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It was a whole week before they returned. Rose was mildly concerned right up to the point they entered her chambers. One look at the way they were walking said everything she needed to know. She gave them hugs; mostly to finish dispelling any bit of worry that might have been lingering, and dismissed them to their rooms. "Go! You two look like you need a nap! And wipe those satisfied grins off your faces!" They hurried off. Jon-Tom - errr, that is Dasher, went to follow but a paw halted his progress. "Not you mister. I want to know how it went, not that there seems to be any doubt in my mind." He turned back and sat down.

"Well your majesty...I mean Rose, I would have to say it went wonderfully. I would never have presumed to entertain your daughters in this manner without your leave, but since you allowed me the opportunity, I will be frank with you. They are vibrant, lovely, sensuous, expressive, passionate creatures; they remind me very much of you. But if I might be allowed to ask, why did you grant me this favor in bedding your girls? I find it highly irregular."

Rose smiled, gazing into his eyes. "Dasher, tell me about your favorite time." This threw him off his game. "My first time with what?" She purred out the words. "Your first experience bedding a female." That got him thinking furiously. The first time on this world, or on his own. He decided to pick this world, which meant he would have to use their mutual experience. His description would have to border on the nebulous, otherwise she would very quickly recognize it as being something she had been part of. He would have to tread this one lightly.

"You ask a very personal question which I am reluctant to answer. I will make you a counter proposal; I will tell you about my most memorable experience, and you will do likewise." Her purr got louder. "You drive an easy bargain my friend. It's a deal!" He drew in a deep breath. "My most memorable time was with the most lovely female in existence. Mind you, I have had many experiences since this time, but she still sticks in my mind and in my daily thoughts. Making love to her was like doing so in a dream. There seemed to be no constraints to our love or our lovemaking. The time I spent with her was far too short. And since you will ask why I didn't stay with her, let me just say the matter is painful to talk about and unless you command me to, I will keep the reasons private."

Rose had a tear in her eye. "You are indeed like the one I miss. My first time is not noteworthy, except to say it was worth forgetting. But I eventually found the perfect male, or should I say, he found me. His skills in bed give your own a run for their money. The things he did to this body were beyond description. I fell in love with him and he with me. In the end though, I had a kingdom that would need me and he had his own life to live. And that is all I say about that." He sat on her lap and gave her a hug. She returned one as gently as he remembered she could. He whispered in her ear. "I am so sorry my dear. I know how very hard it is. But I have some sage words for you that were once spoken to me. If you love something, let it go. If it is yours, it will come back to you. If not, then you will come back to it. Have patience, for even one extra day that you have with your love is far better than none."

She pushed him out to arms length and stared at him. "And do you still hope to one day be reunited with your lover?" He had tears of his own. "Sometimes. Then I look into your eyes and see her there, and I find that I could just as easily stay in love with you instead." She stood and carried him to her bed. She gave him one order; "Get those clothes off! If I don't satisfy this need inside me right now, I think I'm gonna explode!" He complied quickly, as only a cheetah can, and had his own clothing off and in a strewn pile on the floor. As he made love to her, he couldn't get their first time together out of his head. It drove him crazy, and he adjusted his cock to his original size. Rose grunted a little. "Dasher, whatever you just did, keep doing it. This is bringing back some wonderful memories!" He was ready to blow right then, but fought it down and went into a flurry of thrusting. Rose felt like a tree under attack by a drug crazed woodpecker. When she cut loose, it was in conjunction with him. The shuddering they made nearly shook the bed apart.

He lay there later, wrapped in two huge paws. It was wonderful. Her breath tickled the back of his neck, sending little shivers down his spine. Once they reached the tip of his tail, they turned around and ran back up to his neck. One in a while one would divert to his front, giving a tickle to his cock. It hardly needed any prodding. He would and could make love to her for an eternity. But something was bothering him. It finally dawned on his love-sedated mind that she had never explained why she had been willing to have him bed her daughters. It hardly mattered that the girls themselves had requested it. He could have put that down to girlish infatuation. But whatever had happened during Rose's first experience must have been bad enough for her not to wish it on anyone else. Then he recalled that feline males had some rather prickly tools. Any action between an adult and a cub would definitely lead to a painful encounter for the latter.

