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Book One: Asuragiari

Scroll Four

Written by Arian Mabe (Amethyst Mare)

Sitting on the stone lip of the cave, Pheine sighed, brushing away the caked dirt from the hem of her dress as she pretended that the action did in fact remove the ingrained filth. The cave was little better than the outdoors, spread with sleeping mats in the back corner and perpetually dim as if sunlight did not dare filter in. When it rained, water trickled down the walls and plopped to the stone floor, keeping her awake at night. The Canaan dog shivered and curled her bouncy tail in closer to her body, glad that her attire and breeding kept it out of the dirt. But how could she not feel oppressed at the thought of that dank prison of a cave? It was no home - it was not even like the inn. Her father had deemed it suitable for them to inhabit until they were able to progress on their journey, complaining that his back gave him trouble. She could not contest.

"Pheine? Pheine."

She flipped her ears rebelliously to her skull and considered baring her faintly yellowing teeth at him. For one thing, she wanted more cleansing herbs for her muzzle but their supplies had been exhausted. Thamma said she used them too often. It was all her father's fault.

"Pheine. Inside, now."

Lot was as insistent as ever. Pheine closed her eyes against the glare of the sun and imagined him sprawled out on his sleeping mat, piled with the best blankets. He could not be denied. Biting her lower lip delicately between her pointed canines, she rose gracefully to her feet and swept her dress to the side, frowning at how it fell at an angle. It had been badly cut.

Her bare hind paws made no sound as she padded into the cave, blinking for a few moments as her eyes adjusted to the gloomy light. Lot rested in the far corner, having moved his sleeping mat for some reason so that he was closer to their dwindling supplies. The sacks were painfully empty and Pheine wondered how long it would be until they were forced to move on or face the truth of growling bellies. Thamma and Esther sat on another sleeping mat, unnaturally immobile.

Taking some time to notice Pheine, Lot rolled his head and groaned, cracking his neck: Pheine flinched. Forcing a smile on to her muzzle, which she privately thought would pass unseen, she wagged her tail in hopes of appeasing her father. Lot blinked dully and sucked the mouth of a wineskin, drawing in dregs of crisp liquid.

"Take your sister and Esther to gather herbs for our meals and...and fetch more water," he acknowledged at last, studying the wineskin with undue attention. It was as if Pheine was not worth a glance in comparison. "Be swift. Darkness is coming. I do not wish for you to be outside. Be swift."

There are many hours of daylight left, Pheine thought.

She, however, chose to remain silent and bobbed her muzzle compliantly. There was a time and a place for every argument. Lot had been behaving even more irrationally than usual and, if the canine was completely honest, it worried her more and more. There had to be a change of some manner in store, otherwise their family would waste away, become nothing other than insubstantial memory.

And that Pheine could not bear.

"Of course, father," she answered as sweetly as possible. "Let us go."

Thamma exhaled lightly and rose to her hind paws, offering Esther a paw that was denied. The petite vixen pushed herself up without trouble and smiled, the gold anklet resettling as her centre of gravity shifted. Neither of them had been permitted beyond the reach of the shadowy cave that day and it was already mid-afternoon. Thamma was eager to stretch her legs and trotted straight past Pheine into the bright afternoon sunlight, a breath of air caressing her orange coat. She took a deep breath, sensing the presence of the fox at her back and her older sister clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, urging her on.

How rude... Thamma thought briefly, though she could not feel irritated for more than a passing second.

It was so _good_to be outside! Skipping like a cub, Thamma hiked up her ankle-length robe, a muddy brown ensemble that was torn at the calf, and half-skipped half-slithered down the gentle slope, scattering a miniature avalanche of pebbles. Pheine stared and shook her head, following more sedately and assisting Esther down with a delicately raised paw. The little vixen only wore a green robe, modest but a burst of colour that was as yet unsullied by the sun's glare. Pheine could not help but feel ever so slightly jealous and, if their body shapes had not been so different, she felt that it would not have been rude to demand that she wore the breezy bolts instead.

"I don't see why we have to do this," Pheine grumbled, a low growl lacing her words.

"You said you wanted herbs," Thamma reminded, her form casting a long, slanting shadow not nearly as slim as Esther's on to the trodden down dirt.

