FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter VII

The sounds of frogs softly peeping and insects stirring filled the humid air. Hidden in the undergrowth of bushes and smaller trees, a figure was hard at work. The base of the tree that the female was under served as her shelter during the night, and the ground her bed. A thick blend of sticks and leaves above her made a sturdy enough rooftop. The beautiful black spots on her body were dull from days of dirt and mud accumulating in her fur. But Topaz didn't have time to bathe. She busily sharpened the freshly fletched stone on a new spear. Bits of chipped rock were in her lap and on the ground. Her old spear was already in three pieces and used as shelter for the frequent rains. It was her newest weapon, and most basic so far. With only four rounds left, her rifle would become a simple club if she couldn't become more efficient at hunting and foraging. She continued the simple striking motion until the stone's sides were as sharp as the point.

"There." She admired her handiwork before setting the weapon aside. Topaz stretched her legs before curling them up with a sense of satisfaction. A new necklace with seven tooth shaped stone fixtures adorned her upper body. It proved good practice to make spear tips with. The crude blowgun had been fashioned into a hardly, if not crude, weapon to hunt with. Her semi groomed hair contained a few colorful bird feathers from successful hunts. She blended in with her surroundings very well despite having little else on her. Topaz looked out into the jungle around her fondly. Her home was in the Inkasi jungles where she could physically feel the connection she had with nature. The Inkasi jungles were also a big mystery. There was so much that she didn't know, but wanted to explore and find out. She hadn't seen the naked painted people since their brief encounter after discovering the abandoned huts, but the genet secretly hoped that they would show themselves once again.

The genet found solace in her new world, but her smile faded. There was another home too; one that she had also lived in alongside the jungle. "Luo." The village where she had grown up and lived her entire in was also her home. The genet's gaze fell from the trees to the slow rise and fall of her white tummy. Sure, there were no rules to follow like clothing, etiquette, curfews, or other little things; but she missed her family and friends. That was something that nature could not provide her. The cheerful village in the Inkasi jungle that she grew up in would always be her home. With a small sigh, Topaz laid down and curled her tail up. Topaz closed her eyes for a short nap. It was a rare treat to get one.

***

A sound woke the genet up, but didn't stir her to jump. Topaz had relaxed considerably since her first days of living in the untouched Inkasi jungles. Her arms fully stretched as her mouth opened in a relaxed yawn.

'A rodent?' She blinked only to freeze still. Topaz found herself staring at the end of a gun, and on the other end was an unfriendly looking ermine. "AH!" She screamed pressing her back to the tree trunk. The gun loomed closer and she kicked it away instinctively.

"Why you-!" The male ermine threateningly stepped forward and pulled out a handgun. Topaz bared her teeth and prepared to fight for her life.

"Hold it Jason!" A female voice barked. Topaz watched the ermine back away as another approached. This one was female donned in khakis and a tank top, bearing a pistol in hand. The genet's heart pounded wondering what would happen.

'Are they rebels?' She feared a slow death by their hands. Her concerns were heightened by the presence of automatic weapons. The female ermine briefly, but keenly looked over Topaz.

"She isn't part of the rebels." The ermine crouched down to Topaz's level.

"H-how do you know?" He wearily asked.

"Just look at her." She answered. Topaz noticed that there were a dozen or so people in the background, eagerly watching her as well. "No camouflage, a spear, and she's naked." The female simply stated. Jason looked at Topaz, and then the ground but didn't reply.

"Then who is she?" Another asked. The Luo villager tightened her jaw and sealed her lips, too afraid to say anything yet. The white ermine raised a hand as another female approached.

"We found a weapon nearby. I'm assuming that it belongs to her." A topless khaki wearing raccoon held up Topaz's rifle.

'They found it!' Topaz gaped at her life saving weapon in their hands. 'I should've hidden it!' She regretted.

"What should we do with her?" Another impatiently asked. Topaz wondered the same thing.

'What will they do to me?' She didn't let her guard down for a moment. A moment of silence passed while the ermine's eyes stared intently at Topaz. The leader of the group stood up and approached Topaz. The cornered genet prepared herself.

"You're coming with us." The ermine surprisingly offered a hand. She stared at the open palmed invitation suspiciously before accepting. Topaz was pulled to her feet by a strong arm. The Luo genet dusted off her rear and looked at the dozen or so faces curiously watching her. "Okay everyone. Let's get back to base." The group started disappearing into the foliage. Four remained around Topaz, guarding as well as restraining her. Topaz grabbed her old loincloth hanging on a branch and followed them into the jungle.

"She's like a wild animal in the jungle." Her ears picked up one remark.

"No kidding..." Another whispered. Topaz frowned, but walked with the strange group anyway, leaving her makeshift shelter behind.

***

The walk took well over an hour, and brought Topaz further into the jungle than before. No marks told her where they were going exactly. The uncharted terrain began to turn hilly and difficult to navigate. There were no signs of villages, or even a simple pathway to follow.

'I don't know which way to go back.' Topaz glanced around while following the khaki and camouflage wearing person in front of her. The lack of trails in the foothills proved difficult to plan for a sudden escape route.

"Heeeey!" Someone called from uphill. Topaz couldn't see who it was through all of the trees but no one else took much notice. The single file zig zagged uphill, revealing an odd feature on the hilltop.

'What the...' What appeared to be a cliff face from a short distance away, was entirely hand created. They were constructed walls made out of wood and mud behind the dense foliage of the jungle. Standing at roughly seven feet high, they were impressively engineered from the materials laying around. The group walked through an opening where trees thinned out, revealing patchy areas of sky. Inside, Topaz entered an entirely different place that existed inside the jungle. 'A camp?' The genet looked around at the odd encampment atop the wooded hill. Wide pathways interconnected from constant walking. Clothes were hanging out to dry on a line, and a large cauldron rested over smoldering ashes. Other basic cooking utensils were resting nearby on hand cut tables. Its seats were merely half sawed logs resting on the ground. Hammocks and very simple beds were covered with simple thatch roofing. The Luo villager could hardly believe that an entire base was atop the hill! Well over a dozen individuals inhabited the protected area.

The ermine's militia looked fairly mixed in terms of equipment and participants rather than professionally or uniformly prepared. There were ermines, genets, civets, a few ocelots, raccoons, and a red fox. Maybe two or three dozen from what Topaz could tell. Most were male, but they didn't outnumber the females by many. Clothing was an odd mix of modern and tribal. Loose shirts, khaki pants, and camouflage were mingled with toplessness, necklaces, and the occasional loincloth. They weren't limited to modern weapons either. Knives were commonly worn around the waist. One carried a spear, another a machete by the waist just in case of close combat. Blowguns indicated that at least a few could hunt in the jungle.

"Come with me." The main ermine's voice snapped the genet from her stare. Topaz followed her to a particular spot inside the natural walls. Several others stared at her as she crossed by. Long branches and sticks were lashed together and old sheets were stretched between them to create a semi private space within the encampment. Heavy weaponry rested against the wall. A spare shirt was hung on a sharp notched stick, above a hammock that acted as a bed.

'Wow...' Topaz had no idea such a place existed in the uninhabited jungle.

"Do you talk?" The white female ermine asked without turning around.

"Um, yes." Topaz hesitantly answered. 'My voice sounds so weird now!' The genet hadn't talked to anyone in so long. "My name is Topaz." She introduced herself.

"Sorry for the rude greeting out there earlier... Here's your gun." She turned around and handed the item over. "My name's Claire Montecroix, but you can call me Roc."

"Thanks." Topaz held onto it. "Who are you guys?"

"We're a militia of sorts, and we protect the villages behind the hills from attacks."

"What villages are back there?" She pointed over her shoulder with a thumb.

"Basoga, Iteso, and Ahawa. Ahawa is the largest but all three are small with less than one thousand inhabitants apiece." Roc quickly detailed. "Where are you from?"

"Luo."

"Luo?" Roc was surprised. "That's far away from here."

"My village was taken over and occupied."

"I see..." She nodded and looked over the genet. "I normally don't want anyone walking around in the nude." Her nose wrinkled slightly at the dirty loincloth in Topaz's hand. "You can clean yourself up in the river nearby if you want. We can talk when you're done." Topaz looked at herself and agreed.

"Oh... That's a good idea." She smoothed a ruffled section of fur.

"Just follow that path." Roc pointed behind Topaz. "The guys prefer downstream, and the ladies prefer upstream."

"Thank you." She excused herself. 'I can bathe wherever I want.' The genet thought to herself as she walked along the path. Bamboo mingled with the trees wherever it's twisting path led. Topaz paused where a little trail branched off and led downhill to the water. It was strange how there was a little river carving along the ridge along the hill. A few guys were bathing and noisily chatting amongst themselves. Some turned and looked up at her curiously. 'I need some quietness to myself.' Topaz continued upstream where there was no one to disturb her. She hung her rifle on a tree limb, and other items aside before approaching the water's edge with her loincloth in hand. Topaz knelt down and examined the garment in her hands. "This is dirty..." The caked on mud stained her once rich brown cloth. The fabric was even a little worn. Topaz soaked and washed it as much as she could before hanging it to dry. Then it was her turn to wade in. The water trickled around her wading legs before she found a deep spot near the shore.

"Ah..." Topaz sat down and gave a much needed sigh of relaxation. The cool water barely reached the swell of her breasts, and helped ease her worries for the time being. She stared out into the Inkasi jungle. The lush plants prevented her from seeing very far, but they gave her a sense of familiarity. 'Just like home.' She wistfully thought. The plants were just as dense here as they were in Luo. The sound of footsteps perked the genet's ears. Topaz looked over her shoulder and saw the white ermine walking down the gentle embankment to the water's edge.

"Hey." Roc gave a quick wave and knelt down to remove her peculiar footwear.

"What kind of sandals are those?" It was rare for a villager in Luo to need sandals or any kind of footwear. The stoat's toes stuck out of the odd open design that revealed her ankle and some of her foot. The bottom sole had rubber for traction in the tropical jungle terrain.

"They're breathable, but made to last." She pulled them off. "So," Roc discarded her tank top and cargo pants next, revealing her fluffier white and grey areas, "you've been caught up in this war too?" The ermine dipped into the water beside the genet, choosing to keep the cloth tied around her head. The ermine had average build for her size and a very sleek athletic appearance from her toned body. Light pink nipples poking out from the center of her gentle mounds perplexed Topaz. Skin color there was usually a of a darker shade in Luo's villagers. Roc looked very graceful wading out a step before sitting beside Topaz.

"Yeah." Topaz quietly admitted. "I escaped when they took over. It happened so fast." She recalled how her normal day descended into chaos.

"So you've been in the jungle surviving since then?" The ermine surmised.

"Yeah. I don't even remember how long I've been gone."

"It's been over a month since Luo was captured... Maybe two months."

'That long?' Topaz absently stared into the trees. The amount of time away from home weighed heavily on her heart.

"The fighting has been going on for roughly a year now." Roc continued. "Each side has stagnated recently. We haven't been able to push them out of the area, but they haven't pushed us out either." She humbly spoke. The females paused the talk, and washed under her arms. Topaz had plenty more to take care of though.

