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Caring nothing for the fates of queens and empires but enjoying the rough and tumble of police work, Cat took advantage of the relative quiescence of the battle's aftermath to avoid Airy's strategy meetings and instead return to her work of enforcing the peace between Wolves and Rabbits. Anger, envy, hate, and a host of other long nurtured ill feelings simmered in hearts and minds on both sides. Conflict became inevitable when combined with inactivity. She prowled the streets and back alleys of River Keep seeking out trouble that idle soldiers produced in abundance. The newly captured fortress was a more orderly and well-constructed post than Vaun's abandoned camp on the other side of the river, but the tidy façade couldn't hide the tensions that lingered between the two species.

Unlike their camp in the woods, the inside of River Keep was akin to a small walled city. Wide lanes arrayed like spokes in a wheel radiated outward from a single, tall tower that was nestled snugly in the center of the riverside's straight wall to terminate at the semi-circular, outer wall. These avenues were intersected by a series of arcuate streets that paralleled the curving wall to run at right angles to the spokes. In between were many alleys and side passages that wound among the buildings that had sprung up haphazardly over time as function demanded. The purposes of the structures were as varied as their size and appearance. Some housed troops or officers. Others were storehouses for weapons, armor, sundry supplies, and food. There were workshops, smithies, fletchers, bakeries, kitchens, tanneries, and mess halls. Some private residences had been built by the non-combatants who supported whatever army dwelt here.

At the time of Airy's initial occupation, many of the buildings were vacant. The enemy that had previously possessed this castle had housed a token force, and only the small fraction of Airy's army that had crossed the river for the assault had been added to it. The bulk of her troops were kept secret on the north side of the River Muur. Anti-Royalist spies had of course come to investigate her strength of arms for themselves, but thanks to Esseff and his expanding cadre of intelligence agents, they saw only what Airy wanted them to see and what they expected to see - Vaunorthoses' meager army of outcast knights supplemented by a few hundred Wolves. The enemy couldn't be allowed to learn the true nature of the surprise they were planning.

Cat's help was necessary to suppress spies and observers when Jak brought the now sizeable Wolf army into Rikifur, but she was no longer inclined to take orders from, or cooperate with, the Fox. Cat assumed her obstinance was why the queen had asked to meet with her today before Jak arrived. Since Cat enjoyed being a scout or a spy equally to her role as cop, she was prepared to accept whatever mission Airy required. Taking her orders only from the queen was her way of defying Esseff and putting him in his place.

Her meeting with the queen was still more than hour away, though, so Cat continued her rounds. No one hindered her progress or denied her access to any part of the castle. Undefeated in personal combat, renowned for helping keep the Special Reserves hidden long enough for their triumph, and clearly enjoying the favor of the queen; she was given a respectful nod and a clear path by all the warriors and even the Rabbit knights whom she encountered. Bandrosett, continuing her habit of growling at everyone she met whether friend or foe, received a similar courtesy and a much wider clearance.

In one of the many narrow back alleys, behind an empty barracks, Cat's bad-tempered feral guardian was the first to detect something amiss. The wolf signaled Cat of her concern by halting in mid stride and growling. Trusting her disagreeable but admittedly useful companion, Cat also paused, sniffed the air, and swiveled her sensitive ears about searching for the source of Bandrosett's concern. Faint but unmistakable Wolf laughter emanated from within the building. Though the noise was more akin to a party than a fight, something else at the edge of her hearing led her to believe that Wolves getting drunk on the Rabbit's strong wine and fucking each other weren't the only activities occurring inside. Concentrating harder, Cat was barely able to detect a faint, highly pitched whine underneath the laughter and rowdy talk. Someone was not sharing the good time.

With athletic grace, Cat jumped up to a small ledge and clung to the frame of an upper story window. Bandrosett could not follower her there, but the canine and the feline had learned to work as one entity. Their eyes met briefly. Cat gestured towards the open front door. With near telepathic understanding, Bandrosett entered the building silently like a ghost though an open back door.

Cat climbed over the windowsill and made her way through a series of rooms and hallways to an internal balcony overlooking a central chamber that, when the building was used to house troops, served as a general assembly area and mess hall. A few tables and chairs were scattered about, but most of the furniture was stacked against the walls leaving ample open space for its five occupants. Though her eyes scanned and captured every detail, it was the felonious trespassers and their actions that dominated her attention.

A rape was in progress. Four male Wolf warriors had abducted a young Rabbit female whom they were using, or about to use, harshly. Naked, her clothes were a shredded pile of rags in a dirty heap on the floor. Blood oozed from fresh scratches on her back, her flanks, and from bites on the back of her neck.

An ugly, blue-gray Wolf with one split ear and missing the tip to his tail had the little bunny girl pinned face down on a table with his massive paw clenched tightly over her skinny wrists at the small of her back. A gag of cloth, a remnant of her shredded clothes, was stuffed in her mouth and tied at the back of her head preventing her from making any sound except for the whine that Bandrosett had heard from the alley.

The cropped-tailed Wolf was using his free paw to work himself up to an impressive erection. Based on his size and demeanor, Cat assumed he was the dominant male of the gang. Perhaps the bunny was fortunate enough to have not yet felt the full measure of his affection. She certainly appeared too small to handle it without injury. The other three Wolves stood about similarly naked drinking from a large jug they passed among themselves. One was stroking his cock, eagerly anticipating his turn.

Suppressed memories of her own traumatic brutalization by Wolves returned to Cat with unexpected suddenness, coloring her vision red and making the scars on her back burn anew with the remembered pain of their creation. The past and the present mingled as though she had been transported back to witness her own rape half a lifetime ago. The small, helpless body bent over the table might as well have been hers. Only the raging flames of her family's small village we're missing. All thought and reason were subsumed by her growing fury. She became a Wolf killer again.

There were stairs on the other side of the balcony, but her acrobatic grace made them unnecessary. Letting adrenaline and instinct born of years of experience rule her actions, she rolled over the railing, caught the lip of balcony with her forepaws, and lowered herself to drop silently to the floor below, crouched momentarily like the deadly predator she was. Springing forward, she was swift enough that it did not matter whether the Wolves witnessed her running approach.

Cat swept up a chair in her paws as she crossed the room. It hit the Wolf, who was fondling himself, across his upper chest and snout with force enough to propel him backward hard upon the floor. The impact of his head against the wooden boards made an audible cracking sound. Cat checked him off her list of active enemies and switched her attention to the two who had just begun struggling over possession of the wine jug. Surprised by the suddenness and the ferocity of her attack on their companion, they both let go of the vessel simultaneously. It shattered on the floor, spreading clay fragments and bloody purple liquid at their hindpaws.

The faster reacting of the pair drew a black obsidian blade from where it had been resting on a nearby table, but Cat was upon the dagger wielding Wolf before he could bring the weapon to bear. A forceful chop to his wrist, followed by a kick to his forearm preceded the cracking sound of breaking bone and a resultant howl of pain. A follow up punch to his chest put him down writhing in agony. The brittle blade of volcanic glass flew from his paw and broke into black shards that skittered across the floor.

Only two effective fighters remained. The second Wolf that had been struggling over the wine jug had fought with her in one of her many undefeated bouts. Transfixed with terror, he watched dumbstruck as she crippled his comrade. When Cat focused her attention on him, the mesmerizing spell that held him in stasis was broken, and he ran for the exit. Cat suffered a moment of indecision regarding whether to pursue him or go for the leader. Bandrosett solved her dilemma by blocking the fleeing Wolf's exit. Bereft of a weapon, he was helpless against the snarling feral that began backing him into a corner. Cat turned her attention to the leader, but the slight delay had given the blue-gray Wolf the time he needed to retrieve a short sword.

Seemingly unconscious and unviolated, the limp Rabbit girl lay forgotten on the table. Cat approached her opponent slowly then held steady, assessing his ability. Rushing into a sword was dangerous. She began by testing him with feigned attacks to make him demonstrate his skill. After a few near misses where the end of his blade brushed the tips of her belly fur or swept within a hair's breadth of her snout, she increased her distance again. He was proficient with the weapon and nimble enough that she could not close the gap between them without encountering his steel.

As they circled each other stalemated, groans and movement from the two Wolves she had already downed made her consider the possibility of retreat. Even with Bandrosett's help, she could not keep all four at bay. In a few minutes, she would be surrounded. The little bunny girl would likely be killed before Cat could bring help, but Cat wasn't prepared to sacrifice her own life for someone she barely knew.

Once again, Cat's indecision was resolved externally, this time by an unanticipated rapping sound of wood on bone. The head of her sword-wielding adversary tipped forward with his mouth open as he exhaled in sudden pain. Whatever distracted him made his blade dip to the side sufficiently that Cat was able to rush in, thrusting the heel of her palm into his abdomen driving the air from his lungs. A violent wrenching of his wrist forced his paw open and the sword to fall. Clenching her paws together in a ball, she swung them upward under his chin snapping his head back and exposing him to a spinning back kick that lifted him off his hindpaws to crash onto the table. It buckled under the impact of his body leaving him motionless amidst its ruin.

As the Rabbit girl's would be rapist was propelled through the air, the doe, who had recovered enough to stand upright, ducked while clutching a broken chair leg in her tiny paws. She held it tightly and slightly away from her trembling body as much to defend herself from the incapacitated Wolves as from the striped, feline terror that loomed over her. Her long ears tucked themselves tight against the back of her head and neck, and her nose twitched uncontrollably.

Now that the little doe faced her, Cat noticed the bunny had been shaved of her fur on the front of her body from her collarbone to her crotch. The exposed, pale, pink skin was reminiscent of Olivia's furless body. Cat had seen and committed her fair share of kinks and perversions, but this was new.

"What were these Wolves up to?" she wondered.