"Hm?" Pheine's thoughts were still on the dress. "Oh, yes, herbs. Of course, we need plenty. And not just for food. That smelly, old dog should know that ladies need more than what we have."

"Pheine!" Thamma stifled a throaty chuckle. "Do not speak of father like that."

"Is it not true?" She challenged. "Esther - what do you say?"

"I could not say," Esther finally said, voice low. "Everything is so different here, I do not know what I should think of anything anymore." She flushed beneath her almost white fur, like bleached sand. Her voice was easy to listen to - even Pheine quieted, trusting her opinion. Esther swallowed dryly. "Please, let us not speak like this. I have no quarrel with you. Where shall we look for herbs?"

It was not the smoothest shift in conversation but it would have to do for the time being. After living in the cave for the past thirteen suns - Pheine counted every one - they knew the surrounding area with positive vagueness, something that may have been rectified if any of the three had been allowed outside for a longer period of time. The only reason that Pheine had been 'allowed', using the term loosely, beyond the bounds of the cave was because her father simply had not noticed her absence. She believed that he had been swallowed up by his thoughts and the fine wine, though it admittedly worked to her advantage that he was distracted. She frowned. If he was not distracted, they may have already been back in their comfortable home, perhaps even with her mother. It was all too confusing to work out as the sun beat down.

"He's probably sleeping in there now," she said instead, stomping ahead of the others, down a gentle decline to where she preferred to gather water. "Making us do all the work. He never does anything, anything at all. Everything is down to us now. Do you have the flasks, Thamma?"

"Why should Lot not rest?" Esther said, herbs spilling around her fingers.

"Yes, I have them," Thamma sighed. "Would you like me to fill them?"

"Well, how else are they going to be filled?"

Father's not the only short tempered one, Thamma thought, eyes narrowing the fraction that emotion bade her show.

She twitched inwardly, irritation difficult to conceal, and drew herself up to her full height. Sniffing, she made her way down to the trickle of a river, which was about a pace and a half wide, barely enough for their purposes. At least the water was fresh and pure, if swirling with debris, though that was only when a fur mistakenly scooped from the still pools eddying in meandering bends. Thamma had made that mistake once but not twice, as was her nature.

Busying herself, Thamma scooped water into the earthenware pots after swilling the liquid around the interior a few times - a bare excuse of cleaning them for use. Only the females had been drinking water since they had arrived at the cave; Lot refused to consume anything other than wine. She mused, dipping a paw into the water to splash droplets on her muzzle, refreshing her eyes and sluggish sensibility.

I really must be more careful not to burn. Her nose was sore from the sun's glare, but she could not bear to conceal herself within the cave all the time. She just didn't have the right herbs to mix a soothing solution. Thamma nipped the inside of her cheek, biting back the tears. She wanted to go home.

Pheine plopped down on the riverbank, drawing her knees up to her chest. It was one of the more comfortable spots in the area to sit when she was permitted further afield. It was strange to find such a pretty river, even if narrow, amongst the barren hills. Sometimes, the only life around was a wheeling bird in the sky beyond the reach of even stray wisps of cloud.

"Have you ever thought what it would be like to have a pup?" She murmured to no one in particular. Thamma stiffened.

"Pheine," she said cautiously. "What are you speaking of now?"

"Oh, nothing," the Canaan dog blushed beneath her fur, stretching out on her back. Short grass, only able to grow under the river's sustenance, tickled her neck and she closed her eyes, basking in the sun.

"Pheine, you really have been behaving odd of late," Thamma would not let it drop. "Esther, do you not think so?"

"Oh..." The vixen dipped her muzzle, fiddling with her pile of herbs. "I would not be so forward as to judge."

Clenching her jaw, Thamma set the water jugs on the bank and sat cross-legged, facing her sister. After a moment's hesitation, Esther followed suit, folding her legs delicately to the side and arranging her skirts so as to keep herself modestly covered. The vixen splayed her ears and stared down at the grass, counting them up to the highest number she knew, which was less than the number of digits on her paws. When she reached that low number, she started over, pretending that she could continue the count over and over until every blade was accounted for. It had been a long time since she had seen wild greenery.

