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Temmy was just beginning to awaken as the smell of dew rested heavily on the blades of mewgrass. He attempted to roll into a more comfortable position, but was shocked to find he couldn't. He felt warmer than he remembered being as he fell asleep the night before, and furthermore felt something... no, multiple somethings pressing into him with significant pressure. He tried again to roll over in vain before his eyes shot open, afraid he and Blink had been kidnapped in their sleep or some such thing. When he looked down to the pressure at his waist, he smiled and nestled back into the pressure to his back. Around his waist was snaked a muscular arm covered in black fur with silver pins and red streaks. Temmy couldn't turn around, but he expected that, if he could, he'd spy a rather attractive, 188 centimeter silver fox pressed against his own 168 centimeter frame. The thought was comforting and almost made him giggle. After all, Blink was probably greatly unawares that he had begun to cuddle fur to fur with his new friend at sometime in the night, having requested some space for.... modesty. If the pressure in the small of his back was anything to go by, there was no longer a real need for modesty. Temmy really did giggle this time, just enough to begin waking the surprisingly athletic fur at his back. Blink groaned as he woke, too groggy from his first restful sleep to appreciate his surroundings.

"Morning there, mate, guess you got cold last night," the fennec said with a wry smile on his face.

"What are you talking about..."

Blink barely managed to say the words before realization settled in, causing his eyes to shoot open and his entire body to rapidly scramble from the body next to him. Temmy shook his head as the poor thing cleared his throat and tried to offer up some reason to excuse himself from the tent. The stuttering and stammering of the larger fox was rather adorable, and he was most certainly blushing a heated red or pink beneath his fur.

"I... Erm... Uhm... I.... Hafta... Er..."

"Use the pisspot?" Temmy offered the suggestion in as coy a manner as he could, vaguely disguising it with some faux confusion as he pricked up an ear and swiveled it back towards his companion. Hearing his head nod, Temmy smiled even deeper at the silver fox's growing embarrassment. "Well there's no washchambers out here so just find a tree to mark a bit of a ways from the tent, alright? I'll wait and let you do so with your.... modesty in tact." His tail swished a little with every word, emphasizing his rump with every shake. He knew it was torture for the already excited thing, but he couldn't help himself. He almost laughed again and had to hold a paw to his muzzle as he heard Blink shake his head to snap himself out, mutter a thanks and race out of the tent. 'This will be fun,' Temmy thought.

Blink ran for the nearest tree to hide behind in his embarrassment. He had practically groped the fennec in his sleep, something that surely would have ruined his stay in the boy's good graces. He pounded a fist into the oak tree in anger for his lack of restraint. The boy was cute as hell, mature and yet in many ways frozen as a child. His cream fur with the swath of ivory leading from his chin down across his chest and belly, finally resting at the top insides of his hindlegs. The way his frost-tipped digits wiggled almost naturally. The three chocolate stripes that ran down his back, converging into almost an arrow along his white-capped tail. The hazel bands that wrapped around his fantastically large ears. And those solid ebony spheres... Blink felt as though he could stare into them a while. He felt a burgeoning pressure in his cotton unders and hastily looked around before undoing each of the six tin buttons holding them to his frame. He slipped them down to below his hips, leaning back against the tree for support as he reached for his stirring sheath. Gently he rubbed at it with his paw, coaxing out a pink head, followed by centimeter upon centimeter of solid flesh. As he attempted to stifle his moans of pleasure, Temmy sat leaned against the tent gripping his own sheathed flesh, charming it out little by little with prods and rubs as he listened to the silver excitedly play with himself. Soon his own 18 cms were fully exposed, and he stroked it with gasps, sighs and pants timed with Blink's muffled moans. Blink was now pawing intently at his full 25 cms of exposed foxhood. His eyes began rolling back into his head with thoughts of the fennec in decreasing dress. His tongue lolled out of his muzzle as his knot formed beneath the caress of his paw. He let out a pleasurable yelp as he gripped it with the other paw and began stroking. Back at the tent, Temmy gave a low whine as his own knot was kneaded and groped. The two boys were rapidly approaching the finish as both began losing control of themselves, madly pawing themselves over the edge. Blink let out a low howl as he sent thick semen sprawling across the fresh mewgrass between his hindpaws. Temmy wasn't far behind, the howl sending him over and causing him to spray hot fluid into the grass. The two stayed there motionless as their knots deflated and the warm sensation coursed through their bodies.

