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Chortaghentos, capital of Rikifur, residence of the royal family for over a millennium, and Airy's home since birth was frustratingly beyond her reach and yet still so near she could observe its splendor in the distance. After enduring three years of strife against nature, other races, rebels, and even a Maker, the sight of the city of her childhood memories was a welcome, if inaccessible vista. More than her home, Chortaghentos was a community unlike any other in the known world. No nation, not even Storfay, could boast anything as grand, as monumental, or as richly populated.

Previously untouched by war since the earliest days of Rikifur's founding, the city had for centuries possessed a magnificence that exceeded all elementary declarations of its splendor. Impregnable, gleaming-white defensive walls surrounded a collection of lofty spires and elegant stone buildings of marble and painted brick that rose gradually in ordered rows from a flat, fertile plain towards the crown of a bluff above a wide, sluggish river. At the city's apex, sat two harmonious and equally grand houses: a palace for Airy's family and a temple complex dedicated to the Maker. Opposing each other across a vast cobblestone lined courtyard, the two structures were united by the surrounding verdant gardens.

Though rightfully proud of the works of her forbearers and for the personal perseverance that delivered her to the cusp of claiming her birthright, conceit eluded Airy, stolen away by a legacy of bitter disappointment for what should have been. Tarnished by the ongoing horrors of war, the peril threatening her family, and the damage she was inflicting to the central place held most sacred in her heart, Airy searched without success amid the wreckage of her homecoming for something to buoy her spirits.

That most of the capital's architectural gems had thus far escaped damage was a minor blessing. The proud outer ramparts of the city, however, were pocked with holes nearly everywhere, existing as nothing but piles of rubble at key locations through which Airy's armies had been pouring throughout the day. Inside, the destruction diminished towards the city's heart, but stray shells fired over weeks of siege had inadvertently destroyed much that was irreplaceable. The intense street fighting was wreaking additional damage. Plumes of smoke from numerous fires smudged the skyline.

Each step through Rikifur towards her final objective had exacted a similarly grievous toll, but none was worse than that inflicted by Jorveth's improved artillery. A devil's bargain, the new weapons had sped her advance to the capital by rendering the intervening castles and the armies arrayed against her obsolete. Every Church allied duke and general that dared resist found himself helpless before the new bombards, discovering to their dismay that no width or height of mere stone would ever again provide an adequate barrier behind which an inferior army could hide.

Terrifying to hear and see, the weapons were believed by the superstitious to be squat, metal demons with bellies full of fire. When prodded with a smoldering linstock, they spit forth ruin from their gaping maws, roared like dragons with the deafening knell of damnation, and strained to escape the bondage of their heavy, wooden carriages to consume the world in flame and destruction.

Able to produce an abundance of the wall shattering bombards as well as smaller, mobile field pieces at her twin steel mills in River Keep and Vynuurtos, her massive, new army, augmented by her alliance with the AR, became unstoppable. Divided into three separate corps, it invaded Church held lands along three fronts forcing the priests to defend simultaneously the east, west, and center of their previously secure northern border.

Suffering from sagging morale and desertion, Church troops at best managed to forestall, but never stop, her inexorable push south to the capital. Religious zeal failed to atone for incompetent generals and inferior weapons. Though some shrewd Church leaders had begun to mimic her advances by experimenting with black powder, time was required to perfect, manufacture, and deploy cannon in significant quantities. Airy's relentless push south denied them that time.

Amid the death and destruction, Airy found a small measure of consolation. Her decision to turn Jorveth's genius against her own people was proving successful at ending the war nearly a year sooner than the most optimistic projections of her generals. A shorter war ultimately meant fewer casualties. During just the ongoing siege of the capital, thousands of lives had been saved by avoiding the need to scale its once impressive walls. Though those lives had been purchased with the city's beautiful soul, she paid the cost gladly vowing to erase her debt and restore Chortaghentos to even greater glory once she sat upon her father's throne.

Thoughts of reconstruction and healing cheered her enough to calm the tempest of disquiet in her mind. The cool, but fair, autumn day enhanced her tranquility as did the thought of being reunited with her family. Their welfare consumed her every waking moment and often troubled her sleep. No other goal equaled in importance that of saving her mother and siblings, and today held the promise of a joyful reunion, an end to her wanderings, and the beginning of a new age of peace.

Under siege for weeks while being nearly cut off from the rest of their territory by Airy's first and second corps, the Church's surrender was imminent now that the city was completely encircled. White Paw and his third corps had defeated the last of the Church's mobile legions the previous day allowing sorties to be launch through the numerous breaches in the battered city's walls.

Though Airy had not seen Jak in months, merely thinking of him triggered a resurgence of the intense, eternal affection she still felt towards him. A tear born of regret seeped from the corner of her eye. If any of her attendants noticed her wiping it away, she was grateful that they could not understand its source. Tolerance for a romantic union between her and a Wolf was beyond their ability to accept. Prejudice against her canine allies still ran deep in the hearts of the majority of her people. Complaints had reached her ears that the black Wolf's corps was the last of the three to reach Chortaghentos because he had deliberately held back, afraid to fight. Airy knew that timidity played no part in his tardiness. In truth, Airy blamed herself for all the military obstacles her estranged lover faced.

Yielding to the demands of her allies, Airy had segregated her forces by putting all of the Wolves into Jak's eastern corps. Some Rabbits like Sunorthoses and Milikes were willing to serve with their canine friends and allies, and many thousands of bucks, loyal to their commanders followed their example. It was a heartening display of solidarity, but the necessity that prompted it galled Airy especially because of the cost to Jak's people.

The intense resistance encountered by White Paw's army was out of proportion to any opposition experienced by her first and second corps, demonstrating that her post-war prospects for reconciliation between Rabbits and the Wolves were weaker than she had hoped. Long ingrained cultural fears and Church propaganda were effective at making even the most enlightened in the south view the Wolves as an enemy bent on rape and genocide. Thousands on both sides had died unnecessarily when, faced with defeat, Church armies, certain that they would be slaughtered, or worse, refused to surrender.

Airy regretted the compromise, but ending the bloody conflict engulfing her nation was paramount, and tomorrow, she would re-emerge from the cooling ashes of war as a champion for both Rabbits and Wolves. The sacrifices would be atoned by the better, shared future that awaited both races.

Until then, the pregnant queen, high atop a hill several miles from the city safely surrounded by her own protective forces, was a passive observer of what she believed to be the final hours of the war. In her delicate condition, acquiring consent to occupy even this distant vantage point had tested the limits of her authority and demanded every ounce of will, personal favor, and threat that Airy could muster. Airy adored Vaun dearly, but his acute aversion to her exposure to any risk grew in proportion to the size of her bulging belly.

She desired to lead the armies herself, but the mild nausea and physical discomfort accompanying her condition were incentives to tolerate being coddled. Commanding from atop a saddle all day would only exacerbate her already aching back anyway, so she contented herself with the snug, but well apportioned, brick manor house that Vaun commandeered for her use. Though it provided capacity to accommodate her and the plethora of servants and guards Vaun insisted attend her, she preferred to remain outside under an awning where her view of the embattled city was unobstructed.

Airy wore her armor despite the tranquil setting and tightening fit of her chainmail shirt across her midriff. Preserving the impression that she was still in command was her excuse, but the ruse was unnecessary to encourage her generals to seek her counsel and her consent for the ongoing battle. Vaun returned to her at sunset every night, briefed her on the day's progress, spent the night, discussed strategy in the morning, and sent frequent reports during each day.

It was a routine anticipated to end shortly, so Airy was heartened when she spotted Vaun returning earlier than usual in the late afternoon urging his mount up the hill at great speed. His appearance in place of a courier portended momentous news.

Before his lathered steed could achieve a full stop, Vaun dismounted and rushed to Airy's side. Never adept at hiding his feelings from her, the expression on his face made her heart clutch dreading that his tidings were ill.

"My darling," he began kneeling in front of his mate and grasping her small paws in his, "the city has surrendered, but..."

Vaun choked, distress stealing his voice. Anxiety over the fate of her siblings and mother ate at Airy's insides, but the infinite love of her mate softened the pain enough to let Airy enjoy the sweetness of his concern. Extracting a paw from his trembling grasp, she placed it lovingly alongside his snout.

"I am with child, love. I am not myself a child. Don't try to protect me from all the evils of the world. It's impossible, and we must face them together regardless and draw strength from each other to do so."

"You are right, of course. Your indomitable courage has been proven often enough. I'm a fool to forget that, but the urge to protect you and our unborn kit proves harder to resist each day. You are my family now."

