A Voyage by Sea

Story by Vanamee on SoFurry

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#5 of A Slave's Tail


Lawdy... I know it's been a while since the last chapter and I appologize. Between the H1N1 virus, school starting up, and getting settled in the new place, it has been hard to work on this chapter, but I definitely think it was worth it! ENJOY! (And I'll try to be a little more prompt with the next installment.)

Jade was the largest city in all the western isles, and the one of the most remote of Imperial outposts. The city had gained its name from the vast amount of jade that it exported to the mainland. For over two hundred years the port town had been there, serving as a naval base and a starting point for the Imperial slave raids

into the heart of the islands. It was this latter reason that brought the young wolf Vanamee and his friends there.

The steady bumping and tilting of the wagon within which Vanamee was held had changed into a gentle and steady rolling earlier that morning as the slave

caravan arrived in Jade. The scent of fresh bread and cooking meat, animals and sewers and countless other things wafted into the young canine's cell, along with the

soft yellow beams of the morning sun. Vanamee and his cellmate, Edwin, sat huddled together against the wall, the young lupine boy's hand slid through a crack at the

base and held by Kuramee, the young, white furred wolfess on the other side. The trio's journey had finally reached the halfway point.

"How long do you think the boat ride to Crown City will be?" Edwin asked, moving some wayward strands of long, brown head fur out of his eyes.

"I don't know." Vanamee answered with a shrug, "A week? A month?" Kuramee remained silent on the other side of the wooden wall, the wolfess being

inconsolable. The sting of knowing she would never see her mother again was still to fresh. Vanamee sighed, giving the girl's hand a squeeze. The young boy wished

he could do something for her, anything to make her feel better, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Vanamee couldn't bear the thought of seeing her cry, those

pretty blue eyes welling up with tears...

As the young canine was thinking, the wagon suddenly came to a stop. Vanamee and Edwin's ears pricked up immediately, straining to hear what was going

on. The young wolf could hear the other doors on the wagon being opened one by one and the hapless slaves within herded out. At last the door to his cell popped

open, an irritable looking hyena in red imperial armor ordering them out. As Vanamee and Edwin hopped out, the wolf took a moment to look around. He had been to

Jade once, the year before, on business with his father. Then the city had seemed a veritable wonder to the young canine. It was absolutely huge compared with any

other settlement in the western isles, and the architecture was distinctly Imperial. The buildings were all made of dark, smooth stones, a stark contrast to the white,

limestone structures native to those lands. The Imperials were also quite fond of the arch, and arched doorways, windows and bridges were everywhere the young

lupine looked. Now however, knowing that he was about to be shipped away from his homeland, his friends, and his family forever completely shadowed any

excitement or awe he might have felt. Vanamee noticed that the majority of the slave wagons were gone, leaving only the enclosed, wooden cells that contained the

more "valuable" cargo. Kuramee appeared next, hurrying up to Vanamee and grabbing hold of his hand as the guards moved the group along. The young wolfess'

short, blonde hair was a mess, sticking everywhere as though she had slept funny... or not at all.

"What's going on?" She whispered, her cool blue eyes filled with a silent fear. As if in answer to her question, the Imperial commander appeared. The smug

looking human glanced up and down the crowd of slaves, his completely furless visage looking rather unnerving to the scared and uncertain prisoners.

"Now my little friends." The commander announced tauntingly, "It's bath time!" Beside of Vanamee, Edwin let out a whimper.

"I hate this part." The long ear whined. Before Vanamee could ask him what he was talking about, a strong torrent of water slammed into him, sending him

flying onto his back! The Imperials had brought out a long, leather hose, attached at one end to a water pump which was currently being operated by two large bear

soldiers. The young wolf coughed and sputtered as the highly pressurized stream washed over him, the icy cold liquid soaking him to the bone before moving on to

wash over Kuramee, Edwin and all of the other slaves gathered. When at last the Imperials were satisfied that the lot of them were clean, the commander gave a shout

and fifty or so of the soldiers moved to encircle the group, holding their blades at the ready lest any of the prisoners got the idea to run. Vanamee whined as the group

began to move, the soldiers pushing them along the streets like a herd of cattle. The byways of Jade City were crowded, but all of those gathered moved quickly aside

as they saw the group of armed soldiers approaching, shooting curious glances at the lot of diminutive slaves that moved quickly along the cobbled street. The dark,