"So, was your village attacked too?"

"My village? I'm not from the Free State."

"But you protect the villages behind the hills right?"

"Yeah, we do."

"Then why are you in the Free State fighting the revolutionaries?"

"Those villages that I mentioned pay us." She nonchalantly combed the fur on her cheeks. "Although it's mostly in food and caring for our wounded."

"Oh..." Topaz didn't know what to make of it. "Is everyone in the group from outside the Free State?"

"No. Some are from the nearby villages, and others further away."

"What about you?"

"Further away." She concisely answered. The genet nodded and didn't press the matter anymore. Topaz lifted a leg out of the water to examine it.

"I haven't been able to get all the dirt out of my fur in a while." She admitted and scrubbed through her darker fur.

"You were in the jungle for a long time from what I gather." Roc watched her. Topaz merely nodded and scrubbed her other leg. It was an experience that the genet wouldn't forget. "What are you going to do now?" She flatly asked. Topaz stopped and stared blankly at the water.

"I don't know." She softly answered. Roc slowly nodded and resumed cleaning herself.

"I guess that's too early to ask." The ermine finished and stood up. Topaz watched her walk onto shore and shake excess water out of her fur. Topaz finished shortly after and stood up. She wrung the excess water from her tail and hair before walking ashore. Roc and Topaz simply stood in the sunlight together and air dried. The genet physically relaxed her body, no longer needing to be on constant guard. It was comforting to be with someone else, no matter the circumstances. "You're looking better now that you washed up." The white stoat noted.

"Yeah, I was starting to think that my fur was developing the color of mud and dirt." She half grinned at her cleaner white front, and lower extremities.

"Those with darker fur tend to overlook mud." Roc mentioned before looking over her shoulder. A brown and white male ermine briskly walked down the path towards them.

"Who is he?" Topaz asked but Roc didn't answer.

"What is it, Nambu?"

"Roc, I have some information." He stated.

"Can't it wait?" Her tail swished to air dry faster.

"There's been more fighting in the outskirts of the capital." He continued with an expressionless face. "They're trying to cross the mouth of the river to attack."

"Let's hope that it doesn't fall, or we might have more on our hands here." Roc started dressing herself. Nambu didn't leave and patiently waited for her. "Aright. Tell me the details while we walk." She chose to carry her sandals. Topaz gathered her things, and tagged along.

"The rebels are trying to cut the capital off by surrounding it, but that's difficult for them to do with their poor equipment. The low terrain, heavy rains, and wide main river are making it very difficult too."

"What about the government? Have they managed to hold their own so far?"

"Yes. They have even recaptured a few villages across the mouth of the river."

"That's good." Roc nodded.

"Holden doesn't appear to be moving around much."

"Who is Holden?" Topaz interrupted.

"He's from a northern village called Luhya," Roc explained, "and one of the top rebel commanders."

"Salva Tarno is another." Nambu added. "No conformation on his whereabouts either."

"You know about the war, right?" Roc questioned.

"No. Not really." She shook her head. The ermines exchanged glances but didn't say anything immediately.

"You do know why there is a war in the country, right?" Roc asked.

"Hmm..." Topaz thought for a moment. "I know that some villages up north started it because of the capital." Her summary was very simple, but effective.

"I can fill you in on the details later..." Roc folded her arms as they walked back into camp. A few stared or had lingering gazes towards Topaz." You can put your cloth on. We're back at the base." Roc pointed out.

"Oh! Sorry." Topaz quickly tied it on. The female ermine couldn't help but snicker to herself. "When did all of you build this?" Topaz looked around the encampment that resembled a little village. "I thought it was all empty forests around here."

"We managed to build it a few weeks ago after we fought off the first group of revolutionaries. We've managed to keep them at bay from here and set up communication lines so we can talk to other villages and areas."

"Communication lines?"

"Setting up a working radio that can contact a wide area." She pointed to one on a small stand. A long wire traveled up the side of a tree where it connected to a little metal dish at the top.

"Ah! A radio!" Topaz was stunned to see the device before her. The serval operating it jumped when she grabbed the machine.

"Careful!" He snapped at her.

"Can I contact my village with this?"

"No!" He snatched it back. "I'm using it right now. Besides, they would have to receive a certain frequency."

"That doesn't make any sense." Topaz frowned. "I've seen elders at my village listening to voices coming from it."

"They don't work that easily." He grumbled. A hand gently landed on the curious genet's shoulder.

"You get something to eat, and then we can talk more." Roc suggested and led Topaz towards a small table. A kindling pot was manned by an ocelot. The pleasant aroma wafting from the metal cusp intrigued her nose. A short line formed as everyone received a bowl. When Topaz stepped forward, a soup made of rice, steamed vegetables, and a little meat was served to her in an old bowl. Topaz took a seat at the benches and hungrily ate what had been given to her. Several others watched her devour the meal with gusto.

"I can't watch her eat." One whispered.

"Is she the one that you guys found?"

"Yeah." This time, a female voice murmured. "She's like a wild animal." Topaz ignored the remarks and ate her first full meal in far too long. The feeling of a full belly was indescribable for the genet.

"Ate your fill?" Topaz heard a familiar voice after she finished. She turned and the white ermine was standing behind her.

"Mmhm!" She nodded.

"Good. I'd like to talk with you then in private." She motioned back to her little spot in the base.

"Sure. What do I do with this?" She held up the empty bowl.

"Leave it. I'll make sure someone gets it." Roc waved the genet on. Nighttime was settling in and those not immediately going to sleep required lamps to see with. Dwindling fires were also put out.

"Where's the other guy?" Topaz noticed that the imposing brown furred ermine wasn't by her side.

"Nambu? He's retired for the night." She answered and brought the genet to her semi-private space in the hill base.

"Okay." Topaz looked around the dark space. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I think it's worthwhile explaining," Roc spoke as she lit a lantern, "this war to help you decide on what you should do." She explained. With a subtle clicking sound, the small space around them was aglow in a soft light. "There. That's better." The ermine briefly grinned and hung the item on a sawed tree limb. "Three northern villages are leading the revolution," she began, "Chakma, Kikuyu, and Luhya. They're a strong alliance that has taken over large parts of the northern and eastern Free State, including your village of Luo. With all the chaos near the capital other powerful villages like; Ullaza, Koyukon, and Nosonga have remained neutral, worrying about their own affairs without becoming involved. The Free State is becoming a patchwork of villages rather than a single country."

"Why don't the neutral villages help fight the revolutionaries?" Topaz asked.

"They don't see any reason to." Roc simply answered. "With the capital busy fighting to stay alive, the other villages don't have any obligation to fight. We have been trying to convince the village of Ullaza to help, but so far they haven't shown any interest."

"Can you guys fight the rebels off?" Topaz hoped. Roc shook her head and sighed.

"With our little group here, there is only so much that we can do." She admitted. "Your village has been under occupation for about one month, and this will only get worse the longer it is occupied."

"Worse? How much worse?" Topaz asked.

"If a lot of villagers have fled, then it may not be easy for everyone to farm and feed them. They are known for executing villagers who resist them."

"Oh." Topaz softly spoke in dismay. Her ears fell flat against her skull sulkily. The thought of all her friends and family made her sick, and desperately want to do something.

"Don't stay sad though." Roc placed a consoling hand n the genet's shoulder. "We're still fighting them off here, and I won't stop until this war is over." The ermine gave a firm nod. Topaz half grinned, finding a little ray of hope in the dark situation.

"Is it alright if I stay here for the night?" She knew that Roc's base was too far away from her shelter at the foothills.

"Sure." Roc offered. "We're going to Ahawa tomorrow."

"Ahawa?" Topaz looked around the base, unsure of where it was.

"It's a friendly village over the hills." She pointed southward.

"Thank you. Uh, where should I sleep?"

"We have a few little spots in the trees." She pointed to an Inkasi styled treehouse that was barely visible in the early night sky. "But most of us sleep in paired hammocks or a bunk." A bunk was scarcely more than a few timber logs lashed together with some bedding. Roc bid Topaz a good night of sleep and retired to her own spot. Topaz approached an empty "bed" of leaves and logs. It did not look very appealing, but there was not much choice in the matter. Setting her rifle aside, she crawled onto the hard surface and laid down. She curled her tail up and held it close to her body. Nearby lights flickered in her gaze, the occasional low voice accompanying them. The sound of tree frogs helped put her mind at ease as she closed her eyes for the night.

'My back...' Topaz grumbled to herself feeling stiff muscles pull. Sleeping on bedding covering a bunch of logs lashed together wasn't her idea of a place to sleep anyway. She rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up. Rubbing her eyes, Topaz peeked through the open morning sunlight from above. She noticed several people gathering a few things and gearing up to leave. Weapons were slung over shoulders and foodstuffs were packed.

'It's like a busy village.' She watched them for a moment.

"Morning." A voice greeted her. Topaz turned and found Roc standing beside her.

"Morning." Topaz stood up and tied on her only garment. "What's everyone doing?"

"We're going to a nearby village. Wanna come with us?" She pointed over her shoulder.

"What about this place?" Topaz looked around the defenses.

"Only a handful of us are going." Roc half grinned. "Nambu will be in charge, and everyone else should be fine."

"Okay." She nodded and departed with the group.

***

It took a day and a half of navigating through the hilly jungle trails to reach the village in the late afternoon. After another turn. The trees thinned out altogether revealing the little village of Ahawa. It was located in the middle of a flat dusty clearing within the hilly tropics. Typical wooden houses were clustered and spread out in the empty space among the southern jungle. Berry bushes and other durable plants were grown along the edge of the jungle. A few villagers picking the little fruits waved at the visiting group. The soft peaty jungle ground quickly transitioned under Topaz's feet. A hardness in the clay-like soil made her steps more audible. The ground was hard packed underneath her feet from decades of travel, and centuries of activity. She approached Roc at the front of the group.

"What will you do here?"

"Visit." Roc simply answered. "You can look around wherever you want. We will be staying overnight and leaving in the morning. Most villagers don't mind inviting guests to stay for the night." With that said, the group gradually broke up and walked into the village.

"They invite people over to stay?" Topaz found that odd, even for a friendly village. Several of the militia members were greeted by locals as if they were relatives on a leisurely visit. Topaz walked between a few houses where some kids were playing a game with rocks. The pieces clacked when they hit something and little cheers erupted. An elder observed them as arbitrator if arguing broke out. "Excuse me!" Topaz narrowly avoided a female cheetah carrying a wicker basket atop her head. The slim feline smiled and kept walking.

'Where should I go?' She looked around the peaceful village without a clue. A female porcupine rounded the corner of a home carrying a pole with two buckets over her shoulders. Her skirt and headband had beautiful and bright zigzag patterns, matching her colorful necklaces. She was a thick lady, but her breasts resembled watermelons! 'Her shoulders must be made of steel!' Topaz watched the porcupine's giant breasts not so subtly bounce with each step she took. The smaller genet silently watched the Ahawa villager approach.

"Hey there! I'm Indi." The porcupine stopped and introduced herself. "Who are you?" She set both buckets and the pole down.

