FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Mary Silverlock kicked and thrashed against the two guards dragging her down the corridor. She screamed for all it was worth: she cursed them for their insolence, made threats on their life, demanded they release her then finally begged for the same. It made no difference, one guard each dragged her along by her arms while her legs scrabbled helplessly against the floor. Even when she tried to stand her new feet slipped out from underneath her, unused to the furred, keidran limbs.

Occupied with the two men dragging her off to an uncertain fate, Mary Silverlock did not notice the figure standing in the shadow of an archway. Euchre took a step further into the darkness, and his shoe made a dull splat as he stepped in the pool of someone's blood. He didn't care who's, he was keen not to be seen by the new wolfess.

Evidently, Trace Legacy had held up his end of his bargain. Euchre had only agreed to his coup on the condition that Mary, the very woman they were ousting, would not be harmed or imprisoned. Some liberty with that deal was expected of course, she was unlikely to have ever left willingly regardless of any threats made against her, and no matter how desperate the situation for her looked. The guards probably needed to take her away before she discovered her new claws and teeth would make excellent weapons.

Euchre had loved her once. He was also fairly certain she'd loved him back and in the decade and a half since they broke up he had always wondered how much of the love he'd retained for her, despite everything, was reciprocated. She had spurned all his attempts to even talk since that day, but he'd not had to fend off any assassins at least. He also wasn't dead, and the latter was the vastly more likely outcome should she have sent someone to kill him. The Grand Templar could afford good assassins. There must surely have been something left, some love for him, no matter how slight.

Their relationship had always relied on his deception about his origins though, and that wolf was out of the bag. Despite his ability to perfectly transform himself into a human, he was originally a Keidran, a different species Mary despised with almost unrivaled passion. That perhaps was probably the most inspired part of Trace's plan to remove her while upholding his bargain with Euchre, to transform her into that which she hated the most.

In her cries of emotional anguish he heard her call herself a monster, and it pained him to think of how she felt that way, of how much she would hate the sight of herself in the mirror. To Euchre's eyes, she was quite beautiful. That Trace had chosen a snow wolf for her was surely not a coincidence. As she was dragged past him, the thought crossed his mind briefly whether there could be something between them now. If she were so forced to be a wolf then perhaps she could accept to be so with someone she knew, somewhere he could keep her safe from the world that wanted to enslave her.

That was folly of course, she knew full well he was part of the coup that had just deposed her, a bloody and violent, if very swift, affair. Euchre had signed up to take part, knowing full well his feelings towards her. But while she had elevated herself to the very top of the templar order, he had found himself stagnating, despite clear promise. He was shunned by Mary and people knew it, accurate if still imagined rumours of a broken off affair had circulated but nothing had come of them. Mary had been in his way and now he had helped replace her, swayed by his share of the divvied up power.

But he'd also made that bargain, that condition that Mary would not be harmed, so maybe he didn't know his feelings that well. He certainly didn't feel confident in what he'd done as he listened to her screams of anguish subside as she was dragged away. He gave it a count of twenty anyway before stepping out from his shadow. He went in the opposite direction, away from her and towards where she'd been dragged from. He needed to talk to a real monster.

Trace was looking out of the window in the Grand Templars office, looking out over the courtyard below. He paid no mind to Euchre when he entered through the doorway, stepping over the remains of the door. Euchre wondered if perhaps he'd have been sitting behind the desk menacingly, if the chair had not been turned to splinters in the fight and scattered across the room. The desk wasn't doing much better and there was probably too much blood on it for paperwork anyway.

The awkward silence was broken however, by the resuming angry cries of a woman, albeit it further away, and so Euchre went to join Trace at the window, watching as she was dragged towards a prisoner's carriage.

Euchre cleared his throat and composed himself before speaking, suppressing and hiding anything he may have felt about watching her being dragged away. "That looks a lot like Mary Silverlock."

"No it doesn't." Came the short reply, "Which is the point, no contacts will ever speak to her, no favours she's owed will pay up and no one she trusts will ever help her. Mary Silverlock is no more, but is also unharmed." The short, cyan haired man turned his red, glowing eyes to glare at Euchre. "Unless you consider being a Keidran to be an inherently inferior state of life."

Euchre did not take the bait. "I am more concerned that her treatment does not seem indicative of someone who you also vowed would not be imprisoned."

