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Leafblade

By: Isaac Coyote

Chapter 9: Earning Trust

An older fox stood at the top of the hill, wearing what appeared to be worn traveling robes. He had a walking stick in one paw, and the other pointed down in Valaren's direction. His fur was mostly red, but white showed through in random places. He had the look of fury, and standing above them as he did, he was quite intimidating.

Valaren turned around slowly, waiting until he was completely facing the fox before speaking. "The young ones and I are just passing through. I was hoping we would be allowed a night's rest as we pass, somewhere safe from bandits."

"Do not lie to me, Valaren. I know you too well for that." The fox never moved, just keeping his full attention on the large canine. "What is your real purpose here."

"Please, kind sir," Liandra spoke up suddenly. "We just wish to stay the night. We shall be gone in the morning."

The fox didn't shift his gaze from Valaren. "So, you coerce the young into your plot of trickery?"

"I have not told them to lie." Valaren replied casually. "Everything they say is of their own choice."

"You had better turn around," The fox warned. "I have not killed you out of respect for the young ones. I will not continue to hold that respect if you continue to offend me with your presence."

Valaren nodded slowly. "If you wish to throw away years of friendship over a small argument, I will not stop you." Valaren moved to turn around, but Tarin was not that willing to relent. The young coyote started up the hill towards the fox. Valaren spun around, and attempted to grab Tarin, but he was too far away to reach. It was clear Valaren was reluctant to move closer to the fox, because he did not pursue Tarin. "Pup! What are you doing?"

Tarin glared up at the fox as he walked, and did not look back when he called out. "He won't let us stay with him? That is fine, but we will lose too much ground turning around. We continue forward and pass through."

The fox moved directly in front of Tarin. "This is my land, leave or I will strike you down."

Tarin remained undeterred. "So be it."

"Tarin!" Liandra called out. "Do not be a fool."

"Turn around, young one." The fox warned, but Tarin was getting closer still. "This is your last warning."

Tarin walked right up to the fox and stopped. The fox was a good foot or so taller than Tarin was, but he held himself as if he were ten times that. Tarin would have normally been intimidated, but something inside of him had taken over. Tarin was along for the ride. "I'm right here. Strike me down. Finish me off."

Valaren still showed reluctance, pacing quickly at an invisible line that had been established. "Tarin, you will come back here right now."

"Punish me however you like, father." Tarin replied, eyes locked on the fox. "I am ignoring you."

The fox took a quick step back. "What?" He glanced around Tarin, looking down at Valaren. "Is he suggesting he is your son?"

"I am not sure suggesting is the correct word." Valaren replied. "I think the word you want is claiming."

The fox stared at Tarin in silence for a minute at least. When he spoke up again, it was to Valaren. "Just for the night, but you will explain everything to me, and you will be gone in the morning."

"Thank you, friend."

"I am not your friend." The fox replied, turning and walking away.

Valaren and Liandra made their way up the hill quickly. Tarin was still recovering from his bold actions, and the fact that they worked, so he had no chance of defending himself when Liandra ran right up to him and punched him upside his head. "You idiot!" Tarin barely managed to stay on his feet, but his head swam from the blow. "What were you thinking, being so stupid like that? What would we have done had he killed you?"

"It is done." Valaren countered. "Tarin's plan was a success, and no one was harmed. Do not be so harsh on the pup. He's still learning and testing his boundaries."

"He's going to get himself killed." Liandra fumed.

"It is unlady-like to shout, your Highness." The fox called from where he was waiting.

Liandra froze in place. "He knows who I am?"

Valaren patted Liandra on her back. "He's a very smart fox. He knows a lot more than any single individual ever should."

They continued over the hill, and when they cleared it, all the trees stopped at the top, leaving a clearing on the other side. It bowled down, creating a valley of sorts, but almost perfectly circular, and in the center was a decent sized cottage. It took a few minutes of walking before they reached the front door, where the fox waited. "Princess Liandra, and Tarin was it?" Tarin nodded. "My name is Jaire Trutton. Welcome to my home."

Jaire's home was not that large, but it was spacious. It was also immaculate. The first area had a single table with two chairs, completely clean and spotless. The wood of the table and chairs also seemed to be well taken care of, no sign of aging at all. It could have been new, but further investigation suggested otherwise. It wasn't just the table and chairs, either. Across the room was a bookshelf, filled with books, completely organized by size and color of the backing. The books were in pristine condition, and the wood of the shelf was flawless. The floor was clearly wooden, but the surface was flat, and without smudge or wear. Everything was perfect, and it was disturbing.