"Oh. Hi! I'm Topaz." The genet held her hand out only to be hugged instead.

"It's nice to meet you Topaz!" Indi jovially declared. The genet felt squished in the busty female's arms.

"It's good to meet you too!" She breathed when Indi finally let go. "What are you carrying?"

"This one is full of fruit, and the other, rice. I'm taking them back home." Indi reached down to pick up her buckets.

"I can get the other bucket if you want." Topaz offered.

"Thanks! I appreciate it." She let Topaz take the other. The genet found the load a surprising handful.

'It's heavy!' She strained to summon all of her muscles just to carry it and follow Indi.

"My house is right here!" Indi happily stepped up the front three steps. Topaz hastily followed her inside. "You can put it over here."

'Thank goodness!' The genet gladly put the heavy item down, and stretched her arms. The porcupine's home was typical of any Inkasi home. A front room connected to a rear kitchen and a bedroom. Although, a guest was already seated in the kitchen. The sizzling sounds and tantalizing smells of cooking fish were in the air.

"Did you bring the fruit?" A female voice called out from the source.

"I brought them." Indi stepped into the room. Topaz stood in the doorway and found a female jaguar sitting before a contained fire where a few filleted fish were on a griddle pan.

"You brought a guest too!" The feline broke into a surprised smile.

"Her name is Topaz." Indi introduced the genet.

"Hello! My name is Xian." The nude jaguar fully turned and introduced herself. The spotted feline had a fat tummy and large breasts sagging from size and age, but they were not as large as her younger porcupine counterpart's. The only jewelry on her body was a thick necklace with shiny stones.

"It's nice to meet you."

"Are you staying for dinner? The fish is about done."

"Well..." Both females were smiling welcomingly at her. "I guess so." She placed a hand over her tummy as it quietly growled. 'I haven't eaten since lunch!' Topaz could not remember how many miles back in the jungle that was.

"Alright! Let's get the table ready." Indi excitedly clasped her hands together. The Ahawa porcupine picked through the basket and gathered an armful of different fruit. Topaz juggled to hold a few pieces passed to her. "Xian is my best friend." Indi told Topaz as the jaguar walked in from the kitchen with the cooked fish. "We've known each other forever."

"Forever!" Xian sang and shimmied as she walked before dissolving into giggles. "It's been many years." She agreed. The two ladies arranged the table with food until it resembled a little banquet.

"Let's eat!" Both buxom females exclaimed.

"Mm! The fish is great!" Topaz spoke through a mouthful. The genet hadn't eaten anything like it in so long!

"Thanks." Xian picked up a piece and blew on it. "Sometimes a plain fish tastes just right." She patted her belly.

"I know what you mean!" Indi hummed contently and did the same. Both heartily laughed.

"If only Mazia had traveled here, then she wouldn't have felt so different." Topaz whispered to herself.

"What did you say?" Xian leaned closer with an attentive ear.

"Oh! Nothing. Just something about a friend back home."

"Back home? Where are you from?"

"Luo. It's a village up north on the Luo River."

"That's far away." Xian's eyes widened.

"Are you a new recruit in Roc's militia?" Indi guessed.

"Well, uh... No." Topaz admitted to their surprise. "They found me in the jungle after I escaped revolutionaries that invaded."

"Goodness! You're a long ways from home." The jaguar remarked.

"Yeah. I was alone for over a month in the jungle-"

"A whole month?! Ahawa can be your home away from home!" Indi immediately offered.

"What are you going to do when Roc leaves tomorrow?" Xian pressed the issue.

"I'm not sure..." Topaz admitted. Everything that had happened felt so sudden for her.

"You can stay here as long as you want." The porcupine happily patted the genet's shoulder. "That should give you plenty of time to decide." Her optimism and good nature made Topaz optimistic about her own future.

"Thank you. This is all really unexpected."

"If Indi kicks you out, then you can always stay at my house." Xian offered.

"I have never kicked anyone out of my house!" Indi proclaimed while her friend laughed.

"So Roc and her group help protect the group of villages around here?" Topaz asked.

"Yep." Indi cheerily replied. "Almost two months ago those rebels approached the edge of the village. They roughed up a few of us and some other small villages, but luckily Roc and her group showed up and drove them out."

"Oh. I didn't know how all of it started."

"It's true." Xian nodded. "The villages in turn give any supplies that she needs, and help care for the wounded. It's a combined effort to fight because the villages around here aren't big enough to stop them."

"Mmhm!" Indi hummed as she took a bite from an apple. The three ladies gleefully chatted the hour away and ate their fill. Just as the evening was drawing to a close, the front door unexpectedly slid open.

"Hey, Indi!" Everyone looked over as a male ocelot entered the home. The sleek feline wore a plain breechcloth with a simple necklace and armband. "Is Xian-? I knew you'd be here." He smiled and approached the group.

"You know where to find me all too easily."

"It's good to see you Jero." Indi smiled. As soon as the ocelot sat down, Xian tightly hugged him.

"Hello there!" He spotted Topaz and tried composing himself in his mate's arms. "I'm Jero, Xian's mate... And who might you be?" He bashfully grinned.

"This is Topaz." Indi introduced the genet. "She had to escape from her home when it was invaded by rebels. I'll let her stay as long as she needs." The porcupine nodded.

"It's nice to meet you Topaz-"

"Don't break off a hug with me!" Xian giggled and wrapped her arms around Jero again. Topaz couldn't help but grin at the happy sight, and how the jaguar's front squished against her partner.

'They must love each other very much.' The young genet aspired to marry and live happily in Luo when the war finally ended.

"It smells good in here." He hummed. "Did you ladies eat without me?" His eyes spotted crumbs and eaten cores among the remaining fruit.

"Didn't I tell you that Indi and I would be cooking dinner together tonight?" Xian questioned. Her mate merely shrugged. "What could you have done all day to forget what we were doing?"

"I had to help my dad replace the old steps to his home. One board had already split in two. While we worked, I saw a kit poking an elder's back with a stick! I was tempted to smack it out of his hand, but at least the elder scolded him."

"If that was my kid, I'd have more than a stern talking." Xian affirmed.

"They talk as if they actually have kids." Indi whispered.

"Mhm." Topaz nodded.

"-That's when my dad gave me the talk about how you shouldn't judge others for raising their kids, especially when you don't have any..." Jero nodded his head over in exaggeration. "So when I was finished with that I came back home only to find that you weren't there. Of course, this was my second guess." He grinned.

"Do all three of you live together?" Topaz asked.

"Live together?!" Xian looked at the genet wildly. "There's not enough room for us two ladies!" The jaguar exclaimed. Indi snorted and laughed.

"It doesn't mean that we can't visit each other overnight though." Jero added.

"We do that a lot." Indi agreed with a nod.

"I would love to stay for the night, but it's getting dark and you already have a guest." Xian grinned.

"Oh, it's fine! I don't have to stay!" Topaz nearly jumped from her seat.

"You have nowhere else to stay!" Indi interjected. "I'm more than happy to have you spend the night here, Topaz." A strong arm kept the genet in her cushion.

"That settles that." Xian and Jero rose to their feet. Topaz and Indi walked with them to the door. "Thanks again for the dinner idea Indi." The feline licked her lips.

"When you offer to cook, I can't resist." Indi chuckled.

"It was nice meeting you, Topaz." The female jaguar hugged the genet. "I hope that this war ends soon for your sake."

"I hope so too." Topaz grinned. "It was nice meeting you as well."

"Mhm!" She nodded and grabbed her loincloth hanging by the door. "I'll see you around the village then." She quickly tied her garment on.

"Bye! We'll see you two around." Jero waved and left with his mate.

"See y'all around!" Indi called out before closing the door. "Hmm... It is getting dark." The porcupine noted how the front room was becoming dim.

"Are you really sure that it's alright for me to stay?" Topaz asked.

"Yes." The porcupine reaffirmed.

"Where should I sleep?" She looked around the floor.

"In the bed!" Indi exclaimed and nearly fell over at what she heard. The genet bashfully smiled, ears falling back. "Goodness... I'll clean the table off." Indi gathered the remaining bits into the wooden bowl.

"Do you want me to help?" Topaz stepped forward.

"You can put the cushions in the corner, if you want." She went into the kitchen. The genet nodded and gathered them up. There was a little pile already in the corner. Indi hummed and sang a little tune while she washed the wooden bowl in the kitchen.

We were washing

clothes at the river.

When I looked down,

mine were gone!

The short song reminded Topaz of Luo, and how her mom would sing during simple chores to brighten a busy day. It gave her a happy sense of nostalgia.

"There!" Indi dried and set the bowl aside. "That's done." The porcupine rose to her feet. "Thanks for getting the other stuff."

"I should be thanking you for the hospitality." Topaz pointed out.

"That's too much complimenting for me." She waved her hand bashfully, and led her guest to the other back room. It was a homely and snug living space despite being plain. Personal items were a little unorganized along the walls; baskets, a spear, clothes, but one fixture had the Luo villager's undivided attention.

'A bed!' Topaz could barely believe the sight. Indi noticed that her new friend was staring in a daze.

"You can get in whenever you're ready." The porcupine slipped by her.

"Sure!" Topaz took her loincloth and necklace off. "Where do I-"

"I'll take those." Indi placed them on appropriate shelves before shimmying out of her own skirt. Topaz barely noticed that Indi had been wearing colorful necklaces, or even earrings, but her tired mind didn't have the energy to think. The genet collapsed into the soft surface and snuggled up tight. Her body hadn't relaxed so completely in a long time.

'Wow... A bed!' Topaz happily closed her eyes.

"Goodnight." Indi contained a laugh and crawled in.

"Mmm..." A lazy hum replied. After so many days in the trees and hard ground, Topaz had found a little slice of heaven in a little village.

The sweet morning air made Topaz's nose wiggle awake. Her mind and body soon followed.

"Ahh." She yawned and stretched before rolling onto her back. 'Huh?' Her face found itself resting on something soft. Green eyes blinked awake to a sight of tan fur all around her face. Her hand touched the odd surface before a moment of realization overcame her. The genet's head was battling for space between Indi's busty chest!

"Indi!" She hastily rolled off the busty lady.

"Sorry." She giggled. "They tend to get in the way." Indi patted her bosom.

"No! It's fine..." Topaz stretched again. "I haven't slept that well in a long time." She contently sat up.

"I thought you weren't going to wake up today when I nudged you earlier." The porcupine held back a laugh.

"Waking up in a bed... Is nice." She grinned and felt over the sheets.

"It is." Indi sat up and stretched her arms. Topaz looked around the porcupine's bedroom. A few pegs across the room were full from jewelry and other ornamental decorations. Some shelves contained stacks of cloths and garments while the corners harbored decorated sticks and little sweet smelling basins for incenses. Two spare cushions and a carpet could've blocked the entryway if something fell over. "Sorry if everything is messy." Indi apologized. "I guess all my tidiness goes into the other two rooms."

"It's fine. You have a lot of beautiful clothing and jewelry." She admired the styles of wide banded of colors. One necklace in particular had a few bright feathers with a medium sized pearl in the center.