"What is happening to you, Pheine?" Thamma said, touching Pheine's arm with a forefinger. Her sister was warm beneath her dress sleeves. "You are...changing. Growing. What are you thinking?"

Pheine did not answer, which was uncharacteristic for one as outspoken as she. That feeling was back in her belly, the simmering fire waiting to be stoked into a fierce blaze. She once again replayed what she had witnessed from the window, the males and females so energetic with lust, enjoying their bodies without shame. She wanted to experience the same but also do something for her family. Or ensure her future family. Every fur had to have a future and she saw none as Lot's daughter. Their family was at the edge of a cliff, after which there would be no more, memories wiped clean from the waking life.

She growled. Had Lot not said that Sodom had been burned, destroyed by the Lord? If her mother was indeed deceased, the daughters were the life and blood of the family, the only means of carrying on their bloodline. He did nothing to assist as the weight of family resting squarely upon the shoulders of both daughters. Pheine shook her head, suppressing anger while Thamma stroked her arm, semblance of comfort. And then the glimmer of an idea whispered into the corner of her mind.

"Maybe we should have father continue our lineage," Pheine breathed, turning to Thamma with her eyes alight.

"What?" Thamma yelped, shooting upright. "How could you think such a thing, Pheine? That is sin! He is our father. And we are not married! Our Lord says that mating is something that only comes within marriage. You know this!"

"Come on, Thamma, stop acting so shocked," Pheine rolled her eyes.

"It is sin!"

"No, it's not!" Pheine snapped. Propping herself up on one arm, Pheine narrowed her eyes, tail rigid.

"We should have been married years ago," Pheine was adamant. "Look at us - look at father! We are not living! I have seen what living is. Mother is living now, so why can we not be like her? Why must we follow an old dog's paranoia? I know the truth. We have a burden to bear."

Esther jerked her muzzle up at the second-to-last statement, paws tightening into fists. So, Pheine had seen the life of Sodom. A flicker of jealousy tickled her stomach and she looked away, reeling in emotions. She would have given so much to be like the others of Sodom, just a normal citizen celebrating the festival. She could celebrate to a point but doing more would require sacrifice that she was unwilling to make. Everything had a price. The Corsac fox saw confusion in the younger, slimmer sister's eyes, the calmer of the two. So, she understood that only Pheine had borne witness those few weeks ago. Esther could not determine which sister she envied more.

"What did you see, Pheine?" Thamma muttered, not wanting to appear too interested in the answer. Pheine was too eager to tell. She sat up, holding her paws out as if to present her sister with something magnificent.

"I'm sure Esther knows all about this," she shot the vixen a conspiring wink. "So much happened to mother that night. The furs took her to an open area with a well, we may have passed it earlier that day. It was packed with furs! Naked males and females of all kinds!"

"No..." Thamma's voice was hushed, paw rubbing her neck anxiously. "Pheine, you should not have gone. Please say no more."

"Oh, it's far too late for that now," Pheine brushed aside the reprimand. "You were sleeping, father was delirious: it was easy to leave. Anyway, when I got to them... Thamma, all of those furs were engaging in intercourse and pleasuring one another!"

She paused for effect, hiding a smirk as a look of mixed horror and longing flashed across Thamma's muzzle. Esther swallowed and folded her hands neatly in her lap, saying nothing.

"But...but..." Thamma struggled to find words. "Is that not what we came to help Raguel with? Mother's sister, Raguel's wife, left to join the citizens of Sodom. Father talks under the wine," she added by way of explanation when Pheine snorted. "I listen too."

"Is it so bad though, Thamma?" Pheine spread her paws wide. "I do not believe that the Lord would want us to live a restricted life. We are good furs and so is our mother. But we are Lot's only daughters. You know mother's sister did not have young - the inter-species thing, you don't need me to explain that. How is our family meant to continue?"

Thamma stared at the river, conscious of the vixen beside her. She could sense her frail form breathing, warmth radiating from where she perched, birdlike, on the bank. If so many took part in the sexual side of a fur's life, how could it be bad? How could it be morally wrong? The canine shook her head as if to ward off a fly. What was that about pups and their bloodline? It was too much to understand. Whether it was right or wrong, she hated the whirlpool of questions.

