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THE ZEEVAN CONFLICT

by Rex Fenris

Chapter 5: Haldrand

When Vahn awoke, the world was a blur of light that pierced through his eyes and pounded into the back of his skull. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. His head was throbbing and there was a sharp pain in his thigh. He tried to sit up, but his head barely made it a few inches off of the ground before the intense pain pulled him back down. It was then he realized that his head had landed on something soft.

"Easy now, don't try to move," whispered Caylen's voice from above him. Vahn opened his eyes again and the same agonizing light was still there waiting for him. He raised a paw up to block out the light from the sun overhead. At first, he couldn't make out anything more than shapes and shadows, but slowly the world around him began to take form.

The coyote was lying on his back, his head in the cheetah's lap. He knew he wasn't lying on the ground, but when he tried to turn his head to see where he was, he found it much too painful. He decided that it was a mystery he could solve later.

His mind was a blur of images, and he wasn't sure if he was awake or dreaming this whole scene. What had happened? How did he end up here? He struggled to remember the events of the pasts few days. At first, the memories eluded him. There were only mismatched images that didn't make any sense, but slowly they started to piece themselves together. He remembered the rainstorm and being lost in the forest. He remembered the inn, and Caylen, and Tark. He remembered leaving, and making love to the cheetah. Beyond that, he couldn't remember a thing.

"What happened? Where am I?" Vahn asked. His was surprised to hear how raspy his voice was.

"We were attacked by a bunch of Tark's thugs. You saved my life and got hurt trying to protect me," said Caylen, "You took a bad blow to the head and lost a lot of blood."

Attacked? He didn't remember anything about being attacked, or being in a fight. As he fought to remember, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a throbbing pain in his head. He groaned again and covered his eyes with his paw. The sunlight was much too bright.

The coyote then realized how dry and scratchy his throat was, and that he was incredibly thirsty.

"Water?" was all Vahn could manage. Even talking was painful. A few moments later he felt the mouth of his water skin at his lips. He opened his muzzle slightly and the lukewarm water was poured in. He drank and drank. On several occasions he choked and coughed on the water, but he didn't stop drinking. It seemed that his thirst would never be quenched, but soon the water was gone.

He felt the cheetah's paw wipe away a few drops of water that had dripped down the side of his muzzle. Vahn rested his head in the cheetah's lap, panting somewhat, as he had mostly forgotten to breathe while he was drinking.

Vahn felt Caylen's paw begin to caress his neck and the side of his muzzle. The cheetah was careful to stay away from Vahn's forehead, which was still extremely sore. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. Caylen's soft, gentle caresses on his muzzle and neck felt wonderful and even seemed to sooth the pain.

When Caylen stopped, Vahn opened his eyes again and saw the starry night sky above him. He must have passed out again. The pain in his head and leg was substantially less intense now, so he decided to risk sitting up again. The motion sent a rush of pain to his head, but it wasn't debilitating like it had been before.

The coyote discovered what the hard surface was that he was lying on. He was in the back of a cart. All around him were wooden boxes and barrels. His nose picked up several different scents: apples, pears, grapes, and a few he couldn't make out. He also noticed that his blanket had been pulled over him.

He looked all around the cart, but couldn't see Caylen anywhere. His rolled up bed roll was sitting where his head had been resting. Had he just dreamed everything? He felt his chest tighten up. Where was Caylen? Vahn searched around the cart again. Where was his pack? Fear suddenly overwhelmed him. Had he lost everything?

The coyote's ears shot up. He could hear the crackling of a fire nearby. He couldn't see it, but he could tell it was coming from in front of the cart. As Vahn started to climb out of the cart, he could tell that they were almost out of the Sage Hill Forest. The trees were much less densely packed here.

Vahn was able to get his left leg up over the side of the cart without any trouble, but moving his wounded right leg was significantly more difficult. Someone had cut the leg of his pants off several inches below the waist and had used the material to bandage his wound, which he still couldn't remember how he got.

