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LINKS: Second Chain - Azee's Collar

As the moons rose high into the sky, the sounds of night rang through the towering Albren forest. Insects called out into the darkness, while bats flitted between the maze of branches. Every once in a while, the hunting shriek of a cat would ring out in the distance, echoing across the black canopy.

A single road cut through the heart of the forest, constantly in danger of being consumed by the wild country around it. A great many small lakes dotted the land, nestled between rolling hills of solid rock. Their still waters, cold and deep, glistened in the moonlight. On the shores of one such lake, a few minutes walk from the main roadway, was a campsite.

A cheery fire crackled to itself in a ring of rocks while steam rose from a coffee pot placed amongst the coals.

Azee raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side as she looked at the young man sitting on the log beside her, his face illuminated by the firelight. "You want what?"

The young man was half human, half drathain, a race that reminded Azee of a cross between a lizard and an elk. The name he had given Luke and Azee upon joining them was Kine. Azee doubted that was his real name, a wise precaution considering he was an abolitionist living within Halcyon, a potentially lethal proposition at the best of times.

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Kine repeated his request, tapping the cover of his notebook with his pen. "Would you mind telling me a little about your life at Windhill Ranch?"

Azee's ears drooped a little as she turned and stared into the campfire. A short ways behind her she could hear Luke still struggling to set up his tent, cursing as one of the pegs struck an underground rock and bent.

"You're... sure you wanna hear about that sort of thing?" Azee asked after a few moments.

"Of course!" Kine waggled his pen at Azee. "We'll get your story out to the people, make them change their minds about pelts, about the slave trade, the canon, everything."

"What do you wanna hear about?"

"Hmmm... something... relatable, something they can understand..." Kine tapped his pen against his horns, before snapping his fingers. "I have it! Your collar! Tell me about that."

"My collar?"

"It's a symbol of oppression, something everyone can understand is evil! Please, tell me how you got it."

"I suppose I could..."

"Really, I want to hear it. Please-" Kine readied his pen and notebook, "-all of this could help set your people free, in Halcyon and all over the world."

"Well..." Azee reached up and touched the collar around her neck. "Alright then..."

***

Morning at the Windhill ranch began, as it always did, in the slave quarters first. The sun had not yet risen, and the sky was still a deep navy blue, the stars shining bright.

The Windhill slave quarters were a trio of old barns nestled on the western edge of the ranch property, one for males, one for females, and one for mothers and their children. Across a hard dirt courtyard was a long, narrow building where the slaves ate their meals. The slave quarters were surrounded by a high wall topped with jagged shards of green glass from broken wine bottles.

As morning approached, the black darkness of the slave barn was replaced by an inky blue gloom. The sounds of gentle breathing filled the air, accompanied by the occasional sound of chains clanking as one of the slaves turned over in their sleep. Every once in a while a nightmare-triggered whimper would echo in the stillness.

A pair of barn swallows fluttered around the rafters, far more eager for the start of the day than the unfortunate slaves sleeping on the floor beneath them.

With a loud clatter the door of the female barn swung open, a gust of cold, damp air billowing over the still sleeping slaves. Half a dozen armed men strode inside with lanterns held aloft, one of them striking the bottom of a pot with a stick.

"Come on! Up up up!" one of the men yelled, his voice barely audible over the racket. "Let's go ladies! Let's go! Time's a'wastin!"

Azee yawned and groaned as she opened her eyes, wincing slightly at the irritating racket. As usual during the summer, the night felt far too short. It took effort for Azee to sit up and look around, blinking in the darkness, the light of the lamps stinging her eyes.

Raising her arms above her head, Azee stretched her stiff muscles, pausing to brush the loose straw off her arms. The iron collar around her neck itched as it always did in the morning, but she had long since gotten used to that.

The slave barn was a large building constructed from solid wood timbers and thick boards. Four heavy iron bars ran along the length of the barn floor, with mats of straw laid down on either side. The slaves were chained to the bar while they slept, making certain that none of them had any ideas about slipping off in the darkness.

As Azee sat up, a pair of overseers started making their way down the bars, unlocking the chains from the collars around the slave's necks. The freed slaves immediately made their way towards the barn door and out towards the slave's mess. Before leaving, each made certain to check in with the guard at the door, whose job it was to make sure no one was missing. Any dawdling was met with a harsh word and the crack of a long wooden switch, followed by an agonized yelp.

Azee and her sister had managed to get a spot at the far end of the barn, so they had a few extra minutes to wake up. Of course that meant less time to eat, but considering how little they got to eat anyways, that didn't make much difference.

On the straw beside her, Azee's sister groaned and grumbled under her breath.

"No... By the tyrant's scruffy beard, it can't be morning already..."

"Come on Chara." Azee mumbled, shaking her sister's shoulder. "Time to get up."

"I just closed my bloody eyes," Chara grumbled, her eyes sliding halfway open.

"That's what you get for talking to Layet when you should be sleeping." Azee replied, wincing as the sound of a switch cut through the air on the other side of the barn, followed by a muffled cry.

On the other side of the iron bar, another female, this one a butterscotch coloured feline, was also having trouble forcing herself up.

"Sorry about that." Layet groaned, rubbing her eyes. "Got on to a tangent I suppose."

Azee tilted her head at the unfamiliar word. "Tangent?"

"A... string of thought."

"Oh..." Azee nodded. "Alright, tangent."

Layet was an oddity at the Windhill Ranch. She had been born free, in one of the nations to the north. She had sold herself into slavery willingly, the money from her sale going to support her four sisters still living in the north. Chara would often stay up for hours, listening to Layet tell stories about the north, about her life before she had sold herself to Windhill Ranch.

Of course, Layet had hoped that her education would have earned her a place in the house, perhaps serving the mistress of the manor. Unfortunately, feline fur made Lady Windhill sneeze. Layet's long, fluffy blonde fur had doomed her to a life in the fields.

By now, the overseer was almost halfway up the line, though he didn't appear to be in any great hurry.

Bending her head down, Azee used her foot to scratch behind her left ear. The movement made the chain around her neck jangle loudly.

"Knock that off." Chara grumbled as she finally managed to sit up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Don't scratch like an animal."

"I can't help it." Azee moaned. "The flies keep getting me behind the ears!"

"To be fair, they are very big ears." Chara forced herself to smile as she mussed up her sister's hair.

Azee growled playfully and batted her sister's hands away.

Despite the knowledge of the long, hot day of labor ahead, both Chara and Azee's tails wagged as they playfully poked at one another.

But as usual, their joy was quickly cut short. As the overseer approached, both Azee and Chara stopped playing and assumed their position. Every slave was required to sit on their knees, legs apart, with their hands behind their heads. Any failure to do so would be met with a brutal strike from the overseer's switch, while any further resistance would be met with a whipping.

The feline beside Azee was new, and her previous owners had had a different procedure. Her hands were behind her head, but her knees were together.

As the overseer drew close, Azee opened her mouth to warn the newcomer, but a warning glance from her sister stopped her.

Azee could hear her sister's words echoing in her mind "It's not our problem. Trying to help someone else will only get you hurt."

"Morning sir." the feline muttered, keeping her eyes on the ground as the overseer stopped in front of her.

Azee closed her eyes, she couldn't bear to watch what she knew was coming.

A loud snap rang out, and the feline yowled in pain, a bright red welt forming quickly on her chest.

"I tol' you once, I tol' you a hundred times." The overseer growled, his voice a gravely drawl. "Legs apart, pelt!"

"Y-yes, sorry sir." the feline muttered, the pain easy to hear in her voice as she shifted quickly into position.

"If I have to remind you again, it'll be ten lashes in the yard, y'hear?"

"Y-yes sir."

"You can skip chow." the man sneered as he unlocked the feline's collar. "Maybe listenin to yer stomach grumble fer the day'll remind you tha' we do things proper round 'ere."

"Y-yes sir, s-sorry sir."

As the feline got up and quickly left, the overseer moved on to Azee.

Azee's ears pressed against her head, and it took all of her self control not to snarl. The overseer in front of her was Thomas Comb, a man infamous at Windhill Ranch as one who truly enjoyed his work. Every slave knew better than to cross him, or to look him in the eye, even from a distance.

Two years before, while picking berries, Comb had called out to Azee. Not recognizing his voice, she'd made the mistake of turning and meeting his gaze. Even though she'd only seen them for a moment, Comb's icy blue eyes haunted her. She still bore the scar on the back of her left hand from where he had struck her with an iron rod until one of the other overseers had come to the rescue.

