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CHAPTER 19

Sam's Mistake, Allon's Regret

Rishi arrived at the High Court uncharacteristically early, his mind so preoccupied that his body brimmed with excess energy and he walked a good deal faster than normal. He waited by the door in the usual fashion, though before doing so he once again asked several natives, and even a few guards, if they'd seen his wife and kids. Their responses ranged from telling Rishi not to worry, expect that they're fine, sympathetic noes, to a cold, emotionless no from the bunny at the end of the line. Gregorious looked back at Rishi with anger and resentment for his conduct the previous afternoon, his lip swollen for all to see. The mere sight of Greg sent waves of rage through the mouse's body and his scent would forever be a trigger of abhorrence for the lagomorph, but Rishi had too much to worry about to let what happened between him and his wife take precedence.

Priesto was ahead of Gregorious who, after he makes his tribute, will be followed after by Rishi. The rat appeared from inside the halls of the grand building and began to pass up the mouse when he stopped in his tracks, taking a deep breath. Gregorious began to enter the building when he stopped and looked back between Rishi and Priesto with apprehension in his eyes. Priesto finally turned around to face his fellow rodent.

"Rishi, I-" he began.

"Priesto!" Gregorious interrupted, glaring back at the rat as if trying to will him from speaking.

Priesto turned to the rabbit. "Greg, he deserves to know. It's his wife."

Gregorious shifted his stance, continuing to stare as if commanding the rat with his eyes not to speak.

"Hey, Greg," Tony interjected. "You have your own business to attend to, so get on with it."

Gregorious turned towards the cougar guard and then back at the rodent pair, Rishi looking on with confusion and vexation. Finally, with a huff, the rabbit brazenly threw open the doors and stomped inside. Rishi and Priesto once again exchanged glances.

"What's going on?" Rishi asked the rat.

"I wasn't supposed to say anything, but Greg told me where Sam and the kids are."

"Well, where are they?"

"Sam went to stay with her old nanny last night. She took the children with her."

Rishi felt a wave of relief wash over him. "So, are they still over there?"

Priesto shrugged. "I wish I could tell you. I asked the same question, but Greg refused to tell me. I think he knew I might break my word and talk with you about it and... well, I guess he was right. But Sam is your wife and those are your kids and you have a right to know."

Rishi looked a bit sullen at the rat. "Well, I'm sorry you had to betray your friend, but I am glad you told me and... I am very relieved to know they're alright." Priesto nodded. "So, is she OK? Do you know if she's coming back, or what is she gonna do?"

"I don't know. Greg didn't say much. But he did say something and it's kinda the reason I didn't want to keep this a secret. When I asked if she had any plans of staying with you, he said the most cryptic thing and it kinda worried me. He said, 'I hope Rishi enjoys his time with the lord, because he will never see Samantha or the kids again.'"

Rishi felt his heart skip a beat, his expression returning to one of concern and befuddlement. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know. I... I-"

Just then, the doors swung open and Gregorious emerged, still peeved at the rat for betraying his trust. He walked by quickly, eager to get away from the pair. "Some friend you are," he said bitterly as he passed by.

Priesto turned to the rabbit's direction. "Oh, you're one to talk after what you did to poor Rishi."

"Poor Rishi? Did you see what he did to my face?"

"What, you really blame him for that? I would've done the same thing. So would most people."

"Look, I may not be innocent in all this, but that mouse hasn't exactly been the best husb-"

Hey!" Gregorious stopped mid-sentence and everyone turned towards the shouting voice of the lion standing guard next to the doors. "Whatever problems you guys have, take 'em somewhere else. Rat, rabbit, you two are done here, so go home. Mouse, it's your turn. You can all deal with this matter later."

Gregorious didn't say another word as he turned tail and walked briskly down the road, turning left and taking the long way home. Priesto turned to look back at Rishi, giving him a reassuring smile as he backed away. "Well, I'll see you later. If you want, I can stopped by that old nanny's place; see if Sam's still there."

Rishi paused a moment and turned to the guards. "Could you guys give me just one minute?"

Matt looked back impatiently. "Rishi, we're not a transportation service. We're not here at your beck and call. You're here to give your-"

"Matt, matt, come on," Tony said trying to dissuade his feline comrade. "Just give 'em a minute. We're not going anywhere."

Matt stared back at the cougar for a moment before shrugging and rolling his eyes. "Fine," he said with a blase attitude. Tony turned back to the rodentia pair and smiled as he nodded at them. Rishi smiled back and took Priesto and led him several steps away from the feline guards. Once he figured they were far enough away, he spoke to the rat in a low, soft voice.

"Look, if you speak to anyone, even Gregorious, who knows where Sam is, please just try get a message back to her: I'm done."

"Done?" Priesto asked with a quizzical look on his face.

"With this," Rishi responded with a slight head nod in the direction of the High Court. "I'm ending it. Today will be my last tribute. By next week, I'll be taking Sam and the kids, we'll get a lift on a transport up north, and then we're gone."

Priesto looked genuinely excited for the mouse. "Really, you're actually going to leave?"

"Yes. I don't have enough to make it the whole way to the city, but we can make it about halfway and we should be able to walk the rest."

"Rishi, it's still pretty dangerous out in the wild. Are you sure you wanna risk it with your family?"

"Honestly, no I don't, but Sam could leave me if I don't make this trip and... she's my wife. I don't wanna lose her and if this is what I have to do to keep her, I'll do it. I wish she would wait until the end of the season after we've made all our trades. I'd have a bit more coin to spare and we could probably make it a bit further, but if she doesn't want to wait, then I won't make her."

Priesto sighed. "Alright. If I find out anything, I'll let know, but in the meantime I'll try and spread the word."

Rishi smiled. "Thanks, buddy." Priesto smiled back and the pair embraced. "Alright. I gotta go. His lordship's waitin' for me."

"Are you gonna tell him?"

"That I'm finished? Yeah. I have to."

"You gonna be alright?"

"Well, he said I could leave and he's been keeping to his word thus far, but I've believed him in the past as well and... then he gave me this," he said pointing to his scars. "I'll be OK, though. I just need to square things with Sam."

The two exchanged friendly glances before Priesto turned to leave. "Alright. I'll see you later. Don't take too long."

Rishi gave the rat a nod and watched as he made his way home. The mouse turned and walked back towards the High Court, bowing respectfully as Tony opened the door for him, smiling at him as he passed. He shut the door and Rishi made his way to Allon, bypassing the old tradition and walking straight up to the lord himself. As soon as he was in the building, the cougar was on his feet, tail wagging behind him with excitement and, as it seemed, a little bit of nervousness. The mouse saw it and tried to interpret it as his own preoccupation as he stopped just a couple feet from the puma.

He bowed respectfully to the lord. "Allon," he said with little emotion.

Allon smiled down at the mouse, bringing up a paw and gently petting his head, his padded palm running down over Rishi's ear and along the side of his face. "Hello, Rishi. How are you today?"

"I'm fine, sire," he lied. "Shall we get started?"

The cougar's smile faded slightly at the mouse's transparency towards his discomfort with his tribute. "Sure," he said, his own happiness absent from his response.

Rishi stepped forward and Allon placed a paw on his back as they walked side by side to Allon's bedchamber, unknown to anyone in the court that it would be the last time he did so. The royal guards watched with broken interest as the pair went off to begin their typical, amorous engagement, unexpectant of anything divergent to their normal romping activities. Rishi walked with a certain level of unease next to the giant feline. Having spent the last ten months working to assuage his fear and dislike towards his lordship, he harbored renewed feelings of resentment and antipathy for Allon and his men. Fully realizing the damage his tributes were causing his wife and his family, he perceived, finally, the monster that his wife had seen all along.

