Pendant of Fortune (62 page)

“
Yes, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord.”

“
Since you’re back, I think I’ll go explore that corridor now,” Volle said, picking up Forrin’s sword.

“
Be careful, my Lord,” Rogis said. “There’s a lot of debris down that way.”

“
I’ll keep that in mind, Rogis,” Volle said as he raised a paw and turned away from the cell in the tower. He saw the stag drop his keys to the ground, and smiled. “Thank you.”

Chapter 15

Streak and Forrin were sitting in the parlor of their suite when Volle returned to Helfer’s mansion, late in the day. Forrin sprang to his feet immediately. His uniform still bore the tear in its sleeve, though Volle could see a bandage underneath it, and there were still dark stains around the collar.

Volle held his sword out to him, but the wolf shook his head. “You may keep that, my Lord. I am disgraced. I violated the Word of Canis and ate of another’s flesh, and I abandoned my charge. I must ask you to accept my resignation in disgrace from your service and from the royal guard.”

He was deadly serious. His ears were down and his tail was curled tightly between his legs, but he looked Volle directly in the eye before turning his head to one side, exposing his throat.

“
If you want to leave my service, Forrin, you are free to do so at any time. But I will not accept your resignation. You fought bravely in the only way you could to save my life and Streak’s, and I would be proud and honored if you would continue to protect me and the ones I love.” He held out the sword again.

“
My Lord, I do not wish to leave your service. But I am unfit…”

Volle held out the sword, more insistently. “You are fit, Forrin. You are brave and capable, and I want you to continue to serve as my guard. Please, take your sword.”

The wolf’s ears came up slowly, and he stood more proudly. Carefully, he lifted the sword from Volle’s paws and sheathed it at his side. “Yes, my Lord.”

“
Good. Now that’s all settled. Are you okay? Did you see the Cantor?”

“
Yes, my Lord. He cleansed me and blessed me and said that my actions did not have Darkness behind them.”

“
Good.” Volle smiled and reached up to the wolf’s shoulder. “I’m glad to have you back, Forrin. But if you’ll excuse me…” his eyes slid around the wolf to where Streak was still sitting on the couch. The white wolf slowly got up.

Forrin nodded. “I understand, my Lord.” His voice was soft, and Volle suspected he and Streak had been talking about Streak’s decision.

Volle followed Streak into the bedroom and closed the door behind them. He crossed to the bed and sat down, patting the bed beside him. Streak stood by the door, holding his paws together close to his chest and rubbing his fingers slowly.

“
I made my decision,” he said quietly.

“
I know. Come sit down. I just want to…”

“
Talk me out of it?” Streak smiled sadly, but walked over and sat next to Volle anyway.

“
If I can.”

Streak shook his head. “I’ve thought about it a lot. I would just be a liability. You’ve got a wife who can give you cubs, you’ve got a guard,” he gestured to the door, “who can protect you far better than I can. All I can be is a hostage, someone to get you raped, almost killed…” His eyes glistened, and he brought a paw to them. “I can’t do that.”

Volle put an arm around him. “Don’t you know that I never wanted you to protect me or give me cubs? I wanted you with me because when we look at the world, we see the same things. We feel the same way. We make each other feel better. When I’m not being completely absorbed in other things,” he admitted. “But I’ll try to be better about that.”

“
It’s okay,” Streak said. “I like seeing you excited.”

Volle resisted the obvious double entendre, for once. “I’m willing to take all those risks to have you with me.”

Streak put a paw on his knee. “But I’m not.”

“
Don’t you think I can decide what’s best for me?”

“
Please, Volle…”

Volle watched the white muzzle turn away from him. He said, very softly, “I quit.”

Streak’s ear flicked. “Good. It’ll be easier if you just let me go.”

“
I’m not quitting trying to make you come with me.” He kept his voice low. “I mean, I quit. I sent a message back to Ferrenis today. I’m not working for them anymore.”

Slowly, Streak turned his head. “What?”

“
I’m not a spy any more. I’m just Lord Vinton. Forrin told you I was reinstated, right?”

The wolf nodded. “But why? You loved that…”

“
I love you more.”

It was a pat thing to say, but he meant it, and Streak’s eyes filled with tears as he said it. “I know you do, Volle, but it’s so hard…”

“
I know,” Volle said, “but we can get through it together. And if you say no, I’m going back to the farm with you.”

Streak’s eyes widened. “Oh, you can’t! You have obligations—a son, a family.”

“
I thought about that a lot. My family…my pack. You’re a part of it too. I’ve spent most of my life accepting what Fox—or Canis—sends my way. But I can’t accept you leaving. I could just tell you I love you and we would both part being miserable. I won’t do that. I want you to come to the castle with me, Streak.”

When Streak hesitated, Volle grinned. “I can make Forrin bring you.”

The wolf was quiet for a long while. Tears started to roll down his muzzle, and Volle was starting to tear up himself when Streak’s muzzle curved into a hesitant smile. “Well…Volyan will need a mommy.”

Volle felt the relief wash through his body, the knot of tension in his chest loosening for the first time since that morning. He tried to laugh, but the laugh came out mingled with tears. “Didn’t I already tell you you can’t be Lady Vinton? You don’t even have any dresses.”

Streak pulled Volle to him, both laughing through their tears. “Me?” he said, and his tears turned the word into a squeak. “I was talking about you.”

Epilogue

Volyan was delighted with the snow. He ran through the gardens and tried to gather up enough to throw, but it was still only a dusting, and he ended up just spraying a cloud of snow at Streak. The white wolf grinned at Volle and then took off after the cub, who squealed in delight and ran through the low hedges as fast as he could.

