FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

‘I’ll confess that I have no real skills in this area,’ Oleg continued as he was let in and his long coat added to the coat rack. ‘But I’m assured that you’ll do an excellent job.’ He smiled as Ana led him to the portrait room. ‘I was familiarising myself with some of your previous work. You even did one of our previous First Minister.’

Ana nodded stiffly. Oleg had not shut up yet.

‘Yes, it was a private commission but I understand he told several people. As is his choice to do so.’

‘He did.’ The weasel had not let up that stupid grin. ‘I saw it. He is still very pleased with your work.’

Ana could feel her fingers twitch. Why did she have to do this? It was to see the portrait, give a timescale, set the date. That was it. And yet he seemed to want to make up for his faux-pas and was trying to ingratiate her! She found herself preferring when he almost discredited her art altogether.

‘I'm glad. But I need to know if this is meeting your approval now.’ She let some steel enter her voice there. Dag had been a great help there with some subtle coaching. ‘There’s still some work to do on this one.’

The canvas was huge. Timeo had commented maybe once on it but that was it.The rest of the time he’d been focussed more on the practicalities. The main questions from him had been how she’d known how much paint to use, if it was difficult, did she need a step or something to reach the higher parts. In a way it had been refreshing to hear different questions and she’d answered as honestly as she could.

Oleg simply looked at it then rubbed his chin. ‘You have made considerable progress already. How much longer do you think?’

Ana gave the canvas a long look. In her mind she thought back to previous ones, similar size and what she’d been given then. Then with barely a few seconds passing, she said quickly, ‘3 months. It'll be done in 3 months. And I believe the rest of the payment is due about now too.’

She met his gaze. He broke the eye contact first and coughed politely. ‘I thought more like 2 months. It seems you have the process down-’

‘3 and no less. It doesn’t matter for the process. The King’s one took 4 months to complete.’ And I didn’t have you to bother me. At least that Minister respected that it would take time! And there were other factors, but Ana, don’t think on that right now, focus on Oleg.

‘I understand there were extraneous circumstances about that. This is less urgent. Why can’t this take a month less?’

The weasel was looking at her expectantly. Ana felt the urge to raise both paws up, flex her fingers about his scrawny neck and squeeze.

‘Because I need more dyes for certain colours. The ones in his coat? I’m running low on those, so I’m painting what parts I can with what I do have.’

Oleg shrugged. ‘And I fail to see how this is my problem.’ He smiled again.’You’re the artist here, you can work out-’

‘I am. And when I say I am low on certain dyes, I mean it. I thought of that already and I know what the solution is. The solution is that you pay me the rest and I get the dyes. Unless you have another idea that'll get the dyes quicker.’

Her tone could have curdled milk. It could have sent prey scattering from a predator who’d had enough shit to deal with. It was almost the voice of a strict teacher who’d had enough of a troublesome student and if said target was not thinking their words very carefully, it’d only get stricter.

Oleg seemed to pause and he opened his mouth to speak then paused again. Finally, he relented. ‘I’ll have it sent right away.’

The target date was agreed. 3 months from now and the rest of the payment was to be sent over that same day.

She’d never seen anyone so happy to leave, with a disconcerted look over his shoulder, even as Ana suddenly seemed more amenable when he’d agreed.

‘Did he give you trouble?’ Stig came up from behind, rubbing her shoulder gently. His taut tone indicated that he certainly wasn’t smiling and his arm felt rigid with tension.

The feline sighed and rubbed his hand gently. ‘At the start. But I soon made sure he came to his senses.’

—-------------------------------

She’d expected two weeks. She’d asked how long it was on average and his answer had been a shrug and a vague ‘Well, if we’re talking averages, then about two weeks is what I’d expect. But we’ll see on this one.’

She recalled not being quite satisfied with this answer but it had to do. That early morning after had felt significantly heavier.

Before he’d gone, she’d gifted him a locket. Inside was an example of a miniature work, something she was trying out for the novelty. The picture inside was a lightly coloured picture of herself in the nude, throwing a suggestive wink. ‘Something to… make the nights go by easier.’ He had smiled despite his heavy heart and accepted it. ‘I am sure it will’, he’d said with a wink.