Not really caring, Cat decided to leave the questioning and fate of the rapists to their victim. Cat slid her hindpaw under the lead Wolf's short sword, yanked it upward, and caught it by the hilt in her right forepaw. The frightened Rabbit girl's grip on her makeshift club tightened. She gaped at the sword wielding Cat with eyes full of fear. With a deft flick of her paw, Cat flipped the sword over and caught the tip of the blade between her fingertips. The pommel pointed towards the bunny, who blinked at it with incomprehension. Cat stepped closer and pushed the hilt towards the girl's chest.

"Take. You may dispose of them as you vish."

Tentatively and with astonishment, the doe reached out and took the handle with her right paw. Her left clung stubbornly to the chair leg. Though the sword was considered short for Wolves and male Rabbits, it was huge and heavy for the diminutive and frail doe. She could barely keep the tip of the blade off the floor with only one arm.

Hearing the Wolf at the far corner of the room whimpering in response to Bandrosett, who was growling and edging closer to him, Cat snarled. The feral wolf paused obeying Cat's guttural command.

"Come here, Volf. Bandy von't hurt you unless you do something stupid like try to attack vun of us or run."

Unconvinced that he was safe doing anything but staying absolutely still, the Wolf shook his head. Cat smiled at his discomfiture.

"I can have her chase you over here biting at your tail and backside, or you can come at your own pace. Vhich is it?"

The Wolf chose to walk sideways, or backwards as necessary, never letting Bandrosett get behind him. When he was close enough, Cat grabbed his arm and shoulder and forced him to the floor on his knees. The frightened Wolf closed his eyes and hunched his shoulders expecting her to beat him.

"Please, don't kill me, Cat. We were just gonna have some fun with the bunny. We weren't gonna hurt her."

Cat ignored his pleas and assessed the status of his friends. The first Wolf she had downed was breathing but unconscious. The Wolf with the broken arm groaned in pain but made no attempt to rise. The blue-gray furred leader was either out cold or dead. Concealed by the wreckage of the table, Cat could not tell. Satisfied none was a threat, Cat gripped the kneeling Wolf's hair tightly and yanked his head back so his throat was exposed.

"Go ahead," Cat urged the bunny girl. "I make it easy for you."

The Wolf whimpered in terror, and his body shook. Similar shock and horror crossed the doe's face when she realized what Cat wanted her to do.

"I can't kill him."

"Vhy not? Sword too heavy? Drop the stupid stick and use both paws, little bunyic."

To Cat's consternation, instead of dropping the stick, the little doe let go of the sword. The tip stuck in the wood floor for a second before falling over.

"No. I'm not a killer like you."

"Like me? Vhat's that mean?"

"Predators. You and the Wolves. You're savages who enjoy killing."

"Enjoy killing? Sometimes. Savages? Rude. You should show some gratitude."

Realizing the extent of her discourtesy, the little doe was abashed.

"My apologies for that remark and my lack of appreciation. I'm in a bit of shock from the attack, and you scared me."

"I saved you, disrespectful little bunyic."

"My name is not 'bunny.' That is a discourteous label. My name is Eolwynathe. You may call me Wyn, if it pleases you."

"It doesn't please me, little bunyic. It doesn't concern me at all. Vhat pleases me is you finishing off this Volf."

Wyn shook her head in an act of brave defiance.

"I am very grateful for your rescue and forever in your debt. I sincerely hope that I can repay you one day, but it's just that I abhor violence and inflicting harm on others."

Curtsying as she spoke, Wyn partially mollified Cat with the humble gesture and her sincere words, but Cat's resentment over being called a savage lingered.

"You vacked that Volf pretty hard on the head vith your stick. How's that not violent or harmful?"

"It was unfortunately necessary. Even the meek must defend themselves or be killed by..."

Wyn was searching for the right word to complete her thought, but Cat provided it for her.

"Savages?"

"An unfortunate choice of words. I apologize again for that. You scared me as much as the Wolves at first with your...ferocity. Everyone in the keep has heard of your terrifying reputation. 'Wraith.' 'Maker's vengeance'. 'Striped devil.' They have many names like that for you."

Cat felt an absurd level of pride at her renown. Fear kept people in line and from meddling in her affairs. That pleased her. The Wolf whose hair she still gripped tightly was much less happy about it, but sensed an opportunity for mercy.

"I agree with Eolwynathe. Let us go, and we'll be good. I promise."

Cat yanked his head back farther so she could glare down into his terrified eyes.

"Shut up, Volf! No vun is asking your opinion. I enforce order for your chief and for bunyic qveen. You four have been very disorderly, so I decide punishment."

Eolwynathe dropped her stick before approaching the trembling Wolf and grabbing his shaking paws in hers.

"Please show him mercy, Cat."

"Mercy? For this wretched dog? Vhy?"

Ignoring Cat, the doe hugged the large Wolf, who was too confused to resist the unexpected gesture or even return it in kind.

"What is your name, Wolf?" asked Wyn.

The perplexed warrior looked to Cat, pleading for instruction.

"Answer her, dog."

"Prowler," he croaked.

"I forgive you for what you did, Prowler. I forgive your pack mates, too."

Stunned by her pardon, Prowler could barely stutter his response.

"Th..th..thank you. I'm sorry. We got drunk on the Rabbit's wine and...well, it's no excuse, but I'm sorry."

"I understand. It is this terrible war. It makes everyone less noble. I fled here to the border myself thinking I would be far from it, but it found me anyway."

Cat snarled her disgust.

"Vhat is this talk of forgiveness? These mutts are guilty, and I decide who lives and who dies."

"Do you?"

Passion and certainty momentarily lit the little Rabbit's red eyes like a volcano's magmatic heart driving her to uncharacteristic boldness.

"That is the Maker's job!"

The blazing glow of zealotry faded quickly as Wyn regained her composure.

"Besides, I forgave them, and there was no rape. There is no crime here for you to punish. Prowler is my friend now. He will not try to harm me again."

Cat laughed at her foolishness.

"If you believe that, then I vill have to save you more than once, little bunyic."

"Love is stronger than hate. I will conquer my enemies with love and make them my friends."

"Ha! That vill never vork. Strong varriors conquer enemies not love. Do not assume you are better than us because you have such high ideals. Ve may be savages compared to you, but savages have their purpose, too."

Cat glared down into the Wolf's eyes again, but her own zealotry for avenging her past abuse was fading. Cold logic replaced the heat of vengeance.

"Perhaps you are right, though. I think these Volf savages' purpose is to live long enough to fight and die in your bunyic qveen's var."

Cat hauled Prowler up to his hindpaws by the scruff of his neck and tapped the tip of his snout with one extended claw.

"Help your mates, and take them to infirmary. Then get back to your duty, dog."

Ecstatic at the chance to escape alive, Prowler eagerly complied and managed to revive the two unconscious Wolves. With their help, the broken armed Wolf was given enough first aid so he could walk. Bandrosett herded the four of them until they had shuffled out the door.

"There. I did not kill them. You happy, little bunyic?"

"Yes. I am, and I am truly grateful for your help."

The nervous little Rabbit's quick embrace around Cat's waist caught the tall feline off guard. The top of the doe's head barely reached the bottom of Cat's small breasts, but the tips of her long ears tickled the underside of her chin. It was a sweet gesture that even Cat had difficulty refusing. The doe was sincere in her desire for peace and love, but a few seconds was all Cat would tolerate before disentangling herself and holding the little one at arm's length.

"Vhat's vith hugging everyvun? That vill get you into trouble again qvick."

Weary of the bunny's company and remembering her meeting with Airy, Cat released Wyn and began to walk away.

"Now get back home to your parents and stay out of trouble," she said over her shoulder, but stopped short when Wyn cried out in alarm.

"Please don't leave me here alone! I'm afraid. I have no parents, and now I have no clothes. The Wolves shredded mine. I can't go anywhere naked."

Cat turned and stared at the little nude nuisance for a moment before sprinting out of the room without even saying goodbye. Wyn was too shocked by Cat's abandonment to utter a sound until after the feline was gone, and then she was only able to sob quietly as she curled up under a table wondering what to do.

An indeterminate period filled with despondency passed before Wyn sensed a presence nearby. Reflexively, she reached for her stick for defense, but when she looked up, she saw that it was the Cat's feral wolf companion. The huge and frightening beast had stayed behind. Wyn wished at first that it would go away too, but then it occurred to her that the creature was protecting her until Cat returned. Uttering a prayer of thanks to the Maker, she accepted the watchful guardian and meditated to further calm herself.

Bandrosett contemplated her charge with curiosity, but did not growl or menace the child as was her custom with everyone else. Instead, her tail wagged slightly in a narrow, barely detectable arc. When Wyn felt at peace again, she opened her eyes to find Cat had returned holding a bundle of garments while staring down at her.

"You are very small bunyic, more so than your qveen. How old are you?"

"Fourteen. Where did you go?"

Cat dropped the collection of clothing on the floor next to Wyn and squatted on her haunches.

"I snatched these off clothesline. They look like bunyic girl clothes and might fit. You are not only little serving girl in castle it seems. These should cover up vhatever you think needs covering."

The girl picked the clothes up and examined them. Though Cat did not wear Rabbit garments or any clothes other than her loin covering, she had managed to bring exactly one of everything the little doe needed. There were underclothes, a blouse, a dress, and even a bonnet for her head. The garments were somewhat baggy, but Wyn found that they fit well enough as she began to put them on. Cat watched with hissing disgust as Wyn dressed herself.

"Vhy so many layers? It's summer. You'll be hot and sveaty."

"Modesty demands that females be covered. The Maker does not approve of wanton nakedness and temptation."

"Bah! Vhat good did covering yourself do to keep Volves from becoming tempted? They know vhat equipment you have and vhat to do vith it. You think that because you cover tits and ass they forget you have them?"

Wyn's nose wrinkled in disgust at Cat's open vulgarity.

"It is not polite to speak of such things, and I don't know what to think of the Wolves. They are different. They fornicate wantonly. I pray to the Maker that they are capable of love, affection, and restraint."

"You think restraint equals love? That is crazy. If you love someone, you make love to them to prove it."

"Only when you have been married within the Maker's grace. Sex outside of marriage is an offense to the Maker."

