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Tane Stoneclaw

I opened the door quickly and entered, slamming it shut. The human had his back turned to me and turned around with a grimace. I caught my breath as he began to speak.

"There you are," He began, "Tane Stoneclaw right?"

I frowned.

"How do you know that name?" I asked, setting my gear aside.

He blushed and looked down at his feet.

"Well I was curious about you," He began, awkwardly rubbing his arm, "I kinda read a letter that was sent to you."

I growled making him jump back.

"I-I'm sorry," He continued, "I just wanted to know more about the man who saved me."

As he spoke I walked forward to a loose floorboard and pried it up. Inside was a secret compartment that contained some money, food, and an ornate sword with a jeweled hilt. I put it on and sighed, turning back to look at the human.

"We'll talk about it later," I replied, "We need to go now."

"Why?" The human asked, "I really need some time to recover before we go anywhere."

"You aren't going to get that time," I began, gritting my teeth, "The people who are going after us aren't going to care."

"Us?" The human asked, "I figured you didn't really give a damn about me."

"I killed two horny centaurs to save your sorry hide," I replied, "I think that shows that I do give a damn."

"Well," James scoffed, "You didn't have to save me."

I scoffed, starting to put the food and money into a ragged pack.

"You royals are all the same," I muttered to myself.

The human scoffed in return and crossed his arms.

"I never took you for a hypocrite Prince Stoneclaw," The human replied mockingly, "Besides I'm just being realistic."

I growled and stood up, advancing on the human. He flinched, but stood his ground, puffing his chest out in what he assumed was an imposing posture. I sighed, and ran a paw through my head fur.

"Look," I began, "We kinda got off on the wrong foot. Do you mind if we give it another try?"

The human nodded and stuck out his hand.

"I'm James," He replied, "James Cycan, now that my husband was thankfully slain."

I smirked.

"I thought one was supposed to keep their late spouse's name," I began, "Especially when there is a throne involved."

The human heaved a sigh and rubbed his arm.

"Not in this case," He sighed and sat down, "Can I ask you a question?"

I nodded and leaned against the table in front of him. He took a deep breath and put his hands out on the table.

"Promise you won't think I'm weird?" James asked.

I smirked and chuckled.

"I already think you're weird," I replied, making the human smile slightly.

"What was your brother's name?" He asked with a blush.

I blinked.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked, looking him over suspiciously.

"It's a long story," James replied, "Can you just tell me his name?"

I sighed and pulled up a chair, sitting down across from the human. He looked me in the eyes as I did, something clearly troubling him.

"Well alright," I began, "His name was Norteim."

The human gasped and nearly jumped out of his seat. I blinked, watching him as he slowly reigned his emotions in. He took a deep breath and stood up.

"W-was?" He asked shakily, starting to pace.

"Yes," I replied calmly, "He died a long time ago."

"W-what," James began, "H-how?"

I sighed.

"There was an illness that ravaged my family's kingdom," I explained, "Norteim got it and died a month later."

"Was it bad?" James asked, rubbing his hands nervously.

I nodded, looking away from the human.

"When did that happen?" James asked, starting to pace faster.

"About ten years ago," I replied, "Pretty close to when you got married. I was there you know."

James frowned and kept pacing, completely ignoring my comment. I blinked and watch the human mutter to himself.

"Is something the matter?" I asked, "There's no way that you could have ever known him."

He stopped and sighed.

"Did he," The human began, "Could he do anything that was, I don't know, magical or anything like that?"

I nodded.

"He was a telepath," I replied, "He got really good at it towards the end. It was like something turned that power on full blast. He loved talking about it and the things and places he saw and felt."

James bit his lip and fainted. I jumped up and quickly caught him before he fell to the ground. He groaned in my arms, his eyes slowly opening. I frowned and gently shook him awake, trying to avoid jostling his injured arm.

"What is going on?" I asked, "Why does this affect you so much?"