She wondered idly if Dag had noticed her listlessness and she soon had her answer when Dag had called in from the study.

It had been two weeks since Timeo had left. Before her lay her colours and the gentle sweeping of the brush on the canvas was a welcome distraction. Just some shade here, some lighter notes there…

‘Not even finished and already looking quite the magnificent piece.’ She paused then turned on the step ladder to see Dag in the doorway. He was smiling broadly.

He was a ram, the soft grey-white wool curling about his head and neck and buried under the layers of clothing he wore day to day. On his head, jutting from the wool, was a set of curled horns that curled around so the blunted tips faced forward at a point just behind his ears. His face, wreathed in a smile he reserved for Ana, was covered in black splotches in a seemingly random pattern.

He stopped leaning on the doorway and entered. ‘Quite an impressive figure. I’ve never met him yet, or at least, not long enough for a conversation.’

Ana rammed the brush into her tied-back hair, already slightly tinted with bluish paint, and stepped down. ‘I imagine you’d both have a lot to talk about. He certainly can get very chatty when he has a mind to.’

It was a brief but close embrace. Dag wasn’t yet needed elsewhere and they were making the most of those days. She felt Dag’s chuckle rather than heard it as her low purr started almost immediately.

‘Am I right to guess he was more talkative before or after you let him ‘in’?’ It was said in good humour and he just knew when she curled into him briefly before they parted that she’d gone red under her fur. ‘Come on. You know me by now.’

It was time for a small meal anyway and so they sat outside for it while the weather was still good. Over this, Dag looked over at his wife and for a moment, it hadn’t felt right. She was usually happier to have made progress on anything she did but today it just seemed… ‘You miss him, don’t you?’

He spoke softly as if coaxing a frightened animal. ‘He made quite the impression, didn’t he?’

Ana sighed. ‘Yes.’ She told him of her first impressions of him and seemed rather embarrassed by how quickly her mind had changed. The ram merely chuckled and patted her hand gently.

‘He gets everyone that way. I think of it as a reverse charm. I’ve met many who are positively charming on first sight, friendly, approachable, you know the sort of thing. Then I get to know them and it’s as if that was all a front. Whereas with him, from what little I do know, he’s often seen as rather spiky at first.’

The feline nodded, feeling a little surprised Dag was handling it all so well. She was surprised herself at this inner revelation.

It wasn’t as if they hadn’t done it before. It wasn’t cheating, not in the sense others would see it anyway. It was seeing to their needs in ways that neither could meet when apart. That was all.

Not to say it had not felt awkward, especially at first. There’d not been arguments so much as a sudden cooling at periods when there’d been doubts. Sometimes she wondered if she were enough for him and likewise, he’d wondered the same when she had confessed her dalliances.

That had been early in their relationship. It had been carefully tiptoeing around each other, gauging how the other was and figuring things out. She liked to think they had a strong enough bond now that most of that awkwardness had been ironed out, but sometimes it still came back.

Timeo had made an impression on her and not just the lingering bite marks that had all but faded now.

‘You really don’t mind then?’ A slight note of trepidation there.

‘Mind what?’ Dag raised a brow. ‘Ana, I know you. This is like Stig all over again. You were so worried when you first broached that and all I did was agree and want to know he treated you right.’ He smiled reassuringly. ‘It certainly made for very happy reading when your letter finally arrived.’

Happy reading. Heh.They both knew what that meant.

As she headed back to resume work on the portrait, Dag’s last request wasn’t forgotten: ‘When he’s back… Could you let him know I’d like to see him? I’d like to get to know him a little better.’

Ana smirked. Why had she been worried? Ah well. It was better to have mentioned than to assume the worst.

—----------------------

A month passed.

Then another two weeks.

The portrait deadline was looming. Despite herself, she was panicking.

It was over halfway done. She had made extremely good progress. She’d reminded herself of it. It was fine. It was fine.

Except it didn’t feel it.

