{"sf1_id":126985,"sf2_id":"r17jWY0n","title":"Searching for Galahad Part Six","author":"JinyaKat","words":1749,"posted_at":"2010-02-19T18:39:00.000Z","tags":["Conventions","Gray Wolf","M/F","Romance","Tigress"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/126985-searching-for-galahad-part-six","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/r17jWY0n","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/89/ac/89aca8f0-adb1-4974-b978-7403465e0ed3","description":"","content":"\u0026nbsp;\n\nTobias pulled out his cell phone the moment he passed the ballroom doorway. \u0026nbsp;With the press\u0026nbsp;of the crowd at the elevator, he hoped he'd have enough to time grab a blanket from the \u0026nbsp;dealer's room and make it to the garden before Yoshi made her way down.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yo, Tob,\" Paul drawled, sounded like he'd already had a few drinks in his system. \u0026nbsp;\"How's\u0026nbsp;the dancing?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's great, man. I'm actually stopping by \u0026nbsp;the booth for a blanket, then ah...I'm meeting\u0026nbsp;Yoshi in the garden..\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nPaul was quiet a moment, then chuckled. \u0026nbsp;\"You big bad wolf, you! \u0026nbsp;Don't you worry, I'll\u0026nbsp;keep Cicero as far from the garden as possible.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're a pal, man. \u0026nbsp;Where are you guys anyway?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The hotel bar. \u0026nbsp;She's knocking back a few and hell, doesn't even seen that you're on her\u0026nbsp;mind. \u0026nbsp;She's hit on just about anything that smells male. Hold on..\" he paused again and\u0026nbsp;grumble. \u0026nbsp;\"Shit, she's on the run, gotta dash and bring her back, but don't worry, okay?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nTobias frowned. \u0026nbsp;The mere thought of drunken Cicero loose at the con did not bode well. \u0026nbsp;\"If you can't catch her, call me, okay?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sure, sure!\" Paul hung up quickly just as elevator doors opened, giving him enough time to\u0026nbsp;slip inside with the other furs. \u0026nbsp;As much as he would have hated to do it, he still\u0026nbsp;considered the vixen friend enough to keep her from embarrassing herself.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nYoshi made herself wait, dancing with Scotty and Bebe a few times before making her leave. \u0026nbsp;The elevators remained crowded, but she couldn't wait a moment longer. \u0026nbsp;As she turned tail\u0026nbsp;to try the stairwell, the memory of seven years ago hit her hard, doubled by the promise\u0026nbsp;she made to not be left alone. \u0026nbsp;The terror welled up, fresh as if the assault happened\u0026nbsp;yesterday. \u0026nbsp;What awaited her beyond that door?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nPressing her paws together and taking a deep breath, Yoshi calmed herself. \u0026nbsp;She was 19 now,\u0026nbsp;not a helpless cub. \u0026nbsp;What happened in the past would never happen again, she told herself. \u0026nbsp;She was now more than capable of defending herself.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nYoshi then let her arms drop to her sides, gathering her skirts, and started moving. \u0026nbsp;Past\u0026nbsp;the stairwell door and down, down, down, as fast as her feet would carry her, quieting the\u0026nbsp;little voices inside her that demanded she pay attention to the fear.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMuch to her suprise, the path was not as empty as she thought. \u0026nbsp;Other attendees also used\u0026nbsp;the stairwell to get around in singles, twos and threes. \u0026nbsp;Most smiled and nodded as she\u0026nbsp;passed, others simply carried on with their business. \u0026nbsp;Not a signle one stopped her for\u0026nbsp;anything. \u0026nbsp;She felt a great deal safer, the voices silent, and a big smile splitting her\u0026nbsp;face.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nOne kind security staff member opened the lobby level door for her, and while she did smile\u0026nbsp;and thank him, she was too excited to really look at him at all. \u0026nbsp;Same with anyone she\u0026nbsp;passed on her way to the garden. \u0026nbsp;She couldn't wait to tell Tobias about this; he'd be so\u0026nbsp;proud.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was hell getting down to the lobby via the elevator. \u0026nbsp;The car stopped at nearly every\u0026nbsp;floor, furs getting on and off. \u0026nbsp;The anticipation made Tobias growl in impatience. \u0026nbsp;Finally! He grumbled once he set paw on the correct level, making a beeline for the\u0026nbsp;dealer's room. \u0026nbsp;It would be guarded well through the night, and no one would be able to\u0026nbsp;enter the front main door at all, and not into the back entrance without a dealer's badge. \u0026nbsp;Even after the trip he just took, he hoped like crazy the blanket he thought was still at\u0026nbsp;the Swain's booth was still there.