He stayed silent and looked away from me.

"Tell me," I growled, "He was my brother, and I have the right to know."

He began to cry. I sighed and hugged him to me, rubbing his back. He looked up and made eye contact with me, his cheeks streaked with tears.

"I saw your brother for the first time after my wedding," James replied.

I blinked with surprise and frowned.

"That isn't possible," I stated, "That can't be possible."

The human stayed silent and I snarled.

"Tell me damn it," I continued, "Explain yourself now."

My arms tightened around his body and injured arm, making him cry out in pain.

"I saw him in my dreams," He gasped, biting his lip to keep from crying out, "I-It was a black wolf and he said his name was Norteim. H-he looked like you b-but you know younger."

"How old was he?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

"H-he was thirteen when I met him," James replied, "I'm not lying to you."

I growled and let him go. He backed away from me, his eyes wide with fear. I stood up and bared my teeth, advancing on him. He whimpered and started to shiver at the display of my anger. I pinned him to the wall and moved my teeth over his neck.

"P-please," He began, shrinking back against the wall.

I snapped, making him jump and stand still.

"You tell me right now," I snarled, "Are you sure? Are you absolutely fucking sure?"

He whimpered and nodded. I growled loudly, staring angrily into his eyes. He was quaking in fear now, his breathing coming in ragged gasps.

"TELL ME," I shouted, punching the wall by his head.

"Y-yes," He replied quietly, "I-I'm sure."

I snarled and threw him down away from the wall. James staggered to his feet, wide-eyed. I angrily continued to pack, violently throwing things into the rugged sack. He looked over me and began to walk slowly into the bedroom. I turned to look at him.

"If you are keeping my brother from finding peace," I began, barely containing my anger, "I will turn you over to the bears. I swear on his grave and on the graves of my family that I will ensure that you are hung from the neck until dead or worse."

He whimpered and quickly shuffled up the stairs and to the lost. I growled and hit the table before stalking back outside. I paced, muttering angrily under my breath. The human's mount walked up the path to my house, a deer in its jaws. I sighed.

"You might as well eat that for yourself," I began, "We need to leave."

The tiger blinked and set the deer down.

"Well alright," He replied, "Is James ok?"

I nodded.

"He's just taking a nap," I replied, "Go ahead out into the forest Suori, I'll take care of things here, just be sure and be back before sundown."

"Are you sure?" Suori asked, "I should really take help you take care of him too."

I shook my head and sighed.

"Really my friend it's more than alright," I began, "I'll see you at sundown ok?"

The tiger rumbled and nodded, picking up his kill and walking back into the woods. I sighed and leaned against the outside of my cabin. Suddenly I felt another earth-shattering headache come on. I coughed and hit the ground, my face in the dirt. A heavy pair of paws stepped on my neck, pushing it into the ground.

"I asked you to do one thing brother," A familiar voice replied, "I will not ask you again and this is the last warning that I will give you."

"W-what?" I replied, looking up as the voice took its paw off of my neck.

My brother stood above me, both there and not there. He shimmered in the sunlight and was almost transparent. I gasped and crawled back against the wall of my cabin.

"I can't break the rules and show myself to you again," Norteim replied, "But this is an insult I cannot ignore."

I whimpered.

"H-he's keeping you from peace," I began, "I-I mean, you can't possibly expect me to think that he's not keeping you here against your will."

"He is my peace," Norteim replied with a frown, "Keeping him safe and making him feel loved was the only thing that kept me from wandering the earth for eternity."

I whined.

"Then he is keeping you from peace," I said, coming to my feet, "Just let me stop him and then you can move on."

"I don't want to move on," He replied with a frown, "He still needs me, and until the day he doesn't I will be there for him."

"Then why don't you just kill him and be done with it?" I asked, "Then you can have him, and he'll be out of my fur."