"Vaun, you're flattery is always welcome, but what news have you of my mother and siblings? Some grave misfortune brought you to me hasn't it?"

"Not all news I bring is ill. Let me begin with the good. Several Dara acting on orders from Ruud Nua Suasorsyth have officially ordered the city garrison to lay down their arms. The battle is won."

"Excellent, but orders from the Dara? Suasorsyth? Why not directly from Nebunthoses?"

"The answer to that is entangled with the bad news. The Algar and the Ruud Nua have all fled and taken your family with them."

The stricken look of anguish on Airy's face was akin to a physical blow to Vaun.

"We have been searching the entire city all day with no success."

"How could they get past our lines?" Airy asked. "We have the capital surrounded."

"Only recently, my dear. As of yesterday, there was an opening to the east. White Paw closed the gap, but it is possible the rats managed to escape before he did with the intent of setting up a new capital elsewhere, and even if they left today, scattered pockets of the enemy are still about and offering resistance."

Airy's nose twitched uncontrollably, and her ears drooped flat against the back of her head. Desperate to give his mate a glimmer of hope in this dark hour, Vaun pressed on.

"I alerted White Paw to watch for the priests and your family as soon as I learned of this treachery. I sent Cat to help..."

The thundering rhythm of dozens of horses galloping up the hill interrupted Vaun. White Paw, Bear, Dryphythus, and more than a score of Wolf and Rabbit knights approached accompanied by Cat and two feral wolves running at their side.

Leading a second mount bearing a prisoner in dusty travelling clothes, Jak halted in front of the puzzled monarchs. The captive's head was covered by a burlap sack, and his wrists were bound to the saddle's pommel.

"We found this buck riding alone pretending to be a merchant fleeing from the fallen city," announced White Paw, "but his lies were easy to smell. Vaun's alert regarding your family made me suspect this imposter might know something, so I brought him here."

"Who is it?" asked Airy.

Jak tore the cover from the prisoner's head. Airy gasped in recognition.

"Suasorsyth!"

"A great prize indeed, White Paw," added Vaun with equal amazement.

"If anyone knows the whereabouts of my family it is this old schemer," said Airy. "Thank you, White Paw. Once again, you have my eternal gratitude."

The ancient priest was flushed, sweating, and breathing too heavily to say anything for himself, giving every indication he was on the verge of a stroke. Having no reason to harbor any love for the upper echelons of the clergy, Airy nevertheless needed him alive and could not easily set aside her pity for anyone so old and stricken.

"But for the Maker's sake, please unbind him and get him off that horse. There is no chance he will try to escape, and he certainly isn't a threat to anyone in this state."

"As you wish," answered White Paw.

Two Wolf warriors untied the enfeebled priest, lifted him gently from the saddle, and carried him to stand unsteadily before the seated queen.

Rising awkwardly to compensate for her distended belly, Airy yielded her chair to the tottering advisor. The ancient priest collapsed into the proffered seat, and though he looked more likely to expire than attack, two knights drew their swords and each placed a gauntleted paw on one of Suasorsyth's bony shoulders. Airy let the unnecessary compulsion to protect her pass. Such acts were becoming so common that she barely noticed them anymore.

"Fetch some water, please, Wyn. I want him able to talk."

Suasorsyth gratefully accepted the drink poured by the young doe, swallowing enough to wash away the dust and grime of the ride and soothe his chafing throat.

"A thousand thanks," said the priest in a voice barely above a whisper. Pausing, he closed his eyes for a moment to catch his ragged breath. "I am unused to such rough treatment and hard riding, and certainly not at the mercy of Wolves. Who would ever have thought to see them here so near the capital? These are unusual times."

"Enough idle prattle, priest," ordered Vaun. "Tell us where you have hidden the royal family."

Suasorsyth's gaze shifted between Vaun and Airy several times before locking eyes with the queen. A lifetime of intrigue tempered his intuitive sense for locating the true locus of power. When he replied, it was to Airy.

"My tongue would be freed, and the aches in my old bones eased in the process, with some wine...preferably the distilled kind produced by your people in the north. What are you calling it? Brandy, I believe."

Less patient than Vaun, Airy desired nothing more than to immediately extract from the priest everything he knew about the whereabouts of her kin, but years spent in her father's court had exposed her to the ways of those in power and this canny old screw in particular. His polite façade belied the fact that she and Suasorsyth were already enmeshed in crucial negotiations for the survival of her family.

A curt nod by Airy to Wyn resulted in a goblet of her finest reserves appearing in the old Ruud Nua's paw. He sipped the potent, amber liquid with obvious relish and closed his eyes again as if to sleep. Airy was not amused by his attempt to delay.

"Don't mistake my generosity for forgiveness or weakness on my part," she hissed.

Drawing a dagger from the belt at her waist, Airy placed her forearm against the priest's chest and the steel against his neck.

"Your life is mine, priest, and I don't value it highly. You shall draw breath only as long as I find the information you divulge of interest to me."

Swallowing reflexively, Suasorsyth's throat expanded slightly. The edge of the blade bit into his pelt.

"Tell me where to find my family, or I cut your stinking, scheming head off. No one here will lift a paw to save you."

Darting about frantically, the priest's eyes scanned the other faces within his field of vision hoping someone might restrain the hotheaded queen, but Suasorsyth saw only animosity and indifference glaring back. Even the expression worn by the young serving maid bespoke an earnest willingness to do the deed.

His position was truly perilous, but experience combined with a small measure of recklessness encouraged by the knowledge that the remaining natural span of his life was accounted in months or a few years at best, allowed him to achieve a cavalier sense of calmness. Willing his heart to slow and his mind to cease its fevered panic, he considered the balance between the information that was precious to the queen, and his own desire to survive the coming purge of the Church's leadership. A little bargaining was all that was needed to ensure both parties achieved a satisfactory outcome. To further steady his nerves and present outward calmness that he prayed Airy would emulate, he slowly, with a pretense of nonchalance, raised the goblet to his lips again and took a long drink.

"You have just cause," he began after reluctantly setting the empty vessel back down, "to hate me and wish me dead, but what advantage is there in that? Vengeance perhaps? What good is revenge if it costs you those you love? Alive, on the other paw, I have the potential to do you a great service."

Neither Airy's paw nor her knife budged a whisker's breadth. Suasorsyth considered his continued ability to breathe a small victory.

"Your Majesty...and I address you by your rightful title with all the respect and authority you are due...the Algar may not be able to admit it, but with the surrender of the capital, this war is over. As far as I am concerned, you have won and reign as Queen of all Rikifur."

The blade eased its pressure slightly. A dash of obsequious adulation always helped negotiations, but Suasorsyth knew by the undiminished intensity of purpose in the queen's eyes that she would not tolerate much more of negotiation's preliminaries.

"I understand that haste is important to you," Suasorsyth hurriedly added, "so I arrive bluntly to my proposal. In exchange for providing proof as to who killed your father..."

Airy's slight change in demeanor betrayed to the advisor that she was unaware, or at least uncertain, as to how her father had really died. The knowledge Suasorsyth possessed was one more reason for her to keep him alive a little while longer. His predicament became slightly less tenuous.

"...and for divulging the location of your family while there is still time to save them, I ask only that you spare my life."

"Let a villain and traitor to the kingdom like you live? How about I torture you for that information instead, and when I'm done, toss your lifeless carcass into a cesspit where it belongs?"

Though unfeigned, Airy's vitriol did more to amuse than intimidate Suasorsyth. Well-honed self-control kept the priest from laughing aloud, but did not stop him from countering her threat.

"I am old and frail, Your Majesty. Certainly under such duress my body will give out long before my will to resist does."

Suasorsyth had no desire to test this premise, but he delivered his bluff as convincingly as he could. Either the queen believed him, or she had no strong desire to carry out her threat, because she nodded her acceptance of his terms.

"Very well. If my family is reunited with me unharmed, you will live. Otherwise, your death will be as slow as I can devise."

To emphasize her threat, the pressure of the blade increased again. Shrinking his shoulders into the chair, the priest tried vainly to distance himself from her steel, but he was held immobile by the two soldiers.

"I trust you to honor your word," Suasorsyth gulped. "Since you are unlikely to have any faith in me, I suggest you bring your Wolves close to verify what I say."

A quick gesture from Airy brought a pair of White Paw's warriors to take the place of the knights behind the aged advisor. Though Suasorsyth had frighteningly close contact with their kind once already before being bound, hooded, and rushed to the queen, their smell and appearance was still a novelty. The priest had never visited Rikifur's northern or eastern borders, which were the only places where a Rabbit would be likely to encounter a canid. Determined not to stare, especially at their black furred leader or the many females among their company, Suasorsyth focused only upon Airy.