Jaire motioned to the chairs, indicating Liandra and Tarin to sit. As they did, Jaire disappeared around a corner and returned with two more. He handed one to Valaren and, only when the older canine was sitting, used the last one himself. "I have a few questions I would like to ask you," Jaire started, "but before I get to them, it appears you have one for me, Valaren."

"Reading my mind again, Jaire?"

Jaire smirked. "You were always easy to read, I just had to look at your face." The fox tapped the table with a single finger. "It hasn't changed that much since we last spoke. Go ahead with your question, I assume this will be quick."

Valaren glanced to Tarin for a brief moment. "It is not that complicated." Valaren's glance had been quick, but Tarin could not be sure if there had been meaning to it. Was he wanting something from Tarin, or was he just seeing that he was still there? "How much of what is occurring in the world reaches you here in your sanctuary?"

Jaire followed Valaren's gaze to Tarin. There was a hint of confusion, that suggested he was aware of some meaning to Valaren's glance, but he did not know it himself. "I get bits and pieces I can negotiate out of the occasional traveler, but I am certain there is much I am missing."

"Have you spoken with Meekos recently?"

"I don't speak with anyone from the old days." Jaire retorted, smugly. "I've gone so far as to cut my ties with the royal line as well, so you can forget about using that old oath to drag me out of my home."

"Would I try that?" Valaren asked slyly.

Jaire gave Valaren a flat stare, "I know you, old dog. I know what tricks you will pull to get the job done. Speaking of job, what is it that you are doing now?"

"Wait," Liandra cut in. "Do you know my father?"

"Of course," Jaire stated flatly. "I was one of the key players in his taking the throne, though I cannot claim to hold nearly the position your uncle holds. Nothing we could have done would have secured the throne so simply were it not for Kendrick's brash, thought-less action." He did not sound amused when he finished his thought.

"I had heard that father fought for the throne after the old line was assassinated." Liandra said thoughtfully. "I did not hear much beyond that, except that Uncle Kendrick helped secure it."

"Your uncle was a very strongly connected to the old line," Valaren explained. "While not related, the Alshaer and Ranlen families were closer than any other in the kingdom. The Ranlen men always enlisted in the military, and always held high positions. Your uncle was no exception, reaching captain within a few short years of service. He was also very close with the prince-heir, almost inseparable." There was the slightest hint of a pause, nothing longer than taking another breath, before Valaren continued. "No one was hurt more by the royal family's assassination than Captain Ranlen."

"And like anyone who is emotionally hurt," Jaire interjected, "He sought revenge. He blindly pointed to the first person he could blame and accused him of the royal family's death."

"He was correct." Valaren argued.

"He was lucky." Jaire countered. "He had no evidence that General Graevin was a traitor."

"We did, or is your memory failing already?"

Jaire growled, "My memory is fine. It is well enough to recall Kendrick never seeking us out for this evidence."

"Whether it was luck or intuition, Kendrick rooted out the traitor and helped your father secure the throne."

"Why didn't anyone contest his right to the throne?" Tarin asked suddenly.

Valaren was caught off-guard, but Jaire didn't seem to catch the relevance of Tarin's question. "Most of the noble houses had thrown their support behind Alecis Graevin. When it came to light that he was a traitor and primarily responsible for the death of the royal family, those who had been supporting him were too afraid to counter your father, for fear of Graevin's treachery being pinned on them as well."

"It is possible, then, that some of the Houses backing Graevin were indeed traitors?"

"More than likely," Valaren agreed. "He may have been a General, but he needed help for his bid to the throne. At least a couple of Houses had to have been in on his plan."

"A plan ruined because no one predicted the blind rage of a buffoon."

"What do you have against Uncle Kendrick?" Liandra demanded.

Jaire leaned back in his chair a little, but not enough to cause the front legs to leave the ground. "It frustrates me to no end when someone refuses to think through a situation before charging in."

"Uncle Kendrick thinks with his heart instead of his mind." Liandra explained patiently. "He acts quicker, and he may appear rash, but his intentions are always pure."

"We have drifted far off course," Jaire commented, "I had invited you in to inquire on a few things, none of which involved your uncle."

Valaren smiled knowingly. "It is good to see that some things don't change."

"Yet, some things do." Jaire commented flatly. "For instance, I do not recall you being fond of taking strays and claiming them to be your son."