"You say that mother was with those furs, doing things..." Thamma was vague. "Mother always wanted the best for us. She made sure that we had the best, regardless of father's aging beliefs."

It was too much - far, far too much - to absorb all at once. Eyes watering, Thamma shot to her hind paws, near blind with emotion. Away, away: she had to get away, just for a little while. Solitude was the only method through which she could collect her thoughts without two pairs of watchful eyes taking account of every minute motion. She turned to the barren land, stretching into the distance in a series of jagged peaks and lifeless dirt. That would do. As if in a dream, Thamma placed one paw in front of the other, walking from the river to what she thought was a peaceful abode, separate from everyone, her escape. Slow to react, Pheine darted at her heels, snatching at Thamma's clothing in an effort to draw her to a halt.

"Where are you going?" Pheine's brow furrowed. "There's nothing out there. How can you walk away when we're talking?"

"Leave me alone, Pheine," Thamma said shortly, tossing her bundle of herbs to the ground as if they were no longer of any importance. Unseen by either sister, Esther gathered them into her skirts.

"No!" Pheine's eyes narrowed and she grabbed Thamma's arm in a vice like grip. "You cannot wander off! Don't be so blind to danger! This is one time that I will _agree_with father. You do not know what's out there. You are foolish."

"I said to leave me alone, Pheine!" Thamma snarled, curling back her lip as heated fury overcame her.

Startled, but by no means dissuaded, Pheine growled in turn, facing her sister head on.

"What is your issue, Thamma?" She snapped. "Do you _really_want to continue life as we were? Are you afraid?"

"What was wrong with that life?"

"Everything!" Pheine stomped childishly. "That is not life! Where is the enjoyment of living? Father is not religious - he pretends to be. We live under the weak pawed rule of a dog that has forgotten who he is and is operating under false pretences every other hour."

"Do not speak of father that way," Thamma said coldly. "He has done his best for us. And you sound as if you do not understand things yourself, first talking about pups and continuing our lineage, then speaking of not 'living'."

"But now we have the chance to experience more, Thamma, do you not see that?" The chubby Canaan dog's eyes lit up, deliberately ignoring Thamma's note as to her confusion. "Can you imagine how much there is to see in the world? How much to experience? We may go beyond the reach of our arm."

She did not wish to listen. Change was dangerous, change was frightening. Thamma closed her eyes and stepped back, every fibre of her being screaming to flee, to hide and to deny above all else. Pheine's paws darted out lightning quick and clasped her sister's paws in her own, refusing to release. Standing on her toes, Pheine stretched until she was almost on eye level with Thamma, forcing her to meet her eyes as Pheine's lips parted in a faraway smile.

"Do you not wonder, dear sister," Pheine's voice dropped seductively. "Do you not wonder how it could feel to be ploughed into the ground by a strapping male?"

"Pheine!"

Thamma tried to snatch her paws away as Pheine clung fast, knuckles throbbing under the unfamiliar pressure of restraint.

"Do not deny it," Pheine continued, licking her lips. "There are pleasures in this world beyond your wildest imaginings. You must feel it too. This..._heat_inside."

"It is distracting," Thamma whispered, eyes wide with fear. "I do not like it, Pheine, I want it to stop."

"It will, it will," Pheine drew Thamma in closer, holding her gently. "You admit you feel it too. This is natural. It is how we are meant to be. After seeing mother...I know that we are like this. It is in our blood. We were never meant to be repressed."

Thamma closed her eyes, allowing herself to imagine a male's warm breath on her neck, a hard pole between her legs, driving, thrusting...

"Think of mother," Pheine whispered. "She sucked so many males that night. Can you imagine how many she has had since, all for the purpose of fulfilling this so called 'forbidden' lust? The forbidden is desirable, simply because it is forbidden. This is not forbidden, it is in our nature. You want a male between your legs because you can and you deserve to have pleasure and puppies, there is no complication about it."