"Your father was killed by the other five Ruud Nua. Neither the Algar nor I were a part of their conspiracy. As proof of my innocence, I offer the fact that my peers fled the capital without warning me. Why do you think that I was in charge of a doomed city? In my saddlebag, you will find written instructions from the Algar ordering me to stay in Chortaghentos and oversee its orderly surrender. That paper was intended as a death sentence for me."

Airy glanced past Suasorsyth to her Wolves, who sniffed audibly as he spoke. The priest dared not turn his head with the knife so close, but the canids must have approved, because Airy did not kill him.

"Continue."

"I have more documents proving the rest of the inner circle's complicity in assassinating your father. You will find them with the surrender instructions."

The pouch was brought to Airy, who scanned the papers. Suasorsyth savored the momentary respite from the blade at his throat, but when she had finished, her expression bespoke no mercy for him or any of the clergy. The great northern ice sheet radiated more warmth and clemency for those that dared cross it.

"There is no place on this Earth they can hope to hide to escape my justice," said Airy with grim determination that left no doubt as to the form her justice would take, but to the ancient advisor, her manner moderated slightly. "You have my gratitude for this information, but it puts you no closer to living. The most important part of our bargain remains unfulfilled. Tell me where I may find my family."

"Indeed. I shall strive to, but now I must rely on inference instead of definitive proof. I did not see the Algar and the other Ruud Nua depart with your mother and siblings. I only discovered early this morning that they were gone and that I was abandoned. So, if your Wolves detect any ambiguity in my answer, you know its source."

Airy's patience was eroding faster than a sandy riverbank in a spring flood. Her grip upon the hilt of her dagger tightened noticeably.

"Enough excuses. Speak or know silence forever."

The knife returned, and this time, the tip rather than the edge of her blade was pressed against the large vein in his throat. The smallest additional pressure would end their tête-à-tête in seconds. Sweat soaked through the fur of Suasorsyth's brow and ran into his eyes making him blink involuntarily.

"Tell me where to find them before they are beyond my reach," demanded Airy.

The decisive moment had arrived, and his life depended upon a logical assumption, but an assumption nonetheless. Suasorsyth hoped that his guess was right and that it satisfied the queen. He had nothing more to offer, and her Wolves would discover that soon enough.

"I think there is still time to catch them because I believe they have not yet left the capital."

"What?!" exclaimed Vaun. "That is impossible. I searched everywhere."

"Everywhere you know of but not in the old chalk mines under the city I wager," responded Suasorsyth to the king without losing eye contact with the queen.

The widening of her eyes betrayed the success of his gambit. Airy placed one paw upon her forehead and removed the blade from Suasorsyth' throat allowing him to breathe normally once again.

"The old tunnels!" she shouted. "Of course!"

Leveraging the moment of inattention, the ancient advisor hastily raised his drinking goblet to his lips hoping a draught of the potent fluid would steady his shaking paws. Disappointment followed. Having forgotten it was empty and lacking the temerity to ask for a refill, he satisfied himself with the queen's preoccupation with her own nebulous and disordered memories.

"Andre and I used to explore them secretly as kids," Airy explained to the crowd of confused faces, "until my parents discovered our adventures and had the secret entrance sealed. I haven't thought about the passages in years."

"Tunnels? There are tunnels under the capital?" wondered Vaun. "Why?"

"A terrible fire hundreds of years ago destroyed much of the city. The king banned wood as the primary rebuilding material. There was thus a great need for making bricks. Chalk is a key ingredient, and the closest, most abundant source was under the city, so they dug there."

"I've never heard of this before. Why does no one else know of these mines?"

"Once the capital was rebuilt, the masons returned to more traditional sources of materials. The mines were sealed and forgotten as the centuries passed. I had forgotten them until reminded just now. Andre and I were very young when we discovered a poorly hidden entrance in the cellars. We had grand adventures exploring the mine's miles of confusing, interconnected passages. When my father found out we were wandering in dark, dangerous places, he sealed off our gateway. Though he scolded me severely for leading my baby brother in there, I think he was silently proud of my sense of adventure because there was no other punishment for my egregious endangerment of Andre and myself."

"How did the priests find them?"

"I'm afraid that's my fault," said Suasorsyth, reluctantly interjecting himself back into the conversation. "Your brother was exploring the tunnels again, and as you said, they are dangerous."

"You told the Algar," accused Vaun.

"Of course. He was my superior, and it was my duty to report it to him. Now, Your Majesties are my lords. All that I know, I am giving freely to you."

Vaun was not placated by Suasorsyth's abrupt reversal of loyalties.

"Your sins cannot be absolved or forgiven so easily."

"Forgiven?" countered the priest. "That is for the Maker to decide. All I ask of the queen is that my material transgressions be pardoned."

"Forget him, Vaun," declared Airy. "We must begin a search of the mines immediately and catch the villains before they realize they are trapped and do something desperate."

"Of course, my love. I will flood the tunnels with soldiers. It won't take long to explore every nook and cranny. They can't get away."

Airy's dubious expression gave Vaun pause.

"They are trapped, right? Are there no other exits?"

"I don't think so...at least we never found any...I think...oh, I can't remember. I was only six at the time, and it's a confusing labyrinth with multiple levels, numerous dead end passages, unexpected drop offs, and pits of unknowable depths filled with water. I do recall becoming lost at least once and being terrified that we would die down there, but Andre had an uncanny memory even when only four years old. While we explored, he had concocted a song documenting all the twists and turns we had made. He has always been funny that way."

"Your brother must be leading them," inferred Vaun. "Let's hope he never discovered a way out. I'll return to the palace at once and lead the hunt personally."

"I'm coming," said Airy while reaching for her sword and scabbard hanging from a post nearby. "More memories may come back to me when I return..."

"No!" shouted Vaun while snatching away the Maker made weapon before Airy could place a paw upon it.

Embarrassed that his passion had made him too abrupt with her, but convinced he was right, he repeated himself calmly.

"No, Airy. You promised me that you would not take up the sword again before our kit is weaned, and as you said, the tunnels are dangerous. Besides, the priests will try to use your feelings for your family against you and may even harm them to extract concessions. They will be less inclined to do that with me."

"But this is my family, Vaun..."

"I know that, my love, but they're my family, too now. Let me do this for you and prove how much they mean to me. I will save them. Trust me. Please."

Tense seconds passed before Airy relaxed letting the knife she still clutched fall to stick point first in the turf.

"You win," Airy conceded. "I shall stay."

Her sudden acquiescence stunned her mate into open-mouthed silence. Rolling her eyes at his befuddlement, Airy pointed toward the city.

"What are you waiting for? Take Cat, Bear, White Paw, and everyone of value with you. The entrance is in the kitchen larder in the family residence portion of the palace. It shouldn't be hard to find. It will be in the back of a storage chamber behind a pile of broken bricks. Now go!"

Knights and warriors began scrambling to re-mount their horses. Vaun intercepted White Paw before the Wolf climbed into his own saddle.

"Please," pleaded Vaun. "Stay here with Airy. I trust you above everyone else to ensure she remains and doesn't follow. Will you do that for me?"

Jak met Vaun's gaze then Airy's. His former lover was becoming adept at adopting a neutral expression to hide her true intent. Every monarch needed that skill, but Jak knew her too well to be fooled. Vaun was right. Unless restrained, the queen would not sit idle until her family were safe.

"Certainly. The queen and I shall both be awaiting your successful return."

Surprising everyone, including Jak, Vaun wrapped his arms around the chief of chiefs, embracing him heartily before releasing him again and sprinting for his horse.

"Thank you, friend," Vaun shouted as he leapt into the saddle and galloped towards the capital with a dusty cloud of knights and warriors in tow.

Bear's ponderous steed was last to join the chase providing an opportunity for Cat to spring onto its oversized rump before the Wolf and equine giants could join the rapidly diminishing host.

"What mischief are you up to now?" wondered Bear as the feline's arm wrapped around his waist.

"None. Even Cats get tired of running everyvhere. I'll need all my stamina for the tunnels. Vell? Vhat you vaiting for, grizzly? Show me how fast this old plow nag can run."

Delighted by her challenge, Bear howled enthusiastically.

"Just hold on tight, pretty kitty. She may surprise you."

With a kick at his mount's massive flanks, the odd trio with Bandrosett loping alongside was soon lost in the distance.