So, he thought, she wanted the girls to find pleasure in their first experience. That was no bad thing. Rose would have never suggested it to him as a human, knowing he would have found the idea repugnant. Then again, he never even knew he had cubs by her until after this point in time.  When she found  that Dasher was outfitted to please, as it was, she considered him as ideal a match as there existed in this world. It was still a little iffy in his mind, but he was growing more comfortable with what he had done. But if he never bedded the girls again, he would be happy. He had his Roseroar again, and while he knew there would be a time to depart, he was going to wring every last drop of joy out of this experience that he could squeeze.

His thoughts had a physical reaction on his body. He was laying there with a raging hard-on. Chances were, had be been facing the tigress, she would have noticed. But since he wasn't, he was uncertain how to wake her enough to do something about it. His tail twitched in agitation. That was when he noticed that it was trapped between her thighs. With a bit of effort, he worked it upwards until the tip slid into her cunt. A regular cheetah, nay any feline, might not have been able to do this, but he was so much more. He worked it in with ease, for she was still well lubricated. He pushed it in deeper and deeper, until it would go no further. The tigress, while still asleep, let out of contented grunt. He treated his tail like a cock, driving it in and out as rapidly as he could from this position. It was certainly something he had never tried before. It seemed to be having a positive effect on his love.

He couldn't see it, but her sleepy eyes came open,. The raspy purr that rumbled from her throat was quite audible. It took her a moment to assess that he was facing away fro her. She managed to whisper out, "Sugah, that's one hell of a trick!"  before she embraced him in a grip of iron. She was in no way hurting him, but he figured she wasn't going to let go until he was done, and he wasn't going to be done until she came. He wanted so badly to roll over and dive in. His cock was literally aching for action. That was when he felt those strong, velvety soft paws work their way down to his crotch. He moaned as she stroked his shaft, reaching back behind his scrotum to tickle his ass. All the while she kept her claws well sheathed. He wondered how long he would last, and whether or not she would come first. As her paws worked faster and harder, he figured she was getting ready to blow. It was none too soon. She clamped down on his tail and he made a mess of her paws and the sheets.

She fell against him, panting heavily. Her whiskers tickled his ear. "You! That was the first time in my life I have ever been screwed by someone's tail. You sir, are full of surprises!" She rolled him over, ignoring her slick paws. He was ready to apologize, but she hushed him. "Dasher dahling, before the sun reaches high noon, I expect you to show me everything you've got. This is a no-holds-barred, do-it-til-you drop marathon. Only then will I allow us to get cleaned up. So if you're planning on getting messy, now's the time to do it!"

It was hard to think of too many new things, considering all that they had tried while he was human. But he hadn't done them as Dasher, so why not. "Rose dear, I'll do my best!" He slid into position on to of her, but instead of lining up with her cunt, aimed a little lower. While he knew the answer, he asked the question anyway. He didn't want to appear presumptuous. "Has milady ever experienced love in the back end before?" She got a little smile. "Why yes I have, but not for a long time. Let's see if you're as good as the lover who introduced me to it."  He reduced his size, knowing full well she could take more. No point in not making this spectacular. He slid in with ease. She responded by clamping down hard. She let out a grunt of dissatisfaction. "Dasher honey, I've taken more up that hole than that. Given me all you've got." He looked her straight in the eye. "Madam, you know not what you ask for." She snarled just a little. "Do it!"

It took just a few seconds for her to realize that it was one order he should never have been given. Her ass was now stretched taut around an enormous cock. She gasped in both surprise and pain. At the same moment the feeling eased. She opened her eyes to see him looking at her. "Please note Rose that what you just felt was nowhere near the size I can reach. If you don't mind, allow me to do this in my own way. I promise you you won't regret it." While he was talking, he pumped a little healing power into her rectum, easing the discomfort he had just caused. He followed it with just a hint of pleasure. A tingly feeling spread through her body. "Oh Dasher, you can do as you please. But if I ask for more, I hereby command you to do it!" He chuckled. "Yes madam. I will comply to the best of my ability.

The rest of the morning was spent where they were. By the time noon rolled around, the two had essentially rewritten the Kama Sutra. Jon-Tom, that is Dasher, was as much in love with her as he ever was. It pained him to know that once again he would have to leave her. But the fact of the matter was, he was thankful for the second chance. They finally climbed out of bed and made for the royal wash room. He remembered it well. His first bath there had been at the hands of many of the lovely ladies he had this time met up close and personal. None of them were present today. Rose took to washing him, and he scrubbed her. By the time they felt they were clean enough, they were both so horny they made love in the water. At least this time, when they were done, they were still clean.