Once in the bedroom, Rishi stood next to the bed, his back facing the door as Allon removed his royal sash and began to remove his arm bands. As he did, he turned to look over at Rishi, concern in his eyes. "Rishi, are you alright? You seem distracted."

Rishi didn't say anything for a moment, his palms beginning to sweat as he started to shake nervously. His tail was as still as stone and his ears twitched wildly. It was fairly obvious something was bothering the small rodent and it would be pointless for Rishi to try to deny it. He gulped as he turned around and looked back at the lord, standing several feet away and awaiting an answer.

"Sire... I... I can't do this anymore," he said sheepishly.

"What do you mean?"

Rishi paused for a second before continuing. "Yesterday, I caught my wife cheating on me. And then last night, she took the kids and left and spent the night at an old friend's house. I haven't seen her all day. This whole arrangement is killing our relationship and if I don't do something about it, she's going to leave me. I can't let that happen, so that means I have only one choice. I have to end this. I can no longer continue with these offerings. So this will be my last one. As of next week, I will have everything I can carry packed up and I will leave the Plains." Allon looked back down in shock and grief at the news. Rishi detected a bit of anger in the lord's expression and felt his nerves shooting up. "I'm sorry, Allon, but I've done all this for the sake of my family and if ending it is what I have to do now to keep them, then that's what I'm going to do."

Rishi began to say something else, but stopped as the expression on the cougar's face was just making him more nervous. He'd said enough as it was, and if the lord was getting angry he didn't want to exacerbate it. He waited for the feline's response, the two exchanging glances for a while before the puma finally took a deep breath and glanced around the room a bit.

"So that's it then. You're finally leaving. You've been wanting to do that for sometime now. Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because, I..." Rishi's stomach was a nesting ground of butterflies; he couldn't get a statement out.

"Were you hoping to skip this week too, or..." Allon came to a realization, "were you worried about what I might say?"

Rishi looked away, unable to make eye contact with the cougar. Allon sighed and stepped forward towards the mouse, his towering frame overshadowing the mouse's. Rishi held his arms at his side, visibly trembling as memories from a year ago came back to haunt him. Allon reached up with a paw, causing Rishi to bend his ears back against his head nervously. The cat placed his paw down on the mouse's shoulder gently, eliciting a wince from Rishi, but keeping the touch soft and warm. Rishi relaxed a bit, keeping his ears flat against his head and his eyes away from the lord's in a gesture of submission. Allon looked down on the pitiable creature with sympathy and sadness, his fingers gently caressing the mouse's shoulder.

"Rishi... ... ... do you hate me?"

It was a question the mouse had an answer for, but felt was too dangerous to answer, both for himself and what it might mean to the cougar. He kept his eyes averted and his body in a submissive display, still shaking at the lord's presence. "I'm afraid to answer that, sire."

Allon looked down with devastation at the mouse, though no surprise was to be had. He removed his paw and took a step back, giving the mouse some room to breathe and feel a bit more comfortable. Allon looked away as an expression of sadness and regret came over him. "Because of me. Because of what I've done to you. Because of..." he held up a paw and reached out to the scars on Rishi's face, "that. You probably see me as a monster, a patch of dry wood that could burst into a fiery rage at any slight provocation. I've done some regretful things in the past, and now their coming back to bite me on the ass."

The cougar's words were working to calm Rishi's nerves a bit, the lord seeming to have finally learned the effect his actions have taken on the poor mouse. It didn't make up for anything, but it was enough for the rodent to finally raise his ears back into an upright position and calm his stomach so he didn't feel like he was about to vomit.

Allon continued and as he did, speaking in a somber manner. "I knew this day would come. I always knew you weren't staying here out of a fondness for me or my company. You stayed for the same reason you always stayed: no other way out. Just know, Rishi, that I'm not mad. I don't resent you for leaving. I told you you could leave whenever you were ready, and I stand by that decision. I figured I'd be more upset when you finally did leave, but now... seeing you here, standing there like that... I just..." The cougar obviously had something to say, but once again he couldn't get it out. This was the second time the feline hesitated in speaking his mind and it was a character flaw that was out of place with the lord's personality. He seemed nervous, mindful, afraid of what Rishi might think of what he had to say and the mouse saw in him in that moment a visage of a good man that might have been had it not been for his conduct over the last two years.

"I don't want you to..." he continued, or at least tried to. Rishi listened and waited, hoping the night would end prematurely, giving him the chance to find his wife and reconcile their relationship. "I'm not... I want you to know..." Allon's ears went back, his nervousness showing in blatant transparency now, much to Rishi's surprise. The mouse began to wonder if this was really Lord Allon. "Shit! What am I supposed to say?" Allon looked away, unable to meet Rishi's eyes now. Rishi had no idea how to handle the situation and stood dumbfounded and patient.

Just then, the door burst open and Amarro stepped in, breathing heavy with panic in his voice. "My lord, we have a problem."

Allon's ear shot up and his face went from somber to annoyed real fast as he turned to face the lion. "Not a good time, Amarro!"

"I'm sorry, sire, but it's urgent." Allon rolled his eyes, but the lion didn't wait for a response. "Tony just informed us that one of the patrolmen spotted a family of mice on one of the carts heading for the city. He said she was a gray-furred mouse and she had four kids with her."

"Sam!" Rishi's entire body tensed up and he was aroused to an extremely high state of anxiety. "Sam!" There was a panic in his voice that was unmatched to anything either of the felines had heard. The mouse ran passed Allon and charged Amarro, grabbing him by his doublet, his face contorted into an expression of grief and distress. "Was it my Sam?!" he asked, uncaring that he was accosting a royal guard at the moment.

Amarro, as well, didn't seem to care and held Rishi in an attempt to comfort and reassure him. "I'm not certain. No one who knows her spotted it happening. I've already sent a group of patrol officers to search the Plains and try to find her."

"When was this?" asked Allon.

"Apparently, it happened sometime early this afternoon," replied Amarro.

"And we're just hearing about it now?" Allon seemed incensed at the late hour in which the news had reached them.

"I guess no one else thought it necessary to report. Someone mentioned it to Tony and he was the one who recognized the urgency of the news. I'm sorry, my lord. I wish we knew sooner."

Allon sighed, still miffed by the late news, but he soon shifted his focus to the mouse now grasping at the lion for dear life. His breathing had intensified, his whole body an exhibition of tension and emotional pain. "Rishi, if your family was on that cart, then she must have paid for transportation."

"Maybe. We keep our coin in a cup- Oh my God! She must've gone back home and taken the money while I was out of the house." Rishi stood bewildered by his wife's spontaneous and vindictive actions, still holding onto the royal guard's raiments in stunned disbelief.

"Did you have enough to make the trip?"

"For all of us, no, but without me... she might've had enough to make it all the way to the city."

Rishi looked back at Allon, his eyes wide, mortified by the sudden turn of events. Allon began to step forward, prepared to say something, when Rishi let go of Amarro's clothes and shoved past him, once again ignoring his conduct towards the Royal Court member in his moment of stress as he ran for the door.

"Dammit! Kish, stop him!" Allon called out to the tiger, who immediately intercepted the mouse. He grabbed him and lifted him off the ground, leaving the rodent to struggle and kick in an attempt to relieve himself of Kish's grasp.

"Let me go! That's my wife and kids! I have to go to them!" As Rishi cried, his voice was stricken with panic, dread, sadness, and despair. It began to crack as he cried out to rush out and race to find his wife. His eyes began to water up with tears as the scene played out and he continued to struggle in Kish's arms, though the much larger feline would not relent, nor did he seem bothered by the mouse's movement.

"Rishi, calm down," called Allon as he came down the steps. "This won't do you any good."

"No, let go! She left without me! I have to get her back! I've gone through too much to give her up!"