"Thanks. The everyone around here likes having a design where the colors are smooth. Ahawa isn't known for dyeing techniques, but we are known for wearing them!"

"I didn't see what Xian was wearing before she left."

"It's the same design, but with different colors. Everything she wears makes her spots stand out."

"She does have a beautiful fur coat, and a lot of personality. Xian and her husband are funny to listen to."

"Yeah, they are an earful." Indi grinned. "And there's never a boring moment with them. They have an interesting past, you know." Indi added. "Xian and Jero eloped from a neighboring village at a young age. I was barely an adolescent when they showed up here to start their lives together, freshly anew. From what I know, their parents were angry but came to an understanding after some time." Topaz couldn't help but think about Mazia and Malech from the description.

'I wouldn't be surprised if those two were busy in the jungle.' The genet half grinned. The bed shifted as Indi stood up and stretched. She walked over and dressed herself with the same skirt. The porcupine tossed on a few necklaces that struck her fancy as well.

"I'm going to empty the old water in the kitchen and fetch some fresh water from the creek."

"Ok. Do you need me to do anything?"

"Nope. I'll be back shortly." She promised. Topaz heard the front door open and then shut. She looked down at the covers on her lap.

'I can't believe that I'm here after sleeping on the jungle floor for over one month.' The genet tapped her tail. It felt like a dream waking up in the porcupine's bed. She gradually shuffled over and stood up. The hard wooden floorboards beneath her feet were a much more familiar sensation. Topaz briefly looked at the porcupine's jewelry. Her hand reached up and felt over her left ear. The feathered earring that she always wore was still there, but something was missing. "I left my gun back there!" Topaz softly gasped at the realization. Her mind wandered back to Roc's militia and their base in the hills of the jungle. They would be fighting the enemy on their own to help villages like her own. The genet was left with the choice of staying in Ahawa, or returning to the dense jungles to fight. She meandered into the main room deeply in thought. 'What should I do?'

"I'm back!" The door suddenly slid open and the jovial Indi reappeared with a jug of water. "I see that you're finally out of bed." She walked into the kitchen. Topaz slipped in behind her. The porcupine sat down and poured the rice in to soak for the morning.

Farming in the wet fields,

I am tired and wet.

The sun draws long

And I forget.

Indi sang aloud the tribal song.

"That was a nice song."

"Did you know that there's a different version?" Topaz shook her head and the porcupine cleared her throat.

Farming in the wet fields,

Bent over and wet.

I come home to my mate

only to bend over again.

Topaz laughed at the funny ending. "I think Xian told me that one." Indi chuckled.

"I'm not surprised." Topaz wrapped her tail around a leg. The porcupine resumed humming. The genet stood by the doorway idly and watched Indi sift her fingers through the rice. A sense of awkwardness passed through her. "Are you alright if I'm undressed?"

"Hm?" Indi paused. "I didn't even notice!" She grinned. "Whatever makes you comfortable. It doesn't matter in Ahawa if you're inside or bathing."

"Ok. My home village is the same way." Topaz nodded and sat down beside her.

"Most of Roc's militia acts like there's something strange about it. I can't understand it."

"Maybe it's because some of them are from far away." Topaz remembered how many of them looked at her wildly when she was brought to the base.

"I have to say that I love your spots Topaz." Indi looked at the genet's pretty pattern. "They're very beautiful."

"Thank you." She shyly grinned.

"I wouldn't be able to see any of them if you wore all of that camouflage and other stuff." Topaz didn't say anything. Her thoughts had returned to thinking about Roc, the war, and her occupied home. Indi was a wonderful hostess, but the awkwardness remained inside Topaz while she sat beside the happy porcupine. The genet was anxious.

"Let me get my stuff." She quietly stood up. Indi nodded and dried her hands on a rag. Back in the bedroom, Topaz found her belongings stored on a shelf. She put her stone necklace back on and retrieved her loincloth from the shelf. Her green eyes looked at the garment in her hands and uneasily released a pent up sigh. 'I want to stay here...' She thought to herself. Indi's gracious hospitality and the friendly villagers made her want to stay and forget about the entire revolution. 'But I can't.' She tied her loincloth on. The genet quietly padded to the main room and stared outside the open doorway. The sunshine seemed to call out to her.

"Are you still here?" A voice startled the genet.

"Huh?" She noticed a head poking out from the kitchen. "Oh, yes."

"You're quiet." Indi observed. Topaz silently nodded and stared through the open door. "Are you leaving?" The porcupine innocently asked.

"Well..." She hesitated in the doorway. "I want to talk to Roc..." The genet spoke. "I just can't stand by idly when they're doing so much." It would've been easy to stay in a peaceful village while everyone else fought the enemy, but she couldn't simply do that.

"I understand." A soft smile returned to the Ahawa villager.

"Thank you for everything, Indi." She hugged the porcupine. "You're a wonderful and hospitable person. I'm glad that we ran into each other." Indi returned the hug with gentler arms than yesterday.

"You're always welcome in my home, Topaz. Please visit again soon!" She bid the genet farewell until next time. Topaz nodded and bid the Ahawa porcupine farewell. Outside, the genet walked through the sleepy little village.

'It's like Luo the day after a festival.' Her feet kicked up dust from the dry dirt. Some villagers were out doing typical housework. One pregnant mother, a female leopard, was nursing her toddler while a male tended to a basket of tubers. It didn't take Topaz very long to find the militia leader in the small community. The white ermine was sitting with a few villagers and two wounded from her group in an open space. A brown ermine had a splint on his arm, and a grey fox had a thick amount of bandages on his thigh and head. An elder female civet was talking a the moment.

"They're doing well." She spoke. "I have them doing chores now."

"Chores?" Roc raised an eyebrow. "I could barely get them to do anything before they were hurt." She giggled.

"Mmhm!" The elder nodded briskly.

"We do most of the cleaning for our doctor and her neighbors." The splint wearing ermine half grinned. However, the grey fox sitting beside him was restless.

"I'm tired of doing chores around here." He complained. "I think I'll be out of these bandages in a week!"

"No!" The old civet next to him balked. "You cannot treat your healing like a shortcut. You have two more weeks before that leg can go without bandages."

"Listen to your doctor." Another chided. The grey fox gave a disappointed huff and sulked in his seat.

"Roc..." Topaz stepped to the chatty circle.

"Hey Topaz," she looked up, "we're going to head back to base shortly."

"Don't leave... We'll have to work as soon as you do." The grey fox moped. The elder civet glared at him.

"Thank you all for the hospitality." Roc spoke as she rose from her seat. The villagers rose and exchanged hugs with her. The group made their farewells, and the grey fox begrudgingly returned to the elder civet's side.

"We will have more food from Iteso in a week's time." An elder spoke.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Roc smiled before departing with Topaz.

"Where's everyone else?"

"Probably waiting." She nodded as they turned by the last house. Several of the others that they had traveled with were waiting towards the jungle as she had predicted, weapons on hand.

Chapter VIII

When the group returned to Roc's base the following day, Topaz had made up her mind without a lingering doubt.

"Roc?" Topaz found the ermine by herself.

"Hey Topaz I see that you decided to come back with us."

"I'd like to help you and your group, Roc." Topaz offered.

"Sounds good to me." The ermine grinned. "We can always use more help, and you've lived in the area for quite some time too."

"Great! How can I help?"

"You can definitely help us with reconnaissance. Living in the jungle should give you a good advantage with the terrain. Have you ever been trained to fight before?" She asked.

"I have fired my rifle before." Topaz explained. A confused, less than enthusiastic expression befell the ermine.

"I see..." Her voice trailed off as she looked around. "Keswayo!" She called out.

"Yes ma'am!" A deep voice replied before a tall, broad chested ermine approached them.

"Who?" Topaz asked.

"Keswayo, this is Topaz. Topaz, this is Keswayo." Roc introduced them to each other. "He's helped with training new recruits for a while." She mentioned. "Hey, would you go through and make sure that Topaz can help us with reconnaissance? She's from Luo, and her village was taken over a month ago." Roc patted the genet's shoulder.

"Yes, Roc." The light brown and cream furred male uniformly stated and led the newly recruited Topaz away. Next to the militia base was a narrow clearing with no targets. "I'd like to see how well you can aim and shoot, first." He nodded to the rifle on her shoulder.

"What do I aim for?" Topaz looked around.

"The target." He pointed at a cross section of a small tree trunk hanging from a limb. The cut wooden disc shape had several marks in it, indicating plenty of use. "Whenever your ready." The ermine stood back. Topaz slipped off her weapon and held it up. She took aim with a keen eye and clenched the trigger. A shot rang out into the hot air. The genet lowered her weapon and peered at the target. There was a mark just off center.

"That's good." The ermine commended. "Fire off the rest of the rounds." Topaz did so and three more shots pierced the air resulting in varying success. The next trigger resulted in an empty click.

"I am all out."

"Do you have another magazine?" Keswayo asked.

"That's all I had left." She admitted.

"Do we still have ammo for an SKS?" He called out.

"I'll check!" A voice answered. A minute later and the voice revealed at they didn't possess any ammo for Topaz's dated firearm.

"We'll have to get some more when we visit a village." The ermine reasoned. "Let's do something else." Topaz would almost regret following him. The next hours were grueling sprints, tree climbing, various exercises, and other maneuvers deemed important. There wasn't a moment's pause throughout the entire day for the genet, except to eat, but even that felt laborious. By the mid evening she was tired and ready to collapse into a soft bed, but the jungle offered no such remedy. Keswayo led her to the little river that snaked around most of the encampment. He stood at the widest point possible.

"Let's see how fast you can swim from shore to shore." The ermine pointed to the opposite riverbank. It wasn't very far, maybe fifteen meters wide and not very deep. "Whenever you're ready." He stepped back. Topaz readied herself and stood at the shore.

'Alright. you've swum in worse before, Topaz.' She told herself and ran into the river with boisterous splashes. She waded into the deeper water with long strides. When her shoulders dipped underwater, she pushed off the bottom and swam to the other embankment. Keeping the rifle above the water was difficult, but she managed before reaching the shallower end. She heard the droplets falling off her and into the water as she pivoted and ran back. She lunged and swam back before reaching the other side with weary legs. The genet crawled onto shore and knelt down, panting for air.

"You alright?" Keswayo approached the soaking wet female when she coughed up a little water.

"Yeah... I'll dry off here..." She raised a hand, only to let it fall and slap her own leg.

"That should do it for the day." He nodded with satisfaction. "We can continue tomorrow." The ermine bid her farewell for the time being.

"That was rough!" Topaz finished catching her breath and removed her loincloth to dry faster. The genet stared into the canopy and closed her eyes. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she would be feeling sore in the morning. Her fur dried in a spiky and matted pattern. Only when the sun started sinking below the horizon and daylight began fading did Topaz get up. 'Ughh.' She frowned feeling her body resist the movement. Staggering to her feet, the genet steadied herself on a tree trunk. Her garment was still too wet to wear, so she carried it on her arm. With strain, the rifle was slipped over her shoulder. The SKS felt heavier than she remembered , but the genet lumbered back into the encampment with tired feet anyway. Sleep was on her mind. The hammocks were scattered about the protected side of defenses. Some were stacked with two or three like a bunk bed. Quickly constructed roofs of sticks and wide leaves shielded the sleeping from any rain.