After drying off, the two got dressed and went for a walk. The city was bustling, with the various denizens going about their business, but Rose was recognized, if not fawned over. The citizens gave her a smile and a respectful nod. As the couple made their way to the square, she found a bench and sat down in view of the statue. "Do you see that man there? That is our mutual connection. He is the first love of my life. I didn't think I would ever find another like him, but perhaps I spoke too soon. I'm going to tell you something, something I expect you to keep secret until your dying day. He is the father of my children." He was surprised she could spit the words out that easily.

It was hardly news to him, but for Rose to confide in him was incredible. "Madam Rose, such a thing is impossible! Only members of the same species can have offspring." She pulled him down to the bench. "Shhh. We don't need to attract attention to ourselves. And besides, you're only partially correct. I could have children by a lion if I chose. It's happened in the family before. But the offspring are sterile, so there is no chance of carrying on the lineage." He relented. "I admit you are correct. But what are you saying? A human is about as far from a tiger as a badger is. Are you certain there was no  tiger fellow in your past?" She should have ripped his face off, but at this point in time, she was still puzzling the matter over, and would for a few more years.

"Dasher, I bedded many tiger males in hopes of getting pregnant, but all of them before I met this man. Not one of them took.  I considered it a chore, allowing myself to be bedded just for the continuation of my line." She glanced over at him, sizing up his overall form. "I assume you were born with a typical cock. You were wise to utilize your magic to create one without  the typical accoutrements. I can guarantee you the ladies love you for it. It was part of the reason I found you ideal for the girls. Nothing puts you off of sex like a lot of pain and blood." He could sympathize, but she was getting off the point. "I get that. But how is this man the father of your girls? I thought that that kind of wizardry was impossible?" She shrugged. "So did I. But the fact remains, that these girls were conceived between us. Some day I will have to look him up and demand to know how."

He leaned into her. "If you believe he is their father, then I will believe it also. I don't understand it (which was true) but I will accept what you accept." She pulled him close. "Thank you Dasher. In the end, I guess it hardly matters. The girls are my life, and perhaps I go too far in making their life a good one," she nodded to him, "but I will have them experience more then I ever could. If it weren't for Jon-Tom, I would never have learned so much about life and love." Dasher was tearing up again. So was she. The multitude of passerby noted the emotional display but politely kept on walking.

It was after that that things began to go awry. The king of course was old. Jon-Tom could have extended his life and his health, but it would have been to no purpose. Now that he himself was nearly immortal, and knowing that death here only opened the way to a different level of existence, he was leery about doing anything along those lines. He finally decided that easing any suffering without forestalling his death was the morally right thing to do. So after weeks of moaning and near delirium, the palace was stunned when the king as back in his right mind. He still looked pale and drawn, but his eyes were clear and his voice firm. In fact, his voice and mental clarity were too good. He made a proclamation. It went like this.

"To all the citizens of my kingdom, I hereby make one last pronouncement as king. As my daughter is the only living descendant of my blood, she has the right to succeed me. As she is without a husband,  I hereby proclaim her to be the first female king of the kingdom. I would not do this if she did not yet have heirs. Since she has produced heirs, the lineage will continue. The father of my grandchildren has never been in a position where he could take the reigns from me, though I would have offered them to him without question. Thus I must give another a chance at the throne, and therefore the hand of my daughter. The decision is his, but if he accepts, then the throne will pass to Dasher and my Roseroar will instead be queen. We all owe a debt to this fine cheetah, without whom my kingdom would  have faltered."

When it was read to Dasher, he about choked. Here was a second shot at a job he didn't want. But he did want Rose. One came with the other. He also knew his time here was limited. Rose had never mentioned a previous king, but then again he had never asked. He was going to need to work this one out. Which meant, for the time being, the old king was getting a respite. There was no way he was letting him die before he figured out how to deal with this newest difficulty.

