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Corwin Hall, Chapter 12

Todd held Lisa close, praying that she would stop crying. He cradled her head in his lap and wiped her cheeks. She pulled closer to him, pressing her face against his paws as he brushed her. He felt his head nodding, and slid his legs out from under her, lying down with her face pressed against his chest. He sniffed hard and brushed a tear from his own cheek.

A light weight fell across his body, and he looked up. Brutus had dropped a blanket on them. Wordlessly, the Rabbit tucked it in under both of them, and left to care for other dozing residents. Todd kissed Lisa's cheek, tasting salt, and put his chin over her nose, snuggling her as close as possible. Eventually, Lisa's breathing slowed, and she started making a small whistling sound from her nose. Todd closed his eyes and let his consciousness drift.

***

"How much of it did you tell?" Arvetis asked as soon as Geraden entered the room. He was lying in bed, reading a book of Leporidan theological essays. Geraden climbed onto the bed beside him, looking exhausted. He put a paw on the Wolf's chest.

"Don't sound so anxious. I stopped before the part that scares you."

Arvetis gave a relieved smile. "Thank you."

"Todd's going to find out eventually, you know," Geraden said, rubbing the furry belly. "He'll have to."

"I know. That's fine, I trust him. But there are other new people here, and you know what's at risk." Arvetis set the book on the nightstand beside the bed.

"I know. We've told it before, though."

"And I trust the people we've told. But if the wrong person found out, and told someone outside the warren, you know what could happen."

"I know."

"Sleep, hunny bunny. Your voice sounds awful."

Geraden chuckled. "It's from doing Tiger impressions."

Arvetis removed his reading glasses, set them on top of the book, and turned off the lamp. In the darkness, he turned to face Geraden and pulled him close. Geraden nuzzled the Wolf's cheek and kissed the rough scar.

"I love you, Arvetis."

***

Brutus draped a blanket over the sleeping Mare, his own eyes heavy.

"Good night, Nerehin," he said, and she snorted in her sleep. Holding the last blanket, he found a free cushion near the fireplace. He lay down on it and wrapped the blanket snugly around his shoulders, looking over at Todd and Lisa. Their blanket turned them into an amorphous shape, like a single beast with two heads. Predator and Prey. He thought they were going to be just fine.

It had been a good telling, he reflected. Some had been left out, he knew, for the benefit of the newcomers, but it was for the best. At one or two points, he had felt the temptation he knew too well, to ignore penitence as Gel-Herathin almost had and lash out. He'd kept it under control though. It wasn't as bad as the first time he'd heard the story. Pulling the blanket tight around himself, he examined the memory of the temptation in retrospect, trying to understand the feeling.

It was only a minute before he realized that was a mistake. Like a jinn appearing at the sound of its name, the anger flared again in his chest. He rolled over on his back, breathing hard, and stared at the ceiling.

He had to remember the good. He had to think about the years imprisoned, and the Order, and Gel-Herathin's mercy. He had to remember his mother, and her home, constructed twice its original size in the rebuilding of Westriver, when he'd first met Arvetis. Twice the size, said a voice in his head, but two generations late.

It was no good. There was too much working against his goodwill. Grinding his teeth, Brutus willed himself to lay still, staring into the dark air. His chest clenched with indignant fury, and he twisted the blanket in his paws. He would not get much sleep tonight.

***

Todd awoke to the suffuse light of the sun on the high windows of the hall. He felt different than he had most recent mornings - warm and content. As he became fully conscious, he realized that his arms were full of sleeping Mouse. He lifted his head from the cushion and looked down at Lisa.

The fur around her eyes was matted with dried tears, but she was smiling. He put a paw on her cheek and brushed her fur, separating the clumps. After a moment, she gave a little snort and blinked.

"Todd?"

"Hi baby." He continued grooming her. "Sleep well?"

"Like a brick." She turned to him and pressed her face into his chest. "Good story, huh?" she muffled.

"Amazing."

"I told you."