The coyote groaned as he struggled to pull himself over the side of the cart. The pain in his leg was bad enough, but the physical strain was causing agonizing pain in his head as well. By the time he managed to get his other leg off of the cart he was panting from the exertion. He had been wounded in battle before, but never anything this serious.

Vahn steadied himself against the cart, trying to keep as much weight as possible off of his wounded leg. The cart was fairly large and had two axles. He noticed the two horses that were hooked up to the cart had been tied up to a nearby tree. As the coyote moved towards the front of the cart, he quickly ran out of places to support himself again. He considered using the horses, but decided that they probably wouldn't appreciate that.

As he limped his way forward, he soon saw the fire not far from the cart. He was immediately relieved to see Caylen sleeping next to it and, as the coyote got closer, he saw his pack lying next to the cheetah. There was another person next to the fire as well, except he was sitting up, apparently cooking something. It was a cougar, who Vahn at first thought was probably in his forties, but the gray fur around the muzzle indicated that the feline was much older. The cougar was in fantastic shape for his age.

"You must be Vahn," said the cougar without so much as turning his head. He seemed intently focused on the contents of the pot which hung over the fire. "Caylen has told me quite a lot about you."

Vahn finally made it all the way to the fire and carefully lowered himself down to the ground next to where Caylen was laying his head. The coyote was panting again, and was surprised to find himself worn out by his short trip from the cart to the campfire.

"You don't look so good there, son. From what I heard, you had a pretty rough day," the cougar rose up from where he was sitting and walked over to Vahn, offering his paw, which the coyote shook. "I apologize for not introducing myself. My name is Galtero Vidal."

"Vahn Draku. But I suppose you already know that," Vahn said. The cougar simply nodded and returned to his place next to the cooking pot. "What happened? I don't remember anything since-" Vahn looked down at Caylen, then back up to the cougar "-shortly after we woke up this morning."

"According to Caylen, the two of you were jumped by a bunch of thugs working for his former owner. He suspects that this Tark fellow only let you buy him so he could send his thugs after you to kill you, steal the rest of your money, and take Caylen back to Tark," said Galtero as he stirred the pot.

Vahn just stared into the fire. He should have known not to trust that bastard. He looked down at Caylen again and decided that he made the right decision. Without thinking, he reached down with his paw to gently stroke the side of the cheetah's muzzle. Caylen stirred slightly, but didn't wake up. When Vahn realized what he was doing his pulled his paw back up. He couldn't risk letting the cougar see him do that, not knowing which church he was a part of. Galtero apparently hadn't noticed, still occupied with his stirring.

Vahn shook his head and grumbled. "I can't believe I was beaten by a bunch of damn highwaymen."

The cougar laughed, "Are you kidding? There were four of them! I'm amazed you're even alive to complain about it. Four-on-one odds aren't something most people live to talk about."

Vahn just shrugged, but then something occurred to him. "Wait a minute, if I was knocked out, why they didn't kill me?"

The cougar paused, as if considering whether or not to actually tell him, and then finally said, "Caylen saved your life."

"What happened?"

"You had dispatched three of your opponents, but the last one, the leader of the bunch, managed to sneak up on you, having dropped his shield in favor of a dagger, which ended up in your leg there. After that you took a nasty blow to the head. Before he was able to finish you off, however, Caylen charged him and ended up killing him."

"Caylen killed him? How? He doesn't have any weapons," Vahn couldn't believe what he was hearing. He couldn't imagine Caylen killing an insect, let alone another person.

"Us felines are born with weapons, son," Galtero showed Vahn his claws, "He was awfully upset about having done it too."

Vahn just nodded. "What happened after that?"

"When he couldn't wake you up, he ran back to the road to call for help, and I just happened to be passing by. We tended to your wounds, loaded you into my cart, and now here we are."

Vahn didn't say anything for a while. He took a deep breath and stared into the fire, watching the flames dance atop the burning wood. He still couldn't believe that he was bested by a bunch of lowlifes. He knew he was better than that.

