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UNEXPECTED - CHAPTER 2

"JUST ACCEPT IT"

Endeval wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stood up. When he looked over, Angela still stood in the same place, watching him with a deadpan expression. Her stance was neutral, but her tail tip, swishing back and forth in agitation, gave her mood away. The big human sighed in defeat. Somehow, somewhere, he had lost control of the events of his life when it came to his relationship with the natives. In just three days, he had discovered that his good friend was in his ownership! And now, while trying to help another native, he had ended up owning someone again! Endeval bit his lip as he turned towards the female. His stinging palm helped remind him of the oath he had given. One way or another, he was going to try to help them all. For now, though, he had an upset, and therefore dangerous, alien he needed to deal with. The big human slowly began to approach the female, who suddenly stared at him warily, her tail twitching faster.

"Easy now. I just need to cut you free, ok?"

Endeval gestured with both hands flat, trying to put the female at ease. He walked slowly, keeping himself in her line of vision. When he began to move to the side and draw his long knife, Angela tensed up, her ears slapping back. The human paused and tapped his wrist with his fingers. He kept his voice soft and low.

"Relax. I just want to cut your bonds, ok? I won't hurt you, I promise..."

It was a few tense moments, the human circling around while the native woman tried to watch his every move out of the corner of her eyes. Her tail was flicking rapidly as he slowly approached, the whites of her eyes showing. She didn't turn, but she looked ready to bolt at any second. When he got within range, Endeval hurriedly slashed through the leather bonds on her wrist and stepped back, sheathing the knife as quickly as possible. The female shook the remains of the leather cords off her arms and rubbed her wrists thoughtfully. One of her ears came up in a gesture of curiosity, but she still didn't look directly at the human. Endeval kept on speaking softly, trying to convey calm through his tone.

"Ok. There we are. Now we just need to get your stuff and get out of here."

The big human glanced around the clearing. Aside from his wagon, there was nothing to be found except for the alien female. He looked over at Angela, who was wearing a simple linen jacket with a hood, sleeves ending three-quarters of the length down her arms. A thin set of linen trousers with leather ties at the waist completed her ensemble. Aside from the ugly metal collar and tag at her throat, there was not another thing on her person. Endeval suddenly remembered the pile of clothing and equipment one of the other humans had been stuffing into his bag and groaned.

"Seriously? They took your clothes too?"

The big human shook his head in frustration as he rubbed his temples. Sighing heavily again, he turned and walked over to the wagon. When he reached the side, he leaned a closed fist against the side and turned back to the female. With his uninjured hand, he waved at her to come over.

"Come on, Angela. We have to get moving while it's still light."

The female looked at him dispassionately, and then snorted when he patted the seat of the wagon bench. With a resigned shrug, she stalked across the clearing to the wagon. Endeval held out his hand to help her up, but she completely ignored his gesture and clambered up on to the bench seat. There she sat, arms folded, and glared forward while completely disregarding the human. Endeval took note of the set of her shoulders and the rapidly flicking tail before he sighed again and walked around the front of the wagon, patting the anklos as he went. When he climbed up on his own side, the female native never even glanced in his direction. She seemed bound and determined to ignore his presence altogether. When he picked up the reins, the stinging in his palm brought him back to practical matters.

"Ok. I'm just going to fix this first, all right?"

Even though she hadn't moved, a twitch of an ear gave Endeval some small hope as he continued to talk calmly even as he reached into his satchel.

"I know you won't understand, but I have some really good stuff here. I shouldn't even have it out here past the cliffs but I wanted the best in case of emergencies."

The human removed some items from a red case in his satchel. He held up a tube of cream as he continued to talk.

"This is military-grade first aid cream. It looks like normal cream, but it's actually filled with nanites that speed up the healing process. Works on anything...burns, cuts, punctures, you name it..."

Endeval squirted some of the greyish goop on to his palm. Instantly, the stinging sensation of the cut faded as the high-grade painkillers touched his skin. He then took a roll of gauze and wrapped it around his hand. As he was tearing a piece of tape from a roll with his teeth, he noticed Angela watching him with interest. As he fixed the gauze in place with the tape, the female glanced up to see him looking. Immediately, she turned her head to the front, huffing stubbornly. He smiled softly at her feigned disinterest as he dropped the cream and tape into a pocket of his jacket. He picked up the reins and, with a click of his tongue, started the team up the path again. As the wagon rocked slowly back and forth up the trail, Endeval kept up the banter. He did it mostly to fill up the silence, and mostly to put the female at some ease. For her part, Angela continued to sit silently, arms crossed, as she swayed back and forth with the wagon's movement. The human noticed that she remained as far away on the seat as she could and shook his head in mild sufferance.

The hours passed slowly as Endeval continued to talk to the empty air. He simply blurted out anything that came to his mind. He told tales of his time in the military, amusing recollections of customers in his store, and even stories of funny events with Jeremy and Antony. Anything and everything he could think of to fill up the silence. As the sun crested in the sky, a low growl from his stomach interrupted his thoughts. He glanced at the female, who had one ear turned in his direction. How long had it been since she had ate? With some guilt, he reached back, startling the native, and fished two wrapped packages out of his satchel. He unwrapped them both, cold meat and vegetables rolled in flatbread. When he held one out to the female, she eyed it warily. Endeval took a bite from his and waved the other back and forth.

"It's ok. It's food. My friend Jeremy made them. You should try it..."

Angela stared at the meat roll for a moment, and then carefully uncrossed her arms to reach for it. She took it, making sure not to touch his hand, and held it under her nose for a sniff. Widening her eyes, she took a careful bite. A look of wonder crossed her features as she chewed, and then suddenly she was stuffing it in, huge bites disappearing in mere moments. Endeval chuckled and took another bite of his own roll. When he glanced back over at her, she was licking her fingers, cheeks puffed out with her mouth full. Casually, the human reached back and retrieved another meat roll. He held it out wordlessly without even looking in her direction. Angela paused, and then gently took the offered roll. She unwrapped it carefully and took a slower bite. As she swallowed, her eyes met his and the quick ghost of a smile crossed her features. Endeval smiled back and then turned his attention back to the front. The two continued for some time, eating in silence. After Angela had polished off two more rolls, she rubbed her stomach and relaxed a little in the seat. Encouraged, Endeval started up his steady stream of talk again.

More hours passed as the sun began to slink down on the horizon. The big human continued his steady stream of talk. It was almost comforting to just talk about anything, knowing there was no understanding except for his tone. He glanced over every once in a while to find Angela finally starting to relax. She squinted into the breeze as it ruffled her fur and simply swayed back and forth in the seat. Both of her furry hands were gripping the edge of the bench for support. The human found himself halfway through yet another anecdote from his time in the military.

"...and then Corporal Kastner was all about this one woman. She had been modded, so her skin was a bright purple! We were sitting there in the café, just joking around with him. He was so obsessed, he kept looking over at the bar at her. Then, wouldn't you know, she gets up and goes to the bathroom. Only, instead of the ladies, she walks into the men's room! You should have seen the look on his face! He was so crushed! Oh well, at least he didn't try to take her home that night..."

Endeval kept up his steady chain of talk. A bit later, he found himself talking about his time on the planet.

"...and when I got back, they gave me a pen! Would you believe it? A pen! I even have it right here..."

The big human reached inside his jacket and pulled out the item. It was a simple silver pen, found in any number of stores in LandDown. He was waving it around when a flash of blue feathers exploded in his face. Stunned, he leaned back, blinking from the surprise. He turned his head and watched in complete astonishment as a winged lizard flapped away, silver pen winking in its claws. Beside him, he was even more amazed to hear an amused giggle. He turned to look and saw Angela with one hand over the end of her muzzle, eyes twinkling with mirth. Caught up in the moment, he started to chuckle along with her. The two laughed for a few moments and Endeval shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah well, it will put it to better use than I would anyway..."

The female native cocked her head to one side and gave him a long look. For the first time, it didn't hold any malice or reservation. As her ears flicked forward, Endeval smiled at her softly.

"What do you know. Maybe I'm not so bad after all, huh?"

A small return smile crept across her features, and then she turned her head to look forward again. The human smiled to himself, delighted that the air of animosity had dissipated somewhat. Things were finally starting to look better for the near future. As the wagon lurched up the trail, he once again started up with the continuing stories. As the sun started to settle on the horizon, Endeval pulled the wagon into a small clearing off the trail. A ring of stones and ashes proclaimed the clearing's use as a camp site by others, so it seemed like a good choice. The big human unhitched the team and tied them out to a nearby tree. When he turned around, he found the female standing in the middle of the clearing, her eyes searching the surrounding woods. Her ears were perked up in intent concentration as she listened. Endeval recognized the look on her face as he reached for the camp supplies in the back of the wagon.

"They're too far away by now, Angela. I'm sorry..."

At his words, the female turned her head to look at him. On her face was a mixture of sadness and disappointment. The big human stopped and pointed north. Maybe she couldn't speak his language, but hopefully she would recognize his tone.

"The other humans took them that way. When I get a chance, I'll see about getting them back, ok?"

Angela turned in the direction he had pointed. For one brief moment, she leaned that way, teetering on the point of being ready to run. Then, she shook her head thoughtfully before turning back to Endeval. The look on her face was clearly exasperation. The big human suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He tried again.

"Look. I realize you wanted to stay with your brother, but I promised him I would take care of you until we can go get him. I'll follow through on my word, believe me..."

