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The Star

Chapter 66

When they emerged from the light, they were standing in a forest, on a stone dais. Statues loomed over them in the shape of towering birds, and Corene could see pillars lined with symbols. A stone archway swirled with light behind them, and Corene realized they had only just come through it. The fox stared with narrowed eyes at the stone in his paws, and as he stared, the stone stopped glowing and the portal closed, plunging them in darkness.

"How'd you do that?" Jonathan wondered, and Corene thought he sounded hushed and in awe. She fumbled for his arm in the darkness and clung to it. She was terrified. His gentle fingers found her neck and caressed soothingly.

"Where are we?" Corene whispered, hating the frightened crack in her own voice.

"The same forest where you captured me," the fox answered darkly. "And I ought to leave you here to die after all you put Palesa and I through. You wouldn't last two seconds in the Kotsi on your own." His voice was crisp with an accent, and Christine's ears flattened as the guilt tingled through her: she had put the fox's life at risk, had asked Jonathan to capture him and demand his help.

"In the wot?" said Ben, nonplussed. Corene could smell him standing somewhere beside her and Jonathan. She could also smell the footman and the vixen he carried.

The fox sighed in the darkness. "It is the name of this forest, though you have some silly dog name for it. How you say . . . Holly?"

"Ah," said Jonathan. "We're back in Hollyn."

"But where are we?" Corene shrilled. "I mean, what are these statues and . . ."

"This is one of Great Ayni's shrines. She has many of them in this area. You dog creatures should know of them if you hunt here. . . . You aren't from Curith, _are_you?"

"Tell him what he won, Ben," said Jonathan flatly.

Ben laughed softly.

"I would hold back on the sarcasm," said the fox bitterly. "You have no idea what me and Palesa really are, nor what we are capable of."

"I'm tired," Jonathan said apologetically. "I've been shot. I've been insulted." He paused, and Corene's heart thudded dismally: he was thinking about the king humping her against the bedpost. She felt him tremble as he heaved an angry breath and went on, "I haven't slept in . . . forever. And I'm absolutely starving -- for some particular reason. It's been a god-awful day. Sorry I dragged you into it."

There was a pause, then the fox said quietly, "Apology accepted, dog lord."

"My name's Jonathan, I told you," Jonathan corrected irritably.

"Joonathain," tried the fox uncertainly. "As for your hunger, it is common enough after being healed."

"Yeah," said the footman. "I'm starving too. Oh -- and thank you. Thank you for healing me, um . . .?" He paused. He was waiting for a name.

"I am Motsumi," the fox said politely. "And you are welcome."

"I am Wilmer," the footman announced. "Wilmer Conray. And it's . . . a pleasure to meet you all," he added awkwardly. Wilmer Conray was a Dalmatian, as had been the carriage driver. It was common enough for Dalmatians to work as drivers, as they were rather good at it. Corene reflected that Jonathan's head chef at Howlester had been a Dalmatian and an excellent cook -- a rare feat in such a breed.

Jonathan laughed hoarsely. "Yes. A pleasure, I'm sure. Sorry you were nearly killed and all that."

Wilmer laughed nervously. "Sorry I didn't warn you that she was there. She threatened to use me and Richmond as target practice if we said a word. Then she . . ." He swallowed miserably. "She set little Tommy on fire. To frighten us."

The fox made a noise of disgust.

"Are you really going to leave us here?" Corene whispered fearfully. She strained to see the fox in the darkness.

"Yeah," added Ben anxiously. "We didn't mean to offend your . . . Fyni."

"Ayni," the fox corrected. "And she is not my goddess to offend. I do not serve blood and fire."

"So you serve a nice god, right?" Jonathan asked wearily.

"I could ask you the same thing," said the fox. "The one who wielded the stone, she served Ayni, and the stone was given to her family by the goddess. Long ago. Who do you serve?"

"She's standing beside me. Her name's Corene," Jonathan said.

Corene's heart fluttered and she happily squeezed his arm.

"Come," Motsumi whispered, and a ball of white light ignited on his paw, lighting the underside of his face and their immediate surroundings. Corene could see Jonathan's bloody clothes and tired face, could see Ben's worried expression and spotted Wilmer holding the vixen. The vixen's eyes were half-open, and she rested her head on Wilmer's shoulder. Corene reflected that the male fox had called her . . . Palesa.