Trace turned back to watch the proceedings as Mary was forced down to her knees on the grass. "She will not be imprisoned," he said as one of his men approached her from behind the prisoner cart carrying something. The moment where the wolfess identified what it was could be told from how her shouts of anger turned to screams of fear, begging desperately for mercy. "She is being enslaved."

Mary struggled and fought against her captors, begging with them for mercy the whole way. She put up such a fight pulling away from the collar a third guard was required to yank on her hair and hold her in place while the fourth locked on in place. But then there was silence, the wolfess went still, and as the guards let go of her arms they went limp, leaving her kneeling in a well of her own silent sorrow.

Euchre felt sick in his stomach, but also knew not to blink when staring down a beast. "That," he began after a few moments, "is a minor technicality at most." He fought his body the whole time to hold in his rage, disgust and fear.

"Yet it is also the natural state of Keidran, at least those that are worth keeping alive, don't you think?" The smirk growing across Trace's face was audible. Euchre again did not take the bait, but also didn't have to speak, as Trace continued "If you prefer I could set her free right now, though I wouldn't care for her odds. A wolf wandering around Morlin Hall without papers or an owner is likely to find her way to a hangman's noose on charges of spying."

For a moment Euchre wondered if Trace had forgotten his cousin, the one he'd left to die fifteen years ago rather than sacrifice everything he had built for himself. The one that Trace now owned. The one that demonstrated in very real terms that Mary could not be held over his head as blackmail even if Trace tried. Doing so would only cost him loyalty. "So what are you doing with her then?"

"Selling her." he said bluntly "She'll go into the slave trade where I can't hurt her, as promised, and you can't help her, also as promised." Trace paused while the two of them watched Mary do as she was directed and step up into the wagon, head and tail held low. "And, for both of our sakes, where she will never get back to us."

Euchre made no sounds, nor movement, he simply watched the woman he loved be shuffled off into a cage for the rest of her life. His heart wanted to set her free, to save her and win her back, to take her off into a fairy tale cabin in the woods where they could live out their lives in peace. But Trace was right; free in any capacity, Mary would be a danger to them for the rest of their lives, always in the shadow plotting their demise. This didn't have a happy ending between the two of them, it never had, and it was never going to. Euchre had made his bed and now he had to sleep in it.

"Fine." he said, emotionlessly.

Trace turned away as the gate at the back of the wagon slammed shut with a clang, not staying to watch as guards bolted and locked the door closed. "My solution meets your conditions then?" He spoke, proud of himself for it. "I felt it quite inspired."

"I can't imagine where that inspiration may have come from." Euchre spat sarcastically. It was only now he considered that such magic, to turn someone into a different species physically, not just with illusion, must have some way been based on his own gift. Or perhaps on Roselyn, who Trace had access to.

"Ohh that was inspired by her daughter." Trace's words dripped with malice and pride. "And her curse, which transforms her into a wolf unless suppressed."

Euchre's world turned inside out as he watched the pile of blankets in the corner of the prison wagon unfurl, revealing the curled up form of a child who dived tearfully into Mary's arms. A child, early teenage years perhaps, with her mother's flowing silver hair, and her father's snow white muzzle.

"The least I could do is make them match."

The hazy, muddled years of mixed signals from Mary came into sharp focus in a moment. Of course she had scorned him, he was a danger to her and their daughter. Every day he spent as a templar he risked discovery and certain death, countered only by his own skill and wits. It was a risk he took upon himself for all it gave him in return. But to risk his daughter? Their daughter?

Mary had hidden her from him so he could never put them both in danger, he could never bring them down with him and put them all in chains. Chains he'd put on them now himself.

Euchre made for the courtyard.

They were gone.

It had been only seconds ago but they were gone, the wagon and its horses had disappeared out of the gate and into the busy afternoon road traffic, on their way to a slave pen, or to the docks, or to another city.

He had a daughter and he'd sold her into slavery before he'd ever known her name.

"Wreathwood." a soft voice from behind him spoke. Euchre spun around to the calm, plotting demeanor of Sirus, the soon to be appointed master spy. "They are on their way to Wreathwood. Trace has a contact there who will handle the sale, but until they get there the guard will stick to back roads and sleep in camp, not at inns."

"So what do I owe you for this?"

"For now I'll settle for Trace not having you on a leash."