Her flickering ears told him all he needed to know. Instead of adding to her frustration, he decided to set up the tent. Angela paced and watched the northern horizon until Endeval had everything laid out for the tent. When she glanced over, his progress must have caught her interest because she actually approached to get a better look. The human smiled to himself when he saw her furry, bare feet, complete with a set of blunt black claws on each, glide closer. He used the tent as a distraction, exaggerating his movements so she could see exactly what he was doing as he put the poles together and set the lines. Within a few minutes, he had the tent erected and started laying out a blanket inside. Angela crept a little closer and glanced inside the tent. When she spotted the blanket, her ears folded back and her eyes widened in surprise. The inside of the tent was barely big enough for one body and, judging from the glances she was giving Endeval, she realized it. The big human spotted her gaze and smiled reassuringly. He moved to one side and held open the tent flap.

"Room's finished. Come on in..."

The furry female approached the tent warily. She continued to glance at him and the inside of the tent, obviously unsure about what he had planned. Her ears folded back and her tail tucked tight in the crevice of her buttocks. Endeval continued to murmur calmly as she finally poked her head into the tent.

"Come on now. Nothing in there is going to bite you..."

The female looked back at him, still hesitant. Finally, she crept inside and positioned herself on the blanket. She looked at the scant inches between her body and the walls of the tent, and then looked up at the human fearfully. Endeval smiled in at her, still holding the flap open.

"Ah. You're worried how I'm going to fit in there with you, huh? Well...don't. Good night and I'll see you in the morning..."

With that, the human dropped the flap into place and rose to walk across the clearing. He crawled up into the back of the wagon and stooped to retrieve the other blanket. As he shook the fabric out, he spotted the tent flap move in the corner of his eye. A discreet glance revealed two green eyes, shining softly in the fading light, peeking out from inside the tent. He grinned to himself again as he laid out the blanket and started to crawl underneath. Reaching back, he patted at his satchel, looking for a soft spot to prop his head. As he turned to lie down, he smiled and waved over to the tent. The green eyes flashed wide for a split second, and then the flap dropped closed. The human grinned again, and then wiggled into the best comfortable position he could manage. With a sigh, he closed his eyes. He smiled to himself: One night down, who knows how many more to go. A chill wind ruffled the blanket as he drifted off into a light slumber.

Endeval woke stiff and sore the next morning. The hard wood of the wagon was no comfort, and the wind had blown all night, forcing him to continuously fight for his blanket. He sat up, stretching his arms above his head in a yawn. Something in his back gave a twinge, eliciting a gasp. He scratched blearily at his day's stubble as he looked over into the clearing. The tent was still there, with no sign of movement. Moving slowly, he crawled down off the back of the wagon. Within a few minutes, he had a small fire going in the ring to banish the morning chill. For a moment, he started to wonder if Angela was still inside, and then he heard a soft grunt and the rustle of movement. Satisfied, he returned to the wagon to dig in his satchel. Producing a cured lump of meat, some local cheese, and a folding camp fork, he returned to the fire to cook breakfast. Soon, the odor of roasting meat wafted on the cool breeze. There was another soft grunt from the tent, and the flap opened. Angela poked her head out, blinking sleepily. Endeval chuckled and pointed at the food.

"Morning! Want some breakfast?"

Without waiting for an answer, he tore a chunk from the cooking meat and held it in her direction. The female blinked at him, and then extricated herself from the tent to come over to the fire. She accepted the chunk as she sat down a few feet away. Endeval looked her over as she bit in, having the first real opportunity since they had met. She was tall, topping out at a little more than shoulder height to the human. Her ruff was extremely thick, longer than any he had seen on any native so far. It cascaded down around her head and shoulders in a light brown sheaf that flicked in the wind. Her fur was dark, almost the color of chocolate, except for a light brown patch that started on her forehead and continued down over her eye and across her cheek. The lighter fur looked very distinctive, as though someone had smeared paint across her face. Her body was thick and stocky, like the troops of his old unit used to call "sturdy". As she took another bite, he noticed her fingers were delicate, but not as thin as Jeremy's. The blunt claw tips on the ends were well-maintained, but they and her fur were in obvious need of cleaning. Her long, thick tail, chocolate fur to the tip, was currently coiled behind her in stillness. Angela paused as she caught him staring. Endeval cleared his throat in embarrassment and looked back at the fire.

"So...um, sleep well?"

The female gave him a puzzled look and the human just shook his head.

"Sorry. Never mind. We should get out of here soon."

The two finished the rest of the food in silence, and then Endeval moved to take down the tent. Angela watched him through the whole procedure, a look of intense interest evident in her perked ears and stare. He finished breaking down, and then turned to check the anklos. As he examined them for injuries, the female rose and kicked some dirt over the fire. Endeval hitched up the team and moved to replace the folding camp fork in his satchel. When he turned, Angela was standing a few feet away, watching him. With a smile, he held out his hand again. To his surprise, the female stepped forward and placed her own furry hand in his, accepting his offer of help to climb into the wagon seat. With her situated, he walked around the back of the wagon, his mind pondering the warm feeling she left across his palm. Climbing into the seat, he shrugged off his wandering thoughts and picked up the reins.

"Ok then! Time to get moving..."

The wagon started up the trail once more, swaying slowly over the various bumps and irregularities in the hard-packed dirt. Endeval was silent for a time, the seat of the wagon feeling harder than he remembered. Last night's sleep had been restless, and he realized it had been some time since he had been out in the field. He glanced over at Angela, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Sighing, he started talking again to break the silence. The female jumped a little at the sound of his voice, but then appeared to settle down for the ride. She continued to stare in the direction of their travel, but one ear seemed to be tuned in his direction.

Hours passed. The wagon climbed steadily over low hills as the cool breeze fluttered at the human's jacket. The surrounding forest began to thin, with less and less trees and more low bushes. The air grew colder and Endeval found himself shivering in his jacket. He looked over at Angela and was surprised to see her huddled forward, arms wrapped around her shoulders. With a pang of guilt, he thought furiously. When he turned and offered her the reins, the female alien glanced up at him in surprise. She looked down at the presented thin leather straps and back up at him in confusion. Endeval wiggled the reins and smiled.

"Here. Hold these for a moment, please?"

Slowly, Angela reached out and took them. The human smiled reassuringly and then turned to dig in the wagon bed. In just a second, he pulled one of the blankets from its sack and unfolded it. He then turned and smartly draped the fabric across her shoulders. The female native twitched in mild shock, and then held very still as he pulled the blanket closed in her front. With another smile, he gently took back the reins and turned forward again.

"That should do better for you than that jacket. We'll see about getting you some clothes when we get to Branton."

Angela fingered the blanket thoughtfully, staring down at the fabric. She held the pose for a long moment, and then openly turned to stare at the human. Out of the corner of his eye, Endeval watched her ears flicker back and forth as she regarded him thoughtfully. He did his best to continue to appear relaxed and nonchalant as she gazed at him. She was still looking, causing him to fight to not squirm, when a pack of creatures broke from the side of the trail and dashed away. Endeval watched them go and smiled to himself.

"Heh. G'llree. Pretty fast little critters..."

From his right, a husky voice sounded.

"G'llree?"

The human looked over at her in amazement.

"Yeah, G'llree. I heard they are pretty good with C'klraa root."

Endeval knew he was mangling the pronunciation, but it must have been good enough because Angela suddenly started talking.

*B'nuoe! G'llree r'ae s'wmaeo t'whi...*

The human listened intently for a few minutes. He caught the words "G'llree" and "C'klraa" but not much else in the easy flurry of speech. The furry female's voice was thick and husky, with a soft lilt that sounded perfectly feminine. He was still smiling when she trailed off. He shook his head.

"I hardly understood two words of that, but it sounded beautiful."

Angela blinked at him, and then turned to stare forward for few minutes, her face deep in thought. She turned back and pointed to her chest.

"N'jllaa."

Endeval smiled. In all of the confusion during her "rescue", he had never even given out his name. He pointed to his own chest and tried very hard to copy the name that Jeremy used for him.

"N'dvaal."

The female's ears perked as her eyebrows rose.

"N'dvaal?"

The human chuckled at her.

"It's really Endeval, but that's the closest I can get in Alemucian."

Angela thought for a moment, and then spoke again. Her tone was softer and questioning.

*N'dvaal, h'wye b'yue N'jllaa?*

Endeval was a little taken aback. The female had leaned towards him, emerald-green eyes boring into his. She was totally still, obviously waiting for an answer. Unfortunately, he only recognized two of the words she used, and they were names. He kept his voice soft and even.

"I'm not sure what you just said, but I'm betting it has something to do with me supposedly owning you, huh?"

As if confirming his thoughts, Angela reached up and shook her freshly minted tag at him from its place on her collar.

*b'yue N'jllaa?*

Endeval leaned back, the hand not holding the reins high and palm forward.

"I'm sorry, Angela. I don't know what you are saying..."

The female flicked her ears at him in frustration. With the hand holding her tag, she rubbed its stamped surface with a finger. The human watched her do it, and became frustrated with his inability to communicate. Before he fully thought out what he was doing, he reached out and gripped the part of the tag that was still showing around her fingers. Angela froze at the movement, her gaze wary. Endeval glared directly at the registration as he spoke quietly, but fiercely.

"This is a joke. They use this to enslave a race. If I could, I would tear this off and throw it as far as I could. The only problem is that the moment I do that, I would condemn you to an even worse fate."

He looked up at her sadly, his tone changing to something far softer than before.

"I'm sorry for what happened, but I will take care of you as best as I can, ok?"

