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Feyrahl, FurAffinity Edition

Strengthening Bonds, Ch 3.1

Kenzie didn't realize it at the time, but many people within the court of Feyrahl had taken note of the work she'd done with the Orilis. Although Silas hadn't made a big deal out of it, she would later learn that very few people had the capacity to care for an Orilis, let alone tame one so easily. Moreover, when she'd gifted it to Gregor and the Mystic was seen around the palace with it on his shoulder, the whispers grew in volume and frequency; in the past, the few animal handlers who managed to tame an Orilis usually did so because it had imprinted on them-- handing one off to someone else was practically unheard of.

It was the opposite of what Silas had led her to believe; the Ranger's casual approach to the Orilis choosing to stay in the castle, rather than retreat back into its place in the wilds, gave her the impression that her actions were nothing special but, in truth, he had been selective in his explanation. He explained things much better the following week after a few courtiers had swarmed her in the halls, asking that she get one for each of them. It was the Fox who ended up saving her from the press of bodies and expectations, apologizing on her behalf to them as she was being called away. Cecil, who had been standing off to the side uncomfortably, was perfectly happy to play interference, keeping the courtiers from following immediately after them.

Only in that moment, as they were on their way to the stables, did Silas clarify his comment from earlier in the week at their breakfast. While it was true that Orilis who were rescued from a sorry fate in the wilderness, often chose to remain in a civilized setting, the truth was that they were not tamed, rather, they just roosted, made their nests, and spent their lives among the towers, walls, and rooftops-- it was, in fact, quite rare for any Orilis not gathered as a hatchling to willingly spend time with people and, even then, they normally bonded only with the tamer who was caring for them.

He apologized, explaining that he didn't anticipate a thorough explanation to be necessary and, even when the Orilis went willingly with Gregor, Silas hadn't said a word because he figured that would be the end of the topic. The fact that the Court Mystic made such a show of his familiar and had no qualms about being very upfront and forward with how it was he obtained her-- "I believe I owe you an apology, my dear. Despite how secretive the Baron is, he seems to have taken a liking to you and was only too willing to sing your praises of this strange skill you seem to possess."

She honestly wasn't sure if it was proper to be angry at Silas since he hadn't exactly lied, but she was a little perturbed that he would only give her half the information. At the same time, Kenzie realized that a lot of her predicament was squarely on the winged shoulders of a certain Manticore, who quite likely knew EXACTLY what he was doing when he was broadcasting where he got the Orilis from. Considering how unique a treasure it was, it only made sense that the petty nobles would want one.

Sighing, Kenzie shrugged. "Is it possible to have the Emperor tell everyone to just leave me alone? It wasn't like I'd planned on taming an Orilis in the first place, and I never planned on starting a pet shop here."

Silas glanced at her, out of the corner of his eye, the faintest hint of a smirk turning up on the edge of his lips, on that side of his muzzle. "Are you sure, my dear? Considering how badly the nobles seem to desire Orilises you could name quite a high sum from any potential customers. I dare say, you could likely hold an auction and come out far ahead of--"

Kenzie interrupted him. "I am NOT going to trap Orilises and make them into pets, Sir Longfield."

Whether it was her tone or her formalized use of his name, her statement caused the Fox to come to a complete stop. At first she thought she might have offended him, but after a few seconds, she saw that his smirk had widened and his large, fluffy tail was swaying back and forth. Offering her a gentle nod, the smirk blossomed into a full on smile. "Good."

His response surprised her. "Uh...'Good'? What do you mean?"

The Ranger reached out and gently encircled her wrist with his paw, changing their direction and taking a side hallway. "There are many in this world, who look at the wilderness as their own personal moneymaker. I am pleased to see that you do not seem to share that proclivity, my dear."

Rather than push the topic further in that direction, she asked something more pertinent to their trip through the palace. "Where are we going? It feels like we're heading to the courtyard."

Silas flicked an ear. "An excellent sense of direction as well? It was as though you were delivered unto the kingdom to be a ranger."

As usual, the Fox managed a pace that Kenzie had to work at keeping up, but she didn't bother resisting, shooting right back. "Didn't you say after I first got here, that I was fated to be a great healer?"