'I don't want to sleep alone.' Topaz searched for an open hammock. The genet avoided onlookers and found herself by a pair of hammocks and a young female around her age. She was a sleek, flat chested mountain lioness wearing only a pair of aged khaki shorts with light shades of stains and little tears in the fabric. Golden and lighter cream fur covered most of her body with details of brown markings. Short and spiky, but messy golden hair adorned her head and nape. Her brown tipped tail flickered above the ground where a small box of ammunition rested in the dirt. The lioness didn't mind the onlooker's presence while she brushed her arms.

"Hello." Topaz approached her.

"Hey. You're new around here." The feline acknowledged.

"Yes. I decided to help y'all today, but Keswayo exercised me to death."

"Yeah, he can be a little tough." She mused. "My name is Linda." The golden mountain lioness introduced herself.

"I'm Topaz." They shook hands.

"Topaz!" The feline suddenly realized. "You're the one who was found in the jungle a few days ago."

"Yeah..." She looked away.

"How long were you living the jungle? Did you have to eat your food raw?" There was a hint of fascination and excitement in the feline's voice.

"Eh... No. I managed to build a fire. I'm not too sure how long, but I think it was over a month."

"Goodness..." Linda murmured under her breath. The genet's eyes, however, were fixated on the hammocks.

"Is this taken?" Topaz asked.

"Nope. You can have the top one." She shrugged.

"Thanks." Topaz gladly set her weapon aside, hung up her garment, and climbed in. The ropes stretched but proved to be comfortable enough. "Oooh." She released a tired sigh and relaxed for the first time since morning. Linda half grinned and finished brushing through her fur. Topaz barely watched the golden lioness disrobe and hang up her pants. The feline quietly climbed into the hammock below. The sounds of rope straining and the two sturdy trees barely shifting lasted only an instant.

"Goodnight." A voice from below spoke.

"Night." Topaz weakly answered. Despite how tired she was, the genet couldn't fall asleep right away. Lanterns were used by a few to stay up later as darkness blanketed the fortified hilltop. Her thoughts wandered, but the normal sounds of churring insects and amphibians helped put her restless mind at ease for the time being.

Topaz started to roll over. A sudden turn made her hands tightly grab the hammock holding her aloft. Staring at the ground below reminded her that she was over a meter in the air. 'Sheesh...' Her eyes were wide awake now. She really envied the fact that Indi slept on a comfy bed every night. Linda was sitting below the awake genet on the forest floor, naked, tending to her AK-47.

"Morning." She greeted the genet looking down at her.

"Morning." Topaz answered.

"Is that old thing yours?" She nodded at Topaz's semiautomatic rifle propped against the tree.

"Yeah. What's so old about it?"

"It looks like something that my dad would own."

"This was my dad's rifle." Topaz admitted. The lioness slowly nodded in confirmation to the genet's confusion. Topaz shuffled clumsily out of the hammock and felt some relief when her soles touched firm ground. "Ugh." Topaz winced at how sore her body had become.

"Sore?"

"Yeah..." She winced and tried stretching some. A lovely scent made the tender pain feel more distant. "Mm. I smell food." Topaz hummed.

"Let's get something to eat then." Linda suggested and stood up. The two ladies put on their different forms of clothing.

"What kind of garment is that?" Topaz pointed at the feline's pants.

"They're just khakis. Nearly everyone here wears them." The feline explained as they left their weapons behind. A series of rustic, hand hewn benches were teeming with activity. Two people were cooking for the two dozen or so seated. An ocelot was intently listening to a handheld radio nearby. Someone else was looking over clothes drying on a line.

'Everyone is busy.' She noted the camp's activity. Linda and Topaz grabbed what they could to eat and took a seat at an empty table. She looked around while they ate. Plenty of Roc's rebels wore clothes similar to the shirt Mazia bought in Abussa. Khaki shorts, pants, shirts, and varying degrees of camouflage were worn by most. However, a few still wore tribal elements. It made her wonder why so many people from far away were helping the southern villages fight the rebels.

"Hey. Linda."

"Mm?" She wiped her lips.

"Roc told me that a lot of the people here aren't from the Free State. Where are they from?"

"Usually border regions next to the country."

"Then why are they fighting here?"

"I haven't asked, but some know Roc and others are simply here to help. The rest who are here don't want to see the entire country fall into revolutionary hands."

"Oh! I've been meaning to ask, but have you seen any naked villagers in the jungle with red and blue body paint?" Linda eyed Topaz as if she had yelled a dozen cuss words.

"Nope." The lioness plainly answered and resumed eating.

"Has anyone else?" Linda merely shook her head. "I saw a male and a female before they ran away. One of them cut me down from my own trap after I had discovered a few abandoned huts."

"I haven't heard of that before." She gave the genet an odd look.

'Darn.' Topaz wondered who they were.

"Ah. There you are Topaz." A familiar voice perked up the genet's ears. Topaz looked over just as a hand rested on her shoulder. A tall light brown and cream furred ermine was standing behind her.

"Morning Keswayo." Linda greeted the ermine.

"Hello." Topaz was a little less enthusiastic than the feline. Keswayo smiled just the same.

"I see that you've eaten already. If you want to grab your weapon quickly, we can do some endurance runs today."

"Sure..." Topaz gave a look of distaste to Linda as she stood up. The mountain lioness did her best to hold back a grin.

A fresh breath was released in a freeing sigh. Topaz walked confidently behind a male genet armed with a semi automatic weapon like Linda. It was her first serious mission. The strenuous days of training with Keswayo came to an end, and with his and Roc's consent she was able to help with scouting the land ahead for any activity. Her shoulder brushed against a palm leaf as she strode up to the male's side.

"Sorry that I didn't ask earlier, but who are you?" Topaz inquired.

"I'm Yeru, from the village of Yao." He kindly introduced himself.

"Where is that?"

"It's pretty far away from here to the east. You'd have to go though a lot of hills, dense jungle, and cross a lot of creeks to get there."

"You've traveled a long way then."

"Yes I have." He proudly agreed. "So, who are you?"

"My name is Topaz."

"Oh! So you are Topaz..." His eyes widened as he gave a slow nod.

"Yes!" She chirped.

"Huh..." He looked ahead and thought for a moment. "Well Topaz, we are almost two miles from base. Usually one of us stays back for a while the other goes ahead a little to look around. When we are done, we go to either Roc, Nambu, Keswayo, or Jen to report anything that we find."

"I'll keep lookout if you want." She offered.

"Thanks." Yeru gave a half grin before creeping down the gentle slope. Topaz clambered up the rock and sat down with her feet straddling the sides of the grey granite surface. Her green eyes scanned the forest floor. The male genet was barely visible beyond the trees. He carefully studied the ground and surrounding area for any signs of activity before returning to Topaz. A funny grin in his muzzle confused her.

"Find anything?" She guessed.

"No." He shook his head. "You look like a monkey up there." He snickered.

"Watch it, or I'll fling something at you." She retorted. The male held up his hands in surrender as he walked past her.

"Let's go to the next spot." He chuckled.

"Okay." She slid down and jumped to the ground. They walked across the gently sloping hillside, avoiding sudden drop offs along their way. Yeru crouched down and used a tree to safely climb down to the lower half of the hill and flatter terrain. Topaz quickly followed.

"Alright." He paused and carefully looked around. "We're close to where we typically see rebels. Be careful."

"What do I do?" Topaz gripped her firearm tightly.

"Stay here and lookout. I'll probably see someone before you do."

"Okay." She nodded.

"Remember, only shoot if you are definitely going to be seen." He reminded her. She crouched down and patiently waited while he crept through the dense underbrush. When his tail disappeared from sight, her green eyes preened the surrounding area. The overhanging leaves, and dense foliage made it difficult to see far in any direction. The minutes ticked by but nothing appeared, and she didn't hear anything suspicious. Soft footsteps caught her attention as Yeru stalked back to her. He shook his head and pointed back before motioning towards base. He hadn't seen any activity of the enemy, and that was a good thing.

Topaz gripped her rifle loosely. The jungle before her wasn't very dense and several figures were in her sights, but no one present was an enemy. Several armed persons, male and female, were walking along an unused trail. Emerging from behind palm leaves and lingering foliage, the rest of the group came to Topaz's position. Linda was among the group marching up to her, but the genet's attention was drawn to where a breeze came from. The section of jungle they were in bordered a grassy field. Topaz crept to the edge and peered out, able to see the entire blue sky. The open field called out to her. A mountain lioness walked up to the gazing genet with crunching footsteps.

"Ah. A nice breeze." Linda hummed at the pleasant sensation ruffling her fur. "Eh? What are you doing?" The mountain lioness watched Topaz untie her cloth.

"Hold onto this." Topaz hung her loincloth on a branch and gave the feline her other belongings.

"Huh?" Linda stared at the handful and then watched Topaz walk out into the field naked. Her feet lightly crunched as each step graced over the ground. A few clouds blocked the sun's brightness for the moment. She stopped in the center of the field.

'This is perfect.' A grin emerged on her muzzle. The sensations flowing through her took the genet's breath away. The grass bent to the wind, resembling waves of a choppy river. She faced the wind and held her arms out, letting her fur and hair become ruffled.

"What is she doing?" A voice asked. Linda turned and found Jen, a female raccoon standing behind her. She wore long khaki pants with plenty of pockets in them, along with a few wooden necklaces and bracelets.

"I have no idea." The mountain lioness slowly shook her head. The topless raccoon felt over her beaded necklaces in thought before walking off. Everyone else soon followed suit and began walking away.

"Ah..." Topaz let her arms fall to her sides. The genet opened her eyes and exhaled happily. "Ok! I'm ready!" She smiled and hurried across the field. The rest of the team gave her odd looks while she returned to the trees.

"Okay... Let's head back." Jen called out.

"Thanks for holding my stuff Linda." Topaz spoke as she tied on her garment.

"Sure." The feline handed everything over before they followed the other.

"She's an odd genet..." One spoke.

"Yeah. It makes me wonder." Another muttered. The whispering from ahead wasn't hard to miss, but Topaz didn't think anything of it. The remainder of the group's walk back to base was otherwise quiet and uneventful. Topaz and Linda returned to their hammocks.

"You know," Linda began, "you're not exactly silencing the rumor that you're... wild." She propped her weapon against a tree.

"I'm wild?" Topaz found the claim a little funny as she hung her rifle on a branch. "How am I wild?"

"The whole being naked thing."

"What's wrong with it? Everyone bathes that way, and you sleep that way too."

"But no one takes time to set their things aside and stand naked in a field." Linda pointed out. "It's just weird."

"Ok. Maybe it is a bit weird." Topaz admitted.

"Then why do you do it?"

"I don't know... I guess I feel closer to nature." Topaz tried explaining her feelings about it. Linda slowly nodded despite thinking that her friend was odd.

"Just try not to do that when we're fighting or somewhere out there." She motioned to the north.

"I know." Topaz could figure out the obvious. "I'm going for a little walk." She decided.