The female Alemucian stared at him, her ears cocked forward. Her eyes were unreadable as they connected with the human's. When she shifted the blanket tighter, she bumped Endeval's arm where he still held her tag. The big human realized what he was doing with a start and pulled his hand back. He turned forward again and cleared his throat softly. Several long moments passed in silence as the wagon continued to creak up the trail. Angela glanced over at the human frequently, as if she were trying to puzzle out the tone of his last two statements. Ahead, the path began to rise up an incline where it crested a small hill beside a copse of trees. When the wagon reached the small peak, Endeval looked ahead and groaned. The entire horizon was covered with dark clouds. Even as he watched, a flicker of lightning jumped to the ground in the distance. By his best estimate, the storm would be over top of them in less than a few hours. The human groaned again and shook his head.

"Just great. This is not going to be fun."

Endeval started watching the sides of the trail for a place to make camp. To his right, Angela stared at the approaching tumult, her tail flicking again. The human spotted a good, sheltered clearing surrounded by trees and pulled the wagon in off the road. He leapt from the bench seat and started forward to unhitch the team. He dug out some padded leather blankets from the small saddlebags on each anklo and led them to a nearby tree. He was fastening the blankets over the backs of each when he spotted the female native carrying the tent bag to the far side of the clearing. After making sure the anklos were secure against the rain, Endeval quietly approached the spot where Angela had started to lay out the tent. Without a word, he knelt and started to help set up the shelter. Within moments, the sturdy little tent was erect and the human was spreading the blanket out inside. He backed out and held the flap to the side with a flourish of his hand.

"Your castle awaits, my lady."

The furry female glanced at the storm clouds approaching, and then crawled quickly into the shelter. Endeval smiled through the opening as she shuffled into place on the blanket. She looked up at him, ears flicking in question, as she eyed the space between her and the tent wall. The human grinned and gave her a little wave.

"Try to stay dry, eh?"

Endeval dropped the flap into place and hurried over to the wagon. He checked the bags in the back, and then snagged his satchel and a blanket. He dropped down and shuffled underneath the wagon bed. As he stretched out, he glanced over at the tent. The flap was open, two bright-green eyes watching as he smiled and lay down on his satchel. Granted, it was a little early in the day to go to sleep, but the approaching storm was more than enough to force the premature bedtime. As he settled in, he noticed that the flap was still open. Smiling in reassurance, he tucked the blanket in tightly around his body as the wind began to gust and swirl.

The storm came quicker than he estimated. It seemed like he had just settled in when the first fat drops began to strike the wood of the wagon bed above his head. Within minutes, the rains increased to a torrential downpour. Wild and random bursts of air flicked the water in a fine spray that reached Endeval even under the vehicle, making it immediately uncomfortable. The big human groaned as he cringed in a ball to the onslaught. Flashes of lightning and thunder pounded the sky above, sounding as though they were right overhead. With the spray, and the thunder, Endeval knew he was in for a long, miserable night. He glanced over and found, to his amazement, that the flap was still open. Through the pouring rain, he could still see two green eyes, watching him despite the deluge. It was a long, long time till the flap closed.

Endeval awoke with a groan the next morning. It wasn't much of an awakening, as he really didn't sleep all that well. The storm had raged on to well into the night, soaking him through despite the covering of the wagon. The big human wiggled out from under the wooden vehicle, the soaked blanket dragging through the thin mud. Tiredly, he hung the blanket from the side of the wagon to dry in the bitterly cold wind. With the passing of the storm, the air had grown even colder by at least another twenty degrees. Endeval shivered in his damp clothing and moved to check on the team. As his gaze traveled over the anklos, he noticed the tent move and the flap open. Angela blinked as she poked her head out. The big human watched her immediately look to the space under the wagon. When she didn't see him there, he was mildly surprised to see her eyes widen in panic and her ears flick forward in alarm. She turned her head quickly, searching the clearing until she spotted him near the animals. Endeval gave her a smile and a small wave. Both of her ears flickered for a moment, and then she ducked back into the tent. After a moment, the furry female shuffled out of the tent and stood up. Her posture was more relaxed, and, surprisingly, she returned the human's wave. Endeval grinned and started to lead the anklos back to the wagon. He suppressed a shiver as he walked by her.

"Good morning, Angela! We need to make up some time, so I think we should eat on the trail."

The female must have picked up his tone well enough, because she turned and started to break down the tent. Endeval finished hooking up the first of the team and tiredly walked back to get the second. A quick glance showed Angela had already disassembled the tent and was packing the components into the carry bag. The human found himself impressed at how well she had picked up the procedure for the tent. As he finished hitching the second anklo, Angela tossed the carry bag into the wagon and climbed into the bench seat. Endeval dragged himself up on the other side and picked up the reins. He had to wait until after an enormous yawn before he clicked his tongue and started the team down the trail. When he glanced over at the female, she was huddled under the dry blanket and watching forward. Endeval handed her the reins and turned to root in the bags. After a long few minutes, he turned back, holding his extra jacket. Angela watched as he held it out, and then blinked in surprise. She waved one hand not holding the reins.

\ **B'grteee m'taaklii.**

To his surprise, he actually recognized the phrase.

"Later? Um, ok..."

The female watched him shiver in his damp clothing and frowned. She reached out a hand and brushed her fingers over the jacket he was wearing. She rubbed her thumb and forefinger together before huffing and pushing the spare towards him. Endeval blinked in surprise.

"Ok, ok. I guess I will put this one on then..."

The human switched out jackets under that emerald gaze, the furry female eyeing him up and down when she saw his damp shirt sticking to his chest. When he was done, Angela took his wet jacket from his surprised grip and carefully hung it on the corner of the wagon bed. When she turned back, the human had two of the meat rolls held up and unwrapped.

"Want some breakfast?"

The female native accepted the offered food and bit in thoughtfully. Soon, she was just staring ahead at nothing while she slowly ate the roll. Endeval sat silently and ate his own breakfast as he fought to keep his eyes open. The passing storm had left the air even more bitterly cold than ever. As the trail wound further north, splotches of snow began to appear between the trees. The human and the native each had a few more meat rolls as the wagon continued to sway along the trail. Endeval began to welcome the biting cold of his damp pants as it helped him fight off his weariness. He yawned and shivered, catching the attention of the furry female. Angela glanced over at him as he shivered yet again. Suddenly, Endeval froze in place as the female scooted closer and threw one side of the blanket around him. With the addition of the blanket, the human could finally feel some warmth seeping into his body. Now all he had to do was ignore the curvy alien pressed against his side. Smiling, he tilted his head at her.

"Thank you, Angela."

The female smiled back and pulled the blanket tighter across the front. It was just large enough for the both of them sitting very close together. At each bounce of the wagon, Endeval bit his lip as Angela rubbed against his side. Two nights ago, he thought she might bolt the moment he turned his back. Now, she was sitting at his side, cozy in a blanket. The difference was phenomenal, and served to help banish his tiredness as he kept forcing himself not to react to her presence. Endeval's mind raced with fantastical thoughts that he banished as soon as they formed.

More hours passed, and the sun traveled across the sky. The human had started talking again, mostly to break the silence of the trail. The air stayed cold, but was far more tolerable under the blanket. The patches of snow got bigger, and soon the entire landscape was blanketed in the soft white substance. Endeval found the furry female paying more attention as he rambled, as though she no longer minded looking in his direction. It was a comforting sensation. Just as the sun touched the far horizon, the wagon team rounded a bend in the trail and the human got his first look at Branton.

The entire settlement appeared to be surrounded by a palisade wall, thick tree trunks lined up in the ground. Each towering trunk was pointed at the top, creating a line of sharp shadows stretching off to both sides. The trail led to an opening in the wall where a log gate sat tilted open on huge iron cantilevers. As the wagon approached the gate, a human in black uniform stepped into the open area of the gate, pointed at Endeval, and then signaled him to stop off to one side. As he pulled up, the former soldier noticed a sturdy log shack just inside the one side of the gate. It was brightly lit with lamps shining through the clear pane windows. A smoking chimney indicated the presence of a heat source. Inside, the figures of more black-suited humans could be seen moving around. The human standing outside, a big fellow with a black mustache and goatee, approached the wagon.

"Ho there! Welcome ta Branton! Name and business."

Endeval nodded towards the neat lines of buildings on the other side of the gate.

"I'm Endeval Barbados. I've come to pick up my property at the magistrates office."

The other human scratched at his knit cap, covered in metal plates, as his eyes wandered over the two figures on the bench seat. At the mention of the name, he looked at the other human in recognition.

"Councilman Barbados? We been expecting ya. Got yer paperwork right in here. Come inside tha guard shack and I'll fix ya right up."

As Endeval wiggled out from inside the blanket and jumped down, the guard frowned, but didn't say anything. His frown grew bolder when the former soldier turned to help Angela down from the wagon. He gave the female native, still wrapped in the blanket, a strange glance before turning towards the log shack. Endeval trailed along behind after making sure Angela was following. Inside the door of the building was a clear space defined by a desk that nearly reached to both walls. Behind the desk were various tables and cabinets covered in paperwork and lanterns. A wall split the building in two, creating another room into which Endeval could not see. The big guard pointed at the clear space and moved around the desk.

"Wait right here while I get yer stuff."

As the guard entered the far room, the big human stood where indicated, enjoying the pervading warmth of the cabin. The two other humans, both on the other side of the desk, were looking over him curiously. Suddenly, both of their gazes were drawn to directly behind him. Endeval turned at their look to find Angela waving the blanket that still lay across her shoulders. She was not paying attention and looking around the room as she stepped in place to warm up her feet. The former soldier turned back to the two with a frown.

"What seems to be the problem?"

One of the black-coated humans, a lithe, red-bearded man, leered from his chair behind the desk.

"Ain't ever seen a female Mook before. You hittin that?"

Endeval gaped at him in shock. The other guard, a clean-shaven, obese man, chuckled.