Norteim snarled and punched me in the side of my muzzle. I whined and held my face, feeling a chill as the initial pain faded away. I pulled myself to my feet, cowering away from my brother. He grabbed my face, looking into my eyes. I shivered, feeling colder by the minute.

"If you ever treat him like that or talk about him like that again," My brother began, "I will make your afterlife hell."

I whimpered and nodded.

"Now apologize and make it good," He continued, his voice dripping with malice as he gripped my face harder, "You keep him safe. You keep him happy. And most importantly, you keep him alive."

I nodded again furiously and he set me down. I gasped, rubbing my face to bring the warmth back to it. He turned his back to me and began to fade away. I shuddered and watched until he was completely gone. The door behind me creaked open, and James tapped me on the shoulder.

"I-I heard some noises," He began, "A-are you ok?"

I nodded, getting up and dusting myself up.

"I'm ok," I replied, "Go back inside, I'll get you some dinner."

James nodded and turned to go back inside. I sighed and grabbed some bread and cheese. James was sitting on the bed, looking at me warily. I handed him the food and sat at the foot of it. He began to eat, still keeping his gaze on me.

"I'm sorry ok," I began, "I, well, I overreacted."

"That's one way to put it," James replied with a scoff, "You could have killed me."

I whined, my ears flat against my head.

"Are you always so angry?" He asked me, setting the food to the side, "I mean my old husband never got that bad, and he was a real mean bastard."

I sniffled, rubbing my arm.

"I-I just," I began, cursing myself inwardly for the show of weakness, "My brother is somewhat of a sore spot with me."

James rubbed my paw softly, his hand shaking lightly. I took it and sighed, holding it softly.

"Why?" James asked, "Did something happen?"

I nodded.

"Well what?" He continued, "I think that I might be with you for a while. There shouldn't be any secrets between us if I stick with you."

"I wasn't there," I began, "I was at your wedding when he died. All he wanted was for me to be at home with him, and my parents made me leave him to go to your stupid wedding."

"They made you leave him?" James asked, rubbing my arm, "I mean I thought you would have had a choice."

"I didn't get one," I sighed, "It was my duty to the family to go."

James held my paw tighter and sighed.

"I don't suppose I can blame you for being upset," James began, "But well, I'm sure he doesn't blame you."

I nodded, wiping my eyes. The human beside me yawned and let go of my paw.

"Hey I know we need to leave," James began, "But can it wait till the morning? It would be nice to sleep in a real bed tonight.

"Well," I began, getting up from the bed, "I guess that would be ok. You need to be ready to move if something happens though."

James nodded and got into bed his eyes quickly closing. I sighed and moved to the loft, resting my elbows on the windowsill. The sun had just set, casting the woods into twilight. I smiled, keeping watch as I heard James begin to faintly snore downstairs.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

James

I quickly found myself back in the room in which I saw Norteim in my dreams. I sighed and stood at the door, watching him. He was sitting at the foot of the bed, deep in thought, his foot paw rapping against the floorboards. He looked up at me.

"I suppose you have questions don't you?" He asked, "You must understand I had to wait until you were ready before I told you anything."

I sighed and nodded, rubbing my arm.

"I guess I just feel betrayed," I replied, "I thought you were going to rescue me from him in the flesh."

He whined and looked down, his ears plastered to his head.

"I guess it wasn't meant to be like that then," I continued with a sigh, "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

The wolf smiled weakly.

"Well I suppose it was because I didn't want you to throw yourself off a tower because of me," Norteim replied as he looked up at me, "I wanted to have a chance for a better life."

"How did you know I was going to get a better life?" I asked, "I mean what else do you know?"

The wolf chuckled and stood up, stretching his body out. He came up to me and took my hand, leading me to the window. I blushed and stood against him, letting him hold me with his free arm. He kissed my neck and sighed, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"I know a lot," He replied, "For example, I knew that your husband would be assassinated eventually, and that you would meet my brother eventually."