Airy stood in front of her prisoner. With one paw, she massaged her lower back. Glaring at Suasorsyth, she rudely commanded him out of her chair. The priest struggled to stand, but found himself too weakened from an exhausting day of defeat, flight, capture, and strong drink. Wyn, unable to suppress her sense of pity, helped the ancient advisor to rise and provided him a second chair. A third was brought for Jak, and the three sat together in a semicircle.

"Why were you left behind, ancient one?" asked Airy.

Suasorsyth seemed surprised that she had any further use for him, gave her question a moment's thought, and then shrugged.

"Life at the top of any organization is all about intrigue and subterfuge. If you don't understand that yet, Your Majesty, you are in for a rude surprise. Cliques, cabals, and coteries will form at every level within even the most solid alliance. Those who are left out find themselves in great peril. My fellow Ruud Nua didn't trust me with their intrigues and were happy to leave me to your executioner."

"I will not rescind my word. You live if my family live, though we did not agree that you would be free."

"I am innocent of the crime of killing the king. You know that is true."

"I do, but I am certain I shall discover other crimes and despicable acts of which you are guilty."

"I have no doubt. A great many of my duties considered as triumphs by the Algar will understandably be interpreted as treason by you."

"Such as...?" asked Airy.

Suasorsyth grinned slyly.

"Are you ordering me to confess my sins, Your Majesty?"

"You professed to Vaun that you are now my obedient servant and will provide me information freely."

"And so I did, but revealing dark truths requires another goblet of spirits if you please."

Airy nodded, Wyn filled Suasorsyth's cup, and the old buck took a moderate sip and sighed his gratification.

"You are too kind and generous to me, Your Majesty. Such munificence makes me regret my past actions."

"Some may wonder if you ever plan to divulge them, or must I drown you in brandy first?" goaded Airy.

Suasorsyth chuckled ruefully.

"It is pity that you could not have begun your reign in a peaceful transition. You and I might have had a grand time together sparring as allies instead of enemies."

Lowering his goblet to his lap with both paws, Suasorsyth retreated into a brief, contemplative silence while staring remorsefully into the liquid contents' amber depths.

"Very well," he finally uttered. "No more secrets between us. It was my idea to send the assassin, and I facilitated all of the arrangements to have you killed."

The glower of malevolent hate Airy expressed was more than enough to make the priest blanch, but it was the low growl and tightening of his Wolf guards' paws upon his shoulders that was most unnerving. Suasorsyth was only mildly relieved, though, when a subtle signal from White Paw bade the guards release him and step away. The priest knew it was an empty reprieve; the queen was the greater threat.

"Why are you telling me this? What can you possibly hope to gain beyond my further loathing?"

"My goal is to show you the difference between myself and your real enemy. I would never have sanctioned, let alone participated in, the murder of the late king. He was my king at the time, and I am loyal to Rikifur and the laws of the land. You, on the other paw, until this day, were an enemy of the state according to the anointed king and Algar, so my action was justified. Today, I would not consider, let alone sanction your death."

"Truly?"

Only a fool could miss Airy's skepticism, and the priest was nobody's fool.

"If I let you have that knife standing in the grass, would you show this newfound restraint?"

"Yes. I would not use the weapon against you if you placed it in my paw, and not just because a feeble old buck like myself would stand no chance against these warriors or even yourself if it came to that. I wouldn't do it because you are now the rightful ruler, and thus have my loyalty."

"That's a bold assertion."

"Sneer and scoff if you must, My Queen, but it is true. The brutes behind me know I speak true. I don't have the knack to fool them as Mortdarathos did."

Whether the queen believed him or not, Suasorsyth could not say, and her trust mattered little to him. His purpose on this world was ending, and much that had mattered now loosed its influence upon him. As if all of his toiling years of scheming and struggling for power and dominance united at once to collect arrears from his soul, Suasorsyth experienced fatigue beyond anything he had ever felt before. He longed only to set aside his struggles forever. He wished for the queen to dismiss him to return to his family where he would live out the rest of his days in peaceful indolence, but the queen had not lost all use for him yet.

"What did you learn of the tunnels beneath the city when you had Andre followed?"

"Only that they exist and are extensive. Andre was wandering them possibly for quite some time. We put a stop to that when we discovered what he was doing, and there seemed no point to explore them further."

"To where do you think the Algar and the rest of the Ruud Nua are attempting to escape?"

"Seadyrthos, most likely. It is a rich province, and support for the Church is strongest there."

"It will do them no good," Jak interposed. "There are no walls stout enough in this world for them to hide behind."

"They don't need walls," added Airy bitterly. "The dark is the safest place they can be."

"Even the dark will provide them no shelter," explained Jak to comfort Airy. "Cat can move unseen, and Vaun will bring light to all the black corners of the mines illuminating every chink, crevice, and..."

Jak paused, distracted by a curious expression emerging on Airy's face.

"Are you alright? You look..."

"Light!" she exclaimed. "A chink in the wall and a shaft of light. Great Maker! I just remembered something as clear as if it were yesterday...Andre and I finding a shaft of light in the darkness."

The words poured out of her mouth in a rush like steam from a kettle.

"We were able to scramble to the top of a pile of rock and see outside through a tiny opening. It was too small to put more than a paw through, but it is an exit, and Andres knows where it is! Oh, Maker, that's where they are going. Vaun will never catch them in time. We have to do something, Jak. We can't just sit here!"

Leaping to her hindpaws, Airy began shouting orders for her steed to be brought forth immediately.

"Airy, what are you talking about?" asked Jak.

"There is an exit from the mines. Andre and I found it. I must locate it again before he leads the priests to it."

Bound by his promise to Vaunorthoses, Jak attempted to dissuade Airy.

"Tell me where the exit is, and I will go. You must stay here."

Airy placed her paws upon Jak's chest pleading with her eyes.

"I know you are trying to protect me from myself, Jak, but it won't work. This time, I must go. I can only guess at the exit's location based on what I saw through the opening as a kit, but once I see it, I'll know we are in the right place. I have a picture in my mind. It's a small dell among the hills with a stream, a tiny hamlet, and a church with a bright yellow door."

"That sounds like a description of half of Rikifur based on what I have seen."

"My point exactly, Jak, but it is not quite that hopeless. Churches are traditionally painted white including the doors. Yellow is a very unusual color. There can't be many like that. If we can narrow our search to a few, I am certain I can pick the right place as we visit each in turn."

"Yellow? Did you say yellow church door?" interrupted Suasorsyth.

"Yes. Why?"

"Shornies. Yellow is signal to the cult faithful that they can openly worship and seek sanctuary there. The Scourge discovered that recently."

"Do you know the locations of these churches?" asked Airy.

"No, but the Scourge does, or rather did. I doubt there are any left this close to the capital. All would have been burned down as unholy temples to false gods."

"You monster!" screamed Wyn.

Suasorsyth cringed in surprise from the little doe's sudden vituperative accusation.

"Me? A monster? Why, child?"

"You told the Scourge our secret."

"You are a Shornie?" asked Suasorsyth incredulously.

Wyn nodded and began to sob.

"Yes, and you are responsible for killing many of my creed."

"Is this true?" demanded Airy of the priest, her benevolent façade replaced by her warrior persona.

"No, and please confirm my truthfulness before you decide to do anything drastic. I did everything I could to thwart the Scourge and as little as possible to help them with their reign of terror."

"Attempting to kill me didn't give you pause, but heretics got a pass? You certainly demonstrated that you would do whatever it took to protect the Church. Why should I believe a murderer even if a Wolf can't detect the lie?"

"Because the Scourge was counterproductive. Torturing and killing heretics sowed resentment and rebellion. It was a costly distraction that prevented the Church from fighting an effective war."

"That is not a noble reason for doing the right thing."

"Nobility does not become me, Your Majesty. I am practical and loyal. Under the right circumstances, that can be better."

"Prove these are the right circumstances, then. Tell me where the Shornie churches are located so I can find the one that matches my memory."

"But I don't know where they are, Your Majesty."

"Why not? Wasn't that your job?"

"Yes, but sending agents to look for them would have just increased the chance that the Scourge would learn of their whereabouts. I didn't want that any more than you."

"Maker damn it!" screamed Airy. "Is there anyone who knows?

"I do," said Wyn. "I was born and lived near here before the war. There are only three places that match your memory, and they are all located in secluded locations east of Chortaghentos."