To make matters worse, Rose was more than interested in making him her husband. Jon-Tom the human was out of the question but Jon-Tom, aka Dasher the cheetah, was here and available. He tried to persuade her otherwise, but none of his arguments held. She had never been stupid. When he fussed about their difference in species, she pointed out that she already had heirs. The king would not be expected to produce one. He argued that he himself might be interested in having some children of his own. She turned into a cheetah lady just like she had when they were a couple, back in the old days. The problem was, if she kept up with this train of thought, she might very well figure out how he and her had conceived in the first place. All those years ago. Or whenever. God he hated time travel!

"Rose, it's not that simple. I came to protect you and your family. I do not see how being made king will do that. If you give me no other choice, I will do as you ask. You know I will." If her look was any happier, the sun would have dimmed for the joy radiating from her. "Good! I lost one worthy male, I do not intend to lose another!" He sat down and sighed. "Alright Rose, have it your way. But I must make a few demands myself. The first is that when I die, all mention of me is stricken from the record. It will be as if I didn't exist!" The tigress slammed her fist down on the table. "Those terms are not acceptable to me!" He was nonplussed. "And neither is assuming the throne acceptable to me. If it weren't for the fact that I  love you, I would pack up and leave this instant!"

Her mouth was agape. She closed it with an effort. Her words were very quiet. "Then please leave. I have no intention of forcing you to stay, anymore than I could make Jon-Tom stay. But understand this; I never thought that I would love again. You have shown me I was wrong. It is almost as if you are a duplicate of the man I gave up.  I have asked things of you that I know you were too kindhearted to protest against. Yet still you carried them out with the finesse and compassion of a true gentleman. But if you have even a fraction of that left in you, please stay. If you wish, when the coronation is over, you can quietly transfer the realm's power over to me. It is, after all, my responsibility. You can live quietly here in the palace until the end of your days."

She spoke wisely, but not with the knowledge he had. She alone would be king, he was fairly certain of it. So how should he answer. His mind told him to answer how he would have without the benefit of foreknowledge. "Rose, I will accept only if you acquiesce to my demands. You must promise to have every mention of me removed when I am gone. I have my reasons. You must promise, starting from the very moment of my passing. This is your kingdom, and the people should remember it always as yours. You have the chance at being the first female king of Colivra. Don't waste that opportunity. You have no idea how much it will mean. Please do this for me."

Like he said, she wasn't stupid. Her decision was soured by his terms, but half a loaf was better than none. "Let's go tell father. It will make him happy to see me married before he dies. I think he has been hanging on just to see it happen!" Jon-Tom choked a little. It was as good a reason as any to explain it away!

Thus it was announced that the cheetah Dasher would marry the princess Roseroar. The previously noted irregularities were much bandied about in the taverns and smoke houses. In the end, everyone came to the same conclusion. If the princess wished it, then it would be so. But here and there dissension arose. Not everyone was happy about it. Some thought the matter quite scandalous. No one had anything against either of them personally, but putting them together was outside of propriety. It just wasn't done. Those in favor of the wedding hushed those against it until the  latter group quit their complaining, leastwise openly.

The coronation and the wedding were held simultaneously, owing to the old king's health.  At his bidding, Rose wore a simple white dress, overlaid with the gold and jewels he had spelled up in his younger days. Of course, in this time, that was only a few years ago. She was as lovely as he had pictured her, though given a choice, he preferred her unadorned by even the slightest vestige of material. True beauty shouldn't be hidden. He made the mistake of telling her this at the alter. She nearly stripped and made a scene. He restrained her with one word. "Later!!" Once they were married, the crown was placed upon his head. He was now officially the king of Colivra. He was uncertain that this was an honor he wanted. But if it made Rose happy, he was for it. The old king beamed with delight, as did Silef and Bastet. Out of everyone present, it seemed to him he was the only one not satisfied with how events had worked out.

Later that night, before the newly married couple had their honeymoon, Jon-Tom signed a parchment transferring his power to Rose. As he explained it, "I can wear a crown if you like, and sit on a throne, but you will rule. I have no desire to assume any kind of authority." She kissed him passionately. "You realize my dear that for that reason alone, you are the second most suitable male I know to be king." If she only knew the truth. Number one and number two were the same guy. And number two had more experience under his belt. He had already occupied a throne, even if it was for only a few months. But that hardly mattered now. His mind was torn between simply enjoying Rose in ways he had long wished for and trying to figure out how he was going to extricate himself from this situation. He had no desire to leave, but if he didn't, the time line would be irreparably damaged.