I blinked.

"Eventually?" I asked, "Surely you must be more certain about things."

He shook his head.

"I know what is going to happen to everyone I choose to examine," He replied, "I just don't know when."

"So you could tell me how I die?" I asked, looking back into his eyes.

"I know how you die, yes," Norteim began, moving both of his paws to my waist, "But I'm not going to tell you."

I moved out of his grasp and sighed, leaning my back against the windowsill. The wolf sighed and looked away.

"I said too much," He began as he turned away from me.

"Wait," I said, grabbing his paw and squeezing it, "Why can't you tell me?"

"I could tell you," Norteim replied, "But what good would that do."

I sighed.

"I guess I don't understand," I began, "I mean it couldn't hurt to know."

Norteim snorted and began to laugh.

"It would do all the harm in the world if I told you," He replied between laughs, "Let's say you were to die from poisoning, you would never be able to eat another meal or trust another person again without fearing that they would be the person to do it."

"So is that how I die then?" I asked with a smirk, "Poisoning."

He sighed and shook his head.

"I don't like thinking about it," He replied, moving over to stand in front of me.

He hugged me and started to kiss me, pressing himself against me. I blushed and kissed back, doing my best to keep his tongue out of my mouth. Norteim pulled back, looking me over.

"Is everything alright?" He asked with a smirk, "Normally I have to pull you off of me."

I sighed and looked back out the window, putting my back to him.

"I'm curious," I began, "How did you ever find me?"

"Let me get you in bed with me before I tell you that story," The wolf replied with a chuckle, sweeping me up into his arms with a series of increasingly wet kisses.

I blushed and smiled, letting him tuck me in like he used to when I was a child. He got under the blankets with me and held me close, kissing my cheek with a smile. I rubbed his back and giggled as I felt his tail start to thump against my leg.

"Now come on you turkey," I began, "Tell me the story."

He chuckled and laid beside me.

"Well when I died," He replied, "I wasn't ready to pass on, because I felt that I should have helped people more."

"Why'd you think that?" I asked as I cuddled up to his chest.

"That was how I died you know," He continued, "I was helping the priests of my country heal the sick, and in the process I caught it."

I stayed silent and played with his chest fur, swirling it around my fingers.

"Anyway," he began, "As I was coming to terms with what had happened to me, I heard screams. Now there are lots of noises on the other side of existence, but these were the loudest."

"Was that me?" I asked, looking up into his eyes.

"I followed them," He replied, stroking my cheek and making eye contact with me, "You were dreaming that you were in your bed, and your husband was having his way with you. I assume this was the night that he consummated your marriage."

I shuddered at the memory and moved a hand unconsciously to the three scars on my back.

"W-well what did you do?" I began shakily, pressing myself against the wolf more.

He kissed my forehead and held me tighter to him.

"I made a choice," He began with a smile, "I protected you. When you needed a friend, I was your friend. When you needed a lover, I was your lover. What matters is that you brought me more peace then the afterlife could ever provide."

I smiled back and sniffled giving him a deep and passionate kiss. His tail began to wag again as he tenderly rubbed and caressed my body.

"Will you ever pass on?" I asked as we broke apart.

Norteim nodded.

"When the time comes that you no longer need me," The wolf began, "I will leave for the afterlife."

"And when I die?" I asked, holding his paw tighter.

"When the time comes that you do die," Norteim replied, moving my hand to his lips, "I will be there for you, and I will give you everything you ever wanted of me in this life."

I smiled and kissed him. He frowned and broke away from me, looking down at me with a serious look in his eyes.

"It must be your time to pass on though," Norteim began, "If you kill yourself or do something incredibly stupid to get yourself killed, there is little chance that I will be able to actually collect you."

I blinked in surprise.

"Not that I was planning to do that," I replied, "But why?"

Norteim sighed and lightened his gaze.