"Ah, g'morning little princess." Comb sneered as he stopped in front of Azee. "Hope you slept well. Figure we'll git a full day's work out of you today?"

"Yes sir." Azee mumbled, staring down at her knees.

"You better hope so. Ain't paying good money to keep you so you can be the Windhill brat's plaything, now are we."

"No sir."

Azee winced as Comb grabbed her collar and hauled her forward. Comb's rough yellow fingernails bit into her neck as he fiddled with the iron band.

Unlike the other slaves, Azee had not yet been fitted with a permanent collar. Normally she would have been by now, but her position as the favourite playmate of Lord Windhill's young son had kept her neck free. That fact had also kept her back free of whipping scars. Of course, the young master's favoritism didn't protect her from everything.

Tossing the band aside, Comb pushed Azee hard, almost knocking her to the floor. He dug his boot into her rear as she struggled to get up. "Right now, git."

Keeping her gaze down, Azee quickly made her way towards the exit out of the barn. She hadn't even gone a dozen steps before she heard the snap of a switch behind her. She froze mid-step, her entire body shaking. She wanted to turn around, to see if Chara was alright, but if she did it would only make things worse.

'Keep moving,' Azee's mind screamed. 'Just keep moving.'

With effort she forced herself to keep walking, pausing again for only a moment when she heard the crack of a switch again, accompanied this time by a soft yelp.

***

Moving as slow as she could get away with to let Chara catch up with her, Azee made her way across the dirt yard towards the slave mess. As with every morning, a shudder ran up her back as she walked past one of the half dozen tall wooden posts, as thick as tree trunks, hammered into the ground in a line in the center of the yard. Heavy iron chains dangled from a loop near the top of each post.

The slaves called them the 'scratching posts', and indeed the wood was marked with gouges from many claws. But claw marks were not all that marred the wood, Each post was marked with the stains of dried blood and even tufts of fur.

Any slave caught lazing about, stealing, or any number of other crimes, would find themselves bound to one of the posts. Most often they would be whipped or burned with a cold-brand, or some other novel punishment invented by the overseers. If an offense was bad enough, or it was a repeated offense, a slave might find themselves in 'time out'.

The threat of time out carried with it a special dread for the slaves, as it was both humiliating and painful. Heavy chains were driven into the wooden posts too high to allow a prisoner to sit or even kneel, but low enough that they would not allow the victim to stand upright. They would be forced to stand hunched over, sometimes for days on end, with their hands above their heads.

Chara had been put in time out several times over the years. Just last season she'd been left outside for four nights after biting a fellow slave, Tasch, leaving her unable to work for a few days. The experience had left Chara exhausted, half starved, and in agony for weeks afterwards.

Forcing those thoughts aside and keeping her eyes straight ahead, Azee continued towards the slave mess.

One of the more friendly overseers stood guard at the door, and smiled and nodded at Azee as she approached.

"Mornin' Long-Tail." The overseer grinned, grabbing hold of Azee's tail as she stepped past.

"Morning," Azee replied, trying not to wince as the overseer playfully pulled on her tail.

"I figure Windhill will have you back in the fair this year. Ain't a pelt this side of the gate that's got a longer duster than you got here."

Azee managed a smile. "I hope so."

"There you go little one, that's a smile. Now go on an git yerself some breakfast." The overseer straightened her hat as she roughly patted Azee on the back. "Lots of work to do today, yessir."

The slave mess was a long thatched roofed building constructed from logs, with a dirt floor. The slaves entered through a narrow door at one end of the windowless building. A giant metal pot hung over a small fire, its thick contents noisily burbling.

Azee's nose twitched as she sniffed the air. The slave stew didn't smell so bad this morning, it even had the faintest whiff of chicken to it, which made Azee's stomach grumble. Many of the others claimed they could never tell the difference, but Azee's nose was particularly keen, even compared to her other canine brethren.

As Azee reached the front of the line, the large tigress who was serving the soup smiled at her. "Here you go sweetie."

"Thanks Fray." Azee nodded, her tail wagging a little at the sight of the big friendly face.

"You're welcome." Fray replied, handing over a small scrap of cornbread.

With a final nod, Azee turned and proceeded to one of the three long tables that ran the length of the mess.

***

"And it was like this every morning?"

Azee nodded, glancing over her shoulder as Luke let out a yelp as he swung the mallet and struck one of his fingers, rather than a tent peg.

"Most mornings were like that, yes."

"So you were up before dawn every morning... sounds awful."

"You get used to it." Azee chuckled a little. "I do like sleeping in though."

"You can say that again." Luke grumbled as he approached the fire, tossing aside the mallet in disgust. "She'd sleep into the afternoon if given half a chance. Frankly, I'm not all that certain she isn't part feline."

Azee rolled her eyes. "You're one to talk."

"Speaking of, what are we talking about?" Luke asked.

"Azee was telling me the story of how she got her collar."

"Oh... is that right." Luke's tone darkened quickly.

Kine nodded. "I would be most interested in hearing your side of the story.

"Oh really?"

"Of course! Now... you mentioned another slave... 'Tasch' was it?"

"I remember her." Luke nodded, sitting down beside the fire and outstretching his hands. "She was that vixen that was always fighting with Chara, right?"

Azee nodded. "Back then they didn't like each other very much." Her ears drooped a little. "Though I think it was more that Tasch didn't like me..."

***

Chara hissed in frustration as her fingers seized and she dropped her spoon again, some of her stew splattering onto the table.

"Are you alright?" Azee asked, making certain to keep her voice low.

"I'm fine." Chara grumbled, picking up her spoon again.

Despite her sister's words, it was obvious to Azee that Chara was in pain. Azee had heard three snaps from Comb's switch before she left the barn, though judging by how long it took for her sister to reach the slave's mess, he had probably struck her at least one more time. Azee's gaze was drawn to the painful looking red welt on the top of Chara's right hand.

After waiting for a patrolling overseer to walk by, Azee slid the small square of cornbread on her plate over to Chara's.

"Here."

"Don't be stupid," Chara grumbled, pushing the bread back onto Azee's plate. "I'm not taking your food."

"It's easier to eat than your soup."

"Soup," Chara scoffed. "It's water with garbage in it. Hardly worth the effort."

The other nearby slaves glanced at Chara for a moment, before returning to their meals, eager to pretend that they hadn't heard her speak.

With effort, Chara was able to hold onto her spoon and keep her hand steady enough to take a bite, grimacing at the taste.

"Why did Comb hit you?" Azee asked, her shoulders sinking as she observed the shaking in Chara's hand.

"First one was because my legs were too close together." Chara snarled, the wooden spoon creaking in her clenched hand. "But I'll be dead and skinned before I display myself for that bastard. Second one was for an 'attitude adjustment'. The other times? Who knows, I think he just figures it's fun."

"Or maybe he just doesn't like you because you're the sister of the Windhill brat's little plaything." A vixen sitting across the table and down a couple seats grumbled under her breath.

Chara's fur rippled. "You want to repeat that?"

Tasch's lip pulled back, displaying her razor sharp teeth as she glared at Chara. "You heard what I said."

While most wouldn't dare say anything about Azee within earshot of Chara, Tasch was notoriously short-tempered and vicious. Her whole body was marked with scars, both from whippings, and from fights, even several that Chara herself had inflicted. One particularly nasty scar ran from the bottom of Tasch's left ear, down her forehead, over her left eye, across her cheek and down her neck. No one knew how she got it, but everyone knew better than to mention it, unless of course they wanted a fight.

Feeling Chara tense, Azee turned towards her. "Chara don't-"

"I wonder what the little 'princess' could be doing to earn the master's favor?" Tasch snarled, loud enough for those around to hear. "You may not be willing to open your legs, but I bet your sister is."

"You looking for a scar across your other eye, Tasch?" Chara snapped, slamming her hands down on the table, her claws digging into the wood with a splintering crackle.

Instinctively the other slaves began shifting away, not wanting to risk getting caught in between the two.

Tash's tail whipped back and forth as she tensed, readying herself to pounce. Chara's tail fluffed up and she bared her teeth, her nose wrinkling.

"Come on then!" Chara hissed.

"Hey! Shut up over there!" One of the nearby overseers barked. "You got three minutes left, so shut yer yaps and eat. Next one who talks gets five lashes on the back!"

Both Chara and Tash fell silent, their muscles slowly relaxing, though their eyes shot daggers across the table.