Once again the coyote found his attention drawn to the sleeping cheetah next to him. Caylen was about the age Vahn had been when he first had to kill someone. There had been many more in the few short years that had followed, but Vahn was a soldier, and that was the life he signed up for. He felt bad for the cheetah, and wished he would have been able to shield him from that.

"So, is he your mate?" Galtero asked.

Vahn, caught completely off guard, looked up at the cougar across the fire. "Excuse me?"

The cougar chuckled and said, "And all this time I thought you canines had great ears. I asked if he was your mate."

"W-what would make you think that?" Vahn stumbled. Was the cougar testing him? Did he already know? Was it safe to talk to him about it?

"The way you were looking at him just now. The way you touched his muzzle when you thought I wasn't paying attention. You don't do a very good job of being discrete about it, if that's what you're wondering."

Vahn was at a loss for words. Not only was he unsure if he could trust Galtero, but he was unsure of how to answer the cougar's question. If there had been any hope of hiding the truth about his feelings for Caylen, he was sure it was gone by now.

"I'll take your silence and the guilty look on your face for your answer," the cougar laughed, and then added, "Your dinner is ready." The cougar ladled the contents of the pot into a clay bowl and handed it to Vahn along with a spoon.

The coyote was so stunned by the conversation that just took place, and his complete lack of ability to handle himself in it, that it was actually a moment before he even noticed that the cougar was holding the bowl out for him. He reached out and took it from Galtero, and then realized how hungry he was. The rich, strong scent that wafted up from the bowl made his mouth water.

"Thank you," said Vahn as he sat back, took a spoonful, and blew over it lightly to cool it before taking a bite. It was delicious! It was a vegetable stew of some sort with thick chunks of carrots and potatoes. Certainly better than anything he would have expected to be cooked over a campfire. As the coyote continued to eat, he said, "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure exactly what we are. We just met a few days ago," between spoonfuls.

"Yes, that's what Caylen told me," Galtero said, and chuckled again. He had taken a bowl of stew for himself as well. "Since we're being honest with each other, I already knew before I asked you. I was just curious what your take on it was."

"Did Caylen tell you about us?"

"Eventually. After I asked him. At first he was being very secretive, but it wasn't hard to figure out. After I arrived he never left your side, not even for a moment, and he tended to your wounds with a care and tenderness that was hard to overlook. He's a very fast learner, by the way. I showed how him to dress your wounds and he picked it all up very quickly. Getting him to leave you in the cart and come eat something and rest was no easy task."

Vahn listened as he continued to eat. To his surprise, he had already finished the first bowl of stew, which Galtero refilled for him. The cougar's casual and friendly demeanor was comforting.

"So, it doesn't bother you? That he and I are, well, I'm not sure exactly what we are, but, you know," Vahn stumbled over his words again. He felt like such an idiot.

"I think lovers is the word you're looking for, son. And the answer would be no, it doesn't bother me. I follow the United Church, but even if I didn't, I wouldn't care. I've seen too much sorrow and death in my life to begrudge someone's happiness over a matter so trivial as gender. Though I should warn you, as I'm sure you already know, that many do not share my sentiments on this matter, and while you should feel comfortable to act freely in my presence, when we arrive at Haldrand you should temper your affections with him in public. And the next time someone asks, you should have a convincing story prepared, since stumbling over your words and looking confused only makes you look that much more suspicious," explained Galtero.

"I will, thank you," Vahn said, then paused, trying to think of something else to say, but was only able to come up with, "This stew is delicious," as he finished the last of his second bowl.

Galtero laughed and smiled, "Why thank you. Cooking is something of a passion of mine. I enjoy the art of it, finding new ways to make simple things delicious." The cougar took the bowl from him, but didn't refill it this time. "You should try to get some more sleep. I'll keep watch for the rest of the night."

Vahn was going to object, since he wasn't feeling tired at all, but the cougar was already on his feet and walking back to the cart. As Galtero walked by, the coyote noticed for the first time that Galtero wore a sword on his belt, and even from the quick glance he got of it he could tell just from the hilt and the scabbard that the blade was of remarkable craftsmanship. Having been raised by merchants and having served in his lord's army, he knew an excellent blade when he saw one.