"Rishi, enough!" Allon yelled, a deafening roar bouncing off the walls as each member of the Royal Court splayed their ears back. Rishi finally calmed himself, looking back at the cougar desperately with the first of his tears having fallen from his ducts, a torrential flood barely held back. "By now, she's already too far gone for you to go chasing after her like this. You go out there, you're likely to get hurt, or worse."

Rishi looked back into the feline's eyes, a stern expression following his concerned statement. He said nothing, but let the tears flow, a stream of salty sorrow drenching his cheeks as his body slowly went limp in Kish's arms.

Allon let out a loud sigh. "Jarai, Dubois, I want you two to stay here with Rishi. Keep him here and keep him calm." Rishi looked back at Allon with concern. "Kish, Amarro, gather a small troop and ready the horses. We're going out after them."

Kish stared back with his own look of concern. "My lord, are you sure that's wise? It won't be long before the sun starts setting and it will take some time to reach them, considering the head start they have on us."

"I'm aware of that. Just get ready. We leave at once."

Kish placed Rishi down as Dubois came by and placed a paw on either shoulder. The mouse's legs were shaking and his eyes still ran with tears. Kish and Amarro went to gather troops for their journey as Allon went back to his bedroom. As he walked away, Rishi cried out in desperation, "Allon, wait!" The cougar stopped and turned back towards Rishi. "Please don't hurt my wife. She wronged me, not you. You don't need to go after her."

"Rishi, I have no intention of harming your wife. Quite the opposite. The roads can be troublesome, even for a convoy of Army soldiers. I'm going to make sure your wife and kids are safe. Understand?"

Rishi, barely relieved, gave a weak nod and a quiet response. "OK."

"And when I do find them, since she ran out on you, I leave it up to you what happens next. Would you like us to escort her and your children back, or would you prefer... I let them go?"

Rishi opened his muzzle to speak, but couldn't think of anything to say. Sam was obviously desperate enough to steal from him and take the kids and run away without his knowledge. So obviously there was no pretense of regret on her part and forcing her to return made him feel as if he were doing the same thing as Allon. However, it was his pain, his suffering, that allowed them to save up the coin, and it was his wife and his kids that had left. He couldn't leave them like this, not without further discussion. He stuttered a bit before finally shutting his muzzle as his face slowly began to lower in defeat.

Allon saw the despondency in the mouse and seemed to make the decision for him. "Dubois, watch after him. Try to keep him calm until we get back."

"Yes my lord," the cheetah replied as he led Rishi away towards his bedroom. Rishi finally lowered his head and began sobbing, tears dripping down off his face and landing with a splat on the cold, stone floor. Allon turned and made his way to his chamber to get ready for travel, and possibly danger.

Kish and Amarro were waiting outside, having donned their armor and retrieved their swords. They had managed to quickly gather a troop of ten soldiers to accompany them on their trip up north as the day died down. After waiting a short while, Lord Allon appeared from the entrance and quickly made his way towards his loyal subjects. He donned a leather jerkin and took with him a pair of twin swords, indicating that he himself may be expecting a fight.

He stopped and addressed his guards. "Are we ready?"

"Yes," replied Kish. "The horses are saddled and the soldiers are waiting."

"Very good." Allon turned and made his way around the side of the building where each of the ten soldiers were waiting, mounted on their steeds and decked in armor.

"Roland, if I may," Amarro began. "If your intent is to ensure the safety of Sam and their children, a troop of soldiers is enough. We don't have to go along."

"Yeah, and you certainly don't have to go," Kish added. "If you'd like, you can send one of us in your stead."

"You're wrong," Allon replied. "I do have to go. This is my responsibility."

"Roland, this was her decision," Kish continued. "I understand you want to make sure Rishi's family is unharmed, but you are the high lord. Nothing's likely to happen, but if something does happen, it's our job to make sure you stay out of harms way."

Allon stopped then and Kish and Amarro stopped as well, confused looks as the cavalcade of soldiers were in sight and only a short distance away. After a brief pause, Allon turned around and looked at two of his most trusted friends. "You don't understand, this wasn't just her decision, I caused this." Kish and Amarro were about to intercede, but Allon stopped them. "Don't! Don't bother. You were right before, I was being selfish and that's what caused this. Rishi told me just now that he was leaving and I saw it in his eyes: the fear, the pain, the emptiness, everything I put in him. It drove him and his wife apart. That's on me. Now you're right, it's not likely that something will happen. But if it does and something happens to Sam or those kids... then Rishi will never forget about it... ... ... and I will never be able to forgive myself. I have to go. I have to take responsibility for this. I have to be the one to insure that my actions don't devastate Rishi or his family anymore than they already have."

Kish looked back with disbelief as Amarro showed a slightly impressed smile. Allon, however, retained a look of worry and tenacity and turned back around and continued to walk briskly towards the group of soldiers. The lion and tiger gave each other a look and shrugged, following after their leader and friend. Allon found his horse at the head of the troop right next to Kish's and Amarro's. As Allon approached him, he heard a familiar voice from the troop.

"My lord, is Rishi alright?" asked Tony, fully armored and leading the other soldiers.

Allon was a bit surprised to find one of his guards in the company of these other soldiers, but not surprised to find the fellow cougar. The lord had one paw on the saddle, contemplating what he should tell his fellow puma, until he relented to honesty. He looked back up at him with disconcerted eyes.

"The only way we can assure that he will be is if we find his wife and kids and make sure they stay safe."

Tony gave a nod of respect. "Yes, my lord."

With that, Allon mounted his stallion as Kish and Amarro mounted their own, but the cougar lord paused as he looked back at Tony. "I'm guessing you volunteered for this."

Tony gave a nervous nod. "Yes, my lord."

Allon slowly grinned happily at his response. "Thank you, Tony."

Tony was taken aback, but smiled in return. "You're welcome."

At that, Allon turned his horse towards the north and began galloping along the road, Amarro and Kish riding close behind with ten Identine soldiers following suit. Once they reached the northern exit, they immediately started off into a dash, kicking their horses' sides and yelling "Hyah!" and in a moment each of their noble steeds were galloping like the wind. Long flowing manes and bushy tails undulated as they rode on northward towards the city, uncertainty the only certainty in their future.

******

One of the wheels dipped into a deep crevice in the road and that roused Samantha from her sleep. She awoke with a start, the sun shining on them from the west as it descended very slowly onto the water. She rode in the back of a covered wagon, though cart might be a better term for it. There were no seats so she and her children wound up sitting or lying on the floor where strands of hay were strewn about, along with food stains and, from the faint hint of ammonia, it seemed someone couldn't hold their liquids in too well. Their carriage was the last in a line of three separate wagons, all of which were pulled by two horses and driven by two felines, an armed caravan traversing the wilds.

Fortunately, Samantha and her children were the only living creatures in the back of the wagon as it strolled down slowly along the road, save for anything that might have snuck in with the food stuffs stored in the back as well. Samantha decided to leave everything behind, save for the money, some clothes, and some food along the way. Even now, having slept almost the entire trip now, she still felt nauseated having stolen all the coin from Rishi, but she felt she had no choice. Her husband continued to claim that they had to wait, over and over again never changing his tune. Samantha was getting fed up with hearing it and wanted to leave as soon as possible, but she didn't want to leave without him and she certainly didn't want to leave without the kids. Unfortunately, after discovering her infidelity, there was no way their relationship would ever be the same after that and she didn't want to expose her kids to the toxicity of the environment anymore. She remained awake throughout the entire night ruminating on what to do and ultimately, possibly against her better judgment, she chose to leave.