"Yeah. Rumor says the women are pretty good in the sack."

The red-haired man nodded while he grinned.

"Yeah, yeah. I got a buddy who knows a guy who was in the next room when two Mooks was gettin busy. Says they purr when they get really excited!"

Both guards started to laugh while openly staring at the female alien. Endeval ground his teeth and turned around. He stepped forward and gently pulled the blanket closed around Angela. The female native looked up at him in surprise, at which time the human jerked his head in the direction of the guards. The furry female leaned to one side to look around his shoulder and then glanced back up at him. Endeval blew a quiet breath of exasperation and rolled his eyes. Picking up his cue, Angela pulled the blanket tighter and stood still. She was staring at the humans levelly when the former soldier turned back around. The thin guard behind the desk frowned.

"Aww. You're no fun."

Before Endeval could reply, the original guard came through the back doorway and approached the desk.

"Move yer ass, Jenkins. I need the seat."

The red-haired guard leapt to his feet, his face a mask of sheepishness. The dark haired guard sat down and laid a leather-backed folder on the desk. He paused and looked over at the other two guards.

"Don't tha two of ya have some reports ta do?"

Jenkins and the heavyset guard mumbled something like "yessir" and ducked into the back room. The goateed man opened the leather folder, extracted a familiar paper, and pointed.

"Here's yer sponsorship paperwork. Sergeant Kellerman dropped it off this morning. Everything seems ta be in order except fer tha mark. Now, tha smithy is closed this time'a night, but he'll open first thing tomorrow morning. Get yer Mook stamped first thing and he'll file tha papers with tha magistrate."

Endeval felt his stomach clench.

"Tomorrow morning? I just need to pick up a box at the magistrate's office and I will be on my way."

The guard looked up at him dispassionately.

"Magistrate is up at tha mine doin an inspection. Tha office is closed till tomorrow afternoon. Best ta get yer markin done right away, else a random peeker will pull yer sponsorship."

Random peeker? The big human looked at him in confusion.

"What happens if my sponsorship gets pulled?"

The guard frowned at him as though he should already know the answer.

"Then yer Mook reverts back ta mine ownership immediately."

Endeval swallowed hard. This situation just got worse. From the sounds of things, there was no way he was going to be able to avoid the brand. With a resigned sigh, he nodded. The guard stopped frowning and laid the paper on the desk. His attitude was all business.

"Well then. The only thing I can see is ya haven't registered a name fer yer Mook. Ya give it one yet?"

The former soldier took note of how the guard referred to Angela as "it". He bit back a growl.

"Her name is Angela."

Without missing a beat, the guard filled in a box on the paper, slid it back into the folder, and then handed the whole thing to Endeval, his face emotionless. The bigger human took the folder and stood waiting. The guard raised an eyebrow.

"That's everything. Ya need something else?"

Endeval fought to keep his voice calm.

"Is there somewhere I can buy some supplies? I need clothes, camping supplies..."

As he trailed off, the guard snorted and hooked a thumb towards the wall.

"There's a general store in tha main square. It's still open and it sells everything ya would need. Just ask fer Miss Robinson."

The guard spit the name out venomously, prompting Endeval to widen his eyes in surprise. Obviously there was something there that didn't sit well with the man. Regardless, he nodded at the dark-haired human.

"Thank you."

The guard waved a hand dismissively, already turning to a stack of papers on the desk. Endeval took the opportunity to turn and guide Angela to the door with a hand in the small of her back. As they stepped outside, the cold air bit again. The big human sighed and looked at his other jacket hanging on the corner of the wagon. His spare had no hood, so he really missed his other. The furry native looked up at him questioningly, so he smiled at her tiredly.

"Let's go get you some warmer clothes, ok?"

Angela just looked at him curiously, but went along when he helped her back into the seat. Endeval clicked his tongue and started the team down the street. The buildings were all comprised of local wood and arranged in neat rows along the slush covered road. All of them appeared to be residences, decorated with candles, curtains, outdoor furniture, and other items in pleasant, home-style ways. Some of the buildings were lit from within, and a few humans stood on small front porches, watching the wagon as it passed by. There were not a lot of people evident, but the number of homes came as a bit of surprise to Endeval. As he approached the end of the street, he glanced around as it opened into the main square. There was a large inn on one side, what had to be the magistrate building, and another large building that was brightly lit from within. The sign over the lit building read "General Store", so the former soldier angled the wagon in that direction. Beside him, Angela appeared to retreat into the blanket, her ears flicking around as she scanned the open area. A few humans walked the wooden sidewalks while their Alemucians trailed along behind. One light-colored native glanced up at the bench seat and stopped in surprise when he spotted the female. Angela shook her head at him and glared. The native glanced at Endeval curiously, and then dropped his eyes to continue up the walkway behind a fancy-dressed human male. The former soldier spotted the silent exchange and turned to look at Angela. The furry female stared back at him, her face filled with some trepidation. Endeval smiled softly at her.

"Someone you know, huh?"

At his gentle tone, the female native relaxed and smiled back softly. Endeval just grinned and concentrated on pulling up in front of the store. With the wagon parked in place with a hand brake, the big human stood and turned around to face the seat. He put a finger to his lips at the curious glance of the female and reached for a key on a chain around his neck. He slid the key into a hidden keyhole under the front lip of the bench seat and turned. A section of the seat popped up slightly with a small click, prompting the female native to widen her eyes. Endeval lifted the seat section and revealed stacks of credits in varying denominations. He transferred several handfuls to the small satchel on his belt and then closed the section with a click. As he hung the key back around his neck, he smiled at Angela.

"Just between us, ok?"

The female looked at him, startled, for a brief moment, and then nodded slowly in understanding. Endeval was suddenly happy that the interactions between humans and natives for the last twenty years had impressed a few human customs on the furry aliens. The finger to his lips may not have originated on this planet, but it was common enough now that it was understood by both peoples as a sign of secrecy. The big human jumped down from the seat and turned to help the female down. Angela allowed him to lift her down from the wagon, her green eyes watching him with some amusement as he awkwardly placed his hands on her hips. Endeval coughed in embarrassment and then waved a hand at the front of the store.

"So...shall we go in?"

The furry female grinned slightly and opened the door to the shop. Endeval followed her in as a small bell tinkled to announce their presence. The interior of the store was well lit by an oil lantern chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Several other oil lamp sconces were arranged around the room to provide additional light. Goods of all types were arranged on long tables and shelves in neat rows throughout the room. Several pipe racks to one side held all manner of clothing, hung in orderly rows on metal-wire hangers. As the human and native stood, gawking, a large, smiling, plump woman stepped through a door in the back of the store. She was smoothing her blue velvet dress down over her impressively large bust when she spotted the two at the front. Instantly, her smile disappeared when she spotted Angela standing with the blanket around her shoulders. As she approached, she turned to Endeval with a chilly voice.

"Need something?"

The big human was a little taken aback by the abrupt change in personality. He turned and pointed at the female native.

"My friend here needs some warm clothes, among other things..."

The large woman folded her arms below her large breasts and raised an eyebrow. If anything, her voice got colder.

"Friend? Don't you mean slave?"

Endeval rubbed his forehead in irritation. Weariness and the cold weather had been eating away at his patience all day. Everywhere he had gone here in the northern country, he repeatedly had to deal with this situation with the natives. Now, the woman before him was the last straw. He exploded.

"Look lady, I don't give a damn what everyone else calls her, but I like to think of her as a friend. The only damn reason she ended up stuck with me is because I'M the one trying to keep her out of the mines! Hell, I JUST came North for the first time in the two years I've been dirtside, and here I come to find out my best friend on the planet...is MY damned slave! Without me even knowing! Then, while I'm still trying to deal with that, I run across a bunch of assholes rounding up natives, including her, to put them into chains! What the hell!? So, what would you have me do? I can't save them all yet, but I swore I would save this one and I DAMN sure intend to keep that promise!"

Endeval took a deep breath. What he really wanted to do was keep on ranting, but the look on the woman's face stopped him dead. The plump woman stared at back and forth at both him and Angela for a long moment, her mouth open in shock. When she found her voice again, she spoke quietly, the cold tone gone.

"Is...is that true?"

The big human raised an eyebrow.

"What? All of it? Yes..."

The heavyset woman cocked her head.

"Ok...it sounds like there is more going on here than I thought. Please...tell me what happened."

Endeval glanced at Angela, who was watching the two humans talk. All of the frustration and helplessness that he had been feeling since he started North days ago lay heavy on his mind. He took a deep cleansing breath, and then started in on his story. He told the woman everything: his name, about his shop in Landdown, his revelation with Jeremy, buying Angela, the trip up to Branton...everything. When he was done, the woman glanced back and forth between the two again. Her face became a mask of sympathy.

"Oh, hun. What a week you're having!"

The big human sighed and nodded. It was actually a relief to get it off his chest.

"I just want to take care of her like I promised. I think we're on pretty good terms right now, as far as I can tell. But my biggest worry now is how the hell am I going to stay that way when they make me brand her tomorrow? This militia is so intent on this; they aren't leaving me much of a choice! I tell you, I never thought I would be part of something so cruel and barbaric..."

The plump woman stepped forward with a swish of her dress. The bun on top of her head cocked to one side as she looked up at him in concern.

"It is cruel. I can see how you feel by the way you talk and by the look on your face. I wish there was another way, but tomorrow you'll just have to do the best you can. I hate what they do to them, but right now you are the only one this pretty little thing can count on. Somehow, some way, you will find a way to make this right. I see now that your heart is in the right place, and I can only hope you do find a way to put a stop to all of this..."