imposing buildings loomed close on either side as they moved along, the streets gradually becoming shorter and narrower as they went. Suddenly the tall, dark stone

buildings ended, replaced by rows of low, wooden structures and beyond that the ocean. As they moved on toward the shore, Vanamee looked about. There were a

great any wooden piers, jutting out into the shimmering blue waters, and a good number of large ships moored there. The ships stood like artificial mountains, rocking

and swaying in time with the incoming waves. Sailors mulled about everywhere, unloading, loading, talking, fighting and playing. The seafarers hardly batted an eye as

the naked prisoners were ushered past, out onto one of the longer piers. There were only two ships moored there, and it was to the one further out into the water that

the group was moved. The ship was tightly secured to the wooden pier by several long, frayed looking, hemp ropes, a long wooden plank lowered from the side down

to the pier to provide access to the deck. At the foot of the plank stood a large, scarred looking otter, his tan fur criss-crossed with a series of long, thin scars. He was

surrounded by several other sailors, each of them wearing the ragged clothes that seemed so typical of their lot. The group collectively smiled as the young slaves

approached.

"By Okeanos' beard!" One of the seafarers, a thin black furred mongoose exclaimed, "Even the males look fuck-able!" The others gave a hearty laugh at this

and Vanamee, along with every other young boy gathered there, blushed with embarrassment. The guards paused, one of them walking to this group of sailors and

handing a brown, ripped looking scroll to the scarred looking otter.

"So... not very many eh?" The otter noted, reading down through the manuscript.

"No," The guard answered, "But each one is worth their weight in gold." The otter gave a silent nod as he rolled the scroll back up and shoved it into one of

the pockets on his raggedy shorts. He gave a quick nod to the other sailors whom immediately walked over to the group of slaves.

"All right me little mates!" A tall, lanky parakeet announced, his feathers looking ridiculous, stuffed beneath the ill fitting shirt he wore. "It's time to load up!

On the ship with the lot of ya!" The Imperials backed away, letting the sailors take over. The group of prisoners was led up the long wooden ramp to the ship. Vanamee

could already tell he wasn't going to enjoy this trip in the least. The boat moved back and forth and the little wolf found it almost impossible to keep his footing. As he

was struggling to stay on his feet, he could hear the sailors laughing.

"Looks like this one is havin' a spot o' trouble!" One of the seafarers chortled, pointing at Vanamee.

"This should help him!" Another shouted, stepping forward with lighting speed. Vanamee had almost no time to relax before he could feel the sailor's paws

landing on his shoulders, giving the canine boy a hard shove and sending him onto his back. Vanamee landed with a hard umph. "What's wrong ye' wee toy?" The

sailor asked tauntingly, standing menacingly overtop of the overturned wolf. Directly in front of the wolf, Edwin leaned down, preparing to pounce on the assaulter.

"Enough boys!" Came a booming voice. The lupine looked up, finding the scarred otter standing nearby, his hands on his hips and an irritated look on his

face.

"Sorry cap'n!" The abusive sailor replied, stepping back and letting Vanamee regain his footing. The otter stepped closer, looking the young wolf up and

down.

"What's yer' name lad?" The otter asked, placing a paw on the lupine's shoulder and rubbing it around. Vanamee instantly hated the sailor's rough, strong

paw and shrank back a little. For a moment, Vanamee recalled the reaction that sergeant Zeke had taken when Kuramee pulled back from him and prepared to be struck.

The otter however, simply laughed. "I'm not goin' to hit ya lad!" The mustelide laughed, "Just trying to be friendly!"

"Vanamee..." The lupine replied quickly.

"What's that lad?" The otter responded, cocking his head and sticking a hand to his ear.

"I said my name is Vanamee." The wolf whined, keeping his voice low.

"Ah! Very good master Vanamee!" The mustelide gave the wolf a coy smile, "I'd like to have ye and your handsome little rabbit friend there for dinner

tonight! I'll send someone to fetch ye." The otter started to leave, but suddenly paused, turning back around.

"And wear something... nice." The otter added with a chuckle. Vanamee whimpered, not certain what this request entailed. Before the captain got out of

sight, Edwin placed a paw over Vanamee's shoulder and pulled him along. The prisoners were led down a large, grated hole in the deck, into the ships hold. The vast

artificial cavern was only partially lit by the tiny slivers of light that managed to work their way in through the cracks in the boards above. Most of the room within the

hold was taken up by enormous crates and barrels, all filled with goods. Toward the back of this area they were led, each slave looking about hesitantly. At the rear of

the hold stood an enormous steel cage, bolted down to the wooden floor. One of the sailors rushed forward, unlocking the door with a set of keys he had been keeping

handy, before ushering the prisoners inside. The door was soundly shut and locked as soon as the last slave was within.