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe made it to the back entrance and promptly froze. \u0026nbsp;Laying on the ground was Randall, one\u0026nbsp;of his drinking buddies from the tavern. \u0026nbsp;The gray raccoon wasn't moving even after Tobias\u0026nbsp;called his name. \u0026nbsp;Behind him, the door was still ajar, and another body lay beyond it. \u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nPaul, slowly stirring.\u0026nbsp;\"...fuck...Cicero..\" he mumbled, rubbing his head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Paul!\" Tobias checked Randall for vital signs, remembering some medical training from his\u0026nbsp;days on security. \u0026nbsp;Thank goodness the raccoon was still breathing. \"What the hell\u0026nbsp;happened?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Labrador held his head as he sat up. \u0026nbsp;\"Fuck, she heard the whole conversation and ran\u0026nbsp;in here...I followed her, but she decked me with whatever the fuck she was holding. \u0026nbsp;Shit,\u0026nbsp;I'm bleeding! \u0026nbsp;Where's Randall?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nRandall's forehead had a goose egg on it as well, slowly bleeding. \u0026nbsp;Tobias ripped a piece\u0026nbsp;of his own sleeve off to press against it. \u0026nbsp;\"Paul, can you see alright?\" \u0026nbsp;He couldn't get\u0026nbsp;close enough to check his friend for a concussion and try to help Randall at the same time.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;He scanned for the raccoon's radio, unhooked it and slid it over to him.\u0026nbsp;Paul crawled past the door, holding his head and now the radio. \u0026nbsp;\"It's a bit blurry, but\u0026nbsp;yeah I can see. \u0026nbsp;Tob, you've gotta go after Cicero. \u0026nbsp;She's gone nuts!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's what I'm going to do. \u0026nbsp;Here, hold this to Randall's forehead and radio Jason. \u0026nbsp;I\u0026nbsp;gotta get to the garden!\" \u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIf the vixen was crazed enough to attack a friend, God only know what she may do if Yoshi\u0026nbsp;got down there before he did. \u0026nbsp;With Paul's nod of agreement, Tobias took off towards the\u0026nbsp;main lobby, praying he wasn't too late already.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe garden was lit by a series of ground light along the path, set several feet apart. \u0026nbsp;They gave just enough light to see where one was going, if one where mostly dineral. \u0026nbsp;Yoshi's feline eyes didn't need them that much to guide her to the tree.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomeone was already there, sitting at the root of the tree, curling up into a ball. \u0026nbsp;Yoshi's ears picked up sobbing, and her nose detected a vulpine scent mixed with alcohol.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Excuse me?\" she asked, approaching slowly. \u0026nbsp;\"Are you alright?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe body moved, turning around and revealing a very rumpled and diselved Cicero. \u0026nbsp;She\u0026nbsp;wasn't even wearing her signature overpowering perfume, her eyes bloodshot and full of\u0026nbsp;hate.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What a stupid question. \u0026nbsp;Do I look alright, you twit? \u0026nbsp;You've ruined everything!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe once proud vixen was trembling in the grass, holding one arm behind her and wiping\u0026nbsp;tears from her eyes with the other. \u0026nbsp;She looked so pathetic that Yoshi felt a bit guilty.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm so sorry.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sorry? \u0026nbsp;You're sorry? \u0026nbsp;Sorry doesn't undo all my work to get Tobias back! \u0026nbsp;I've nearly had\u0026nbsp;him with me,but you just had to come flouncing about. \u0026nbsp;Why didn't you listen to me?? \u0026nbsp;Why\u0026nbsp;didn't you stay away? \u0026nbsp;HE'S MINE!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCicero rose, bringing a arm around and slashing up at Yoshi with a dagger in her paw. \u0026nbsp;Yoshi managed to leap away, barely getting her bearings before Cicero launched again. \u0026nbsp;A\u0026nbsp;moment of calm washed over her and she snapped into a stance, arms up.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith barely a thought, she brought down both arms to block the Cicero's arm, bringing the\u0026nbsp;right arm up to strike at the vixen's neck. \u0026nbsp;Bringing the left paw over, Yoshi quickly\u0026nbsp;bashed the palm heel into her muzzle, moving her body to the right, ending with a strong\u0026nbsp;uppercut to Cicero's ribs.