Blink hurriedly buttoned his unders back up over his waist to make himself presentable as he became upset with himself. He had known his feelings for some time, had even acted upon them in his spire a few times after having taken notice of a particularly handsome performer or vendor in the bazaars at Rey. He wasn't ashamed about that, but he did regret his lack of restraint so close to his new friend, especially when there was a good chance he wouldn't agree with his opinion on which was truly the fairer sex. He prayed to Fina the smell wasn't too prevalent as he approached the site, ready to start tearing fur out of his tail from frustration by then. His ears were flat against his head when he noticed Temmy, now sporting a slightly puffed out white shirt tucked into brown coveralls with a grey flatcap adorning his head. He momentarily pondered what had happened to the blacked out cloth suit he had had on before deciding not to ask.

"So, did you enjoy your," Temmy paused to give a mock cough, "piss?"

Blink's eyes shot wide with anxiety.

"You heard then?"

"You weren't that quiet, to be honest," Temmy said flatly.

Blink began to apologize before a familiar smell hit his nose and he cocked his had at the fennec instead, causing the fur to laugh.

"It's not exactly a secret," he said. "Besides, you're not too bad yourself, are you? There's nothing the court will judge you for aside from your skill at stealing and making them money. The only requirement is that you be able to pull your own weight, ok?"

Blink relaxed and offered his companion a smile, a smile returned by the shorter fox.

"Now hurry up and get dressed, we missed our shot at breakfast cause of you, and we have to tear down camp quickly to make it to Prisa by midday."

"Speaking of dress," Blink lulled out as he made his way to the tent's entrance, "I noticed you're no longer sporting some sort of shinobi robes, what's that all about?"

"We're going to be in the middle of Prisa in broad daylight, I can't exactly go around looking like a thief, now can I? Besides, you'll already be drawing enough attention prancing about looking like you just ripped off the captain of the guard." He chuckled at the increasingly familiar face of shock Blink was sporting. "Relax, I'm only teasing, just fold it up into your pack. I already left you a more appropriate set of top clothes to put on. It's a bit mosaic, but it's all I've got that would even remotely fit you."

Blink was a bit puzzled by his friend's word choice as he entered the tent but pushed the thought aside to concentrate on getting dressed. He fetched his green ruckpants from the corner he'd deposited them into for favor of a more restful sleep. He slipped them on as he walked over to the clothes in question folded atop his pack. The shirt was a standard taupe, something the average docksman or contract laborist would toss out for a hard day's work. He slipped it on easily enough and took notice of the coat, understanding now Temmy's choice of words. The coat was a tea brown crushed fabric overcoat, something that would have mostly matched his current attire if not for one detail. At random across almost half the hefty coat were spread clashing patches of styles ranging from mauve stripes to polka dots to what appeared to be scraps of old dish rags. It was something only a deranged vagabond would wear. 'No, even the vagabond would have more pride of self than to wear this monstrosity,' he thought. He donned the coat and grasped the matching top hat before stomping out to confront the fennec.

"How in the bloody hell is this supposed to be less conspicuous than that damned dragoon's coat?" He seethed the words in complete outrage. When Temmy turned around, he offered a gentle, oddly calming smile that relaxed the silver some.

"Think about it for a second, what do they make you look like?"

"I look like a damned circus act," Blink snapped.

"Precisely," retorted Temmy, scoring another comically puzzled look from the taller fox.

