you have any partners, or lovers?" I asked hoping to change the subject.

"I am single. I don't have any cubs."

"But you live in this huge house."

"I would be happy in a hut!" She chortled. "But as the nominated leader of this town I must keep some level of appearance to visiting nobles. We are a small town, so I don't need anything too extravagant, but it is a very nice house."

"A reward to go with the title."

"Precisely. When we decided to settle down in this part of the world, it was agreed that previous titles and ranks would not be carried over from Zangar. That everyone would earn their titles through hard work and the will of the community." She explained. "But while we had agreed that family names should not decide who our leaders should be, a lot of drakes agreed that my family name would carry some influence with the royal family and noble houses that ruled down in these parts."

"So the fact that you were an Anaris gave you the title." I summarised.

"Yes. Hanril's military experience as a warlord made him the best choice as an advisor. There was much opposition given the agreement that we had come to before nominating our leadership. But the majority voted in favour of the arrangement." She explained. "The decision nearly tore our community apart. I was prepared to step down to prevent that. We had already lost so much... but we managed to come to a compromise. We agreed that we would have a council, twelve other furs who are nominated each cycle by the residents of our town, to help decide the direction we would take."

"Making it a democracy. Rather than a dictatorship."

"Yes. Which is why I am more of a figurehead rather than an actual leader." She added. "But in emergencies, decisions fall to Hanril and myself. Zangar still follows the old ways, noble houses and such, but I think this is the future."

"So how does the council work?"

"If you don't mind I'd rather not talk about politics anymore tonight. We can talk about that another time." She smiled. "Don't think I haven't noticed you changing the subject."

"Caught me." I chuckled. "I don't like talking about myself."

"Most don't." She countered.

It was at this point that Jovani returned. He entered the room and returned to his seat. Aunt Mai continued to ask me questions about myself, and I her. Jovani adding his own comments here and there but for the most part remained silent as we interrogated each other. Time passed and before we knew it it was already late. We said good night and headed to our rooms.

A short while after going to bed, I heard some noises from down the hall. Mildly concerned as to their nature I got up to investigate them. As I walked down the hall to the source of the noises I quickly realised they were the sounds of someone having sex coming from my aunts room. I inhaled deeply and easily identified the scent of the other occupant of my aunts bed. It was Jovani. I rolled my eyes, surprised I had not seen the signs earlier, and headed back to bed.