Pendant of Fortune (46 page)

For the span of several heartbeats they stood eye to eye, and then Streak managed a smile. He licked Volle’s nose and nodded. “All right, then,” Volle said, and walked with him to the spring.

Roferro was drinking from the spring, and Forrin was wiping his muzzle. As they approached, Roferro scooped a paw into the water and flicked some water at the wolf, grinning mischievously.

Forrin blinked at him, then shook the arm the water had landed on and walked deliberately a little ways away. He looked around and then sat at the base of a tree, looking back toward the spring.

“
Yoicks.” Roferro stood up, saw Volle, and shrugged. “Just havin’ a bit of fun, my Lord. No harm meant.”

“
It’s been a tough few days for him,” Volle said softly. “Just leave him be.” He bent to the spring and drank. The water was very cold, but wonderfully refreshing, and he didn’t stop drinking until his tongue started to tingle from the chill of the water. He straightened and watched Streak drink.

Roferro was looking down the mountain, arms folded. While Streak lapped at the water, Volle followed the otter’s gaze and saw only trees and grassy hills. “How far is it from here?”

“
A few hours, my Lord. There’s not really much of a trail from here on, but it’s hard to get lost.” He gestured and grinned. “Just keep going downhill.”

“
Which way is the mansion?” Volle asked, and followed Roferro’s pointing arm. “Can’t see it from here?”

“
No, my Lord. In about an hour, you should be able to.”

“
All right.” He turned to the large wolf. “Forrin, are you ready?”

Forrin levered himself to his feet. “Yes, my Lord.” He raised an eyebrow at the otter, who grinned at him.

“
Sorry,” he said, and extended a paw. “No harm done?”

“
None,” Forrin rumbled, but he didn’t take the paw. After a moment, Roferro shrugged and started off down the hill.

This portion of the walk was much more animated than the previous one. Squirrels chattered in the trees, rodents scurried about the grass, and the birds sang back and forth overhead. Volle and Streak walked with clasped paws behind the other two, breathing the fresh air and occasionally exchanging smiling looks. Volle was trying to think of ways to convince Streak that life at the palace wouldn’t be anything like the past week had been, but every time he started to say something, he felt as though he were protesting a lost cause, so he closed his muzzle again.

Roferro led them through the woods, closely following the stream. They stopped to rest twice, once at a bend in the stream where there was a large flat rock, big enough for them all to sit on. The second stop came at a small clearing where a fallen tree had made a makeshift bench, and it was while they were sitting there that the clouds parted and the sun appeared for the first time. Volle leaned back, letting it warm his fur, and closed his eyes, sighing happily.

A scent tickled his nose a few moments later, and he opened his eyes to see a bright blue flower being waved under his nose by a smiling Streak. The scent of the flower was delicate and fragrant, and he liked its soft blue color. He tried to take it from Streak, but the wolf pulled his paw away and worked the flower into Volle’s collar.

“
You’ll wear it, won’t you?” He nuzzled Volle as he said it.

“
Of course.” Volle could still smell the flower, but more faintly. He touched its soft petals with a paw. “Is this to tell everyone at the party tonight that I’m taken?”

Streak grinned. “No. I’ll tell them that myself. This…is just because it looks pretty on you.”

Volle kissed him and wagged his tail from side to side. “It’s so nice,” he murmured, “not to have to worry about anything. Just being here with you.”

Streak’s tail brushed against his as it wagged. “Yeah. It’s nice.” The wolf slid an arm around Volle’s side, hugged him, and sighed deeply.

The sky was already darkening by the time they reached the mansion, but a bright glow rose from a spot just in front of the large building. They emerged into the meadow through which Volle and Helfer had run a few times, but it was no longer bare.

Paper lanterns had been hung from the trees and mounted on ribbon-strung poles. Two weasels were just scurrying about lighting the last of them. A makeshift platform had been erected to one side of the meadow, upon which a group of weasels was setting up instruments. On the other side of the meadow, two otters and a weasel heaved large barrels into place. Volle didn’t have to see the wooden cups placed alongside them to know what they contained.

Several bears, wolves, and raccoons were wandering about the meadow already, nobles and guards alike, and Volle saw another pair of bears and a familiar pair of antlers walking up from the main gate of the mansion. “I wondered how Helfer would hold a party in his weasel-sized house,” he murmured to Streak.

Streak nodded. “This is great. It looks like the weather should hold.” He turned his muzzle briefly to the sky, where a multitude of stars was just beginning to join the bright few already visible.

Tish and Tika weren’t anywhere that Volle could see in the crowd. Two more carriages pulled up, but before he could see who was getting out of them, Streak tugged him over near the barrels, where tables of fruit and cheese had been spread out. “I can smell the oranges,” he said. “Oh, fresh fruit…There!” A large tray of orange slices sat to one side of the table, and the wolf made a beeline for it.

Volle chuckled softly and took a few pieces of fruit himself, watching the wolf’s blissful expression as he licked and then chewed the juicy orange. “Mmm,” he said, and then lowered his voice. “I can only think of one thing I missed having in my muzzle more.”

“
Goat cheese?” Volle grinned and held up a small piece of white, fragrant cheese.

Streak laughed. “Not quite. I’ll show you later.”

“
It’s really good with these apples.” Volle bit down and smiled, watching a small shape thread its way through the crowd toward them. “Helfer knows his food and drink, that’s for sure.”

“
Thank you.” The weasel grinned and bowed. “How did you enjoy the trail down?”

“
It was beautiful,” Streak said, his tail brushing the table as it wagged back and forth. “I can see why someone would want to live out here.”