"What are you on about, Tem?"

"I know it seems gaudy, but hear me out. People were already going to be looking at you, nobody's seen that fur pattern before and all, so we need to control how long and how many times they do. Think about it, how much attention do you give a circus man?" Blink pondered his answer a bit.

"Not many circuses come through Rey, but they'd still only get one long look or two before being dismissed and avoided."

"Right! Now in Prisa there are always performers gaffing about. You likely won't even get a full glance afore they avoid you like the plague. In the future, we'll likely cover or color those lovely locks of yours and give you something a bit more subdued to wear, but for now this is it. You'll have to wear the hat, though, else your eyes are gonna ruin the whole look." At this Blink grunged up the patched and somewhat threadbare hat before nestling it squarely between his ears. Temmy smiled in approval. "Perfect! You could actually pull off a few scams like that, look old enough for adults to trust and all that, but that'll come later. You'll hafta change back afore we hold court, but we'll burn that bridge when we cross it. Now, if you're all done dressing up, I need a hand breaking camp, alright?"

The pair made quick work of the campsite, only pausing once and only long enough for Temmy to make a comment to Blink about the two pairing more often on account of how handy he was. He simply smiled and offered a shy alright then as they packed the supplies at Chancy's side. Temmy quickly hopped on after, offering a paw in assistance to the silver. He gladly accepted and pulled himself atop the horse as well. With this they began the mostly uneventful ride along the path to Prisa. At one point a flock of the land's flyers nearly toppled them, resulting in a hearty round of laughter that lasted until they reached the gateway arch leading into the city. Here they stopped and got off, Temmy whispering some instructions before slapping the Clydesdale's rear and watching as it ran off on a predetermined route. Blink correctly assumed this to be some sort of precaution for their cover and thought nothing of it. From there the two began walking their way through the throngs upon throngs of animas out for the day.

Blink found himself amazed at how right Temmy had been. Most of those the passed only offered a quick glance before parting around him like a rock in a stream. The others didn't even offer that much before skirting to the edge of the cobbled walk like he was a leper. It was brilliant that his disguise was working so well, and he even told Temmy who responded with a playful told you so. What was really amazing him, though, was the fact that, for the first time in his life, nobody was staring at him. He wanted to jump and dance for joy but thought better of it as that would have ruined the whole effect. Instead he let Temmy guide him through the city's cobbled streets to the heart of the city, where the fennec led him down a sloping alley to a large sewer grate. The smaller fur quickly slid between the bars before gesturing that Blink should follow. He obeyed, wedging himself past with somewhat more difficulty than Temmy, but still made it through all the same. Once through, they began navigating the many turns of the labyrinthine sewer tunnels beneath the bustle of the city above. At one particularly branching turn, the fennec suddenly stopped and wheeled around to face him, nearly causing him to plunge the two into the grimy, disgusting muck they'd carefully avoided their entire journey. Once stable again, Temmy began to speak.

"Right then, we're almost there, so you need to change now. Just fold up the rest in your bag and put the other coat on. Leave it open so that your bandages'll show. Actually, I oughta check those real quick if you will." Blink dropped the wretched tops into his bag and turned for Temmy to examine his bindings. He soon nodded, satisfied that no blood was evident. "Right, likely stopped bleeding before I mummied you up there. Like I said, leave the coat open so the bandages can be seen in front, savvy?"

"I knicked some things from the crowds earlier in case I needed an extra piece or two, will any of these help?" He flashed out his paws, now laden with multiple personal effects. The fennec resisted the urge to be impressed and analyzed them critically. Most were junk and were soon retired to the boy's own pack before he settled on a silver ring with a ruby inlay and a similar silver pocket watch with intricate case markings and a pristine chain.

