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The Cry of Sodom

Book Two, Scroll II

Written by Arian Mabe (Amethyst Mare)

Outside the walls of Sodom, the equine Imran's search teams were far from idle in their quest for Edith's family. Unlike Edith and Malachi, however, they found themselves more successful one scorching afternoon as the sun beat down.

A party consisting of an ibex, oryx, sand cat and striped hyena loped over the rough terrain, muscle rippling beneath thin coats of fur perfectly suited to the harsh climate. They fared better than the canines across the rough, sparsely inhabited ground, keeping up a good pace and trusting their bare paws and hooves to find purchase as pebbles shifted beneath them. Wearing nothing but loincloths, they slung light cloth packs over their shoulders, which seemed far too small to carry anything of sustenance. Nevertheless, their provisions and natural knowledge of the land drove them safely onward, knowing that time was running out for the lost canines like sand trickling through an hourglass.

The sand cat crouched in the dust, tracing the outline of a scuffed up patch of earth. Unable to discern clear prints - though what he could see were without a doubt paw marks - he sighed heavily, narrow chest expanding. A slender cat, he tilted gracefully to his left, maintaining his balance as he peered around a scrap of vegetation - a twisted, gnarled bush that had somehow managed to cling to life with so little water available. The scent of more than one fur hung over this spot as if they had returned to the same bush time and time again.

Leaning forward precariously, he circled his fingers in the dirt, seeking out a scrap of moisture in the shade and lifted the damp digits to his muzzle. He sniffed twice and wrinkled his nose; someone had urinated there. Whether it was the family they hunted for or others, there were other furs close. He only prayed they were not those of uncouth persuasion who would as soon slit their throats as they would steal their meagre provisions.

Quickly, they must move quickly.

It was the ibex who spotted the cave and called him over, bidding him to rejoin the main team. Light on his paws, he sprang to their sides, leaving a small cloud of dust in his wake. They conversed in low tones and advanced on the barely visible cave mouth set halfway up the slope. Placing each paw with great care, every muscle tightened in their bodies, each member of the party prepared to take flight if the cave boded ill, acutely aware of the danger. They had been unusually lucky thus far and it would be pure irony if they were to stumble into a band of raiders instead of the family they sought. The sand cat shivered, the rings on his tail dancing as the tremble traversed the length. The heady aroma of musk and unkempt bodies emanated from the cave as they approached, growing stronger by the second.

Holding his breath, the sand cat eased his muzzle around the edge of the cave wall, a few feet away from a lip that plummeted several feet straight down; it would not do to fall. He almost recoiled from the sight that awaited him within the cave - three canines sprawled amongst blankets and sleeping mats in great disarray, fur matted with all manner of sexual juices and sweat. There had been a creek nearby. When had they last bathed? Certain that the cave's occupants were of no threat - surely lolling in drunkenness if the dripping wine skins were to be believed - he gestured for his team to follow and stepped inside.

As soon as he set the first paw into the cave, a fourth fur that he had not initially accounted for shot to her feet and scrambled to the back of the natural cavern. The fox trembled and pressed herself into the stone, hugging a bundle of cloth to her chest. Unaware of what he had stumbled into, the sand cat spread his paws, ears dipped back to appear as unthreatening as possible.

"Easy now," he said quietly, maintaining as low and soothing a tone as possible in his raspy voice. "I mean you no harm. Who are you?"

The Corsac fox stared wide eyed, clutching the blanket to her chest with shaking paws, but had no answer, so great was her fear. The cat scratched his head, tail flicking. What had come over this vixen? They had heard nothing of a fox travelling with the canines, if the sleeping canines were indeed the ones they had been seeking. Perhaps they had tripped over an unsuspecting, unrelated group of travellers? But how many could be travelling in such an unforgiving land?

He shook his head: he was over thinking the matter in the heat of the moment.

Assuming for the time being that the vixen was embarrassed by her near-naked state - even if it was an unusual affliction for one of Sodom or the general locality - he kindly averted his eyes and turned his attention to the canines. The large male slumbered peacefully, a moderate snore rumbling from his throat with every sleeping breath, but the fuller figured female sat up, rubbing drowsiness from her eyes. Between the cat and the older canine, however, resided a sprawled out female with a goofy smile perking at the corners of her lips. With one arm thrown back behind her head she blinked up at the cat as if she did not truly see him.

"Are you Pheine?" He asked of the slenderer canine.

Though it was actually Thamma stretched out on her back, she could make no sense of his words and merely smiled drunkenly, lips moving to form no sounds.

"I am Pheine," the other canine proclaimed clearly, a hint of pride in the clarity of her words.

The sand cat's heart thudded heavily in his chest and he shuddered as if he had been dunked in a trough of rarely cold water. Thankfully, in his state, he was not called upon to speak as the ibex' shoulders slumped forward and he dropped his pack on the ground.