Groaning, Thamma's muzzle lolled open, palms uncomfortably sweaty. Sometimes, she had heard adult furs in inns and guesthouses mating. Pheine had caught her more than once with her ear pressed to the wall or door, eyes lidded as she discerned the happenings behind closed doors. The moans and yelps made her want to experience the same, though she had been careful never to allow her mother or father to discover her secret activities whenever they travelled. A canine's curiosity was potent. Knowing that she had her, Pheine pressed her sister to her bosom, feeding her fantasies with drops of necessary encouragement.

"You can be the one behind private doors, Thamma," Pheine permitted a smirk, knowing her sister too well; sometimes it was as if she had a window into her thoughts. "Or not so private, if you wish. You want a male between your thighs, his tongue and member driving you to moan. It is not all about the males anymore - Sodom and mother taught me that. _We_may take this for ourselves too. Whether or not we have young is not down to the whims and fancy of any male, least of all our father. They are our bodies and we may experience what we will with them!"

Thamma's eyes moved sightlessly beneath her eyelids, the canine lost in visualisations of her own. Forgotten fantasies, dreams curled into honeyed milk, flooded her mind, remembering all the passing males from her life that had sparked a tingle between her thighs. She leaned into her sisters warmth, no longer fighting, but imagining and shivering with the knowledge that all that she desired was within reach at long last. Thamma whimpered, paws curling into tense fists, wanting and needing.

Pheine smiled, content that her sister had been bought and would make her own decision as to what experiences came of her choice; free will was a gift, after all, and not even Pheine would steal that from her younger sister. The vixen, forgotten in the heated exchange, shuffled her hind paws, tension stiffening her back as if lashed to a post. Surprised, Pheine blinked and noted how Esther folded her paws across her small stomach, delicately angling her muzzle away from the other female furs.

"I want to try," Thamma breathed, muzzle flushed and panting lightly; Pheine's attention ricocheted. "I will try... Will it hurt?"

"It may hurt a little at first," Pheine admitted. "We will be in control. We can take things at our own pace with father. Don't worry, Esther," she added. "You do not need to be around when it happens. Though we will not prevent you from being impregnated by our father if you would like that!"

Startled to be so addressed, Esther's lips parted, devoid of words. The vixen flicked the tip of her pink tongue out, moistening her lips, and ducked her head shyly, ears splayed as if she was considering the possibilities. Pheine, conversely, was more interested in Thamma and her reaction, so the majority of Esther's shuffling and shy blushes went unnoticed. It was as if the vixen was torn between horror and arousal, a curious mixture that was difficult to understand.

"Right, so that is settled," Pheine forgot the vixen and hugged Thamma tightly. In her next breath, she released her sister and turned as if to walk away immediately. "We have all that we require, so let us return. It will be evening in due course."

"Wait a moment...Pheine? Pheine?" Thamma held out a paw, staying her sister. "If we return to the cave now, father may not allow us out again for a while. We should relieve ourselves now, while we have opportunity," Thamma winced. "I will not be driven to use the corner of the cave again if I may avoid it. I'm tired of father's paranoia in this regard."

"It's humiliating," Esther piped up, finding her voice. "To relieve ourselves in front of him."

"He watches us especially close," Thamma shuddered in agreement, referring to her sister and herself. "And that corner of the cave is beginning to hold a distinct odour."

Grimacing in agreement - she had almost growled at father the last time he forced her to urinate within the cave - Pheine took Thamma's paw, towing her gently to a suitable area. They had learned to their detriment that releasing their bladders over packed dirt and sand led to splashes of urine on their clothes, already in short supply. The stench and stains were far from desirable. It was sensible to take care of that bodily function over a patch of grass or at where the ground was looser, more accepting of moisture.

Squatting, Pheine lifted the hem of her robes without shame, spacing her hind paws well apart. Barely taking notice of her sister following suit, the Canaan dog sighed in evident relief as she relaxed a bladder. A stream of urine spattered on to the dry earth and she wagged her tail beneath the discoloured dress, the impediment of an over-full bladder blissfully relieved second by second. Huffing, Thamma shifted on to the balls of her feet for balance as she crouched, annoyed at grains of dirt sifting into her sandals; it could not be helped. Every fur had their pet hates. She bore down, layering her skirts carefully to the side, and breathed a sigh; her need had been greater than Pheine's, stimulated by the trickling river. The stench of urine marked the patch where they relieved themselves, the dirt drinking it thirstily. Despite needing to void her aching bladder as much as the canines, Esther twisted her paws in front of her chest, cheeks flooding with traitor colour. She could _not_do it.

