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Loyal Dogs: The Traitor By Evan Drake

© 2019, Evan Drake, All Rights Reserved

Chapter 2: Newest Recruit

Thern lay wide awake on the bed, the warm, naked body of a voluptuous vixen pressed against his. He had been up all night bathing, eating, and slacking the lust he built up from spending the last several years isolated in prison--according to Gaius, it had been six years since Thern first went inside. His body itch from scrubbing it raw, his stomach hurt from overeating, and his crotch ached from the nonstop sex most of the night. Now the sun was close to rising, and he still didn't want to close his eyes.

Part of him feared that if he fell asleep, he would awake to find that it had all been a dream. That a Vulprani fox named Gaius did not come visit him and take him away. That he was not clean and fed. That the vixen sleeping next to him was only a figment of his imagination. No matter how many times he pinched himself, the fear of waking up in the dark, foul-smelling cell remained. The wound on his arm from the rat was proof enough it wasn't a dream, but the thought only worsened his anxiety.

With his needs satisfied, his mind found time to wander. What did Gaius want with him? Why did Gaius go through so much trouble to save him? The newfound freedom had occupied Thern's mind when the opportunity to ask those questions was available. Because he missed his chance, his mind swirled with theories and conspiracies.

What was worrying was Gaius hinted to knowing Thern chose his fate. How could a Vulprani have access to that information? Even members of the king's court didn't know anything about it.

Hoping to take his mind off things, he turned his attention to the vixen laying next to him, the moonlight shining on her sand-colored fur. She was already waiting for him when he came into the room. Driven entirely by lust, he didn't question it, and she didn't protest to sleeping with him. Now that he had his senses, he had time to observe the situation.

She was smaller than the females he preferred, and given the thin shape of her tail and floppiness of her ears, she was a mutt. Not that it mattered. Other canids were put off by that sort of thing, but he wasn't one of them.

He felt guilty for not trying to talk to her. Granted, conversation wasn't a requirement for sex, and she hadn't said a word either. He didn't even know her name. What if she had been sent by Gaius as part of some sort of test?

Realizing he wasn't going to stop worrying, he gave up trying to settle his thoughts and lay there, letting his imagination run wild until the sun rose and the vixen awoke. They had sex one last time just to see if she would. He made no attempt to start a conversation. If she hadn't said anything, she clearly didn't want to, and he wasn't going to ruin his first morning a free canid. Afterwards, she got dressed and left the room without a word. He shrugged off his suspicions and dressed slowly. It felt so good wearing clothes again. The fabric brushing against his fur.

After dressing, he headed downstairs into the hotel's tavern. It was still early, but the tavern was crowded and buzzing with drunken conversation. Thern flattened his ears against his head in an attempt to drown out the noise.

"Hey, Thern, over here!" a rumbling voice called.

Immediately Thern's hand flew to his side for a weapon that wasn't there. He hadn't been released for a full day, yet someone had already recognized him. A Canian hound sitting at a table in the far corner was waving him over. Canians were distinguished by their light colored fur and stockier builds. The hound waving him over was wider than anyone else in the place. Louder, too. At least half the patrons in the room took notice of his shouting. Seeing Gaius sitting next to the hound, Thern lowered his hand and approached the table.

The hound rose and patted Thern on the shoulder, making his legs buckle slightly. The hound was much rounder up close than Thern had guessed. His brown and white-spotted fur making look much more friendly than Thern guessed he would be. "Nice to meet ya! Name's Firion by the way. All rested up? I wasn't sure what type of female you liked, so I picked on a whim. Judging from the sounds coming from your room last night, it seems I made the right choice."

The insides of Thern's ears felt hot as he gave a short, nervous chuckle. "Uh...thanks, I guess." To Gaius he said, "Is he the one I'm supposed to serve?"

Firion laughed and slapped Thern on the back, sending the wolf into the table. "No, no, little guy. I'm a fellow Paladin like Gaius. Just like you will be."

Thern stared blankly. Paladins? They were just a fantasy for young pups. A series of exaggerated tales about a group of special warriors who traveled the land, eradicating evil.

"Firion!" Gaius admonished. He looked around for any eavesdroppers then whispered, "We talked about this!"

Firion hung his head like a pup being scolded by his parent. "Right, sorry."