Azee took in a breath to whisper to her sister, but decided against it. All she could do was hope that, when the fight came, Chara would win, and quickly.

***

"So your sister and Tasch fought often?" Kine mused, tapping his notebook.

Azee nodded. "Many times... it got them in a lot of trouble. But... no matter how many times they got whipped or beaten... they just would not stop fighting."

"Hmmm, and did you do anything to stop this?" Kine asked, glancing over at Luke.

"This was before I took over the Ranch," Luke replied, tossing another log onto the fire. "By the time I was in charge, Tasch was gone."

"I see." Kine nodded, his hand a blur as he scribbled a few notes. "So... tell me more about this day."

Azee nodded. "It... wasn't really different from any other day, at least at first..."

***

By the time the sun rose over the ridge of Flinton valley, the slaves were already in the fields. While the males worked in one of the northern fields, turning over the soil in preparation for the next planting season, the females and children worked in one of the indigo fields, just behind the slave quarters.

Dozens of rows of waist height indigo plants stretched from one end of the field to the other. The adults worked their way along the rows, pulling up weeds and harvesting the plants that had grown large enough. Youngsters carried the harvested plants on large, flat baskets to the drying pits, a half a dozen buildings with only three walls and no roof, on the eastern side of the field. The youngest children followed behind their mothers, picking up the discarded weeds and shoving them into burlap sacks for burning. A number of fores patrolled the rows, watching their fellow slaves for any signs of malingering, while a small group of overseers stood beneath one of the large willow trees, smoking and talking amongst themselves as they kept watch.

"Come on," Azee groaned, pulling hard on a tuft of spear-grass weed. For a moment the weed refused to budge, and then, all of a sudden, the roots let go and Azee went tumbling backwards in a spray of dirt.

Chara smirked as her sister sat back up, rubbing her behind. "You alright?"

"Well... I got it." Azee held up her prize, grinning.

"Yes, yes you did. Too bad we can't eat it."

Azee shrugged. "True. But maybe..."

Chara let out a gasp as Azee took one of the longer stalks and began tickling Chara's underarm and side.

"Ah! Hey, knock it off!" She giggled, batting at the grass as she tried to keep her tone serious. "We're, ah, gonna get in trouble." Finally she got hold of the stalk in her teeth and pulled it free of Azee's grasp.

"You're such a pain in my ass," She chuckled, tossing the grass aside. "You're gonna get us both whipped."

"Luke would never let that happen to me." Azee said as she shoved the weed into her sack. "And I will protect you too."

"Hey, I'm older, so I do the protecting." Chara tousled Azee's hair. "You got that?"

"Yeah yeah." Azee reached out to pull Chara's tail, but Chara kept her at arm's length.

As Azee set about trying to reorder her hair, Chara glanced around at the surrounding plants. "Come on, these aren't ready yet."

With a nod, Azee picked up the sack and a tied bundle of cut indigo. As she walked, she stood on her tiptoes, looking over the field, towards the main house.

Azee was so focussed on watching the house that she bumped into Chara as she stopped to examine a plant.

"Would you pay attention to what you are doing and stop watching for that human." Chara snapped. "He'll come when he comes. Bobbing your head up and down is just going to get you a smack."

Chara's tone stung, and Azee recoiled. "Are you angry with me?"

Immediately Chara's expression softened. "Oh Azee... no, no of course not. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I know..."

Taking hold of the small sickle she carried, Chara started hacking away at the base of one of the indigo plants, several inches above the ground. After a few swings, the sickle slipped from her fingers and dug into the dirt.

"Dammit..." Chara grumbled, wincing as a wave of pain ran up her fingers as she tested them.

"Are they any better?" Azee asked, picking up the sickle and handing it back to Chara.

"I'm fine... they just won't do what I'm bloody telling them."

Taking a firm grip of the sickle, Chara swung with all her might, sending the top half of the Indigo bush crashing to the ground. With a triumphant growl she tossed the cut plant over her shoulder to Azee.

"Look, as for the human... I'm glad he takes you out of here," Chara said, stretching her shoulders. "You have to find happiness where you can get it, especially in this rotten place."

"I know..."

"Just don't forget." Chara looked around to make certain none of the overseers were watching, before turning to her sister. "You are a plaything to him, nothing more."

Azee shook her head. "That's not true."

"Azee, I'm not saying this to hurt you."

"He's different."

Chara's fur rippled as her face twisted into a mask of hatred. "No he isn't. Luke Windhill is a human, and a master. We're all just 'pelts' to people like him; all of us are just savage brutes who need to be 'educated' and beaten down 'till we do what they tell us."

Azee shook her head again, standing her ground. "Luke is different. He's kind, and he doesn't treat me like I am less than him."

"And that is good, I am glad." Chara turned back to her task, her sickle slicing through the base of another shrub. "Just don't forget, it won't last. Be careful with him."

"You don't know." Azee mumbled to herself, glancing back at the estate house. "Luke isn't like that."

"Just... take what you can while you can," Chara said softly. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Azee smiled and nodded. "I know sis... I love you."

"I love you too." Chara mumbled back, face turning red a little. "Just make sure you remember what I told you to do if a male tries to force himself on you."

"Eyes and groin, bite, kick, and claw," Azee recited.

"Right, and don't stop until they are unable to get up again."

As she tossed another couple of branches to Azee, Chara jerked her head towards the drying huts. "Alright, that should be enough. Grab me a drink while you are there."

"Sure." Azee nodded, picking up the bundle of indigo and making her way down the row towards the main path that led to the drying huts.

By the time Azee reached the drying huts, the sun was well above the edge of the valley. Despite it still being morning, the sun's glare was hot enough to make Azee's skin prickle.

Dropping the armful of Indigo bushes onto a stack, Azee turned around to find herself face to face with Tasch.

"Hey there, pet." Tasch sneered, baring her teeth a little.

"I don't want to fight. Excuse me," Azee mumbled, trying to step past Tasch.

Tasch outstretched an arm, cutting Azee off. "I don't want to fight either little one, just talk."

Gathering up her courage, Azee glared up at the older female. "Go away, Tasch. I don't want to talk with you."

"That's brave to say without your sister around to protect you."

"I don't need her." Azee snarled, hoping that her words sounded more convincing to Tasch than they did to her. "I have teeth too."

Again Azee tried to push past Tasch, but the vixen stood firm, blocking her.

"Or maybe it's not your sister you're depending on for protection." A dark anger swirled in Tasch's tone. "How long do you think this thing you have with Windhill will last,"

"N-none of your business!" Azee snapped.

"How long do you figure you have before you're just another pelt?" Tasch's eyes narrowed dangerously as she leaned closer, her lips pulled back to reveal her razor sharp teeth. "How long before Windhill has you bred, so you can push out another slave for him to sell."

Azee didn't answer, instead trying to step around Tasch. Tasch stepped in front of Azee and seized the ruff of fur at her throat. With a low snarl, Tasch pushed Azee against the wall of one of the drying huts, out of sight of the overseers.

Tasch's breath was hot on Azee's face, her teeth fully bared. Azee drew in a breath so she could shout, but Tasch's hand flashed up and wrapped around her muzzle, holding her mouth closed.

"Call for help, and you'll regret it!" Tasch snarled, pressing Azee against the wall and gripping her fur tighter. "Now listen close, you little smooth-skin-loving traitor, I hear I'm going to be on the breeding schedule next season. You're going to get Windhill to take me off the list, understand?"

Tasch loosened her grip on Azee's muzzle a little, enough for her to gasp. "I-I can't-"

"You can and you will. If you don't, I'll cut up your face so he doesn't want you anymore."

Azee was terrified, unable to even speak. Another pair of slaves approached the drying hut, but a ferocious snarl from Tasch sent them scurrying away.

"You get me taken off the breeding schedule and you get to keep fooling around with the Windhill boy, and he gets to keep 'enjoying' you. Everyone wins."

Screwing up her courage, Azee met Tasch's gaze. "I'm not going to do it."

With a furious snarl, Tasch drew back her arm, her claws flashing in the sun. But before she could take a swing at Azee, a huge orange hand grabbed hold of her wrist.

"Leave the little one alone." Fray said, her voice calm as she effortlessly held Tasch's wrist still.

Tasch spun round, but before she could do or say anything, Fray lifted her off of the ground by her arm. Tasch's feet pedaled wildly as she reached for solid ground, but found none. Tasch tried to swipe at Fray with her other hand, but Fray easily caught her blow. Completely helpless, Tasch tried to maintain her defiance as Fray leaned closer, her muzzle inches away.