Endeval gave her a thin smile. Somehow, her words provided some relief.

"Thank you, Miss...?"

"Robinson. I own this store."

The big human gave her a surprised look. Now he understood why the guard was so nasty earlier. Apparently her views of the natives weren't popular around here. Endeval nodded gratefully.

"Thank you Miss Robinson. I hope SOME good comes from this. I can only do my best."

The plump woman nodded.

"That's all that can be asked of you. Now, I understand that this poor young girl needs some things?"

Endeval glanced at Angela, who was twitching her ears as each human spoke.

"Yes please. She needs warmer clothes...and other stuff. They took all of her belongings away before I got her..."

The heavyset woman tilted her head.

"Other stuff?"

The big human shook his head in embarrassment.

"Toiletries? Sleepwear? Whatever a woman needs..."

Robinson nodded her head knowingly and then turned to the female native.

"Ah. I see. Come along, dear. L'xraee. Let's get you set up..."

Endeval was surprised again.

"You speak Alemucian?"

The plump woman had started to lead Angela back into the store. She grinned over her shoulder at him.

"Not really. I just picked up a few words working with the natives, so I'm telling her to relax. Why don't you just sit up here and wait while we do our shopping..."

The big human sank wearily into a nearby chair as he watched the heavy woman guide the female native around the store, chatting amiably. Angela seemed to be at ease with her, smiling and nodding often. Every once in a while the two would look back knowingly over their shoulders towards Endeval, as though they were sharing secrets. After a few minutes, Lady Robinson left the female to paw through some coats on a rack and returned to approach the former soldier.

"Just out of curiosity, how many credits are you planning to spend?"

Endeval looked up at her blearily from his seated position.

"Credits aren't a problem. Give her the warmest coat and trousers, plus whatever else she wants or needs."

The plump woman raised an eyebrow.

"You certainly are generous."

The big man smiled wearily.

"I was forced to buy the poor woman to save her. The least I can do is spoil her a little."

Robinson eyed him for a moment, and then nodded.

"You appear to be a good man. I hope this isn't something caused from some misplaced guilt."

Endeval looked over at where the native was staring at a jacket. His voice grew soft.

"I can't save her from everything and that's killing me. I really hope we can at least remain friends. I kind of like her..."

The heavy woman stared at him for a long moment, and then smiled knowingly before turning and walking away. The former soldier was just too tired to try and puzzle out her reaction, so he sat and watched quietly as the two females shopped. As items were selected, the human female would stack them on an open table in the center of the store. Before long, the pile of goods started to get pretty big. Endeval started to wonder if the whole store was going on the table when Miss Robinson returned to the front of the establishment with Angela in tow. The female native was now outfitted in a luxurious leather peek jacket, lined with thick, soft fur. Matching trousers hugged her hips and thighs while soft moccasin boots adorned her feet. The human male noticed that the jacket had a deep, comfy looking hood, also lined with fur. He smiled when he saw her.

"Wow, Angela. That sure looks nice!"

Miss Robinson whispered something in her ear and then made a twirl motion with the tip of a finger. The busty alien grinned and spun in place, allowing Endeval to see how the trousers were made with an opening for her tail. The big man whistled softly in appreciation and looked at the plump human woman.

"That is awesome! Thank you for this."

The woman smiled back.

"She picked it out. It's one of the warmest jackets I have for the natives. We picked out a bunch of other things to take along as well. Do you need a bag for all this?"

Endeval nodded.

"Yes please. If you have a large duffel or satchel, that would be great."

Miss Robinson produced a big satchel bag and started to fill it with items from the table. Endeval noted stacks of clothing, along with a brush, bottles, and various other small items. He pointed at one of the bottles as the woman packed it away.

"And that is...?"

The plump human chuckled.

"Shampoo for her fur! It's a blend I mix myself here in the store."

The big human smiled and shook his head ruefully at all the things of which he would never have thought. He was certainly glad he stopped at this store! Beside him, Angela kept smoothing down her new jacket and beaming. Remembering her and Miss Robinson's behaviors while they were shopping, he looked at the stout woman.

"She really gets along with you. Are you sure you don't speak the language?"

The woman chuckled and winked at Endeval as she put the last of the goods in the bag.

"Oh hun. Sometimes all you need to be is a fellow woman to communicate."

As the big human pondered that statement, Miss Robinson made a few more notations on a pad of paper and held up a finger.

"Ok, that will be about five hundred credits for everything."

Endeval opened his satchel and started counting as he asked her a question.

"Is the inn across the street open? Apparently I'm going to need a room for the night."

The heavyset woman paused and pursed her lips in distaste, then sighed and nodded.

"Yes, they are open. Not the most pleasant place to stay if you are a native, but beggars can't be choosers I suppose."

The former soldier finished counting out the required credits and handed them over. As he slung the big bag over his shoulder, he smiled at the plump human.

"I promise I'll do my best to take care of her, and thank you for all of your help."

The large woman placed a plump hand on his chest.

"I have a feeling about you. I think things will turn out just fine."

She then cupped the side of Angela's face and smiled.

"k'taee r'ceea, Angela."

The female native smiled at her words and nodded. Endeval thanked her again and turned to exit the store. As the furry female passed through the door he was holding, the big human glanced up to find Miss Robinson, hands folded together at her waist. She watched them leave, a knowing smile on her face, and it stayed there even as the door swung shut. Endeval tossed the big bag into the back of the wagon and turned to help Angela into the seat. The female native accepted his offer, placing her hand daintily into his and climbing up to the bench. The big human caught himself staring at her tightly-clad backside as she ascended and had to shake his head to clear his thoughts. He chided himself as he made his way to the other side. What the hell is wrong with me? I just met this girl! And after tomorrow, she's probably going to hate me anyway...

He twitched the reins to get the wagon moving and started across the square towards the inn. From inside the windows, a dim and smoky light spilled weakly on to the street. Attached to one side of the building, an addition was built with a sloping roof and large gate. Judging from the smell of hay and dung, the addition was being used as a stable. Endeval pulled up to the large gate just as a small male native stepped from a man-door on the side of the building. The short, thin native looked up to speak when his eyes fell on Angela. He gaped at her, ears flicking in total astonishment, before the furry female next to Endeval barked three words at him.

*N'dtoaa l'tleia m'hai!*

The small alien's mouth snapped shut at her words, bobbing his head repeatedly before addressing the big human.

"Park wagon, boss? Use inn?"

Endeval was staring thoughtfully at Angela, puzzling over the odd exchange a minute ago. He heard the thin native's words and shook himself out of his reverie to answer.

"Yes. Please. Somewhere near the back if you can."

The short native hooked the fingers of one hand in the lead harness and waited patiently as the former soldier climbed down from the bench seat. His eyes widened again when Endeval turned to help Angela down from the seat. The big human put his hands around her waist, and she seemed to drift down, furry hands on his shoulders. Just before reaching the ground, her arms slid around his neck, prompting Endeval to stiffen lightly in surprise. Angela paused for a moment, her eyes twinkling with amusement, before patting his shoulder and turning towards the front of the inn. As she sauntered away, the big human paused to watch her go, new and exciting emotions stirring in his chest. Beside him, the small native stared directly at him in amazement. Endeval noticed the look and cleared his throat in mild embarrassment. He turned and dragged two bags out of the wagon while ignoring the amazed gawp. After slinging the bags over his shoulders, the big human stepped up to the short native, who suddenly crouched slightly and laid his ears back. Endeval smiled and dug a chip from his satchel without looking.

"Please wipe the team down and give them some warm mash? They have had a rough couple of days..."

The little alien's eyes spread open in wonderment at the hundred credit chip the human was offering. His ears perked forward as he stared at the credits.

"This...for me?"

The big human chuckled and forced the chip into the little native's palm.

"You bet. I need someone to take care of them. You willing?"

The little furry male practically vibrated in place, ears twitching along with his tail as he clutched the credit note close to his chest.

"Yes Boss! I take good care!"

Endeval smiled again and patted his shoulder. The native turned with a grin and hummed cheerily as he led the team into the stables. The big human turned and started for the front of the inn only to find Angela waiting, a sly grin on her face. Endeval smiled as he approached.

"You saw that, huh?"

The furry female looked up at him, still grinning. Her eyes sparkled as her ears pointed forward in a relaxed posture. If Endeval didn't know better, he would have said she was fawning over him. He shook his head, still smiling, and nodded at the front door of the inn.

"Shall we go in?"

Endeval walked in through the door, Angela right on his heels. The door opened into a large, wood-floored room with small tables scattered randomly in groups. Along the wall were small booths, built back to back to save some room. All of the furniture was wooden and worn, but was still pretty clean. Near the back of the room, furthest from the door, was a u-shaped counter that ran half the length of the open space. Several patrons, all human, were seated at various tables around the room. Angela tucked up close to Endeval's side as he stepped forward to cross the room. He hadn't gone three paces when a thin, stern-faced woman came out from behind the counter and met him halfway across the floor.

"Welcome to the Branton Inn. May I help you?"

The woman's voice came out perfectly level and emotionless. Her eyes flicked to the furry female and her thin lips seemed to disappear as she pressed them together. Reflexively, her aquiline nose seemed to rise in protest as she looked back to the human. Endeval forced himself to be civil as he replied.

"We would like a room, please, and something hot to eat if you have it."

The thin woman gripped the sides of her dark-red dress unconsciously as her gaze continued to flicker towards the female native.

"I only have one room and it doesn't have a servant's nook."

Endeval sighed wearily.

"That will be fine..."

The woman's disapproving gaze flicked between them again. The big human suddenly realized what she was thinking and hurriedly added.

"And could we get some extra blankets and pillows? One of us will be on the floor."