"Okay, what did you recruit me into?" Thern asked.

"Not here," Gaius said. He motioned for the barmaid to approach then turned back to his companions. "We don't want the wrong sort overhearing us. There's a lot we need to discuss, but we can't here. For now, just know that you are in no danger. I will explain everything at a later time."

Not the most comforting explanation, but Thern decided to trust Gaius for now. It didn't stop the questions swirling in his mind such as why Firion would announce such a thing and Gaius' reaction to it. No one had ever seen a Paladin and even if they had, no one had anything worry about. The stories about Paladins never mentioned them going after criminals and the like.

The maid was a young half-bred hound girl. Her body was just showing signs of entering adulthood, and it had already been crammed into an outfit that hugged her curves and squeezed her small breasts together. But her cute round face and large brown eyes gave away her innocence. Gaius all but ignored the young female. Firion spoke friendly to her, although the look in his eyes suggested he had something else in mind. She continuously sent looks in Thern's direction, but he kept his head down and ignored her. He found himself grateful to having already taken care of his needs. Females that young didn't interest him.

The barmaid seemed very nervous. Her tail was tucked between her legs the entire time and she spoke quickly as if trying to end the conversation as fast as possible. After taking their orders she disappeared into the kitchens in the back. Thern noticed how some of the males were hungrily eyeing her rear as she walked past them.

A hand fell on his shoulder, and Firion whispered into his ear. "Hey, calm yourself. You're in no condition to be fighting, and we don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves." It was then Thern realized his hackles had risen beneath his shirt.

Thern nodded and the three of them sat in silence until the young barmaid returned with the three pints of ale and three plates of sausage and eggs. Thern ate his meal in silence, watching Gaius and Firion. Gaius watched everyone in the room which made Thern uneasy. Whenever there was a sudden loud noise such as a plate falling or sudden laughter, Gaius' hand flew under the table, most likely going for his sword. Even Thern began to feel tense and expected an attack at any moment. Firion on the other hand was either oblivious to the situation or was the best at hiding his emotions. Firion barely reacted to any sounds and took almost no notice of anything besides his meal.

Firion spoke non-stop discussing everything from the weather, the history of the town, his favorite foods, how he selected the vixen he sent to Thern's room. Several times, Firion tried to press him for details on what he and vixen did all night. Thern never answered. He knew Firion didn't actually want to know--just as the hound didn't care about any of the other pointless topics. It was merely a distraction to keep Thern from asking more questions.

Once they finished their breakfast, Gaius led them outside. Following him, Thern realized just how tired he was. Not getting sleep last night was a big mistake, and bedding the vixen repeatedly didn't help his condition. The bright sun hurt his eyes. Putting his hood at least allowed him to keep his eyes open.

Firion laughed loudly and clapped Thern on the shoulder. "No rest for the wicked, huh? Sorry to push you like this after your first night of freedom, but we need to keep moving. You'll get used to seeing the sun again, trust me."

They walked to the edge of town where two females and a pup awaited them. All three of them wore similar brown, weathered cloaks that covered everything from the neck down. The first female he recognized as a hound, although he couldn't place whether she was from Canius or Vulpran. Her size suggested Canian, but the chocolate brown fur suggested Vulprani. She sized Thern up from behind a mask of black fur with green and blue eyes.

The other female was a Vulprani fox with sandy brown fur and piercing green eyes. She was also petite, standing just a bit taller than the pup next to her, but carried a fierce look that made Thern want to avoid her. She bore a strong resemblance to the whore who visited his room. As he drew closer, he caught a whiff of her scent and froze. It was the same vixen from before! She smirked at him indicating she hadn't forgotten him.

Thern's ears burned with embarrassment. He quickly turned his attention to the male pup standing between them. The pup was clearly Vulprani. Like most Vulprani foxes, he had the trademark red fur with black paws and pointed black-tipped ears. At best, Thern guessed the pup to be twelve years of age, perhaps a little older. Somehow he felt the young fox was not there by accident. The young fox had an air of maturity about him, and there were no signs of innocence in his eyes. Thern immediately felt bad for the pup. For one to lose their innocence at such a young age was usually due to some kind of tragedy.

"What took you so long?" the larger female asked, nettled.