"Thank the stars!" The relief was palatable in the ibex' tone as he swept an arm out to the side. "We've been searching for you for suns. How have you managed to survive so long?"

"We had our ways." Pheine's eyes gleamed in the dim light. "Perhaps it is now time to return to civilisation, however. Don't you agree, sister?"

The sprawling canine at her side nodded slowly, tail sweeping back and forth across the cave floor in a faint wag that betrayed a deep sense of content. Feeling as if he was missing something, the sand cat traced his mind back through recent events, the sights and scents he had catalogued so meticulously in his search and approach to their hiding place. The urination by the bush, the sense of ill-kempt the females radiated and the musky aroma of sex leading up to the cave. It took his mind a moment longer than he was proud of to catch up.

And then the ibex fell as still as a statue, even his slender tail resting quietly under his loincloth. The hyena cursed under his breath and took half a step forward, only halted by the oryx' paw upon his forearm. Even the sand cat, so used to dealing with all situations under the sun had hoped never to come across such a situation. It was abhorrent, if what he suspected. Futilely, he scanned the cave for other occupants, nose sifting through the scents but there had clearly been no others in the cave bar those already accounted for. If there had been a male other than the sleeping fur that could only be their father from appearance and age, things would have been very different. But this...this was wrong. Tearing his eyes away from Thamma's rounded belly, he swallowed hard.

Imran had said nothing about the daughters being pregnant. Not before they had left Sodom.

Their eyes turned in unison to Lot and then back again to the smiling, oblivious female furs. The larger one, identified as Pheine, yawned lazily and burped.

"Wait...are you..." The ibex fumbled. "You are Edith's daughters, yes?"

"Yes, we are," Pheine confirmed, rubbing her abdomen in slow circles. "Are you not looking for us? You knew my name."

"We were..." The ibex rubbed his shoulder, eyes dark with suppressed emotion. "We were not expecting to find you with litters on the way."

Pheine giggled musically, the wine making her clap one paw over her lips like a canine of younger, more innocent years, though she had not many years on her to begin with.

"Yes!" She beamed. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"And your sister?" The hyena spoke up. "Is she with pup too? What of the vixen? Are you injured in any way?"

Pheine tilted her head to one side, the very picture of a confused dog.

"No, no one here is hurt," she said. "Thamma has a litter too but I'm sure mine will be born before hers. Esther... Esther doesn't seem to be pregnant." The canine looked down at the ground. "It's unfortunate."

Shaking lightly, the striped hyena let a snarl rip from his throat, loud enough to make every conscious fur in the cave jump, startled. He strode up to the fat, sleeping male with a short, choppy stride and shook his shoulder roughly. The older dog grumbled in his sleep and made as if to roll over.

"Up," the hyena growled curtly, sparing the old dog no pleasantries.

Lot mumbled something incomprehensible, eyelids fluttering. Several skins of wine lay within reach, all empty, though it seemed as if the supply was at last running low. Pushing the dog with one hind paw, the hyena prodded the sleeper, thinking that that much of a rude awakening would be enough to persuade him into waking. When the dog did not rise, the hyena jerked angrily, grabbing him by the bicep.

"I said up."

Showing admirable strength for his comparably light physique, the hyena hauled the dog bodily to his feet, holding him upright by his shoulders. The canine's belly bulged and the hyena wrinkled his muzzle in distaste, though was glad to have something to focus on besides the condition of the old bastard's daughters. How could he have done such a thing? Tightening his grip, the hyena shoved Lot away once the canine had enough sense to find his own balance in waking, too disgusted to even touch the male.

"What's going on?" Lot mumbled, the first comprehensible words that he had been able to speak in a long time, as he swayed like the drunkard he was. "Who...who are you?"

The hyena chose not to answer and his companions were hardly disposed to explain. The dog knew what he had done - why should they waste words on him? Grunting, the hyena narrowed his eyes and turned Lot towards the cave entrance and bright sunlight, deliberately away from his daughters and the cowering vixen.

"You're returning with us," the hyena said simply, divulging no more information as that drop of anger spilled forth: he should have kept his muzzle shut.

"Returning where?" Lot latched on to the information.

"Sodom."

"Sodom?" Lot blinked. "Why would I wish to return to that place of sinners? Have your Sodom and stay there. I'm returning to my homeland. With my daughters."

The hyena's jaw fell slack and he worked it back and forth in an effort to hold back his anger. Sinners? Was the dog dense as well as a law breaker? Dense enough to abuse his daughters so, that much was certain. In the background, he was dimly aware of Pheine's protests but the ibex was with her, he was helping her - she would be well now that they had her in their care. The hyena shook his head and flung his paws in the air, meeting the sand cat's gaze. You deal with him. The sand cat sighed heavily and composed himself.

"You're_returning_ with us," the feline ground his teeth together, exercising every iota of restraint he possessed. "Do not argue. Do not fight us. You await trial in Sodom."