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_ Forging Rust _

by Reserved Rodent

co-authored with AJH

Chapter Seven

Did you break something?

Just before dawn the next morning, as the camp began getting ready to start the next day, Rust lay with Sid curled against him in the hay, both coated in sweat and cum. The fox whimpered happily as the rat slowly awoke behind him.

"Thank you... Squire Rusty..."

Squeezing the fox closer, the rodent nuzzled his lover's black-furred ear. "You were, and still are, amazing."

His ear flicking against Rust's nose, the smaller male continued to whimper. "I've never been had so hard before..."

"I didn't hurt you, did I, Sid?"

"No... No..." The fox gently licked the rat's chest. "I needed it..."

"Ah." Smiling, Rust licked the fox's other ear while rubbing his back. "I'm glad you chose me to help you satisfy that need."

"Are you kidding?" Sid smiled up at the rat. "I wanted you since the day Lord Chase brought you to the camp."

"Really? I was not in the best of shape when he first got me."

"Really." The fox rubbed noses with the rat. "Come, Rusty, we should clean up."

"I still," the larger Squire said, standing up and offering a paw to help Sid rise, "have moments where I am a little rough around the edges."

Laughing softly, the fox opened the stall door and strode outside. He grabbed a rag from a hook and dipped it into a pail of cold water, waving for the rat to come over. "True, but you were almost naked. I'd have wanted you for your body alone."

Several other Squires, more than normally worked the stables, looked over as the naked rat walked over to join Sid. With grins, they turned back to their work as if nothing unusual were going on. To Rust's eyes, only one of the lot was doing actual, productive chores.

Smiling, the smaller Squire started rubbing down the rat with the rag, dipping in the pail as needed. He cleaned the sweat, musk and cum off the larger male's muscular body. When wet, the gray fur got a little darker and the red patches and spots shone out brightly. The fur also lay down flatter, revealing the muscle definition formed by hard excesses and a better diet.

Once finished, Sid stood, giving Rust's sheath a quick lick as he rose.

One of the wolves sharpening a sword nearby made an appreciative bark.

The rat's ears reddened slightly. He took the rag from the fox's paw, kneeling to rinse it clean then began returning the favor.

Sid raised his arms and spread his legs to make the cleaning easier.

The wolf gave another appreciative bark.

With a sly grin, the fox looked over at the wolves. "Quiet Raskal." The fox laughed.

Focusing on getting his fellow Squire cleaned up well rather than spending time being embarrassed, Rust's ears had stopped blushing. He did look up and flash a big grin when he felt the shorter male looking back down at him.

"To be fair," he said, wiping the foxes balls though Sid was completely clean everywhere now, "I want to bark appreciatively at how good you look too."

Sid was thankful his black fur helped hide his own blush at the rat's words.

"Hail! Rodent!" Balen's deep voice called from the other side of the stables. "Rodent!"

Rust stood up and tossed the rag into the pail. "If you mean Squire Rust, I'm on the south side of the stables!" the rodent hollered back.

His keen hearing caught the black-furred wolf laughing. "See, I told you he'd know it was him."

"You answer to Rodent, now?" Sid asked, giving the rat a stern look.

"To be fair, it's an improvement over what he called me last night."

Before the fox could inquire, an ocelot Squire in a black jerkin padded over, a wry smile spreading on his face upon taking in the two naked males. "Squire Rust, your lord is going to duel his lord," the feline thumbed at Sid, "for the right to lead the raiding party tomorrow night."

The rat opened his mouth but paused mid breath, ears folding down as he gritted his teeth.

Rust took a deep, relaxing breath before responding to the messenger. "Thank you for alerting me, Squire Denil."

The ocelot pulled his gaze back up to the rat's eyes, nodded then trotted away, looking back at the two males more than once.

Turning to face Sid, who was smiling and looking up and down the rat himself, Rust placed his paws on the shorter male's shoulders. "It looks like we will both be needed by our lords." When the rat smiled, Sid noticed that Rust was grinding his teeth.

The fox pet the larger male's chest. "We had a great night. We knew they'd need us today sooner or later."