Cat was sick of the little Rabbit's relentless faith and devotion to the Maker. It was tempting to tell her the truth about all of the Makers including the fact that the bunny's god was long dead, killed by Olivia, but Cat had agreed to keep that knowledge secret. Cat was violent, vindictive, insubordinate, rude, and had numerous other traits considered negative by many, but she honored her word and knew how to keep a secret well.

Rather than pursue the topic further, Cat contented herself with observing the girl as she finished dressing. Despite her youth, she was already filling out in all the ways males found so attractive. No wonder the Wolves had picked her. If only her front hadn't been shaved, she would be a real beauty.

"Did Volves do that to you?"

Wyn paused as she was pulling an undershirt down over her head. She had already strapped some constricting piece of cloth around her breasts.

"Do what?"

"Shave you like sheep."

"No. I did that myself."

"Vhat on earth for?"

Sighing as she continued dressing, Wyn said, "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me. I'm not as stupid and savage as I look."

"Do you ever forget an insult?"

"Not until I feel the insult has been avenged."

"Avoiding carrying anger and resentment in one's heart is a virtue. Demonstrating to the Maker my devotion to virtue is one of the reasons that I shave my front."

"Vhat does virtue have to do vith your tits, belly, and cunt?"

Wyn rolled her eyes at the Cat's continued crudeness, but was learning there was no purpose served in trying to correct her.

"I belong to a sect called the Fellowship of the Shorn that believes that the Maker was furless. He was not a Rabbit, a Wolf, a Fox, or any other race. He was a being of pure and unknown form."

Cat was surprised by the accuracy of that statement. If only the little bunny could meet Olivia, she could marvel at the truth of the Wolf Maker's smooth skin and the other horrible truths that surrounded the vindictive and unstable Human. Maybe that encounter would even make Wyn recant some of her love for the Makers.

"I say 'He'," continued Wyn, "when describing the Maker, but we do not believe that the Maker had a definitive sex like us because he is a singular, immortal being or collection of beings with no need to procreate. He gave us the ability to do so because we are mortal, and he desired that we provide descendants to continuously populate this world he gave us. Our precious gift of sex should only be used to accomplish that task, not to satisfy lust and to dominate others."

The blouse Wyn put on next required her to tie strings together in numerous places. Its tedious construction left Cat with no doubt why the impatient Wolves had ripped her original clothes to pieces. Wyn, however, seemed to become more at ease as she covered herself.

"We also believe that the Maker's purpose when he created us was for all the races to live together in harmony and peace. That is why we eschew violence and will only fight in self-defense. Forgiveness and compassion are our guiding ideals. Since the Maker was furless, we shave ourselves to show our devotion and commitment to the teachings of the Maker."

Cat listened patiently but with indifference, and waved her paw in dismissal when Wyn was done.

"Religion is stupid and makes people do stupid things. Rabbits fight each other over it. You shave yourself. Stupid."

Wyn sighed.

"I knew you wouldn't understand."

"I understand. I just don't approve. There's difference. Even savages know that."

Growing weary of Cat's criticism and stubborn commitment to harboring offense over the title of savage, Wyn changed the topic.

"You spoke of love earlier. Is there someone special you love?"

The look Wyn received in response to her inquiry would have terrified her if she hadn't been through so much already.

"You are nosy bunny. Whom I love is my business, not yours."

"Then there is someone, or maybe more than one?"

An awkward silence followed as Wyn put on her dress and fussed with more strings. Eventually, Cat answered her question.

"If you must know, there have been several but none vorked out."

"You are alone like me then?"

"You have different idea of alone and different emotion for that vord. I like being alone. Vhen I vant bed partner, there are plenty here for choosing. Volves are not so picky as bunnies, but I bet some of your bucks vouldn't refuse me either if I asked."

Disgust was evident on the little doe's face.

"You do that with other species?"

"Sure. Vhy not? Doesn't your Maker vant us all to love each other?"

"But that's not love. That's just sex. Those are different."

"On that ve agree. Love is subject to betrayal. Sex can be disappointing, but it doesn't rip you apart."

Wyn suspected the Cat was speaking from personal experience.

"Who broke your heart?"

For a moment, a look of vulnerable innocence like that of an injured kit softened Cat's usual stony countenance. The visage vanished in fear as it ran away from the toothy, snarling predator that replaced it.

"You are irritating, prying, little rodent."

Cat rose to her hindpaws and walked towards the door. Bandrosett looked to Cat then to Wyn, then back to Cat. With a growl, the feral stood up from her haunches and began following Cat.

"Wait!" shouted Wyn. "I'm sorry. Don't leave me here. Take me somewhere safe, please."

Cat stopped but did not turn around. Her tail moved slowly like a cobra trying to mesmerize its latest victim.

"There is no place safe for you. Var is coming. There are Volves everywhere. I can't protect you alvays. I suggest you take that sword, and learn how to use it."

"No. I will not kill."

"Then learn to enjoy sex vith Volves. Vatch out for the big, fat knot vhen you spread your legs for them."

Cat began walking again. Wyn was desperate; desperate enough to concoct a radical plan.

"Take me to the queen, please. You are close to her. She trusts you."

Cat halted once more. Bandrosett passed the feline and only stopped when she was halfway out the door. Sitting again, she growled her displeasure at their lack of progress.

"Vhy should I do that?"

"Because a queen requires attendants to take care of her day to day needs such as bathing, grooming, and getting dressed. She needs a doe for those things, and there are very few in this castle. I can be her maid-in-waiting."

Cat tried to imagine the tomboy queen being primped and prettied by this irritating little doe. Suspecting that Wyn would prove to be an annoyance more than a welcome servant made up her mind. This belly-shaved bunny would vex everyone around the queen and especially a certain no good Fox, who almost never left Airy's side.

"Very vell, little maid-in-vhatever. I'm going to qveen's tower now. If you keep up vith me, I'll recommend you to qveen."

Wyn praised the Maker for sending her this Cat, though she could have wished for a less insensitive savior. The feline moved like the wind before a storm. The little Rabbit was out of breath and sweating in her stolen clothes by the time she stood in the office of the Fox, who screened everyone who tried to approach the queen.

Esseff was seated at a desk in a room with a scattering of tall, narrow windows, whose illumination was augmented by candles and what light entered from the doorway. A quill pen in his left paw scratched over paper as it darted back and forth from a small vial of ink. Wyn was nearly as afraid of him as she had been of the Cat. It was well known that Esseff was in charge of security and espionage for the queen. No one was allowed near her majesty until he or she had passed his scrutiny and the inspection of his cadre of truth scenting Wolves.

Tales of traitors caught, tortured, and executed for holding evil in their hearts against the lady Airiphryone surfaced in her thoughts and made little Wyn tremble. If Cat had not been there to speak for her, she would not have had the courage to stand before him.

Having finished whatever document had occupied him, the Fox put his pen down and smiled warily as Cat approached with her diminutive shadow warily in tow. There was a sense of pleading in his eyes as he looked to Cat with an almost nervous expectation. Wyn was surprised to see the formidable Fox express such feelings, especially towards the aloof Cat, who returned his look with a cold stare.

"Who is this?" Esseff asked noting Wyn's presence and scrutinizing her carefully.

"A new servant for qveen."

"I don't remember a request for more help."

"There vas no request. This is my idea. She is orphan who needs place to stay and vork to keep busy."

Glancing at the Rabbit, Esseff noted her disheveled appearance and ill-fitting clothes.

"You collecting strays now in addition to dispensing justice?"

"Just this vun."

"That's how it starts. Next thing you know, there will be dozens."

Cat folded her arms over her chest and glared at the Fox. Esseff shook his head.

"I'm busy, Cat. I don't have time to vet another servant, and it's risky. The queen doesn't need more people close to her."

"Vun more von't hurt, especially vun this harmless. She and can do vomen's vork to free up another buck for army. You vant reliable companion to be vith qveen at all times. Vhat better candidate than little bunyic girl who vill go everyvhere vith her including bath and toilet?"

With eyes narrowed, Esseff looked back and forth between Cat and her small companion.

"If I do this for you, will you give me a second chance? Will you at least talk about us?"

"Vhat is there to talk about? Vhat have you done to prove you are trustvorthy?"

"Everything, damn it! I rescued you and everyone else from the Wolves and my own people."

"Ve rescued ourselves. Vhat you did, you did for yourself."

"I'm helping the queen the only way I know how."

"You are helping yourself, Mister Ambassador," said Cat deliberately emphasizing his new title.

"Damn it, Cat! That's not fair. Just because I benefit doesn't make what I do wrong. Look, just tell me what you want me to do to make things right between us, and I will do it."

"Ok. First, give little bunyic job serving qveen. Second, prove to me that this is not all about you. Prove that you can care about somevun else."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"That is vhat you have to figure out. Now, qveen sent for me, so I vait in her chamber."

As she turned away, Cat deliberately let her tail swipe the paperwork from in front of Esseff off his desk to drift to the floor. Hoping to please the Fox and make a good impression, Wyn dropped to her knees and began picking up the papers and trying to put them back in their logical order in a neat pile.

Wyn had closely watched the interaction between Fox and Cat making the obvious deduction that Esseff was Cat's spurned lover. It seemed to Wyn a great pity that they both should suffer without the love they deserved. Fantasies of helping them rekindle their romance played about in her mind, but the rancor dividing them meant that she would never get the chance. The Fox would most likely throw her out after Cat's latest rebuff. She was surprised, therefore, when instead, he scratched absently behind his ears with his pen while gazing fondly after Cat before pointing to a chair next to his desk.

"Sit down."

Wyn promptly obeyed and handed the papers to Esseff, who took them, flipped through them to ensure they were all there, noticed she had collated them properly, and then glowered at her with suspicion.

"You can read?"

"Yes, sir."

"That is both a useful and dangerous asset."

He didn't explain why it was dangerous, and Wyn was too afraid to ask.

"Silver!" shouted Esseff.