A company of thirty Rabbit knights, ten Wolf warriors, Wyn, and Dryphythus were quickly assembled to accompany White Paw, Airy and their feral protectors to ride east and north in an arc around the capitol with the goal of visiting each of the three Shornie villages as efficiently as possible. Suasorsyth was left behind having pleaded successfully that he was too old to survive the grueling pace that the queen's company, in their desperate haste, would set. Indeed, her troop moved rapidly across the land at speeds requiring them to requisition replacement horses along the way, and incrementally add another dozen knights to their ranks. Silence, except for the pounding of their horse's hooves, enveloped the grim company until they arrived at the first Shornie Church.

They were too late to save its builders, the Scourge having beaten them by several weeks. Nothing but a broken foundation and bits of charcoal remained of the innocent house of worship. The surviving residents of the hamlet were openly fearful of the queen's company until Wyn spoke to them and explained who they were. Airy rode about accepting their gratitude for her tolerance of their sect while examining the village and the lay of land. It did not take her long to determine that it was not the one she had seen as a child.

The second village was similarly disappointing in both the tragic horror that had been inflicted there and the lack of correspondence with Airy's memory. Not until the sun was sinking towards the western horizon, casting long shadows from the naked boughs of the forests, did they arrive at the final Shornie settlement.

Airy required no scouting or examination, instantly recognizing that this was the sought after location. Every detail was exactly as she remembered down to the gaily-painted wooden door of the church and the arched stone bridge over the creek with its pink, creeping roses fading beneath the chill of early fall. White bluffs rose above the surrounding farmland only a mile distant.

Airy raced towards the chalk walls at a gallop. Her company followed with weapons drawn certain that danger was near. Jak drew alongside with his Maker made sword in his right paw. His presence elevated Airy's spirits higher than they had been in many months.

"I have missed having you at my side, Jak," she said bringing forth the naked, gleaming steel of her companion blade.

"You may have pledged your heart to another, but our time together is not over," replied Jak solemnly. "I have not yet fulfilled my promise."

"What promise is that?"

"Our pact. Though made long ago, I am bound by honor to deliver you safely home to your family. Have you forgotten?"

"No, Jak. I will never forget any of our time together; every moment spent with you is a precious treasure stored in the vault of my heart. I am eternally grateful to you for staying with me to the end, but is it only honor that compels you?"

"No. Love undying is honor's rival. Because of both, I am still yours to command, and I pledge my life to complete this task. Fear not for your family. Together, we will end your long exile, complete our pact, and find happiness."

Airy wondered how even the safety of her family could bring true happiness without the freedom to love Jak, but said nothing to betray her feelings or entice him with false hope.

Locating the mine adit proved to be a simple feat. A small, but distinct, dark opening in the otherwise starkly white bluff was obvious to anyone who knew to look for it. Halting just short of the exit from the underground labyrinth, Airy ordered everyone else to stay behind her as she dismounted and stood in front of the recently enlarged opening. Peering towards the Shornie village, she verified that the perspective matched her childhood memory.

"Who is our best tracker?" Airy demanded.

A brief search among their company ended with all eyes resting on a plain gray Wolf. Having been singled out by popular consensus, he lowered himself to the ground, approached Airy, and knelt in front of her.

"Your name?" she asked.

"Bullfrog," ma'am he answered with a deep, craggy voice.

"Examine the ground. Tell me who has been here, when, and where they went."

Bullfrog moved about with intense attention. His nose sniffed the air and his eyes evaluated many seemingly inconsequential objects and impressions as he moved around the scene in growing circles until he was satisfied he understood every recent trace of passing. Airy held her anxiousness in check lest she inadvertently destroy some vital clue in her haste to act. After a few minutes, Bullfrog returned and delivered his report with a casual salute.

"About two dozen passed out the tunnel and are heading east. Several left smaller boot prints, possibly Rabbit does. It's difficult to say, but I think they are no more than two hours ahead of us."

"Any sign that Vaun, Cat, or any of my soldiers were pursuing them?"

"No. I am certain only one group exited the tunnel. There are definitely no feline paw prints."

Convinced there was nothing else to learn, Airy remounted her horse.

"Assuming this group is made up of the Algar, five Ruud Nua, my mother and six siblings, then they only have ten or so guards. We are more than a match for them. I want five of you to stay behind."

Airy singled out those to stay and chose an unfamiliar Rabbit lieutenant from among them.

"You, if General Vaunorthoses, a Cat, a Fox, or a giant Wolf named Bear emerge, give them your horses, and send them after us."

Saluting crisply, the lieutenant swore it would be so.

"The rest come with me, and be ready for action. Ride faster than you ever have before!"

A kick to her steed's flanks sent Airy galloping recklessly ahead of her protectors. Jak doubted his ability to uphold his promise to Vaun, but he gladly risked his own life bounding over the roadless backcountry to overtake Airy and convince her it was best to let Bullfrog ride ahead to ensure they neither obscured nor lost the trail in their haste.

Jak's caution proved prescient as their unfortunate tracker, rather than Airy, became the victim of the ambush awaiting them at the end of two hours of frantic pursuit. Alerted by Bullfrog's yelp, Airy and Jak veered to the sides of the rough trail, and slayed the lurking snipers. The slight delay allowed several trailing knights to rush ahead into a nearby clearing. Without hesitation, Airy charged after them. Jak, Thayir, and Ebusika were close by her side.

A confused melee ensued in the open space with several soldiers killed on both sides until two separate, but equally authoritative voices shouted simultaneously for a halt to the fighting. Airy, viewing her family for the first time in years, desperately called for calm so that no harm befell her mother and siblings. In opposition, Nebunthoses' voice carried with it a deadly threat reinforced by the dagger held by one of his advisors against the throat of Airy's mother.

Andre was similarly pinned at knifepoint by a second of the renegade Ruud Nua. The remaining priests huddled in their vestments close to the Algar safely behind their hostages. Three knights of the Church guard wearing fearful, but determined expressions held crossbows aimed at the remaining five of Airy's siblings. Despite the imminent danger, Airy enjoyed a transient, but poignant moment of joy sparked by confirmation that her family still lived.

For Jak, it was his first glimpse of the royals, and he recognized at once the similarities they all shared with his Rabbit love: long, straight ears, elegantly sculpted faces, and an intense expression of thought and purpose that did not waiver even under their current state of duress. Of their coloration, there was a clear distinction based upon gender that only deviated for the two eldest, Airy and Andre, as if their sex had each been confused at birth.

The dowager queen and her two youngest daughters, Phrylilaenor aged twelve, and the youngest, little Auryllinathe, who was barely five years old, shared the same pure white pelt and similarly colored, artfully braided hair. Each of the females had large, sapphire blue eyes set like gems in their aristocratic faces. In contrast, the youngest sons, Dophrinythes aged seventeen, Greoghorthonos aged fifteen, and Chaeldonthes aged eight all mimicked their father and hence Airy with their golden fur, red hair and sharp, gleaming, ruby eyes. Andre, like his elder sister, Airy, defied his sex by replicating every aspect of his mother with the sole exception of being male and hence taller.

Having had Airy name and describe each during their long journey together, Jak felt a familiarity and kinship as if they were his own family. He coveted their safety with absolute determination, but he could not see how their stalemate could end any way other than with bloodshed on both sides. Behind the enemy and their hostages, lay a quiet village at the base of a rocky escarpment, where no doubt, the priests hoped to acquire horses. Its proximity would give their mutual foe a hope of escape and ample reason to fight.

"Put down your weapons," ordered the Algar. "The consequences of disobedience should be obvious."

Airy dismounted and let the tip of her sword droop to the ground, but she did not discard the weapon or her shield. Following her lead, the queen's company similarly lowered themselves to their hindpaws as Airy approached within four strides of her nemesis.

"The war is over, and you are vanquished, Nebunthoses. There is nowhere left to run. Threatening my family gains you nothing but certain death."

Airy edged closer as she spoke, Thayir growling at her side.

"Do not approach another step, or your mother is the first to die."

The wild-eyed old buck pulled back from behind on Lady Naiwynathe's braids exposing her slender, white neck.

The threat was adequate to halt Airy's stealthy advance.

"Don't be a fool Nebunthoses. You don't have to die here like this. I have captured Suasorsyth, and he has proof that you are innocent of the murder of my father. It is the Ruud Nua who must pay for that crime, not you."

Apprehensive glances were exchanged between the five advisors, but the Algar never shifted his gaze from Airy. Ruthless determination glared back at her.

"Surrender, and I guarantee you justice," offered Airy hoping to sow discord between the priests and Nebunthoses.

"Ha! There is only the Maker's justice, and he has clearly brought us all to this point for a reason that is now as clear to me as a divinely inspired revelation."

