FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Suffice to say, they made it through. Though much attention was given to the odd group, nobody gave them serious trouble. Leaving by the gates, they made it the short distance to the healer's cabin, where Ari knocked on the door.

The door opened a minute later to reveal a nervous-looking Falskin in black clothes standing there. He looked over every member of the company in turn and asked in a reedy tone, "Can I help you?"

"A child of the night sky seeks your assistance," Kar'na said softly.

The Falskin's eyes widened and he stood to the side, ushering them all through. When they were all inside, he shut the door and looked at them again.

"Assassins?" he asked.

"I am at least," Kar'na said, drawing back his hood. "And I need your help. Where's Stin? Isn't he the guild healer here?"

"Very much so," the Falskin nodded. "Stin is still the guild-healer. I'm Vyth, his assistant."

"And I am Kar'na," the assassin in question nodded. "Can you take me to-"

"Of course," Vyth interrupted, going over and taking Kar'na from Kiri. "You six are welcome to remain here and wait while Stin helps your friend. I'll be out with you shortly."

With those words, he ushered Kar'na through the door. The Ch'kiliil and Falskin friend group milled about a bit before Vyth returned. The healer's assistant paused, as though wondering what to say, before he spoke.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked. "Hot tea maybe?"

"Tea?" Kytra asked. "What's tea?"

Vyth chuckled before seemingly realizing he was serious. The Falskin's brow furrowed.

"You don't know what tea is?" he asked, looking at Kytra. "I thought you Ch'kiliil loved tea of all kinds?"

"Those of us from up north probably would," Kiri said. "As it is, we've never even been to Arlea. That's where Kar'na was taking us."

"Never been to Arlea? How is that even-"

His eyes widened as he realized.

"Slaves?"

Kytra nodded. "We'd probably all be dead if it weren't for Kar'na. Either dead or back in the very mine we originally escaped from. Will Kar'na be alright?"

Vyth snorted. "He'll be fine. Lost a fair bit of blood, but the cut was pretty shallow. Stin will take care of him. Now, I have a question; is that really Kar'na? As in, the Kar'na?"

The former slaves stared at him in confusion.

"Well...he is a Kar'na," Kiri hedged. "What do you mean?

"I mean is he the same Kar'na from the stories? The White Wolf of Winterwrath? The most distinguished assassin in the guild?"

"I have no idea," Kiri said. "We've seen him in action and he's pretty skilled, but other than that..."

"Oh," Vyth said, somehow managing to look both crestfallen and excited at the same time. "I just thought you'd know. Are you two related?"

"Related? Why?"

"Because you're practically twins," Vyth exclaimed. "I've seen many wolves before, but you two are the most alike I've ever seen, barring the white fur and the height difference."

Kiri could feel the rest of the group's eyes on him, scouring the similarities. There _were_definitely a lot of similarities, but since Kiri and Kar'na were the only wolves they'd seen, they had no others to compare them to.

"Anyways," Vyth said, turning away. "Tea?"

Kar'na joined them about an hour later. He was shirtless, the large gash on his front carefully stitched up and wrapped up. A large Falskin trailed behind him, wiping the last of some water from his hands.

"Kar'na will be fine now," he said, squeezing the white wolf on his shoulder. "Though I advise he not get in any conflicts for a while or that wound will open right up again."

"Thanks again Stin," Kar'na said, as the rest of the group groggily got to their feet. "Now, I need to get these youngsters back to Arlea."

"Rest until nightfall at least," Stin argued. "Your charges look about ready to drop. And you're going to need rest."

Kar'na pursed his lips and breathed out his nose, considering Stin's advice. Then, with a slight nod, he agreed. He did need a rest and so did the others.

"Until evening," he said. "Then we go."

"Good."

The former slaves all lay back down and closed their eyes, most of them slipping into sleep in a few minutes. Kiri was asleep last, but it seemed like only moments before he was being shaken awake again by Kar'na.

"Come on," he said softly. "Get up. It's time for us to get moving."