"It is Thern's first morning as a free canid, Cecilli," Gaius replied, waving away the hound's concern. He addressed Thern with his next words, "These three will be traveling with us: the vixen is Bayli. Cecilli, is the hound before you, and the pup is Phen." Turning back o Cecili, "We took so long because I wanted to give Thern a chance to adapt to his new freedom. He needed to recuperate his strength and take care of... certain needs before we head out."

"I am not a pup," Phen countered. "And what needs could he have that couldn't be handled later?"

"If you don't know that, then you're still a pup," Bayli said. Her voice was surprisingly deep for a female and one her size. Thern flattened his ears to hide his blush.

Phen rolled his eyes at the vixen and turned to Thern. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Thern. I look forward to our time together. Gaius informed us of your heroics back in the Lunar Sanctum. It is truly amazing you're even alive right now. How are your injuries?"

Thern had completely forgotten about what happened to his arm. He checked his arm to see the wound completely gone, not even a scar. The pain was gone as well. Thern looked at Bayli who winked in response and his blush deepened. How could he have not noticed her using magic on his arm?

The pup either hadn't noticed Thern's shock or didn't care. "It seems you've fully recovered. I apologize if I seemed rude. It's just we're a bit behind schedule and we have been entrusted with a duty that cannot wait. I really would like to make up the lost time."

Thern raised a brow at Phen. Now he was sure he wasn't dealing with a typical pup.

"Don't worry about the pup," Firion said. "He seems wound a little too tight, but his heart's in the right place."

"We can talk about this later. For now, Thern, just know that Phen is the one you have to protect," Gaius said, his irritation showing in his voice. "Bayli, are the roads clear?"

"Clear as can be," Bayli replied. "I did overhear a few travelers talking about bandits. We'll have to re-plan our route if we want to avoid them."

"We can handle a few bandits," Firion said. "What about the attacks on females at night?"

"No news on that one. But I have noticed there's an attack every time someone's attacked on the road. The bandits may be the ones behind it."

While Gaius pondered the information, Firion explained to Thern what was happening. "You likely gathered there's bandit attacks on the roads. On top of that, someone's also been kidnapping females from this town. No one's seen them again."

"So we're going to stop these bandits?" Thern asked. "Isn't that a job for the guards?"

"Nah, stopping bandits and thieves isn't what we do," Firion replied. "I can't go into detail why right now, but that's a local problem. The things we deal with are way more complicated and dangerous."

Thern didn't like the sound of that, but they were also the reason for his newfound freedom so he figured he couldn't complain.

"Gaius, even if this nothing but simple bandits, they are harassing travelers and we cannot ignore them," Phen said. "It's likely they may target us anyway. Also, we cannot expect the guards here to stop whoever is taking the females. I don't know what they want with them, but we cannot leave this place gripped in fear."

"Regardless of what we choose to do, it's too dangerous to get a pup like you involved," Thern said. He was surprised when the others laughed at him.

"Don't worry about Phen, his sword skills surpass most of the warriors twice his age, and he's a powerful mage."

"But--"

"I appreciate your concern, but I have faced several perilous situations and survived," Phen said, a strong note of finality in his tone. "If you expect me to simply sit by and watch others suffer then you're sorely mistaken."

Thern was quickly taken aback by the pup's stern voice. He still wanted to object, but it was clear there was no winning the argument.

"If you two are done with your squabble, I've made my decision," Gaius said. "If these bandits are the ones behind the missing females, then there is something far more sinister at work. Something we shouldn't ignore. And as Phen was so kind to point out, we can't abandon this town knowing what's happening."

"You say that like the choice is obvious," Bayli said. "We have enough problems without trying to take on everything else."

"So we should look the other way simply because it's an inconvenience?" Cecilli growled.

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it."

"Enough you two," Gaius scolded. "We're dealing with the bandits and recovering the missing canids."

The two females fell silent. It didn't escape Thern's notice Gaius said "recover" instead of "rescue". Did that mean the females were already dead? Probably for the best given what the bandits were likely doing to them.

Everyone started loading the horses with their gear. Thern was given the spare horse already carrying a cloak, blanket, and broadsword..

They entered Whitetail Woods, so named because of the white trees and the abundance of deer in the spring and summer. Thern remembered coming to this place often. There was no shortage of good game for hunting. He almost wished it were winter. During the winter months, the forest would covered in snow; it was a beautiful sight.