"Yes... But... I am wanting to be 'rough around the edges' with them. A duel? Is that really how they decide things?"

Sid chuckles. "It's nothing serious." The fox spanked Rust's bare rump. "The lords duel all the time."

"So I've heard. So I've heard. It's just..." The rat wrapped his arms around the fox and gave him a tight hug and a passionate kiss. Several of the Squires watching barked and whistled. "There's much better ways to get rid of extra testosterone."

"True that." The fox giggled.

Rust winked and released Sid, who had to take a step to regain his balance. The rat headed back to the stall to grab his clothes with the fox following quickly after.

As they got their loincloths and jerkins sorted out, the rat shook his head. "I've not had to assist my lord with one of these before. Is there anything I need to know before I go to him?"

"We'll both need to get fully dressed with swords. They won't make us be their second or anything for something like this, but it's tradition. They're good friends and have fought many battles together. I doubt we will have to, but be prepared to stop them if they try to take this too far."

With a firm nod, Rust dusted a bit of hay off the fox's jerkin. "Noted. Hopefully they'll be back to telling each other dirty jokes real quick."

Clothes on, the two quickly walked to their lord's tents. They dashed inside get fully dressed.

Rust pulled his jerkin off as soon as he entered, his tail unfastening his loincloth's belt. He tossed the clothes in the nearly full basket of clothes waiting to be cleaned. He quickly put on a fresh loincloth, pulled on pants and decided to go with his best jerkin. He adjusted the scabbard at his lower back to be able to strap a sword to his back as well as at his side. He thought about a second sword on his belt, but went with another dagger instead. If his lord was going to go through the formality of a duel, Rust would at least look like he was taking it seriously - even if he wanted to scream at Chase to handle it differently.

Rust stepped from the tent to the alley just as Sid was walking over from Lord Gunner's tent. The fox looked spotless and crisp, like stepping from a castle rather than a tent near the warfront. Rust felt like he probably looked closer to the barbarians than a real Squire.

Grinning, Sid gave an approving nod. "You look like quite the one man army, Squire Rusty. Let's get over to the ring so they can get started."

"So if we don't go they can't start?" the rat asked hopefully, even as he turned to walk beside the fox to the practice rings.

"No, it means they will do it without us watching and then come punish us for not living up to our duty."

Rust sighed. "It figures."

"Relax. They'll be fine.

By the time they approached the arena, Chase and the big rhino were sharing a pipe on the edge of the ring. Lord Gunner saw the approaching squires first and nosed his horn towards them.

The Lynx turned, sniffing the air. His eyes met Rust's and narrowed.

The rat walked up to the large feline, his own eyes locked and glaring at his lord. "Good morning, sir."

A wry smile spread across the lynx's face. "I'm sorry to drag you away from your..." Chase gave Sid a quick look. "Activities."

The fox blushed hard and bowed before escorting Lord Gunner to the opposite side of the ring.

Remembering he was here for traditional reasons, the rat gave a respectful bow to his lord. "These things, I have been led to believe, happen. Just make sure the two of you don't weaken our chances on the raid too much. Cody made it sound like an arduous climb over dangerous mountain terrain. If you rough each other up too bad, the winner might not be able to claim his prize."

Lord Chase let out an amused snort. "It's just to first blood. The winner leads the raid. The loser heads the main attack force once the brigands are off balance and their defenses weak. We will crush them on two fronts."

The rhino had Sid armoring up his legs and hips, leaving his torso and head bare.

Rust silently armored his lord up similarly - efficiently making sure each piece was perfect. He handed Chase his broadsword once finished.

The lynx tested the weapons weight and his armor's flexibility. Satisfied with the fit, he locked eyes with his Squire. "Speak. You have something to say."

Keeping his lord's gaze, but without the glare from earlier, the rodent spoke carefully. "The plan as you described it needs both parties to succeed for the victory to be complete. Both will bring great honor and glory. Our enemy will not be less dangerous when their fortifications are popped. They will be desperate and thus more deadly. It seems a waste of energy to fight and shed our own blood to decide who goes where. That said, make sure you are the one who goes on the mountain paths. Lord Gunner is a fine warrior, but I'd not trust his weight and big feet on a mountain path the size and strength of my pinky finger."