The fervent madness in the Algar's expression and speech frightened Airy more than if she were dealing with a rational opponent like Suasorsyth. Zealotry and absolute conviction were dangerous and unstable traits especially for a cornered maniac running out of time. Dusk was approaching, and there would be no détente if she failed to find a solution before darkness fell. Keeping Nebunthoses talking was imperative as she struggled to devise a solution.

"What reason is that?"

"An end to you, Princess. That has been the Maker's plan since your birth, and His just paw has guided all subsequent events. Eophus' death, no matter how it happened or who was responsible, was a necessary part of a grand plan to reaffirm the righteous ways of old. You are an abomination sent among us to tempt the wicked to further sin and to embolden heretics and unbelievers. I suppose I must thank you for that. You have made it so much easier to discern the righteous from the faithless and purify our land of evil for a new golden age. The Scourge of Redemption has been very busy, and will soon complete its work."

"The abomination plaguing this land is you, Nebunthoses. You have corrupted and twisted the Church into a tool of evil. I shall destroy the Scourge now that your armies are routed and the people rally to me. Your reign of terror is over. How can you dare to deny your defeat?"

"All of this is but a test of our faith, my dear, to further separate the true from the false. You think that your demonically inspired weapons have the power to defeat the Maker's chosen? Ha! A weapon will appear to us handed down from heaven by the Maker in due time, and I shall use it to cleanse Rikifur and the entire world for the Rabbit faithful."

"You claim to know the Maker's will, but your delusions are less than nothing. Here is a test of your faith, old man. I am of the House of Chortaghentos, direct descendant of Jacynthopoles and Airiphryone of old. You have exceeded the Maker given authority my ancestors entrusted within your paws. I hereby revoke that privilege and cast you out as Algar. You are no longer the Maker's Messenger. You are only Nebunthoses."

"You can't do that!" shouted the aged priest spraying spittle as he fumed over her perceived impudence.

"I can, and I have. The Crown and the Church are one again in me until I decide otherwise. Your time is over. Don't throw what little honor and dignity remains to you away by continuing to pursue a failed cause. Order your minions to drop their weapons, beg for mercy, and you will find that I am a just ruler."

"Never," he hissed between clutched teeth.

With each passing moment, Nebunthoses' humanity dissolved away, replaced by bestial malevolence. Ebusika and Thayir growled at the primal threat, but made no move against him without leave from Jak or Airy.

"You are not of the divine line of Jacynthopoles," he continued, his once deep, mesmerizing voice degraded to a histrionic wail. "You are the perverted offspring of Olivia."

Nebunthoses smiled evilly, emboldened by the look of surprise expressed by Jak and Airy.

"Don't think that I haven't found references in ancient texts to the evil breeder of Wolves, who once dared profess herself mate to the Maker. You are her get, a changeling substituted for the true heir."

It was a preposterous allegation, but Airy despaired in the face of it nonetheless. Negotiating with a deluded lunatic was dangerous. Fear for her family drove Airy to consider any deal that would spare them.

"What will it take to free my family?"

"Free them? Don't insult me, Princess. Though my body is decrepit, my mind is still hale. They come with me until I am safely away. If you want them to continue living, you must give us horses and safe passage so that I may fulfill the destiny the Maker has in store for me."

Jak whispered in Airy's ear.

"We are past our own lines. If they get horses and continue east, they are likely to encounter remnants of armies friendly to them. Your family will be beyond our reach."

It was evident to Airy that her limited selection of unpalatable options had winnowed to one. Her adversary was beyond reason but not beyond temptation.

"My family stays here," she declared. "That is not negotiable."

"We are at an impasse, then," answered the Algar.

Airy understood and accepted the only course open to her.

"Not entirely. There is a greater prize than what you now hold. Take me instead. You won't find a better deal than that, you deranged old bastard."

No!" cried Jak. "They will kill you for certain. I can't let you..."

Jak stiffened and fell silent. A familiar scent, the irreverent touch of a paw on his posterior, and a sibilant purr in his ear kidnapped his attention.

"Stall for time, Volfie. I just need moment to take care of ugly, old bunyic priest," promised the invisible whisperer before evaporating upon the wind.

"You can't stop me, Jak," replied Airy unaware help had arrived. "My life is mine to give as I..."

"Shhh," Jak urged Airy quietly.

Nebunthoses paid their hushed conversation no mind as he cackled with glee, proclaiming Airy's offer was tantamount to surrender and was the proof of the Maker's will at work.

"Cat is here," added Jak, unheard by any but Airy. "Argue and fight with me to keep the priests distracted."

"Thank the Maker," whispered Airy in return before violently shoving Jak away with her shield.

"You have no authority to stop me, White Paw!" she shouted at him with convincing vitriol having already prepared braced to repel his anticipated opposition to her sacrifice.

With lives depended upon the ability of their staged drama to mesmerize their audience, Jak responded with equal vehemence.

"You are a queen, not a spoiled princess anymore. Your obligation is to your people and not to sentimental desires. Your family is of no value in comparison to you and the kit you carry."

It was a risk revealing Airy's delicate condition to the enemy, but the news had the desired effect of focusing all eyes and ears upon their simulated debate.

"You selfish dog," she countered. "You only want me alive to protect your own kind. You don't give a damn about Rikifur let alone my people."

"I put my people first as a true ruler should. Grow up, little doe, at least enough for the crown to fit your brow. Otherwise, let those with a modicum of experience decide what is wise, and what is not."

"Little doe? Learn your place, you mangy old Wolf. In Rikifur, I am queen!" shouted Airy with feigned hysteria. "My word and my desire are absolute law."

"Are they?" countered Jak with a wicked grin. "There are two dukes here, and your treaty with the AR grants them a say in matters of state. Surely they share my concern for the future of their country."

The referenced nobles shifted nervously unsure how to respond. Cat's extraordinary appearance, as if by magic, from the background behind the Algar spared the dukes the embarrassment of taking sides.

As Cat's fur shifted to its innate pattern of orange and black stripes, she became visible. Her arm and paw lay athwart the chest of the advisor holding Lady Naiwynathe hostage. Grasping his wrist, a backwards jerk of the priest's arm dislocated his shoulder and simultaneously plunged the blade into the windpipe of the neighboring advisor menacing Andre.

Cat's movements too fast to comprehend, soldiers on both sides were transfixed by the nearly instantaneous sequence of events. Without hesitation, Cat hefted the yowling advisor whose arm she had mangled, used his body as a shield, and rushed two of the crossbowman guarding the royals. As she hoped, they discharged their bolts into the helpless Ruud Nua's body before she knocked them down and set upon them with a fury.

The third crossbowman remained a potent danger, but his attention was on the tiger striped blur and not on Bandrosett, who attacked from behind clamping her jaws upon his leg. Howling in pain, he was easily overpowered and wrestled to the ground by Dophrinythes and Greoghorthonos. His crossbow fell at Nebunthoses' hindpaws.

Old and slow, but empowered with a zealot's fury, the Algar hefted the discarded weapon. Airy was already in motion as he did. Screaming her loudest battle cry, she drew his attention away from her mother. No doubt existed in Airy's mind that Nebunthoses would pull the trigger before she reached him, but her charge didn't waiver. The bowstring snapped with an audible crack, and the deadly dart driven by extreme mechanical force easily pierced her shield. It would have passed completely through, but by great fortune, it also sliced through her forearm guard slicing open her pelt. The vambrace impeded its momentum enough to halt its tip a whisker's breadth from her breast.

Oblivious to the pain, Airy never faltered, and she collided with Nebunthoses. Her wrath caused her to underestimate the force of her attack. The ancient buck was sent hurling backwards too stunned to scream or voice his terrified distress as he staggered over the edge of the cliff.

A short-lived battle between the remaining Church guards and Airy's soldiers erupted behind her. Ignoring them, Airy dealt with the remaining three Ruud Nua. Two dropped to their knees begging for mercy, but their leader foolishly raised a sword against her. Olivia's steel proved its worth once again as Airy severed his fragile blade and nearly cut him in half with a single sweep of her arm. Blood bathed the kneeling priests, who cringed in horror before prostrating themselves before her.

Jak, several warriors, and the ferals formed a protective circle about the royal family as the surviving Church soldiers, lacking the resolve for a martyr's death, threw down their arms and surrendered. Knowing she could not ask for a better protector for her beloveds, Airy strode to the edge of the bluff to espy Nebunthoses' fate. Remarkably, his broken body was not scattered across the jagged rocks below. Instead, the priest was caught in the branches of a tree by the voluminous folds of his sacred garments. Fabricated of stout material, the robes had arrested his descent, but the cloth was beginning to tear, and he would soon fall if not rescued. To let even her worst enemy die in such a manner offended Airy's honor even if she was only saving him for a public execution. He had attempted to kill her, and there was no pardon for that crime.