That was strange. That was the kind of weapon an alpha class citizen would carry, but Galtero certainly didn't look like one. The coyote pondered this for a moment as he laid himself down behind Caylen. The wool blanket the cheetah had over him was sufficiently large, so Vahn climbed under it as well, snuggling up close behind Caylen and draping an arm around the smaller feline.

Vahn sighed, happy and relieved to be close to the cheetah again. He'd had a short-lived relationship with another soldier when he was younger. That relationship had mostly been a physical one, and it only lasted for a few months. This was something entirely different though. He had never felt anything like this before.

Lovers. That was the word Galtero had used. The coyote smiled as he thought about that. Was that what he and Caylen were? He hadn't considered it until now. There were too many other things on his mind. For now, holding the cheetah in his arms and feeling the feline's fur pressed up against his was good enough for Vahn.

But who was this cougar, Galtero? Nothing about him made sense to the coyote. He was elegant and well-spoken and carried the finest sword Vahn had ever seen, yet he was dressed like a commoner and was out traveling alone, driving his own cart. Was he really someone they could trust?

These thoughts and countless others raced through Vahn's mind as the night dragged on. Despite his best efforts to relax, sleep eluded him for what felt like hours. The coyote couldn't stop dwelling on his anxieties.

Vahn was tremendously relieved when he opened his eyes and saw the early morning sunlight. Once again, the morning air was quite frigid. It was nearly spring, and though warmer weather would be coming soon, the crisp chill of winter still lingered.

The campfire had burnt out and all of Galtero's cooking supplies were gone. The coyote turned his head and could see the cougar standing near the cart, feeding the horses. Caylen was still fast asleep.

"Caylen. It's time to wake up now," Vahn said as he gently shook the cheetah's shoulder. The feline stirred and rubbed his eyes. When he rolled over and saw Vahn lying beside him, his eyes grew wide and the feline threw his arms around him, burying his muzzle into the coyote's neck.

"Vahn! You're alright! Thank the Father. I was so afraid. How are you feeling? When did you finally wake up? I knew I shouldn't have left you last night."

Vahn smiled, touched by the cheetah's concern for his wellbeing. "I'm fine Caylen, really. Just a bump and a scratch. I woke up late last night after you had fallen asleep," Vahn said as he returned the hug, and then added, "Galtero told me what happened, and that you saved my life."

Caylen nodded but remained silent. Vahn realized that it was probably still a delicate subject for him and decided it would be best to not bring it up again. The cheetah clung to him for quite a while, though Vahn didn't mind. He held the feline tightly in his arms until he heard Galtero walking back towards the campfire.

"It's about time we set off. You boys ready to go?"

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," Caylen said as he finally pulled away from the embrace. He quickly collected the blanket and the few other items that had were still lying around the campfire. Vahn began to pull himself to his feet, but was thwarted by a sudden resurgence of intense pain from both his leg and head which made him lightheaded. Having successfully sat up, he took a moment to rest.

When he saw that Caylen had picked up the heavy pack with all of the coyote's belongings, Vahn protested, "I can carry that, Caylen."

"You shouldn't strain yourself with your injuries, Vahn. I'll carry these things," replied Caylen as he hauled all of the gear over towards the cart. Vahn watched the cheetah walk away as he sat there on the ground being useless. He heard a chuckle from the cougar, who was leaning against a nearby tree.

"Don't look so dour, son. You can't do everything. Know you limitations and don't be too proud to ask for, or to accept help," said the cougar as he walked up and offered his paw to Vahn, which he accepted. The coyote had to force himself to ignore the excruciating pain from his head and leg as he pulled himself up to his feet.

Caylen quickly returned after placing all of the items into Galtero's cart. Each feline took one of Vahn's arms over their shoulders and the three gradually made their way back to the cart and helped the coyote climb into the back. Before long they were back on the road to Haldrand.