Lord Chase reached up and carefully gripped the rat's jawline. He squeezed gently. "You... will make a fine Knight. Though I will admit I'm disappointed you think me so weak a sparring match will exhaust me for tomorrow." The feline held his Squire's gaze for several seconds before releasing the rodent and walking to meet the axe-wielding rhino in the center of the ring.

Behind him, Rust muttered. "Accidents happen. Tempers flare. Be careful, sir."

In the ring, the lynx drew his broadsword, holding it across his body in a guard. "First blood, Gunner, as usual."

The rhino grunted.

As one, both Knights raised their weapons and began circling each other.

On the edge of the ring, Rust frowned as the crowd watching this began placing bets. From the sidelines, several soldiers started pounding drums to underscore the bout.

The two Knights crossed blades in opening gambits, axe and broadsword spitting sparks. Gunner had longer reach and greater strength due to his size, but that same mass made him slower than the feline.

Denil leaned on the railing next to Rust, giving him a grin. "50 on your master, handsome?"

The rat turned to look at the ocelot, giving a return grin as he mentally went over the funds he had before sticking out a paw. "I'll wager 75 on Lord Chase."

The ocelot slapped Rust's paw. "Agreed, 75 on the rhino." The feline turned his attention back to the match and cheered as Lord Gunner backhanded Chase, sending him stumbling.

The lynx deflected a heavy follow-up blow, back-flipping away, somehow keeping a hold on his blade in the process.

On the sidelines, Rust tried not to grind his teeth with impotent frustration.

He didn't hide his tension too well, though, as Denil slapped his back, paw then rubbing his shoulder. "Relax, greenhorn. The Knights never let this go too far." The ocelot gestured at two heavily armored Knights waiting nearby, watching closely.

In the ring, Chase rolled between the rhino's legs before attempting a clumsy swing. Gunner deflected it and reposted. The axe buzzed past the lynx's bare chest, scantly missing.

The ocelot's feline paw continued rubbing the rat's back, though not making headway with relaxing the rodent.

"I recognize that Knights are better trained and have more control than thugs in back streets." Rust shook his head. "But I've seen too many times when a simple accident happens in friendly duels. There's so little difference between first blood and a crippling or fatal wound with weapons flying this fast."

The ocelot leaned closer. "Trust them. You'll be doing stuff like this in practices before you know it. You'll understand then. Until then, trust your master."

Chase had recovered and was raining blows on Gunner's cross-guard, forcing the rhino to step back, heavily.

"I do. There's just so much that even he can't control that could go wrong. And if they do, I'm helpless to do anything about them."

The crowd roared as a punch from Gunner left Chase's jaw bleeding.

Staggering back, the lynx clumsily blocked two more strikes.

"Isn't that first blood?" the rat asked, paw gripping Denil's arm tightly.

Rust tensed to rush out and intervene. The fight should be finished with his lord bleeding!

Before he could take a step, the rat saw Chase's footpads digging into the sand in preparation for a familiar move.

"The bleeding has to be from the chest, greenhorn," the ocelot laughed. "Here comes my 75."

The lynx looked stunned, deflecting one more blow before staggering back further.

The drums roared.

The crowed screamed their excitement.

Rust relaxed. He trusted his master. He knew his form well, and recognized a move that had defeated him more than once before.

Grinning, overconfident, the rhino stepped in and swung hard.

However, Chase, having recovered, was quicker than the larger Knight. He stepped inside Gunners guard, punched the rhino's broad muzzle with the pommel of his broadsword, and disarmed him. The axe went spinning, the huge rhino stumbling back, unconsciously reaching for his bleeding lips.

The lynx stepped in and tripped the rhino onto his back with a sweeping, armored foot-paw.

It looked so easy to the rat when seeing it performed on someone other than himself.

"I hate it when he does that to me." Rust grinned at the open-mouthed ocelot.