"If I reported this to an overseer, what do you think would happen?" Fray asked, tightening her grip around Tasch's wrists so much that Tasch let out a gasp of agony. "Picking a fight with a fellow slave, a young one no less, and demanding she bribe the young master? A time out would be the least of it, you might find yourself on a stool with a rope around your neck."

Tasch didn't answer, but she did let out a quiet whimper.

Fray's voice was still perfectly soft and calm as her eyes bored into Tasch's. "So, do yourself a favor; get a drink, calm down, and go back to your work. And if you bother Azee again, I will deal with you, not Chara. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes," Tasch nodded quickly.

"Good." Fray released her grip and Tasch dropped back to the dirt, her legs crumpling beneath her.

Without a moment's hesitation, Tasch clambered back to her feet. Her teeth were still bared, but she began to step backwards, keeping her gaze locked on both Azee and Fray.

"Are you alright?" Fray asked, glancing back at Azee as Tasch disappeared behind a row of indigo bushes.

Taking a moment to brush herself off, Azee nodded quickly. "Yes... thank you."

Fray smiled, reaching out and petting Azee between the ears. "It's alright. Just... try not to hold it against her, she's scared. Stupid, but scared."

"I understand..."

Fray's tone turned serious as she leaned closer to Azee. "But you need to be able to defend yourself. You can't always depend on Chara."

Azee's ears and shoulders drooped. "I know."

"Oi!" An overseer's voice called out from the nearby fence. "What are you two doing? Get back to work!"

"Yes sir." Fray called back. With a friendly smile, Fray patted Azee on the head one last time and leaned back. "We'll worry about that another day. Now go on, get back to your sister."

***

"Slaves fighting amongst themselves... I suppose I should have suspected such a thing was possible." Kine mused, his pen a blur as he jotted down a flurry of notes.

"More common than you would think,"Luke replied. "Food, position, petty grudges, children, even where they bloody slept, slaves fought amongst themselves all the time."

"Did it ever.... concern you?"

"Of course it did." Luke scoffed. "Look, I get it, from the outside it looks like we don't care for the pelts at all. And yes, the canon is pretty awful when it comes to how to treat them, but most owners don't want to see any kind of harm come to their slaves."

Kine nodded. "A pragmatic approach, I can understand that."

"No... it's more than that. Putting aside whether it was wrong or not, we counted on them for our livelihoods. Sure, having them fight each other meant feuds, disease, and loss, and those were all terrible, but it hit deeper than that."

Luke looked over at Azee, the firelight reflecting in his eyes as he met her incredulous gaze. "No matter how different they look to us... only an idiot would think that pelts are inherently stupid, or savage. I mean... yes, pelts can be those things, but they don't display those attributes more than humans. It's impossible to work around these creatures..."

Luke paused. "No... not creatures, these people... it's impossible to work around these people and not develop some feeling of attachment, even if it's more like the affection one might show a pet, rather than an equal."

"That is an odd thing to hear a slaver say."

"It's not as rare as you might think. Tell me, why do you think the Order exists?"

Kine tilted his head. "To control the slave population, of course."

"True. But it is also about making certain that those of us who live and work with the pelts, who see them for what they are, are kept under control."

Luke turned back towards the fire, unable to meet Azee's gaze anymore. "They exist... to make certain choices we wish we could make are... impossible."

***

"Incoming cannon fire!"

Azee looked up, her eyes widening as a shadow fell across her face. Her mouth opened to let out a scream. But before she could make a sound, Luke struck the water less than an arm's length away from her.

A torrent poured over Azee, soaking her fur and filling her mouth with river water. She was still coughing and hacking when Luke re-emerged, a wide grin on his face.

"Ha! Got you that time!" But as he smiled, Luke noticed the Azee was still coughing, each breath a struggle as her shoulders shook.

As fast as he could, Luke sloshed through the water, his feet sinking into the clay riverbed as he made his way over to Azee. "Hey, are you alright?"

Azee continued to cough, her breath ragged. But the moment Luke put his hand on her back, Azee's coughing stopped and she looked over her shoulder, her muzzle cracking into a grin and her golden eyes sparkling.

"Oh no, don't you dare-" But it was too late.

With all of her might, Azee shook herself. Her fur sent a storm of water in all directions, soaking Luke. As Luke raised his arms to shield his face, Azee spun around and leapt on him with a loud bark. With a surprised howl, Luke vanished beneath the surface with Azee on top of him.

The two tumbled over and over in the water for a few moments, before both popping up to the surface and gasping for breath.

"That's not fair!" Luke gasped, slapping the water at Azee.

Azee responded by sticking out her long canine tongue and ducking back under the surface.

The water of the Flinton river was a blessed relief from the intense afternoon sun. With a sigh of pleasure, Azee leaned back and spread her arms, floating on top of the water.

As she stared up at the branches stretching out over the river above her, Azee felt a constant twinge in the back of her mind. While she romped and played with Luke, her sister was still out in the indigo field, working in the sweltering heat. Of course she had been as well, but she had been freed from her labor when Luke had come to find her, as he often did once his morning studies were complete. The overseers let her go with little more than a grumble; they dared not contradict the ranch owner's son.

"Take your breaks where you can get them. Don't worry about me, just keep yourself safe."

Her sister's words offered some comfort, but the guilt still played in the back of Azee's mind.

With a loud whoop, Luke grabbed hold of the rope tied to one of the overhanging tree branches and rode it out over the water. Azee wrinkled her nose in annoyance as the splash rocked her back and forth.

"Oi, Azee, what's up with you?" Luke asked, paddling over to Azee. "Yer just floating there like a log."

Azee didn't reply, and instead stared up at the dappled light shining through the leaves above her. She almost didn't notice Luke approaching her. But as she turned her head to look at him, Luke leaned in and kissed her.

The moment their lips touched, Azee yelped and paddled backwards, scrabbling along the riverbed until she was at the shore. Luke, on the other hand, was doubled over laughing.

"What was that?" She cried, ears pressed flat against her head.

"Just wanted to wake you up." Luke laughed, sending another splash of water at Azee.

Azee stared wide eyed at Luke. She'd never been kissed before, certainly not by a human.

"B-but why did you do... that?!"

"Come on, it's just a little kiss, it's not a big deal." Luke chuckled, splashing Azee again.

"Y-yeah but..."

"By the Lord, I was kidding Azee."

"Y-you don't kid about things like that!"

"Oh come on, was it that bad?" Luke asked, crossing his arms.

"No! No it... it wasn't bad." Azee's face burned as she looked away, unable to meet Luke's eyes. "Just... unexpected."

"Well... you... you wanna do it again?"

Before Azee knew what she was saying, she heard herself say, "Y-yes."

This time it was Luke's face that turned red. Cautiously he stepped forward, taking Azee's hand in his and guiding her to a spot on the bank beneath a willow tree, completely hidden from view.

Azee sat on her knees, staring at Luke as he also knelt down in front of her. Azee's eyes widened and her breath quickened; her heart threatening to tear free of her chest. She could tell that Luke was also nervous, his breathing fast and his face flushed.

"Y-you sure about this?" Azee asked, her voice barely more than a whisper as her eyes stared into Luke's.

"Yes..." Luke closed his eyes and leaned closer.

The moment before their lips touched, Azee turned away. "I can't!"

"Gah!" Luke leaned back, trying to brush Azee's fur off his tongue. "What's wrong?"

"I just..." Azee's ears flattened against her head. "Some of the others... they think you're just using me..."

"Using you?" Luke blinked in surprise. "What like... for... sex, or whatever?"

Azee nodded, her face turning bright red.

"No! Azee... that's not..." Luke fell quiet. "Wait... Do you... think that I'm doing that?"

Azee's stomach felt as if it had been tied in knots. "I... I don't know..."

"You don't know!"

"Luke..."

"I would never do that!" Luke protested, genuine anger entering his voice, embarrassment on his face as he leapt to his feet. "You're my friend! I never wanna force you to do anything! You.... I... I like you."

"But what if you get tired of me? What if... someday you just... move on." Azee shivered a little as she spoke. "And I'll just be a slave again... just another pelt."

"That's-" Luke paused, his heart skipping a beat as he saw Azee shivering. Swallowing his angry words, Luke sat back down and reached out a hand, gently touching the side of Azee's face, guiding her chin up so his gaze met hers..

"I'm not going to do that to you." Luke said, his eyes locked on Azee's. "No matter what happens... I'll protect you."