Starting out, Thern wasn't nearly as tired as he thought; it had been a long time since he rode a horse, but it wasn't a problem keeping up. That was before he learned Firion was going to train him. Whenever they stopped to make camp, it was back to combat training. The hound was relentless. Thern's body remembered the movements, but it was unable to keep up. Now he knew how a training dummy felt. After the third day, it took immeasurable effort not to fall asleep in the middle of the road.

Everything around him seemed to be inviting him to sleep. The white trees reminded him of pillows, the wind rustling the leaves sounded like a lullaby, and the green grass seemed to invite him to lay upon its green surface.

Exhausted or not, Thern was determined not to become a burden. Strangely, he kept up with everyone despite his fatigue. Perhaps he was more fit than he realized, or maybe the others were aware of his situation and slowed for him.

Cecilli kept an annoyingly close watch on him. She hardly spoke, but more than once, he caught her staring at him, a paw gripping the hilt of her sword. This didn't escape the others' notice; Thern and Cecilli were never left alone. The same was said of Phen. The pup had an escort every time he wanted to relieve himself in the bushes.

After five days of traveling, Thern couldn't take it anymore. No one had shared with him any information about what was going on. He knew no more about why he was there then he did when he first met Gaius. If the others weren't going to share the information on their own, he would ask himself. The sun was setting when they left the road to set up camp. He decided he would ask his questions then.

"We'll make camp here," Gaius said. "Bayli, Thern, you two set up camp. I'll check the area."

Bayli quickly stepped forward. "Actually, why don't you let me and Thern handle scouting the perimeter? It's not fair to make you do it every time."

"I see no problem with it," Gaius replied with a small shrug. "Unless Thern has any objections?"

Thern's ears felt hot as all eyes were on him. He had no idea what Bayli's game was, but he didn't like the idea of being alone with her. Still, he needed to start pulling his weight more. "No, I don't have any objections."

"Good. Then follow me." Bayli disappeared into the trees. Thern jogged up alongside her. Every few feet they walked, Bayli would stop and leave a magical rune on a nearby tree. It would glow brightly and fade away, almost impossible to see. A very uncomfortable silence hung between them. Thern wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure how to start up a conversation.

Bayli was the first to break the silence. "I suppose you're wondering why I called you out here." When Thern nodded, she continued. "First, I want to point out that back in Morken, pretending to be a whore was my idea. The others don't know. I'm sorry for deceiving you, but I needed to know if you could be trusted. Gaius told us you were imprisoned for treason and I had to know if I was going to need to kill you one day."

"And fucking me was the best way to determine that?" he asked with a low growl.

Bayli smiled. "You'd be amazed how much someone lets their guard down when they're focused on...other things. You didn't even notice when I was healing your arm."

Thern turned away to hide his blush. "Right. Thank you for that by the way."

"It's my job. I'm in charge with healing the group's injuries. Gaius told me to wait until the next day to see about your arm, but I wasn't going to let it sit."

"So what did you learn about me? We didn't do much talking."

"I learned more than you think. And I used a spell to read your mind."

Thern's tail tucked between his legs. "Mages can do that?!"

"Yes, but the process is very complicated, and it would've required tying you down. Though I doubt you would've objected to that," Bayli said. She chuckled at Thern's snapping his mouth closed and turning away. "If I was really trying to read your mind, you would've known. But anyway, the way you treated some random whore told me a lot about what kind of canid you are."

"Something tells me I may regret this, but what kind of canid am I?"

Bayli stopped walking. She turned and marked another tree. "You're trustworthy. You're also kind and compassionate. Which makes me wonder why someone like you was arrested for treason."

Thern shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Are you really trying to play coy?"

"Can we just drop it? I'm grateful to Gaius for saving my life and getting me out of prison, but I can't talk about that."

Bayli studied his face for a moment but said nothing further. The rest of the walk around the perimeter was silent and awkward. Thern almost hoped they came across some trouble. Unfortunately the woods were quiet, so he was forced to deal with it.