---

Euchre stood out as someone that didn't fit into the room when there were only two other people in it, four if you count the two passed out wolves on the floor he stepped over on his way to the bar. It wasn't just that he was a snow wolf deep inside forest wolf territory. It also wasn't the fine clothing he wore that contrasted roughly to the rough, cheap wood everything else in the room was made of. Mostly it was the dignified air of nobility, higher stature and confidence he carried with him to a tavern best known for its rough, sometimes murderous clientele. The sort of tavern with cheap and mismatching furniture because it got broken so often. The sort of tavern with bloodstains on the floor and tables no one bothered to clean out. The sort of tavern with iron bars between the patrons and the staff.

With a gruff, the heavy set wolf sitting on a stool by the bar turned to face the newcomer. He set down his drink, a hangover 'cure' that probably did little more than justify how terrible the drinker felt, then stood up. His legs were steady enough under him, but his head wobbled from side to side slightly as he raised an accusatory finger towards Euchre.

<You've walked into the wron...>

Without stopping, Euchre spun his staff a quarter turn to point the mana crystal at the top of it towards the wolf, who promptly stopped talking. When the white wolf lifted the staff the wolf followed, lifted up into the air quite immobile despite being several feet away from him. Following the line of the staff, Euchre moved the wolf to one side out of his way, then left him hovering in mid air as he continued towards the bar.

The bartender gently put down the glass he was washing in the sink and turned his head towards the door at the back. It slammed shut abruptly. <C-can I help you sir?> He asked timidly as he turned back towards the wizard.

Stepping up to the bar, Euchre leaned over it until his nose was flush with the iron bars. He still loomed large over the fairly small bartender. <I am looking for a pair of wolves, assassins, brothers, and known patrons of this establishment.> His tone was authoritative.

The bartender was a small fellow who, now he could see his arms, Euchre identified as being at least one quarter fox. The heritage probably accounted for his small stature. He glanced at the door again, then down to the floor where there was a hatch to the basement, before determining that was probably a last resort. <Lots of folk come here all the time sir, what of it?>

Euchre snorted. He narrowed his gaze at the half-fox and spoke softly <Helping me find them is in your immediate best interests.>

The bartender took a glance at the other wolf, the one that was still hovering in mid air in the same pose he'd had when he was standing, then raised a very nervous finger and pointed back towards the door Euchre had entered through.

Euchre raised an eyebrow, waited for a second to make sure the barkeep was serious, then turned around to look at the doorway. He considered it briefly. It was made of wood, it had a slat for a bouncer to look through that was long since nailed shut, and rusty hinges that needed replacing.

He turned back to the folf, slowly, glowering at him. <I could have guessed that they left via that door on my own, I'm going to want a little more than that.>

<N-no sir!> The bartender stammered. <You stepped over them on your way in.>

Euchre turned around again, slowly, and inspected the two drunks that were passed out on the floor. They wore long black robes that could have been assassin's garb, and they looked similar enough to be related. The biggest tell though, he noted turning back, was that the barkeeper was far too scared to tell a lie that easily disproved. <Then I want a glass of water.>

<S-sure, sir.> the barkeep stammered, towling his hands off quickly <Let me get you a clean glass for that, sir.>

Euchre dumped it over Zen's head.

Both of the wolves woke to this at the same time, simultaneously coughing and spluttering and then giving Euchre a groggy but still upset look of confusion. The white wolf noticed that this was probably the best evidence he could have been given that the supposed mind link between the two was real. That would be useful, as there was no teamwork quite like being in two places at the same time, and he needed someone to do just that.

<Whu...who are you?> Zen asked after several seconds of contemplation and consideration. He climbed up off the floor into a mostly sitting position, despite the fact he still needed to hold onto the ground to maintain it, and alternate between looking at the white wolf in confusion, rubbing his head in pain.