An elderly, female Wolf covered in dark gray fur with silver highlights entered from a side room and sat down next to Wyn. Her intense, unblinking, brown eyes fixed on the Rabbit.

"Are you aware Wolves can sense truth from lies?" asked Esseff.

"Yes, sir," answered Wyn.

"Some do it better than others. Silver has the gift stronger than any Wolf I've found. I am going to ask you some questions. You are advised to tell the truth. The truth may disqualify you for service to the queen, but a lie will be detected end very badly for you. You may leave now if you want. I won't stop you, but if you stay, you will be kept here until I am satisfied whether you are safe to allow near the queen. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you wish to stay or leave?"

"Stay, sir."

"Very well. What is your name?"

"Eolwynathe, sir."

"Why do you want to serve the queen, Eolwynathe?"

"It would be a great honor for me. Also, I have no family and need a place of safety. I can't think of a safer place than by the lady Airiphryone."

Silver sniffed the air occasionally, but made no other sound, nor did her eyes stray from Wyn, who tried to ignore her. When Wyn did glance at the Wolf, those mesmerizing eyes were always open and fixed intently upon her. Wyn wondered if the Wolf ever blinked.

"What happened to your family?"

"They were killed by troops supporting the Algar during an assault on our town in the border province of Kryllphrynth."

"Do you hate the Algar and the priests because of this?"

Wyn wrung her paws, looking nervously between Esseff and Silver before answering. She knew who the queen's enemies were and who the Fox would want her to hate. Even though it was the truth, she was hesitant to admit how she really felt.

"I try not to hate them as have I have been taught, but truthfully, there is hatred in my heart for the priests. It shames me."

"Why ashamed if they are to blame for your family's destruction?"

"I believe in forgiveness of all children of the Maker regardless of creed or race and was taught to resist judgment and hatred. The Maker does not approve of such vices and wishes that we all live in peace."

Her response puzzled Esseff for a moment until he remembered a wisp of obscure intelligence that that had come to him in recent days. There was a curious, centuries old cult that had recently grown in numbers since the volcano's eruption and general consensus that end times were near. Its members preached peace, tolerance, love, forgiveness, and the curious notion that the Maker had no fur. As a token of their devotion, both the males and females of their order routinely shaved their bellies, chest, and genitals.

"You are a Shornie then?"

"The Fellowship of the Shorn, yes, sir," corrected Wyn politely, but could not help but betray her disgust by wrinkling her nose at the use of the belittling nickname for her religion.

"Prove it. Take off your shirt."

Wyn clutched at her breast in embarrassment.

"Why? The Wolf can tell I'm not lying."

"I am a mistrustful person. If I can have the truth demonstrated with my own eyes, then I want it. Bare your top or leave. If you think I haven't seen my fill of breasts, you need to look around this camp at all of the Wolves like Silver here. This has nothing to do with modesty. Shirt off, now, or you are gone."

Bereft of choices, the tiny Rabbit girl stripped to her waist undoing all of the many ties that held her clothes shut and crossed her paws over her naked, firm, round breasts.

"I do not wish to remove any more clothing in front of you, but I will in front of Miss Silver if you want," she added as bravely as she could.

Esseff scrutinized her carefully noting even the small nicks and scabs where she had cut herself while shaving.

"That is the damnedest thing I've ever seen. No. You don't have to go any further. I have seen enough."

Before Wyn could begin to cover herself again, the sound of approaching boots from the hall made Wyn and Esseff turn in time to see Airy enter followed by a mix of Rabbit and Wolf guards and her ever present feral wolf companion. Wyn rose quickly, and just as rapidly, fell on her knees at Airy's hindpaws. Such obsequious behavior was becoming so common in Airy's presence, the queen would not have given the girl a second look if the young doe hadn't been half naked and shaved.

"Who is this?"

"Someone the Cat dragged in."

The tips of Airy's ears twitched in confusion.

"What are you and Cat up to, Esseff? Why is this girl bald and half naked?"

The obvious accusatory tone in her question implied hanky-panky and caught her master of spies off guard. To see Esseff embarrassed and lacking composure was a rare event. Normally, that would have amused Airy, but today she was in no mood for amusement of any kind.

"Your Majesty, I was just interrogating..." he began to explain.

"Your job is to provide security, intelligence on the enemy, and be my liaison to Feneval, not to molest little does. What possible reason could you have to interrogate this small child, and why on the Maker's earth would you shave her like this?"

"I didn't shave her. She's a Shornie..."

"Fellowship of the Shorn, if it pleases Your Majesty," corrected Wyn as politely as she could, all the while keeping her eyes fixed on the floor.

"...and she wishes to enter your service as a personal attendant, so I am obligated to ensure she is trustworthy and loyal," finished Esseff.

"Is this true, child?" Airy asked Wyn.

"It is, Your Majesty."

"Have you been mistreated here today?"

Wyn paused thinking back on her attempted rape. Interpreting the Queen's question to be about this interview and not the rest of her day, she answered truthfully.

"Other than being forced to undress, no."

Airy cast a glance of reproach at Esseff before turning to her guards. The Rabbits eyes all swiveled away to other parts of the room as if they had been avoiding seeing Eolwynathe's bare chest all along. The Wolves watchfully gazed wherever they wanted oblivious to the little Rabbit's nudity.

"Cover yourself, child."

To Esseff, Airy added, "The dignity of my subjects is not to be set aside on a whim, Fox. Try to conduct similar interviews more discretely in the future."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Is Camorra around?"

"She's at Jorveth's workshop."

"Get someone to fetch her and tell her to join Vaunortheses. He needs help negotiating with Duke Pholaestothos, and I have more important tasks than bickering with dubious allies."

Esseff yelled for another Wolf who entered from the same room that produced Silver. The Wolf took his orders and ran out.

"Are there problems? It is important that the duke of Thospheine be on our side. This is his province after all. I thought he was here to pledge his unconditional loyalty."

"It turns out he has a great many conditions attached to his decision to leave the AR and join us, even though we now own his most valuable asset and have a much larger army than he does. Of course, he doesn't know about the army yet, and I don't want him to until after our next battle when our victory will assure his cooperation and temper his demands."

"Demands such as?"

"He doesn't want his troops to fight alongside Wolves or eat alongside Wolves. The Wolves are hunting in his lands and stealing sheep and cattle for food. He wants to be compensated for the value of the animals. He wants the Wolves to apologize for eating them. He wants special posts for his sons in the capitol when I am queen. The list goes on. I don't have time to deal with this nonsense. The most critical battle yet is almost upon us, and I need to give that my full attention. Speaking of which, when will White Paw arrive?"

"In less than an hour. The...assets he brings will follow tomorrow."

"Good. There is some time. Is Cat here as I requested?"

"Yes; in your private office."

Airy briefly returned her attention to Wyn.

"You said Cat brought this doe here to be my personal attendant?"

"Yes. It is one of Cat's cruel and petty jokes no doubt. Should I send her away?"

Thinking of the dearth of female Rabbits at River Keep and the awkwardness of having Bucks and Wolf warriors trying to help her dress, bathe, and generally prepare her so that she always appeared regal, Airy found herself approving of the idea of some female companionship of her own species.

"No. Do whatever you have to do to ensure she is loyal and safe, and then send her to me, but not until after I first have my meetings with Cat and White Paw."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

The guards remained with Esseff when Airy joined Cat. The Fox was sufficiently distracted to allow Airy to be alone with her, and his worries over rumors regarding the queen's purity weren't aroused by a solitary meeting with Cat.

The feline was lying across a bench apparently asleep when Airy entered. One eye opened briefly then shut again letting the queen know that her presence was noted. There was private and delicate favor that Airy wanted from Cat, but she was unsure how to phrase her request.

"White Paw will be here soon," she began nervously. "I wish to be alone with him."

Cat's eyes remained closed, but her ears tracked Airy as the agitated Rabbit paced about the room.

"Vhy call me here then?"

"Because of Olivia's trammel."

"Vhat has that bitch..."

Cat's question and an accompanying angry snarl at the mention of Olivia both died once she realized what Airy wanted. With eyes open, and Cat sat upright.

"You are vicked bunyic. Fox von't suspect anything vith me here, and I can't tell him the truth. No vonder you are qveen."

Relieved that Cat understood her intent, Airy stopped pacing and faced Cat.

"I always knew you were smart. Thank you for not making me explain my...need in detail."

Cat purred unconsciously in response to the compliment from Airy, which was surprisingly meaningful to her. It augmented her already favorable mood and inclined her to consider granting Airy's request. Cat cared not who Airy fucked or what other Rabbits thought of that, but a little more revenge against the Fox was pleasant to contemplate. Even if Esseff didn't learn of the queen's latest tryst, Cat would enjoy any act that thwarted the Fox's wishes.

"Vhat vill you give me in return for my discretion in this...affair?"

The slyness in Cat's question warned Airy that the price would be high.

"What do you want?"

"You know vhat I vant; the same thing you do, Jak."

Remarkably, Airy held her temper in check when asked to surrender the thing she held most dear. Instead of stomping around shouting, the Rabbit queen collapsed in a chair with her paws over her eyes.

"No. Not that. Anything but that. Jak is mine."

"There are many things you vish to own, little qveen, but cannot."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that you can fight var across hundreds of miles and many years if necessary, but you can't fight to keep Jak yours and yours alone. He is already lost to you. Maker bitch saw to that vhen she bent her vill to making him chief again."

Airy fought back her tears knowing the truth of Cat's words. Anger and rage were her typical defense, but she wanted Cat's cooperation, not a fight, so she bore Cat's words in silence.

"Everyone knows vhat he has been doing during full moon. It vill happen every month as long as he is chief, and he vill never villingly surrender being chief again. You know this is true."

Airy did know it was true, and she understood why. She could no more give up her claim as ruler than Jak. It was selfish of her to harbor the desire that he be her lone Wolf again, but she coveted their past arrangement anyway. She didn't care how irrational it was.

"Just because I know it, doesn't mean I can't hate it and fight for him to be mine. He promised to be true to me. I will not share him. I have a right to be angry at him for this."