Kiri sat up blearily and noticed that all the others were getting up as well, some faster than others. Aryn and Kytra were both already up and standing, while Myra was still out cold on the floor. Wraith appeared to be in the same state as Kiri and Ari was nowhere to be found.

Stin and Vyth were quietly talking to each other by the fire, steaming mugs of "tea" in their hands. Kiri had tried some earlier, at Vyth's insistence and found that he rather enjoyed the drink. At the very least, it would chase away any chill.

"Come on everybody, up," Kar'na said as Ari re-entered the room. "We've got a lot of ground to cover tonight."

Kiri grunted and stood up, stretching sore muscles. Kar'na stood by the door and clapped once to gain their attention. Once everyone was looking, he began.

"Alright everyone, I just have a quick announcement to make. Guild healers get paid a certain fee for performing the work they do and accepting the risks they take. However, I don't have enough to cover the fee. But Stin is willing to consider the debt paid if we head into the city and collect an ingredient for him. It will be far too risky for us all to go to the city, considering the problems we had there before. I would ordinarily go in alone, but I'm injured and I somehow know I'll be followed inside if I go alone. So, I'll be taking two with me. I'll let you decide who."

The moment the announcement was finished, Kytra, Aryn and Myra, the three closest to Kiri, pushed the young wolf forth.

"That's one," Kar'na said. "Who else?"

Wraith stepped forwards, surprising everyone. Usually the puma preferred to stay quiet and not be noticed. It was odd for her to step forth.

However, no one had any objections and Kar'na nodded.

"Alright," he said. "Then let's go. We'll be back in about half an hour. Keep an eye on them for me Stin."

The Falskin nodded and the Ch'kiliil trio exited the building. Outside, the marshes of Simil were just coming to life. Fireflies floated about, flickering off and on and drifting lazily about with no particular path to their movement.

Kar'na and the other two trudged briskly to the front gate, where the guards were about to be relieved. The Falskin gave everyone in the group a quick glance and allowed them through. Evidently they weren't expecting the Ch'kiliil back in town. If they were, everybody'd be on alert.

They wandered towards the market, Kar'na trying not to be obvious that they had a specific destination in mind. Kar'na's practiced eye located where they needed to go and he led the other two over there. For some reason, a crowd seemed to be gathering, even though nightfall was only a couple hours away.

"Attention everyone!" a voice cried out, attracting the group's attention. "Today is the day you've been waiting for!"

Kar'na's golden eyes flicked to where the voice was coming from. Up on top of a stage, stood a tall, dark-green scaled Falskin. Dressed in rich robes and carrying himself with pride, this man was obviously important. Or at least, he thought he was.

"That's right," the Falskin continued. "Today is the day of Simil's monthly slave market! I go all over, collecting those for the right reasons. And today, I have quite a stock!"

Kar'na huffed in disgust and turned away. The last thing he needed was to see his own kind sold to the highest bidder like animals.

"Up first, we have these two!"

A small smattering of laughter rang out the crowd and Kar'na heard Kiri give a choked gasp.

"Tyra?"

Kar'na turned around to see both Kiri and Wraith fixated on the stage and the two people on it. The assassin rushed over to the two and turned them so their faces weren't revealed in the light of the setting sun.

Kiri's eyes were wet and he looked imploringly at Kar'na.

"That's our friend up there," he said urgently. "Kar'na, can't you do something?"

The snowy wolf looked up to the stage, trying to hide his exasperation. The only money he had was the money Stin had given him for the fireroot. Not nearly enough for two slaves.

On the stage was a young, male ocelot standing with his head bowed and his hands bound behind him. Right next to him stood a male fox, also young. But the fox held himself differently, back straight and head up tall. A posture of arrogance and a show of defiance.

Despite his frustration, Kar'na had to smile. He'd only ever seen one other hold himself so haughtily; a young assassin in his guild named...

Kar'na's eyes narrowed. Come to think of it, the fox on the stage looked much like Svara, the arrogant assassin novice who'd been sent down here to Parai on his first assignment. But that couldn't be...

"Do you know the other one?" Kar'na asked, leaning over to the two former slaves.