"True, Tarin is not really my son." Valaren admitted, "but it keeps the wrong people from asking the wrong questions. It is for his protection that I created this tale."

Jaire did not appear to be convinced. "Where are his real parents?"

"Dead," Tarin answered, a slight tone of annoyance showing through at being talked over. "Killed by bandits when I was very young."

"Bandits?" Valaren asked, a hint of shock in his voice. "Is that so?"

Jaire nodded slowly, something apparently made sense to him, but he did not seem ready to share. "And his parents were?"

"Kalerai and Adina." Valaren replied casually.

Tarin's attention suddenly went straight to Valaren. Jaire stared at Valaren with a look of disbelief, but he remained silent. Liandra also chose not to respond, waiting for the coyote to speak. "You know my parents?" Tarin asked, though the shock of discovering it made his voice very quiet. It was a wonder Valaren heard him at all.

"Yes, and I recognized you as their son when I saw you." Valaren explained sympathetically.

"There is something personal in this for you." Liandra mused. "If you were friends with Tarin's parents, then you look out for Tarin for their sake?"

Valaren turned his head away from Liandra. His normal casual tone was gone when he replied. "You found the truth."

"Why did you not tell me?" Tarin asked. "There is so much I want to know about my parents, and you knew all along."

Valaren reached over and placed a paw on Tarin's shoulder. "I'm not quite sure you are ready to know everything yet."

Jaire frowned, studying Tarin. "My questions for you are answered, old dog," he started, "but I'm not sure I understand the whole situation." Jaire glanced over his shoulder for a moment. Tarin was overwhelmed with a sudden chill rushing through his fur again. "What brings you out this far, young Tarin?"

It took a moment for Tarin to register what was being asked. "What? Oh, right." He glanced to Liandra out of the corner of his eye. "I am in the middle of a delivery to Isaldir."

"A delivery so important that the Princess herself must accompany you?"

There was a smug look on Valaren's face as an aside to Jaire's question, but Tarin would have missed it had Liandra not responded to it. "You can keep any comments to yourself, Valaren. I will not have it."

"I was not going to say anything," Valaren replied myseriously.

"As well you shouldn't." Liandra added, overacting haughtiness in an attempt to emphasize her point. "Now, My Lord Jaire," Jaire winced at the title, but Liandra paid it no mind and kept speaking as if nothing had happened. "to answer your question, Tarin is very important to the royal family in his own right. He would be the current line's version of the Ranlen family."

"To put it simply," Jaire replied, "someone you consider a friend is going to somewhere far away, and you decided to run away from home, under the guise of protecting him, for a little adventure."

"She is her mother's daughter." Valaren added as an afterthought.

"My task is very important." Tarin cut in quickly, seeing the dangerous glare in Liandra's eyes and hoping to head it off before something bad happened. "There is a lot at stake should I fail."

"And what is your task?" Jaire inquired.

"I..." Tarin hesitated. Liandra was sitting there, and she could stop him if he went too far, but he didn't want to risk that much. "I promised not to tell anyone of it, other than I am going to Isaldir and it is very important."

Jaire nodded, "I understand." The fox stood up and walked across the room to a small kettle. "This should be just right." He glanced over his shoulder. "Would you like any?"

"No thank you," Valaren shuddered, "I still remember the taste, after all."

Tarin and Liandra met glances, each hoping to get an answer from the other, but before either could say much, Jaire commented. "This is nothing for you pups to worry about. A drink for adults," he glanced back at Valaren, "at least for those of us who act like adults."

Tarin frowned, not liking the idea of being told twice in such a short period of time that he didn't need to know something, but his frustration didn't last long, as he noticed Liandra's confusion did not fade. "My Lord Jaire," Liandra began, "your cup clearly is steaming from heat, yet you sat with us since we arrived, and I saw no fires lit. How can it be that your drink is hot enough to steam without any source of heat?"

Jaire shot Valaren a disgruntled look, but the canine simply shrugged in response. "Either I was careless, or you are far too attentive for your own good." Jaire muttered to the young princess.

"He uses the forbidden arts." Valaren stated simply, leaning back in his chair as he did so. The sudden wave of cold overwhelmed Tarin yet again, then, almost as if the two had been connected, Valaren's chair tipped back quickly, without any assistance from Valaren. The canine rolled with it and was back on his feet, all the while appearing as if it had been intentional. "No need to get upset old friend, you would have had to explain it to them anyway."