"Now ye' runts keep quiet and behave yourselves!" A menacing sailor, a squat looking bull ordered, turning about with the rest of his companions and

heading back to the top deck. Vanamee looked about at his fellow captives. Besides himself, Kuramee, and Edwin, there were at least forty other young furs (mostly

wolves) crammed into the iron cell. The young wolf boy could hear the sound of one of the other slaves crying as he sat down. Edwin plopped down beside him, the

young long ear appearing a good deal less frightened than the others. Kuramee sat down on the other side of Vanamee, the young wolfess' white furred head laying

down against Vanamee's black shoulder. The canine boy wrapped an arm around her tentatively; his mind on the other hand was far away, thinking of his mother and

father.

Suddenly Kura began to cough, her entire body shuddering from the force. The sound was rough and grating, lasting for a good minute before it stopped.

Edwin and Vana looked at her warily, each wondering the same thing... was Kura sick? The girl wiped her mouth, looking up and giving Vanamee a weak smile.

"Must have had something stuck in my throat." She whispered with a shrug. Vanamee gave her a silent nod, secretly beginning to worry. The group stayed

there, in that permanent twilight for what seemed an eternity, the boat bobbing up and down with the waves. Somewhere near the back of the cage, Vanamee could hear

someone getting sick. At last the ship seemed to have a change in the steady up and down motion, and judging by the shouts from above, they had finally set sail.

Edwin tried to pass the time by telling them jokes, but it seemed that any laughter he received was overshadowed by Kura's coughing fits, which began to come more

and more frequently as time passed.

It was dark down in the hold, long before the sun had actually set. That evening, as the group of slaves sat, huddled in their cage, a group of sailors made

their way down, carrying plates of dried fruit and overly salted meat, which they passed out amongst the prisoners. The slaves fell into it eagerly, eating up the first

fruit they had been given in days. As Vanamee prepared to eat his own food, he noticed that Kura wasn't touching her rations.

"Are... Are you okay?" The lupine boy asked, looking at his friend concernedly. Kura gave a weak cough, then shrugged.

"I'm just not hungry." She replied, laying down on the cold metal floor of the cage as best as she was able.

"You have to eat Kura." Edwin added in, noticing the now rather sickly looking canine girl. Vanamee nodded his agreement. Kuramee reluctantly took some

of the meat and began to gnaw disinterestedly on it. Vanamee watched her whilst he ate, noticing how long it took her to chew anything, her bites interspersed between

coughs. As Vanamee was taking his last bite, he heard the door to the cage swing open and a strong hand take hold of him.

"Cap'n is ready for ye' and yer little rabbit pal!" Came a deep, growling voice. The hold was far too dark for the young wolf to discern exactly who or WHAT

was ordering him to follow but, with one last look at Kuramee, the young wolf boy obeyed. Edwin and Vanamee were led back to the other side of the hold and through

a rough, weathered old door. On the other side Vanamee could make out no more detail than he had been able to in the hold itself. At last the sailor whom had fetched

them lit up a torch and the boy could see. The sailor was a bent old raccoon, his face weathered and worn by his years at sea. They appeared to be in the sailor's

quarters, a number of hammocks hanging from hooks in the wall. The old raccoon led them across the room to a large chest with a sizeable, rusty padlock on it. The

coon reached down into his ripped up old pants and pulled forth a ring of keys. He selected one and quickly unlocked the chest, opening it up to reveal what looked

like a collection of women's clothes. "Get dressed lads," The raccoon said with a slight chuckle, "The cap'n wants you both looking right pretty for him!" Edwin was

the first to speak.

"You can't be serious?!" The rabbit exclaimed, "These are... are... dresses!"

"Aye." The sailor responded, "And stockings too! Now get dressed quick! The cap'n don't like to be kept waiting!" Vanamee sighed, reaching down and

pulling out one of the dresses. It was a bright pink and silky. The shoulders were ruffled and a series of frills adorned the sleeves. The lupine boy quickly slipped this

on, finding it to be a little short on him, barely covering his crotch and leaving fairly easy access to his backside. Next he hauled out two white stockings, blushing as

he pulled them up onto his legs. The wolf glanced over at his friend, only to find Edwin wearing a similar outfit, save that his was a light blue in color and his stockings

were grey. Vanamee was ready to leave when the coon laughed.