"Place the ring on the third finger of your right paw, it'll suggest power there. Clip the fob watch to your left breast pocket, feeding the chain through a buttonhole mostly level with it, then drop it into the corresponding inside pocket. The chain is high enough quality they'll imagine the value of the rest of the watch. Oh! And string your talisman 'round your neck, it'll give you an edge of dedication to the cause or whatever." Blink swiftly complied, earning him a nod from the fennec before him. "Now, let's go over how things are going to play out. When we go in, most people aren't going to be part of the court. However, the majority of the court will be blending in to suss you out, so you can't look weak at any point in there. You're going to walk tall and proud with a stoic face. We're going to grab the goods off of Chancy and take them over to the pile to keep in the vault til it's fenced. Then we'll go along to hold court where they'll make a decision on you. If you spot a courtier, feel free to take the time to impress them, it'll get you brownie points. Remember, don't act nervous no matter how much someone stares at you, savvy?" Blink nodded. "Let's go inside then."

They made the next several turns in silence, wandering deeper and deeper into the maze of sewers. Finally, they came upon what Blink recognized as a metal cistern door. Temmy walked up and gave it a rhythmic knock and waited beside the other fox.

"Announce yourself," bellowed out a thick, cockeyed voice.

"The young lord Sir Swift and hopefully a new friend to the court," Temmy replied. For a moment there was silence as the pair of foxes waited for something to happen. Suddenly, the door opened with a series of deep, metallic clangs and they entered. As a stout bulldog locked the door back behind the young furs, Blink took in his surroundings.

Before him sprawled a sizable shantytown filled with hundreds of busy animas rushing from one point to another. Fins, furs, scales and avians alike packed the large cistern to its vaulted ceiling. He resisted the urge to run and followed as his friend led him to a makeshift stable filled with a wide variety of feral mounts. On the way, he made eye contact with a few figures he passed. In particular, he noticed a jet black Komodo dragon in a dapper white Victorian ensemble, a brown-eyed greyhound in an emerald corset, and a rather large bull terrier in full sailor's attire all paying him special attention. He made sure to flip a small gold piece as he passed each of them, looking in their eyes and nodding as they caught the coin, then bringing his head forward again without waiting for a response.

At the stable, they searched carefully until they found the Clydesdale near the back and efficiently removing the saddle packs from his side before turning to make way to the other side of the shantytown. On their way, Blink passed out four more of his pieces of eight. The first went to a stern faced orca sporting a checked vest and red handkerchief. The next went to a red panda with brass rimmed goggles atop his head and a leather smock down his front. The last two went to a bespectacled falcon and a thin raccoon in black slacks standing fairly close together. At the pile, Temmy immediately began unloading his score on top of the wealth while Blink slowly reached for something within his own pack. He stepped to the pile with two silver, diamond-encrusted chalices bearing the Bellemont crest before placing an eighth piece of eight into the pocket of the wizened bearded dragon dressed in priest's garb and taking notes of the pile.

"It seems we'll be holding court after all," the aged lizard croaked with a Breton accent before following the two boys through the doors to the antechamber beyond. Once the three were inside, he locked the hatch and shuffled up a set of decrepit looking stairs at the right of the entry hall. Temmy took one last turn to speak to Blink before the proceedings began.

"I have to take my seat now, but know that I'm rooting for you. When you go in, try to stand still and really look good. Don't speak unless you're directly addressed by one of the court! And for the love of, well, Fina I s'pose, don't show weakness. Savvy?" Blink nodded. "You're going to be fine. Now head on in and I'll see you after."

With those words Temmy scurried up the stairs and Blink was left alone. He took a deep breath and continued into the court hall. The first thing he noticed about it was how much it actually looked like a court. It was a ramshackle mess made of aging and sometimes rotting wood, mind, but a court nonetheless. In the front center of the far semicircle of beams sat what he deemed to be a throne. On either side sat six chairs each. All but the throne and the seat next to Temmy were filled with the animas who'd been studying him moments ago. He noted two faces he'd passed but had not clocked him previously, one a rather irritated looking white mouse dressed as a musketeer and the other a rather flamboyant looking female ferret. He nodded to each before tossing them his last two pieces of eight. The mouse made to speak, but was quickly silenced as a large crow in flowing robes entered the room and took his seat at the throne, causing the others to sit straighter and quiet further. Blink bowed slightly to the crow before tossing him a large gold coin printed with a crown on one side. The crow craned his head slightly as he caught it.

