Pendant of Fortune (36 page)

Volle was as certain as he could be that nobody could hear them when they whispered, but talking out loud about their past still made him nervous. He broke off the banter. “Listen. Something’s going to happen today and I might need to talk to you tonight.” Briefly, he told Reese about Dereath’s ultimatum and his acceptance.

Reese whistled. “You mean you’re going to go have sex to get what you want? By the Hare, Volle, you
have
changed!”

“
Shut up,” Volle said, caught between amusement and annoyance. “It’s Dereath, remember? I’m not exactly looking forward to it.”

“
Sure, but then you get that wolf later on, and…okay, okay. So what do you want me to do?”

“
Lose the attitude, for one.” He sighed at Reese’s grin. “Yes, I know that won’t happen. Just keep an eye out, and be around later tonight in case something happens that Avery will want to know about. You have a way to get word back to him, right?”

Reese nodded. “Me. It’s not the safest, but we couldn’t bring any of the couriers from Divalia and not seem suspicious.”

“
All right. I’ve told Archie what I’m doing, and he’s telling Captain Nero. In case Dereath…tries something.”

For the first time, Reese looked more alarmed than amused. “Like what? You think he’s going to try to hurt you?”

“
I don’t know.” Volle laid his ears back. “It’s possible. I can defend myself, if so, but…I don’t know. He knows that Archie knows I’ll be there, so I don’t think he’ll try anything drastic.”

“
Yeah, but…” Reese looked definitely nervous now. “He could do something to you that you couldn’t see coming. One cut…you wouldn’t even know to defend yourself until it was over.”

“
I remember that class too,” Volle said tightly. “Let’s just hope he didn’t take it.”

“
You’ll be all right.” Reese squeezed his shoulder. “If you’re not, I’ll take care of the rat myself.”

“
Get in line,” Volle said, but with a smile. “Thanks. I'm sure it won’t be necessary.”

Reese nodded, letting go. “Anything else you want me to take care of?”

Volle shook his head. “I don’t think so. Just be ready.”

“
I can do that.”

“
Thanks again. And Reese?” Volle grinned. “Sorry about yesterday. I really am.”

Reese waved a paw at him. “It’s not the worst thing you’ve done to me.” He grinned back.

Volle flicked his ears. “I apologized for that about a hundred times.”

“
We have long ears and long memories.” Reese chuckled and changed his tone as they approached the door. “So, my Lord, I may call on you at the palace?”

“
Yes, provided I resume my residence there.” Volle slipped easily into the conversation.

“
Thank you. I have already made two other contacts in the palace and I hope to expand my influence there.”

“
I’ll be glad to help as much as I can.” They emerged into a corridor where several people were rushing toward the gates. Volle stepped aside to let them pass. “I see the coaches for the orchards must be leaving.”

“
Ah, yes.” Reese smoothed his vest down. “I was going to go along. Lord Quirn wanted to use one of my goblets to sample mead from.”

“
That would be a good connection to have. I won’t stand in your way.”

Reese bowed to him, and said in a low voice, “Good luck.”

Volle nodded, and watched the hare walk quickly but with dignity down the hallway. Reese had really taken to the role of merchant, one that he hadn’t expected to have to keep for any length of time. He enjoyed it, Volle could tell, and what’s more, he seemed to be getting good at it. He was well on his way to becoming one of the palace merchants. He also had a family, with a kit on the way—no, that had been last year; his kit would have been born by now. Probably that’s why his wife hadn’t accompanied him.

Over the next half hour, the palace cleared out. Volle scanned the departing crowd for Helfer, but didn’t see the weasel anywhere, even when he went to the front gate and watched the coaches leave. He did think he noticed the large form of Captain Nero sitting in one of the departing coaches, and peered after it, but couldn’t say for sure. He stood there for a few moments after the last coach had left, wishing he’d seen Helfer and wondering if the weasel was avoiding him. He finally went back into the castle when the same footservant who had called the coach for him two nights ago started to walk toward him with a worried cast to his ears. Volle didn’t want to explain what he was doing there.

Lunch had been served early, but Volle convinced one of the palace staff to bring him some of the leftovers and he sat alone in the large dining hall, eating quietly and watching the staff clean up. The talk with Reese had heartened him, especially after the fight with Helfer, and he supposed that in some way he knew he’d needed the reassurance, and that’s why he’d sought out the hare. Archie had helped, too, so he was dreading the appointment with Dereath less than he had been that morning.

Not much less, but at least a little.

Even after he’d picked at the last scraps of his lunch and made it last as long as possible given his suddenly poor appetite, he still had an hour or so left. The servants were trying not to obviously hover over him, but he could tell they wanted to finish cleaning up, so he smiled and left the room.

His paws carried him almost without him realizing it to the north tower, where he turned a corner and found himself facing the staircase that led to the tower. Two guards stood there talking quietly, a large puma and a stag. Volle recognized them, and decided to try to circumvent Dereath one last time.

“
Afternoon, my Lord,” the puma said as he approached. He and the stag both bowed.

“
Good afternoon,” Volle said. He studied their wary countenances, the cautious tilt to their ears. “I was hoping I might convince you to let me see the prisoner. I’m about to visit with Lord Fardew later, and it would be very helpful if I could see the prisoner first.”

“
Has Lord Fardew authorized that?” The puma was obviously the one in charge.

“
He will,” Volle said. He’d briefly considered lying, but he wasn’t sure the puma would believe him and it would probably just make things worse.

The air was tinged with a slight scent of fear from both of them as the puma shook his head. “We can’t disobey Lord Fardew, my Lord. The last guard who did…” He exchanged a fearful glance with the stag.