As they traveled south, they left the densely packed trees of the Sage Hill Forest and made their way through the gentle rolling hills and farmlands of eastern Zev. The road through the forest was only packed dirt, but here it was paved and well maintained. There were also many more travelers on the road here. They were mostly other farmers driving their own carts, taking their goods into the city to sell at the market. On several occasions Galtero exchanged a wave and a short greeting with a farmer or merchant as they passed by on the road. It seemed that the cougar knew a lot of people in the city.

After a few hours on the road, the city finally came into view as the cart crested a particularly large hill. Haldrand was a sprawling farming city and was spread out over a large area. Vahn could see the entire city as the cart made its way down the hill. Most of the buildings in Haldrand were constructed of wood, but the buildings on the outskirts of city looked newer and were spaced further apart whereas the buildings closer to the center of the city were run down and packed tightly together.

Where all of the roads met at the heart of the city stood an imposing stone palace which towered over the wooden buildings that surrounded it. While the city itself had no walls, the palace and several smaller stone buildings were surrounded by a massive stone wall that was at least twenty feet high.

The palace, however, was not the most impressive structure in the city. It was dwarfed by the massive cathedral that stood not one hundred paces from its walls. The stone spires of the cathedral shot up at least a hundred feet into the sky and atop the tallest spire at the center of the church loomed a great golden fist: the symbol of the Orthodox Church.

"I didn't know there was an Orthodox cathedral in Haldrand," Vahn commented.

"There wasn't one until recently. The Orthodox Church has been gradually gaining more and more influence in this area. They started building the cathedral about ten years ago and they just completed it last year," Galtero explained. "After it was completed many of people in Haldrand converted to the Orthodox religion and things have been going downhill in this city ever since."

The meaning of Galtero's words became clear to Vahn as they entered the city. The first thing the coyote saw was an Orthodox preacher, a bear clad in a white robe with the symbol of the church embroidered on the front in yellow thread. He stood by the side of the road leading into the town, calling out to the travelers who trickled into the city, proclaiming that the Orthodox religion was the path to true enlightenment and was the solution to the weakness and decadence of the United Church.

"I thought Haldrand was controlled by the King and the United Church. Why does the lord allow this to go on?" Vahn asked, bewildered, as they drove by the preacher.

"Since the cathedral was completed, the Orthodox church has gained so much power and influence in the city that even Lord Harinten, who governs here, is afraid to stand up to them. King Tylemar isn't willing to take action for fear that it will lead to open hostilities with the Duke again," explained Galtero. "Officially the Orthodox church claims to be neutral in the conflict, but it is widely understood that the church supports the Duke. They see it as their best opportunity to be returned to their rightful place as the official religion of the kingdom."

"Why did they let the Orthodox church build the cathedral to begin with?" Caylen inquired. "Surely they would have known what would have happened."

"Construction began long before the Duke rebelled against the king. When the war started, Lord Harinten wanted to force the church to stop working on the cathedral, but had no grounds for doing so since the church claims to not take sides in the war. Now it's too late to do anything about it.

"The city is divided between those who support King Tylemar and those who support Duke Kelwren. Unfortunately for Lord Harinten, the number of people who support the Duke continues to grow. You see, the Duke realized after the truce was declared that he didn't need to fight openly with the king in order to win territory. Now he quietly supports the Orthodox church in expanding their power and influence, and in turn they unofficially support him by encouraging their followers to give him their support," Galtero explained.

"But how can the church support the Duke without breaking their neutrality?" Vahn asked.

"The Orthodox church declared the Duke a Defender of the Faith, a title which can only be given to someone who is a member of the Orthodox church. Revering the Duke as the great Defender of the Faith lets the church support him without technically breaking their neutrality in the war."

"So if enough people in Haldrand convert to the Orthodox religion and throw in their lot with the Duke..." Vahn began.

"Then the people will eventually rise up and throw out Lord Harinten, who is loyal to the King, and replace him with someone else, probably the High Patriarch of the Orthodox church in the city. Duke Kelwren gains control of another important city without losing a single soldier or breaking the truce with the king," Galtero finished.