"Death is very confusing," He began, "Dying before your time makes it even worse and there's a very good chance that you could end up in a horrible place."

"Worse than hell?" I asked.

Norteim nodded.

"It would be your own hell," He began, "There are entities out on the other side that would love a chance to get their claws on you."

I shuddered.

"They are responsible for your fears and nightmares," He continued, "That is part of the reason I moved the spot you see me from your childhood room to this place."

Smoke began to billow through the small room. Norteim growled and kissed me passionately one more time. I began to cough and felt the fabric of the room begin to unravel around me.

"You do as Tane says now," He began, "I'll see you soon alright."

I nodded and gasped as the bed gave out from under me. I screamed, seeing the ground grow closer and closer before finally fading into black.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tane

"James," I began, shaking him violently, "James we need to go now."

A group of royal guards had attacked my house and had set it on fire. I had a secret passageway out of the house, but the chance to use it was decreasing by the second. James slowly woke up, his eyes growing wide at the sight of dancing orange flames behind me. He sat up with a start and winced, getting to his feet.

I grabbed him by his uninjured arm and led him to the hidden passageway under the floor. He looked at me and stopped in his tracks.

"Where is Suori?" He asked, "Is he ok?"

I nodded.

"He's waiting for us in the woods," I replied, "Just go, I'll follow you."

James dropped into the passage way and began to crawl. I sighed, taking one last look at my home, before dropping down and sealing the hidden door behind me. The pack rustled in my paw as I slung the pack over my shoulder.

"I can't see anything," James began in front of me, "Don't you have any lights?"

I sighed and closed my eyes, holding my paw out in front of me. I took a deep breath and concentrated, bringing up teachings that I had buried deep in my consciousness. Energy began to course through my arm and pool at my fingertips. A bright orange light began to radiate from my palm, flickering slowly as my heart beat.

"You're a mage!" James gasped, looking back at me in shock.

I growled.

"Shut up and move," I replied, "I need to block off this passageway before the floor caves in."

James nodded and crawled faster. I sighed and moved up through the tunnel. There was a cubic boulder that was nestled in the wall. I gripped the edge and pulled, moving it out where I had just came from. With a loud grunt, I finally pushed it into place. From the other side, the start of the passageway would have just looked like added storage space.

I came out of the tunnel into a heavily wooded grove. My old home was close, but thankfully out of sight. I began to crawl, finally getting to an old streambed. James gasped, rubbing some soot out of his clothes.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, getting down lower in the streambed.

James nodded.

"You're a mage?" James asked.

I motioned for him to stay quiet and he nodded. He moved closer to me and rubbed my arm. I frowned as he pulled back, his fingers stained red.

"You're bleeding," He began, "Do you have any medical supplies?"

I frowned, pushed him away, and began to concentrate again. I gasped and panted, falling over from the exertion. James gasped and held my head up, looking at me concernedly.

"I-I haven't done anything like that in a while," I began, "I really don't like magic."

"Why not?" James asked, "I thought mages were really favored in courts and life and stuff."

I frowned and sat up, rubbing my arm and looking away.

"I just don't," I replied, "Now come on, let's find Suori and get out of here."

James nodded and waited for me to lead the way. I got up slowly and moved deeper into the forest. As I walked, the foliage became spattered with blood. James gasped.

"Is that you?" He asked, skirting around the bushes.

I shook my head and gasped as we came to a clearing. James sobbed and ran forward, collapsing beside Suori's limp and lifeless body. I sighed walking forward and examining the tiger's body. He had taken a blade to the back of his neck and had bled out as he fled from his assailant. I got behind James and lifted him up, holding him to me.

"W-we need to bury him," He began, wiping his eyes, "W-We can't let them find him."

I sighed and held his hand.

"Come on," I replied gently, "We need to go or we'll end up like him."

He sniffled and nodded, lowering his head. I began to lead him away from the scene, putting my arm around his shoulder as we went deeper into the forest.