She always felt like this. It was always watching that date and worrying that something might happen. She recalled at one point she’d almost panicked over one commission when she had unexpectedly run out of colours and an entire day had to be given over to firstly panicking, secondly calming down, then finally finding a supplier at short notice. That had been one month before deadline. Thank the merciful Lord she’d had cooler heads helping her then!

The worry was enough that she was distracted from her ponderings on where on earth Timeo was. He’d said two weeks but no one had seen him. She recalled he was, despite his overt blue colour, very good at not being noticed. She had reassured herself that if he was back, maybe he’d been roped in for something new. Or he wanted some calm and quiet, maybe sleep for a while since he might not have had the chance.

Then it was two weeks to the deadline. It was done. More to the point, the paint was done. It had to dry now and that was as much part of the process as the actual work. It was paint, touch up, dry, repeat as necessary.

It had to be dry too. It was going to be escorted to the palace and put on show. There really was nothing worse than a smudged mess of paint that hadn’t dried properly.

‘It looks wonderful.’ Dag smiled broadly. Stroking her back gently, he turned to look at her. ‘He’ll love it. And it’ll be quite the striking addition.’

‘You think?’ Ana felt some doubt despite her pride.

‘I am absolutely sure. He may not be a decorated officer but this will be akin to several promotions I think. Maybe he’ll see it as better than any promotion.’

Joseph had visited too, some time later for a social call and a check in as he was agog with curiosity to see the end result. The moment he set eyes on the picture, his face lit up. ‘Ah, magnifico! This is perfect! He looks like he’d wink at you.’

Come to think of it, it did look that way. She was quietly impressed with that.

One week to deadline. She’d already made the preparation for the travel of the painting and it was in its frame. There were still a couple of patches that needed another day, a minor concern.

It will be fine, she told herself. It’ll be absolutely fine.

Then it was taken away. The unveiling was during the day then into the evening it had been decided there’d be a meal and dance. This had been organised for the king’s commission too but that one had been far more extravagant. She’d retired home at one in the morning for that one but the rumours said it went on till five.

Finally the day itself had arrived.

‘And now, for the final completed piece. Quiet please.’ Joseph’s voice boomed in the gallery. He turned towards Ana and smiled. ‘Your cue, my dear.’

The cord was pulled and the cloth that covered the huge painting fell away. There was a chorus of polite applause and audible murmurs of appreciation. Ana basked in the appreciation as beside her, Dag gave her an encouraging smile.

‘I don’t like the rogue. But I’ll be damned, it’s like he’s right here. Very impressive.’

‘A very good likeness. I wonder what he’ll make of it.’

‘Simply wonderful! But the view of him without any of that is even better.’ That was Marielle. She’d cornered Ana with a glass of something fruity and alcoholic and the cat had accepted out of politeness.

The beagle looked up at the gentle face again. ‘So. I have to know. Did he…?’ She made a vague suggestive motion with her free hand. ‘And don’t say no. I know he tries it on everyone.’

Marielle’s snorting giggles at what she was suggesting made Ana almost smirk. ‘Yes he tried. He was very… He started off rather grumpy actually. But as we got used to each other, he did try. And before you ask if I accepted, I said no.’ Lies, lies. But the less she knew, the better. ‘To his credit he did stop. He was quite the gentleman about it.’

Thank goodness Dag wasn’t there just then. He’d been coached but he hadn’t needed much of it. ‘The less she knows about us generally, the better,’ he’d muttered darkly. ‘I don’t want our love life the topic of the day.’ Neither did Ana.

‘Oh.’ The beagle looked somewhat deflated. ‘I’m sure dag wouldn’t have minded. Or you know…’ She leaned in. ‘It could be your little secret.’

You mean my secret that you’d want to tell everyone. ‘It was enough to know him.’ She politely joined the fresh burst of giggles but when the chance came to mingle, she did so with a polite and strained smile to Marielle.

What would Timeo make of it? She found herself consciously looking in the milling crowds for him but it was fruitless. Was he hiding? Was he even back? Then, claiming some sort of heat malady, she went outside to one of the more secluded balconies. Closing the doors behind, she looked out at the dwindling sun and sighed.

‘A magnificent view.’