Airy attempted to drop her shield before remembering it was pinioned to her arm. Foiled by the inconvenience, Airy struggled to be rid of the useless sheet of metal and wood until Cat appeared at her side. After a silent exchange, Cat broke the arrowhead, pulled the shaft free, and Airy dropped her shield. Two knights brought rope and held one end as Airy tied a loop in the other and let Cat lower it to within easy reach of the dangling Algar. Nebunthoses had only to extend his paw to be saved, but he stubbornly shook his head, and made no move to grab the lifeline.

"Take it, Nebunthoses. You don't have to die this way."

"You prefer that I die another way no doubt, Princess, but I answer only to the Maker's justice. I am still beyond your reach proving He is not yet done with me. My fall is not an end. It is a new beginning. I fight the holy cause and will be carried away in His mighty embrace to destroy you and your war dogs. I have earned that."

Nebunthoses was clearly unhinged, but Airy lost all pity for his condition. What Nebunthoses preached and lusted after was an evil, twisted fantasy of hate and racial supremacy based upon misinterpretation of the long lost truth of the races' creation. His certainty of conviction failed to compensate for his argument's foundation, which were supported atop the unstable pillars of insanity and self-delusion. His pathetic delusion filled Airy with disgust.

Cat offered to climb down the rope to retrieve him, but Airy forbade her. If the aged simpleton took the line, Airy would save him for the gallows, but she was long past making an extraordinary effort to help him if he didn't, just as she felt no inclination to dispel his erroneous beliefs. She was content to let them die with him.

"All you have earned, old man, is a trip to oblivion. The Maker will not save you when fall, and once I am rid of you and the rest of your loathsome advisors, I shall fashion the future that you fear most. The Wolves and the other races shall be Rikifur's friends under my reign and treated as equals. The Church shall be tolerant of new ideas and beliefs such as the rights of does to be more than servants and vessels to bear kits. I may even allow does to become priests. Who knows? Just be assured, that your era is over, and your legacy will not survive. I will see that you take it to your grave."

"No," he gasped as the rust of uncertainty tarnished his polished resolve. All his efforts to tie the future to the past now seemed doomed to be unraveled by his nemesis. The doubt playing across Nebunthoses' face morphed into pure terror as the fabric of his gowns finally yielded to gravity. His screaming, failing body plunged to bounce among the boulders until it lay still and twisted in a dark crevice.

Airy closed her eyes seizing a brief, quiet moment to let her mind and spirit adjust to the abrupt alteration of circumstance that accompanied Nebunthoses' death. The conflict tearing Rikifur asunder had reached its climax. Her long journey and separation from home and family was at an end. It was a singular moment towards which she had devoted every fiber of her being for so long that she had nearly forgotten the sweet bliss of peace. She savored its serenity until the desire to embrace her kin became too compelling to resist.

Yielding completely to emotions held for too long like hounds at bay, tears warmer and more welcome than a desert rain poured forth from not only Airy, but also her siblings and Lady Naiwynathe. Airy threw her arms open for a fierce hug born of eagerness to banish forever the chasm of their long divorce.

"Oh, Airy, bless the Maker!" exclaimed the queen mother while wiping her paw across her sodden cheek. "We had nearly abandoned all hope that you still lived."

"But, Mother, I entered Rikifur over a year ago and have made no secret of my presence since."

Lady Naiwynathe's expression hardened for an instant as she glared at the two surviving Ruud Nua.

"We had no access to news other than what these Maker damned priests cared to divulge. We were their captives and kept as prisoners. It was not until you rode into this clearing that we learned the truth."

As her mother elaborated on the feast of lies fed to her and her children during their captivity, Airy glared at the defeated clergy who cowered and avoided the murderous hostility in her eyes.

"Most often," her mother continued, "we were told that you were dead, killed by the volcano, and that an imposter had come forth to stir up trouble and usurp the throne. Sometimes they insinuated that you had returned, but that you had been corrupted by the Wolves and were leading them in a war of conquest."

At her own mention of the canids, Lady Naiwynathe glanced toward White Paw and the other warriors. Dressed as Rikifurian soldiers, they were at the least a bizarre curiosity to her. A lifetime raised in fear of her people's most hated enemy betrayed that she also experienced an extreme unease with their presence.

Airy saw in her mother's expression a mirror image of what had been lurking within her own heart when she first met Jak. Memories of Airy's fateful encounter with her lone Wolf and the love that that blossomed from it convinced Airy that the weeds of antipathy could be banished from the soul's garden. Though impolite and ungrateful, Naiwynathe's feelings were both understandable and correctable.

"If by corrupted, they meant that I learned to put aside centuries of pointless hatred and embrace Wolves, Foxes, and even Cats as potential friends and allies, then I am guilty of that charge."

Airy held her mother's paws and looked directly into her eyes with all the compassion and love she possessed.

"Changing beliefs is difficult. I know because I have walked far down that arduous road already. Trust me, and let me be your guide so that your journey will be easier."

Taking her first tentative steps, Airy's mother tried to imagine that the fearsome predators were friends, but it was a difficult and forbidding path to tread especially because the Wolves wore armor and wielded deadly swords and spears.

"I can see that they are very protective of you, but we were told you gave the secret of steel to them, and here they are arrayed with swords and armor that only Rabbits should make."

"More half-truths from inveterate liars and fools who blinded themselves to the real dangers threatening Rikifur. Feneval stole the secret before my return. The Foxes were arming the Wolves, who were already scheming to invade while we were preoccupied with our civil war. They were coming into Rikifur whether we wanted them or not, Mother. I invited them as allies instead of enemies, and shared with them the knowledge of weapons better than steel because unknown to everyone, there is a greater enemy against which we must unite to stay free. Beyond the Earth Spine lurks a nation of Horses that is bent on enslaving us."

"New enemies? Better weapons? Oh, Airy, those horrible explosions during the siege. We were convinced demons did your bidding as the Priests claimed."

"Don't let it distress you, Mother. Now that I am queen of all Rikifur, those weapons will only be used upon our enemies to keep us safe."

Hearing Airy speak so masterfully, Naiwynathe could not contain her smile or the unabashed pride that accompanied it.

"I know you will. You have your father's determination. Nothing can stand in your way once you wear the crown. I am so proud of you and all that you have done."

"Thank you, Mother, for your support. I will need it. There is so much that I still need to do - that needs to be changed and improved."

"More? There have been so many changes already. Can't you put everything back the way it was?"

"Not even I can do that. The world is changing, and we must change with it or be lost. The mirror of the past through which bucks like Nebunthoses wished to view Rikifur has been shattered. We must fashion a new and better way of seeing ourselves. New ways to rule, to worship, and to coexist with other races are necessary if we are to survive. Feneval and the Wolves of the Packlands are our friends. Accept that as absolute."

"Will they go home to their own lands?"

"Some will, many will stay, and others will travel east with Rabbits to discover the true nature of the threat of Storfay."

"Wolves in Rikifur? I...don't see how...savages among us...."

"Savages?!" intruded Cat, tired of listening to what she considered a slow and backwards mind.

"Show respect, Cat," urged Vaun. "This is the Royal family."

"Bah! They are just people, and like all people, they must earn respect, not have it presented to them like birthright."

Knowing it was pointless trying to forbid Cat to speak her mind, Airy gestured to her mate to retire from the looming conflict. Looming over the fearful collection of twitching royal ears huddling together for protection, Cat projected the impression of a tiger about to pounce upon her prey. Ignoring all but Lady Naiwynathe, Cat was aware of the anxiety her presence induced. Andre and Dophrinythes made a brave stand of interposing themselves between the frightful feline and their mother. Several knights, who should have known better, drew their swords and advanced towards the feline until Airy waved them back with a paw.

Cat was intimidating. She was extremely unorthodox. She was often frightening to strangers, but she was also a guide to help Naiwynathe along her path of understanding and tolerance. Airy trusted her family with Cat the same as she trusted them with Jak or Vaun. Royal pride was the only thing being threatened.

"The only savages I see here are bunyics who kill their own vith sick glee just to earn right to be boss of others. Bunyics who think they are better than everyvun else and treat other people like animals to be feared and destroyed."