His final decision was the most logical he could come up with. He chose to leave things as the presently were. If she followed through on her promise, whenever he died his mention would be erased from history. It drove him a little crazy not knowing what the future held, a trait he had reprimanded in others. But now, his future was part of the past, and as such, something he felt he should be aware of. It had never occurred to him to discuss matters of her kingdom with Rose, other than the basics. He was always more interested in her. But for now, he would relax and wait. They were finally married, something he knew was a little outre too. But then, at this time in history, he wasn't actually married, unlike when he went back to the future, when he had, uhhh, more than a few wives. Luckily for him, no one was keeping tabs.

His marriage to Rose did solve one problem for him. He was no longer expected to entertain the girls. This change in his status from mere protector to stepfather was apparently enough to modify the moral code in his favor. He would have to keep his eyes out for suitable partners for them, though chances were good they were already searching. He had set the standard pretty high, so he felt bad for any future prospects. Those poor males would never have what he had. That left him the task of satisfying Rose. Her sex drive was running in high gear now. There was nothing she could ask for that he couldn't supply. There was one, however, he refrained from giving her. A child. She often transformed into the loveliest cheetahs imaginable, often varying the pattern of her coat so she rarely appeared the same way twice. One night, her pattern was very intriguing. They had just stripped down for the night's activities.

"Rose sweetheart, just what is this all about? I've never seen a cheetah like this before." She looked at him like he was daft. "Dasher, are you funning with me?" He made a face and shrugged. "I don't think so. Why?" She pulled him in front of a mirror. "Have you even ever looked at yourself before?" The fact was, he had seen himself a thousand times, but not as Dasher. He had turned into a cheetah following Eve's lead  back in the future, what was now several years ago his present time. He had matched her look perfectly. Not once had he ever thought much about it or felt a need to view himself in a looking glass. Back then, it had all happened so fast. One minute he was in the highlands, the next he was saving the girls. Between then and now, it had never occurred to him to see himself as he now was.

He peered into the mirror, gazing into the eyes of the comely cheetah face looking back. He was indeed a handsome fellow. But a closer examination proved that he was hardly what he thought he was. Cheetahs had nice little spots running the length of their body. His spots were bigger. It was as if the little ones had pooled together. As he turned he could see three stripes running down his back. He had never had a reason to question his appearance. Now that the matter was brought clearly to his attention, he had cause to wonder.

Rose was mildly bemused. "Dasher honey, you're not a run of the mill cheetah, and I mean that as no detraction for the rest of your kind. You're what we call Konungur. In the old tongue it means king, for it is claimed that all who have these markings can trace their lineage back to royals many centuries past. I thought all this time you were being so damn modest!" He watched himself  move in the mirror. It would figure Eve would go all fancy on him, drawing him into something more complex than he had the knowledge to figure out on his own. All this time he was just Dasher. At the same time, he had the appearance and bearing of a royal. He turned to Rose. "My dear, I have never in my life put as much value in external appearances as do others. What is inside is of far greater value."

She put her hands on her hips. "Is that so. I thought you liked my outside!" He did a magnificent bow. "My dearest lady, I do. I find you to be the most beautiful mortal I know. You are as fine a tigress as I have ever had the pleasure to behold, and despite all that, what you have inside is far more precious and beautiful than that which simply pleases the eye." She melted. "They really don't make enough like you in this world Dasher. I'm glad you came my way." He bowed again. "I am at my lady's service." She threw him on the bed and proceeded to show him her delights, both inside...and out.

He had been forced to terminate sperm production every time she chose a cheetah form. It nearly broke his heart to do it, but he could not allow another child to be born. It had not been in her history, not as he knew it. She never asked for a child. He was the one to have mentioned it, but mostly as a ploy to get out of the marriage. But he figured she was adopting this form just to increase the odds or getting pregnant. It was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. Bedding his daughters was nothing compared to this. This was a full betrayal of his vows to her. He wasn't certain how long he could go without giving in and granting her another child. Then there would be no end to the difficulties. As of yet, no one but he knew her secret of transformation. A tigress pregnant with a cheetah's cub would stir up more scrutiny than he wished to be under.