"A walk?" Linda seemed doubtful. "Don't wander too far off."

"I know." Topaz rolled her eyes as she left the busy base. She quietly padded to the upper section of the river near Roc's base. The genet was in a spiritual mood, and wanted to take some time to indulge in it. Her feet followed the pathway to a secluded section where few went. She looked around before slipping out of her loincloth and settling down at the base of a tree where she could see down the slope to the water.

'If someone asks, then I'll say that I was getting ready to swim or something.' She grinned at her little plan and stared at the little river. Its waters were calm and peaceful

'Peaceful...' She closed her eyes and blew out a measured breath. The sounds of wildlife and nature filled her ears. However, the sound of footsteps alerted her. Topaz looked up and fond someone standing on the pathway leading down to the river.

'Yeru!' Her eyes widened in surprise. The male genet was equally surprised to find Topaz seated nude under a tree.

"Hey. Uh, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"Oh." She nervously rubbed her neck. "I always enjoy finding a quiet spot in the jungle to enjoy the moment. It's a personal ritual of mine... I hope that doesn't sound too weird to you."

"That's cool." He sat down beside her with some distance. "There's a shaman in my village who likes to sit alone like you do."

"You have shamans where you're from?"

"Yeah. They're more prevalent in smaller villages though. The ones that are deeper in the jungle and away from larger rivers."

"Oh. I didn't know that." She relaxed her seated stance. "I didn't really find out what shamans were until I was older."

"I actually thought you were one because I heard the stories that you were found naked in the jungle like a wild animal, but I wasn't sure if those rumors were true." He chuckled.

"Well the naked part is true, but I'm not not exactly a wild animal or a shaman." She half grinned.

"Jen and the others seem to think so."

"They can think whatever they want." She didn't care.

"You're definitely not a wild animal from what I can tell."

"Thanks. At least there's a few people who don't think I am." She grinned. He nodded and idly shifted.

"Wanna swim?" He nodded towards the water.

"Swim?" She blinked.

"Yeah. It's always hot, and we don't have anything to do for the rest of the day." No one else would be around for a good while either.

"Eh. Why not?" She accepted his enthusiasm and jumped to her feet. He discarded his clothes and they waded into the calm water together. Topaz went to the middle where it was deep enough for her to float. "It's great to finally relax and swim." She hummed. Yeru swam around her.

"If you don't mind me asking, what made you want to join us and fight those rebels?" He curiously asked.

"They invaded my village and I had to flee." Topaz recalled the horrible day that began peacefully, like any other.

"Oh. I'm fighting so that doesn't happen to my village, or others like it."

"Yeah. I can't wait to set everyone free." She wistfully spoke. The genet was further away from Luo than she had ever been, but it seemed like she was a step closer to returning.

"I feel the same way too." A grin formed on his muzzle. "Is your little training session with Keswayo finally done?" He asked.

"Yes!" She said with a relieved sigh. "I don't understand why he wanted me to swim like crazy with my loincloth and jewelry on... Not to mention my rifle! I'm scared that I'll lose everything at the bottom of the river."

"Better than losing a limb." He surmised.

"Huh?"

"He does that because you might have to swim while someone is shooting at you. There's no time to daintily set things aside. Besides, swimming helps build up endurance too."

"I could've climbed a tree instead."

"Then you would've been an easy target."

"I can climb fast."

"Faster than a bullet?" He challenged.

"Maybe... I haven't raced one." She made him laugh. There was some normalcy even in the midst of a revolution, if only for a little while. Yeru swam out to the other side before jumping back in. He dipped underwater and reemerged in the shallower area that Tooaz was in.

"You know, it's easier for ladies to swim." He mentioned.

"Oh? How so?" Topaz wondered.

"Because they don't have junk that floats." The male demonstrated by lifting his hips above the water briefly.

"You idiot!" She laughed and splashed him. The two engaged in a brief splashing fight before tiring out. When quietness returned, both genets waded to shore. "I have never heard of an excuse like that before." Topaz shook some of the excess water off.

"Well, it's true." He insisted and did the same.

"Does that mean it's more difficult for males to run?" She teased.

"That's a tough one..." He tapped his foot. "I'd have to say a tie." Topaz giggled.

"Thanks for offering the swim." She wrung her hair out. "It was fun."

"Sure! I enjoyed it too." He agreed. The genets stood at the river's edge together and let their fur air dry in the sunlight. Topaz's tail lazily swayed as she happily admired the natural scenery around her. "Are you mated to someone back in your village?"

"Huh? Uh, no." She was taken back from the sudden question.

"Sorry if that was odd to ask!" He shyly smiled.

"It's fine." Topaz insisted. "I mean... there's someone..." Her voice trailed off, wondering what Chona would be doing back home.

"I was just going to say that you're very pretty to not be mated already." He leaned against a tree, admiring the young lady standing next to him.

"Really? It's not because I'm standing here naked, right?" She made him laugh.

"Then I would think that about everyone at my village." He chuckled.

"Oh yeah... Thank you." She smiled. Their ears picked up others swimming beyond the bend downriver. Faint images of a few were visible through the less clustered riverside foliage.

"Our fur is mostly dry... Wanna move up the bank some?" He asked.

"Yeah." Topaz led the way to the base of a large tree for some privacy. They sat down together, but Yeru laid back onto her legs.

"There's not a lot of room here..." He settled into her lap.

"Maybe if you didn't lay your head where I'm sitting." She chuckled and fondly rubbed his head fur.

"Your lap makes a great head rest." He teased looking back up at her. Topaz playfully stuck her tongue out at him, and ruffled his head fur. Despite the odd position, the two made themselves content for the moment.

"You're making my foot fall asleep." Topaz didn't have much room to move it. Yeru lifted her foot and pulled it to his front so her sole was facing him. "I could really use a foot rub." Topaz thought aloud. The pins and needles sensation ebbed as she flexed for a moment.

"Your foot is soft." Yeru rubbed his hand over and under her foot. She watched him continue the quirky behavior, but didn't stop him. "Is that what ladies enjoy?" He teased while rubbing.

"After a long day of walking? Nothing could be better." She nodded with a sweet grin.

"Then I'd be glad to help you." He turned onto his back and pulled her left foot onto his chest. Yeru worked his thumbs over her tender points, taking care to loosen every muscle. Topaz couldn't exactly say no when they were twisted around each other so much.

"Mm. That feels nice." She relaxed. The little bit of physical intimacy warmed her heart. She had been deprived of it for so long. Topaz would have fallen asleep had he not shifted. The ends of a few whiskers touched the downy fur covering her womanhood. A faint tingle pulsed through her leg in response. Topaz felt his hands stop rubbing and looked down. Yeru's nose was resting in her white belly fur. The softness in his eyes and smile made her heart skip a beat. Her hand instinctively cupped his cheek and the stare ensued for nearly a full minute. The sharp snapping of a twig alerted them both. Topaz and Yeru shot their gazes up and found Linda standing a few steps away.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" The lioness smirked and began to disrobe for a swim. Their gaping mouths snapped shut as she strolled down to the small river. Yeru swiftly sat up and nearly overturned Topaz in the process.

"Uh, sorry that I got carried away, Topaz." He bashfully whispered knowing that Linda's attentive ears were listening.

"It's fine." She quietly spoke and placed a hand on his back. They exchanged smiles before Yeru dressed himself.

"I'll see you around, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded and watched him walk up the little dirt pathway.

"I didn't interrupt your little walk, did I?" Linda teased from the stream as she waded in.

"No!" Topaz exclaimed and tidied her fur.

Loud booms of gunshots echoed throughout the rainforest. Birds had scattered long ago from the erupting battle unfolding on the forest floor. Rounds were fired like chattering teeth between the two sides.

"Get back!" A voice shouted. Moments later dirt flew into the air as an explosion deafened ears momentarily. A searing pain raked through Topaz's adrenaline filled mind. Any thoughts of peacefully swimming days ago were completely replaced by fear, and the distasteful smell of firing guns.

"Ah!" Topaz pressed her back against a tree. The genet was stained with dirt and panting wildly. A fresh wound in her arm stung madly despite its pathetic size. Gritting her teeth, she peeked around and scanned the battlefield. Movement behind a far away tree caught her attention. Without hesitation she fired three remaining rounds into the spot. 'Come on!' Topaz reloaded with a shaky hand. Her fingers seemed sewn together as she finally managed to shove the magazine in with a subtle click. Something down through the air caught her eye. The unmistakable oblong object landed a few meters away from her in the leaves. 'Grenade!' The genet dashed back into a gulley, but someone close to her hadn't noticed.

"Yeru!" Topaz shouted. The male turned his head as the blast went off. Topaz ducked before peeking up as dirt fell around her. Through the dust Yeru was laying down, motionless. She leapt out of the gulley and ran towards him. "Yeru!" She knelt down and shook him. "Hey! Hey..." Her eyes started to water when he failed to move. With angry regret, Topaz closed his half lidded eyes. 'No...' Her mind turned dark into despair.

It rained for the longest time during the following morning. The constant thrumming of a rain shower never dampened Topaz's mood, but this was an exceptional time for the genet. Gunshots, explosions, and shouting were still very vibrant in the female's mind. Her hackles never seemed to feel flat.

'Yeru...' She could clearly imagine the young male's cheerful smile and odd personality. Even though the romance was very brief and accidental, Yeru was still her friend. Seeing his life snatched away like that reminded Topaz the real sacrifices that everyone was enduring to end the revolution. Her mind only seeped further into dark thoughts as she sat alone.

"How's the wound?" A soft voice asked. Topaz looked up and found Jen the raccoon standing beside her, a little wet from the rain. A lengthy bandage covered below and above her left breast. She was lucky and only had shrapnel that was easily removed. Topaz looked at the bandage covering her upper right arm where an old blood stain was visible.

"It still aches a little." She softly answered. Jen nodded and idly stood. There was concern in the raccoon's brown eyes, although it probably wasn't about the genet's minor injury.

"I wasn't talking about that injury." Jen sat down beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"Awful." Topaz mumbled, leaving a short silence between them.

"You should go to Ahawa. There's a festival coming up, and I think you need to stay there for a few days." Jen told her gently. Topaz didn't say anything but chose to stare at the ground coldly. The raccoon gave her a minute to speak, but chose not to force an answer. "Please think about it." She spoke before standing up and leaving. Topaz blew a pensive sigh. The genet didn't feel like doing anything. It was one thing to participate in a dangerous war, but entirely different to feel its effects. She looked around the base and noticed fresh bandages more than anything else. A few were laying in their hammocks, still resting up from the ordeal. Everything constantly reminded her of what happened.

"Hey Topaz. Wanna go to Ahawa?" A young male ocelot asked her. "There's a little festival going on in a few days, and we haven't seen any revolutionaries since the skirmish yesterday." She nodded and slowly stood up without a word. She wanted to get away for a while, even if it didn't make her feel any better. Twenty or so people, more than half of the group, were going and packing a few belongings. "Are you ok?" He asked. A sharp glare quickly silenced him as she walked to the back trail with the rest.