"I will lead you through the darkness," Motsumi said. "Stay close. There's an old burrow nearby, abandoned by my kind. We can rest there." He turned away, walking solemn as a ghost through the trees.

Ben looked uncertainly at the others, but they followed the fox, so he followed suit.

"Why was it abandoned?" Corene wondered. Something else too easy? Too good to be true?

"Because Ayni's fire grew too hot," whispered Candy Cane from the shadows of the trees, her voice hissing. Corene glowered and her ear twitched as she tried to shut the spirit out.

"Ayni's fire . . . grew too hot," the fox answered, almost echoing the spirit's words. Corene noticed him hesitate, and she had the feeling he could see and hear Candy Cane. Not unlike the vixen in Wychowl could.

"Who are you really?" Jonathan demanded. "You said we didn't know who you really were. What the bloody hell does that mean? And how do we know you aren't leading us into an ambush? Maybe your friends will jump out and club us over our heads."

"I could have let you die back at the dog fortress," the fox answered calmly. "I could have taken the stone while the rest of you were gawking and disappeared into the portal with Palesa. And none of you would have been able to follow. Instead, I healed you. I helped you escape those who would have killed you. And believe me, the dog king will want the stone back, and he will want you to pay for his child."

"But why is the stone so important?" Corene wondered. "I mean . . . I guess it can open portals and shoot fire . . ."

"It allows a dog to wield magic," Motsumi explained. "Something dogs have never been able to do. It was a gift from Great Ayni to her dog worshipers. They were to use it against the Child of Water and Light . . . should the Child of Fire and Rage fail."

Jonathan frowned. ". . . the bloody hell are you on about?"

"Things that are beyond you now, Joonathin," said Motsumi. "You need only worry about keeping safe and keeping hidden. Leave the rest to the gods."

They fell silent, and Corene found herself thinking of all the things Candy Cane had said about the vixen posing as Etienne -- that she was the true queen of Varimore and soon to be goddess of the world. King Louis and his family had known about her and had been fighting against her coming. Perhaps Donica had known. . . . and even Hellene. Corene's eyes widened as she thought of it: perhaps Hellene had been sent to Wychowl for a reason.

"Here it is," the fox said and waved his magical ball of light near the dark entrance of a burrow. He ducked inside, and the others followed. Being heavy as she was with child, Corene had difficulty crawling along at first, but she managed to shuffle down the first tight tunnel, and with Jonathan's help, got to her feet again. Wilmer crawled through by having Palesa hug his back. He cradled her carefully in his arms again when he emerged, and Ben staggered out after him, coughing up dirt.

Motsumi held the light aloft and the darkness rippled back. They were standing in a long, empty tunnel. Corene peered down the dark mouth and felt oppressed, as if she couldn't breathe. How did foxes live so deep underground, surrounded by earth? To them it was probably safe and warm, but this burrow had been abandoned and only felt cold and sinister.

Motsumi led the way inside a derelict home dug out off the main tunnel. It stood eerily silent, filled with broken furniture and dust-coated shelves. Using the broken furniture for kindling, he stroked up a fire in the fire pit, and as light and warmth filled the room, he let his magic ball of light wink out.

They sat down, glad for the rest, and Ben cooked them supper over the fire. Corene watched him working with a growling stomach, glad that they had managed to hold on to their packs of provisions, despite all the chaos. But she wasn't sure she could eat. She kept thinking of Alexandria, of the bullet flying through her forehead, of all the blood. She thought she was going to be sick.

Motsumi cradled Palesa's head in his lap and stroked her gray mane. They watched as Palesa's eyes fluttered open. She smiled at Motsumi, and he smiled back, smoothing her mane from her eyes with a loving paw. He was sitting beside Corene, looking down at the vixen in his lap. "You asked who we were before," he said unhappily. "But that is just it . . . we are no one."

Jonathan frowned. "What do you mean? Is this more fox mumbo jumbo?"

"Jonathan," Corene scolded softly.