He hated shutting her out like that, but he had to. He murdered an entire family, pups and all, because he was told to. No, he chose to undergo that mission. It was necessary. The family in question was staging a coup d'état. The king needed the traitors silenced and send a message to their allies. Thern agreed to be the messenger. Because it would also look bad if the king ordered a family to be slaughtered, everyone had to believe he acted alone. The official story was he acted out of jealousy, even briefly participating in the affair to ensure the rumor was valid. Those involved in the coup knew the truth, but they also got the message. They were silenced and went underground.

He couldn't tell the others. They wouldn't understand.

He was beyond grateful when they returned to the camp. Firion had gotten the campfire started. Gaius tended to the horses. Phen and Cecilli were setting out the bedrolls for everyone to sleep on.

"Welcome back," Firion said heartily. "Everything clear?"

"It's too quiet," Bayli said. "I suggest we keep a careful watch tonight."

"I've been sensing a disturbance in the aether as well," Phen added. "Do you think it possible the bandits have a mage with them?"

"It would explain why we haven't seen any signs of them," Gaius said as he joined the group. "If they have a mage, it makes things more complicated. Firion, how has Thern's training been progressing?"

Firion grinned at Thern. "He's been doing well. In the last few days, he's regained most of his fighting sense. It'll be a bit longer before he's in full-fighting shape, but he should be able to take on a few bandits."

Gaius nodded and approached Thern. "Good to hear." He held out a sword inside a fancy leather scabbard.

Thern removed the blade from its sheath and examined it in the firelight. It was a short sword that shone with an otherworldly light. Special runes were etched down the length of the blade. An anti-mage weapon, Thern thought. Blades like this were made from moonsilver which was hard to come by and very difficult to work with. "Are you giving this to me?" Thern asked.

"We may be going up against mages and that blade is far more effective against afflicted," Gaius explained. "I was going to give it to you once you finished your training with Firion but you may need it against the bandits."

Thern returned the blade to its sheath and put it with the rest of his belongings. "You've used that term afflicted before. What does it mean?"

Gaius sat down in front of the fire. The firelight cast shadows over his eyes, making him appear far older than he actually was. "I was wondering how long it would take you to ask. Before I answer, how much do you know about aether?"

Thern shrugged. "Not much. I know mages use it for magic and such."

Cecili snorted at his response. "Aether is much more than that. It is the lifeblood of every living thing. Without aether, none of us would be alive."

"But as all things in life, one must be careful around it," Phen added. "Too much aether, especially residual aether, can kill or corrupt life. Those who have been corrupted by overexposure to aether are known as the afflicted."

Thern shuddered as he thought of the enormous rat in the prison. If something that small had been transformed into something like that, what would it do to a larger creature?

His thoughts were interrupted when Gaius spoke again. "As you already know, afflicted are incredibly violent and dangerous. They cannot be threatened or reasoned with, and they know nothing of kindness or mercy. They will attack anything they encounter including other afflicted. Our job as Paladins is to deal with afflicted and purge as much of the dark aether as possible."

_ _ "Back in Morken, Firion mentioned Paladins," Thern said.

"Yes, I something I warned him on multiple occasions to keep to himself." Gaius threw a scolding glare in the large hound's direction. "But it's exactly what he said. We're members of the Order of Paladins, a group of warriors dedicated to maintaining the sacred balance."

Thern snorted. "Balance? Have you seen some of the poor in your country?"

"That's not the balance I speak of," Gaius replied. There was an edginess to his voice, so he didn't like Thern's remark. "Our world is one of balance. Night and day, life and death, good and evil."

"And you believe you have to protect this balance?"

"You mock us, but this balance must be protected at all costs," Cecilli said. "Imagine a world where the sun never set, or night was eternal. What would happen if it never stopped raining or never started? There is a balance in the world that must be maintained in order for life to flourish. You don't need to understand it, but you will respect it."

Thern was quiet for a moment as he tried to process the information. He heard crazier beliefs. After the attack by that rat in the prison, it was hard not to believe in these afflicted. Then there was his expedited release from prison. It was clear this group had some kind of pull that transcended kingdoms. But it still made no sense why Gaius would recruit a prisoner for something so important.

He decided not to dwell on it. He was free from prison; that was all that mattered. Adapting to this new life wouldn't be hard. It didn't sound all that different from mercenary work. At least this job sounded like it was for a noble cause.

"Are there any other questions you wish to ask?" Phen said.

"You mentioned an order," Thern said. "How many Paladins are out there?"