"You little runts aren't done yet." He chortled, pointing down into the chest. Vanamee leaned over, looking into the darkened chest. At the bottom he could

just make out what appeared to be a small box. The wolf pulled this out, turning it about in the dim torchlight. It was a box of makeup! The lupine looked over at his

friend, whimpering. Vanamee had no idea how to put on makeup! The rabbit sighed, taking the box from Vanamee's paws.

"Let me do you, then you do me." The rabbit suggested, beginning to apply the makeup to the young wolf's face. Vanamee wanted to flinch as the rabbit

began to apply some blush to his cheeks and spread some lipstick and eye shadow. When Edwin was done, the wolf took the makeup and tried his best to do the same

for the long ear. His attempt was amateurish at best and the wolf knew his work was inferior to the rabbits own.

"You sure seem to know what you're doing." Vanamee whispered as he put some of the overly bright lipstick onto his friend's lips.

"I had a master like this once." The buck replied, being careful to keep his voice low enough so as not to get the attention of the coon. Vanamee gave a slight

laugh, despite his situation. "Just act nice and girly and shy. If I'm guessing this guy right, he'll eat it up... and maybe give US some extra rations." The rabbit added

with a smirk.

"All right!" The sailor interrupted, raising his torch up and looking down at the two

(now cross-dressing) furs. Vanamee quickly put the makeup down as the sailor hurried them back out to the hold, then up to the top deck. It was night now and a cool,

salty breeze blew through the young canine's long blue head fur. Up above him the waxing moon shone brightly, bathing the deck and the inky black waters all around

them in silvery light. As he padded across the deck, Vanamee enjoyed the feeling of the cool ocean winds against his fur, a welcome change from the stuffy deck

below. The other sailors were on deck and each and every pair of eyes was fixed on the pair of effeminate young males walking across deck. A couple of the sailors

whistled and some laughed, causing Vanamee to blush brightly.

At last they were led to the rear of the vessel, toward a pair of large, wooden, double doors. The coon stopped here and knocked. "Now ye' two pretty things

behave and do whatever the cap'n tells ye." And with that he pushed the doors open a crack and stepped away. The two boys pushed the door open wider, a bright

yellow light flooding out onto the deck. As they stepped inside they were greeted by a rather shocking sight. The room was well lit by a trio of rusty lanterns that hung

from the ceiling, the walls covered in maps and charts. In the center of the room was a small, round, wooden table upon which sat two plates and some lit, red candles.

Upon one plate was a steaming steak and a bright green salad on the other. On the opposite side of the room was a large bed, covered in soft looking red quilts. Upon

this bed sat the scarred otter Vanamee had spoken to earlier, now dressed in a fine blue suite and pants with a ruffled white undershirt, looking rather dignified.

"Good evening me pretties!" The otter chuckled, gesturing toward the plates, "Please help yourselves!" The two young furs looked at one another for a

moment, Edwin giving the wolf a sly wink.

"Thank you Mr." The long ear replied, his voice slightly higher and more feminine than usual. The buck walked over to the salad, pulling up a nearby

wooden chair and making certain to hike his rear up a bit as he sat down. Vanamee hesitated a moment, blushing a bright red beneath his dark fur. At last he moved

walking over to his own plate, leaning over to pull up a chair and giving the otter a nice view of his taught little rear before taking a seat. Edwin picked up a fork, his

actions slightly exaggerated and flirty. Vanamee followed suite, although he felt ridiculous and pathetic doing it. He hated having to play along with the otter's sick little

fantasy, but knew that there was little choice if he wanted to survive. The lupine picked up his fork and knife, slicing a bit of the juicy steak and bringing it up to his

lips. The meat was exquisite, the lupine instantly beginning to drool as the warm juices of the steak exploded across his tongue. Yet, as he dug into the wonderful meal,

something felt amiss. The otter hadn't spoken since they had arrived, merely watching them eat with a gleeful look on his face. After a short time they had finished the

exquisite meal and sat looking at the captain expectantly.