Todd heard voices near him, and turned his head. The Dogs were waking up and talking to each other.

"He's told that story before, you know. I caught the end of it last time."

"I didn't really get it. Didn't Agathos die that night?"

"Yeah, Warkyn killed him. That's why the fortress fell - they all hated each other, and he was the only one holding it all together. My parents still have an old copy of the newspaper headline."

"Why did Geraden change it?"

"Who knows? Makes a better story his way, I think. Maybe that's why.

"Maybe he was trying to make it into one of his morality stories."

"He should probably stick to non-historical stories if he's gonna do that. Doesn't make much of a point if everyone knows it's wrong."

"And trying to cast Geraden Warkyn as Gel-Herathin? I mean, it's exciting and all, but it's so absurd it's almost funny."

"He's a Rabbit. You know they have to inject stuff like that into all their stories."

"I don't understand why he had the Tiger give Agathos Contrition marks. That's kind of offensive, you know? His own partner's a member; you'd think he'd be more sensitive."

"Irony makes for good storytelling, I guess."

Lisa turned in Todd's arms, trying to sit up. Todd shifted his attention from the talkative Dogs to her, rubbing one of her large ears. "Want to go get some breakfast?"

"Do I ever. Let's stop by Geraden's room first, though, OK? I want to ask him something."

Todd nodded, and stood up with her, laying the blanket by the side of the cushion. His diaper itched and sagged; he must have wet it during the night. He noticed Lisa's onesie was droopy too, and felt a glimmer of hope at the prospect of another change with her. He took her paw in his, and they walked to the end of the hall.

Todd stopped at the carved double doors, examining the engravings again. He ran his paw over them, stopping with his fingers over the enraged face of Agathos. That face did not look capable of repentance. The panel below it showed the Wolf dead, run through with Warkyn's blade. Above him, carved lines radiated from the victorious Rabbit.

"Scary guy, huh?" Lisa said. "Probably was a lot scarier in real life than he is in stories."

"Yeah." Todd shook his head and left the room with Lisa.

In the hallway, Todd saw Arvetis, wearing a tattered blue bathrobe. Lisa called out to him. "Arvy!"

Arvetis turned, and smiled widely. He walked back towards them, and matched pace with them. "Good morning, dear," the Wolf said to Lisa. "Good morning, Todd." Todd nodded deferentially.

"You missed a great story," Lisa said.

"I know. I was tired. I'm not a young Wolf anymore. Where are you two headed?"

"I wanted to talk to Geraden, actually. Is he busy?" Lisa asked.

"He's lazing in our room." Arvetis gestured down the hall. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind seeing you two. Tell him -"

Arvetis cut himself off as Brutus came around a corner in the hallway, carrying an armful of blankets. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his paws clenched around the blankets as he saw the three, his knuckles going white.

"Hey, Brutus..." Todd tried to address him, but the Rabbit stalked past them, audibly snarling.

"What was that?" Lisa asked after he passed, her eyes wide. She looked at Arvetis. The old Wolf's back was pressed firmly against the wall of the corridor, his eyes closed and his ears held stiffly flat on his head. His tail was fixed under his bottom, the tip of it poking out between his legs. After a moment, he opened one eye, saw the confused stares of the others, and composed himself.

"He's... He's fine," Arvetis said with a forced chuckle. "Sometimes he doesn't sleep well after story nights. He'll be all right after he has a nap. I have to run now, but when you see Geraden, please tell him the new shipment of diapers is in, and we've got a rather valuable-looking bracelet in the lost and found. Goodbye now!" Without waiting for a reply, Arvetis set off down the corridor in the other direction, walking quickly.

"Whoa," Todd said.

"Oh my God, did you see him?"

"He was terrified. Why's he scared of Brutus? They seemed like they were getting along fine. You've been here longer than me, though. Have you ever seen that before?"

"Never," Lisa replied. "They're friends. They even go to Chapel together. They're the only ones here who do."