"Hate sharing him? I can understand that, but do not hate him. He loves you still."

"Does he?"

"Do not be dumb bunyic. Of course he loves you. He does not lie to you. He is honorable and kind in all things. In your society, making love to any but your chosen mate is dishonorable, but to him, is obligation. He does not have to make love to you, but he does to Volf bitches. He did to Olivia. He did to me. Those were all forced on him to help you. He did it all for his love for you, the vun person he mates for love."

Cat's words were a salve for Airy's hurts. The welcome medicine made Airy want to consider the feline her friend, but Cat's actions were just as likely to be as base and self-serving as they were to be noble, leaving their relationship in an awkward middle ground as reluctant allies.

"Why do you want him?"

"Because I am greedy, and vhen you both realize you can't have each other anymore, I vish to have him love me as he loves you."

"That is a horrible thing to say."

"Vould you rather I lied?"

"No. I would rather you make up with Esseff and forget about Jak. Why don't you give the Fox a second chance? Why do you haunt Jak?"

"Because Jak is everything Fox is not: tender, loving, compassionate, forgiving, self-sacrificing...list goes on and you know it as vell as I. You think I am bad kitty, so I should be vith Fox because he is nasty, sneaky, cunning, ruthless, and duplicitous. I vas raped by Volves and lived most of my life abused and ruled by my brother. Pain, I've had plenty. I'm done vith that."

"You know I won't try to stop you going after Jak for fear of losing you. You are too valuable, so why ask? It's Jak's choice."

"Because I respect you."

Airy was astounded. Her mouth hung open in shock.

"I am not your friend, but you are vorthy person. Very tenacious. Very brave. Besides, I like this life and vork. Instead of vengeance, I deliver justice. Is more satisfying to vork for you than other options."

"Thank you for the compliment. If you respect me so much, how about not calling me bunny anymore?"

Cat chuckled.

"Certainly, Your Majesty. Better?"

"That does sound odd coming from you, but yes, it's better, at least in public. I respect you, too, but I think you are more valuable as a scout for my army than a sheriff. That was obvious when we took this castle."

"I can do both, but don't discount the police work. That little bunyic girl Foxy is interviewing; I saved her from being gang raped."

"Raped!"

Airy instantly became interested in this new topic.

"By whom? Bring the offending bucks here so I can strip them of their rank and throw them in the stockade."

"Not Rabbits, Volves."

"Wolves?"

More distressing than she imagined, Airy leaned back in her chair contemplating the ramifications of this news reaching the long ears of her people.

"Yes. You understand vhat that means. Your delicate peace between the races might not survive vhen your bucks learn their females are being had by Volves."

"Where are these Wolves? What did you do with them?"

"I let them go."

"What?! Are you insane?"

"You know me better than that, or should. I vould have killed them, but bunyic girl forgave them and vanted them freed. She vas victim. It vas her right to decide their fate."

"Why did she do that?"

"You can ask vhen Fox is done vith her and she is your maid-in-vaiting. You need to keep her and any other delicate young flowers away from Jak's varriors before you have nasty incident that gives Rabbits new reason to hate Volves."

"There aren't many young does here, but great Maker, if this happens again, there'll be trouble."

"Vhat do you think vill happen vhen your kind learn of your relations vith Jak? Vill they vant you then?"

"No. That's why I'm keeping it secret."

"Bah! Dead fish keep longer than secrets. Esseff already guesses. You vere indiscrete in Storfay. They know."

"Storfay is far away. I'll deal with them later after I am secure on the throne."

"You're forgetting about Bears. Isven said Bears talk to each other over great distances. Vhat if Bear in Storfay talks to Bear in Rikifur then talks to Rabbits?"

"Damn! I hadn't thought of that."

"So, do I have your concurrence to seduce Jak? I promise not to tell him you said yes. I like challenge."

Before Airy could say yes or no, the door opened. Jak and Ebusika entered. The Wolf chief hadn't taken two strides into the room before Airy jumped into his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist, and locked her lips with his. Rolling her eyes, Cat rose off the bench and barred the door from the inside before returning to her seat to watch the show.

Though Jak had been surprised by Airy's sudden assault, he returned her affection with equal and eager passion. Cat hoped it was their prelude to sex, but Airy disappointed her by breaking the kiss and glaring with hostility into Jak's eyes.

"Tell me her name," she demanded with an indignant scowl.

"Who?" asked Jak surprised by her sudden change in mood.

"The Wolf bitch you fucked."

"Which one?" asked Jak warily.

Cat fought to contain her laughter as Airy's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"Which one?" repeated Airy astonished. "How many were there?"

"Ah. It's that first then. Does the number matter?"

"Yes. Of course it does. You have betrayed me. Our love is at stake.

"I do love you, Airy."

"Prove it. Make love to me now."

There was nothing Jak wanted more than to acquiesce to her desires. He ached to join their fur and flesh together as one. Already, his loins were stirring in response to her touch and scent, but he had to resist for her sake if not for everyone who depended upon them.

"And risk everything? You're upset and not thinking clearly. If we're discovered, you will lose your chance to regain the crown forever."

"I need you to prove your love to me, Jak, right here. Right now."

"No. I won't."

"Then you don't love me anymore. Some Wolf bitch has taken my place."

"You can't believe that."

"Can't I?"

Jak met Cat's eyes expecting her to interject and say something sensible. Instead, Cat nodded.

"Give her vhat she vants. Don't let me stop you. Airy and I have agreement. She gets vhat she vants - my silence - and I get vhat I vant."

"What's that?"

"Never you mind. Just have your fun, puppy dog. No vun vill learn of it."

"Ignore her," said Airy while turning Jak's snout to keep his attention away from the feline. "We don't have much time, so spend it all focused on me."

The conspiracy against him was too much for Jak. With his assistance, Airy removed all of her clothes without detaching herself from him. Jak had arrived dressed like the Rabbits in pants, tunic, jacket, and boots. The cumbersome garments were more difficult to shed that a loincloth, especially with Airy clinging to him, but they managed that together, too. Incidental kissing, licking, and gentle biting should have hindered the process, but it united them in a common purpose that synchronized their movements. Within a few score heartbeats, they were naked and performing for their voyeuristic audience of a Cat and three feral wolves.

Jak's swollen flesh was a familiar, yet too long absent, feeling between Airy's thighs. With urgent need, she tried to guide him inside by shifting her hips, but Jak foiled her attempt. Holding firmly to her buttocks, he kept her tight against his stomach. A frustrated whine accompanied her futile attempts to overpower him.

"Make love to me, Jak," she begged. Her short tail wagged insistently against his paws.

"I will make love to you, Airy. Now. Here. Under Cat's watchful but secret gaze if that is what you truly wish, though I believe that in doing so I risk hurting you and everything that is fundamental to who you are. I will do it because I love you deeply."

"Thank you, Jak."

Jak loosened his grip allowing Airy to move away and reach down between her legs to guide him to her goal. Her small paw gripped his swollen member. Impaling herself slowly, she savored every inch. The feral wolves gathered around Cat as they observed the scene curiously. Even Bandrosett failed to growl at her mother and sibling when they lay down beside her. Cat wore a wicked grin while running her claws through the snow-white fur on the back of Ebusika's neck.

Hours of pleasure would have suited Airy best, but she knew they could only rely on having a few minutes before someone would knock at her door with business more urgent than her desire. Airy contented herself with an all too brief session of frantic grinding against her Wolf lover. In the resultant moments of rippling orgasm that followed, Airy forgot her duties and obligations. Clutching tightly to Jak and feeling him move within her consumed all her awareness.

Jak also regretted the hastiness of their coupling, wishing instead that he could linger inside Airy as he had with Dawn, but he could not allow Airy to take his knot and risk being tied. Much of his concentration and strength was diverted to that effort, and he was thus surprised by the suddenness with which Airy came. It was pleasant to observe her expression of pleasure as she moved on him just enough to maintain her level of sexual bliss. Only when he could hold himself back no longer did he join her in their private, quaking realm where the only subjects to rule over were each other.

In the aftermath, Airy's head rested on his shoulder, her breathing in harmony with his.

"We must not do this again until your people are ready to accept our relationship," whispered Jak into Airy's ear.

"When will that be?"

Jak's ears drooped. He had no answer. Airy persisted.

"My advisors are already pressuring me to marry. They cannot imagine my choice being anyone other than a well-bred and noble buck. The people of Rikifur would reject me outright if they knew what we just did...what we have done. Oh, Maker, I'm a fool for following my heart, but I can't help it. You are the one I love and want to marry."

"A qvick show but still very sexy," interrupted Cat with a smirk when it was obvious the lovers were done.

Airy responded with a mischievous grin of her own.

"If only there were time, even you might grow tired of watching."

"I doubt that, but if I could do more than just vatch, I might get a bit lethargic. Perhaps if there vere room for one more..."

Airy's grin vanished, and her gaze sharpened.

"Over my dead body."

Jak interrupted to prevent the likely escalation of their banter to an argument.

"Stop bickering. I have told you 'no' before, Cat, and the answer hasn't altered. I love Airy and only her."

Cat closed her mouth, but her smirk remained undiminished. Airy sighed knowing why the Cat continued to grin.

"It's hard enough not being able to have you, Jak, but it's infinitely worse knowing you have lain with others."

This topic was not what Jak wanted to discuss, but Airy was clearly intent on making a point.

"Do you think this is what I want? I was content to be your mate and serve under you, but now that I am chief of all chiefs, I have responsibilities to my people. There will be more matings, many more."

"There can be no more, Jak. You must be mine and mine alone."

"But I am yours. You have my heart."

"But what about the full moon? I can't share you, not even if you don't love them the way you do me. It goes against everything that I believe and cherish. It's intolerable. You must promise me that you will turn them all away from now on."

"I can't do that."

"Can't or won't?"

A low growl deep in Jak's throat signaled his frustration with Airy's truculence.