Chase nicked the rhino's chest with his sword. The roar of the crowd overwhelmed the drums.

Rust patted Denil's shoulder. "Thank you for helping this greenhorn learn the rules. First blood from the chest makes for a completely different match."

The lynx offered a hand to help Lord Gunner regain his feet. The feline's jaw was still bleeding lightly.

Still staring grumpily at the ring, Denil took a bag of coins from his belt and held it out to the rat. "Here's the 50 I brought with me. I'll get you the rest by nightfall, wretch."

Rust took the coins with a grin. "Don't be so sour. You approached me."

Tail lashing, the other Squire grumbled. "Yeah. Shouldn't have let you raise the bet, though. I'm grumpy at myself for getting greedy, not you. I imagined maybe..." The ocelot chuckled, but then took a knee as Lord Chase approached them.

"A good bout, hm, Squire?"

Rust - having decided that he needed to start showing his respect - knelt as well. "Yes sir. Very impressive. It was nice to see what the disarming move looks like from a different perspective."

The lynx wiped his blood from his jaw yet again. "Come. To the tent."

Silently, the rat rose and followed his lord.

Chase's longer legs covered the distance easily. He went inside his tent without pausing to check if his Squire had followed and strode inside. He wiped the blood from his jaw again, setting his weapon down on the table.

Upon entering and hearing his lord grunt in pain, the rat quickly grabbed a clean rag and the medical supplies. "Did you break something?"

"No... but if you would be so kind..." The lynx started looking himself over for wounds. "A good check up is called for after you get me out of my armor."

"Yes sir." the rat set down the supplies, working quickly to strip Chase down to his loincloth.

The muscular lynx had a few scrapes and his jaw had bled on his fur in a few places. Combined - the dirt and sweat from the match made him look feral.

Without a word, Rust cleaned and treated the minor wounds his lord had suffered.

"You're awfully quiet. I figured you'd have questions. Turns out I'm leading a raid."

"I never doubted you were up to the task, sir."

The feline laughed gently. "I should hope that would be the case, Squire. You will come with me on the raid."

"If you wish it, I would be honored, Lord Chase." The rat finished treating the last scrape and put away the medical supplies, grabbing the brushes for cleaning fur.

"I would have such a good Squire by my side, despite it being a Knight's mission. Now..." The lynx sat in his big chair before Rust could start brushing his fur, "care for my footpads and tell me of the fox."

Setting all but the smallest brush and a rag on the table, the rat proceeded to sit before the large Knight and take his right foot into his lap to start cleaning and massaging it. "He is a nice young fox. Tends to be submissive with me. He's been told his small size makes it likely he will be a bowman rather than a Knight."

Lord Chase let out a sigh as the rat's fingers kneaded his sore foot-pads. With his arms crossed and held over his belly, the feline looked very comfortable as he leaned his head back and looked up at the canvas top of the tent. "I see... and you are aware Squires are forbidden to breed, as such?"

Eyes shooting up, Rust managed to keep working on the paw in his surprise. "I... What?"

The lynx smiled down at the rodent. "Squires are not allowed to procreate. It's an unwritten law of the order. Thankfully, it's not one we enforce much these days." The feline laughed. "So relax. You're in no trouble with me. That said, if anyone else were to ask..." Chase wiggled his toes. "I'd keep your mouth shut."

"Um... technically, there was no procreation that went on," Rust said softly.

Lord Chase tilted his head and held the rat's gaze.

"What?" The rat's innocent look was ruined as he frowned when his fingers encountered a rough knot of fur between two foot pads. He leaned down to nibble it lose with his incisors and then lick the rest back into place before looking up again. "He's not going to get pregnant. I made sure he wasn't in heat... well, ovulating."

The lynx laughed heartily. "You are such a smart-ass, Squire! Some Lords wouldn't appreciate it."

"I am well aware that I am fortunate you were the one who found me in the slave market and bought me. I am trying to learn how to properly behave in your world."

"I know." The lynx spoke softly. "I will see you right, my Squire. It is rare for a commoner to be made one of your rank, but it has been done."