"Is there something wrong?" Thamma tilted her muzzle up, over her right shoulder where Esther stood wide eyed, watching. It was disconcerting to speak while doing her business but it was worse to be watched - she felt as if she was in the cave with Lot again, even if Esther was better than her father. Shifting uncomfortably, Thamma cleared her throat, dropping her skirts a little lower as she became conscious of her modesty. Turning away too late, the vixen shook her head fervently, cheeks radiating heat.

"No! No... I only would prefer to relieve myself alone," the shy fox blushed, wishing that her fur was of a darker shade. "I would be more comfortable."

"Why?" Pheine was blunt. "We're all females, there's nothing unusual about what we're doing. We have no latrines here. This is the best we have."

"I know," Esther swallowed. "If you may forgive me, I will retrace our tracks to one of those bushes. I'm sorry, I do not mean to offend."

Snorting, Pheine threw her paws in the air, standing up straight and tall as her dress tumbled back down to her lower calves. What was wrong with that fox? There was something different about her, something elusive. 'Something', however, was rarely easy to pin down. Esther darted to the closest bush, the tips of her ears pink. The shrub, stunted and spiky, offered modest concealment, adequate privacy for Esther to squat and relieve herself in the same manner as the canines. Her pale ears protruded above the bush, twitching as they caught the faintest of sounds.

"You do not have to be intolerant," Thamma said quietly, finished with the business of her body.

"She should be accustomed to this manner of behaviour," Pheine rolled her eyes. "I would hardly believe that bodily functions are a matter of embarrassment in Sodom, considering the rampant mating, that is."

Don't remind me. Thamma coughed, hiding the nervous flinch.

Shaking herself, Thamma started. What on earth was that dog doing? Hunched, Pheine advanced on Esther's chosen bush, moving with surprising stealth. She made no noise, clutching her robes in one paw to prevent an ungainly tumble. Thamma gulped.

"Pheine!" She hissed. "Stop!"

Thamma's words fell on deaf ears - a typical occurrence when it came to addressing her older sister. With trepidation, the canine watched as Pheine strained to peer through the spiny shrub, every muscle as taut as a strip of leather baked in the sun. Esther's back was to Pheine and the fox distracted by something on a level too low to be sighted from such a distance. The vixen's ears twitched, perhaps in a display of irritation, and she growled quietly, tugging at the once-bright fabric where it caught on her sandal and pooled in the dust. Unused to urinating in such conditions, she had previously taken care to reveal herself privately when outside the cave. Though she had found relief, Esther struggled with her dress, caught obnoxiously on one of her sandal straps, slightly out of reach in such an ungainly position. Thinking that she had released the fabric, the vixen made as if to stand and jerked sideways, squealing as the obnoxious strap brought her tumbling to the ground. She brought her paws quickly to her crotch as she fell, rump facing her hidden voyeur, but she was not quick enough. Pheine saw all that she needed to see and a gasp burst forth.

Esther was not who she claimed to be. Pheine retreated slowly, careful not make a sound, mulling over the flaccid and most definitely male genitals boasted by none other than the shy, little fox. It was absurd! How could such a thing be true? Esther had small but noticeable breasts and she _appeared_female otherwise. Unable make sense from one thought after the other, Pheine brushed her hair away from her muzzle, wrinkling her nose where a rebellious strand clung obnoxiously. Thamma narrowed her eyes - an unspoken question - but Pheine shook her head, refusing to speak. It was just as well that she remained impassive as Esther reappeared, muzzle flushed and gaze cautious.

"I apologise," Esther murmured, studying the ground between her hind paws. "Are we now to return to the cave? Lot will be concerned for our safety."

Pheine smiled, showing her mildly yellowing canines.

"Yes, yes, we are," she said cheerily, scooping up her bundle of herbs as if nothing unusual had occurred, a feat of pretence to be proud of. "Let us see if father is awake."