Azee felt the stinging of tears in her eyes. "R-really?"

"Yeah." Luke smiled. "I promise."

As she stared into Luke's eyes, Azee's face turned red again. "D-do you... s-still want to kiss?"

"Only if you want to." Luke replied, his voice quavering a little.

"W-why are you nervous? Y-you k-kissed me before."

"I... I was just playing." Luke shook his head a little. "M-maybe this isn't a good idea, maybe-"

Luke's words were silenced as Azee leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

***

"So you kissed him?" Kine asked genuine surprise in his tone and on his face. "It was your choice?"

Azee nodded, her face burning. "Yeah... it was my choice."

"But surely, with Tasch's threat and his power over you, you must have felt... compelled."

Before Luke could unleash an angry word, Azee shook her head. "No... not at all. I made the choice... I wanted to kiss him."

She glanced over at Luke. "When we kissed, when we were... intimate, I wasn't always the one who started it... but Luke never forced me." Her ears drooped, her voice ringing with shame. "I... I liked it."

Sensing Azee and Luke's discomfort, Kine cleared his throat. "And the family never suspected?"

Luke shook his head. "Not till later, and by then they all knew better than to try and interfere."

"Did they say anything?"

"Oh they said plenty." Luke replied, taking a sip of coffee. "But my mother was focussed on my sisters, well, that and tormenting the house slaves. As for my father, he didn't pay me much mind, he was too busy making sure my brother was ready to take over the family. I was just a spare."

Azee felt a genuine pang in her heart at Luke's words. Though he did his best to hide it, she could sense the very real pain there.

Luke leaned forward and picked up the coffee pot, swirling its contents. "So long as I did half decently with my lessons, I could disappear for most of the day and no one would notice."

"Well... it sounds like it was a good arrangement."

Luke and Azee looked at one another.

Azee spoke first, her voice low. "Well... you say that..."

***

Azee panted hard as she worked to lug a heavy pail of water from one of the wells to the cotton field where she and the other females had been laboring for ten days. The sun was high in the sky, beating down mercilessly upon all caught in its gaze. A sickly yellow haze hung in the air, filled with the scent of baking mud and fetid water.

As Azee struggled, she looked up to see Fray, held between two other slaves, making their way back towards the barn.

"Fray!" Azee dropped the bucket as carefully as she could and sprinted over. "Fray, are you okay?"

Fray managed to raise her head, blinking blearily. "Y-yes child I... I should... I'm okay."

"She collapsed, can't even walk straight no more." One of the other slaves explained. "We're taking her to get some shade."

"Fray... please be okay." Azee moaned, watching as the other two slaves carried the barely conscious tiger off. This year's summer waxing season had been incredibly brutal; and Fray wasn't the first slave to have collapsed from the heat in the last few days.

As she returned to her bucket, Azee paused for a moment to take a drink. But as she got back to her feet, another hand grabbed the handle. Azee looked up and immediately her ears pressed flat.

"What do you want, Tasch?" she snarled.

Since Fray's intervention in their last fight, Tasch had given both Azee and Chara a wide berth. But now, with Chara nowhere to be seen, and Fray ill, Azee felt a very real sense of fear.

Much to Azee's surprise however, Tasch stepped back, raising her hands. "Peace little one, peace, I'm not here to fight."

"Then leave me alone!" Azee barked, baring her teeth, the fur on her back and shoulder's prickling.

"Listen... Azee... I just want to talk. C-can I help you carry the water?"

"Go away!"

"Azee please... I'm begging you."

Despite her fear, Azee paused. There was a note of real fear, genuine panic in Tasch's voice.

Keeping her eyes locked on Tasch, Azee nodded slowly. "Fine... what do you want?"

Tasch cleared her throat, grabbing hold of the other handle on the bucket and helping Azee lift it. "I... I know I've been nasty to you..."

"I'm not going to argue." Azee growled, keeping her teeth bared. "You threatened to cut me, and you called me a traitor."

"I know... and that was... I am sorry."

"Are you? Or do you just want something."

"Fine, you wanna know the truth? Both." Tasch looked over. "Please, Azee... talk to Master Luke... get him to take me off the schedule."

"I can't."

"Azee please..." Tears welled up in Tasch's eyes as she pleaded. "The last time I had a kit, it almost killed me. I felt weak, I could barely stand, I was sick for almost a year, and he..." Tasch's voice became choked. "He... he didn't even survive more than a week. I... I can't go through that again."

"But... the overseers... did you try talking to them?"

"I tried explaining it to Snyder, but he refused to listen to me! Azee.... I'm really scared."

There was not a trace of deception in Tasch's voice, and Azee felt a knot forming in her chest. "I..."

"Just ask him." Tasch looked away in shame. "I know I can't threaten you, I know that I can't demand this of you... so I'm begging you..."

As the two arrived at the gate to the cotton field, Azee turned to Tasch and nodded. "Okay... I'll ask."

"You will?" Tasch sighed in relief. "Thank you... I... I am sorry I've been so cruel to you in the past I... I was... I was wrong."

With a nervous smile, Tasch stepped forward and put a hand on Azee's head.

"I guess you're not a traitor after all. Besides, I guess... we all do what we have to to survive."

As Tasch walked off, Azee stared down at her reflection in the bucket. The knot in her chest hadn't gone away, in fact it was larger and tighter than it had ever been.

***

"Breeding schedules..." Kine shook his head, glaring at Luke with open disdain. "When I first heard about such things I didn't believe it. Surely such a despicable thing could not exist, even in Halcyon... I will not make the mistake of underestimating your cruelty again."

"It's not something I am proud of." Luke grumbled, staring into the coals of the fire. "I have a lot I'd take back if I could, and a lot I intend to change when I get home."

"Did you know, back on their own plane, the Shiyan have a beautiful and complex family structure? They mate for life, they form family groups, sometimes four generations of the same family living together their entire lives? They carry on memories of their ancestors, some can trace their family lines back almost a thousand years."

"Really?" Azee sighed, pulling her knees up to her chin. "Sounds nice..."

Luke glanced over at Kine, his gaze returning the Drathain's open dislike. "Slavers found that allowing pelts to form family groups led to them being more likely to try and escape, and that meant a lot of them ended up being executed."

"What a convenient excuse."

"It's not the system I would have come up with." Luke snapped back. "But it's the law, and I followed it! Since I took over from my father I've tried to make things better as much as I can without getting my family's property seized and my slaves culled!"

Azee thought about adding a comment, but the shuddering in Luke's shoulders, and the regret in his voice, made her think twice.

After a few moments, Kine pushed his glasses back up his nose and bowed his head. "I apologize mister Windhill, I am a journalist, I should stay objective."

"It's fine." Luke muttered. "It's all in the past...I can't change it now."

"So, what happened after all that?" Kine asked, readying his notebook.

***

With a practiced flick of his wrist, Luke sent his lure out into the waters of the river. The little red cork bobber floated merrily upon the surface as Luke sat down on the edge of the dock, his bare feet gently kicking the water. Azee lay on the dock beside him, her arms submerged and her breath creating little ripples upon the still surface.

"Miss Clandine is really getting on my back." Luke muttered as leaned back, letting out a sigh as he stared up at the sky. "I got the date of the first crusade wrong and suddenly she's got some hair up her rear end about dates."

Azee was barely listening, instead watching as a strider danced across the water a few feet in front of her nose.

"I mean, isn't it more important to know what happened, instead of when?"

"Mmhmmm."

"And who gives a dusty fuck if the crusade started on the fifteen of spring waxing, or the fifteenth of fall waning." Luke shook his head as he tested his line. "It's so bloody stupid."

"Mmmmmm."

"Hey Azee, you okay?"

Azee's ears twitched and she looked up at Luke. "Huh?"

"You always complain when I swear." Luke tilted his head. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Azee replied, looking back at the water. "It's just really hot."

"That's true... You wanna go for a swim?"

"Not really."

"How about we go hunt some rabbits, have a cookout?"

"Not hungry."

"I could teach you some more letters if you want."

"Not in the mood."

Luke was quiet for a few moments, before setting his fishing rod aside. "Come on Azee, what's wrong?"

"It's... nothing, it's fine."

"Is it.... what we did that day?"

Azee let out another low sigh. It had been almost half a season since their first kiss. In the time since, Luke had tried to kiss her a few more times, but Azee always found a way to avoid it. He never pushed too hard, and she knew it was hurting his feelings, but somehow the thought of it made her feel strange.