Vahn sat quietly, staring at the wooden boards beneath him as the cougar maneuvered the cart through the streets of the city. He had never known much about politics, or really understood how things worked behind the scenes. If Galtero was right then the Duke had no intentions of honoring the truce. He was just finding a way around it. Sooner or later fighting would break out again.

The coyote looked up when he realized that Galtero had stopped the cart next to a small stable attached to a larger wooden structure. Vahn looked around and noticed a sign hanging over the front door of the building which read "The Crown and Sword."

"Welcome to my humble establishment," the cougar said as he hopped out of the cart.

"This is your inn?" Caylen asked as he climbed out as well.

"Indeed it is, my boy. It's nothing too impressive, but I enjoy what I do," Galtero said as he hoisted a barrel out of the back of the cart.

"Galtero!" came a feminine voice from the front door of the inn. A middle-aged female cougar ran up to Galtero and embraced him tightly, rubbing her muzzle against his. "You had me so worried! You were supposed to be home yesterday."

"I know dear, I'm sorry to have worried you. I'd like to introduce you to Vahn and Caylen. They were attacked traveling through the forest and I stopped to help them. That's why I didn't make it home yesterday," Galtero explained as Caylen helped Vahn climb out of the cart. "Vahn, Caylen, this is my wife, Isabela"

"Oh you poor dears!" she gasped and held her paw up to her muzzle as she saw Vahn and the bloodstained bandage on his leg.

"Isabela, darling, could you prepare a room for them for the night?" Galtero asked, and then added, "One of the ones on the north hall."

"Of course, of course. Come with me, boys," Isabela said, motioning for them to follow her inside. Walking was still a daunting task for Vahn, though the discomfort was not nearly as severe as it had been the previous night. Caylen was by his side the entire time, helping him into the inn with one of Vahn's arms over his shoulder.

The Crown and Sword was larger than Tark's inn. There were at least a dozen patrons eating their midday meal in the dining room and several more sitting at the bar. The air in the dining room was filled with the scents of good cooking and everyone inside seemed to be in a jovial mood, though Vahn noticed a tall, heavily built tiger standing in the corner of the dining room with a club strapped to his belt, keeping a watchful eye on everything happening inside.

Isabela led the two to a flight of stairs and waited patiently as the pair ascended. After a short walk down the hallway atop the stairs, she opened the door to their room. It was a lovely room with an ample fireplace in the far corner flanked by a hefty stack of firewood. On the wall opposite the door a finely crafted oak table with two matching padded chairs sat below the window. The large bed was made up with fresh sheets and a fine wool blanket, and on the wall opposite the bed was an oak armoire.

"Oh wow," Caylen said. The two simply stood in the doorway.

"The room is on the house, boys," Isabela said from behind them, a bright smile on her muzzle.

"Oh, we couldn't possibly accept-" Vahn started.

"Nonsense!" Isabela cut him off. "Now you boys make yourselves comfortable while I go fetch you some fresh bandages for your leg there." A moment later she was gone, leaving Vahn and Caylen still standing in the doorway. Vahn shrugged when Caylen looked up at him with a questioning look.

Vahn sat down on one of the chairs by the table, wincing as he bent his leg. Caylen kneeled on the ground in front of him and untied the filthy makeshift bandage around the coyote's leg.

"Oh my, you're bleeding again Vahn. That trip up the stairs must have opened your wound," the cheetah said as he examined Vahn's leg. "You really need to stop moving around for a while until this heals."

Vahn looked down and saw his own wound for the first time. The cut was small, but it went deep into his leg. The area around it was caked with dried blood and dirt and he could see fresh blood start to drip down his leg. Caylen did his best to wipe up the blood before it dripped down onto the floor.

Isabela returned shortly with a basin of steaming hot water, several clean towels, and fresh linen bandages. Vahn watched as the two felines cleaned and dressed his wound. He tried on several occasions to offer his help, but Isabela promptly shushed him and told him to sit back and let them take care of it.