She knew Rishi wouldn't take it well, but if he wouldn't leave with her, then so be it. As she became alert from her slumber, she peered out over the edge at the sea, the road to Gellikor following closely along the shore. Up ahead of their cart was another covered wagon with two more smaller families nestled inside, husband and wife, possibly with kids. She couldn't shake the feeling that she might have made a mistake, but the die had been cast and she couldn't go back now. Ahead of the middle cart was another cart, uncovered but stocked with supplies and merchant wares. Coming up along the road lay a large hill with two small peaks. The road passed between those peaks and there was a checkpoint for the caravan atop those two peaks. It would take several hours to reach it, but that was their next destination and by the time they reached it, nightfall will have come. Caravans do not normally travel at night on these roads, given the danger inherent, but the checkpoint housed a small order of soldiers and knights and was a safe haven for army soldiers or travelers who have the coin to spare.

Samantha looked forward to arriving at the checkpoint, if for nothing else than to rest on something more comfortable than the wooden base of the cart. She looked down and saw Dex sleeping soundly, the babe innocent of the problems she and her husband faced. She saw the twins nestled comfortably in their basket, surprised she'd not been wakened by them yet. Perhaps she truly was that tired, or maybe Dex and Tessa were on the ball to take care of them, or maybe they just weren't particularly fussy at the moment. As she continued to scan the cart, her heart began to beat faster. She looked around the supplies, but there were no places to hide. Her nerves continued to climb as she look all around, even outside the cart, but couldn't find what she was looking for and she began to panic.

"Oh my God!" She leaned forward and shook Dex awake. "Dex, honey." Dex roused from his sleep and look up at his mother. "Dex, where is Tessa?"

Dex wiped the sleep from his eyes as he moaned with fatigue. "Mmm, I don't know, mommy."

"Did you see her get out of the cart at any point."

"Umm... ... ... yeah, she did, when we stopped so we could tinkle."

"What? They stopped the carts? When?"

Dex was starting to look a little worried. "I don't know. I'm sorry mom. I didn't know you had to go."

To a point of fact, Samantha realized that it had been some time since she relieved herself and the nerve-wracking circumstances only served to make that point more clear. However, it had to be a far cry from her prime directive at the moment, so she just pushed it aside as best she could. "Dex, did you and your sister get off the cart when we stopped?"

"Yes."

"Did you see her get back on?"

"Um..."

"Dex, did you?"

Dex slowly descended into depression and guilt as his face scrunched up as he began to cry. "I'm sorry mommy."

Samantha wanted to console her second born, but that would have to wait until she knew her first born was safe. "Oh God! No, no, no, no!" She scurried over towards the driver of the carriage, climbing over the small stockpile without concern for the softer produce underneath. The main carriage was blocked off from the passengers by a wooden headboard and so Samantha knocked as hard as she could to get the attention of the driver and soldier passenger. "Hello!"

"What's wrong?" came a young male voice from the other side.

"You have to turn around. My daughter got left behind."

"What, where?"

"Back at the rest stop."

"Lady, that was an hour ago."

"An hour ago? And you couldn't bother to wake me or keep an eye on my children to keep them from wondering off?"

"Lady, we did try to wake you. We yelled at you and shook you, but you were dead to the world."

"And no one bothered to keep an eye on them?"

"There were two other families and six soldiers. We figured someone would watch them."

"Well you figured wrong. Now turn around, we have to go back and get her."

There was a pause before the man on the other side responded. "Can't do it."

"What do you mean? She's a little girl."

"I realize that, but we're already behind schedule, it'll be dark before we reach the checkpoint, and adding another two hours to our trip will only endanger us. These roads aren't safe during the day, but at night they can be even worse."

"But that's my daughter. You can't just abandon her."

"I'm sorry, but we have two other families and a stockpile of goods that have to reach Gellikor. Besides, don't you have other kids to worry about? Would you put their lives at risk too?" The question was harsh, but honest and she knew he was right. There was no way she could put her children at anymore risk than she had. "I'm sorry, but we can't go back."

Samantha turned and looked back, watching as they inched their way further and further from her lost daughter. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep at night if she just abandoned her girl and with no help from the soldiers, she would have to go it alone. She turned around and banged on the headboard again. "Alright, if you won't turn back, then I'll go back by myself."

"I wouldn't recommend that lady. It's gonna be dark before long and there's no way you'll be able to catch up to us. You'll have to walk with your daughter all the way to the checkpoint, assuming you make it there."

"Well I won't abandon my baby."

"But you'll abandon your other children?"

Sam looked back at Dex and the twins, her eldest son crying as he listened to his mother yelling. He was lost and she knew it, taking from his home and forced to leave without his father and without an explanation. "Will you take them with you to the checkpoint and keep them there until I get back?"

There was a pause. "Yeah, I don't see why not. But what if you don't make it back?"

"I don't know. What do you do with orphaned children?"

"What else? Send 'em to an orphanage."

Samantha had to think on it for a while, the image of her children growing up in an orphanage without parents was nauseating, but as long as they were alive she could handle it. However, she could not leave Tessa behind without trying. This was her idea and if she left her out there on her own, she may as well just turn around and bring them back to Darreen and hand herself over to the Ferochen canines.

"Alright. If I don't make it back by daybreak, please take them to Gellikor without me. They can probably still live good lives without me or their father."

"Fine, we'll take 'em. We stopped by a large set of rocks with jagged tips that sat across from a field of dandelions. It shouldn't be hard to miss, just check for the smell of piss and shit. Good luck."

Samantha climbed off the supplies and went back to her son who was still crying. She pet his head a little trying to comfort him. "Dex, I need you to look after the twins for a while. I have to go find your sister, so I want you to go with the soldiers. I'll be back tonight and I'll have Tessa with me. Can you do that for me honey?" Dex was shaking his head and his crying intensified as her voice broke at trying to convince her son.

"No, mommy, please don't leave me." The tears flowed like a broken dam from the young babe, his pleas causing the twins to stir and begin their own crying game.

Samantha could feel her own eyes begin to well up with tears. "I don't want to Dex, but mommy has to find your sister. You'll be OK."

"No."

"Don't worry baby. You'll see me again before you know it," she said trying to hold back her tears. She wanted nothing more than to hold her son and hug him tightly until his grief abated, but it would take too long and she needed to search for Tessa. She couldn't waste a second longer, afraid Dex might actually convince her to stay, and so she climbed over the back of the cart.

"No, mommy, don't!"

Samantha hesitated for a moment. "Look after your brothers while I'm gone." With that Sam dropped off the cart and turned back the way she came, afraid to watch the wagon move away as the sight of her distraught son would make her reconsider and she had to find her daughter. She suppressed every doubt she had that she was making a mistake, allowing a few tears to fall to feel a small semblance of relief, and made her way south. Dex watched with wet cheeks and sobs as his mother ran off, leaving him and his twin brothers alone on the back of a cart being pulled away from their home. He took notice of the twins and their cries and he attended to them, trying to alleviate their cries as his own would not cease.

Sam started off with a brisk jog, but the fullness of her bladder made that difficult. The caravan was still in sight and no doubt someone could see her, but modesty was not her concern at the moment. She stopped, pulled down her pants, squatted, and released a stream of urine that wet the road. Once relieved, she pulled up her pants and continued onward at a much more comfortable jog.

The sun was slowly reaching the edge of the water and the light was fading, but Samantha wasn't concerned with that. She didn't jog regularly and her dress wasn't meant for physical exercise, but she pushed on as best she could. She looked back and saw the carriages and the trailing one that had her boys and she knew that Dex would be crying pretty much until she returned to him. She figured he'd be alright, even if she didn't return, but Tessa would surely perish or, possibly, be kidnapped and enslaved by wild anthros wandering around. It was that kind of thinking that spurred Samantha into action and she picked up the pace.

Twenty minutes after leaving the wagon behind and Samantha was feeling the effects of her sedentary lifestyle. Her legs felt weak, her chest ached, she was out of breath, and she had to stop or risk falling over in the street. Her love for her daughter kept her going and she continued onward, strained and in pain, but also dedicated. She walked briefly, but briskly, before starting up again into a light jog. She continued that way for some time, jogging shortly before walking again, spending long periods of time to rest before she could pick up the pace again.