"That is an impolite and foolish question, but I excuse it because of the circumstances. The answer is 'Can. Not.'" Jak emphasized each of the words in turn.

"It's wrong, Jak. You agreed. You promised to be true to me."

"I am true to you within the bounds of my obligations as chief."

"That's not good enough."

"You're being unreasonable."

With ears twitching and her snout burning pink beneath her fur, Airy became indignant.

"Me? How can you say that? You're doing Maker knows what with every bitch that comes before you on all fours while I turn away every suitor who even hints at marriage!"

Insulting his people was more than Jak was willing to tolerate. He lowered Airy until her hindpaws touched the floor feeling his wet and slippery cock slide out from between her legs. Unembarrassed by his own nudity in front of Cat and the wolves, he didn't bother to cover himself as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"That's offensive. My people are not ferals."

"They fornicate like ferals."

"That's not true, and you know it! Our customs are different. That is all."

"Then change the custom. Abolish it. You are the chief of all chiefs. You can do anything."

"No. I can't. My people won't stand for it."

"They have adopted our military ways. Why can't they adopt our morals?"

"For the same reason that your people will not accept ours; these customs are fundamental to who we are and not subject to rational choice. Besides, unlike your battle tactics and weapons, which are clearly superior to ours, I can argue that our ways of mating are superior to Rabbit sexual mores. Mating with females from as many packs as possible binds their packs to me by blood and ensures their loyalty. Can you say the same of your system where only a rare few can marry into your family, and the rest of the houses and dukes seethe with resentment and disloyalty? Would this bitter civil war be happening if the dukes who rule the provinces of Rikifur were bound to you by familial ties? My people will mimic you in war because they know it makes them stronger. They see no advantage to covering themselves in clothes and limiting themselves to mating with only one other Wolf."

"I only ask this of you, not of them."

"You fail to understand. I am a Wolf. I am their chief. Every full moon, a chief must do this thing. There are no exceptions. I cannot be chief if I don't perform this duty. It is my seed that binds all the packs together."

"Then give up being chief. Let White Paw go and be my Jak again."

It was Jak's turn to close his eyes and sigh. Unconsciously his tail curled between his legs, and his ears tucked down upon his head.

"That I can, but won't, do."

Airy opened her mouth to protest, but Jak held his paw up to silence her.

"Hear me out. My reasons are both selfish and noble. When we met, I was not a Wolf anymore. I was nothing and nobody; a miserable creature named Jak without a family and without a pack. The hope you offered me to become a part of Rikifur was my salvation. Having your love made the dream of being reborn into a new life real and truly wondrous. To be with you forever was all I lived for. Then we learned of the threat of Storfay to my people, and the Wolf inside of me began to reawaken. White Paw wished to protect his people. He would have continued to slumber, though, except that Olivia brought him fully back to life by making me chief again. At the moment that I stood triumphant over Bear, all the feelings and obligations towards my kind and my family returned to me. It was the complete resurrection of White Paw.

"I can no more ignore those feelings than I can ignore my love for you, and that is where the selfish and the noble desires of my heart come in conflict. I still love you, Airy. The intensity of that love remains undiminished, but it creates a nearly insurmountable dilemma. For myself, I must be chief. There is no place among my kind if I step down. I will not be separated from them again. I am White Paw, not Jak, and yet White Paw loves you as much as Jak ever did. Because of this love, I must also be chief for you. Until you recruit a majority of Rikifur to your side, you have no hope of winning your war without the Wolves. They only fight for you because of me. I will not destroy your hope for ruling Rikifur for my own selfish desires. Finally, for my family and all of my kind east of the Earth Spine, I must be chief. Storfay will enslave them if I can't bring them the weapons and support of the West to defend themselves. They are my people, and I love them."

"Do you love them more than me?"

Jak sighed again, but this time it was out of impatience. His tail stood out straight, and his ears stood erect in response. Pausing for a moment to contain his anger, he realized that no matter what he said, Airy was not going to accept the duties that he as chief must perform. A fight was the last thing he wanted, and it seemed so unnecessary. Their shared dilemma was no one's fault. Fate was in control and laughing at their misery.

"Listen to yourself. You are forgetting who we are and what we represent. I love my people the same way you love your subjects. Don't you see that the problem isn't Wolf custom? It's your responsibilities as queen that keeps us apart."

"Are you blaming me?"

"No. I blame your customs. My people would be indifferent to our affair if they knew of it, but your people...the truth would scandalize them and destroy you."

Suddenly thoughtful, Airy brooded silently. Jak wondered what she was thinking but did not interrupt her. When she did speak, she staggered him with her words like a series of physical blows.

"My people are not to blame, Jak. It's me."

Tears formed in Airy's eyes as she made a distressing decision.

"I can't accept the way things are between us now. I had hoped your love for me would triumph, but until you forsake all other partners for me, we must remain apart."

What Airy was proposing was the wise course to avoid scandal and destruction of her cause, and Jak agreed with it, but the reason she was doing it proved that their love was in great peril. His ears and tail drooped again. To lose her while trying to save her was the cruelest irony he had ever known. The urge to throw all his responsibilities away and hope that his successor would honor his commitments was strong. Resisting that rash action took all the power of the Wolf inside his soul and left his eyes as watery as Airy's.

"I'm sorry it has come to this," he said quietly but with all the tenderness he still harbored in his heart for her. "Sorry for both of us."

Jak put his paws aside Airy's snout and wiped the moisture from her cheeks with his thumbs.

"I understand why this is hard for you. I don't like it either, but the only way to have each other right now is to abandon our responsibilities and walk away. The stakes are too great for that. No one else can take our places and do what we need to do: make a permanent peace between Rabbits and Wolves and save us all from Storfay."

Airy sniffed and rubbed her nose. Her love for Jak was undiminished, and optimism still enjoyed a tiny refuge deep within her.

"Perhaps after we have done all of that," she said, "our people won't need us anymore and we can have what we want. Do you think that future is possible; where you and I can be together as lovers?"

"I hope so, but I just don't know. Tigan might, but we dare not ask her. Who knows what she would do with that information?"

After kissing Airy again, Jak began the melancholy task of collecting his clothes.

"I will never stop hoping and laboring for that future, Airy. That is why I must go now. We can't have suspicions aroused, and the army arrives tomorrow. There are many preparations to make. Esseff wants to review security before they arrive."

Hugging Jak again and interrupting his attempt to get dressed, Airy sobbed briefly into his chest.

"I'm sorry I'm so stubborn, Jak."

"Don't be. It's part of who you are, and I love every part of you," answered the Wolf returning her embrace before reluctantly letting her go for what was possibly the last time.

As Jak dressed himself, Cat helped the equally despondent Rabbit gather up her own garments. The feline's nose wrinkled as she sniffed the air around the queen.

"Before you meet vith anyvun else, bunny, you'd better vash up. You reek of sex."

The damp traces of Jak's seed running down her thighs became evident to Airy. Using a rag, she wiped herself as clean as she could before walking towards the washroom adjacent to her office carrying her clothes in her arms.

"On your way out, do me one more favor, please, Cat."

"Vhat?"

"Have Esseff send the young doe in with instructions to draw me a hot bath. I will be waiting in the tub."

"As you vish, Your Majesty," said Cat with exaggerated formality before she hooked her arm in Jak's.

"You have nice musky smell to you also," she said burying her short snout in Jak's neck fur, "but everyvun expects that from the chief at the full moon. Let me help you get vherever you are going, puppy. You must be exhausted from having to please so many females, but maybe you can find stamina for vun more, eh?"

Designed to irritate both Airy and Esseff, Cat's display succeeded with its first target. Airy snarled impotently watching Cat wrap her tail about Jak's as they walked away together. The queen's only consolation was the obvious reluctance Jak exhibited towards Cat's imposed affection and the last look of desperate longing he gave to her as he walked through the door.

Esseff glared at Cat as she strolled past his desk attached to White Paw's arm and said nothing in response to her haughtily transmitted orders from the queen regarding Wyn. A sulking silence ensued after she was gone.

"Did I pass?" asked Wyn out of curiosity and to revive the Fox from his angry brooding over Cat's teasing.

"What? Oh...yes. You certainly did. You may or may not consider this a compliment, but next to White Paw, myself, Cat, and a few other close associates, you are the least likely person to endanger the queen."

"I do take that as a compliment, sir. Thank you."

"Don't get complacent about it. People change and not always for the better."

A faraway look crossed the Fox's face. Wyn suspected his words held a double meaning involving Cat.

"I'll be interviewing you routinely as long as you remain in Her Majesty's service," continued the Fox, "but I am done with you for now. Go. You have plenty of work to keep you busy full time, and so do I."

With a motion of his paw he dismissed Wyn and Silver. The silent Wolf went back to the room from which she had emerged earlier. Wyn rose, eager to begin her duties.

"Make sure you show the queen proper respect. Don't let Cat's flippant behavior be your model," said Esseff.

The doe curtsied.

"I won't, sir. I know my place and the honor I have been given."

Before she took her leave, she had one parting thought for the Fox.

"She still loves you."

The unexpected comment puzzled him.

"Who? You mean Cat?"

"Yes."

"How would you know? Did she tell you that today?"

"Not directly, but it's obvious. She would not work so hard to torment you and try to make you jealous if she didn't have lingering feelings for you."

"Hurt me because she loves me? That's crazy. It makes no sense."

Though he tried to deny Wyn's assertion, Esseff was well aware of the kind of rough and tumble sex Mislei and Glic enjoyed. The Fox was certain that the little doe couldn't imagine that kind of love play, but the example proved her theory had some basis in reality.

"That's because you're a male and don't understand how female's think. I do."

Esseff agreed silently that he understood very little about Cat except that he still wanted her. Wyn's confidence in comprehending other females renewed his hope for reconciliation. Perhaps she would be useful to him as well as providing service to Airy.

"Since you work for the queen, you also work for me as one of my spies. Whatever intelligence you uncover on this...matter...you bring to me. Understood?"

Romantic intrigue appealed to Wyn's adolescent nature.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Go help the queen with her bath. You are dismissed."