That voice was unmistakable. She turned quickly then gasped. ‘Timeo?! You’re back! But when, how long-’

He was half sat on the balcony edge, one leg on the floor to keep steady. The bluish greatcoat was stained, dark patches of brown and some green making it look scruffy. The boots were immaculate, although a few scuff marks still showed despite the care. And looking into his eyes, she saw evidence of healed scars below one eye. He puffed the pipe in his paw and sent out a smoke ring with some care.

‘Sssh. I’m hiding. The moment that French one sees me, you may never see me again.’ He motioned with his thumb to the closed doors.

‘Right! Yes, of course.’ Ana immediately went quiet and shuffled closer, her tail flicking excitedly behind her. ‘Sorry. But you never got back in touch, what happened? How long have you been back?’ Even when quiet, her voice betrayed excitement and a touch of hurt.

He adjusted his pose a little and inhaled the fragrant smoke. ‘I came back after two weeks. But I had caught something. Had a cough for about a week then once I was over that, Oleg caught me and said there was some trouble with Denmark. Funnily enough, it was the Prussians making a little push on disputed territory. So no warning, he said I’m going over to help them out and show good faith.’ He puffed out a long trail of smoke and shrugged. ‘I’ve been back a week and just slept. Then I heard about this and slipped in unnoticed.’

Ana listened, her brow furrowing. ‘Wait. Oleg sent you off… I thought it was our policy not to fight others’ battles?’

Timeo nodded. ‘Only on paper. Remember that trouble with Norway a few years ago?’

Ah. Ana sighed and leaned against a lion statue on the balcony. ‘Funny how he never mentioned that to me. It would have been helpful to know.’ Note to self, talk to Oleg later. Or get Dag to, in case I cause a scene. That fucking sneak, I could kill him! ‘So was it resolved peacefully? Or is it another ‘invisible’ fight that will be swept away?’

Timeo had definitely picked up the sudden tension in her voice. He stood up to stroke her cheek reassuringly.

‘Oleg hates me. I think he hoped I’d die out there. Too bad, I’ve got… about five lives left?’ He chuckled. ‘But if you want to be assured, it was nothing more than raising hackles. The King of Denmark is a touch hot-headed but even he could see that they wouldn't try anything. All I effectively did was walk up and down the equivalent of a fence. Either way, it’s not important.’

‘Not as important as today?’ She found herself leaning into the touch.

‘Definitely not as important as today.’ She knew that tone. He had moved on from the serious business and was gliding ever so gently to something far more interesting. ‘In case you were wondering, I saw it. It is a truly wonderful piece. You know it is rare to see something like it from another, to see how you look on the outside?’

The polite applause and commentary from the onlookers had been appreciated. But at that moment, Ana knew the portrait had truly done its job. Timeo’s warm and slightly gravelly voice, doubtless still worn out despite a restful return, held such sincerity that it welled up emotions within that she found hard to choke down.

‘You, you like it then?’ She swallowed it down then found her voice.

‘My dear, in there they will say anything to be polite. But I have no reason to hide what I truly feel.’ He grinned and moved so he was opposite her, once more stroking her cheek. A lingering touch this time. ‘It is perfect. I couldn’t ask for better.’

There was definitely a charge to the atmosphere. Her eyes darted toward the doors. He caught her motion and the white fur moved as he smirked.

‘I’d like to thank you personally. And since it’s just us…’

They were now facing outward. Looking over the bridges that linked each island of the Stockholm archipelago together, a dwindling sun casting its light over the channels of water it touched, her attention suddenly grew very fixed.

The cold air touched limbs encased in soft stockings. So too did an errant white-tipped paw , tracing upwards until fingers found fur then-

Her cheeks burned with a familiar tinge of embarrassment. It was overcome with another heat, one that Timeo knew full well to exploit. His satisfied chuckle in her ear let her know he knew exactly what he was doing.

‘Shall we see how far we can get?’

For a moment, she considered saying no. It was far too risky. Back at her estate was one thing, some inner common sense said, but where anyone could find them? It would be crazy!

She turned to him and smiled. ‘Let’s try it.’