Satisfied he had done all he could with the right foot, Rust moved to the left. "So... there's an unwritten rule that Squires can't have sex. It isn't policed heavily and happens commonly enough that every Squire knew where it happens... except me until last night... Is what he and I... What you and I have done, wrong to do, then?"

The powerful lynx leaned forward and gently gripped the rat's jaw. "It is an ancient rule which we pay only lip-service to these days. Squires must remain celibate until Knighthood. It is not something we worry about. Just... don't go crowing about your lay to the campfires..."

Rust's ears reddened. "I... was only slightly embarrassed when I saw all the Squires hanging around the stables this morning who had to have known what happened in the stall. I don't get why they felt they needed to be hanging around like that because of what happened, but it's their time to waste. But just because I'm not worried if furs know I enjoyed a good romp with a handsome male, I'm not the kind to go bragging about conquests like I've heard others do."

Releasing the rat's jaw, Lord Chase leaned back and folded his arms again. "Squire Rust, relax. You're under my protection - you will be a Knight once I've buffed the country bumpkin out of you. Besides. You have a body anyone would worship until the cows come home. I understand why they wanted a glimpse."

Rust's ears grew so hot and red that they started sweating. "Thank you, sir. I hope the buffing takes."

"You're a quick study." The feline wiggled his toes, bringing the rat's attention back to his left foot sitting in his lap. With a quiet laugh, he added, "So get back to work and tell me what you two lovers were up to last night."

"I am not bragging, sir, when I say that I lost count of how many times I planted my seed in him. He and I did not try a lot of different positions, but we made use of the basics a lot. I do know we got, at most, an hour or two of sleep last night."

Purring, the feline laughed softly. "My, my... You are a horny thing, aren't you?"

"I blame all the good food, physical activity and my big balls."

"Laughing again, the Knight playfully pushed his Squire back onto the hay of the floor, holding him there with his big foot-paw. "Big balls, you say?"

Joining in the laughter, Rust nodded as he stroked the lynx's calf. "So I've been told."

Looking down at the rat, Chase paused in his laughter. "You are sworn to my service, my Squire, but please remember - if there is something I'm making you do that's uncomfortable, please tell me."

The rat smiled up and nodded. "Of course, sir.."

"It would surprise some of my peers to find Lord Chase, Master of Blak Valley, finding comfort in foot rubs and cuddles." The lynx frowned with a light chuckle as he shook his head.

"I can't help that other folks don't understand or get jealous, sir. I feel you being like this makes you a better rounded lord." Rust's paws continued to rub the Knight's leg.

Chuckling with a smile again, the feline slowly rubbed the rat's crotch with his foot-pad. "Please don't let it slip that I'm really a softy."

"Your secret is safe with me." Rust squeezed Chase's leg. "I would like to talk about dueling, though. I was not happy to hear about you dueling because I didn't understand anything about them. I am still not sure what the official stance on them is, but at least I didn't make a fool of myself by jumping out and attacking Lord Gunner when he bloodied your jaw and kept attacking."

Lord Chase stopped rubbing his Squire and stared down at him.

"The street fights I am used to, that would have been first blood. It's more avoiding blows like you took, than your way, but getting a winning blow in is harder for this style."

"Squire, you were going to protect me - from Lord Gunner?"

"I would have tried. Hopefully given you time to recover. Luckily, Denil told me the way the Brotherhood treats first blood before I did anything. Because that way, I caught you setting up for the disarm. I think I know how it works better than I did seeing you do it to me all those times."

"Gunner and I - most Knights when they duel one another - do first blood from the chest. There are times we do something different for various reasons, but those are rare. It is good you did not interrupt by trying to attack Gunner."

"True. I would not have won the bet then. Which... um... I would guess from everything that went on today that the Brotherhood officially sanctions duels as well as bets on them?"

"Yes. Both the duels and betting on them is good for moral." The lynx's heavily scarred feet both rested upon the rat - one still on his crotch, the other on his chest. "Did you win?"

"Of course, sir. You did."

Removing his footpads from his Squire's body, Lord Chase smiled down. "What are you going to spend the money on?"