"What's this, eh?" The crow's accent sounded much of Crell, a mountain dialect of Francian held by those of more noble birth in the region.

"My family comes from the Breton moorlands. There it is customary to present a token, offering, or gift of some kind when in the presence of a king." The crow nodded and pocketed the coin.

"Let us begin the proceedings," Le Roi said.

"Let's start with just how old is he, anyways," began the bull terrier, his accent strictly Meridian.

"He told me seventeen when asked, Captain," chimed Temmy.

"Well he can certainly grift, then," came the call of the elder lizard.

"I agree, Vicar, boy looks like he served a war," Captain said.

"He has my vote," murres the Breton greyhound.

"Lady Veronica, you cannot vote him in merely because you wish to bed him," chided Temmy.

"You're certainly one to speak, Sir Swift," complained Ronnie.

"This is ridiculous, I doubt zhe boy even can tell the dagger's tip from iss 'andle," sneered the Francian mouse.

"Now Knight, combat and weaponry are not requirements to be members of this court," the Orren red panda scolded.

"And how," agreed the posh ferret.

"Duchess and Tinker may have a point," came the clearly Germainic voice of the falcon, "however we do not even know if the boy can truly steal."

"Professor Rhind is right, he is untested, and therefore a vote cannot be taken until such time," said the raccoon, a rather educated sounding Scot.

"He made offering of two rather expensive chalices from the lord's quarters of Castle Bellemont, as noted by Vicar Jones, Lord Grey," sounded a rather put out Ruscan Komodo called Baron.

"I also noted that he appears to have been a slave at this castle," Vicar croaked.

"Bah, it is an easy and petty zhing to steal from your master, I am unconvinced," Knight snarled. Blink stared with vicious intent at the rodent as he suppressed a growl and clenched his paw.

"That's not necessarily the case, Knight, but it's still not enough proof," said Grey.

The court went back and forth in this manner for ages, with only Le Roi and the orca remaining silent in the squabble. The orca stared at Blink intently, pondering some deep thought. The whole situation seemed to be giving Le Roi a migraine as he was massaging his forehead and occasionally looked at one of the other courtiers before looking down at his own place. When he looked to the orca, finally, quit massaging his temple and smiled.

"Quiet! All of you," he shouted, slamming one feathered fist upon his throne's arm rest and effectively silencing the debating courtiers. He looked purposefully at the orca before speaking again, catching the stern fin's eye. "What say you, Prince?" The orca scratched at his chin thoughtfully.

"I," said the clearly Zuban whale, "would like to know the meaning of these pieces of eight. We were each given one when passed, and it seems to serve some purpose, and yet it escapes me." The whole room stared at Prince before slowly turning to Le Roi.

"Well, young'un," he said, a grin spreading on Blink's muzzle, " can you address these concerns?"

"I'm quite glad you asked, sir. First of all, Sir Dickless of the musketeers, I'd know a dagger better than you seeing as I've held one since I was but a wee kit, as any proud Moorlander has. I'd also like to say that pettiness is not a factor when you can count the brutal scars of your master amongst the thousands, and yes I'd be happy to let you count, you repressed arse. Second, in regards to my experience, Lord Grey, I've been stealing since I was six and theft has been my birthright in a sense since my Great Gran became a slave over this talisman. Lastly, to Prince... I'm ashamed to admit I didn't catch your name, as all Zubans have a proud name befitting them and I'd hate to disrespect your heritage. The pieces of eight are replacements."

"Replacements for what?"

Blink smiled even wider.