Jaire refused to look at Valaren, he seemed all-too-intently studying his cup. "Perhaps so," Jaire commented, "it may have come up anyway."

"I have not heard anything on these arts." Liandra thought aloud. "I would suspect something such as this would at least be mentioned in history texts."

Jaire shook his head slowly. "They are forbidden for a reason. The simple use of these arts are grounds for imprisonment in most kingdoms. It is far too much power for any single person to wield."

"Then how come you use them?" Tarin asked.

"I was initially trained with a specific purpose, but by the time I finished training, my purpose was no longer needed." Jaire replied. "Do not bother asking what the purpose was, it is no longer relevant and I wish not to dwell on it." He slipped a quick warning glare at Valaren before continuing. "Since then, I've received authorization to continue the use, under a general position of enforcement."

Tarin narrowed his eyes in confusion. He was trying to wrap his head around what Jaire said, but it wasn't sinking in. Liandra saw this and translated. "I believe Lord Jaire is suggesting that he has leave to use his powers within the restrictions of capturing or executing criminals using the forbidden arts."

"Precisely." Jaire answered. "But that was years ago. I am much too old to be hunting common criminals. I have retired and choose to spend the rest of my days here."

Valaren snickered, and when Jaire turned to respond, the canine cut him off. "You can't honestly be telling us that after years of excitement and travel, you are content to stay here and imprison yourself."

"It is not a prison, and yes, I am quite content living here peacefully." Jaire stood. "It is late enough, I suggest the children head off to bed. You can I can catch up once they are situated in their rooms."

Valaren nodded. "Unless you object, I can see them to their rooms. Would you like them in the upstairs guest rooms?" Jaire barely looked at Valaren as he muttered a grunt of approval. "Very well. Gather your things and follow me."

There wasn't much to be gathered, so the three were upstairs in a couple of minutes. "Father?" Tarin asked as they reached the top of the stairs. "You two were friends once, right?"

Valaren nodded. "That was years ago, but yes, we were."

"What did you two argue about that changed that?"

"That is a story for another day." Valaren replied. "We will discuss it more when we are away. I'd rather not bring up bad memories while we are around here."

"Is this the friend you spoke of?" Liandra asked, "The one who was supposed to travel with us?"

Valaren glanced behind him to the base of the stairs. "He was supposed to be. I will try and convince him after you two are asleep, though I doubt it will be effective." Valaren returned his attention to the two younger canines. "Do not worry about it, just get some sleep, we will be gone from here by dawn. Ellia, your room is on the left, and Tarin, you are on the right." He patted Tarin on the head and turned back down the stairs. "Sleep well."

"Do you get the feeling we were just dismissed?" Liandra asked, sounding a little beyond annoyed.

"It is nothing I am not used to." Tarin muttered. "It usually means they are going to discuss things they don't want us to know."

Liandra sniffed loudly. "Well, they could have just said that, instead of pretending to show concern for us."

Tarin moved towards the room that would be his. "Sleep will be nice, I have to admit."

Liandra nodded, but she didn't look happy about this. "You are right. Let us get some sleep."

His room was fairly small and simple, but it was still nice despite this. It had a small bed in one corner with a bedside table next to it. At the foot of the bed was a chest for storing things. Aside from that, the room was empty. The walls were bare, and simple in appearance. Nothing in the room was extravagant. It suited Tarin's tastes perfectly, as if Jaire had been expecting him. Tarin shrugged this notion from his mind and set to getting ready for bed.

Tarin had just finished undressing and was climbing into bed when his door flew open, admitting a flustered Liandra. "It's gone!"

Tarin hopped into bed quickly to cover his nakedness before Liandra could notice. "What's gone?" He asked, hoping to hide his embarrassment with concern.

"My necklace! It's gone!" Liandra quickly closed the space between the door and the bed. "Uncle Kendrick gave it to me when I was small. It is very precious to me, I have to find it!"

Tarin glanced around the floor, though he stopped quickly. It wouldn't be in the room. "Did you have it downstairs?"

There was a slight pause before Liandra replied. "I am not sure. There was a lot occurring while we were downstairs, I was rather distracted. It may have fallen off then, or before we came inside. Please help me find it!"

Tarin placed a paw on Liandra's shoulder. "I am sure you lost it downstairs. If you wait here, I will run and retrieve it for you."

"I hope you are correct." Liandra replied in a worried tone. She made no move to leave the room. Tarin watched her silently, waiting for her to leave, until she noticed him watching. "Is there a problem?"