Todd thought for a moment, counting days. Saturday. "Tomorrow is going to be awkward for them, I think."

Lisa gave a confused shrug and continued down the hall. Todd followed, unsure of where Geraden's room was. After a few turns, Lisa stopped at a door no different from all the others. She knocked.

"It's open!" Geraden's voice called from inside. Lisa opened the door and held it for Todd.

The room was no different from Todd's in layout, except that it had a queen-size bed at the far end. Todd repressed inappropriate jokes bubbling up from his subconscious and followed Lisa inside. Geraden was lying down, reading a book, and Todd saw an open package of diapers on the corner of the bed. They weren't Dutch, and the pictures on the sides seemed to emphasize the babyish appearance of the garments, despite the adult models.

"Lisa! Todd! Come in, come in." Geraden put the book down and sat up against the headboard. He extended an arm, and Lisa trotted over to the bed, leaned down, and hugged him. "Did you enjoy your first day here, Todd?" Geraden asked.

"Yes, sir. It's a beautiful place. Much less... scary than I expected."

"Good, good. What can I do for you two?"

"Actually, I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful story last night," Lisa replied. "It... it helped me put some things in perspective. Todd too, I think." She gave his paw a squeeze.

Geraden smiled warmly. "I'm glad, Lisa."

"Also, I wanted to ask you something. I hope this isn't impertinent." Lisa pointed her nose at the floor for a moment, thinking.

"Anything, dear." Geraden cocked his head, curious.

"Was it real? The story? Is that really how it happened?"

Geraden gave Lisa a meditative look. He said nothing for a moment, then nodded. "Absolutely. I'm quite sure of my sources."

"But... there's something I don't understand." Lisa sounded eager. She must have been thinking about this since last night. "The Tiger gave Agathos Contrition marks, you said. Very moving, I liked that part."

"Yes?" Geraden said, expecting more.

"Well, the thing is, we talked to Arvetis at the feast. He said the Contrition marks were symbolic of... Philosparganon?" She wasn't sure of the pronunciation. "Symbolic of his scars, because he founded the Contrite Order. But the Order didn't exist when the UPN fell. That was years and years later. The symbol didn't exist then. Why would the Tiger give Agathos a symbol that didn't exist yet?"

Geraden gave a slow nod. "That is a good point. You are perceptive. But symbols can be funny. It's often hard to tell the difference between what's representing and what's being represented. If you can't see that, then you can't see where the symbol started."

Lisa shook her head. "I still don't understand."

Geraden put his paw on Lisa's. "What you're asking is a very complicated thing. I could explain it, but it would be another story in itself. I'll tell it to you sometime, I promise. Give me some time to prepare it, though, all right?"

Lisa nodded, and gave Geraden another hug. "All right, Geraden. Thank you. And thanks again for the story. Todd and I are going to get changed and get some breakfast." Geraden smiled and waved, and the two exited into the hallway.

"Wow... good question," Todd said after the door was closed. Lisa blushed a little, the edges of her ears reddening.

"Thanks."

"I think you caught him off-guard with that little plot hole. Wonder what he'll spin to cover it up."

"Todd, I believe him." Lisa's voice was sincere.

Todd stuttered a little. "Really? Um... OK. I guess I don't really know what I believe. The history books all say it went down differently, you know?"

"I trust Geraden more than any history book. He wouldn't say his story was true if it wasn't. I'm going to go get changed, all right? Meet you in the small kitchen." Todd was disappointed that he wouldn't be changing her, but he nodded and headed off to his room.

He stood in front of his bed and unbuttoned the onesie. He decided he liked it, and threw it on the bed. His diaper was really sagging, though, and he gave himself a quick change. He noticed a few sore spots as he wiped himself, but he wasn't sure how well it would go over if he stopped wearing them for a day or two. He decided he'd ask about rash cream later.

After putting the onesie back on, Todd left his room, his dry diaper crinkling loudly. He headed for the small kitchen, more sure of his bearings now than before. As he passed a door he'd never been through, he heard a strange noise.