"Replacements for these," he said, opening his coat to reveal several artifacts pinned to the inside, ten in total. On one side hung a pipe, a cross, a jade charm, an emerald earring, and a Zuban bangle while the other sported a monogrammed charcoal kerchief, a Switz fob watch, a pearl necklace, a flask, and a frilly pair of panties which he gently removed, extending them to Knight who was horrified. "I believe these are yours, Monsieur Dickless."

"Well then," Le Roi said roaring with laughter as Blink returned the courtiers' possessions, "if his prize from Bellemont is not proof enough of his skill, how goes pilfering tokens right from the persons of ten of the greatest thieves in all of Frankes, eh?"

Temmy gazed slack jawed at his friend who merely gave him a sly wink.

"Yes, I almost forgot," he said, "his paws are so soft he snuck up on me more than once."

"Well then," cawed Le Roi, "it's time for a vote. All those in favor?"

Seven paws, including a reluctant mouse's, two scaled claws, two wings, and one sleek hand all raised into the air.

"The motion is unanimous," he said staring at Blink. "Welcome to the Thieves' Court, General."

**************

The two foxes ran to their house. Temmy had offered to house Blink as there were no more empty homes available. Ronnie had also offered, but Blink had accepted Temmy's offer instead. After they ran across the underground city, whooping and hollering all the way, the fennec stopped at a round house with a red wooden door.

"Welcome home, mate, at least until you build your own that is," Temmy said, opening the door with a sweeping motion. Inside was a quaint domicile dressed up not very unlike a fox hollow from the Moorlands. Warm lanterns hung at odd intervals to provide light in a cozy manner to all the crannies and nooks. Worn bookcases lined the back wall of the main room while a tattered red rug sat in the middle beneath an aged cherrywood table nestled between mismatched furniture. In the front hall, cased jewelry and other mementos of scores hung upon every free space. The only spot of wall not filled with stolen objects was an ornate clock that looked to have survived falling out a high balcony. Five doors led out from the main room, two on one side, two on the other, and one along the back between the largest two bookcases. Temmy revealed them one at a time, flourishing next to each door as he called its purpose. "This is the pisser, that's the one on the right leaving from the other side. That's important cause the other's my sewing room, you make that mistake and I'll kick you swift in your unders afore I make you clean the piss off my sewing room floor and spirits save you if you ruin my materials. Back door here is for the backfield, which is really the roof of the house below, so just keep it quiet if you use it late. Over here is my room, feel free to knock should you need something in the night, don't know what that might be but still, offer stands. And this here is your room. Unpack quickly and put a nice shirt on cause we're going out after." With that he whirled into his bedroom and silence fell on the house.

Blink let out a heavy sigh before passing through the low door. On the other side was a small blue room with no windows. In the corner sat a bed barely large enough for a fur to curl up in with a stack of sheets and thick blankets setting at the foot. Next to the bed was a nightstand with a small oil lamp upon it. Across from this was a large vestibule with dresser drawers and a small stationery desk. He began unpacking his scant belongings before searching through the vestibule and retrieving a pair of black flatleg pants, a red canvas and a smart bowler. He changed fairly quickly before returning to the den where he spotted Temmy dressed anew. He was sporting a purple silk tucked into black flatlegs under similarly black suspenders and a plaid flatcap between his ears. It took his breath away for a bit before he regained composure and coughed a bit for the fennec's attention.

"Ready to go then?"

"Yes, let's be off," Temmy replied.

"Right, where are we going?"

"Out on the town to this knee knocker in the red light."

They made their way to a release hatch at the edge of the cistern and climbed out into the night born city. Blink spent a few minutes looking around at the different architecture to place himself. He had decided they were in the finance quarter somewhere when he felt a sharp yank on his tail. He wheeled around, grabbing up his tail in his arms, to see the shorter fox giggling like an idiot. Upon seeing Blink's scowl, he backed away and curled a finger into a come hither motion, turning to run when the silver finally smiled and gave chase. They ran through the streets for what felt like days but was likely only a half hour before they stopped in front of a small pub joint sandwiched between two rather unsavory looking stoop fronts. The aging wooden sign above the door boasted the name Dottie's.