"My my..." The otter smiled, patting the bed to either side of him, gesturing for the pair to join him. As the young pair rose and then sat on either side of the

otter, the captain wrapped an arm over each of them, "What pretty girls I have this evening. Why don't you give Cap'n a kiss?" The wolf leaned over, nervously

planting a kiss on the otter's scarred cheek, Edwin doing the same on the other side. "Now what kind o' kisses be those?" The captain chuckled, moving his hand

upwards and taking a firm hold on Vanamee's head fur, pulling him forward suddenly and forcing him to lock muzzles with the captain. The lupine shuddered as the

otter's fat tongue wormed its way into his mouth, sliding about and tasting every little orifice. Just as quickly as it had started, the kiss ended and the otter turned his

head to Edwin, forcing the rabbit close and locking him with a deep kiss. Edwin's eyes closed and the rabbit appeared to be rather accepting of the kiss, if not enjoying

it. The otter finally pulled back, a thick rope of slobber trailing from his lips back to Edwin's.

"Well now," The otter laughed, giving the two young boys a mischievous grin, "Now that ol' cap'n has fed ya, what are ye going to do fer me?" Edwin took

the initiative, running one paw up and down the captain's thigh, coming a little closer to his crotch with each sweep.

"Whatever you want us to sir." Edwin replied in his most feminine accent. Vanamee gave a mental groan, but followed suit, scooting up tight against the tall

mustelide, placing his paw suggestively close to the captain's now bulging crotch.

"Ye give such good kisses." The captain said, his voice barely above a whisper. He reached down, undoing the top of his pants. His hard cock instantly

sprung free, the smooth shaft bouncing slightly as it hit the cool air, "Why don't ye give me a few kisses down there?" Edwin leaned over, placing his head just a few

inches above the otter's cock, sticking out his small, pointed tongue and licking the tip slowly. A drop of clear pre slipped out of the captain's dick, dropping onto the

rabbit boy's tongue just as he pulled away. Vanamee leaned down, finding his face very close to the long ear's and his nostrils filled with strong, intoxicating musk of

the mustelide. The lupine stuck out his tongue, pressing it against the base of the otter's meat, pulling up slowly, letting his long canine tongue soak it with the wolf's

warm drool. The captain let out a pleased gasp as the young wolf flicked his tongue across the tip, catching a little bit of pre as it oozed out. Now Vanamee leaned back

down, Edwin doing the same on the other side, each of them running their tongues slowly up and down the throbbing member. The otter placed a hand atop each boy's

head, pulling them each closer and closer together. After a moment, their muzzle tips finally touched. The two young furs looked at each other for a moment, uncertain

what to do, until the captain pushed again, forcing the two boy's muzzle's to part, each taking in a little of the otter's hard cock.

Vanamee closed his eyes, letting his muzzle part and wrapping his tongue around the captain's cock, feeling Edwin doing the same on the other side. With one final

push, the boys were basically kissing one another around the captain's shaft. The lupine could feel his friend's tongue occasionally slip into his mouth as they pleased

the captain together. After a moment the otter took a grip of the boy's head fur once more, forcing them up.

"What naughty little whores ye are!" The captain growled with mock disgust, "If little girls like ye' want to act like whores, then maybe ol' cap'n should treat

ye' like whores!" With that the otter threw the two boys down onto the bed. "Now asses in the air!" He ordered. Vanamee and Edwin quickly obeyed, each getting onto

all fours and lowering their front halves, leaving their young asses up. The skirts they wore fell forward as they lowered their front halves, exposing each of the boy's

asses and their furry sheaths. The otter meanwhile, began to rub a hand over each boy's bottom, giving the occasional squeeze. "You first little wolf!" He laughed,

moving over and positioning himself behind Vanamee. The lupine gulped audibly as he felt the mustelide's sizable shaft pressing against his rump. The captain was not

all that thick, but he certainly had a great deal of length, something that was at the front of the young canine slave's mind as the otter mercilessly slammed it in, using

only what little pre he had accumulated at the tip as lubricant. Vanamee yelped as he felt the captain's shaft sliding inside, forcing him open. The otter, however,

moaned with pure ecstasy. Vanamee suddenly felt someone holding his hand, looking over to find Edwin, a regretful look on his face. The two young boys held hands

as the otter continued his assault on the canine. Vanamee let out the occasional moan as he felt the otter's throbbing shaft slide against his prostate, causing the wolf's

shaft to harden and spurt out a little cum. After a moment the mustelide seemed to lose interest and pulled out, moving over behind Edwin.