"A few dozen," Gaius replied. "We are a large force, but not so much as to be considered an army. But the most important thing to remember is our goal is not political. We swear no allegiance to any lord or country."

Fair enough, Thern thought. I can't show my face in the royal court anyway.

_ _ "Well that's enough talk our mission and all that," Firion said. He stood and brushed the loose leaves from his trousers. "It's time for your training."

Thern groaned and followed. Firion was kind not to beat him too badly this time since he could need his strength to ward off bandits during the night. When they returned to camp dinner was ready. A simple stew, but to Thern it had been made by the finest chefs in Canius. It had been so long since he had anything to eat besides moldy bread and rotten meat. His taste buds still sang when he ate real food.

Phen sat by the fire in the middle of the camp staring into the flames. Bayli was crouching next to him, stirring a large pot resting over the fire, and Cecile stood guard at the edge of the camp, her back to the group. Gaius was nowhere to be seen.

Thern sat down at the edge of the camp, leaning against a nearby tree. Questions about why a pup like Phen was roaming with a group of trained warriors wouldn't leave Thern's mind. Thern wasn't the most compassionate canid; he was a selfish bastard, and he knew it. But the idea of recruiting pups still left a bad taste in his mouth.

It likely had to do with his childhood. Recruited by thieves and assassins, Thern had seen and done many things which robbed him of his innocence at a young age. Things that still haunted him.

"You can't save him, you know," Gaius said.

Thern didn't react to the fox's sudden appearance next to him. He continued to sit there and watch Phen as he talked to Bayli, curiosity illuminating the pup's eyes as he watched her stir the pot. A warm smile adorned Bayli's face. "What makes you think I'm trying to save him?"

Gaius smiled and sat down next to Thern. "I know that look. I looked at him the same way when I first met him, and he was much younger then. But I also saw something else in his eyes. Something that I lacked."

"I find it hard to believe you lacking anything. Except maybe impotence."

"Funny. But I'm being serious. The pup has a strong will. He has a mission he intends to see through to the end, and I will not stand in his way. The best we can hope for is protecting him along the way."

Thern sensed something in Gaius' voice. A sort of finality as if suggesting not to probe too deep. It was better to take the hint and not make a big fuss. "So what about you? What made you join the Paladins?"

Judging from the smirk on Gaius' face, the reason for the change in subject was not lost on him. "Why not? A chance to serve something greater than myself, do something greater for the world? It's an opportunity no one should be passing up."

"Which is a load of horseshit and you know it."

That earned a smile. "You're sharper than I thought. Very well. The true reason I joined is because I used to be a member of the guard in Vulpran. I got sick of seeing crimes committed that I could do nothing about simply because the suspect was a mage or had connections. The canids in my country preach constantly about magic and bloodlines, yet there is so much about aether they don't know or understand. I wanted so long to wipe the smug looks off those entitled bastards faces. Then I learned of the existence of true evils that do not care about land disputes or titles or bloodlines. When facing that evil, I am free to go after it however I see fit."

"So you joined up to fight some ancient evil? Then why did you recruit someone like me?"

"I told you, you held your own against an afflicted despite being imprisoned for an extended period of time. That alone is worthy of praise."

"But what makes you think you can trust me?"

Gaius turned to him and blinked. It was a curious expression that looked quite out of place on the fox's face. "That's an odd question. You had plenty of opportunities to run off and you never did. What reason do I have not to trust you?"

It was hard to argue with that logic. While Thern was certain he hadn't earned his place within the group, he was no longer a stranger they needed to keep an eye on.

But there was still something they weren't telling him. He could sense it. There would be time for that later. Whatever the reason, they were the reason he was breathing fresh air again. They would tell him the truth in due time.

But the only reason he joined the group was because Gaius offered him something better than rotting away in prison. If Thern still lived as a freelance mercenary, he would've written the fox off as crazy and rejected the offer. That members of the Order had to forfeit land and titles didn't help their cause.

Perhaps that was why Gaius was so quick to recruit someone from a prison. Because there was no way any sane canid would agree to such a life. It made Thern question just how real this threat of the afflicted was. He traveled to the furthest corners of the three kingdoms and had never heard a whisper of these creatures.

He supposed that no longer mattered. Believer or no he was a part of this group now. Until then, he would do anything he could repay his debt.