"It's not that." She replied, tracing patterns in the water with her fingers.

"Is one of the others picking on you again?"

"No," Azee shook her head quickly. "No, it's not that either."

"Then what?"

'I'm scared Azee... please.'

With a deep breath, Azee looked up at Luke. "I... want to do it again."

"D-do what?"

Azee got to her feet and grabbed one of Luke's hands. "I want to kiss you again."

"I uh, whoa!" Luke stumbled as Azee pulled him to his feet. "Azee!"

"Come on." Azee dragged Luke along the dock towards one of the willows on the bank.

"Azee, gah, wait!"

But Azee paid no attention, dragging Luke along behind her. In moments they were beneath the gently swaying branches, and Azee pressed her back up against the rough bark.

"Kiss me," She urged, pulling Luke close.

"What's gotten into you?!" Luke yanked his hand free of Azee's grip. "You're acting insane!"

"I want you to kiss me." Azee said, grabbing Luke's wrists again and placing his hands on her hips. "Come on, don't you want to?"

"Well- yes but... but Azee, What's going on with you?"

"If you want to, then do it." Azee tried to pull Luke closer, but he stepped backwards, out of her reach.

"What is going on?!" Luke demanded

Azee was unable to meet Luke's gaze and looked away, her lip trembling.

"I... I... I promised... I promised someone..."

Luke tilted his head. "Promised? What did you promise?"

"T-Tasch... she's scared b-becasue... she's on the breeding schedule... she wanted me to ask you to take her off." Tears welled up in Azee's eyes as suddenly she felt very exposed, covering herself with her arms.

"Breeding schedule? Is.... Is that what this is about?" Luke took a step back. "Wait... You wanted me to kiss you... so that I'd owe you?"

"I just thought... if I gave you something you wanted... it wouldn't be... so bad to ask you..."

To Azee's horror, Luke's face twisted into a mask of anger.

"I can't believe you did this! You were worried about me using you, and then you do this!"

"I'm sorry Luke..."

"What were you thinking?!"

"You... you told me you liked me... and I just thought..." All Azee wanted to do was sink into the ground as she shrunk against the tree. "I don't know what I was thinking..."

Luke shook his head, stepping away from Azee. "My father warned me about this... about you. I... I don't think we should spend any more time together."

"Luke, no..." Azee whimpered, "Please... I didn't mean... It was stupid..."

"Yeah, it was." Turning away, Luke started back towards the main house, his shoulders hunched..

"Luke... I'm sorry." Azee called out, but Luke made no reply. Slowly, Azee dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself and weeping.

As Azee made her way down the row of cotton plants towards Chara, she did her best to wipe away the tears and to clean the matted fur on her cheeks. Despite her efforts, the moment Chara looked up she could see something was wrong.

"What happened?" She asked, straightening and grabbing Azee's shoulders.

"It's nothing." Azee mumbled, looking away.

"That little bastard-" Chara paused for a moment and pulled Azee down into a kneeling position so they were hidden from the eyes of the patrolling fores.

"Did that little Windhill bastard hurt you?" Chara snarled, tightening her grip on Azee's shoulders. "Did he hit you? Force himself on you? Azee, tell me!"

"N-no... he didn't."

"Tell the truth!" Murder flashed in Chara's eyes as she leaned closer. "What happened?"

Azee's lip trembled as she tried not to cry. "I... I did something terrible..."

"Wait... you did?"

A nod was the only reply Azee would manage.

"Tyrant... you didn't kill him did you?"

"Wh- no!"

Chara sighed in relief before pulling Azee close. "Good... I'm glad. So what happened? Come Azee, you can tell me."

"Well... it... it started last season..."

The whole time Azee talked, Chara held her close, gently patting her head and back. When she was finished, Chara sighed and stroked Azee's cheek.

"Sweet sister of mine... you really do have a big heart."

"But I... I messed everything up..."

"Maybe, but I'm proud of you for trying to help that bitchy fox..."

"But I hurt Luke..." Azee sniffed, tears dripping down her cheeks. "I... I was so worried a-about him using me, like everyone said, that I... I used him."

"By the tyrant..." Chara pulled Azee closer and nuzzled her shoulder. "Azee... I'm so sorry I said that... I was just trying to prepare you... to warn you about what someone like him might do..."

"What if he never wants to see me again?"

"Then he's a bloody fool."

Azee whimpered, gripping Chara tight.

"Don't worry." Chara pressed her forehead against her sister's. "I'm sure... he'll forgive you. It was a mistake, but we all make those."

"But I-"

"You're both young." Chara smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from Azee's face. "He'll get over it. Although, and I can't believe I'm saying this... you should probably apologize to him."

Azee sniffed and nodded. "I know..."

"Now," Chara got back to her feet, pulling Azee with her. "We should get back to work before some fleabitten fore tries to get us in trouble."

Wiping away her tears, Azee nodded.

"Oi, you two, what are you doing?" A nearby fore called out, tapping her baton against her thigh. "Better not be sleeping."

"Does it look like we're sleeping?" Chara snapped back.

The fore's eyes narrowed. "Listen big mouth, you better watch your tone. Now get back to work 'for I decide you need a correction."

After shooting the fore a murderous glance, Chara turned back to Azee and tossed her a burlap sack. "I bet I can pick more than you.

"Y-you just have more practice." Azee managed to grin.

"Yeah, but you got faster hands. Come on, loser has to scratch the winners back tonight.

"Deal."

As the afternoon wore on, the heat of the day began to wane. Thick islands of cloud drifted across the sky, dappling the land with pools of merciful shade. As the sun started to dip below the edge of the valley, a loud clanging rang out.

"Alright, that's it." One of the overseers called out from the edge of the field, banging an old pot lid with a stick. "Let go, move it!"

Azee's mouth was dry and her muscles exhausted as she heaved the sack of cotton onto her back and joined the procession of slaves towards the gate. Beside her, Chara whistled through her teeth.

"Huh, looks like you win." Chara bumped Azee with her hips. "Told you you had faster hands than I did."

Azee bumped Chara back with a tired laugh. "No, you just kept putting handfuls from your bag into mine whenever you thought I wasn't looking."

"Did I? Huh. Musta been that I didn't wanna carry so much back with me."

"I love you sis." Azee muttered, leaning against Chara as they joined the line at the gate.

A pair of Overseers kept careful watch as each slave dropped their bag of collected cotton onto a set of scales. If there was enough in the bag, the overseers would send the slave off to dinner. Those with too little were sent back to the field with a stern word or a blow from a switch.

A few spaces in line ahead of Azee and Chara, Tasch stepped up to the scales. As she dropped her sack onto the empty scale plate, there was a loud clang from the bottom of the Tasch's sack. Before Tasch could move, a fore stepped forward and seized her from behind, holding her in a headlock.

Chara reached out an arm and held Azee against her. "Don't say a thing," she hissed.

"What in damnation is this?" Comb demanded. He pulled open Tasch's sack and reached down to the bottom. After a moment of fishing about he withdrew his hand, in it a fist sized rock.

Tasch's eyes widened in panic. "Wh- but I.... I didn't put that there!" she tried to step forward, but the fore gripped her tighter.

"Uh huh, I suppose it just... appeared there." Comb sneered, putting the handle of his whip under Tasch's chin. "Weighting yer harvest, I should whip the hide off yer back."

"I didn't-"

"Shut yer yap." Comb pushed the butt of his whip against Tasch's throat, making her choke and cough. "Boss says we ain't to whip you lot till the harvest is in, so yer lucky. Yeh can do without supper though, an' yeh can sleep outside tonight. Maybe a night in the yard with the bugs'll set you straight"

"Poor Tasch..." Azee muttered as the fore dragged the thrashing and protesting vixen away.

"Mmmm, well that's what you get for trying to use my sister."

Azee looked up at Chara. "Wait... did you do that?"

"It's possible."

"Why?" Azee demanded, drawing the attention of several nearby slaves.

"SHH!" Chara reached out and held Azee's muzzle shut. Leaning close she whispered. "No one uses my sister, not Windhill, not some bitchy fox. Besides, all that's gonna happen is she'll be a little hungry and tired, I knew they weren't gonna whip her."

"You scare me sometimes..." Azee whispered as Chara released her grip.

"Good, big sisters are supposed to do that."

"Well, hello there little princess," Comb snickered as Azee stepped up to the scales.

Azee didn't reply, instead keeping her eyes averted and dropping her sack on the scales.

Comb's sneering grin turned to a scowl as the scale shifted slowly, Azee's side sinking to the ground.