Tarin turned his nose down a little, to avoid meeting Liandra's eyes as he replied. "Perhaps you could leave, and give me a chance to make myself decent before I go downstairs."

"Decent? Oh, right." Liandra made her way to the door, closing the door only after adding a final comment. "Do hurry, please."

Tarin hopped out of bed and slipped on the pants he had been wearing. It seemed a waste of effort to wear a shirt as well. He would be back in bed soon anyway. Tarin made his way to the stairs cautiously. He was certain there would be no trouble if he was caught downstairs, but he didn't want to disturb Valaren and Jaire. He'd be down, see if the necklace was in sight. Either way, he'd return to Liandra and tell her.

When he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes immediately located a silver necklace. It was sitting bundled up on the floor just past the last step. It seemed carelessly discarded, and it didn't seem like anything Jaire would like, so he assumed it was Liandra's. He picked it up and studied it. It was a silver chained necklace with a simple round pendant of some kind. It was no larger than his eye and was completely flat. On one side was carved a simple picture. At first glance, it appeared to be a bunch of lines. Further study, however, yielded a design. It looked like a wolf of some kind, though none of the lines connected, giving it an odd sort of feel to it. He got the impression the design was old, despite the fact that the necklace looked new, due to obvious care and attention. Thinking about it, he remembered seeing this on some of the more fancy clothing King Alshaer and even Liandra wore on occasion. Perhaps it was some royal signal? It must have been Liandra's then.

Tarin turned to head back upstairs when the sudden start of a conversation halted him. "They should be asleep by now, I am sure it is safe." The voice belonged to Jaire. "What is your real reason for being here. You know me well enough to know you can't fool me, so it must be the children you're hiding information from."

"True words you speak." Valaren replied. "But not the children. Just one."

"The boy." Jaire replied. It was clearly not spoken to be a question.

There was a small laugh before the reply. "Accurate as always, even when not knowing the whole situation."

"So, spill it."

"There is more to this than just a simple delivery." Valaren explained. "I need to watch the boy carefully."

A snort was the immediate reply. "You mean, beyond him being Kalerai's son? Here I was hoping you had changed your ways."

"I do what I do because it is all that I know." Valaren did not sound happy. "If I could be any other way, I'd do so in a heartbeat."

Silence followed Valaren's response. Tarin almost decided to head upstairs when Jaire spoke again. "You want my help watching him."

"I am getting old, I am not as capable as I once was."

"I am far older than you," Jaire countered. "I am too old to be traveling anymore. You will have to find someone else to help you." There was a brief pause. "What of your little entourage from the war? They will not help you?"

"Diane and Koreal vanished afterwards, and Barom wouldn't leave his family if the world were falling apart. And the rest..."

"Would gut you at first sight of you." Jaire finished for him.

"I would not go that far," Valaren sounded sincerely hurt. "I would like to assume my own brother would not kill me."

Jaire snorted again. "You dodge the question at hand, old dog. What makes the boy so special?"

Valaren let out a sigh loud enough that Tarin could hear it clearly from his hiding place at the base of the stairs. At least, Tarin assumed the sigh came from Valaren. "Did you ever hear what Koreal's parting words were before he disappeared?"

"I fail to see how anything Koreal says is relevant to the real world," Jaire started, "but if you're referring to his comment about salmon fencing..."

"Koreal speaks nonsense most of the time, but sometimes he shows intelligence. I was referring to the comment to Prince Kendrick."

"You are referring to the..." Jaire trailed off. Tarin sat in silence waiting for the continuation of the statement, yet it never came.

"You know what I speak of?"

Jaire's voice sounded a little strained when he replied. "Then, you mean... the boy is..."

"I suspect as much, at least." Valaren replied. "He is near enough the correct age."

"Liandra is near enough the correct age." Jaire countered.

The sound of Valaren's reply resonated with smug satisfaction. "Exactly."

"Oh..." Jaire replied, sounding a little concerned. "You are a despicable person, Valaren. This is low even for you."

"Would you leave this up to chance?"

"If it meant not leaving it up to you?" Jaire asked. "In a heartbeat."

"Then come with us." Valaren replied, not even slightly offended by Jaire's comment. "You can stop me easier if you are able to see my every move."

"You've been planning this entire conversation. You say exactly what you need to say to get the exact reply you wanted." Jaire made a spitting noise, and it sounded very convincing. "You are following in your father's footsteps further with each passing day."

"This should please you," Valaren replied coldly. "They led to an early grave."