Some forty minutes had passed and she was still heading south. She figured it couldn't be too much longer until she reached the point, so she continued on as she had been. The sun had descended further, dipping into the ocean, and the light was slowly fading away. Sam eventually came upon a tall hill that lead upwards and curved slightly to the left and to the right were three large boulders with what looked like jagged tips, though from that distance it was hard to tell. Left of the road was a large field of nothing but grass, but further up the hill were large patches of dandelions. She was close and Sam felt her heart lifting up, so now all she had to do was locate Tessa.

It was maybe a half hour longer at best before she reached the summit of the hill, her legs tired and sore from carrying her the entire way. She made her way to the boulders, all stacked neatly next to one another, and sniffed around, smelling the unpleasant stench of urine and feces that were left here not long ago. She looked out east through the fields, but saw nothing, assuming her daughter could've gotten lost and wandered out into the grass in a panic. She then looked out west towards the ocean, but there was at least 100 yards of rocky terrain, versatile in altitude with multiple crevices to hide or get lost in between herself and the water. Luckily, she knew where to start, but unluckily there was no way for her to tell where to go from here and her scent was so subtle that it was masked by the smell of waste and salt water.

"Tessa!" she called out at the top of her lungs, the open air and soft wind carrying her voice out in every direction. "Tessa!" she called again, hoping for an answer or at the very least getting some visual cue as to where she was, but no luck.

She saw movement out of her peripheral vision, but when she turned what she saw was a large black paw attached to an arm extending from the torso of a wild anthro fox. He was coming around the side of one of the boulders, hidden from view until now, making Sam wish she'd looked around a bit more before calling out like that. Roughly 5 and a half feet tall, skinny, his fur was patchy, matted, and dirty, and he wore nothing but a dirty rag of a loincloth. When she came into his view, he grinned widely, showing off a pair of yellow-stained teeth. Sam's heart raced as he approached her and she backed away, moving back the way she came, retreating from the approaching wild fox. He absolutely reeked, the smell making Sam's nostrils burn as his stench permeated the air.

"Heh, heh, heh. Well, looky what we have here," he mused as he slowly advanced on Samantha. "What's a tiny thing like you doing all the way out here?"

Sam's heart was fluttering, her stomach churning as she began to shake with fear at the prospect of what this man could do to her. Before she could respond to his inquiry, she heard the sound of hoof steps behind her and she quickly turned around to see a 7 and a half foot tall horse coming 'round the other end of the boulders. His fur was just as patchy, just as matted, he was a lot fatter than the fox with a full, round belly and as he smiled, he showed off the same yellow-stained teeth with small bits of grasses stuck in between. He wore even less than the fox, opting for a small, cloth pouch to hold in his undisguised sheath and obviously large testicles hanging beneath and nothing else. Samantha stopped in her tracks, trapped now between a fox and a horse, both reeking of body odor and staring at the small mouse with sinister intent.

"Heard you yellin' for someone," said the horse in a gruff voice. "Who ya lookin' for, little mouse?"

Sam was visibly shaking, terror in her eyes as she darted between the fox and the horse. "Um... I lost someone. I... I was just hoping to find them again." She spoke sheepishly, attempting to sound as calm as possible, but failing noticeably.

"And how could you lose someone way the hell out here?" Sam wasn't sure how to answer, but she didn't want to tell them who it was she lost.

"Were you part of that military caravan that came through here not long ago?" the fox chimed in.

"If that's the case, you should've just kept going with them. Anyone willing to stay behind is a fool."

"And if you were part of the caravan, then you must have coin to make the trip."

The fox smiled with malicious glee as Sam began to back away towards the field, the horse noticed this and stepped forward towards her. As she began to make a more concentrated effort to get away, the horse reached forward and grabbed her by the arm, squeezing it hard and making Sam wince and cry in pain.

"Aaaaa! Please, stop. I don't have anything. I gave all my money to the army to pay for my way to the city." Sam wanted to struggle, but fear of reprisal and pain kept her from making any sudden movements.

"Is that so?" asked the horse as he reached around and grabbed her by the other arm, squeezing it just as tightly and making Sam cry out loudly as tears began to fill her eyes. He turned her towards him, her back now facing the fox. "Check her, why don't you?"

Sam soon heard the hum of the fox as he moved behind her, both mammals' malodorous smell invading her nostrils as the two closed in on her. The mixture of pain, body stink, and fear incited Sam to try and struggle, but it only succeeded in getting the horse to hold her tighter, making her wince and whine and cry in agony.

"Hold still, little vermin. Make this hard for us and we'll make it hard for you."

Sam could barely keep her maw shut, the pain was so excruciating, but since struggling meant more pain, she relented and kept as still as she could. She trembled, though, as the fox came up behind her, first checking her side, then moving his paws up, then bringing them around under her arms and wrapping them around her breasts and giving them a strong squeeze. Sam cried out as she shut her eyes and wept.

"No, nothing there," the fox said sarcastically. "Maybe there's something further down." He moved his paws down her waist with one coming back and grabbing her butt and the other moving down in front. It moved between her legs where he fingered her pussy, rubbing it gently under the dress. Sam's heart palpitated in her chest as her sobbing continued, knowing full well that something far worse would be there soon and she won't have the dress to keep it out. "Nothing there either."

The horse chuckled. "Maybe there's something hidden underneath the dress."

"Hm, good idea." With that, the fox grabbed the back of her dress where it was buttoned up and pulled it apart hard, ripping it open. The fox saw something shiny fly out past them. "I saw something," he said as he let go of Sam and ran passed her and the horse, but to came to displeasure as he picked it up off the ground. "Eh, just a button."

The horse had turned to watch him and scowled as he pulled Sam around to face him, still holding her in both arms. "Well, that's alright. If you don't got no money, we can still get something out of you."

"Please... please let me go! Please don't do this!" she cried between sobs, but her request would go unheeded.

"Quiet now," the horse said in a rough tone. "We'll let you go after we're done with you, but if you fight us, this'll just take longer." Sam continued to cry, aghast with the knowledge that she would be these wild creature's sex toy for the evening and there was nothing she could do to stop it. "But first, let's get you good and ready.

The horse grabbed her by the neck and held her up as he grabbed the top of her dress and ripped it off of her, the sound of fabric tearing at the seem as he did so. Once relieved, he grabbed her undergarments and pulled them off too, leaving her naked with red marks where the fabric snapped away from her body. She wept in agony as she grabbed onto the horse's arms, trying to hold herself up so she wasn't hanging by her neck. It was all coming to fruition, the whole reason Rishi never wanted to leave, was coming true. As much as she fought against her husband and argued with him about making this trip to escape their hardships, it seemed he was right and now she was reaping the consequences.

"Hope you like 'em big... because I am gonna wreck that little pussy of yours, honey," said the horse sadistically.

"What the hell, you big lug?" cried the fox in front of him, looking back like he'd been cheated. "You can't take her first. You'll tear her up and then I'll be left with a broken mouse."

The horse glared back bemused. "She's got two holes. You take the back one. That'll fit your canid cock."

The fox eyed her ass and his disappointment turned into cynical joy and he smiled evilly. "Oh yeah, baby. That works."

The horse held her close to his face, breathing his hot, rancid breath directly onto her. It smelled almost as bad as the rest of his body. "Listen here, slut. I'm gonna set you down and you're gonna lick my dick, get it all nice and slick before I shove it up your cunt. You understand me? You want it to go in easier, you work to make me feel good, or else it's gonna scrape against your lips like nothing you've ever felt before."