Rust sat up, shaking his head. "I'm not sure. In all honesty, I'm not entirely sure what all I should be buying in this new life I'm leading."

Nodding gently, the Knight stood up. "You'll learn. Sid will help you out, I'm sure. Bathe with me."

The rat got to his feet. "Of course, sir."

The pair padded to the back of the large tent, where a rudimentary shower was set up, a low fire - lit by the domestic workers earlier - heating the water.

The lynx folded his arms as he admired the clumsy contraption - little more than a bucket on a stick over a thick layer of hay. "This is a reare pleasure indeed. Only Knights can enjoy a shower away from the manual shower blocks. Enjoy it."

Rust started taking off his clothing, catching the loincloth the lynx tossed at his head and adding it to the growing pile. "Will there be time for me to get the laundry done after we finish cleaning you up?"

"Yes, though I want you at the training arena this afternoon to go through the swordsmanship drills with the rest of the Squires. You've been showing great talent in practice with me, but the repetition and working with others will help ingrain moves."

Shedding the last of his clothes, the rat started the shower and put his paw in the spray to check the temperature.

Chase slowly ran a paw through Rust's rump crack slowly, making his Squire raise his tail.

"Checking my temperature, sir?"

"It's been a long morning," the lynx smiled and gave Rust a playful push into the spray.

"Squeak!" Rust laughed and pulled the feline in beside him. "If you weren't going out and getting in fights at such early hours, you might--"

Lord Chase kissed his Squire hard. While surprised at first, the rat kissed back passionately as their fur got soaked in the shower. The feline's fur darkened to almost black when wet, while water brought out the red spots in the rodent's fur.

The Knight's paws roamed over the rat's body, squeezing, groping and touching while Rust tried to at least lather up the lynx's fur with his wandering fingers.

Finally, the larger male raised his arms and faced the spray, letting the suds wash out. He purred happily as the rodent's hands continued to roam over his powerful muscles, ensuring he was rinsed clean.

"I love hearing that sound. It's a wonderful noise." Rust said, giving one last grope to make sure there was no soap lingering under the lynx's balls.

Smiling, Lord Chase took the sponge and started soaping up his Squire, who squeaked and groaned as the larger male cleaned his back and rump with firm scrubs.

"This feels real nice, sir," Rust moaned softly.

Nodding, the lynx continued his cleaning of the rat. "Have I been a good Lord to you?"

The Squire's head nodded gently as the water washed over his face while his large, furry balls were soaped and cleaned. "Despite that I've had you pleasure me?"

Wiping the water from his eyes and looking up into Chase's, Rust nodded again, firmly. "Sir, if I remember correctly, I asked you to do that and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that I have not regretted that in the least."

The feline, paws still busy cleaning his Squire's crotch and balls, leaned in to kiss the rat gently. Rust moaned, kissing back passionately before pulling back. "You're so tender and caring."

Smiling softly, Chase let go. "And your lord to love and respect."

Still close to the Knight, Rust's ears twitched. "Sir, you certainly do have my respect, and while I don't usually analyze my emotions too closely, if what else I feel for you is not love, it grows closer to it every day."

The feline smiled. "That was somewhat of a test, my Squire. We are warriors, and to forge such a close attachment would be a poor choice. I'll settle for being your lord, and you my squire - and everything that entails..."

The rat stepped away, ears suddenly flat, letting the water fully wash the last of the suds from his fur. "So... respect, but not love or that kind of emotional attachment. I thank you for making me aware of this." Rust stepped out of the spray entirely and readied a towel for his lord to use. The Squire seemed stilted, formal and reserved.

Stepping out into the towel, the lynx nodded. "We will forge a bond stronger than steel, but we are warriors first."

"I understand, sir." The Squire began rubbing the Knight's fur dry.

"Do not despair... I'm sorry to be so blunt." Lord Chase said, raising his arms as the rodent finished getting his sides dried.

The rat shook his head as he finished with his lord and began drying himself. "I'm not despairing, sir, too busy taking in my understanding of the situation still. I doubt there will be time to waste on anything like despair at practice."