She was not one to hold secrets to her bosom. The entire return journey to the cave was undertaken at a half-jog, Pheine skipping light-heartedly while Thamma pleaded for a slower pace. The fox was characteristically silent, scuffing her sandals through the dirt and unwilling to pick up her pace until cajoled by Pheine. She was certainly an oddity, though Thamma remained on equal speaking terms with the fox as they professed a mutual love of ladylike pursuits, some of which included the mixture of herbs into elixirs and salves. Thamma gnawed the inside of her cheek, gaze furtively darting to and from the vixen. The voluptuous sister bounced on the balls of her feet, sending Esther ahead into the cave with a genuine smile. Frowning, Thamma moved as if to follow, but was prevented from doing so as Pheine grasped her arm in a painfully tight grip.

"Thamma!" She growled. "Wait!"

"What?" She snapped, wrenching her arm away. "Curse you, Pheine, what were you doing to the poor girl? She wanted some _privacy_and you could not even afford her that?"

"She's not female."

Thamma's jaw fell slack.

"What?"

"Do not make me repeat myself, sister."

Thamma blinked dully, peering into the cave where Esther was dimly visible packing herbs into their sacks and pots, organising around Lot who slumbered in snores. The Canaan dog shook her head and held up her paws, denying what her elder would have her believe.

"But...that..." Thamma struggled. "She has breasts, you must be wrong, Pheine. It's not possible."

"Of course it's possible - I saw her. Or him. I don't know. Is this not wonderful news?" Pheine bounced on the balls of her hind paws like a cub, tail wagging nineteen to the dozen.

"And how, pray tell, is this wonderful?" Thamma asked warily, her tail immobile.

"We no longer have to rely solely upon father to continue our line," Pheine clapped her paws together. "We have twice the opportunity to succeed!"

Thamma shook her head, incredulity entering her posture, something that her impulsive elder sister induced in her all too frequently. Pheine was exasperating beyond belief. Stalling for seconds, Thamma padded to the lip of the cave where Pheine so liked to sit, taking her place and swinging her feet into open air. Patience waning, Pheine raised an eyebrow, scuffing the heel of one worn sandal through the dust:_well?_Thamma snorted, staring into the distance.

"Pheine, please endorse some measure of rationality." Her tone contained a scathing edge and the canine shot a dark look over her shoulder. "Esther has travelled with us for a fair time. If she was interested in females, it would have come to light. I believe she is interested in male furs. She looks at Lot differently," Thamma added in partial explanation.

"You do not have to speak to me in that tone," Pheine retorted, crossing her arms across her bosom. "It will work. If Esther likes father, that is convenient. If both of them become intoxicated, as discussed, I am confident that Esther would be more than 'happy' to participate. She will be aroused by father and that is all there is to the matter."

"So curt, sister."

"Merely returning the favour."

Digging her teeth into the inside of her cheek, Thamma bit back a sigh. Already her body was betraying her, flushing with heat that left her feeling as vulnerable as a newborn. She had never argued with Pheine in such a vehement fashion; they usually muddled along as sisters were prone to do. Then she had experienced two arguments, both of them short-tempered, in one day. Her mind wandered and she caught herself in the motion of imagining what it would be like to feel Esther's member inside her, spreading her open and driving her to those heights of pleasure so deliciously described by Pheine. Sensing the canine's inner conflict, Pheine approached slowly, as if creeping closer to a wild animal that was liable to scare and spring away.

"Thamma?" Pheine sat down at her side, snaking one arm comfortingly around the slender canine's waist. "It will be okay. I promise everything will be okay."

"How can you be so sure?" Thamma whispered, leaning into her sister's soft embrace, unable to resist the allure of sisterly softness.

Pheine had no answer and tucked a flyaway hair behind Thamma's ear, fingers rubbing gently in her favourite spot. Sitting with their feet dangling over emptiness, the pair stared into the distance, travelling through the power of gaze alone into the great world ahead. A cool breeze tickled their fur and, unconsciously, Thamma rested a paw on her belly, rubbing in slow circles.

"It will be fine," Pheine murmured, though her voice trembled with a combination of nerves and excited anticipation. "We are following the paths that we chose for ourselves, not living in fear and darkness. We cannot go on like our father. In a few days, we will both be looking forward to cubs."