Euchre looked down at the two wolves dismissively. He was reconsidering choosing them and not for the first time. <I am your next employer.>

Zen looked over at his brother, who also glanced at him. Then the pair looked back at Euchre, then again at each other. This lasted some time, and the wizard got the impression there was an active, if not especially fast discussion going on. He considered if perhaps 'employer' was a bit long of a word for the pair at this time of the morning, but they did eventually turn back to him, this time the other brother speaking in an equally hungover state <We don't think we've got a job going on at the moment.>

Euchre gave them both a deep look of disappointment as he again wondered if this was really the best he could do. But their reputation preceded them so he hoped they were just both still drunk. <Not yet you don't, I'm here to offer you work. I have a complicated requirement and your reputed skills, should they turn out to be accurate, fit quite nicely.>

After another round of silent discussion between the pair that took far too long, Euchre decided that from now on he was going to need to use shorter words. <So we just finished a job.> Zen started to speak just as the white wolf was beginning to run low on patience. <And we're slightly busy, uhhhh...> Natani continued but didn't finish.

Euchre interrupted by hitting Zen around the head with his staff.

Zen reacted a second later, with a confused <Ahh?!> and clutched at where he'd been struck. A few seconds after that the magic kicked in and all of the alcohol in their system was filtered out very suddenly. Both wolves bent over double, clutched their hands to their head and let out agonized groans of pain as their hangovers kicked in.

<That should have sobered you up.> Euchre gave them enough time to get properly settled into their new hangovers before continuing <To repeat: I have a complicated job that requires teamwork between assassins skilled in using non lethal methods. You two are the best and time is not on my side.>

Very slowly, the two other wolves climbed up onto their feet and regarded the wizard, wincing through pain as Zen spoke. <And so you thought hitting me on the head would make us want to work for you?>

Euchre sighed and reached into his robe and pulled out a coin purse, then tossed it to Natani because he seemed like the most likely to be able to catch it. <Triple your normal rate, all up front. Plus whatever ridiculous bar tab you ran up last night to sweeten it.>

Natani got halfway through opening the bag of coins before stopping to think. He didn't take his eyes off the gold though, and Zen spoke up to ask the question <Wait, what bar tab?>

<The owner left you to sleep until mid-day instead of throwing you out at closing,> Euchre said bluntly, then gestured over towards the half-fox behind the bar and the rough looking wolf who was still floating in mid air next to him. <then hired muscle to make sure you paid up, and made his assistant come in early to count the money.>

The barkeeper took one look at the stern look on the wizard's face and decided that nodding his head enthusiastically was his best chance for survival and now, possibly, getting paid as well.

The two assassins followed the line of his staff towards the two confused staff members. Natani then began looking around the bar for context before accidentally catching sight of the midday sun through the window discouraged him with a mild cry of annoyance and hungover pain. Zen kept his gaze on the wolf though, pointing out towards him with a slight wobble and a worried but curious expression <Wait, why is that guy just floating over there?>

<I haven't put him down yet.> Euchre replied bluntly.

Zen and Natani's gaze swapped quickly between each other, the wolf, then the gold and finally back to Euchre before they asked with surprising enthusiasm <So who do you need us to kill?>

<Rescue.> Euchre corrected as he held out his staff towards the two wolves, <But I will discuss the details and provide any equipment you need along the way, time is of the essence.>

The assassins considered this for a few moments before agreeing silently and both taking hold of the staff. A moment later the trio disappeared into the hazy, magical fuzz of a teleport spell, leaving behind the confused bartender and a small coin purse where Euchre had been standing that, like the bouncer, floated motionless in mid air for some time after they left.

---

<Ahhhhh, I see.> In the day or so he'd known them while searching for the small convoy, Euchre had come to appreciate that while Zen and Natani were incredibly skilled at their trade, they were not very bright. Despite this though, even Natani was smart enough to figure out that the snow wolfess in the cage with the infant snow wolfess were probably related to the snow wolf that was hiring them to pull off a rescue.

<Focus on the guards.> Euchre pointed out flatly. <I will unlock the cage and rescue the prisoners once their escort is incapacitated.>

<Looks like eight guards total.> Zen observed through the telescope, presumably for Euchre's benefit, unless he just liked to babble out loud while he did his best impression of thinking. The procession, which consisted only of the slave carriage, the horses pulling it and their escort had made camp in a small clearing. They'd taken a small and little used path that had been discussed since the construction of a bridge had made another route much faster, and even still they had camped far enough away for their fire to not be seen from it. <Two on far watch outside the camp, four resting by the fire and two more watching the prisoners.> He focused there for some time, so long Euchre got as far as raising an eyebrow, but his interest turned out to be professional. <They're watching the mother very closely, they check with the other guard before even rubbing their eyes.> The fact that those two were the ones with spears that could reach through the bars had not escaped their notice.