Motsumi only smiled. He took a bowl of stew when Ben passed it to him and thanked him. Ben passed around more bowls, and everyone dug in, but Motsumi carefully fed his stew to Palesa. Palesa's lips parted weakly and she took the stew down slowly. Corene noticed Wilmer watching Palesa with soft eyes. She couldn't blame him. Palesa was young and beautiful, and she smelled as good as she looked.

"Palesa and I," Motsumi said into the silence, "belong to the goddess Zuu'ma. She is the goddess of love and we worship her in peace. Ayni seeks to destroy Zuu'ma and her worshippers, as she has sought for centuries. Those who serve blood and fire often chase us from our homes and across the nine kingdoms, until we are scattered to the winds. We wander not in clans but in small groups, praying to Zuu'ma as we seek to rebuild her shrines. But Zuu'ma doesn't answer our prayers anymore. She can't."

"She did before?" Jonathan muttered under his breath.

"Jonathan,_for god's _sake," Corene complained.

Jonathan shrugged. "I've never had any god anywhere answer my prayers. Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical." He shoveled more stew in his mouth.

"Motsumi saved your life," Corene scolded, "and is continuing to save your miserable life, and you --!"

Motsumi laughed softly. "It's alright, young one. I do not expect one not of my blood to understand my kin or our ways." He looked at Jonathan. "But to answer your question: yes. Zuu'ma answered our prayers soon after she was cast from the sky. Before the earth made her mortal and weak, she gave to her worshippers the last of her light. Now we walk in her light and with her blessing. We use her light to guide others in the darkness, to protect, to love. We who are scattered like ashes in the wake of Ayni's rage, we are the Guides. I help you because it is my duty to help you. Because it pleases Zuu'ma that I help you."

"And because it makes you feel better than me, one of the evil dog lords," laughed Jonathan.

Corene scowled.

But Motsumi only laughed again. "That too."

"So . . ." Ben cleared his throat uncertainly. "Are you still going to help us? It would probably be best if we got out of the kingdom altogether. All of us, I mean. The king'll want your fox hides on his wall for what happened to the princess. And our heads on pikes."

Wilmer stared despondently at the fire, and Corene looked at him sympathetically: he had gotten dragged into their mess and had almost died because them, and now he had to live in exile. "Are you alright, Wilmer?" she asked him sadly.

Wilmer blinked his sadness away. He looked at Corene and smiled for her benefit. "Oh, no, my lady. I'm just fine. I mean . . . Was thinking of my mother and my sister. If the king starts looking for me, he'll go after them first." He dropped his eyes to his stew and poked it miserably. "Don't worry, my lady," he said when Corene continued to look at him sadly. He smiled again, as if through the pain. "It's not your fault."

Corene dropped her eyes miserably to her stew, feeling that somehow, it was. All of it was. If she had just listened to Candy Cane and left Etienne alone . . . She felt a soothing paw rubbing her back and flinched, thinking it was the spirit. But she looked over and saw it was Jonathan. She dropped her head wretchedly on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her.

"Palesa and I will guide you from the kingdom, do not worry," Motsumi assured them. "There are many hidden paths and hidden places in the world. Places so dark and deep, no dog has ever reached them. And we will guide you there. We will not let the dogs have the stone. Or you."

"Thank you," Jonathan said to him. He rubbed Corene's arm as he held her, and she knew he was grateful that the fox was helping him to keep her safe. "I mean it, Motsumi."

Motsumi smiled. "You are welcome . . . Jonathan."

Jonathan laughed. "You got it right."

They finished supper, and afterwards, Palesa seemed to regain her strength. She found an empty basin in one of the rooms. It was enchanted to replenish itself with water when magic was applied to its runes, and after Palesa activated it, they took turns using it to wash up, the females entering the room to use it first, then the males.

Corene was only too happy to change out of her bloody dress and took a fresh one from the single carpet bag she had packed. Palesa helped her change clothes, her pretty eyes dancing over Corene's lovely curves and her round belly. Corene blushed a little when Palesa smoothed her small paw over her belly and paused, staring into space, as if she was listening.

"What . . .?" Corene wondered anxiously. "Is my baby alright?"

Palesa smiled at her. "This is not the dog king's child," she said and helped Corene step out of her dress.

Corene clung to the vixen's arms to steady herself and her lashes fluttered. "It's not?" She laughed, almost hysterical with relief. "Then whose? Jonathan's?"