"A grave of his choosing." Jaire added, "Are you choosing death, like he did?"

Valaren grunted in frustration. "I've already chosen my fate for myself. Death would be far nicer."

The sound of chairs sliding indicated that someone was standing up, though it was too quick to just be one, so that had to mean both Valaren and Jaire were on their feet. "Well, you can continue your scheming without me. I am content to remain here. Get some sleep, you will be leaving in the morning."

Tarin did not wait for Valaren's reply. He was up the stairs quickly before anyone could realize he'd heard the whole conversation.

At the top of the stairs, Liandra was waiting rather impatiently for him. "Did you find it?" Without so much as a word in response, Tarin placed the necklace in her paw with one of his own, and used the other to not-so-gently push her back into her room. "Wait, Tarin, hold on..." Tarin closed the door behind him quickly. "What is the meaning of this?"

Tarin turned his head to look at Liandra, but waited, listening outside the room before replying. When he was sure he couldn't hear Valaren, he finally spoke up. "I just heard Valaren and Jaire talking."

Liandra seemed uninterested. "And...?"

Tarin took a deep breath. Something in his head was fighting this. "Valaren seems convinced there is something about me that interests Jaire."

Liandra was focused on her necklace, checking it for damages. Her words sounded distracted. "What is so interesting about you?"

"I don't know." Tarin replied honestly. "They both seemed reluctant to say it. Though, apparently a man named Koreal said it once."

"Koreal?" Liandra asked, returning to reality. "That name sounds familiar. Uncle Kendrick said it once or twice. Perhaps he knows him."

"Then your uncle may know what they are talking about?"

Liandra slipped the necklace back on. "I would not worry about it. As far as we know, Valaren is lying to Jaire in order to convince him to travel with us."

The coyote shrugged. "Perhaps, though it did not work. Jaire refused to go with us."

"All the better, perhaps." Liandra replied. "We will not be with Valaren much longer as it is."

"What?" Tarin didn't like the sound of that. "Why not?"

"Valaren is dangerous." Liandra stated, "As long as he is with us, our safety is not guaranteed. There is a town about three days down the road from us. Valaren will want to stay the night there, as to proceed past it would require passing through the Barrant Mountains. We will need time to prepare."

"I do not follow."

Liandra shook her head. "Let me finish." She nodded and began pacing. "While Valaren is preparing for the travel, you and I will do our own preparations. Then, in the night, we will slip out and cross the mountains alone. Two as young as us will not be safe alone, so we will have to be quick and unnoticed. Once on the other side, we will wait and see if Valaren will pursue us, as I am certain he will." Liandra tapped the tip of her nose. "If we lay low long enough, he will suspect we moved on and go after us. After he leaves, we hire an escort and make our way to Isaldir."

"That doesn't seem right, leaving him like that." Tarin protested.

"He is old enough to take care of himself." Liandra insisted. "We will do better without him. You will see." She gently guided Tarin back to the door. "Just get some sleep. We won't have to worry about it for a few days."

Tarin didn't protest and made his way to his room in silence. Once he was undressed and in bed again, he allowed himself a moment of thought. He could not see what was so bad about Valaren. Then again, he had been keeping a secret from Tarin. Could that have been a lie, like Liandra said? There was the fact that Valaren had known his parents, though that could have been a lie as well.

Tarin wanted that to be true. Suddenly, his parents had names, Kalerai and Adina. His parents began dancing in his mind, a couple of young coyote's, though only their silhouettes. Now that they had names, they were suddenly real to Tarin. They were no longer just his parents' but Kalerai and Adina. He almost wanted to call them Leafblade, but he had to remind himself that was only borrowed from Valaren. Maybe he could ask Valaren his parents' real last name. He started running last names through his head, seeing if he could find the one that belonged. He was soon fast asleep.

* * *

Rayac found himself sitting quietly in the waiting room at just after sunrise. While the other trainees were running through sword practice, he was sitting around doing nothing. Rayac hated being idle, especially when there was something to do. However, it had been deemed that Rayac needed no such practice, and thus he was summoned to speak with his Majesty King Alshaer about some important task. He feared this might be a sign of preference, and he was ready to say as much when the king arrived. He just had to wait and see before he made assumptions.

He glanced across the room to the Chancellor, where he sat in patient silence. The Chancellor, Kai Elvoros, was an older lion, probably about twice Rayac's age. He was still young enough to be considered in his prime. His mane was fully grown out and almost regal looking. He definitely looked for more regal than His Majesty, though in a nation of wolves, no lion would be allowed to sit the throne.