“
So what does that say for me spending most of the year in Divalia, eh?” Helfer pretended annoyance.

“
Helfer likes scenery of a different sort,” Volle said. “I’m surprised you don’t have the Young Gay Rabbit dancers here.”

The weasel swatted at him. “Not enough of them in this area to form a group, I’m afraid. But look.” He pointed over in front of the stage, where a young rabbit in very few clothes was dancing to the music provided by one of the musicians on a set of pipes. The drummer had just started to join in with a subdued beat.

“
Very nice.” Streak sighed. “I wish I could dance like that.”

“
He’s my gift to myself,” Helfer said happily. “After the party, I’ll take him inside and keep him up all night.”

“
Oh, that reminds me,” Volle said. “Dereath’s assistant, that rabbit, was asking if you had any jobs down here.”

Helfer turned away from the dancing rabbit and looked skeptically at Volle. “Dereath’s assistant?”

“
He doesn’t seem too bad. He doesn’t want to go back to Divalia, with what happened at the hearing.”

“
I wouldn’t, either.” Helfer stroked his whiskers. “Is he cute?”

Volle held out a paw and wiggled it back and forth. “He’s not bad. Sort of plain. But I don’t think he’s really interested in working under you in
that
way.”

Helfer shrugged. “Well, maybe he can find work at one of the resorts. I really don’t need any more servants at the mansion. At least, that’s what Huster tells me. He’s always trying to get me to let one or two of them go.”

Streak looked visibly relieved.

Tish and Tika showed up half an hour later, and Dewanne and Delia some time after that. Volle and Streak talked to them about the hearing, about the retreat in general (“I can’t remember a more exciting one,” Tika said brightly, “now that everything’s turned out okay, that is.”), and about the party itself. Once the music really got underway, several pairs of nobles began dancing immediately. The singer, it turned out, was a female mink, and her voice was beautiful, equally capable of the powerful trills of a rollicking dance number or the soft, sultry tones of a traditional ballad.

Volle drank enough wine to build a nice warmth in his stomach that spread slowly through his body. There weren’t enough informal parties like this at the palace, he reflected, and Dewanne, who happened to be nearby when he made the observation, agreed.

“
By the way,” Volle said, “Where is Ilyana?”

Dewanne glanced at Streak and lowered his voice. “She’s, er, indisposed, I believe.”

“
I hope she’s better before the end of the retreat,” Streak said, returning Dewanne’s glance defiantly. “I’d like to get to talk to her more.”

“
Yes, do you know what’s the matter?”

Dewanne shook his head and changed the subject immediately, remarking on the song the musicians were now playing and how it shared the same tune as a traditional fox’s ballad even though they’d changed the words. They chattered on for a while and then Streak pulled Volle away to dance slowly as the band started another ballad. As the song started, some of the guests started to leave; Volle saw two bear couples pay their respects to Helfer and walk back toward the main entrance, where a line of buggies waited.

“
Can you believe him?” Streak whispered as they held each other and danced. “As if I’d be threatened by your wife. I thought she was sweet and charming.”

Volle smiled. “And you know where my heart is.”

“
Other things, too.” Streak reached down and gave Volle’s sheath a squeeze through his pants.

The rough leather pressed against him and the sudden wave of soreness made him wince. He tried to recover, but Streak was already looking at him with concern. “I’m okay,” he said, but the wolf’s ears went down as he said it.

“
Come on.” He stopped dancing and walked away from the music. “We’re going to bed, and you’re going to tell me what that rat did to you.”

“
Wait.” Volle tugged the wolf toward Helfer. “We have to say good night to the host. He did put this on for us.”

Streak paused, then nodded and fell in behind him.

“
Not leaving already?” Helfer said as they approached. The young rabbit was at his side, one paw draped across the weasel’s thigh.

Volle realized suddenly that he hadn’t seen Laya all night. He wondered if she’d come to the party and left, decided not to come, or—not been invited. He didn’t feel this was the appropriate time to ask Helfer, so he put on a smile. “We haven’t had any private time since the inquest.”

“
What? You smelled of pine, I figured you’d washed…go, go!” Helfer waved them away with a grin.

“
Thanks for the lovely party, Lord Ikling,” Streak said, bowing. “The food and mead were wonderful.”

“
Welcome to Vellenland, youngster.” Helfer was most likely on his fifth or sixth cup of mead, but Volle could only tell that because he saw the slight list to the cup the weasel was holding, and because Helfer never called anyone “youngster.” Maybe he was feeling his age. More likely the rabbit was feeling it, judging from the way his paw was creeping up Helfer’s pants. “It’s always like that here.”

“
Good night, Hef. Enjoy the rest of the evening.”

“
Oh, I will.” He patted the rabbit between the ears.

Forrin had been near them for most of the dance but keeping a respectable distance. As he saw them leaving, he hurried to catch up, and insisted on preceding them into the mansion. When they reached the guest chambers, Forrin made them wait in the parlor while he inspected the bedroom and bathroom, making sure they were empty and had no other entrances or exits. He emerged and nodded. “Go ahead in, my Lord. I’ll sleep out here, across the doorway.”

“
Wouldn’t you be more comfortable on the couch?” Streak asked.

“
Pull the couch across the doorway,” Volle suggested. “We’ll knock in the morning to make sure you’re awake.”

They helped him drag the heavy wooden couch over to the door, despite his protests that he could manage it alone. When it was in place, they bade him goodnight and slipped into the bedroom, closing the door behind them.

Streak looked at the door for a moment. “Does that make you feel weird? Him being right on the other side there?”