“
What happened to him? Discharged?”

“
Not just discharged, my Lord. He was thrown in jail, so they say. Never heard from again.” The puma lowered his ears. “My Lord, I have a family…”

“
All right,” Volle said, raising a paw. “I apologize for asking.” He began to walk away, then tilted his head curiously and came back. “That guard…Dereath’s only been Lord Fardew for a month, hasn’t he?”

The stag answered this time. “Yes, my Lord. The guards, we all thought…well, he had a reputation but we didn’t understand the proper respect that had to be shown him. So that guard was made an example of.”

“
What did he do?”

The stag and puma looked at each other. “Nobody knows,” the stag said. “But he’s gone, all right.” The scent of fear got slightly stronger.

Volle nodded, and walked away quietly, leaving the two guards to their conversation and their anxieties. Their words had only increased his own worry; if Dereath wielded that much power and influence already, he would be a formidable opponent, not just at the hearing, but for the foreseeable future.

He wandered through the nearly deserted castle without much sense of purpose, feeling like a prisoner under sentence, until he found himself near a familiar courtyard. It wasn’t raining outside; in fact, he could see breaks in the clouds. He padded slowly over to the break in the wall and began to ease himself through it, then stopped and let his eyes adjust to the darkness.

There was nothing there. He’d hoped to find a tuft of fur, something to remind him that their afternoon here had been real. It seemed years away now. He sighed and pushed himself through to the outside of the castle.

The ground was damp there, and the wind a bit brisker. It was clean and fresh, though, and he closed his eyes just for a moment to breathe in the scents of dirt, of trees, the hint of rain that never quite went away. Keeping his eyes closed, he stood against the wall, nose lifted, and only after several deep breaths did he lower his muzzle and open his eyes. The mountain below was even more beautiful than it had been in the rain. The clouds threw shadows across the trees, and down below, he could see a bright patch of sunshine. It seemed so far away that he just sat and watched it for a while, wondering how long it might take him to reach it.

He sat down, back against the wall, and remembered standing while Streak knelt in front of him. He smiled as he did, and felt warmth building in his sheath.
Why not?
he thought, and undid his pants, letting his paw inside.
Might as well wear myself out before Dereath gets to me.

Closing his eyes, he drew his fingers up and down his swelling sheath, brushing his tip when it poked out into the air. He imagined Streak’s tongue flicking along it and stroked harder, and then Ellitt floated into his mind, unbidden.

He forced the image of the otter away, pausing in his strokes and then resuming again. He’d lost the fantasy, and now he couldn’t help worrying about Dereath as his paw slid up and down his slowly hardening member. He kept stroking because he felt silly stopping once he’d started, but the desire kindled by the memory of his last afternoon with Streak had been extinguished—not so much by the memory of Ellitt, but by his reaction to it.

He wondered what Dereath could possibly want. He suspected it would involve his humiliation somehow, and he thought the rat wasn’t above trying to produce some evidence of his treason. He would have to be careful not to say anything. Probably he’ll want to top me, he thought sourly, and wished he’d brought something to lubricate his rear with. He didn’t think the rat would be gentle.

But at the end of it, I’ll get to see Streak again.

He held onto that thought, imagined the muzzle of the white wolf and the smile in his eyes when he saw Volle, imagined the tight hug he would give him and the beautiful scent of his fur, and he smiled. His erection, finally brought full by simply the physical act of stroking, perked up more, and he felt warmth building at the base of it. His paw moved more quickly now, but it was Streak he was stroking in his imagination, holding the wolf’s body against his, moving together with him.

The rubbing of his paw against his taut, warm skin fed the images in his mind. He could almost smell Streak’s thick musk through the cool mountain air. It sang through his body until he pitched forward on his knees, gasping for breath and panting, his paw working at his shaft, sliding up and down with greater and greater urgency. He felt it building in him finally, and as he moaned, he hunched over and watched the white spurts of his passion fall to the ground, his body convulsing in pleasure.

The heat of his climax dissipated quickly in the cool air. It seemed like such a huge, enveloping thing that he was always surprised to see it reduced to a spattering of white on the ground. From a few feet away, he might not even notice it, if not for his strong musky odor. He breathed it in, letting himself relax slowly, and licked a drop off his paw before tucking his sheath back into his pants.

When he stood, he pondered covering up his ‘tracks,’ but decided to leave them. They would be gone in a few hours, and the scent wouldn’t last much beyond that. He crawled back into the courtyard and made his way back through the silent castle. He’d certainly accomplished his goal, he thought as he mounted the stairs. He didn’t feel remotely interested in any sort of sex at the moment.

At Dereath’s door, he hesitated.
Last chance
, he told himself.
You can still back out now. Go back down to the resort and stay there with Dewanne and Ilyana, take that life and make it yours
. But the voice was faint and its call no longer as appealing as it had been the previous day and night. Even without any desire for sex, he still wanted Streak’s companionship and love. He visualized the muzzle of the white wolf smiling at him, and knocked on the door.

Chapter 9

He waited, and then knocked again. Still no answer.

Paws curled into frustrated fists, he was about to knock again when he heard voices in the corridor. “…waste of my time… things I shouldn’t have to deal with any more.” A low voice responded, and then Volle heard Dereath clearly.

“
It’s the responsibility of the captain of the guards. I’ve told him that a dozen times.” Inaudible response. “Oh, that’s right, he’s down in the orchards. Well, it couldn’t have come at a worse—ah.” They had rounded the corner, and Volle saw that Dereath’s companion was his personal servant, the rabbit. Dereath’s teeth showed in a nasty smile.