As Rayac understood it, Kai was supposed to be the King of Mokos, the feline kingdom, but a rather sly maneuver by his father had left the throne under his younger brother's control. That was all he knew, as no one really wanted to talk about it. Chancellor Kai only spoke enough about it to clarify that it was behind him. It seemed his loyalty remained with Alshaer now, so Mokos didn't matter so long as the kingdom still stood.

"I would think one such as yourself would be accustomed to my appearance by now." Kai spoke up. Apparently, he noticed Rayac staring.

Rayac averted his eyes. "My apologies, I did not mean to stare. I was just thinking."

"All is well," Kai assured. "I am not offended, merely observing." Kai let out a small grunt. "I am more than accustomed to the stares by now."

"You do your job well, Chancellor." Rayac assured. "It should not matter of what species you originate."

"Species makes us what we are." Kai explained. "Asking someone to look beyond species is not simple."

Rayac stood up and began pacing. "I see inter-species interaction daily among the commoners."

"But the commoners do what is necessary for survival." Kai countered. "For those a little more well off, they have little need for other species, except perhaps as servants."

"Servants do not get fair treatment, regardless of birth." Rayac muttered. "They barely survive while attending the every need of the more fortunate. Aren't we nobles supposed to help the less fortunate?"

Kai studied Rayac a moment while the young wolf paced. "Perhaps that is so," Kai mused. "It seems to me you speak from experience more than raw conviction. You could have never been a servant. Perhaps you made friends with a servant?"

"No." Rayac denied quickly, looking away from the lion.

Laughter was Kai's initial reply. "You need to learn to lie better, young sniffer." Rayac turned, looking slightly offended, though he could not figure out which was more insulting, the sniffer comment or the directness at calling him on his lie. He'd heard the term before, though it had mostly fallen out of use as an insult. "I merely wish to understand where you stand on things. To know that, I need to know the truth."

He wanted to know the truth. Could he trust him? He worked closely with the Council, but Liandra was certain she knew who was loyal. Kai was never mentioned as being dangerous, but she had never said he was on their side either. He couldn't lie very well, not unless he had time to prepare it. Instead, he could just omit unnecessary information. "My father had a servant, just a little younger than myself." Rayac explained. "He was too nae, yet he was the cleverest pup I had ever met."

"I assume by your choice of words that the servant is dead?"

"No," Rayac replied. "He is still alive, or I hope so at least." Rayac stopped his random pacing at the wall and began clawing subconsciously at it. "He ran away one day. It seems the abuse he was put through was too much for him."

"Was this servant a wolf?"

Rayac hesitated. With the war, most people were reluctant to trust coyotes. He wondered if this prejudice extended to the castle as well. "No, he was a coyote."

"A sniffer, regardless." There was that word again. "Still, though, a wolf like your father would have to be brave to take in a coyote as a servant, and you braver still for befriending him. Either that, or you yourself are just as nae of the dangers."

Rayac did not know how to respond. Fortunately, he would not have to, as just at that moment, King Alshaer entered the room. "Forgive the delays, I had a meeting with the Council that took longer than anticipated." He gave a quick nod to Kai before turning to Rayac. "Captain Benaras has informed me that you are embarrassing his trainees during sword training."

Rayac lowered his eyes in an attempt to appear embarrassed. He was more embarrassed by his fellow trainees' horrid skills, but it didn't feel right saying as much to the King. Instead he tried to hide it by avoiding the direct topic. "I have never been good at holding back, Your Majesty."

"I am not concerned about that," His Majesty interjected, "however, it is affecting morale, and as such, we need to discuss what to do about it."

There it was. Rayac could not believe how blatantly it was laid out. He would have recognized it, even had Kai not tried to hide a reaction at his words. Something big was going down, and they needed Rayac for it. This concerned him, because anything big involved the Council, and it meant possibly risking retaliation. Liandra would not be happy if she found out he was getting involved, but at the same time, he would never forgive himself if he stayed out of it, especially if he could do something to help Tarin while he was at it. "Very well, your Majesty." Rayac replied slowly. "I am listening."

The door to the waiting room slammed open with such a force, that the edge of the door cracked on impact. Prince Kendrick came storming into the room, Captain Benaras walking just behind him. Kendrick looked furious. Captain Benaras did not appear happy himself, but he seemed to be more focused on keeping Kendrick from doing something he would regret. Rayac could tell he wasn't going to win that one, and he had no idea why Kendrick was so angry. "Where is she?" He demanded.