"Right, fine, git on outta here."

As Azee picked up the sack and started to walk away, one of the fores approached and spoke quietly in Comb's ear.

"Oi princess! Stop right there!"

Azee froze, her tail curling between her legs as she looked back. "Y-yes sir?"

"Yer to come with me." Comb's mouth split into a crooked yellow smile. "Seems yer special treatment's over, time to get proper a collar round that neck of yours."

A shock of icy cold fear rushed through Azee's body as she took an involuntary step back. "N-no!"

All her life, Azee had seen what collars did to those that wore them. Even her sister changed each time the rune on her collar was recharged, All of her emotions, even her connection to Azee, were all significantly dulled for a time. She'd even seen the effects of the more powerful control runes on unruly slaves, turning them into little more than drones.

'Luke!' Azee shivered. 'Luke... no... Please no...'

"Don't yeh dare try and run." Comb barked, his hand flashing down to his pistol as Azee backed away from him. "Git your miserable hide over here, now."

The moment Comb's hand touched his pistol, Chara leapt on him.

"Azee, go!"

"Chara!"

"GO!" Chara roared, pinning Comb's arm with her body.

It took every scrap of will Azee possessed to turn and sprint away. She heard anger yelling behind her, followed by the ear piercing trill sound of a whistle, the signal that an escape was underway. Dropping to all fours for extra speed, Azee ran as fast as she could away from the cotton field.

As she ran, a terrifying realization flashed in Azee's mind, she had no idea where she was running to. She couldn't leave the Ranch, she had no chance of surviving in the swamps, and not one slave that had tried to escape from the Windhill Ranch had ever successfully gotten away. Even if she did manage to escape, the overseers would almost certainly punish Chara instead.

All of a sudden there was a loud keening sound as a stun-blast shot by Azee's head and struck the ground in front of her. The blast kicked up a powerful geyser of dirt that knocked Azee off her feet and sent her sprawling. She tumbled hard, arms and legs thrashing as she rolled end over end before crashing painfully into a fence post.

Azee gasped for breath as she tried to get back to her feet. She was dizzy, the wind had been knocked out of her, and her chest burned.

Before she could regain her balance, another stun blast narrowly missed Azee, instead striking the fence post behind her and sending a painful shock up her back. Pain pushed aside by fear and panic, Azee took off again.

Even as she ran, Azee's sensitive ears could hear the voices of the fores and overseers chasing her.

"What in damnation are you shooting at Meryl!"

"Azee, stop! Don't make this worse!"

"She's heading back towards the slave quarters, cut her off!"

"Put those fuckin' guns away! Stun her, but don't shoot her!"

"Go get her girls!"

Another sound filled Azee's ears, one that she feared even more, the yowl of hunting cats. Risking a glance over her shoulder, Azee could see three large cats in pursuit, their slitted eyes locked on their prey.

Azee put on another burst of speed, but the burning in her chest was growing worse, and her already exhausted muscles were screaming at her.

As the slave barns came into view, Azee caught sight of another four overseers running towards her.

With another stun blast slicing through the air above her head, Azee turned towards the one other place she could think of.

The pale evening sun shone through the cracked slats of the old slave barn, particles of dust drifting lazily in and out of the beams of golden light. The old wooden timbers shifted and creaked as a gentle evening wind drifted through the valley. Mice skittered across the floor and the rafters, the clanking of chains ringing out from time to time as a mouse climbed upon them.

The stillness was shattered as the main door was flung open. A desperately gasping Azee stumbled into the barn, tripping over the lip of the door and dropping to her knees. Forcing herself back to her feet, Azee gripped the sliding door and slammed it closed behind her. No more than a few seconds later, there was a loud thud as one of the hunting cats slammed into the door.

Azee whimpered in terror as the frustrated yowling of the cats filled the barn, along with the sounds of their claws tearing at the strong wooden door.

In decades past, the Windhill Ranch had only required a single slave barn. Expansion efforts by Luke's grandfather had multiplied the number of slaves required to run the ranch several times over, leading to the construction of the new slave quarters. In the years since, the old barn had been relegated to a storage space.

Staggering past the piles of rusted machine parts and broken tools, Azee made her way towards a large pile of straw at the back of the barn. Outside she could hear the shouts of the overseers and fores drawing closer, she was trapped and she knew it. Trying to hold back terrified tears, Azee began to claw her way into the pile of straw.

Ignoring the scratching and itching of the straw, Azee burrowed deep before curling into a shivering, weeping ball. She knew that at any moment the overseers would burst into the barn and drag her out, no doubt beating her as they did. She'd certainly be whipped for running, and most likely sent to the posts for a time out. Worse, Chara would probably be right there with her for tackling Comb.

'Wh-what if Luke is angry...what if he thinks I betrayed him... what if he tells them to hang me because of what I did!'

Another shock of fear went through Azee at that thought.

The moments ticked by agonizingly slow as Azee heard the overseers gathering outside of the barn. The scratching of the cats stopped as they were once more brought to heel by their master. She couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but the mix of anger and triumph in their tones made her heart thud against her ribs.

And yet...they didn't enter. Even in her terror Azee couldn't help but wonder just what her pursuers were waiting for.

A low whimper emerged from Azee's lips at the sound of the door sliding open. She considered standing up, surrendering herself and hoping that cooperating now would earn her some small mercy. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't force her legs to move. Azee was so terrified that she almost didn't hear Luke's voice.

"I'll take care of this. The rest of you stay here."

Azee's breath caught at the sound of Luke's voice. She tilted her head, trying to hear as best she could.

Luke's voice was firm as it rang out again.

"Back off, that's an order! And get those bloody cats out of here! The rest of you can stay if you must, but don't any of you come near this door unless I call for you, understand?"

There were sounds of complaint, but moments later, Azee heard the sound of the door sliding shut again.

"Azee... it's okay, it's me. I'm coming in, there's no need to be afraid."

Azee didn't reply. Instead she listened hard, certain that this had to be a trick, but all she could hear was the sound of Luke's footsteps as he approached the straw pile.

"I know you're in here, Azee. It's okay, I'm alone."

Luke's voice was quiet and gentle, no hint of anger or viciousness. Hesitantly, Azee shifted, poking her nose out of the straw pile.

Luke chuckled quietly as he knelt down and reached into the straw, gently scratching Azee's head.

"You can come out."

Slowly, Azee sat up, her head emerging from the straw.

"Hey." Luke smiled down at her, still scratching her head.

"H-hey."

"I kinda figured you'd come here."

"It... it was the only place that... that made any sense."

"Yeah, we used to play here all the time." Luke chuckled. "Remember when we used to build 'houses' with straw bales?"

"Until you got bitten by that snake." Azee mumbled. With a heavy sigh her ears drooped and she looked away. "Luke..."

"Don't worry about it."

"But I-"

Azee felt Luke shift closer to her, leaning in so he could meet her eyes. "Azee... I understand. It's okay, I'm not angry with you."

"R-really?"

"Well... I was. But you know... the more I thought about it... Azee, I know you were just trying to help your friend."

"I didn't want to use you." Azee mumbled, sinking back into the straw. "I just... didn't know what to do. I'm sorry."

Luke sighed heavily. "I guess I should apologize too... You know, that day, in the river... when we kissed."

Azee nodded, her nose twitching.

"Well... I said that I was kidding... that it didn't mean anything. I was lying... Azee... that was the best moment of my entire life."

Azee blinked in surprise. "R-really?"

"Yeah, it was. I didn't think about anything else for days."

"Wow... I didn't know... I thought you were just fooling around."

"I know." Luke nodded, flopping onto his back on the straw. "It's all so complicated and stupid... I like you, that should be enough. So we're different kinds, why does that even matter?"

Azee started to reply, but her breath caught in her throat as she noticed a collar attached to Luke's belt.

"Luke..." Azee whimpered and withdrew back into the straw. "No..."

"Azee?"

"Stay back." She whined. "You're just trying to put a collar on me. You're getting revenge!"

"Azee please, I'm-"

"I'm begging you... Please don't do this to me!"

"This is my father's orders." Luke sighed, reaching out to pet Azee's head again. His heart felt as if it would split in two as Azee recoiled away from him.

"I can't defy him." Luke whispered, his voice shaking. "I tried to argue... but he... he wouldn't listen."

As Luke spoke, Azee noticed for the first time a bruise forming on his left cheek, just below his eye.

"I hate it... but if you don't wear a collar... we can't spend any more time together."