"When you said a knee knocker, I wasn't quite expecting it to be condemned, mate."

"Bite me, slaggard, this is the best place in town," Temmy said as they entered.

Inside there was a smattering of tables to one side, each one only really big enough for one anima but seated for as many as six. They were each adorned with old brown candles with massive globs of wax frozen in a moment of rolling down the side. On the other side sat a small band with an array of Iresan instruments waiting to perform. A small clearing in the tables served as a sort of dance floor for whenever the band would play. Blink guessed they mostly played on request or just to set the mood. Along the back, inset in a floral printed wall, was a bar lit by a single lantern hanging over the counter and an eerie glow from somewhere in back. Temmy dragged him over here and rang the small silver bell hanging from the left hand wall. While they waited, Temmy turned his stool to face Blink's.

"It's not actually a pub," he said.

"Beg pardon?"

Temmy giggled before responding.

"Dottie doesn't serve liquor. I've known her a few years now and I don't think she's served so much as a draft pint."

"So what does she do?"

"She's an alchemist, brews concoctions that do much more interesting things than buzz your ears."

"Splains the glow, I figure."

"Yes it does, child," a raspy voice to their side said. The sudden appearance of the haggish mole caused Blink to nearly jump out of his fur.

"Hey, Dottie, what's brewing tonight?" Temmy giggled as the other fox smoothed out his fur.

"Tonight," the raspy mole said, "is a firewhisker mixture."

"Oooh! Those are fun!"

"They are indeed, young Swift."

"We'll take a glass each," Temmy said, dropping seven gold pieces on the counter. Dottie scooped them up and vanished to the back room before returning with two glowing azure drinks. The two moved to a table and Dottie disappeared once more.

"So what does this do exactly, Tem?"

"Something that goes great with a little music," Temmy said. Before Blink could ask another question the fennec had whirled over to the badger heading up the band on the fiddle. Blink shrugged and began sipping the potion in his paw and watched the other fox whisper something to the band. He studied the lithe fur again, feeling warmer when he looked over and pointed at him. Then he realized the warmth was spreading throughout his frame, resulting in hypnotic tingling sensations rippling across him. He began to stare at the warm spots as they flashed about his form.

"That," said Temmy, getting the silver's full attention as he spoke, "would be what a firewhisker mix does. Increases the sensation of touch so much you can feel the warmth and movements of your fur and flesh. Makes dancing feel amazing, so I thought I'd have them play a few Moorland tunes and get you to teach me a dance or two."

Blink giggled at this, causing his whole body to light up with a broiling sensation set off his synapses like fireworks. Suddenly, a bonnie tune his mother once sang him drifted across the air of the bar and he knew what had to be done.

"Let's dance," he cried, dragging the fennec with him as he downed the rest of his drink. The boys laughed as they hit the dance square and then stood stock still. Blink gave a cocked nod to his dance partner to signal that he should repeat what he did. The shorter fox returned the nod in the opposite direction to signal understanding. Blink started with a small shuffle step, the lest paw drop pointing to his partner signaling his turn. The boy fumbled through an approximation of what he'd seen, earning a laugh from his mentor. Blink placed his paws flat and palms down at stomach height and pushed down. Temmy obeyed the command and shook out his fur to relax. They went through a few more motions until a real dance began to break out. Their tails swished into each other at times as they spun to each other, filling them with sparks of pleasure. They danced and danced, arms locking for gate turns and backs bracing for roll kicks, until suddenly the song ended and they found themselves facing each other, foreheads touching and breathing heavily. They stood in this manner for a few moments before Temmy broke the silence.

"What do we do now, teacher?"

Then Blink leaned in and kissed him.