"Now ye'!" He laughed, positioning himself before pressing it in. Edwin let out a loud moan, his cottontail flicking about as he was mounted by the larger

male. Vanamee stayed still, holding the rabbit's hand and watching. The captain didn't bother being gentle, instead simply pounding as hard and fast as he could, the

force of each thrust jolting the long ear's entire body. Edwin didn't seem to mind too much, as he was sporting a sizable boner of his own. After a few moments the

captain threw his head back and let out a veritable howl as he came inside the young rabbit. Edwin let out a rather girlish moan, the sensation of the otter's warm cum

bringing about a small orgasm for the buck as well. As he was pulling out, the captain looked over at Vanamee.

"Now what have we here? Didn't the little doggy girl cum?" The captain leaned over, putting a rough, calloused paw around what little of the wolf's cock was

peeking from his sheath and began to slowly rub it. The lupine didn't fight it this time, but tried to enjoy the sensation and indeed did, his cock slowly working its way

out. After a few moments, Vanamee began to pant, his hips inadvertently bucking against the otter's ministering paw. At last Vanamee couldn't hold back any longer,

giving one hard thrust against the captain's paw and blowing his warm, sticky load all over the bed.

"Good girl." The captain laughed, laying himself down on the bed between the two young boys. He reached an arm out, repositioning the two and pulling them

tight against him. "Sorry to be such an old perv lads," The otter expounded, "but we all gots our kinks." Vanamee sighed, laying his head on the captain's chest, next to

Edwin's and listening to the old sailor's rhythmic breathing. Vanamee sighed as the mixed scents of spooge and musk wafted up his nostrils. His mind was still down in

the hold, worrying over Kuramee. The otter seemed to pick up on this and scratched the wolf gently behind the ear. "What's wrong lad?"

"My friend sir..." The wolf answered hesitantly, "She... she's very sick." The seafarer looked at him critically for a moment.

"Then get up and come on!" The captain announced, leaping to his feet with surprising agility and pulling his pants back up, "We can't have her infecting

the whole bunch of you!" The otter rushed out of the room, leaving the two shocked young furs sitting on the edge of the bed, uncertain what to do. After a few

minutes, the captain returned, a bespectacled badger carrying a curious looking bag following close behind. "All right lads!" The captain ordered, leading the badger

into the room. The badger wore a rather out of place looking brown suit, and didn't seem the least bit surprised by the young boy's appearances. "Take me and the kind

doctor here to see yer bonny lass!" Vanamee and Edwin looked at one another and shrugged, getting up and leading the two larger males out and making their way

toward the hold.

Down below, the light of the silvery moon did little to illuminate the abysmal shadows. The group was forced to walk slowly, weaving their way through the pitch

black, moving around the countless crates and barrels. The captain explained to them that it was quite dangerous to spark a torch anywhere near the middle of the hold,

as the ship was carrying a fair amount of cannon powder within some of the barrels. After they were a safe distance in however, the otter lit up a torch, showering a

small circle around them in its wavy orange light. They made their way even further back, to the iron cage full of slaves. As Vanamee peered in, he saw numerous slaves

asleep, the rest of them looking out at the group warily. Near the front lay Kuramee, so still and motionless that the wolf thought her dead for a moment. As he saw her

white chest rise with a weary breath however, he knew she yet lived. The doctor hurriedly opened the cage, rushing in and picking up the snow white wolfess in his

arms.

"We should take her up to my quarters." The badger announced, a grave look etched on his face. The captain consented with a nod.

"You boys go with him." The otter ordered as he prepared to lock the cage back, "Stay the night with your friend. By the looks of her, it might be the last

night you get to spend with her." Vanamee felt his heart rip in two.

"But... but can't the doctor help her?" The boy whined, looking at the young girl, hanging limp as a rag doll in the badger's strong arms.

"I... I'm not sure boys." The doctor replied with a weary sigh. "But we need to get her up to my room quickly!" With that the group rushed back toward the

ladder that led up to the deck, not even bothering to extinguish the torch as they passed by the volatile barrels full of explosives. As he was climbing the ladder,

Vanamee fought back tears, uttering a silent prayer to the gods for his friend's life.

"Please... please don't die and leave me alone Kura..." The wolf whispered as he got up onto deck, looking down at the pale, gentle face of his beloved friend.

"Please don't die..."