Volle paused by the statue of the lion warrior and dropped the flower he’d brought down. It was a Vellenland blossom, from the congratulatory arrangement Helfer had made for him upon regaining his peerage. He suspected that Laya had actually arranged the bouquet, because it was very much not a Helfer thing to do, but Helfer had been so proud of it, and Volle so touched, that he had accepted it at face value.

He stood looking at the statue and smiled. “I’m happy,” he said softly. “Thanks for the advice.”

Steps crunched in the snow behind him. He caught the scent of the black wolf before Tish spoke. “Reminiscing?”

Volle shook his head. “Looking forward.”

Tish drew even with him. “A good practice, in general. Of course, when you reach my age, there will be so much more to look back on than to look forward to.”

“
You’ll have plenty to do with Tika. We’ll miss you here, though.”

A paw settled on Volle’s shoulder. “I’ll miss you too. But it sounds as though you are filling my tracks admirably.” He lowered his voice even though the gardens were empty. “I have received a letter from Avery.”

“
He’s not happy, I suspect.”

Tish shrugged. “He never is. At least he was pleased to hear that Lord Fardew is no longer an issue.” Volle looked across the garden and nodded. Tish waited for a moment and then went on. “I’m not sure Nero is convinced he just fell down the stairs. Did he talk to you about that?”

“
Of course,” Volle said steadily. “Fortunately, during the short time he was unguarded, the guard was with me. So I couldn’t have done it. I did tell Nero I regretted having pulled the guard from his post. I don’t think he believed me.”

“
I understand he is still interviewing people, on the chance that it wasn’t an accident. He seems to have no end of suspects.”

“
Mmm.” Nero had uncovered a trunk full of damaging secrets about various Lords in Dereath’s effects, and reportedly had been destroying it while interviewing the Lords involved. Volle didn’t really want to discuss it any further. He had already received Nero’s assurance that any documents concerning him had been burned. “You know, in a strange way, I almost miss him.”

Tish barked a laugh. “Life too peaceful? Enjoy it while you can.”

Volle grinned. “No, I mean…in a way, he knew me better than anyone. Better than I knew myself. He knew I would fall in love with Streak—he counted on it—and he never doubted that I would do anything for him. He knew it before I did.” He looked up into Tish’s smile, and shrugged. “It’s easy to be more sympathetic now that he’s gone. What else did Avery say?”

“
He asked me to do my best to get you to change your mind, but if I read the subtext of his letter correctly, he is not as earnest about it as he could be. I have already composed my reply telling him that I was unable to, but pointing out the benefit of a friendly but inactive presence in the palace. Especially since I am leaving next week.”

“
So soon?” Volle turned.

Tish nodded. “We need to go before the snows get too thick. It is a long ride and will not be made shorter by inclement weather.”

“
I thought at least you’d stay through the winter.”

Tish shook his head. “I’m sorry, m’boy. My son is ready. It is time for me to move on, and to stay longer would be foolish and pompous of me.” He looked sternly down at the fox. “You will come visit us.”

“
Of course.” Volle smiled.

They stood in silence, watching Streak and Volyan play in the snow. The wolf had grabbed the cub by his ankles and was swinging him around. Volyan’s delighted shrieks echoed through the garden.

“
You made the right decision,” Tish said.

“
I think I did.” Volle turned. “Didn’t you tell me that love was a liability?”

“
Yes, as you will no doubt tell someone in the not-too-distant future, when Avery selects someone to send over here.” The wolf smiled. “And like me, you will also tell him that you don’t heed your own advice. Ilyana, however much she might wish to be in the palace, is an important and well-liked presence in Vinton, if the reports are correct. Streak is an important and loved presence here. And now that your title is officially granted and not acquired on some false pretext, I suspect you will treat it a bit more seriously than you have been, so you will need both: to keep your people happy, and to keep yourself happy.”

“
I’d been planning to be a better Lord,” Volle said, and then squinted at Tish, his ears flicking. “You knew this would happen.”

Tish grinned. “I know the King,” he said. “He hates change. Having been forced to revoke your title, he only wanted an excuse to return it to you. A fox of noble blood, proven innocent of the charges of treason…how could he resist? I thought he would not be able to.”

“
Noble blood…” Volle pulled the pendant from under his winter robes and looked at it. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that.” He grinned at the wolf. “When did you have your duplicate of this made?”

Tish laughed, and shook his head ruefully. “I had thought I might put one over on you, at last. I should have known better. How did you know?”

“
I didn’t,” Volle grinned, tucking the pendant back inside his robes. “But I do now.”

“
Ah ha ha!” Tish clapped him on the back and nearly doubled over laughing. “You precocious scamp of a fox!”

“
It isn’t real, then?”

“
Oh, it’s real,” Tish said, “but it is not, as far as I know, a royal pendant. I first had the idea when I saw the quarters you were placed in, when you first arrived. You remember I told you it was an odd coincidence?”

“
Yeees,” Volle said, slowly. “I do remember that now. You never explained why.”

“
I thought it was interesting that your assigned quarters were the same ones once inhabited by King Bucher’s son, the one he intended to become King after him.”

“
Really?”

Tish nodded. “The Prince was the only one of the family who did not live in the royal suite. Few people alive today remember that, but I remember visiting him there. He was kind to me.” For a moment, his eyes drifted away. “I’m sorry. As I said, there is much more to look back on now than to look forward to. When I noted that, I had the idea that your unknown parentage could be used to our advantage with some more concrete evidence. I asked Seir if you had any jewelry you’d left behind, and she told me about the pendant. I had another made some years ago, and I kept it in a small wooden box I have, after asking the merchant to age it as best he could.”