One of the thin woman's eyebrows climbed in surprise, but she seemed to calm a little.

"Of course, sir. I'll have bed linens taken to the room. We have a stew tonight, will that be adequate?"

"That will be fine. We'll need two servings please."

The woman's lips compressed again.

"Two servings? You want one for your Mook?"

The big human ground his teeth silently for a moment, and then carefully answered.

"Yes, is that a problem?"

The woman's eyes glittered in disapproval, but her tone remained neutral.

"No sir. We can have one sent out to her table."

Endeval was suddenly confused.

"Her table? What do you mean?"

The woman sniffed and shook her head slightly as though she were addressing a child who didn't know better.

"Mooks aren't allowed to eat out here. She will have to sit in the back."

The woman pointed to the back of the inn where Endeval now noticed a few natives sitting at scattered tables. The part of the room where they were eating was walled off with a low wooden railing. The big human frowned in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding me."

The woman looked at him questioningly.

"Is there a problem?"

Endeval took a breath to calm down.

"She has to eat with me."

The woman's lips disappeared again.

"I'm afraid that is not allowed. She can't eat out here."

The big human snorted lightly, and then shrugged.

"Fine. Please send the stew back to our table then."

The lean woman gaped at him in amazement.

"Back to your table? You mean..."

Endeval wrapped an arm around Angela's shoulders and started towards the back of the inn. He spoke quickly as he moved.

"Yes. We'll be at a table in the back. Unless of course that isn't allowed either?"

The woman looked flustered, but managed to reply.

"Er...no."

The big human nodded and continued towards the back, leaving the sputtering thin woman behind. As the two passed a table full of male humans dressed in workman's clothes, Angela suddenly squeaked and jumped under Endeval's arm. The former soldier looked over her shoulder to see a rough-looking, bearded human in dirty work clothes leering up at the furry female. When he stopped, Angela took an extra step and turned, one hand rubbing her buttock. Endeval frowned down at the human.

"Hey pal, what's your problem?"

The bearded human waved a hand groggily and sneered back at him. The mild slur of his speech indicated that the man had been imbibing.

"Never seen a Mook bitch afore. Just wanted ta see iffin her ass felt as good as it looked!"

The former soldier set his jaw and growled.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to touch what isn't yours?"

The bearded human stood up from the table. He was a pretty big guy, able to look Endeval directly in the eyes. He blinked drunkenly and sneered again.

"She's a Mook. Feel lucky all I did was touch."

Endeval slowly gathered the female in with his left hand, tucking her protectively behind him.

"Don't touch her again...ever."

The bearded man suddenly drew a short, wicked-looking sword and waved it in his direction.

"When it comes ta Mooks, asshole, I'll do anything I damn well please. What are ya gonna do about it?"

In a blink, Endeval drew his own blade in a rapid upward sweep. His long knife struck the other's blade edge-on, causing it to sail from the bearded man's grip and spiral up into the air. Before it even clattered to the floor nearby, the point of Endeval's short sword was pressed lightly to the man's Adam's apple. The bearded man blinked in surprise as the former soldier growled again.

"I said...don't touch. Understand?"

The local swallowed audibly and nodded, his eyes fixed on the blade at his throat.

"Uh, yeah. Ok..."

Endeval held his pose for a moment more to get the point across, and then turned and guided Angela down the aisle towards the back tables. As he sheathed his sword, he glanced sideways and spotted her staring at him thoughtfully. He smiled at her.

"Hey. Some people are jerks. Sorry about that..."

She continued to stare, but now a smile lit up her eyes. The two stepped through an opening in the small, fixed railing that separated the back section and moved to pick a table. The natives at the other tables were all staring at Angela in disbelief. She stopped and took a hard look around, shaking her head. The others all immediately stopped staring and returned to their meals. Endeval began to wonder if it was something cultural, the way all of the natives kept reacting to Angela. She seemed to put them in their place fast enough, so he stopped worrying about it. Soon the stew arrived, delivered by the huffing thin woman, and the two dug in. The big human grinned as the hot stew warmed his insides.

"That's pretty good, huh?"

The female native grinned as she shoveled another spoonful into her mouth.

"Mmm...d'gooa..."

The two finished their stew in friendly silence. The thin woman returned and led them upstairs to their room while a white-clad server cleaned up the table. She led them down a short hallway to a rough wooden door, opened it, and gestured inside.

"There's a bed pack on the bottom of the bed. The bathroom and shower are that way. Do you require anything else?"

Endeval shook his head as he set the bags on the floor. He slipped the woman a ten credit note, more out of habit than anything, and waited till she left before looking around the room. Beside him, Angela was also looking, her head turning from side to side. The room was small, only eleven feet square. A simple, three-drawer dresser sat next to a twin-sized bed frame and mattress combo. The rest of the room was bare, with the only light coming from two wall sconces on each side. Endeval poked his head through a side door and found a small bathroom, complete with shower. He turned and dug through his satchel as he spoke to the female.

"I'm going to grab a quick shower, and then you can get yours, ok?"

Angela tilted her head, but didn't move from where she stood. The big human smiled and went into the bathroom. As he set some hygiene items on the tiny counter, he slowly unwrapped his injured hand. After nearly three days, cold weather, and a storm, the cut on his palm had faded to a tiny white mark, as though it had been healed for years. Stripping quickly, he nearly flung himself into the shower. The hot water felt luxurious after the last twenty four hours. Endeval let the water soak into his muscles and ease the aches from the trail. Then he remembered that someone was waiting to get in and hurriedly soaped up. He finished his shower quickly and climbed from the shower. Wrapping a towel from a nearby stack around his waist, he wiped the steam from the mirror over the small sink and started shaving. As he was trimming around his short beard, he sensed that he was being watched and looked to the doorway. Angela stood; one elbow propped above her head on the door jamb, and regarded him with a lazy smile. The big human grinned and turned to finish shaving. When he was done, he turned to head for the door and stopped short. The female alien still stood, leaning against the doorway. She deliberately looked him up and down, eyes scanning him thoroughly. Endeval stood, shocked, until she finally stepped to one side to let him exit. He shuffled past in a hurry, cheeks burning and fully aware that his only current clothing was merely a towel. Behind him, Angela dragged her duffel into the bathroom with a mischievous chuckle.

As the shower fired up again, Endeval shook his head and started to finish drying off. He slipped on a pair of soft lounge pants and tucked his dirty clothes into a bag in his satchel. He found his hooded jacket that he had tucked in his bag earlier and hung it up on a wall hook to finish drying. Then, the big human took the extra blankets and built a hasty pallet on the floor next to the bed. He arranged the pillows on the pallet and sat down on the floor to inventory supplies. The shower stopped, and after several minutes the door cracked open. Endeval glanced up, and then froze in astonishment. Angela stood in the doorway, wearing a knee-length linen nightgown that hugged her curves beautifully and showed plenty of her hefty cleavage. The big human gulped as she drifted over and plopped her bag on the floor. He stood up as she eyed the sleeping arrangements and flicked her ears questioningly. Endeval leaned over and patted the bed.

"This one is yours, if you're wondering..."

The curvy native sat down on the edge of the bed, twisted around at the waist, and held up a brush. The big human blinked in surprise and then, taking the hint, took the brush from her hand. He sat down behind Angela as she turned back and slowly began to run the bristles through her thick, still-damp ruff of fur. At the very first stroke, the female native groaned softly and leaned back into the hairbrush. The big human stroked the brush slowly, completely and totally enjoying every second of what he was doing. Angela sighed and closed her eyes as he worked to straighten the fur near her ears. Endeval kept working as his mind tumbled with a strange mixture of emotions. He reflected on the last couple of days as he started down the far side of her ruff. Up to right now, he had been focusing on all of the negative aspects of the trip. As he continued to brush the female in front of him, he suddenly began to hope that there may be something good to come from all of this.

Over the last couple of days, he had started to think that maybe, just maybe, this newfound relationship with Angela could evolve into something more. She was certainly smart, and had a great sense of humor. He recalled her determination and defiance with the militia when he first met her. He also recalled her giggles, from when the J'ntia stole his pen all the way to her mischievous chuckle earlier when she entered the bathroom. As he finished smoothing down Angela's ruff, his mind filled with simple fantasies of what might happen. As he sat, smiling to himself, he remembered the paper tucked away in his satchel and what it meant for tomorrow morning. Like a cold splash of water, the happy, relaxed feeling vanished instantly. With a sigh, he reached around to hand the hairbrush to Angela, handle first. The female took the brush even as she looked at him quizzically. Endeval gave her a sad smile and rubbed her bare shoulder. Even now, he had to admire the softness of her fur.

"We should get some sleep. We have an early day tomorrow."

The big human stood up from the bed and dimmed the oil sconces on the walls. Behind him, the female alien put away her brush and crawled in under the covers on the bed. Endeval dropped to his hands and knees to crawl to his makeshift pallet. He slunk in under the covers and laid back, one arm behind his head. The bed next to him creaked softly and suddenly Angela's head peeked over the side to look down at him. Her ears were tilted forward attentively, as her eyes sparkled over her small grin. With her impish smile, and the way her chin rested on the mattress, she was the perfect picture of cuteness. Endeval smiled up at her tiredly, and then, before he stopped to think, he kissed the two fingers of his right hand and touched them to the flat end of her nose.

"Good night, cutie. I really hope you still feel this way tomorrow."

The female's eyes went wide, crossing a little with the touch of his fingers as her nostrils wiggled. The big human chuckled at her expression and waved his fingers at her.

"See you in the morning then..."