"No. You carry the child of Yfel."

Corene stared at the vixen in horror. "No, no. That c-can't be right!"

Palesa looked at her sympathetically. She scooped her paw through the water and helped Corene scrub the blood from her cleavage.

Corene's swollen breasts wobbled as Palesa gently bathed her, but she hardly noticed.

For several seconds, she couldn't move as she let the vixen's words sink in. She came back to her senses and scooped water, gently wiping the dried blood from Palesa's pretty face. She swallowed and whispered miserably, "But how?"

"The one who impregnated you," Palesa explained sadly, "was a disciple of Yfel. Yfel has many dog worshipers. . . ."

Corene moaned. Oh god.

"She gave herself in service to the goddess, and the night she took you, Yfel possessed her. The Seer promised a child to Yfel. She used you and the red dog to fulfill that promise."

"You know about Long Eye?"

"When I touched your belly, I saw how the child was made. I saw Long Eye, singing and chanting over a bowl of water. She was calling the goddess forth, announcing that you -- the sacrifice -- were ready. The goddess follows you now. To watch over her child. She may drive the dog king mad to keep him from you."

Corene felt a hot tear escape over her cheek and ignored it. "I h-hate your stupid_gods," she suddenly sobbed. "I hate all of them!" She glanced around for the spirit but didn't see it anywhere. Typical. The _one time she wanted to yell at it! She looked at Palesa miserably, who was still watching her sympathetically. "Why did she have to follow me and make me crazy? Why did she choose me --!"

"Because," Palesa said gently and took her shoulders, "you were already mad."

Corene swallowed hard and dropped her eyes.

"And you were beautiful," Palesa went on, "and vulnerable. And you unknowingly came into contact with her disciples many times. You were convenient. And you were there."

"But why did she need a child? And why from me?" Corene scowled. "Why not from some fox? There are plenty of p-pretty foxes." She glanced over Palesa's pretty face and dropped her eyes again.

Palesa shook her head and gently wiped Corene's jiggling breasts free of blood. "She of Madness does not need a reason to do anything, Corene . . . she's mad."

Most of the rooms in the little burrow had caved with time, or else the mattresses were too worn or torn to use. They found one room that was miraculously intact, with three narrow beds standing in a row. Ben and Wilmer took the bed in the center, while Jonathan and Corene snuggled on the bed on the left, and Motsumi and Palesa took the bed on the far right.

Corene was so tired, she drifted off easily in Jonathan's arms. But her ears flicked some time later when she heard whispers in the room. She opened her eyes only slightly and went still at what she saw.

Wilmer and Palesa were in bed together, their clothes rumpled and undone, their manes mussed in the wake of their lovemaking. Wilmer was spooning Palesa happily and holding her from behind as he peered over her shoulder at her face. Behind him, golden Ben lay dozing with his head at the foot end of the bed, his arm hanging off, completely unaware of what was happening beside him.

Corene blushed hard: Palesa's breasts were bare. Like the rest of her body, they were gray and covered in red splotches, and one of her nipples was fleshy red, while the other was gray. And her breasts were so high and firm. They poked through the riding coat she had donned before leaving Wandourg, and her breeches were off completely and tangled on the floor. Corene could see her dark sex pressed tightly between her thighs. Her red tail flashed up and dropped over her hip, and Wilmer carefully smoothed it back again, his eyes tracing over her hungrily.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered to her. "Your spots are almost like mine . . . only messier."

"My spots are nothing like yours," Palesa said with a soft laugh. "You surprise me, spotted dog. I didn't think a dog would want . . ."

"Why shouldn't I want?" he whispered, and turning her face to his, he kissed her.

Corene watched with large eyes, the guilt thrumming through her, as Wilmer slipped his fingers between the vixen's thighs and carefully stroked. She moaned and pulled her lips away, and he continued to finger her, watching with soft eyes as she panted and her breast heaved in his paw. He brought his fingers to his nose and smelled them, then slowly licked them.

"You taste so good."

Palesa smirked and looked away. "What was I thinking? Dog or fox, you males are all the same."