Winking at her over his shoulder, Silas arrived at one of the side doors to the keep leading out to the courtyard. "You are a woman of many talents, my dear-- I have full faith that you could be a healer, a ranger, and more if you were so inclined."

The High Ranger's unreadable expression and mixed tone, made it hard to tell whether he was jesting or was halfway serious, but Kenzie didn't spend too much time thinking of that, choosing instead to address the issue that had caused the need for Silas to involve himself in her morning. "So what's to be done about the courtiers, who are after me to wrangle them an Orilis for a pet?"

The humor melted from Silas' muzzle as they emerged into the courtyard. He paused, turning to regard her with a distasteful expression. "Nobles are always caught up in the most common trends, and desire to be at the forefront of the latest fads-- it shall not be long before this current interest fades into oblivion and then you'll be left well enough alone moving forward, my dear."

Kenzie sighed. "And how long will that take?"

Silas gestured toward the stables and began walking with her, paw still around her wrist. He spoke back toward her, eyes on a pair of Heglises that were strapped up with saddles and barding. "A few days-- a week at most. More than enough time for you to join me on my next foray into the wilderness."

The young woman freed her hand from his loose grip by coming to a stop. "Wait. You mean outside the city and--"

The Ranger paused a few steps ahead of her, the movement of turning around to face her accentuated by a flick of his tail and a sardonic smirk appeared on his muzzle. "It would be difficult to find any wilderness inside the city so, yes, I suppose I am suggesting going beyond the walls."

Kenzie remained where she was. "And the Emperor approved of this?"

Silas flicked an ear. "He is away on a diplomatic mission to the north. He approved of my patrol, and I have standing permission to appropriate whatever supplies and support I will require. Considering the throng of nobility that are interested in utilizing you for their own ends, and your disinterest in acquiescing, I believe this will be the best solution to your predicament... or do you not agree?"

As he challenged her opinion on the matter the Fox held out his paw. It didn't take long for her to do the math in her head; sighing, she accepted it and followed after him toward the stables. "Fine... but I'm trusting you have done all the planning for this. I've never been out camping for more than a few days and I don't have anything packed."

The High Ranger offered her a wink as he approached the stables, guiding her to a Heglis. "No worries, my dear; I have handled our traveling equipment and Sir Cecil was kind enough to gather a collection of garments for you, that will serve well enough on the road for a variety of weather."

Kenzie accepted Silas' assistance up into her saddle. "Wait-- so Cecil knew that you were planning to kidnap me?"

The Fox sprang up onto his own mount, glancing at her with a distasteful expression on his muzzle. "Kidnap? May the moons forbid such a thing! No, my dear-- I much more prefer to think of it as 'absconding'." He cocked his head to the side. "It is not as though you are coming along against your will... is it?"

Sighing, the young woman gave her Heglis a flick of the reins, urging it onward. Her action seemed to be enough of an answer for Silas, who followed after her. As they were passing through the gatehouse, she glanced once back toward the keep before turning to the Ranger. "I'm honestly surprised that Cecil didn't demand to come with us."

Silas smirked. "Oh, he did. In fact, he insisted."

It was Kenzie's turn to stare at the Ranger. "And?"

His tail flicked behind him. "And what?"

She sighed. "Will he be meeting up with us down the road, or...?"

The Ranger offered a shrug. "I did not indicate what day we would be leaving, or where our journey would take us, so your guess would be as good as mine, my dear."

His casual answer frightened Kenzie for a moment; he was leading her away from the palace and he hadn't bothered to tell anyone about it, her bodyguard was completely in the dark, and she was fully at the mercy of the Ranger who was widely lauded as antisocial, cold, and uncaring. Her concern was only with her for a few moments until her more logical mind caught up: Silas had always been courteous with her, he showed no signs of hostility or red flags, and, most of all, he had invited her-- surely the impressions of others with regard to him were not wholly well-founded. Regardless, she spoke her mind. "I'm not sure I'm completely comfortable with this plan, Sir Longfield. You remember what the Empress said about concern over my welfare. Are you sure that the two of us will be safe?"

Silas slowed his Heglis, one ear focused on her while the other and both eyes were gazing forward down the path. "I would think so, but that is beside the point as it appears we are not alone after all."