<They're concerned she might be dangerous to them, if she can get hold of any mana.> Euchre sighed and rubbed his forehead. Frankly, she could well prove very dangerous to him. He had to hope she wouldn't do something so brash as to use dark magic. <That's what I need you two for, those guards need to go down simultaneously.> There was also the other non-trivial possibility that those guards were the real protection. Standing on opposite sides of the cage they made it difficult for Euchre to kill them both without one placing a spear up against one of their throats. That was half the reason he needed help.

<You mean at the same time, right?> Natani had turned to look at him and cocked an eyebrow with an inquisitive and slightly suspicious look.

<Yes.> Euchre said, refusing to meet his gaze. <That's what that word means.>

<Just sounded like you were talking in human for a second.> Zen added, and Euchre paused to think about that. The words sounded similar in both languages so likely one had been taken from the other, but he wondered if perhaps a bit too much of a human accent had slipped through his tongue for a moment.

Zen didn't seem to care too much though and continued. <Don't get why they're so worried, though. They're both in control collars.> Euchre's stomach churned at the thought of his daughter in one of those. He'd seen the way they could drain the soul from a person, force them to act against their will and kill any that tried to take them off.

This was not in the deal he'd made. This was Trace provoking him, pushing him to make a misstep. He wouldn't give him the pleasure, only an empty cage where his prizes had been.

<Are you sure there's nothing special about these guards?> Zen flicked between each of their marks in turn, checking over each one meticulously. <This looks like the reject pile of the town guard, I don't see why you needed us for this.>

They probably were, but then that didn't make much difference to stopping Euchre. He was a templar, one deserving of the title master, a dozen guards were never going to stop him with force regardless of how good they were. They could threaten Mary and his daughter though, and failing that their deaths could be pinned on him. <Because I need survivors and witnesses that it wasn't me.>

The two wolves shared a long look between themselves as they thought that over. Inspiration flares in Zens eyes, then Natani's, and finally the pair turned back to ask him <Are you ok with us making some noise?>

Euchre agreed, and then the pair disappeared off into the woods with a skill and ease that unnerved him. They were good at their craft, and they were in their element amongst the trees.

Then came the waiting. He approached closer to the clearing under the power of his own magical prowess. He was not invisible as such, but in the darkness and the trees he would appear to anyone in the clearing as no more than another bush, so long as they didn't see him move. He could see them now without the telescope. The trio by the fire talked quietly, the mood was a somber one of boredom, though he didn't care to listen in. His eyes were on the cart.

The cage was too small to stand in and barely large enough for the two of them. His daughter huddled up to Mary for warmth or comfort, though the pair sat in the middle of their prison, away from the bars on all sides. They were turned away from him so he couldn't see their faces, but he could tell they were cold from the way they shivered and held close, there was no sign of a blanket between the two of them.

Off on the other side of the clearing, a dim illusion of a person flashed between the trees and one of the guards on watch chased after it. When no one else in the clearing was looking, he collapsed quietly and was replaced by his doppelgänger.

Mary had been given a new set of clothes, a rough brown shirt instead of the Templar robes she'd been in last he'd seen her. Though on consideration she'd more likely been stripped of them and given leftovers. Cheap slaves garb. Both offended him, and the thought of what she must have been through hurt him. Their daughter at least had clothes that looked relatively warm.

Zen, in the guise of one of the guards, approached the fire making some vague and simply worded complaint of being cold, backed up by holding his arms out to the fire for warmth. Euchre could just about make out his human and it only just passed muster. It worked though, and he was offered coca as one of the group stood up to replace him by the edge of the clearing. In the discussion, no one saw the small brown pouch slip from his hands and plop down out of sight amongst their supplies.

Mary moved, slowly and gently. The two guards watching her were visibly anxious about it though, and clutched to their spears. She was only adjusting how she and her daughter sat though, lifting her arms up from where they'd been hugging the smaller wolf and letting Euchre see the chains running between her wrists. His heart churned at the sight. He'd seen first hand the raw wounds such metal left on the wrists and arms and it hurt to see Mary in such a state.

Then their daughter lifted her own arms up to adjust her hair and Euchre saw the very same steel bands around her wrists. He wanted to hurl a fireball, burn everyone who'd hurt them and damn the consequences. He wanted to protect her, and now he could see how much he needed to, he could only wait and hope someone else did it for him.