But outside of this one thing, he always did his best to keep her happy. He was tempted to spirit her away to the little sand cottage, but he could never find a way of doing it that wouldn't pique her curiosity. She knew had had some magic; she had no idea he was essentially made of magic. On the other hand, he did talk her into changing every few nights into something swift, such as a unicorn. Once they escaped from the city walls (thanks to a little of his stealthily applied magic) he would ride her to the forest, or the mountains, where they would make love for hours before returning. Overall, life was good. Some days he just wanted to run off with her and never return.

The time passed joyously for the couple. There were moments he really wanted to confide in her, but always he knew that the truth in this case would be the worse thing he could say. By this time the girls had gained their full height; they were as tall as their mother, but not nearly as well filled out. They were intelligent, well schooled and quite handy with a weapon. He was so proud of them he nearly cried whenever he saw them. Rose noticed his emotions. "Dasher, you are as close to a father as the girls have ever had. I want you to know that they look up to you for all you've done for them; and for me. I don't know what we would have done without you!" She gave him a squeeze.

"Nor I you Rose. When I came here, it was under the directive that I protect you. I had no idea those cubs were yours. I am so very glad I was in the right place at the right time. It has been my honor to see them grow. Even more, it has been my honor to have been given the chance to earn your trust and love." She purred in his face. "The pleasure and honor is all mine." He gave her a fierce hug. He had no idea how he was ever going to leave her.

A few more months passed without incident. It was now the week of the Moon Festival, an archaic tradition in the kingdom. Rose explained that it had originated in the elder days, when the chunk of rock orbiting the planet had been worshiped as a goddess. "That is old silliness. But we still find it a wonderful time to have a celebration." Jon-Tom looked up and stared at the orb. I wonder about that, he thought. He would have to ask Eve if she had a sister.

The festival was a city-wide celebration, its purpose to give the citizens a chance at revelry and fun. It carried on day and night, allowing the more nocturnal  members of the kingdom an opportunity to enjoy themselves. Dasher and Rose made an appearance each day and at different hours, mingling with the happy revelers. On the third day, the two actually snuck off to a quiet corner and made love. Fear of discovery made it even more titillating. Of course, no one would have recognized  Rose as a snow leopard, but Dasher would have been accused of cheating on the princess. He was many times sorely tempted to transform as well, but always knew that if he did, he would have some heavy explaining to do. It would be difficult, for at this stage in history she was the only one so graced with the special power of transformation.

The two had just finished when it happened. He had no idea what was going on until he was in the thick of it. It was the flash of steel that caught his eye.  The problem was, he had left his weapon behind, at the palace. The festival was supposed to be an expression of joy and happiness. The only ones expressly allowed to carry swords were the guards. There wasn't one in sight. That was part of the reason they had come to this secluded spot. But a lack of a weapon was no deterant to either of them. Rose transformed to herself. He stayed as he was. Running to one side and dodging a blow, he ripped a support pole from an awning. He was now at least armed with a quarterstaff. With a quick thrust he hit the nearest attacker in the gut. In the next instant the sword went sailing in the air. A striped paw reached out and snagged it. Now they both were armed.

The first attacker was on the ground, the wind knocked out of his sails. Two more were pressing their advantage. He heard "Duck!" and dropped just in time for a swoosh to zip across the space he had just vacated. It was a swing from Rose, and it was strong enough to take the head off of an elephant. Sadly, it missed theirs by mere millimeters. It did have the effect of making the assassins a bit more wary of their targets. For the moment there was a standoff. Rose spoke to him. "These friends of yours perchance, dahling?" He shrugged noncommittally. "I doubt it. Can't figure out why anyone would would want to, or for that matter, be crazy enough to attack us." He was watching them warily. He wasn't afraid for his own life, but for that of his love. He could survive anything thrown at him.

He hated killing, but if this little band didn't back off, he was prepared to protect what was his. In anger he rushed forward, provoking a reaction. A sword came crashing down at his head. The staff went sideways into the other assailant. With his hands free, he caught the blade in between the palms of his paws a mere three inches from his scalp. With a twist he disarmed the fool. In the next instant the blade went sailing backward. Rose added it to her collection.

By now, the commotion had attracted more participants. Four more attackers came out of the shadows, apparently on reserve in case their fellows failed. A couple of them were big. He hated to think that they were tigers, but it was possible. He had heard rumors that the marriage had ruffled some feathers; that is, fur. He had never considered that there would be this kind of reaction to it. It was as bad as the way humans acted back home. Wars had been fought over less controversial matters.