"No," laughed Wilmer. "Not all of us like pussy. And yours is such a pretty pussy." He buried another kiss in her neck, and she smiled. "So," he said, smoothing down her mussed mane, "is Motsumi going to kill me? How many bruises am I looking at here? I thought you and he . . .?"

Palesa snuggled against his arm. "Motsumi is not my lover. He is like a father to me."

"Ah. That makes it worse. I better prepare for a beating then."

Palesa laughed softly. "At most, he will lecture us and try to keep us apart."

"How did you meet him?" Wilmer asked with genuine curiosity.

Corene saw Palesa's eyes cloud sadly. "I was a little cub traveling with my mother. We walked always in the way of Zuu'ma, and I thought she protected us. Then dogs came into the forest and attacked. They raped my mother in front of me."

"My god!" Wilmer whispered, astonished.

"Motsumi stumbled upon us, but he came too late. They had already killed her and were about to have their way with me. He fell upon them with magic that tore them to little pieces. The forest ran with blood that day."

". . . you're scaring the hell out of me."

Palesa smiled. "I had never seen a fox wield such power before. And I knew he was one of the eldest Guides. He took me and raised me like his own. And I have walked the forest at his side. Ever since."

There was a pause, then Wilmer squeezed Palesa in his arms and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry. For what those dogs did."

"Why are you sorry? They are dead now. And you didn't do it," she returned with a sad laugh.

"My kind did."

"It won't matter soon."

"What do you mean?"

"I had a vision," Palesa whispered. "It was a dream . . . but it felt so real."

"What happened?" Wilmer asked quietly.

"The Child of Water and Light," whispered Palesa happily, "gave birth to a star. And my kind . . . we all went there to live. And the dogs couldn't hurt us. . . ." She frowned sadly. "Anymore."

"Is that really a solution, though?" Wilmer wondered.

Palesa frowned.

"I mean, if foxes went away to their own world, they'd just fight each other. There's been evidence that they were at war long before we came along. And the followers of that . . . Ayni. They torture the followers of your god even now."

"That is true," Palesa said. "I didn't say it would be perfect. Just that it would be better."

"If you went there . . ." Wilmer whispered, ". . . would you take me along?"

The vixen glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled. "I would rather stay here with you."

"Really?" he said, surprised. "You don't even know me."

"I know you are gentle and kind. I know that when we make love . . . I feel things I have never felt before. That is enough for me. Is it enough for you?"

Corene saw Wilmer smile behind her. He kissed her cheek and nuzzled his nose against her. "It's more than enough."

"And I must stay here," Palesa added, "to protect your friends from the dog king. The one carries a child born of magic. Such a child would lead a tribe, had it one."

"A child born of magic?" Wilmer echoed, baffled.

"Yes," Palesa whispered. "And one day, the gods will want that child. For whatever purpose."

Corene swallowed miserably and passed a discreet paw over her belly. No! No.

"Palesa?"

"Hmm?"

"Kiss me."

Wilmer turned Palesa's face to him and kissed her again, slowly, his head twisting, his lips smacking as he tasted her. Corene watching with a thudding heart as his paw reached under and caressed one of her supple breasts. The nipple rolled in his fingers, and Palesa moaned against his lips. She slipped her arm around his neck, her breasts thrusting out as she continued to kiss him and he continued to grope her. His other paw smoothed over her curves and down to her sex. He fingered her carefully. Then he pried her thighs apart, and holding one of her legs aloft, his pink erection appeared between.

Corene blushed furiously as Wilmer's thick erection sank slowly between the tight lips of Palesa's sex. Palesa shivered and moaned as he filled her, and as they began to rock, he nuzzled his nose against hers, and they smiled at each other.

But he frowned as the pleasure became too intense. Corene could see Palesa's fluids oozing over his shaft. Her breasts rode as he rocked her, and the one in his paw bulged between his fingers when he squeezed it and started thrusting harder. Behind him, Ben rocked gently as he slept, completely oblivious.

"Oh, Palesa," Wilmer panted and licked the vixen's cheek. He closed his eyes, bowed his head against the sweep of her gray mane, and pounded harder. Palesa rocked beneath him, her eyes closed, her face turned to Corene as she gasped and sighed. But as if she could feel Corene's stare, her eyes slowly opened. And she looked at Corene . . . and smiled.