The daughter reached for her neck to clutch at the black band that wrapped around it, and the softly blue glowing runes on it. It was clearly irritating her , but as she tried to adjust it Mary pulled her hands away. She knew what the collars could do to those that tried to escape them.

As Zen moved towards the cage, he caught Euchre's daughter's eyes and her gaze fixed on him. She evidently didn't like what she saw, and was terrified at his sight, huddling in close to Mary and whispering to her quietly. Panic grew in his heart; the last thing this evening needed was them blowing their own rescue, but Mary was dismissive and held her daughter close.

The guard watching them said something that sent her huddling into her mother's arms though and that seemed to be the end of it. Crisis averted.

Zen offered the other guard a cup of something warm that he took and drunk from eagerly. A moment later he keeled over backwards, and all hell broke loose.

The other guard watching Mary took a magical arrow to the back and slammed into the bars with considerable force, unconscious before he'd finished collapsing. A split second later the fire pit exploded, sending the two sitting around it flying backward. One of the girls screamed as both of them ducked down against the floor for cover.

Euchre saw Zen hurling a blast of magic at the soldier that had replaced him on watch, right as the other watchmen went sprinting across his vision barely a meter away. His illusion evidently worked, but the guard made straight for Natani's position having seen the first arrow fly. His shield stopped the second and the assassin only just drew his own blade in time to defend himself.

The two that had been blown off their feet by the fire had picked themselves up by now, or at least tried to. The tip of Zen's blade sliced across the leg of one of them leaving a small cut that was far from fatal, and a moment later he collapsed unconscious from the poison coating, though He'd bought his compatriot time to ready his weapon and parry the assassin's blade.

Euchre realised that only seven of the party were accounted for a split second before the eighth guard burst from the undergrowth with his britches undone. Neither assassin seemed to take much notice of him though, both were focused on their own duel to the death but they needn't have done so, the late arrival made straight for the cage.

Euchre raised his staff over his shoulder, giving lead to the sprinter, praying one of the assassins would catch him first. Scenarios ran through his head at a lightning pace as he thought whether he needed to fire. Would any of the three standing see the shot? Did he need them alive at all? The one fighting Natani would be the best witness since he would confirm the second assassin, but didn't three of them already see the first shot? Would five survivors be enough to assuage suspicion of himself, or would the last three standing being the casualties only point to a cover up?

The unmarked guard stopped at his fallen ally by the cage to grab his spear. Euchre tightened his grip on the hilt of his staff as the soldier pointed it at the girls and pulled back with it. Mary screamed and pulled their daughter away from him, shielding her with her body. He begged silently for the guard to hesitate, to say something, to make a threat he could use to stall, anything so he didn't have to fire the bolt.

From the other side of the camp, Zen sent a spear hurling through the air between the bars of the cage and into the guards leg, sending him collapsing to the floor in pain. A few seconds later Natani felled him with magic and the forest returned to silence.

Zen made for cover, letting his brother keep watch while Mary reached through the bars to search the nearest fallen guard. Euchre dismissed the two assassins, leaving them to their gold and their own pre-planned method of returning home to their side of the border. Then, when he was sure they were out of earshot, he approached the clearing.

Mary was working the keys she had found into the lock of the cage door with great difficulty, the chains on her arms getting in her way, and she seemed to be locked to their daughter.

Euchre approached them quickly, and it was his daughter that saw him first. He only now noticed, as she was looking towards him, that she was human. She had his gift. It ran in the family of course, but for most it was difficult and painful, and all but himself needed mana to make the change. But she could have had access to no mana. He opened his mouth to say something but no words came, and then the moment was passed as she ducked away and made quiet whispers to her mother that were ignored, until the door swung open in front of him. Now Mary saw him. The runes on her collar flashed brightly as they suppressed her well of magic and she collapsed backwards with a gasp.

"You!" She hissed at him.

He swallowed and took a gentle step forward. He held out in his hand a small key on a loop, a master unlock key for all their chains and collars he'd gone to some effort to procure anonymously. "Here, for the shackles." He said meekly as he worked up the courage to continue. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry.'

"Is that all you have to say for yourself, Euchre?" Mary bit at him while still swiping the key from his hands. ""Sorry"? After everything you've done to us, that's it?"