"Him?" Wraith asked, a cold fire in her eyes. "That's Svara. He betrayed us and ran with Tyra to the border."

Kar'na nodded. So it was Svara then. Apparently he wasn't as good as he thought.

The assassin smiled as he remembered the time in question, when Svara had first gotten his assignment. The fox had just been graduated from his class with honours. He did have talent.

"Svara," Guildmaster Khej had intoned. "With your graduation, in the presence of your brotherhood, you hereby receive the rank of assassin novice, the equipment of the rank and your first assignment befitting of your rank."

Svara bowed as the two assassins came forth with the armour, robes and sword of a novice assassin.

"Now," Khej said. "You may go over to the mission wall and withdraw your chosen target."

Svara walked over to the wall and looked over it before selecting a tile and bringing it to the Guildmaster.

"Katr Mis'a," the Guildmaster read. "General to Lord Drysenn, second most powerful figure in Drysenn hold. Young Svara, I recommend you return this one and let one of our master assassins take care of it. Choose a mission appropriate to a novice."

Svara glanced over at the sixteen master assassins, of whom Kar'na was one. They all stood silently, weighing this young assassin.

Turning back to the Guildmaster, Svara straightened and said, "No. I will take the mission...with your permission, of course."

"Novice, I recommended you choose a new mission and leave this one to the most skilled and experienced among us and yet you wish to still take this mission?"

"Yes," Svara said, a slight quaver in his voice.

"Very well. You leave in two days. Do not disappoint the guild."

And now, almost a month later, Kar'na found himself once again staring at the younger assassin. He sighed, realizing that he really didn't have a choice. His friends would be despondent if they didn't get their friend and guild protocol dictated that members of the guild had to watch over each other, which probably included buying them from slave markets.

"We'll start the bidding off at a hundred talons for the both of them. Not the finest quality, but two for the price of one."

"Kar'na," Kiri pleaded. "Can't you do anything?"

The snowy wolf glanced up at the stage and considered his options. He could try and spring them, but then they'd never make it to the gate. He had nowhere near enough coinage to purchase them and besides...

Kar'na grinned as he suddenly got an idea. Though it was far from perfect, it would allow them to retrieve their friends.

"Wait here," Kar'na said to Kiri and Wraith. "I'll be right back."

He pushed through the crowd, looking for a suitable target. He wandered up behind two Falskin, both a little plumper than the standard and dressed richly.

"I need two new slaves for around the house," one of them said. "But I only have four hundred talons. Should I buy these ones and another one? Or should I wait for the better merchandise?"

"Two for the price of one," his buddy said. "I'd go for it."

"And here we have one twenty-five. Anyone else going to bid?"

"It's not worth it," the first one said. "I'll wait until the better stock comes up. No use wasting my talons on two useless pieces of fleabait."

Kar'na realized that it was now or never. Drawing one of his sharp edged throwing knives, he snuck closer and deftly cut the Falskin's coinpurse free from his belt, where it dropped neatly into the assassin's hand. Now, if the other had been speaking truth, he had four-hundred talons to spend on them.

"If there's no one else-"

"Two hundred!" Kar'na cried, adopting his fake Falskin accent as he moved away from the unfortunate Falskin whom he'd just pickpocketed.

"And we've got two hundred," the auctioneer cried out. "Anyone else?"

The crowd was silent as Kar'na arrived back with Kiri and Wraith. He smiled at them and waited.

"If no one else bids, it goes to the gentleman in the hood. Nobody? Very well, sold to the man in the hood for two hundred talons. Please head down to the payment table to collect. Now, on to the next item..."

Kar'na turned and beckoned the other two to follow him. By the side and just a little behind the stage was the table. Seated behind it, with many papers strewn before him, was a small, tan-scaled Falskin.

After confirming the sale, the man took the money and went around the corner, coming back with the two slaves in heel.

He handed the ropes attached to the bindings on their wrists to Kar'na and immediately stopped paying them any attention, going over to the next customer.

Tyra and Svara obediently went with Kar'na when he gestured to them, though Svara spat, "Just so we're clear, I'll never serve you."

Kar'na chuckled.