King Alshaer gave Kai a quick nod, clearly a dismissal. Kai placed a paw on Rayac's shoulder, telling him it was time to leave. "Perhaps we can take this somewhere else, and discuss this rationally."

"You are not dodging around this." Kendrick insisted, still furious, but no longer shouting. "And he stays." Rayac froze in his tracks. He hadn't been watching, so he didn't see any movements, but after those words he had to look back. As he suspected, Kendrick was pointing right at him.

"He has training," Kai offered, "He should not be kept away."

Kendrick glared at Kai. "Whatever training he misses I can see to personally." That statement sent chills down Rayac's spine. "You can go." He said flatly to Kai before turning his attention back to King Alshaer. The door behind Rayac clicked closed before he spoke again. "You would do well to explain where Liandra went and why she is not in the castle."

King Alshaer sighed. "I wish I knew the answer, Kendrick." He sat down, looking all too suddenly very weary and tired. "She got some fool notion in her head and left with little more than a note."

"And you have not sent men after her?" Kendrick sounded appalled at the very idea. "She cannot have traveled far!"

"We are on the brink of war, Kendrick. I have little troops to spare as it is, and any unnecessary troop movement, even within our own borders, could be deemed as hostile and incite a reaction from Isaldir."

"Fine." Kendrick spat. "I'll go after her. I'll bring a small unit and find her."

"Perhaps you would like to think things through before reacting." King Alshaer admonished wearily. "She is just a headstrong girl who thinks she can change the world. In time she will return home. Ellia was the same way. You let her be, as I recall."

Kendrick glared down at the king. "Ellia was my sister, not my niece, and Ellia was not a princess. Liandra cannot act so selfishly, especially if she is to be queen."

Captain Benaras turned suddenly to look at Rayac. "A few nights ago, I spotted you sneaking out of the barracks. I watched to see where you went, and you slipped into the castle. You returned quickly, so I ruled out abandoning your duty, as I had suspected."

Kendrick continued where Captain Benaras had left off, "It was the day after you slipped into the castle that Liandra disappeared. They are connected. What did you tell her?"

"I told her nothing, Your Highness." Rayac replied, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "I never saw her that night."

"He speaks the truth." King Alshaer replied. "He had intended on seeing his betrothed that night, as he had not seen her in days, but I discovered him in the garden. We had a brief talk, and I convinced him to return without disturbing her."

Kendrick did not seem content by this story, but he clearly could not see any fault in it, either. He did not know what to say, but it was clear Captain Benaras was not as speechless. "Valaren."

Kendrick turned to Captain Benaras, "What about him?"

"He was here." King Alshaer interrupted. "He came to claim what was left behind, and then he left."

"If Valaren has Liandra with him," Kendrick half-yelled, making his way to the doors out, "I am going to tear out his tongue and use it to tie his muzzle shut."

"Kendrick!" King Alshaer called. This time, though, it seemed the old King had returned. There was the commanding tone again. "I cannot stop you from leaving, but if you do, it will be alone, and without the backing of Alshaer."

Kendrick didn't look back. Instead, he threw the door open and disappeared around the corner. Captain Benaras looked worried. "He won't go alone, your Majesty."

"You would abandon your duty?"

Captain Benaras gave the king a weak smile. "Forgive me, your Highness. My loyalty is with Alshaer, but it is with Kendrick first. I go where he goes, unless he says otherwise."

The King nodded slowly. "I do not fault you for the way you feel about him, nor will I hold this against you." King Alshaer smiled genuinely. "Go with him, and make sure he stays safe. I will make the necessary notifications of your leave."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Captain Benaras nodded. He turned his eyes to Rayac, "Stay focused on your training, and see what you can do about helping your friends improve with swordsmanship, and I will forget I ever saw you out of the barracks after curfew."

"Yes, sir." Rayac replied, saluting quickly, with his right arm across his chest.

Captain Benaras returned the salute and headed for the door. "I should hurry, before Kendrick decides to leave without me."

"He would never do that." King Alshaer replied as Captain Benaras disappeared. The look Rayac gave to the King was pure confusion. "Some things are hard to explain," The King offered, "but simply put, Kendrick and Soren... Captain Benaras, as you know him... Kendrick and Soren have a friendship that goes beyond rank and nobility."

"I do not understand." Rayac replied.

"Then let us hope some day you do." That was the only reply Rayac would get from the King.