"I mean it Mary. I'm sorry, and I'm here to help you." His head raced as he looked down at them. The woman he loved and the daughter he'd never known but he was too afraid to approach.

"No, Euchre, you're here to control us so no one can hold us hostage to control you." She yelled at him while trying to fit the key into her shackles without taking her eyes off him.

Euchre went quiet, if only to let Mary work on escaping her bindings. She was right of course, that was one reason he was here. But the other reason was that he cared for them and now he was here in front of them, rescuing them, the words wouldn't come.

"Mommy, who is that?"

Euchre's heart skipped a beat, his stomach jumped up into his throat and caught there as two terrified yellow eyes poked around from behind their mother. His daughter, the one he'd never even known of. The one who had never known him. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, to introduce himself, to make up for fourteen years of not being there. "I'm.."

"The reason we're in chains." Mary huffed angrily as her shackles clattered to the floor. "The reason we're wearing collars, too." she spat as she turned to their daughter's bindings and began to unlock them. "The reason we've been so scared for our lives."

"I was never going to let you get hurt, Mary." he said quickly in his own defence. He spoke from the heart yet she brushed him off with a whinny like a horse might make. He carried on interrupted before she could protest "I made a deal with Trace, you wouldn't be killed, he let you go unharmed."

"Am I supposed to be grateful, Euchre?" Mary yelled over her shoulder before turning back to work on their daughter's collar. "That I've only lost my livelihood and not the rest of my life?"

"Don't tell me..." Euchre started in an equally angry tone, he was not about to have Mary chastising him for stifling her career, nor having fur, but she talked straight over him.

"And do you think selling your daughter into slavery wasn't harmful or did you just not care about her at all?"

Euchre felt his blood boiling up inside of him. After keeping her a secret from him to now accuse him of not caring. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the clack of Raines collar coming undone and the soft proofing noise she made as she turned into a wolf.

He was stunned into silence at how easily she had done it. The very same perfect transformation that he had been gifted with, a natural shift from one species to another. He had a daughter and for one brief, fleeting moment he felt what it must have been like to have a family.

Then his daughter spoke. "Mom help, I'm a wolf again!"

Euchre snapped, tears rolled down out of his eyes as he emptied his head of all his anger and sorrow. "I didn't know about her, Mary!" he bellowed "I couldn't care for her because you kept her secret from me her whole life! Did you never think I want to know her? That I might want to be there for her?"

"I kept her hidden so she would be safe!" Mary retorted defensively.

"And if you'd told me then I could have helped! I could have protected her!"

"I was protecting her from you."

Silence fell across the clearing, only broken by the quiet shuffling of his daughter hiding behind her mother.

"...What?" He asked, shocked, no, horrified at the notion.

"I hid her so she would be safe from you, Euchre," Mary batted back tears as she yelled "because I needed to."

"But, but I'd never.."

"Never what, Euchre? Betray her for more power?" Mary's voice croaked and she had to collect herself before she could continue "Or would you not leave her to die on the gallows?"

Euchre felt that in his heart, it hurt him to even think about that day, for Mary to have brought it up, "That's not fair, there was no other..." he started, stammering defensively.

"Yes there was, Euchre!" She screamed back. "Every time I think about Roselyn, I find another way you could have saved her. But you didn't, because it would have cost you a small sliver of power you weren't willing to give up!"

"Mary, please..." Euchre responded after a few seconds of stunned silence, if only to make some reply.

"Don't you dare deny it, Euchre! You did it ten minutes ago with him!" She pointed accusatory to the guard laying on the ground unconscious, with his britches untied and a spear in his leg "They had orders to kill us if we tried to escape, he nearly did it and you sat and watched from a bush because you didn't want to ruin whatever stupid ruse you've laid out for Trace!"

He couldn't respond to that. She was right, he'd had the guard right in his sight, spell ready to cast, and done nothing. He'd waited till the last possible second and they'd only been rescued by a last second throw from Zen.

"You don't look after the people that love you, Euchre. You hurt them. I should have learnt that lesson with Roselyn, but instead I let you do it to me." Mary wiped a tear from her eye as she held her daughter close. "I won't let you do it to Raine."

Mary turned away from him and took Raine with her. They grabbed a pack each from the guards supplies and then fled into the forest.

Euchre let them go. He had a daughter, her name was Raine, he'd probably never see her again.

And that was the best thing he could do for her.