Wyn curtsied again, but Esseff was no longer paying her any attention. Receiving no other orders, the guards followed the doe into Airy's rooms. The grim bucks in their shiny armor were frightening enough, but Wyn wondered if she would ever get used to the idea of Wolves with swords and armor being her protectors.

"You seem troubled, your Majesty," observed Vaun.

Airy was rested after her bath. Wyn had done an excellent job of pampering her and had even massaged away much of the tension in Airy's shoulders. The young doe was a pleasant alternative to the soldiers and warriors who had previously been assigned to attend her. Even the female Wolves who had drawn that duty were formal in Airy's presence and desired other tasks more fitting for a warrior than a maid's duties. Wyn, however, genuinely enjoyed her new assignment and relished the opportunity to serve in whatever capacity she could. More importantly, though, her presence was like having a little sister around to confide in and discuss matters other than war and politics.

Unfortunately, Airy could only escape the weight of her troubles for brief breaks before she was forced to bear them again. Foremost of her concerns was her affair with Jak. Dwelling on that invoked an aching sorrow as it did now. Vaun sensed her disquiet, though he did not understand its source.

"Call me Airy, Vaun. We're old friends, and we are alone...as alone as we can hope to be."

Vaun had been standing at attention waiting for his queen to put him at ease. Being called friend was the opening he sought. A second wingchair that was a match to the one Airy occupied had been positioned about six feet away from the queen. Vaun dragged it closer to her, faced it towards its twin, and took a seat. The high backs and distance gave them some privacy from the two Rabbit guards who stood silent and grim by the door.

"Like when we were kits, eh?" he said in a low voice. "Very well. Tell me what ails you, Airy."

Though Vaun smiled as he spoke, he was not jesting. His concern for his queen was genuine and heartfelt.

"I'm lost, Vaun. I thought I knew where I was going, what I was doing, and where my future lay. Then I returned to find everything had changed. All of my plans were sundered in an instant. I feel like events are shaping me instead of the other way around."

Recognizing the same feeling in himself, Vaun was silent for a moment considering what he should say. Typical of his character, unfettered honesty won.

"It has seemed that way lately for me also and makes me realize that we never shared the truth about why I remained so steadfastly devoted to your return. I feel compelled to confess that, like you, I often felt that I was being manipulated from afar. After your father died, I had dreams nearly every night wherein the Maker told me that you were not dead. I tried to ignore these dreams for the nighttime fantasy that I thought they were, but when I did, my nocturnal imaginings became darker, more foreboding, and more full of prophesies of doom for Rikifur. Whenever I took action to convince others to believe my madness, the dreams turned hopeful again. Did I do it all for you, or was it to save my sanity only? I like to think it was the former, but I can't deny the possibility of the latter."

Suspecting that Olivia was behind Vaun's dreams, Airy's temper raged within the confines of her head where it couldn't be detected and upset Vaun. Having her old friend and stalwart ally abused by the Wolves' Maker made Airy want to scream her wrath, but she refrained. Vaun was not the only victim. Olivia had manipulated Airy and Jak, too. The tug and pull of the Maker's puppet strings were discernable in many places to Airy now that she thought of them. Had the Wolf Maker made the volcano erupt? Had she been involved in the death of her father to precipitate this war, or had she merely taken advantage of events to help her children and destroy Jak and Airy's love? There was no way for Airy to know the full extent of Olivia's power.

She did understand that through the dreams of Rabbits and Wolves, Olivia prepared the way for Jak and Airy's success. The mad Human knew that Airy would be unable to resist the opportunity to become queen and save her family. By passively accepting Olivia's help, Airy owned the consequences that came with them, the foremost of which was a public and now even a private separation from Jak. So devastating was the truth of her own complicity in Olivia's schemes that it became effortless for Airy to suppress her anger and wallow convincingly in her own despondency.

"Oh, Vaun. I feel so alone."

"But you are not alone. You are surrounded by so many who love you."

"And how do you love me, Vaun?" thought Airy to herself. Was Tigan correct? Did Vaun have romantic feelings towards her equal in intensity to Jak's? Airy wished that she knew how to play the coy lover's game and trick her old friend into revealing openly and unequivocally his true emotions towards her, but Airy was too direct in her manner and ways. Subtlety did not come easy. Besides, she was not sure she could bear having his love exposed and risk leaving it unrequited as she continued to cling to the slender thread of her secret wish to be permanently reunited with Jak.

It was the foolish dream of a teenaged doe that her adult self castigated her immature inner child for preserving. The course she must eventually take was evident and as unassailable as the tallest and stoutest castle walls in Rikifur. How sad it would be, she thought to have to marry someone like Vaun for convenience and not for passion. A relationship like that could hold only emptiness and heartache for both parties. Still, she had to begin the process of learning who might make a suitable king if she was ever forced to choose.

"I suppose you're right. I should not dwell on such depressing thoughts. Let's talk instead about the future. I want to know how you feel about the Wolves and bringing them into Rikifur. I sense that there is still much resistance to the idea among our people. I see opportunities for violence to erupt between Rabbits and Wolves. Do you support integration as devoutly as do I?"

Wyn brought forth a decanter of wine with two glasses and set them on the table between Vaun and Airy. She poured the beverage and offered them each a glass as they continued their conversation.

"Indeed I do," answered Vaun after downing half his drink. "I am amazed, though, to hear myself declaring that, let alone believing it with all my heart. Just a month or two ago, I dismissed all Wolves as dangerous primitives. Having come to know White Paw, Bear, and some of the Wolves we are considering as officer candidates has changed me. Are they different from us? Yes. In many ways, but not in ways that really matter. They are very much like us where it counts. White Paw is more of a brother to me than my real siblings, who care more about which of us will be the next Duke than for each other. I'm afraid that as the youngest son, I have the poorest prospects for that honor."

"I am glad to hear that."

Sensing Vaun's puzzlement, she corrected herself.

"...not that you feel estranged from your brothers or your poor prospects for a title, but that you are so committed to my dream. So, you would pursue peace with the Wolves no matter what?"

"Even if I have to help you fight every Duke and every army in Rikifur, and that includes my own father. On this matter, I cannot yield or compromise. I have seen the light, so to speak, and realize that this age-old feud has been as debilitating for us as it has for the Wolves. It must end so we can move on to greater things and the better future that people like you, White Paw, Camorra, and Jorveth see."

"How many other nobles feel that way?" wondered Airy to herself. She doubted there were many yet, and all of them were likely already part of her army.

"You mentioned your family. How do you think they will respond to cooperation with Wolves?"

From the lengthy pause before he answered, the nervous drumming of his fingers on his thigh, and the quick gulping of the remainder of his drink, it was obvious to Airy that there was more amiss with Vaun's family than mere sibling rivalry.

"I think my father can adapt and accept. He was steadfastly loyal to your father, and that devotion extends to you, perhaps not a zealously as mine, but he would not forsake you lightly. He is old, though, and has already begun preparing my eldest brother, Meerachaphos, to succeed him. The duke will consult with Meerachaphos on these matters, and my brother is not so broad minded as I am. He is a strong fan of the monarchy and your family, but not out of love for you in particular. It is tradition that he worships. All change is anathema to him. Wolves are our traditional enemy. He will not favor befriending them, but even worse, I suspect he would have had our family side with the priests if he had been duke when civil war broke out. He has always viewed your brother, Andre, as the legitimate successor to your father. Meerachaphos does not recognize the legitimacy of a ruling queen any more than the priests do."

"That's absurd," protested Airy. "Though I am the first, there are rules in the sacred texts for a female to be first born and to rule. How do they justify dismissing that?"

"It is amazing how easy it is to forget or repudiate rules and truths that are inconvenient. If my father dies, and my eldest brother becomes duke, Perseine is lost to us."

"This is a terrible revelation, Vaun. We need Perseine on our side. They have the steel manufactory. Is your brother the reason why we cannot get a commitment from your father to support us?"

"Partially. Perseine has only remained neutral in this war so far for reasons of survival. When common wisdom had most everyone accepting your death, my father would have yielded to my brother's wishes and sided with the priests to support your family, but our province is embedded in AR territory, and we have the only available working steel mill outside of lands controlled by the Priests. Perseine would not have lasted long alone if my father had not agreed to remain neutral and provide the AR steel for their war. As it stands, the Anti-Royalists keep a very large army near my home at all times to protect that asset and assure my family's continued neutrality."

"Surely as the rightful heir, your father wishes to support me. What will it take to get him to join us and fight on our side against the AR?"

"I'm not certain. Communication between us was easier before you returned. Now, all lands between my home and here are enemy territory with heavy patrols and tighter security. It will be very difficult to get messengers back and forth."

"Then we must go to Perseine. We need the steel; we need your father's army. Surely, after we have defeated the AR here and in subsequent battles, your father will join us knowing that together we cannot lose."

"I believe that you are right, but the AR will be expecting us to do just that. They will work to have allies harass us from the West to divert much of our strength. We don't have the numbers to fight two fronts at once. We need more troops just to defeat the AR. A push to Perseine will be a brutal and ugly campaign that will tax all of our resources, and if winter comes early again, we may not make it."

"Early winter? Was last year bad?"

"Beyond bad. It was the earliest, coldest, and longest lasting winter in our history. Hunger, disease, and starvation helped cause the civil war as much as your father's death. The ash from the volcano coated much of the land decimating crops."

"We will just have to push hard and fast then. I want that steel mill, and I mean to have it before the year ends."

The queen was ignoring his advice, but Vaun didn't care. He shared her enthusiasm for swift action. Smiling, he slapped his paw on his thigh.

"That's what I have always loved about you, Airy. Decisive and bold, just the way a leader should be."

Pleased at the compliment, Airy smiled. There was one problem, though.

"I'm glad you feel that way Vaun since many seem to think that what I lack between my legs is all that matters."

Unused to hearing such indelicate frankness from a female, Vaun grimaced in embarrassment.