This new group had other weapons, such as crossbows and pikes. The pikes didn't bother him, but the arrows would be hard to dodge. It was a quick glance that told him Rose hadn't assessed this new threat, for an archer had his weapon poised to fire. He was aiming at her. Since he didn't have a weapon of his own, Dasher's immediate options were limited. He could break form and magic the intruders away, or any variant from there to what they were doing now. He opted for something more dramatic. With preternatural speed, he intercepted the arrow. Sadly for him, it was with his shoulder.  He pulled it out and dropped it to the ground. A red stain grew and spread down his chest.

He turned to Rose and removed one of her swords from her paw. He dashed forward and took a swing at a pike bearer, the arc taking off the head...of the pike. The bearer of this weapon dropped the useless shaft and fled. But the cheetah had little time to ponder his retreat, for another pike was headed his way.  He dodged late, hardly worried if his body took damage. He could heal. The blade sliced down his side, spilling more blood. Rose cried out in anger. But before he could intervene, an arrow found its mark in Rose. It crippled her by sinking in deeply into her hip. She fell bellowing in rage and pain. Things just kept getting worse.

Out of nowhere appeared another form of persecution. Jon-Tom couldn't see the creature in the cloak, but a crackle of electricity spoke volumes. Whoever wanted them dead had hired a wizard! He was going to have pull forth his full power and squash this villain before he could hurt Rose. Therefore, he was glad when the first attack hit him first. It was the force of it that caught him off guard. There was a lot of power behind it, more than most of the wizards could ever have possessed. If he had been truly mortal, he would have been dead. As it was, it was enough to knock him down. He stood just in time to intercept a blast aimed at his love. He dashed sideways and took the full brunt of it. He hit the paving stones with smoke rising from his fur.

It was then that he heard a lively voice in his head. It was Eve. "Well husband, fun time is over. As much as I hate to break up a family, it's time to go." His anger was clear through their connection. Dammit Eve, you have the gall to harm my first love after all I've done for you?" She was only mildly apologetic. "She is crawling to you now. I hate to spell it out for you, but I would suggest you pull the arrow out and heal her,  It will be your last act of love. Then you need to die. Before you do I would suggest you say your goodbyes before departing. And leave the body. It'll do them good to have something to bury. Later we can come and I'll show you the unmarked grave."

He questioned that. Eve laughed. "Well you great fool, you yourself decreed that when you died, any reference to you should be erased. Within three months you will be stripped from everything but their memories. But you can't really die. Therefore, I had to step in and help out a bit. I think we messed up the time stream a little, but the ripples will fade quickly if we wrap this up now. And I do mean now!" Her voice went silent. In his ears he could hear Rose. She was sobbing. It nearly broke his heart. She was crawling across the paving stones, her eyes ablaze with rage. They were locked onto the "wizard", who with one fluid motion turned and vanished. The tigress roared in dismay

Dasher was in ruins. Inside the body he was awake and fine, but the outside was a hideous mess. In the dark, no one had seen it change for the worse. It was his doing. He needed his injuries to appear deadly, his countenance deathly. Those two blasts would have incinerated a dragon. Rose pulled him up on her lap, ignoring the pain of the arrow even when his body got snagged on it. "Don't you leave me!" She screamed. His arm fell to the side and snagged on the arrow. She hardly winced. He opened his eyes. "I'm sorry Rose. It was good while it lasted. It looks like I failed in my job. I swore to protect you and you got hurt. It's all my fault!"

She was shedding tears like a thunderstorm. "Don't you die on me. If you can survive a building crashing down on top of you, you can survive this!" He coughed, allowing a trickle of blood to flow. He hated putting on this show, put it seemed his only option. She felt a sharp pain in her hip, but fought it down and held him tighter. He coughed weakly, spitting out words that grew weaker by the syllable. "Sometimes you have to give it your all, and when your done, you have nothing left to give. Tell the girls I love them. I think you already know I love you. Some day perhaps we will meet again." With that he fell limp. His heart slowed to a stop.

It was only later, when Rose finally let go of his burned and ragged body, that she noticed that he had something in his hand. It was the arrow, still bright with her blood. He had pulled it out and healed the wound. It was his last gift to her. She would always remember it. But it was going to make keeping his last wish even harder. She wanted everyone to know of his great sacrifice. With his death, the world would never know. It was so very unfair.