"Hah!" Thud. Todd stopped, listening at the door.

"Nyugh!" Thud. It sounded like a Rabbit in distress. Attacking something, or being attacked. The shouts and noises continued for a few moments, and Todd made up his mind. He knocked on the door.

After a moment, it opened, and Brutus appeared. He was grinning wide, and his fur was soaked with sweat. Todd noticed his paws were taped, and saw a punching bag swinging from the ceiling of the room.

"Uh... sorry," Todd said. "I heard you, and I wanted to make sure everything was all right."

"I'm fine! Morning exercise, you know?" Brutus was breathing hard.

"Yeah... sounds like you really get into it."

"Only way I know how! Talk to you later, Todd. I don't want to let my heart rate down." Brutus closed the door, and Todd stood in front of it for a moment. The sounds resumed. They did not sound like exercise; they sounded like a street fight. It was disturbing to hear the normally calm, sensible Rabbit making those kinds of noises.

Todd shook his head and proceeded to the small kitchen. He opened the door, and saw Arvetis sitting at the table. He realized that he'd forgotten to deliver the Wolf's message.

"Aw, jeez," he said, taking a seat. "I didn't tell Geraden. Completely slipped my mind."

Arvetis smiled sheepishly. "That's fine, I made it all up anyway. We don't have a lost and found. I just wanted to get out of there. Sorry about that; it wasn't you."

"I know. It's all right." Todd didn't want to bring up the awkward subject of Brutus, and let it drop. He relaxed in the chair, waiting for Lisa to get there. He wasn't particularly hungry. After a few minutes, a question occurred to him. "Hey... you wouldn't happen to know how my vetting process is going, would you?"

Arvetis raised an eyebrow. "Vetting process?"

"Yeah, you know. Whether I get to stay or not."

"No idea, Todd. That's out of my paws. Oh, so that's what you were talking about when you said you had to butter Geraden up. Honestly, I had no idea it was still going on. Normally applicants are vetted before their first day here."

"Really? Br... someone told me I was still being evaluated. You don't know anything about it?"

Arvetis shook his head. "If you're here, though, I'd assume you're staying here. We don't let people who could endanger this place anywhere near it."

Todd was a little relieved at this news, but he was still confused. Why had Brutus told him he might have to leave? Why would Elyssa try to get him kicked out if he was already approved? Todd thought a new line of questioning might help.

"You really don't have any say in the vetting process here? It seems to me like you've got a fair amount of authority."

"Ha!" Arvetis startled Todd with a sharp laugh. "Authority? Lord, Todd, what makes you think that?"

"Uh... well, you are Geraden's... his... um." Todd flushed.

"So? What's that got to do with authority? Believe me, Todd, I have no authority here, and I don't want it. If Geraden offered it to me, I'd tell him to go get committed."

Todd was about to respond when the door to the kitchen opened. He looked over, hoping to see Lisa. Instead, a familiar, large Rabbit with tufts at the ends of his ears entered. He was naked and dripping wet, and there was a towel draped over his shoulder; he must have just gotten out of the shower.

Todd froze, his fur standing on end as Brutus paced into the kitchen. The Rabbit moved directly behind Arvetis, looking down at him. Arvetis's ears were once again pinned firmly to his head, but he didn't seem particularly worried. After a moment, Brutus put a paw on the Wolf's shoulder.

"Hey, Arv. Just wanted to let you know I'm all right now."

Arvetis reached up and put his paw over Brutus's, then looked up at him. "Thank you. I left your diaper allotment in the Chapel. I was sure you didn't want to be disturbed."

Brutus nodded, withdrew his paw, and turned to leave. He looked over his shoulder. "Tomorrow morning?"

"I'll be there," Arvetis replied, returning to his omelet. Brutus left, and the door clicked shut. Todd relaxed, remembered to breathe, and tried to subtly smooth his fur down.

"See? Told you he'd be fine," Arvetis said through a mouthful of eggs. "Just needed a nap."