The rains had cleared the next day and the sun dried any lingering puddles when the group reached Ahawa. Everyone gradually split up as they crossed the open space between jungle and houses. Those badly injured were helped along. They would be staying in the friendly village longer than a few days. Topaz's head hung low as she reached the first houses. The memory of losing a friend was still too fresh in her mind to handle. Her mother, father, and friends were in Luo under occupation for all she knew, leaving her to deal with the sadness alone. That only made her worries worse.

'Where else do I go?' The young lady had no one else to turn to, and she didn't want to bring any sadness into her friend's home. Topaz slid to the ground feeling hope slip through her hands. 'I hope everyone at home is ok.' She silently begged while village life continued around her. Topaz didn't notice someone familiar walking by. Her sadness was like a thick fog.

"Topaz?" A voice caught her attention. She looked up and spotted a friendly buxom porcupine kneeling before her. "Hey Topaz." Indi softly spoke seeing the genet in a deplorable position. "What's wrong?"

"I hate this." She mumbled. "I hate this war..."

"No one likes war." Indi agreed. "But something else is going on. Is it your arm?" The porcupine noticed the small bandage on Topaz. She clenched her teeth and hesitated to answer. The painful experience welled up inside her like a flooding river.

"I saw him... He died." She started sobbing all over again. Indi patted her back consolingly until the tears subsided.

"Let's go inside. You shouldn't be sitting in this dusty dirt." Indi rose to her feet and helped Topaz do the same. "I was just on my way to Xian's house too." She brought Topaz to her friend's house a short walk away. Inside, the feline household was neatly decorated with several half masks hanging on the walls. Flowers in little clay pots were in each corner and thinly woven rugs were laid out on the floor. It was peculiar with cushions and other items against the walls.

"Hello-!" A look from Indi cut off the seated couple's warm greeting from the low table. Xian rose from her seat and noticed the genet's teary red eyes. "Is everything alright?" She softly asked and approached Topaz.

"I guess there was fighting recently in the hills." Indi tried explaining.

"Oh..." Xian realized. "If you need anything Topaz, then we will be here for you." The buxom jaguar hugged her.

"Thanks." The genet meekly spoke. Topaz felt physically and mentally propped up by the two strong willed ladies surrounding her. All three sat down together at the table.

"Is your arm okay?" Xian inspected the small bandage around the genet's upper arm. Topaz nodded without a word. Most of their questions and concerns were answered without words.

"Are you hungry? We have plenty to eat." Jero offered. Topaz shook her head even though she barely ate the whole day.

"Hey. Try to cheer up." Xian placed an arm around the genet's shoulders. "The festival tomorrow should help. Everyone will celebrating and having a good time. It's good to look forward to something fun." As much as Topaz wanted to think of happier times ahead, she felt further away from her desire to return home.

"I'm... tired." She softly admitted. Her mind was exhausted from the entire ordeal.

"You can stay at my house tonight if you want." The jaguar quickly offered. "Indi can stay over too." She looked up at the porcupine with a nod.

"Well... If it's alright-"

"Of course it's alright!" The feline led her to the back room where there was a bed and several pillows. "It's a little early to lay down, but we don't mind." The space was neat and plain compared the the front room, but no less homely with the waning evening sun bestowing a subtle golden glow through the open shutters.

"I'll lay some blankets and cushions out for you two." Jero offered.

"Thank you." Topaz mustered a grin and softly answered. She idly stood by and leaned on Indi while everything was prepared. The genet would have normally wanted to help, but her mind felt depressed.

"There! How's this?" Xian and Jero presented the makeshift bed. "All of us can lay down too."

"You know I don't bite!" Indi giggled and nudged her. Topaz laid down with her back to Indi, but even the busty porcupine's jovial nature didn't cheer her up. However, the hand resting on her side and the warm body heat against her back did give the genet a sense of security.

"You know Tuva's youngest has a tendency to get into trouble, right?" Xian and Jero laid down in their bed together.

"Of course." Indi nodded. "He is one little trouble maker."

"I ran to catch the little mischief the other day after he was pulling our wet clothes off a line."

"I think we have heard this on a few different occasions." Indi and Jero giggled.

"You might be surprised with this ending." Xian teased. "I chased him around the house towards the back. But when I rounded the second corner, bam! Someone had hit me hit over my head." She pointed next to her forehead.

"What?" Indi spoke in disbelief. "That little kit couldn't have hurt you."

"He didn't! It was his mother Tuva who had hit by accident, or so she says..." Xian's voice led on quietly.

"Really?" The porcupine looked at the jaguar, but even the ocelot beside her nodded in agreement. "But she's skinny as a pole."

"She has a heavy hand. I thought there would be bruising!"

"Goodness. Just imagine what the kit would've gone through." Topaz quietly listened to them chatter into the early night. It was enough to keep her from thinking about the terrible incident two days ago. But that ended when darkness completely settled over the little southern Inkasi village. A round of 'good nights' and 'sleep wells' were exchanged before everyone nestled down. Topaz glanced up at the opened shutters where faint moonlight filtered inside. It was quiet outside, and there were no crickets or frogs to sing a lullaby to her. Her teeth clenched anxiously. The genet's nervously twitching tail kept Indi from sleeping.

"Topaz?" Indi whispered. The genet couldn't swallow anymore sadness and rolled over. She buried her face into the porcupine's chest to silence a cry. Hands clung tightly to her soft fur for security and comfort. Indi placed an arm around the genet consolingly. "It's okay to cry." She softly whispered into the Luo villager's ear and stroked her back. "You've been through so much Topaz. Please try to sleep." They were the last words that the genet heard before finding temporary peace.

Topaz awoke by herself in the makeshift bed. Her eyes stared up at the shutters allowing light and fresh air inside. It was morning, but not early morning. The genet's blank gaze didn't waver for a few minutes. Subtle outside noises were indistinguishable from the bedroom. With a silent sigh Topaz sat up on the makeshift bed in a slow motion. The thought of where everyone else was didn't cross her mind. She gradually stood up and left the cozy bedroom. Xian and Jero's low voices were audible from the kitchen as she walked through the main room. Topaz didn't even bother dressing before walking outside. Normally being outside in the nude was a freeing experience where the genet could connect with the natural world around her. However, she didn't want to feel anything at the moment. The pain numbed her. Topaz sat down on the home's bottom step and blankly watched the village around her. The mid morning sun shined brightly in the quaint village that managed to avoid most of the civil war's destruction. A couple of meters away three little youngsters were happily playing around a large puddle. Their skirts somehow remained dry as they skittered around the water's edge, daring the next to go closer or skip a rock.

'Why?' The genet's eyes watered. She covered her face feeling the sadness return in full force. It made her insides lurch painfully. "Why did he have to die? Why did my village get occupied?" Topaz couldn't stop herself from shedding tears again. The three kits playing around the puddle heard the soft crying and quickly dispersed. This time her tears were short lived as the sound of feet quietly stepping approached her. Indi sat down beside the grieving genet.

"It's okay Top-"

"No it's not." She frowned through blurry vision. "I wish I wouldn't cry so much."

"I know you won't agree with me right now, but it's natural to grieve Topaz." The porcupine placed a consoling hand on the genet's shoulder. "And we will do anything that we can to help you." The Ahawa villager's words eased the heavy burden on her young shoulders.

"Thanks Indi." Topaz wiped the tears away. She was lucky to have the porcupine's comfort, as well as Xian and Jero's help. The porcupine smiled and helped the genet to her feet.

"Come on. We have a festival to enjoy soon." The porcupine directed her back inside. "I have more than enough jewelry to share between us!" In the front room, Xian and Jero were eating a small breakfast that had been prepared.

"Morning." They greeted the genet warmly from the table.

"I'll get something quickly." Indi went into the bedroom. The female jaguar stood up and approached a quiet Topaz.

"You feeling better this morning?" Xian softly asked. Topaz mustered a smile.

"I'm holding on." She stated. Deep inside, there was a small improvement from yesterday. "Sorry for being-"

"Oh, don't worry." Xian hugged her. "It's alright. We're here for you." She gently patted the genet's back. Topaz nodded and returned the hug. "If Indi ever kicks you out, then you're more than welcome here." The female jaguar smiled.

"I have never kicked anyone out of my home!" A voice declared from the other room making Xian and Jero snicker.

"Do you want something to eat?" Xian returned her attention back to the genet. "We have plenty." She offered. Topaz nodded and the jaguar directed her over to the low table where Jero was seated on a cushion. Her stomach growled much to their amusement. The young adult hadn't realized how hungry she was!

"Here. Eat." The ocelot encouraged her. The genet didn't need to be told twice and ate everything that was given to her until she was content.

"Goodness! You have an appetite, Topaz." Xian giggled. The genet patted her tummy and contained a burp. Her ears fell back shyly as Jero laughed. Everyone's ears raised up hearing noise in the other room.

"What are you looking for in the bedroom Indi?" Xian looked over her shoulder.

"Hold on... I found it!" The porcupine's voice triumphantly proclaimed. Indi returned with something in her hands. Everyone curiously peeked as she knelt down beside Topaz. "I want Topaz to wear this for the festival since it has always given me good luck." She held up a leather stringed necklace with a small gemstone attached.

"Thanks. It looks very beautiful." Topaz touched the stone in the center as Indi secured it around her neck.

"I think it is beautiful because of you." Jero smiled.

"I like how it hangs right on your tuft of fur." Xian reached over and tapped the genet's breastbone.

"Let's start dressing up for the festival!" Indi rose from her cushion. "There's a lot that I want to try on!"

"Alright!" Xian readily agreed and Topaz was pulled by two hands into the bedroom. The three ladies enjoyed spending the rest of the morning trying on different garments and jewelry while making Jero decide what looked best.

"There!" Indi flattened her skirt. "I'll sway and dance like this..." She demonstrated, admiring the way everything moved. Indi had on a colorful skirt with matching anklets and armbands. The porcupine even wore a colorful bandana around her forehead.

"That's too slow!" Xian pointed out. "You should dance like this." The feline bounced enthusiastically around with a quick pace. The female jaguar wore a sash around her waist and a long orange loincloth that draped past her knees. She also had a few bracelets, wooden necklaces, and a copper earring. Her lovely spots dazzled too.

"Hmm..." Topaz turned around and looked herself over. Her typical red and yellow feathered earring was the only piece that she always wore. The slim genet wore a long red loincloth with a black zigzag border. Two beaded necklaces looped under her arms beside the necklace that Indi gave her. A few feathers were added to her hair, and a few matching string bracelets finished it all off. "How do I look?"

"Oh! You look so beautiful Topaz!" Xian exclaimed in awe at the slender spotted female. "What do you think Jero?" The plainly dressed ocelot was impatiently tapping his foot.

"For the last time ladies, I don't know what looks better!" Jero exclaimed.

"Aww. Don't say that." Xian smiled at her mate and approached him. "We just think you have a better perspective, that's all." She placed an arm around the smaller ocelot. He smiled and snuggled close to her. "Now, how does Topaz look?" She directed him to the pretty young genet.

"She looks very nice." He amiably spoke.

"And Indi?"

"She's very nice too."