Cat's angry demeanor softened. Gently, but with irresistible strength, she pushed the two eldest sons aside and squatted down in front of the queen mother so that their eyes were level.

"Such savagery is not inborn trait. Just as it is taught, it can be unlearned. I know because I vas like you vunce. I hunted Volves for vengeance to repay vhat they did to me." Cat turned briefly and pointed to the scars on her back. "I hated all Volves, and then I met bunyic princess, who had defied all reason by befriending Vhite Paw. If proud princess could find comrade in race of enemies and discover kindness and hope instead of vengeance and despair, then vhy not me?"

Cat gently poked one claw in the center of Naiwynathe's chest.

"Vhy not you?"

A hush enhanced by the gradual transition of twilight enveloped the company. Birdsong slowly waned with the loss of the sun, and the nightly mating chorus of insects and frogs had yet to begin. Every Rabbit stood dumbfounded and open-mouthed from the feline's sincere admission. Lady Naiwynathe held Cat's green eyes, mesmerized by the predator's surprising enlightenment, but it was Airy who provided the key to make Cat's argument truly compelling.

"I would not be with you today, Mother, if it wasn't for Cat. She has saved my life more than once."

"Is this true?" Naiwynathe asked Cat.

"Yes," Cat answered, "but little qveen returned the..."

Whatever Cat wished to say remained unfinished, lost in surprise when the regal lady's slender arms were joyfully thrown around Cat's neck. Happy sobbing accompanied the burying of the queen mother's snout in the ruff of orange and black fur.

"Thank you, friend Cat. It is less than you deserve, I am sure, but you have my eternal gratitude for bringing my daughter home to me."

The look of astonishment and revulsion on Cat's face made Airy grin and chuckle. Airy's mild amusement transformed into laughter when her siblings followed her mother's lead by smothering the feline in a cocoon of affection from which even Cat was helpless to escape. Bearing the surrounding crowd's mirth at her expense with equanimity, Cat let them express their gratitude briefly before gently extracting herself from the tangle of bodies and arms. Standing to her full height, Cat was charmed by Little Auryllinathe clinging from her sinewy neck.

"Thank you, friend Cat," the tiny doe repeated several times until Cat clutched her by the scruff of her neck, brought her forward against her chest, and cradled her in her strong arms.

"You're velcome, tiny bunyic. You're all velcome," she said to rest of the family, "but don't do that again. Ever. I am as dangerous as I look, and besides, credit for saving qveen is not for me alone. Cuddle and snuggle vith chief of Volves, that brute named Bear, General Vaun, or even that scarred little kit vith the bunyic maid. Vun of them might even like it."

"She's right, mother. There are many who helped me, many who died for me, but several of the most special are here."

Airy motioned for Jak to come forward.

"This is White Paw. He was the first to save my life. He guided me home and led his people in battle to restore my throne."

"Jak bowed before Lady Naiwynathe, who could not help but shudder slightly being so close to a Wolf for the first time.

Bending down on one knee to put her at ease, Jak held his paw out to her as a gesture of friendship. She accepted, accompanying it with a formal curtsy.

"Your daughter gives me too much credit," said Jak. "When we met, I was an outcast. That is a death sentence for my kind. Did you know that?"

"No. I did not."

"Without a pack, our spirits wither. A lone Wolf is either dying or insane. Your daughter accepted me into her pack, providing me purpose and the promise of a new life. Without her, I never would have become chief of all chiefs. I would not now have the chance to return and save my family."

"Your family?" asked the queen mother with genuine concern. "Where are they?"

"East of the Earth Spine. An empire of Horses called Storfay threatens to engulf them. It is possible that has happened already."

"My heart aches for your sorrow, White Paw. I never knew Wolves had such strong family ties, but I can see in your eyes and hear in your voice that it is so."

The great lady wrung her paws while fidgeting nervously before the fearful canine. Jak understood why she vacillated, and knew it was not fear but a more noble emotion that dwelled in her heart.

"It is ok," said Jak with a wink. "Unlike Cat, I enjoy hugs."

A third family embrace, this time with Jak at the center, accompanied the fading light of dusk. Stars began to appear amid the blackness. Tiny Auryllinathe, longing to join, stretched out her arms toward the Wolf. Cat placed her on Jak's shoulders from where she squeezed his head with her small arms and clutched painfully at his whiskers.

"It is getting dark, and we have many miles to go," announced Airy as she unencumbered Jak from all of her family except her youngest sister, who clung tenaciously to his snout. "I have one more introduction before we leave. All others can wait until we are back at the palace."

It was Vaun's turn.

"Mother, here is a familiar face..."

"Your Majesty," said Naiwynathe as she curtsied before the king.

Vaun bowed solemnly in return.

"I see that the priests did not keep our marriage a secret from you."

"How could they? It was the preeminent subject of gossip in the kingdom. Even the lowest scullery maid knew and couldn't be silenced by the most outrageous threats of the priests. Vaun, now that you are king, you must help White Paw save his family. I insist that you spare no effort."

The queen mother's automatic deference to him as king made Vaun chuckle briefly.

"You forget that Airy was queen before I was her husband. Though I bear the title of king, I am but a titular monarch. Her word is supreme law, not mine. However, I can assure you that we are in agreement to do everything within our power to keep White Paw's family and all of his people free."

"All of Rikifur will be at White Paw's side," added Airy, "and we will win because we are mightier than ever. Rikifur is not just Rabbits with steel. We have cannon, balloons, and many new ideas, but most importantly, we have friends who also yearn to remain free. What we will call this new order and how it will be managed, I don't yet know, but the fellowship we have here, right now, is a fair representation of how it will look."

Darkness, lessened by a clear sky, stars, and a partial moon, made for a slow ride back to Chortaghentos, but the land was not yet tamed of war. Prudence dictated they not tarry outside overnight.

Deliberately dropping back behind the main group of riders, Airy and Jak found a moment to ride side by side. Silent, neither was able to summon the appropriate words to assuage the agony brought on by the end of their quest and their time together. Every objective of their pact had been achieved, but the love they discovered along the way was now an unfulfillable frustration. Words capable of expressing the aching of their hearts brought together only to be separated by circumstance were as elusive as a fading dream. Tears spilling from the corners of Airy's eyes twinkled in the moonlight, and a similar liquid glimmer was reflected in Jak's.

Unable to bear the anguish, Airy reached out touching his paw with hers and whispered.

"You were right, Jak. Even with a husband, even with my family, I do still have room in my heart for an old Wolf like you. I'll love you forever, Jak," she added with a sob before kicking the flanks of her horse to urge it forward to rejoin her family.

"I love you, too," he answered to her fleeing back, but whether she heard him was irrelevant. The truth was undeniable and eternal.

Jak's stomach contorted with the sense of poignant finality. Riding apart from the rest of the company exacerbated his loss and loneliness, a painful return to the days between his exile and Airy's unexpected appearance in his life. Despite ruling from the zenith of all the packs in the West, unpleasant memories of being a lone Wolf intruded to oppress his soul.

Searching desperately through the gloom for company, Jak was on the verge of turning his own horse towards the nearest clump of warriors when he was forced instead to steady the startled creature. Uninvited and unexpected, a second rider joined Jak on the stallion's back. The long, striped arm across his chest was a redundant clue betraying the owner of the familiar, husky voice purring in his ear.

"Bunyic is almost home. Are you letting her go?"

"Yes."

"So, that Human bitch, Olivia, vins?"

"It seems so," answered Jak resignedly.

Laden with remorse, his words were an occluding veil of mourning through which Cat desired to pass. Studying his face, she espied the remnant of moisture sparkling like dew at the corner of his eye. Capturing the drop with one fore claw, she put it to her lips as if tasting his sorrow.

"I am sorry," she said. "Truly. You know I'm not lying."

"I do, and I won't dishonor you by tasting your air."

"You alvays treat me better than I deserve, and I am grateful for that. Do you believe that I care for you?"

"Yes. You would not bother to console me if you didn't. If nothing else, you are generous with the truth."

"Clever dog aren't you?"

Glad for her company, but bereft of any desire to exchange artful ripostes, Jak let the mildly insulting epithet pass unanswered. Conversation was unnecessary. Riding together was enough for both. Cat, though, had one final question.

"Vhat vill you do now, puppy?"

Jak paused. For months, that same notion had been scratching around in the back of his mind like a nervous dormouse at the onset of spring afraid to leave its winter burrow. Though peril waited in the sunny thaw outside, nothing was left in his lonely den to sustain him. The moment to crawl forth and bathe in a new light had come.

"Airy is home again. Now it's my turn."

[End of Novel]