As they worked, the cougar explained everything she was doing in great detail to Caylen, and on more than one occasion commented that Caylen needed to know how to take care of "his male" since Vahn seemed to be the type who would go and get himself hurt on a regular basis. The comments made Vahn blush so fiercely that he thought his face would burst into flames. How it was that females always seemed to know when two males were attracted to each other was completely beyond Vahn's understanding.

When they finally finished, Isabela cleaned up all of the used towels and bandages. "You boys just relax here now and I'll have a meal sent up to you," she said, and then looked at Caylen, "Don't you let him move around any more. If that wound opens up again we'll have to start all over."

Caylen smiled, glanced at Vahn, and then looked back at Isabela. "Oh don't worry. I'll make sure he stays put."

After Isabela left Caylen stood up and kissed the side of the coyote's muzzle. Vahn still wasn't used to being taken care of like this, and it was somewhat frustrating for him.

"Is this really necessary?" Vahn asked.

"Of course it's necessary! You have a serious injury and you need to be careful to not make it any worse than it already is," Caylen replied.

"Well I'm not going to just sit around here doing nothing."

"That's exactly what you're going to do until that wound heals up."

Vahn frowned and grumbled. He knew Caylen was right, of course, but that didn't make him any less anxious to get back on the road. The coyote laid his head on his arms on the table beside the chair.

There was a knock on the door and Caylen went to answer it. Vahn didn't bother sitting up, instead closing his eyes. He still couldn't remember the fight, and certainly couldn't believe that he had lost. A bunch of thugs had beaten him? How could that have happened? He was too good for that. He would just have to train harder.

A rancid smell burned Vahn's nostrils. The coyote sat up, expecting to see Caylen, but instead finding Galtero standing in front of him holding two mugs, one of which was the source of that malodorous stench. The cougar sat down and placed both mugs on the table. Vahn looked around but didn't see Caylen anywhere in the room.

"I asked him to give me a few minutes to speak to you privately," Galtero said. Vahn nodded, and then looked down at the two mugs. One held a strange brown liquid, the other looked like mead.

"What're these for?" the coyote asked, pointing at the mugs.

"This is for your leg," Galtero said, holding out the mug of liquid from which the awful smell emanated. Vahn took it from him and eyed its contents. He didn't even want to know what some of the things floating in it were. "It will help your body fight off infection. Just don't take a deep whiff of it, especially with that canine nose of yours," Galtero cautioned.

Vahn hesitated, staring into the mug. This was not going to be pleasant. He took a deep breath, lifted up the mug, and gulped down its contents as quickly as he could. As soon as the fluid went down his throat the coyote immediately wanted to retch. He gagged and choked, but forced himself to finish it all. As soon as it was all gone, he put the first mug down and picked up the second and took a long swig. It was sweet honey mead, but it was several gulps before the mead washed away enough of the first overpowering flavor enough to even register.

The coyote coughed, then belched, then immediately regretted doing so as it brought back the horrible taste, so he took another drink of mead. The cougar laughed and said, "It's awful I know. I've had to drink similar concoctions many times myself. All the more incentive to not get wounded in the first place. It's worth it to avoid getting an infection though. I've seen men lose whole limbs and even die from wounds half as bad as yours."

The coyote took a few deep breaths and grimaced as his stomach tried to decide what to do with the unpleasant mixture of liquids it had just received. After a few more seconds he was confident that he could keep it down, so he leaned back into his chair and tried to relax.

"Thank you Galtero, for everything that you've done for me and Caylen," Vahn said, looking over at the cougar across the table. The feline shrugged and smiled.

"It's my pleasure, really," Galtero said plainly. "Why were you traveling the road through the forest anyways? Most people take the long way around, it's much safer."

Vahn took a deep breath and told the cougar the entire story. He explained that he was traveling to the capital to buy an officer's commission in the King's army, and the shortest possible route was through the forest. He then went into how he got lost during the storm and ended up meeting Caylen and Tark, and the events that transpired since then. He left out the more intimate details that he was sure Galtero wasn't interested in hearing.