"What about me?" She stood tall and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well... You always look great no matter what you're wearing, or not wearing." He couldn't stay angry at her.

"You're so sweet." She kissed him.

"I think we are ready Xian." Indi interrupted their little moment of romance. "Is it time to go?"

"Oh! I think so." She looked around. "Is it time?"

"Anytime after midday is fine." Indi shrugged and opened the door. Outside, music could be heard in the form of drums and singing. A few lingering villagers were walking to the sound of the music, looking forward to the good times of celebration. "Let's go!" All four walked down the three steps.

"You always dress so plain for festivals Jero." Indi pouted.

"Do you think I want to wear all of that?" He looked at the porcupine's elaborately decorated body. "Aren't my spots and stripes enough?"

"No, but you should." She teased. "You can't say that spots and stripes are enough."

"What kind of festivals does your home village celebrate Topaz?" Xian asked the quiet genet.

"We have ten in Luo."

"Wow. That many?" The female jaguar was surprised. "What are they all for?"

"There's one to spend time with our mothers or family matrons. One is to celebrate the rains and our river. Another is for the full moon, but all of them last into the night."

"Everyone here is usually going to sleep by nightfall." She chuckled. "Luo must really enjoy having festivals." The group turned by a house and found themselves in the middle of the festivities. There was an open area at the edge of the village where most of the Ahawa villagers were gathering. The blends of colorful clothing and decorative jewelry were blinding at a first glance. A few elders were sitting down beside those playing the hand drums, recounting times of when they were young. Games were being played with wooden hoops. Several smaller fires were being used to cook enough food for everyone. The smells of smoke and cooking food made the air smell delicious. One large bonfire was being lit in the center of it all where Roc was dancing topless around the fire with a few elders. Others in her militia were enjoying the festivities as well. And kits were running around, playing their own games to enjoy the evening.

The whole scene bought a little grin to the genet's face. There was a good cause for celebration. They were alive and because of their efforts villages like Ahawa were able to enjoy freedom and peace. Yeru fought for something, and for the first time in days Topaz felt happiness once again. The Luo genet wasn't quite herself yet, but she let the music guide her for the rest of the day.

** Malech and Mazia

The door to a small Inkasi home slid open, and then closed. A young figure had entered his abode. The front room had plenty of hunting equipment and little decorations including a little painting on a thin slab of wood. Malech hung up a pair of armbands that he had worn for the day. His hands rubbed where they had been with a soft sigh. The male had a tiring day, all while under the sinister watch of a revolutionary guard.

'They'll pay for occupying our village.' He frowned at the grim reality, but at least inside it didn't seem so bad. The moment of peace was disturbed as someone stepped quietly towards him from the shadows. A noise caught his ear. "Hmm?" He looked over his shoulder and nearly jumped at the figure standing behind him. "Mazia?" He recognized her immediately and sighed relief. "When did you get in here?" The playful civet giggled and pressed her body to his.

"I managed to stop by a little earlier." She kissed him.

"Mm..." He softly locked lips with her. "How did you manage that with these guards, not to mention your parents?"

"I don't want to talk about anything outside for now." Mazia trailed a hand down his taught abs. His loincloth was clearly tented. "Hiding something?" She teased and removed the obtrusive garment.

"Not anymore." He grinned as she fondled him. Mazia snickered as his length jerked in her hand. "I guess it recognizes you." He wiggled a finger over her womanhood. Mazia shuddered under his teasing touch.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you today." She spoke in a low voice. "And what we could do when we were alone."

"Oh? This sounds interesting." He hummed.

"I have an idea, and I'll show you." The female led him into the back room, both of their tails flicking excitedly. Malech's house, like many others young but not married, was a smaller house with only a single wall dividing the front room from the designated bedroom. His bed was small, barely for two, but that would never be an excuse for the young lovers. Mazia looked back at him only to giggle.

"What's so funny?" He placed his hand on his hips in an awkward pose, accentuating his male hood's prominence.

"It looks like you're shaking a spear when you walk." She reached over and lightly grasped his shaft. Malech smiled and kissed her, but Mazia's hand didn't remain idle. She started stroking him, much to his satisfaction. "Mm. Sit on the bed." He huskily growled. Mazia jumped onto the bed and and shook her rear at him. "Now this gives me an idea." He tenderly rubbed her rump. She hummed and liked the gentle touch.

"Ooh!" Her tail flicked up when her trailed lower and slid into her sex. "But maybe for another night." His fingers slid out. Mazia huffed lightly in disappointment but sat down and crossed her legs. Malech crept onto the bed with her while his erection bobbed with every movement. He rose to his knees and placed his hands on the bed's headboard. Mazia's brow raised at his throbbing member in front of her nose.

"I don't mean to beg..." He wiggled his hips causing his erection to "wag" like a tail. "But I've always wanted you to try this." She giggled at how it moved.

"Beg?" She teased and delicately wrapped her hand around his base and revealed his sensitive underside. Mazia gently stroked her fingers along his base, and worked over the rest lovingly. Soft moans above told that she was touching him perfectly. A glimmering drop appearing on his tip. "You must have something to give me." She rolled the white furry pouch in her hand and parted her lips. Mazia's tongue swirled over his tip deliciously.

"Ohh. Mazia." He clenched his teeth. The civet happily watched his abs and length tense when she struck a nerve just right. His hands held into the headboard feeling her lick him again. Without warning, the first spurt of white landed on her forehead and between her eyes, another on her nose, and the rest weakly jumped onto her chest.

Mazia felt some ooze down her muzzle.

"Oh... Wow." He shuddered and sat down.

"You painted me." Mazia breathily spoke.

"Heh. My paintbrush is a little jumpy." He watched her cutely lick her muzzle clean.

"You had a lot to give." She softly spoke and kissed him.

"I see that you received it all." He hummed and enjoyed a slow sensual smooch.

"Mmhm." Mazia hummed.

"Some landed here..." A hand cupped her breast and gave a tender rub. Mazia's ears fell back as the other hand joined in and targeted her nipple.

"Mm..." Her toes curled.

"They're like eyes staring towards the ground waiting to be touched." He continued teasing the hardening teats of flesh. She smiled and watched him lift a breast to his muzzle and kiss the sensitive black skin. The female civet churred warmly as his tongue swirled before he suckled her breast. "So large... and soft." He said between kisses and breaths. Mazia sighed and didn't stop rubbing her womanhood.

"They're always watching you." She panted and smiled. Both nipples were blushing wet like her sex, and rock hard. Her mouth opened, tasting the hot air inside the lustful room. "I'm getting close..." She grunted. Her ears perked up feeling his hand stop her and brush over her womanhood.

"I want to pleasure you next." He whispered. She eagerly nodded and spread her legs invitingly. Malech nestled betwixt them and teased her glistening lips with a finger. Mazia softly whined.

"Please..." Her needy voice asked. Her love was more than happy to oblige. His muzzle kissed her sex before hungrily licking her. Mazia's head spun from the pleasure that he gave her. "Oh! Ooohhh." She softly moaned feeling his tongue lap over her sex. Mazia placed her hand on his head and shifted her hips. Malech grinned feeling her thighs brush over his face. Mazia couldn't silence herself as the pleasure grew and grew before erupting into a blissful streak of passion. The civet bit a pillow and screamed before going limp. Her legs clamped shut as she became overly sensitive. Malech patted her tummy and sat up. While she basked in a powerful afterglow, he tenderly rubbed her legs and feet, drawing out the wonderful sensations as long as he could.

"There... How do you feel?" He softly asked.

"Wow... That felt great." She sighed, relishing the remaining tingling in her groin.

"It feels so good to love you." Malech grinned. He laid down on top of her and nuzzled the tuft of fur in the center of her chest. Mazia smiled and smothered his muzzle with her breasts. He grabbed her breasts and used her buxom chest as a pillow to gaze at her.

"I love you." She whispered.

"And I love you, my beautiful Mazia." He grinned. Mazia posed with her arms behind her head wearing a confident smile. They always enjoyed tender moments together, and made the most of them despite the village's current circumstances.

"Say that again." Mazia hummed.

"What? That I love you, you're beautiful, or that I'm always happy with you?" Her heart leapt at each one.

"Oh. All of them!" She sighed. Malech grinned and nuzzled her front.

"How did you like the little rub?"

"It felt so good." Her voice hardly understated how much she enjoyed it. "Are you hard yet?"

"Hard?" His eyes raised.

"Can you keep going?" She huffed, wearing a grand smile.

"You're insatiable!" He chuckled. "Of course." He licked his nose and smiled. It didn't take much for him to become aroused with her a second time. The female civet rose to her knees and looked at the proudly standing obsidian member below. Mazia lowered herself onto his lap and crossed her legs behind his back. "Are you trying to keep me sitting here?" He grinned feeling just how deep he was inside her. Mazia craned her neck and rubbed noses with her mate.

"Maybe." She arched her back, pushing her chest towards him. He took the hint and didn't need to be told twice. Malech craned his neck forward and began kissing her chest, gradually working his way up to her neck where he proceeded to nibbling at her jawline. She sweetly moaned feeling a tongue firmly lap over a nipple. "Aaahh..." Mazia softly sighed and held his head. His hands didn't remain idle and rubbed her back from shoulder to rear, wherever he could reach. Mazia melted under his touch into a blissful spell of arousal. He treated her body with the utmost care, like she was a goddess, and it made Mazia feel so loved. His fingers tenderly rubbed Mazia's hardened nipples much to her delight when they kissed. She began rocking her hips while he showered her with loving attention.

"But we... can't do too much... down here." He spoke between kisses.

"What should we do?" She huskily asked. Her body ached for another release.

"Lay back." He panted. She loosened her legs and laid back onto the bed. Malech sat forward and looked over her. "Now... What do you think?" He smiled and slowly penetrated her again.

"Mm." She crossed her knees around his back again in agreement. Even though the sun was setting, their night together was only beginning.

When the early morning sunshine peeked through the jungle and village, Mazia and Malech were fast asleep. Their bodies were entangled together after a passionate night of lovemaking. A tapping sound stirred Malech. An eye peeked open and surveyed the room before closing.

'Woodpecker...' The morning glow creeping into the room meant that they could sleep in for a while. But this time a knocking on the door followed up. The pair grumbled but wished to ignore the annoyance.

"Is someone at the door?" Mazia yawned.

"Huh? There shouldn't be." But the stern knocking continued. Both civets were awake and attentive now.

"It must be my parents!" Mazia hushed her voice. Malech hesitated before climbing out of the bed.

"I'll talk to them and think of an explanation." He whispered before walking around the wall to the front. Mazia's ears preened the quiet air from the safety of his bed. The door was forcefully slid open with a loud clattering bang. Mazia jumped to her feet and ran to her love's side. Several camouflaged figures were in the doorway and the first quickly entered. The grey coyote stood before them with a heavy automatic pointing directly at them. Malech held Mazia close as he waved the others inside. The revolutionaries looked throughout the house. The naked pair stood in shock as the small home was ransacked for no clear reason. Whatever the thugs wanted, they didn't find and soon marched back outside after a commanding bark. They stared out the open door in shock as the armed group left as if snow had fallen in Luo.