Angela stared at him for a while, green eyes searching his face, and then she disappeared back over the edge of the bed. Endeval stared thoughtfully at the spot where she had been until exhaustion finally claimed him and he slipped into slumber.

The next morning, Endeval awoke with a groan. He sat up stiffly and stretched his arms above his head. Scratching at the back of his scalp, he turned to look on the bed. Angela lay curled up in a tangle of blankets, her head extended cutely across a pile of pillows. The big human stifled a chuckle and stood to go into the bathroom. When he came back out, he was greeted with the sight of the female native sitting up in the bed, hands clasped above her in full stretch. She had her head tilted back, mouth open in a tremendous yawn. Endeval took a second to admire the view, and then reality crashed back in to ruin his mood. He turned sullenly to dip into his satchel and remove the leather folder. He was still staring at it silently when Angela approached from the side. The big human continued to stare at the folder as he spoke sadly.

"I really don't want to do this. I wish there was another way."

The furry female picked up his tone, her ears alternating between forwards and splayed to each side. She was still looking at his face when he sighed and turned to her. Using hand gestures, he tried to explain the next step.

"We need to get dressed and go. I want to get this over with before I come to my senses and try to run off with you."

Angela flicked her ears at him again, her face a mask of concern. Endeval stooped and pulled some fresh clothing from his satchel. He turned and entered the bathroom, pausing only long enough to make sure the furry native was also going for clothes. Once he was out of eyesight, he dressed slowly, every piece of clothing feeling like a lead weight on his soul. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he was still dressed in just a few minutes. When he exited the bathroom, he found Angela just starting to pull her jacket on over a thick, sleeveless shirt. His eyes were immediately drawn to the left shoulder, where the peek flap screamed accusations at him. He swallowed heavily and reached for his own hooded jacket, finally dry on the wall hook. Fully dressed with the folder tucked in a sleeve, the two exited the room and descended the stairs. Endeval stopped in the main dining area on the first floor and turned to question a short human woman who was sweeping the floor.

"Excuse me. Could you tell me where the blacksmith's shop is located?"

The rosy-cheeked blonde smiled and pointed.

"Aye. It's just up tha street a spell. Look fer tha smoke!"

Endeval envied her happiness.

"Thank you. Could we hold the room till I get back?"

The smiling woman waved a hand.

"Oh sure! We had a buncha rooms open up this morning! You wanna keep it another night?"

The big human chewed his bottom lip for a moment, and then sighed.

"Yes please. I think I'm going to need it."

The woman grinned happily and started to sweep again.

"I'll make sure it's here for ya when ya come back!"

Endeval thanked her again and started out the door. He turned to look up the street and immediately spotted a building, about four doorways up, that was belching thick woodsmoke into the air from one of many chimneys on the roof. He swallowed hard again and slowly started up the street. Angela fell in beside him, her concerned glances at his face alternating with her flicking ears. The big human stared down at the wooden walkway under his feet as his destination loomed closer and closer. He was one building away when he stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at Angela, and then at the building, and then back at the furry female.

"I...I can't do this. I just can't..."

Angela saw the sad expression on his face and touched his chest with one hand. She may not know yet the source of his sadness, but his demeanor was starting to affect her. Endeval glanced down, and then put his own hand over hers. His eyes drifted upwards until they came to rest on her tag, twinkling in the cold breeze. He flashed back to what the militia men had said what would happen if he didn't go through with this and his spirits sank. Miserably, he turned and shuffled slowly to the front door of the smithy. Without a word or a smile, he opened the door and stepped inside, holding the door for Angela.

The interior of the smithy was dimly lit with a couple of huge, randomly placed candles, thick pillars of wax with years of melted residue cascading down the sides. The interior was completely open, with three separate forges spaced along the walls. One of the forges was lit, adding its own luminescence to the room. Four thick, sturdy pillars of hardwood supported the ceiling, each adorned with various implements of the trade, hung on wooden pegs. Other projects in varying stages of completion were strewn around the area. The air was thick with heat and a tinge of smoke. Endeval stopped inside the door and looked up at Angela, standing in front of him. The female Alemucian was trembling, her ears flat to her skull and her tail blurring in agitation. He was witnessing her mental state as his heart clenched in his chest with agony. He fought against himself to not grab her and pull her close. Before he could even act, a large, bald human male stepped into the room and addressed the former soldier.

"Mornin! What can I do fer ya?"

Endeval gulped and simply nodded at the female native. The big man raised a huge arm and rubbed his chin.

"Ah! Yer lookin fer a sponsorship mark? I can do that. Do ya have yer paperwork?"

The former soldier nodded numbly and held out the leather folder. The big bald man stepped forward and took the folder from his nerveless grip. He cleared a space on a nearby workbench with a sweep of his hand and opened the folder on its surface. Pulling a set of spectacles from a breast pocket, the smithy began to go over the paper.

"Ok. Lemme see. Female? There's a rare'n. Name...Angela. Date of sale...ok."

The brawny human took off his glasses and looked at Endeval.

"Looks pretty good. Bring her over here near tha forge."

The former soldier glanced across the room at the glowing furnace, and then back at the female native. Angela's eyes were showing white all the way around, and her ears were nearly invisible against her skull. She was staring directly at the glowing forge when Endeval called to her softly.

"Angela? Come with me, please..."

The former soldier waved his hand, prompting the female to come closer. He turned and led her across the room, every step dragging at his feet like lead weights. Near the glowing oven was an anvil, some quenching barrels, and a low wooden bench with a stained leather pad across it's length. The smithy pointed to the bench.

"Have'r sit here."

Endeval sat on the bench and half-heartedly patted the space next to him. The furry female sat down slowly, her tail twitching with fear. The bald man looked around with a frown and then yelled over his shoulder.

"Rufus! Bring me a threaded rod!"

From the back of the shop came the sound of running feet. An Alemucian male appeared at a trot with a long bar of metal in his hands. The native was thin, with numerous burn scars on his forearms. A shock of grey whiskers on his muzzle showed his advancing age. The male alien went to hand the bar to the smith, and then his gaze fell on Angela. The native froze, eyes wide as his ears splayed to the sides.

"Um...Boss?"

The smith took the proffered bar with some annoyance.

"What?"

Rufus looked fearfully between the big man and the frightened female.

"You make mark on her?"

The bald smith huffed.

"That's why she's here, ainnit?"

The alien male sputtered, his tail lashing.

"Boss! Can not mark! She is...."

The human cut him off with a growl and a chopping gesture.

"Rufus! Yer not ta be tellin me what I can do! Now get yer ass over ta one side and I don't wanna hear another peep outta ya till I say, unnerstand?"

The aged native looked as though he was going to protest again, but then he ducked his head and shuffled to a spot near the wall and to one side of the bench. He looked on dejectedly as the blacksmith turned back to Endeval.

"So...ya bring yer own or do ya need ta pick one out?"

The former soldier reluctantly reached into his pocket. At the sight of the metal cylinder, both natives gasped softly. Endeval held the ugly thing in his palm and just stared at it. The carved metal felt like a ton of weight, and was getting heavier by the second. The big smith scoffed and scooped it out of his hand.

"Got yerself a little one, eh? Well just hold tight and we'll be ready ta go in a few."

The brawny bald man took the carved end of the cylinder and pressed it into a battered ink pad on a nearby shelf. He turned and tapped the inky end directly into the center of the open box on the paper from the folder. He then picked up the threaded bar and started to twist it into the end of the cylinder.

"This won't take long ta heat up. I actually think I 'member this one. Some trader Mook picked it out fer his sponsor. That'd be ya I take it?"

Endeval nodded again numbly, his eyes fixed on the cylinder as the smith inserted it into the forge. He turned and looked at Angela, whose own intent stare was riveted on the brand. Her ears were flattened, eyes wide with terror, and her tail was trying it's best to tuck between her legs. When he looked down, she was wringing her hands in her lap. The former soldier's heart seemed to stop in his chest, broken in sheer misery. The set of her shoulders, her abject terror, and the way she was trying to cringe in on herself were all triggering his instinct to protect her. He sucked in a breath and sat up straight.

"I can't do this."

The big smith turned and looked at him in puzzlement.

"What?"

Endeval turned his head to look him in the eyes.

"I can't do this! This is cruel and inhumane! Look at her...she doesn't understand!"

The bald man glanced at the female and frowned.

"Looks ta me she knows exactly what's gonna happen."

The smaller human glanced at Angela again.

"I...I can't let this happen. I promised I would protect her, not hurt her like this!"

The brawny man put his hands on his hips and frowned even harder.

"Look buddy, either she gets yer mark now, or I go over ta tha shelf and put a different one on'er and send her ta tha mine. Whatevers got yer shorts twisted, she's getting a sponsor one way'r tha other!"

Endeval couldn't take his eyes off of her. He felt his stomach lurch as his eyes began to well up with moisture. He discovered that his feelings for the furry female ran deeper than he thought. An overwhelming urge to grab her and run pervaded his body. The smith's words rang in his ears as he thought furiously to find some way out, some way to stop this insanity. He felt, at this moment, that he would gladly take her place and bear the pain. Just like that, Endeval had an idea, a glimmer of hope that, while not perfect, might help to make this easier. He turned back to the smith.

"Then do me first!"

The bald human leaned back in shock. Behind the bench, Rufus gaped in astonishment at his words. The smith sputtered and then found his voice.

"What!?"

The former soldier wiggled out of his jacket and then reached up with his left hand. In one clean jerk, he tore his right sleeve away at the shoulder.

"I said...do me first."

The big man shook his head in disbelief.

"Are ya outta yer mind?"

Endeval composed himself and just stared back.