The horse was too distracted taunting Samantha to realize what the fox was doing at that moment. It wasn't until he started backing away that he looked over at his companion and saw the look of terror on his face. He dropped the button he was holding and turned around, stumbling as he began to run away, cutting into the field. The horse looked on with a confused look on his face, perplexed by the fox's actions. The sound of horse hooves closing in on him finally caught his attention and he turned around just in time to see one of the Darreen soldiers galloping towards him at top speed, bow drawn and pointed at him. He spotted the soldier just as he loosed his arrow from his bow and had no time to react before the arrow caught him in the chest. He yelled in pain and dropped Samantha on the ground, grabbing his chest at the arrow sticking out of it. Sam, in a panic, cried out madly as she crawled away to the side of the road, leaving her clothes behind and curling up as the small cavalcade of soldiers came riding along. Two soldiers advanced on the horse, the first jumping off with his sword drawn and driving the blade down hard. The horse panicked, holding out a paw to signal him to stop, but it did no good and the feline's steel was driven straight into his gut. The horse grabbed the blade in a futile attempt to remove it as the second soldier climbed off his horse and stabbed him in his throat. The horse gurgled as the felines removed their swords, blood gushing out of him as the life quickly faded out of him until he lay stiff in the road.

The rest of the troop arrived and surrounded the maligned rodent, who still lay on the ground naked, sobbing in fright at all that has happened. Kish pulled up and spotted the fox running away on his own off in the distance. "He's running off."

"Leave him!" came a voice and Samantha stopped her sobbing, frozen in fear. She knew that voice, that deep, commanding voice that has brought her and her family much distress. She kept her eyes on the ground, but she saw his feet as he climbed off his horse and landed with a thud on the road. "He's not what we came for."

Allon approached the mouse, gesturing to one of his men to grab her dress and hand it to him. Sam didn't move and her eyes never looked up to meet the lord's. Traumatized by what just happened to her, she felt no reprieve at the Identines' arrival, never even considering that they might be here to help her. She figured that by leaving her husband behind and stealing his money, he was here to punish her, punish her in ways far worse than what that horse and fox had in mind to do to her. Allon took the dress and stepped up to her, kneeling down and holding it out.

"Samantha," he said softly. She looked up slowly, meeting his eyes with much trepidation, but when she saw the look of sympathy, sadness, and concern in his face and the gesture he was making, the tenseness in her body lessened. Hesitantly and very shakily, she reached out and grabbed the torn dress and held it to her body, covering her chest and groin. "Are you alright?"

It didn't seem like the question needed to be asked, but Allon felt he should ask it all the same and as she sat there scrunched up, terrified, trying her best to cover her naked body, she couldn't even form words to respond. Instead, she broke down once again into loud, constant sobs of anguish and despair, distraught by the turn of events. All members of the lord's entourage looked on with pity and sympathy, but no feline was more sullen for the rodent's woes than Allon himself. As she continued to weep, Allon placed a large paw on her arm, trying to comfort her.

"Don't worry, Samantha," he said softly. "You're safe. No one's going to hurt you. We're here to help you and protect you." His words were of little comfort and Sam didn't even look up as she continued to cry a deluge of tears. "Sam, what are you doing here?" Sam's head jolted up as she stared back at Allon, a look of panic and dread in her eyes. "Why are you out here all alone and where are your children?"

Sam finished crying long enough to catch her breath and explain the situation. "My boys, they're on the wagon with the caravan. I came back to look for my daughter. She got left behind."

Allon looked on with a shared sense of timidness and Kish and Amarro went to see if they could determine the direction in which Tessa went. "Alright, don't worry. We'll find her. And if your boys were left with the caravan, then they're safe. We'll get you back to them soon, but for now we'll focus on finding your daughter."

Sam began to cry again, her voice low and slowly turning hoarse. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I know what I did was wrong, but I just... I couldn't... I couldn't stay. Please, I beg of you, don't harm my children. I did my husband wrong. Punish me. Please..." Her voice trailed off as her pleas came with stunted sobs.

Allon rubbed her back gently and tried to console her. "Sam, we didn't come here to hurt you and we're certainly not going to hurt your children. We came to make sure you and your kids are safe. What happens next is up to Rishi, but worry about that later. We need to find your little girl."

Sam dropped her head and began to sob again, clutching her dress like a blanket and slumping over in the street. Allon gave her a light pat as he stood up and addressed several soldiers standing nearby. "Keep an eye on her and if you see any wild anthros, do not hesitate to attack."

"Yes, my lord!" replied each feline.

Allon turned and walked toward the jagged boulders, the rich and fetid scent of urine and feces left behind by the recent travelers masking any possible scent that Tessa may have left behind. Kish and Amarro were standing around, sniffing the air, trying desperately to detect any subtleties in the air, but obviously finding none.

As Allon approached, Kish turned to address him. "My lord, there's no trail. The smell of shit and piss is too strong to detect something as weak as a little mouse girl."

"Not to mention the stench of those filthy vagabonds," Amarro added. Indeed, as he sniffed the air, the strong whiff of body odor from the fox and horse permeated the air, making the felines curl their noses up in disgust. "I'm sorry, Lord Allon, but we can't find any trace of Rishi's daughter around here."

"Alright," responded the cougar lord. "Then we do it the hard way. We'll split up into two groups, one searching the banks of the coast, the other will search throughout the fields."

"Understood, sire." Amarro and Kish turned and walked over to their troop as Allon stayed behind. He sniffed the air a few times and furrowed his brow in contemplation, his thoughts focusing on filling in the missing pieces of their current predicament.

Kish stepped up and began addressing the men. "Listen up!" All the feline soldiers turned and came to attention, save for Tony who stayed low to comfort Sam, who continued to weep for her daughter. "We'll be splitting up into two groups to search for this lady's missing daughter. I'll be taking three soldiers and cutting through the fields, Sir Amarro will be taking three soldiers and following the coast. The rest of you will stay behind and guard Mrs. Winslow."

"Yes, sir!" they responded.

"Alright, let's go then! We don't have much time before we lose what's left of sunlight."

Three volunteers moved towards Kish as three more moved towards Amarro. "My lord, what-" Amarro turned to address Allon, but stopped when he realized he was no longer in sight. The lion and tiger looked at each other a moment while giving each other troubled looks. They rushed back towards the boulders with the six volunteers following behind. They circled the large rocks, thinking, or at least hoping, that his lordship was behind it, but as they came around they found that he was not there. They surveyed the immediate area, but found that he had disappeared completely from sight, the rocks and hills barring the cougar from being discovered.

"What do you think?" asked Kish.

"You know what I think. It's what you're thinking. That boy decided to venture off on his own just like the mouse's daughter." Amarro sounded vexed by the lord's action to wander off alone, but they had no choice but to search for their commander and friend.

The waves crashed against the shores as the light faded from the sky, the sun now halfway into the ocean as it set across the land. The rocks were scattered and close together, making traversal troubling for the barefooted travelers and vagrants. Amongst the large boulders and cliffs that lay against the hill and stretched out to meet the lower lands that sloped narrowly into sandy beaches along the shore was a small depression into the hill. It formed an alcove of rock that barely sunk inward for any grown man to fit, but laying inside shivering, frightened, and crying silent tears was a small, female rodent who held her knees to her chest. She looked out towards the waters, watching the setting sun reflect off the surface of the water, listening to the sounds of pounding water against rock.

"She's around here somewhere, I saw her," came a gruff voice from out of eyesight. Tessa turned her ears outward to listen for the sound of strange men, though the process was hard given the sound of the ocean and the fact that the men were speaking in such a low volume.

"Maybe we should forget about her," came a lighter, softer voice. "I saw a group of soldiers coming. They probably already got Deek and Simon."

"I know she's here. We'll find her and be on our way. They're not looking for us and I doubt they're looking for some street urchin."