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe vixen was on the ground, holding her stomach and face before Yoshi could resume proper\u0026nbsp;stance once more. \u0026nbsp;Four yeas of kenpo, at her parents' insistence, and she'd never had to\u0026nbsp;use it until now. \u0026nbsp;It was then she noticed the crowd gathered around them. \u0026nbsp;Jason and\u0026nbsp;Tobias were part of the group.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She attacked 'be!\" Cicero cried out, covering her bloodied muzzle. \u0026nbsp;\"You all saw it!!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nYoshi's body was struggling for breath in the corset. \u0026nbsp;Chest breathing with a 20 inch waist\u0026nbsp;and physical exertion never mixed well. \u0026nbsp;In lieu of explaining herself verbally, she\u0026nbsp;pointed to the dropped weapon.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nTobias rushed to her side, supporting her and quickly yanking the lacings loose so she\u0026nbsp;could breathe. \u0026nbsp;\"We know Yoshi. \u0026nbsp;She's already attacked Paul and Randall before getting\u0026nbsp;here.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What?\" Yoshi panted, looking at the dagger. \u0026nbsp;There was no blood on the blade itself.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I didn't want them hurt too badly,\" Cicero hissed. \u0026nbsp;\"I only used the hilt. \u0026nbsp;Not my fault\u0026nbsp;they were in my way.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJason reached down to life Cicero onto her feet. \u0026nbsp;\"You've attacked three furs, including a\u0026nbsp;RenCon staff member, and you admit it without remorse. \u0026nbsp;I think you know what this means,\u0026nbsp;don't you?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCicero's angry face fell. \u0026nbsp;\"You can't be serious. \u0026nbsp;You're not going to have me arrested,\u0026nbsp;are you?\" She turned to Tobias, trying to fight the bull's stronger grip. \u0026nbsp;\"Tobias, please,\u0026nbsp;don't let them do this to me! \u0026nbsp;I did this all for you! \u0026nbsp;You'd be nothing without me! \u0026nbsp;You'll never get a single contract again, I'll make sure of it!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nPaul approached the group with his head bandaged, snorting. \u0026nbsp;\"Actually, once word gets\u0026nbsp;around about this, 'Cici', you're name is gonna me jack and shit. \u0026nbsp;Tobias is a smart guy,\u0026nbsp;he doesn't need your crap to get business. \u0026nbsp;And who do you think runs the numbers while\u0026nbsp;you're off scaring every female that looks at him twice? \u0026nbsp;Me!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nTobias smiled gratefully, seeing his friend upright. \u0026nbsp;\"How's Randall?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"He came to before the paramedics arrived. \u0026nbsp;They think he's gonna be fine.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And the police are waiting,\" Jason added, lifting a struggling, cursing, sobbing Cicero\u0026nbsp;over his shoulder and carrying her away.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nYoshi held her loosened dress to her chest, flexing her sore paws and \u0026nbsp;turning to Tobias,\u0026nbsp;who took her by the shoulders, pride shinning in his eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Looks like you didn't need a hero this time around. \u0026nbsp;I'm so proud of you, Yoshi, and I\u0026nbsp;want to thank you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thank me?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I would have put up with that for another couple of years if you didn't come along and\u0026nbsp;give me something worth having. \u0026nbsp;If anything, you've rescued me this time, my lovely\u0026nbsp;heroine.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe tigress blushed brightly. \u0026nbsp;\"But, was she right? \u0026nbsp;Can she ruin you?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hell no,\" Paul answered for him. \"All Tobias here ever had to do was believe in himself. \u0026nbsp;He's got way too many people depending on his swords to listen to anything 'Cici' has to\u0026nbsp;say.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nTwo grey furred arms surrounded her, Tobias' muzzle nuzzled her. \u0026nbsp;\"God, I was so worried about\u0026nbsp;you. I want to make up for this, Yoshi.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You have a hotel room, right?\" she smiled softly, tipping up to kiss him.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...not in that dress you don't!\" Bebe's voice rung loud and clear as she, Scotty and Mae\u0026nbsp;stormed into the garden proper. \u0026nbsp;\"And we're expecting a full explanation, young lady!\"\n\n  \n  \n\n"}