"She doesn't understand how I feel. I never wanted this for her, but I'm left with no choice! Well, if she has to have it done, then I'm going to suffer with her. It's the only way I can think of that will prove to her how I feel. So grab that thing and let's do this."

The smith glanced back at the brand lying in the hot coals before turning back.

"I...I can't do that! Yer a human!"

The former soldier firmed his jaw and looked at him levelly.

"Is there some kind of law that says you cannot?"

"Well...no, but..."

"Then pick that thing up and press it to my shoulder."

"But..."

"It's my body, right?"

"Er...yeah..."

"Then do it!"

The brawny human just stared at him for a long second, and then turned to reach for the brand. On the bench, Angela watched in terrified confusion, her ears flicking back and forth. Endeval hurriedly swung a leg over the bench so he was facing the female. The big smith muttered something under his breath that sounded like "...idiot..." and then turned with the hot poker in his bare hands. The former soldier locked his gaze with the furry female's eyes and murmured softly.

"I'm sorry I can't stop what's coming. But if I can't, then at least you won't suffer alone."

Angela stared back, her eyes wide open in shocked bewilderment. Behind her, the older native's mouth continued to hang open in amazement. Endeval felt the approaching warmth from his right and steeled himself. The female's eyes slid sideways to watch the incoming brand, her face still a mask of pale fright. Suddenly, a searing hot pain lanced through the human's arm, briefly lighting up his skin in a blazing halo of fiery agony before the nerve endings shut down in overload. The pain was incredible, a lightning bolt of throbbing torture that seemed to go all the way up and down his arm and deep into the bone. Endeval grit his teeth, nostrils flaring as he fought to not cry out at the suffering, or to gag at the sudden stink of burning flesh. His heart pounded heavily inside his skull and he quivered in place silently. And through it all, he never took his eyes off of the native woman. For what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a second, the smith pulled the brand away and grumped.

"There, ya crazy git. Ya happy now?"

The former soldier turned his head and looked down. A reddish-black, hideous char mark adorned his bare flesh. The burn had cracked open where the skin had crisped and was now leaking down his arm. Around the wound, the flesh throbbed with a sickly red coloration. Endeval swallowed back the gorge he felt rising in his throat and managed to stammer.

"No. But it's what I needed to do."

The bald man scoffed and turned to put the brand back in the forge.

"Now that tha stupidity is over'n done, it's time ta get done what ya came here fer. Rufus! Take off her coat..."

The native male was still staring at Endeval, but he jumped a little in place at the sound of his name. He swallowed audibly and leaned over Angela from behind. As he reached around to the buttons on her jacket, his mouth moved quickly next to her ear. The female native spooked a little at first, but in just a few seconds, her eyes suddenly snapped over to look at Endeval in surprise. She was still staring as Rufus continued to whisper, sliding the coat down off of her arms and tucking it into his elbow. Only then did he stand up straight and step back. Angela swung her leg over the bench to face the human directly. Her ears were still splayed to the sides and her eyes were glassy as she searched his face. Endeval leaned forward and gathered up her hands in his own. His voice was soft and full of pain.

"Angela?"

The furry female didn't say a word or move, just looked into his face sadly. The human gulped.

"Angela. Please don't look, ok? Watch me. Look right here..."

Endeval released one of her hands to first point at her eyes, and then back at his own. He resumed his grip on her hand as he stared intently at her face. He knew what was coming; his own arm throbbed from its recent trauma. Her deep, emerald orbs filled his vision as he heard the shuffle of the smithy approaching. There was a split second of anticipation, and then Angela's vision filled with agony as the hot sizzle roared in Endeval's ears. He heard her teeth grind together as the tendons on the side of her jawline jumped into stark relief. Suddenly, she was crushing the human's hands in a vice-like grip. Endeval endured the grasp, trying to will strength to her. The sizzle seemed to go on forever as the human picked out every detail of her torment in slow motion. Angela trembled, her deep-green eyes spilling over with tears. As the brand moved away, her control finally broke and a plaintive whimper slipped through her lips. The human choked back a sob of his own as hot liquid ran down over his cheeks. The big bald human broke their silent communication by dropping the bar on the anvil with a loud clang.

"Ok! So that's that then..."

Endeval leaned sideways and forced himself to look. The scorched flesh on her shoulder actually looked to be in better shape than his own charred skin. The shape of the wound showed distinctly against the pale skin underneath her dense fur. Angela was gasping softly at the pain when the former soldier suddenly remembered something else. He turned and dug into his jacket pocket, ignoring the flair of agony in his own shoulder, and dug the first-aid cream out. Working quickly, he squirted some of the grey goo onto the first two fingers of his right hand and reached out to carefully smear some on to her burn. As the furry female turned to stare in wonder at the swift work of the cream, Endeval turned and looked at the smith.

"You have any gauze?"

The bald man blinked.

"Gauze covers tha mark..."

The former soldier frowned at him.

"Come on...there has to be something."

The smith rubbed his head and then looked over his shoulder.

"I might have some clear in tha back. Been a while since anyone asked fer it..."

As the big man turned to go, Endeval scooted closer on the bench and took Angela's hands again. The female turned to look at him, her cheek fur soaked with moisture. The human stared at her a moment, and then noticed the male native behind her.

"What did you say to her earlier?"

The furry male glanced at the back of the shop before replying quietly.

"I tell her what you say. Why you take mark."

Before Endeval could reply, the smith returned and handed him a roll of filmy, transparent cloth. He started winding it around Angela's shoulder as the bald man turned back to the forge.

"That'll be fifty credits fee fer processin."

The former soldier finished off the bandage with a quick piece of tape and fished the required amount from his satchel. He stood to hand it over when the big man nodded at the brand lying on the anvil.

"That'll be cooled in just a sec so ya can take it with."

Endeval's gaze fell on the brand as the credit chip left his fingers. Suddenly, a hot flash of anger twisted his features.

"NO!"

The smith stepped back at the outburst.

"Say what?"

The former soldier's fury spiked at the thought of using the brand on another being.

"Never again!"

Endeval stepped up to the anvil and seized the bar with the cylinder in one hand. He plucked a large smithing hammer from a nearby bench and raised it high. Visions of Angela's face, streaming with tears, incited him to unprecedented heights of ferocity. Ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder, he brought the hammer down on the tip of the cylinder with all of his strength. The metal tube buckled under the blow with a loud clang. The former soldier smashed the hammer down again and again as he thought about the pain in his shoulder, what Jeremy must have endured here, and as he replayed the female native's agony in his mind. His vision quickly grew blurry as tears streamed down his face and splashed to the anvil's surface. With a sob, he slumped wearily, spent, and let the hammer fall from his fingers on to the floor. On the anvil, the flattened and mangled remains of the brand slid sideways and fell with a thud. Both natives stared at him, their faces unreadable as their ears flickered up and down. Then, a loud voice interrupted.

"What tha HELL!! Are ya outta yer MIND???"

Endeval stood up straight, arm burning, and just looked at him. All of the rage seemed to have been poured out on the destruction of the brand. With great exhaustion, he nodded at the remains of the cylinder on the floor.

"You can keep the brand. I won't need it again."

The smith screwed up his features in anger, his face red as he pointed to the door almost violently.

"Get yer crazy ass outta my shop!!! NOW!"

The bald man glanced at the male native, standing behind the bench with Angela's coat still folded in his arm. He hooked a thumb where the native could see it.

"Rufus! Get em out!"

The male alien leaned over and gently tugged at Angela's arm. The furry female rose and stepped over the bench quickly. Endeval paused only long enough to scoop up his jacket and cream before following the two natives to the door. When he got there, Angela was speaking in clipped tones to Rufus. The older alien's ears flattened and he nodded ruefully before turning to the approaching human.

"Take care of her. Not know what you have."

Endeval gave him a small, sad smile as he looked over at her.

"I think I'm beginning to know. I just hope she will come to know me the same way..."

The old alien's eyes went wide for a moment, and then he nodded as he turned and helped Angela into her lavish jacket. The furry female turned and exited the building without a backward glance, her tail swaying slowly. Endeval slid his own jacket on with a grimace of pain as the lining rubbed his shoulder. He stepped into the doorway, and then paused to turn back.

"Rufus? How do you say 'I'm sorry' in the tongue of the People?"

The old native's eyes bugged out again. He stared thoughtfully for a moment, obviously warring with the edict of not sharing the language, and then he leaned forward to whisper in the human's ear. Endeval nodded at him gratefully.

"Thank you."

The former soldier spun and exited the smithy as the old native slowly closed the door behind. On the walkway outside, Angela stood, staring across the street with her arms folded across her chest. Her stance spoke of irritation, tail flicking back and forth. Endeval stepped up to her side and spoke softly.

"Angela?"

The furry female turned her whole body and looked at him with a stare that looked accusatory. Endeval flinched when he saw it. His heart pounded rapidly, throbbing in time with the wound on his shoulder. He felt that his worst dreams were coming true. The fragile friendship he had begun to develop with her was gone, and it was leaving him feeling cold and empty inside. When the big human reached out and put his hand on her cheek, her eyes went wide again. He wiped at the moisture on her face with his thumb as he gazed at her sadly.

"M'tnaa r'yrrsa, Angela. I'm so very, very sorry..."

The female native's face softened at his words. She looked at him with her green eyes, searching his feelings displayed on his face. Abruptly, she stepped forward and slid her arms around his chest in a tight hug. With her head tucked under his chin, Endeval gasped softly in surprise and threw his arms around her, relishing the feeling of her tucked against him. He dipped his head, eyes closed, and pressed his cheek against hers. Once again, his eyes flooded with tears that rolled down off of his face. This time, however, they were tears of sweet, joyous relief.