"I'm scared." Azee sniffed. "I've seen what those do to people."

Luke pulled the collar off his belt and held it up. "Look, I know it's not much, but... I have an idea."

Cautiously Azee poked her head out of the straw again as Luke withdrew another collar from his pocket. The second collar looked much older and more worn than the first.

"I took this one from the workshop." Luke explained. "The rune is all but burnt out, it barely works. If I switch out the runes, you won't feel a thing."

Azee watched, her heart still thudding in her chest as Luke set about undoing the thin metal bolts holding the piece of catalyst crystal to the leather band. Once they were separated, he set about switching the two crystals and reconnecting the metal screws.

"Are you sure this will work?"

"Can't see why it wouldn't... There-" Luke held up the new leather collar, "- all done."

Looking at the collar, the glow of the rune reflected in her wide eyes, Azee shrunk away.

"I'm scared..."

Putting the collar aside, Luke shifted to look into Azee's eyes. Placing a hand on either side of her face, Luke smiled gently, touching the tip of his nose against Azee's.

"I promise you, I will always, always protect you. I will look after you, I'll make sure you are safe, and I will never let you down, I swear it."

Azee couldn't help but close her eyes and sigh with pleasure as Luke stroked the side of her face.

"So please... trust me.

With a heavy sigh, Azee emerged from the straw and sat in front of Luke, her tail twitching nervously.

As Luke reached down to pick up the collar, Azee leaned forward, grabbing hold of the front of Luke's shirt and locking her lips agasint his. Luke's initial surprise swiftly turned to eager participation as he wrapped his arms around Azee, holding her close.

They stayed like that for a long time, lips pressed together, tightly holding one another. A hurricane of unspoken words whirled about the two, feelings, questions, and answers, all echoed in the silence.

Finally Azee leaned back., and with a shaky sigh she nodded and raised her chin. "O-okay..."

With a deep breath, Luke picked up the collar and gently looped it around Azee's neck.

"It'll be okay." Luke whispered in Azee's ear. "I promise."

There was a loud click as the clasp at the back snapped closed and the locking rune engaged. For a moment Azee wanted to whimper in terror, but with a deep breath she was able to control herself. Agonizing seconds passed she waited to feel the sensation of the control rune invading her mind, to feel her free will slip away. But... nothing, no change, her thoughts were still her own.

As Luke leaned back, Azee reached up and gently touched the collar.

"How... do you feel?"

"I feel... I feel fine." Azee sighed in relief, tears welling up in her eyes. Even as tears rolled down her cheeks and matted her fur, Azee began to laugh.

"It's gonna be okay." Luke said softly, pulling Azee into another hug and stroking her back. "And someday... I promise, you will never have to wear a collar again."

Again, the two slowly came together in a tender, gentle kiss.

***

"So... you let Windhill put the collar on you?" Kine asked, looking up from his notes, the frill on his head shifting.

"I didn't have much choice." Azee mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. "I figured either Luke could put a collar on me, or it could be Comb. I picked the lesser of two evils."

"Fair enough... Did you ever feel any effect from the collar?"

"Not really..." Azee managed a smile as she looked over at Luke. "He was true to his word... that time at least."

Luke didn't reply, and instead just kept staring into the fire.

"And what about Tasch?"

"It turned out she'd been added to the schedule by mistake." Azee shrugged. "It was all for nothing."

"I see." Kine mused, scratching his chin as he glanced at Luke.

With a loud yawn, Azee stood up and stretched. "Well... I'm going to bed."

Bowing his head, Kine got to his feet. "Sleep well. And thank you for your story, I have a feeling it will go a long way towards helping people understand."

As Azee turned to walk away, Luke spoke in a quiet voice.

"I'm sorry Azee..."

Luke's words froze Azee in place. As she looked over her shoulder, he spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I've failed in the past... but I swear, I will always try to fulfill my promise to you."

For a few moments, Azee was quiet, staring at Luke.

"You're right, you have failed."

As Luke's shoulders sank, Azee spoke again.

"But... I am still waiting... I am still waiting for you to make good on your promise."

As Azee padded off, Luke sighed heavily and turned to Kine. "So, you have everything you need?"

Kine tapped his pen against his horns. "I think so... If there is anything else you'd like to add, I'll gladly listen to you."

"Well... after all that, things went more or less back to normal. Of course I had to threaten Comb into keeping his mouth shut and into leaving Chara alone. It wasn't too hard, considering he's only really brave when it comes to picking on pelts who can't fight back."

"Mmmmm."

Luke poked at the smoldering remains of the fire as he spoke. "I always thought that I was protecting her... putting that first collar on her, the second after Hawk... I always thought I was doing the right thing."

Withdrawing his stick, Luke stared at the smoldering tip.

"I didn't see it... how much I was hurting her."

"She... she must understand." Kine said after a few moments. "She must see that you were doing what was commanded of you."

"It's not me, it's the system." Luke nodded. "I've told myself that a lot. Thing is..."

Drawing his arm back, Luke threw the glowing stick into the nearby lake, the coals hissing for a moment before there was only silence.

"I don't think I believe it anymore."

"You don't?"

Luke shook his head. "It's too convenient. I think... I think Azee is right. It was easier for me to just... pretend like I was the one caught in the current, being pulled along without being able to fight back. And maybe that's true but... at least I had a paddle."

"Hmmm, indeed." As Kine snapped his notebook closed, he looked up at Luke. "Tasch wasn't on the schedule by mistake at all was she? You took her off, didn't you?"

Luke didn't answer. Instead he got to his feet and looked down at Kine. "I'm gonna get some shut eye as well. Mind making sure the fire is out before you sleep?"

"I don't sleep, remember."

"Oh... right. Well... good night then."

Kine watched as Luke made his way to his tent. Moments later, Luke doused his lantern, leaving only the smoldering remains of the fire to light the clearing.

With a heavy sigh, Kine looked down at his notebook.

"<What a strange pair.>" he mumbled in his native language, flipping back through the last few pages of his notebook.

Carefully, and as quietly as he could, Kine pulled the most recent pages free, and with another quiet sigh, tossed them on the coals.

"<They have a long journey ahead of them,>" Kine muttered, tossing another log onto the fire before settling down against the base of a tall pine tree, watching as his notes burst into flame and vanished. "<But... maybe... maybe they do have a chance, a slim chance, but a chance, of making it through.>"

***

"Alright, git on in there."

Azee nodded and stepped inside the slave barn. The moment she crossed the threshold, Azee was surrounded by a crush of other females, all hugging her and holding her close.

"Thank goodness you're alright!"

"You scared us little one!"

One of the females gently tugged on Azee's collar. "Look like you have some new jewelry there."

"You lucky pup, this leather is so soft!"

As Azee was passed from one set of arms to another, out of the crowd her sister emerged.

"Chara! You're okay!" Azee sighed, pulling free of one of the other women and stepping close to her sister. She sighed in relief. "I'm so glad..."

Chara was silent for a few moments, staring down at Azee.

"Ch-Chara?"

All of a sudden Chara swept Azee up into a hug and held her tight, bursting into tears.

"Azee... I'm so glad... I'm so glad you are safe." She mumbled, burying her head in Azee's neck.

"I'm okay." Azee relaxed in her sister's grip, gently stroking her head. "I'm okay..."

"Alright, come on you tittering bitches, it's time to sleep." Comb barked, slapping his switch against his leg. "Now shut it and lay down!"

As Azee, Chara and the rest returned to their sleeping places, Chara kept Azee's hand in hers.

"I'm glad you're alright." Chara whispered, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.

"Me, you're the one who tackled Comb! How did you get away with it?"

"Apparently Luke scolded him, told him that he should have expected me to defend you." Chara chuckled softly. "I'm sure I'll pay for it later... but it was worth it."

Both fell silent as one of the overseers arrived and locked their collars to the iron bar.

"Well... it's not much..." Chara sighed and reached out to touch Azee's collar. "But I'm glad... I'm just glad you're safe."

"I know." Azee smiled, stroking Chara's hand. With a loud yawn she turned over. "Alright, we had a deal."

Chara raised an eyebrow. "Deal? What deal?"

"Don't you remember?" Azee grinned as she glanced over her shoulder. "I got more cotton, so I get my back scratched."

Special thanks to my Patrons: Dowel-Rod, Tokamak, ArcaniA20, Technic_Bot, Kap?an Sekty Pieczarek, Dbail & K'Vofe!

And Special thanks to K'Vofe for his stellar editing work.