Tessa barely made a sound, even as she cried, having hidden in the rocky alcove to escape her pursuers. Fortunately, the salty water of the ocean and the sound of crashing waves was making tracking difficult for the wild anthros. Unfortunately, she lay in a spot that was being spotlighted directly by the sun and she had no form of shadow to shield her. As luck didn't seem to be on her side, a figure appeared around the corner as Tessa looked on at one of her pursuers, a fox of similar stature to the other fox, though slightly shorter. Tessa continued to remain silent, but he was scanning the area with vigilance and as he turned towards the left, he grinned wide as he spotted the cowering young rodent under the rock.

"Well, there you are," he said teasingly. "Now why would you go and make us chase you like that? I'm not gonna harm you. Little girls are worth lots more coin unspoiled." He stepped towards the crying child, her body shaking with fear. "Come on out of there now, hun. We're gonna take you somewhere and get you work. You aint got to worry about the wild at all."

Two more figures came into view: a lynx with dirt-colored fur and a badger, both male and both wearing dirty loincloths. They stood in front of the terrified mouse and smiled with sadistic glee as the fox kept behind his two cohorts. They remained stationary and stared back at the little girl, her tears falling to the ground as her lower lip began to tremble. They chuckled at each other and at her, finding immense pleasure in the look of dread she showcased to them.

After a moment, the fox spoke again. "Alright, we need to get going. Grab her and lets get out of here." The badger leaned forward to pick her up as Tessa prepared to scream. The fox was the first to spot the movement, but given the speed with which he moved and the lightness of his steps, neither the badger nor the lynx had a chance to react. The fox, however, jumped back away from the pair and away from the large, attacking cougar. "Watch out!"

The badger turned just in time to see a large sword come down, slicing him through his chest. He gurgled blood and Tessa screamed violently as the badger fell to his knees. The lynx looked up in fear at the cougar, but decided instead of running to face him as he pulled out a small dagger and held it out in front. Allon moved forward slowly, giving the lynx the idea that he was open as the smaller feline quickly stepped forward. Allon responded by stepping to the side gracefully and catching the lynx's paw in his own and effortlessly driving his sword through the lynx's stomach. The smaller feline groaned and whined in pain as the cougar lifted him off the ground in a display of strength, power, and dominance. Tessa continued to scream as she watched the horrifying display, unaware of the large puma's true intentions.

Allon, recognizing Tessa's sensibilities, immediately pulled his sword out, dropping the lynx to the ground as he became a lifeless husk of fur and grime. The cougar turned to the fox, who remained unarmed and held his paws out in front in a defensive manner. Allon turned to Tessa and gave her a comforting, reassuring expression, her screams having turned to whines of distress.

"Stay where you are, little girl," he said softly. "I'm gonna get you back to your mother, OK?" Tessa didn't say anything, her fear of the large cat persevering, her desire to run amplified, but her willingness completely subdued. Allon turned back to the fox and glowered at him. "If you have anything to say before I cut off your head, do it now."

"What? You- you can't do that. I haven't harmed the little girl. She's completely safe. Jus- just let me go and forget I even exist."

"Were that I could, but I know what kind of man you are and what you had planned for this little girl and if I don't snub you out now, some other little girls will suffer that same fate."

The fox stood there and gave the impression that he was thinking about the cougar's words honestly. "Well, yeah, I guess they would. After all, everyone has the right to enjoy what they want. Some people like little girls, I got no problem bringing them to 'em."

Allon furrowed his brow, his anger rising at the vulpine's blatant admittance of his intentions. "You seem to be vying for a slow death. If you wish me to be merciful, you should be groveling, not boasting about your shameful vocation."

The fox chuckled at the cougar's threats. "Oh, I'm sorry. You seem to be misunderstanding my true intentions. I have no intention of dying out here tonight. You wish to know what my intentions are? Here, let me show you."

Without any indication or warning, Allon felt a piercing blow through his right shoulder from the back to the front. He yelled in pain and the shock caused him to loosen his grip on his sword, which fell with a clang to the rocky ground. He dropped to a knee as he brought a paw up to cup his wound, a rock-carved arrowhead sticking out from his jerkin, which was now stained with blood. He craned his neck around and in the fading light, he spotted his assailant, a bull archer who at that very moment was retrieving a second arrow from his quiver to assail the lord once more. Allon's ears heard the fox's footsteps approach and he turned to see him advancing towards Tessa, attempting to steal her out from under him. Without a second thought, he reached down with his left paw and grabbed his sword, falling back against the alcove, pinning Tessa in behind him and shielding her from the fox's advance. The fox quickly retreated, rolling away quickly out of reach of the large feline.

The fox looked up at the bull with a look of bitter disappointment on his face, the bull lowering his bow as now the puma was hidden from his sights. "You idiot, you missed! You should've pierced his neck!"

"Shut the fuck up, skunk!" the bull retorted. "He's injured now and I've got my bow trained in his direction, so if he makes a move he's a dead man."

Allon grit his teeth at the pain, which was made worse by the fact that the tail end of the arrow lodged in his shoulder was pressing up against the rock face. Tessa was crying out loud again, turning away and covering her face to block out the frightening display. Allon was breathing heavier now and with grunted effort, he unsheathed his second sword, doing his best to move past the pain to hold up both swords in a show of strength and determination.

"Stay behind me little girl," he said to Tessa in a calm manner. "Just keep your eyes closed and don't worry. My men will be here shortly. It'll all be over soon."

The fox remained away from the feline and grinned maliciously. "You might've been better off just running away, cat. Now, you're like a trapped prey just waiting to be slaughtered."

Allon continued to grunt and groan as he braved the excruciating pain. "You can try, but I'm not gonna make it easy."

The fox chortled. "You think you'll be able to stop my friend's arrows?"

"I've got pretty good reflexes. Now that I know he's there, I think I can handle him."

"Heh, you're a deluded feline, aren't you?" He turned in the bull's direction. "Come on, hurry up! I wanna kill this guy and get out of here before those soldiers show up."

"You think he might be with those soldiers?" asked the bull who could be heard just around the corner.

"Probably. All the more reason to kill him, grab the girl, and haul ass out of here."

The bull came into view, bowstring pulled, arrow primed to strike. Allon held both his swords up, ready to defend himself and Rishi's daughter.

"Why are you protecting that rodent so tenaciously? Is her life really worth losing yours?"

Allon considered the question carefully, taking into account everything he'd done over the last two years and accepting that the only reason she was even out here was because of him. He looked back at the fox, stone-faced and undetered. "For her life, yes." The fox and bull both looked on with surprise, but it didn't last as the bull aimed his arrow straight and pulled his bowstring back, prepared to fire.

The fox's gaze peered up over the hill and his expression shifted to one of immense worry. "Shit. SHIT!"

The bull shifted a glance to the fox and saw his expression then looked back in the same direction and wielded the same concerned look. He pulled away from Allon and aimed his bow up over the hill, firing an arrow towards an unseen foe. Another arrow was fired towards the bull, though he managed to dodge it. He pulled a second arrow from his quiver and chambered it, attempting to aim, but having difficulty pinning down an obviously moving target. He loosed his arrow, but it didn't seem to matter. He dropped his bow and pulled out a short sword as he turned to run away.

The fox had already taken the lead in fleeing, having given Allon and the Tessa a look of displeasure at having failed to acquire the young stock before he was overtaken. The cougar heard the familiar clank of metal approaching and soon after two of his soldiers came into view, swords drawn and concern on their face.

"My lord," said one of the soldiers. "You're injured."

Allon sighed with both relief and exasperation. "Yes, I'm aware." He stood up and turned to see the bull and fox being overtaken by the rest of his men. Kish and another soldiers struck the bull's leg, forcing him onto his paws as Kish was able to strike him through the chest with his sword. The fox, on the other hand, was not so lucky. Amarro, enthralled with fury, ran him down and tackled him to the ground.