The cougar didn't respond immediately, instead rubbing the bottom of his muzzle contemplatively for a few moments before asking, "So you want to be an officer? You have the letters from your lord and commander?" Vahn nodded. "That's an admirable aspiration. What made you decide to follow this particular path?"

"I was only fourteen years old when the war started. I wanted desperately to fight, but I was too young. Many of my older friends joined or were conscripted into my lord's army. I saw them go off to war to protect our lands from the Duke. Many of them never came back home.

"Two years later the Duke's army attacked our small town. Most of the city's soldiers had already been killed in the fighting before. If it weren't for the King's soldiers who came to protect us, my family, my home, everything I ever knew and loved would have been destroyed.

"On that day I decided I wanted to fight for the King. I owe him my life, and I feel this is the best way I can repay my debt to him," Vahn explained.

"I see. Very admirable indeed. You also have the five gold royals you need to buy an officer's commission?" Galtero asked.

Vahn bit his lip, being reminded again that he no longer had enough money. "I-I did. My whole family and I worked for two years to scrape together the money. I gave up all of my inheritance for it. But now I..." Vahn sighed and took a deep breath. "I don't have enough any more."

"You spent the money your entire family had saved for two years for you to follow your dream in order to rescue Caylen from that inn?"

Vahn couldn't help but laugh as he heard that. It sounded ridiculous. He nodded and leaned his head back on the chair, looking up at the ceiling. "Not all of it. But I only have four royals left. I'll have to find other work in the city when I get there in order to make up for what I spent."

"Why would you do such a thing?"

Vahn looked Galtero square in the eye. Part of him was annoyed that he was even being asked that question. "Because it was the right thing to do. Caylen is a wonderful person who deserves a real life just like everyone else. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would do exactly the same thing."

The cougar nodded. "Vahn, I admire your conviction and your character. You will certainly make a fine officer."

There was another knock on the door and Isabela poked her head into the room. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No darling. Please come in," Galtero said as he stood up. He turned to the Vahn and offered him his paw, which the coyote shook. "I'm afraid I must get back to work now, the evening rush will be starting soon. Try to stay off of that leg until it's properly healed."

"I will, sir. Thank you for your generosity," Vahn said.

Galtero smiled and left the room as Isabela and Caylen were coming in. Isabela carried two large mugs and two plates heaping with food and Caylen bore the heavy load of Vahn's pack, armor, and sword, which he set down next to the bed. Isabela set the food and drinks down on the table and quickly excused herself since she had to return downstairs to serve the customers coming in.

"This looks delicious!" Caylen exclaimed as he sat down in the chair across from Vahn. The food tasted as good as it looked. Isabela and the cooks had prepared each of them two roasted chicken breasts along with a heaping pile of peas, carrots, and green beans. After they finished, Caylen collected the plates and empty mugs.

The cheetah had offered to help out in the kitchen in appreciation for all the help the Vidal's had given to them, so Vahn was left alone in the room. He opened the window beside the table and felt the cool air rush into the room. There was an hour or so of daylight remaining, so Vahn contented himself with watching the activities taking place on the street below.

They weren't far from the palace and seemed to be situated in a wealthy pocket of the city. The area was heavily patrolled by the lord's soldiers and many of those who walked down the street wore fine clothing and jewelry. Just across the street from the inn was a silversmith's shop. The energetic old ferret who looked like the owner of the place was out trying to show off his wares to those who passed by his shop while several younger ferrets toiled inside.

By the time the sun finally dropped below the horizon the air outside was uncomfortably cold, so the coyote pulled the windows shut and lit a fire in the hearth. The next few hours slipped by uneventfully as Vahn stared into the flames. He never expected to feel so lonely and he wished that Caylen had stayed up in the room with him. The coyote was amazed how attached he had become to the feline over just a few short days.

As the night wore on, Vahn waited for Caylen to return to the room, but found his eyelids were growing heavier with each passing moment, especially as the heat from the fire radiated throughout the room. It was with great reluctance that Vahn carried himself to the large, empty bed, climbed under the covers, and fell asleep alone.