"You are an exception being of the royal line and first born," he countered to hide is discomfiture.

"Is that all that separates me from the rest of my sex?"

Confused by her persistence on this subject, Vaun stammered.

"Well...yes...I mean no. Maker dammit, Airy. You're different than other does."

"Am I? Why can't any doe be more than just a servant and kit making machine? Even I am expected by many to step aside when I marry and let my husband rule Rikifur."

Airy leaned forward to emphasize her antagonism to that prospect.

"That will never happen, Vaun."

"I agree no one should expect you to give up your authority, but..."

"But nothing!"

Airy was getting angry, and she didn't care. This point was important to her. She had to know how adamantly Vaun felt about the roles of the king and the queen.

"If I marry and my king and I disagree, whose word is law?"

"Uh...that's... I don't know. There are no rules for that..."

"That's right, but most everyone has an assumption. What is yours, Vaun?"

To his credit, when pressed, Vaun's answer was swift and unhesitating.

"Your word would be law."

"Why?"

"Because you are the direct descendant of the Maker's chosen ones. The king would not have that same divine authority."

It was an equitable answer that Airy could accept, but she had hoped for a better one. She was thus relieved when Vaun yielded the reason she desired on his own.

"But more because you would be the superior ruler. I know you well Airy, and I cannot think of anyone in all of Rikifur who I would trust to lead us more than you."

The smile she gifted her old friend was genuine.

"Thank you for believing in me. I hope your belief is contagious."

"It will be. You are proving your worth every day and with every victory. The dukes of the West will begin rallying around you soon."

Airy prayed that Vaun was right, but was wise enough to know that she was a doe treading in a buck's world. Everything she did and said would receive extra scrutiny and criticism. To make them forget her sex, she had to forget it herself and act like a buck whenever she was in public. That would be easy for her since she had been doing just that for the last six years of her life. It was a pity that other females like Wyn were denied the same opportunity. Thinking of her new maid reminded Airy of one final topic she wished to discuss with Vaun.

"It is late, but before you go, I need to tell you that Cat stopped a rape today of a young doe by four Wolves."

Vaun stiffened, but before he could respond, Airy continued.

"It will happen again. We can't stop it any more than we can stop consensual interspecies sex."

"Oh, but we must," blurted Vaun unable to control his rejection of the unsavory topic. "The Maker made us different for a reason."

"Perhaps, but it is happening already. Look at Camorra and Jorveth. Cat takes Wolves for lovers."

"But they are not Rabbits. No one cares how they soil themselves."

"We need to generate rules and guidelines for our army concerning this subject whether we like it or not. We cannot mix Wolves and Rabbits together like this, having them fight side by side, and not expect relationships to develop. You, White Paw, and Camorra will draft something that we can disperse among the troops. I want it clear where we stand on this, so there are no surprises and discontent when the inevitable happens."

Airy remained in her chair after Vaun left. It was late. She should sleep, but her thoughts waged a distracting civil war of their own in her head. Never in her life had she felt so torn and conflicted. Certainty about what was right and the path she was born to follow had ruled her for so long, she found this moment of indecision deeply troubling.

The light clinking sound of Wyn trying to remove the wine service without disturbing her mistress had the opposite effect on Airy, who desired distraction above all else. Wyn was still wearing the clothes Cat had stolen for her. Airy shook her head at them.

"Do you know how to tailor garments, Wyn?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," was her demure reply. "Is there something you need me to make for you?"

"No. Something for you. You have my permission to take whatever suitable fabric and other materials you need from the commissary tomorrow to make new clothes. I'll write a note so no one will question you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"It is nothing. If you are going to be a maid to the queen, you had better dress like one, and in private like this you may simply call me 'ma'am.' I get enough, 'Your Majesty' all day long to make me choke."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now sit for a moment, please. I would like to hear your opinion on several topics."

Wyn tentatively sat in the chair Vaun had recently occupied feeling awkward doing so. Placing herself equal to the queen seemed wrong even though her hindpaws didn't reach the floor. At the same time, Wyn delighted in the feeling of familiarity with a fellow doe and tried to make herself comfortable.

"You heard and understood most of what Vaun and I discussed?"

"Yes, ma'am. I sorry if I should not have."

"No need for apologies. I wanted you to hear. Tell, me what you think of my plans, not for battle, for the future of Rikifur. I need to know what the people think."

"Yes, ma'am. Uhm, where would you like me to start?"

"There are that many changes?" asked Airy with a laugh. "I suppose there are. Start with the Wolves as our friends and allies. Can our people accept that?"

"I think so, ma'am. I have accepted them, but my beliefs are not the same as most Rabbits. My beliefs teach me to love all of the Maker's creations, including the scary ones like Wolves and Cats."

"Scary? Cat I can understand, but certainly not a Wolf like White Paw."

"I suppose White Paw would be better described as formidable, but I can't think of a more diplomatic descriptor for Cat, ma'am."

They shared a laugh over the doe's assessment of the feline.

"I'll grant you that. She can be intimidating, but so can I."

"Yes, you can, but it's easier to not like someone who looks different and has different customs. It's easy to trust automatically other Rabbits, but trusting Cats and Wolves takes the Maker's own effort or some extraordinary shared experience. Cat saved my life, or at least my virginity. How could I not love and trust her after that even as frightening as she still is?"

Airy felt a surge of kinship with this little doe for their similar association with the feline.

"Cat also saved my life once, and I hers. I understand the bond that can form between enemies from that, but we can't convert everyone that way."

"No...I mean yes. I agree. It will take time and familiarity, like with General Vaunortheses and White Paw, but it will be harder among the common people. They have been taught to hate for so long. They need a new message and need to hear it over and over again. It helps that it comes from you, the rightful heir and descendant of the Maker's chosen."

"Are you suggesting that I join your cult and promote your beliefs?"

Having exposed Airy's innate disregard for all cults including the Fellowship, her rebuke of Wyn was more intense than she intended. Wyn's ears drooped, her paws clutched each other for comfort in her lap, and she hung her head.

"I have given offense with my impertinence. I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

"Oh, don't be, please. I should apologize for reacting so harshly. I told you I can be scary. Now speak. Tell me what is on your mind no matter how impertinent. I command it."

Comfortable with obeying, the direct order had its desired effect on the doe.

"Yes, ma'am. I think your beliefs and mine are different in some ways but not at all on this one issue. You don't need to join the Fellowship to preach love and peace, even though that is a departure from the official doctrine of the priests. They say that we are at war with the Wolves forever by the Maker's design. You clearly don't agree with that. I think you should send forth disciples in your name to preach that message. I know many who would do it gladly, ma'am."

The little doe's insightful suggestion caught Airy by surprise. A thoughtful moment passed as she pondered the wisdom and the possibilities of a grassroots propaganda campaign. The idea had great merit especially if the disciple's were augmented with Tigan's magic ring and storytelling skills.

"That is an excellent idea. I may take you up on that offer. We shall discuss it with Tigan and Camorra tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am."

Wyn was becoming more animated from Airy's praise and squirmed in her seat.

"That sounds exciting. I'm looking forward to meeting them."

"I'm sure you'll charm them as you have me. Now tell me what you think of the rights and roles of does."

Oddly, this subject seemed to distress Wyn more than the subject of Wolves.

"Well...it is clear that the Maker made bucks taller and stronger than does, so it makes sense to me that bucks should fight, and does should raise kits and make house...with the exception of Your Majesty, of course."

"What about female Wolves? They are as tall and strong as the males. They fight as warriors. If they become a part of Rikifur, how do we treat them? What about Cat? She is stronger, fiercer, and faster than all the Rabbits and Wolves put together it seems."

"I hadn't thought of that."

"And what about me? I fight as well as and better than most bucks. Size and strength isn't everything."

Wyn couldn't let go of her skepticism to female equality.

"I still find it hard to imagine a legion of does in battle. It just doesn't seem right."

"That's not what I'm promoting, though. I'm talking about other rights for females. They have no role in government other than me as an exception. Why can't a doe rule as duke? Why can't does be priests? The Wolves have shamanesses. True, they can't be chief, but they are not excluded from decision making councils, and they play a strong role in determining the fates of their packs."

"I would like those things, ma'am. I don't think the Maker made us small to make us ignorant and silent."

"That is good. Finally, I would like to broach the most delicate subject of the evening with you: interspecies sex. It has been forbidden for all of our history, but it was easy to enforce because so few of the other species ever entered our lands. A smattering of Bears, a Skunk or two, and Fox traders and ambassadors. Now that thousands of Wolves are here, it's going to happen more. I'm sorry if this subject distresses you, especially after what happened today."

"I am not distressed. Cat saved me, and she enforces your justice. That proves that you are dedicated to protecting us from the Wolves' bad behavior. They fornicate with each other wantonly, and such things are against the Maker's intent. No offspring can come from such a union, so what is the point of it except depravity?"

"It seems that your Fellowship and the priests are in agreement on that one. Why did you forgive the Wolves then?"

"It is not for me to judge and punish. That's the Maker's job."

"Do you think the people of Rikifur will care what the other species do with each other? Jorveth and Camorra for example."

"The other races are lesser. We are the Maker's chosen people and must keep ourselves pure. I can't see why anyone would care what Cattle, Horses, Wolves, Cats, and Foxes would do together."

Deep down Airy had known all along how her relationship with Jak would be received by her people, but to have it confirmed by Vaun and this doe was particularly disheartening.

"Go ahead and get to bed, Wyn, and thank you for your thoughts."

"Shouldn't I help you get to bed first?"

"No. I'll be here just a little longer to think. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, ma'am."

Alone at last except for her two guards and Thayir, Airy tried not to fret over her romantic future and happiness. It was to no avail. Jak was still in her heart, and she felt horrible for not being able to share him. The pending battle could not come soon enough to give her an outlet to vent her frustration and distract her from her heartache. The rhythm of battle pleased her and filled her imagination. Combined with the steady breathing of her feral wolf companion beside her chair, they became the lullaby that eventually put her to sleep.

[End of Chapter]