"No, no, no! Please! NO!" the fox screamed as he was flipped onto his stomach. Amarro knelt on his back, forcing a scream of pure agony out of the vulpine before Amarro silenced him by gripping his neck, pressing his claws against the dirty red and white fur, and sliced his throat open, leaving him to choke and gag on his own blood. The lion let the fox slump there until he became just another lifeless body along the coast.

Allon breathed a sigh of relief and turned to his men. One of them, the archer, stood at attention as he stared at the lord's wound. "I'm sorry, my lord. I was too late in getting here to protect you. Please forgive me."

Allon gave a light chuckle as stuck one of his swords in the ground and gave the soldier a pat on the shoulder. "Nonsense. You got here just in time and you have my thanks."

The soldiers smiled and Allon resheathed both his swords, very carefully and with a good deal of suffering. Kish and Amarro arrived, noting the bodies of the lynx and the badger on the ground, then staring back at Allon with both fret and displeasure.

"Come now, sire," said Amarro scolding his lordship. "You can't just run off like that. Surely you knew something like this was bound to happen."

"Oh, don't be like that Amarro. I've been hearing that my whole life and I'm not even close to dead yet. And for that matter, how many times have you been proven wrong?"

"A few. Now tell me, how many times have I been proven right?"

Allon smiled. "A few as well."

"A lot more times, sire, and you damn well know it."

Allon just continued to smile at his guards. "I'll keep that in mind, but that's why I have you guys to protect me."

"Yes, well, if we'd gotten here any later, our jobs would be to deliver some devastating news to your family. And for that matter, what were doing running off in the first place? We had no way of knowing where the girl ran off too."

"Heh, you said it yourself, Amarro. We couldn't detect her scent because of the overpowering stench of those vagrants." The lion looked back confused. "Their own scent was strongest leading towards the shore and if it managed to mask the girl's scent, it seemed possible that while she waited for her mother to come back, they spotted her and chased her off towards the ocean. Ergo, we follow the stink of bandits, we indirectly follow the young mouse."

Amarro and Kish both gave impressed looked towards their commander. As the lord finished squabbling with his friend, he winced in pain and rubbed the area around the wound. Amarro stepped forward to take a closer look.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"It's not that bad. I'm OK."

"Well, we need to get the arrow out. We'll have to get back to Darreen to patch it up."

"Very well. In the meantime, Kish," he said, turning towards the small rodent gripping the rocky face of the alcove. Her eyes were clenched shut and she was still trembling with fear. "I want you to get her and take her back to her mother." She released her grip on the rock as she turned to look at the cougar, the mention of her mother seeming to brighten her up. Allon smiled comfortingly down at her. "Don't worry, young one. You're safe now. No one's gonna hurt you."

A few tears fell down her cheeks and she remained recalcitrant towards the high lord, seemingly unsure as to her fate.

Samantha continued to sob in the middle of the road, one paw holding her face as she cried into it and the other lazily holding the dress as she draped it over her body. The sun had all but set over the land, barely any light illuminating the area. Of the four soldiers that remained behind, three of them stood watch around the abused rodent, ever vigilant for enemies, their lord, and the rest of their comrades. Tony remained by Samantha's side, constantly reassuring her that they would do everything they could to find her daughter. Sam didn't seem to care whenever the smaller cougar attempted to comfort her by patting her back. At the moment, she was so distracted by the loss of her daughter that she couldn't be troubled by anything else.

Before the last of the light set on the western coast of Identine, one of the soldiers spotted Allon and every other soldier coming over the hill. "His lordship returns," he called and the other soldiers came to attention, save for Tony who kept his position next to Sam. The mouse had very little strength left, but she managed to raise her head and look up at the approaching feline entourage with lord Allon. In the faint light of the stars, she could barely make out anyone in particular, but she saw Kish drawing near and he held his arms cradled together and was holding something small and furry. Her heart beat raced and she lifted herself up, setting on her haunches as they came closer in to view. Just then, the furry object shuffled, turning its head to reveal the young, female face of her eldest child and only daughter.

Samantha wept tears of joy uncontrollably as she held out a free paw, part of her dress hanging down and revealing part of her naked form with much lack of concern on Samantha's part. Tessa immediately struggled to get free and Kish gently helped her onto the ground at which point the small child rodent raced over to her mother into her arms. Sam grabbed her and held her close, crying as Tessa began to weep as well, both mice embracing each other and holding tightly. The sight made Tony smile wide, a feeling shared by Kish, Amarro, and Allon. The cougar looked up and saw his lordship approaching, but his smile faded when he spotted the wound on Allon's right shoulder.

"My lord," he called out as he stood up. "You're injured."

Sam looked up unexpectedly at the puma, a bit of concern on her face. She couldn't make it out clearly in the dark, but she could detect a faint blood stain and the hole in his jerkin. The cougar lord looked back at his fellow puma and held up his paw comfortingly. "I'm alright. I'll take care of it when we get back."

Samantha kept her eyes focused on the cougar's wound. "My- my lord," she said shakily and with some difficulty. She'd spent so much time hating him and what he'd done to her that for her to call him 'my lord' brought insult and shame to her. But in that moment, she felt obligated to show respect. He responded and stared down at her, compassion and sympathy in his expression. "You- you put your- yourself in h- harm's way... for... my d- daughter?"

Allon wanted to smile with the same look of comfort he gave her daughter, but he felt guilty himself for allowing the situation to get this far that he just couldn't. "Don't worry about me, Sam. Just worry about your daughter. She's frightened and needs her mother to keep her safe."

Humility, empathy, putting others ahead of himself; this did not seem like the lord Allon Sam had come to know. The cougar she knew was selfish, cruel, and cared not for anyone but himself. She'd spent two years growing to hate, nay loathe, these felines, particularly his lordship, for what they did to her husband and how they drove him and her apart from each other. Now, as she contemplated the results of her actions, she came to realize that without their intervention, she might have lost her life, Tessa would've been taken, and her sons would've been orphaned. In her desperation to find a better life, she endangered the ones most precious to her and for that she could blame no one but herself. It was Allon that came to her rescue and it was Allon to which she owed a dept now. For that, in a way, she hated him now more than ever, but she would not ignore the kindness he bestowed upon her here today, saving herself and her child.

She swallowed her pride and her sobs long enough to catch her breath. "Thank you, my lord... for saving my baby." She felt sick to her stomach now. She just thanked the man who raped her husband, practically enslaved him and who took for himself and drove away from her. Every time she pictured Allon as malicious, sadistic, and greedy, but as she had very little contact with the cougar, she realized this was all of her own excogitations. Now, as she sat there staring up at the cougar, his face an example of sadness and sympathy, she saw someone who genuinely wanted to help her and that did nothing to help the sickness in her stomach.

"You're welcome, Sam," he said very solemnly.

"My lord," called Amarro from the back. "Can I speak with you a moment?"

"Yes, Amarro. Excuse me," he said to Sam as he stood and walked away. Sam leaned back into her daughter and continued to cry tears of relief. "Keep an eye on her," he said to the rest of his men as he walked by. He reached the lion and they walked a few steps away from the crowd, then a few more, and finally a lot more until they were at least a hundred feet away and certain they weren't in ear shot.

"Roland," started the lion, "we can't consider this an isolated incident. She did this once before, we have to assume she could and will do it again."

"I know, I know," Allon responded, looking around contemplatively as Amarro stared back. The lord let out a loud sigh. "I've thought of this too."

"Then you know what you have to do."

Allon stared down at the ground, fearing the upcoming decision he had to make, but recognizing it as the only legitimate one. "Yes, I know."

"So... how would you like to go about doing this?"

Allon looked up into his friend's eyes, the sadness and regret evident, the pain of what he was about to give up heart-wrenching. But in that same heart was the conscience that was telling him the right thing to do and as he stood there in the dead of night, bleeding out of his shoulder, he knew he had to make a choice.