The Lupine Saga 102

Posted on December 18, 2021 by James Ashman

“Ah, Va’il, and the dearest Ruby. It is wonderful to see your visages yet again!”

“Why, thank you Baron,” Ruby said while bowing slightly. She looked radiant in a fresh set of clothes that she had deemed worthy of her, a custom-made dress of blue and green silks. It had been a while since Va’il had seen her in anything other than the clothes they had come with or borrowed from Derlik’s family.

“I hope you haven’t minded my contribution. I may lord over a small city, but I feel it my obligation to look after those who stop in,” Baron Braun Laloo said.

“I appreciate the gesture. But as long as we are here, please, you don’t have to treat us better than anyone else under your care. We are just friends of the children’s friends at this point,” Ruby said.

“Yes, father, just friends. In a roundabout way,” Link said with a toothy smile.

“It’s fine if he wants to spend his spoils on a pretty Ruby. She’s already spoiled!” Va’il said. Ruby turned and gave him a fierce look. Va’il gave a small growl.

“I swear, you’re terrible,” Greta said. “Always with the small fights and bickering.”

“Is that what is sounds like?” Ruby asked, sounding surprised.

“Yes. And the Laloo children know all about infighting!” Greta said. Her siblings laughed, as they could all agree that they didn’t get along at times.

“It’s not fighting,” Va’il said with a smile.

“Not fighting. Not even bickering. Teasing, I guess,” Ruby said.

“Human teasing is hard to understand,” Greta said, and then sighed.

“It’s more subtle,” Ruby said. “But it’s fun. Nobody else really knows about it here. Too many bearans! You’re all too tough! And physical with each other! I should say, you’re the ones I cannot understand.”

“What?” Greta asked with a hint of annoyance.

“That was teasing,” Ruby said, and then smiled.

“I think Greta is just bad with verbal cues. I understood it all fine from the beginning,” Link said.

“Now children, enough,” Baron Laloo said before Greta could say anything.

“Yes, I apologize for going into this. Just as we’ve arrived and all,” Ruby said.

“Oh, not a worry. My children will have plenty of time to fight, but not much time to socialize. Go ahead and take a while to get situated while I check with the cooks,” Baron Laloo said, and then jostled off.

Ruby and Va’il greeted each child as normal, though with an added touch of respect. They placed the bags they had brought in the main room, and then took seats in it. A fire crackled in a decorated fireplace while the children spoke of what they had done in the past weeks since they last met.

Unlike most of their other meetings and the last time they spent a night with the Laloo children, Tico and Spand were not present. This was a personal invitation to only Va’il and Ruby, extended by the entire Laloo family. It was to be a dinner and enjoyable night, and something that Ruby looked forward to greatly. When Va’il had wondered why they were being invited, Ruby educated him on the manners of certain nobility. Baron Laloo was known around town as being someone who took personal interest in his subjects, and wasn’t above speaking to even the lowliest of them. As being such obvious foreigners that virtually everyone in the city knew of at this point, it was self-evident the baron wanted to show them his good side. No one knew from where Va’il and Ruby hailed, but that stopped no one from treating them as special. Some treated them badly, others well, but overall the baron’s openness was visible in his subjects. Va’il nodded and conceded, though he wasn’t completely convinced.

“It’s a feast,” Va’il said, his eyes savoring the sight of pork, beef, and glazes of various kinds. Every kind of sea creature in the area was available as well, along with every wonderful garnishment Va’il could dream of.

“You’re drooling,” Ruby said. She laughed slightly, and then sighed.

“So what? So are they,” Va’il said. Ruby had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. She was the only human in the house, the only one who thought salivating at the sight of meat was something to be contained.

There was a touch of bickering to spice the dinner, mostly over who was to get certain choice pieces, but it was pleasant. Va’il made a worthy foe for the bearan children when it came to fighting for and winning the last rib. Ruby spoke with the girls a bit, and conversed with the baron. She was accustomed to speaking with nobility, but it surprised her how much she felt at ease speaking with him. She did realize that in absolute terms, she was far above him in relative wealth and power. He was the baron of a small city, and she was, as an individual, one of the top people in all of Rising, answering to only a hand’s worth of people at the most. The baron would definitely be surprised and humbled by how much gold Ruby casually carried with her in a bag that had stayed secret in her possession. But he was noble nonetheless, and thus someone she could relate to.

“I must say, miss, you have knowledge beyond that of most your age,” the baron said after a brief talk about the status of merchants in Grizz.

“I admit it’s true, though I do mean it with some humility,” Ruby replied.

“Well, being able to admit it is a step in the right direction! But though I can recognize that, I do have to ask about your circumstances. You’re intelligent, but human. You’re friend is, well, unique. I know that much. But why are you here, miss?”

“That’s a private matter, sir.”

“Of course. But maybe, at least, where do you come from? Perhaps something or somewhere important is in your past?”

“Sir, while we appreciate all this, there isn’t much to tell. Our matters are quite personal and private. It would be painful to even speak of them, should we desire to. But you can rest assured that as troublesome as the path we have come from is, it isn’t something grand. To use a grim, but realistic example, think of it like this. An orphan, without home or help, will pass away on the street. His path to that end is personal, agonizing, and private. It may even make a grand story to tell in detail. But he was nothing grand, or even out of the ordinary, as unfortunate as that may be,” Ruby said.

“Quite grim indeed. I think I’ve understood a bit more of what you mean. I understand, I will not meddle in your private affairs. I should say that I didn’t invite you here to speak of that matter. It really was an honest invitation from us of the Laloo family to the two strangers who have decided to call this province home, for however long or short that may be.”

“Thank you, sir. I trust that as well. We all have our sides of things, our reasons. I know they may not be apparent to others, as theirs are not apparent to us. But isn’t it wonderful that there are those you can trust without doubt?” Ruby asked. She smiled and then looked across the table.

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The Lupine Saga 101

Posted on December 11, 2021 by James Ashman

“Do you two mind going into the city today?” Dena asked.

“Sure, what do you need?” Ruby asked.

“Just a few small things. But only after getting the boys. They are playing in the city, so bring them back with you.”

Dena gave Ruby a short list, and together she and Va’il went to the city. It was a short run to the north, however they used it as another opportunity to test their skates. They knew exactly how long it took to walk to the city, so they were able to make a comparison to the time it took while skating at a leisurely pace.

“At least three times faster, right?” Ruby asked when the city came in sight.

“Yeah,” Va’il replied. He then added with a laugh, “Three times less! More importantly, much less tiring.”

They walked into the city normally, taking in the sights and smells of the bearan establishment. It was a moderately populated city, though it was relatively large compared to most, as its populace was a species far larger than most. Though it was just like all the cities the two of them had seen before. Markets, roads, houses, guards, and other things that made up the basic framework of every city they had been to was present. Their journey across the continent had shown them that the basics didn’t change much across the species. It was the things that weren’t so simple that made each place vary so much.

“Do you think you can find Tico and Spand?” Ruby asked.

“Sure. Just keep close. A lot of people here,” Va’il said.

They jogged through the city. Every so often Va’il would go to the top of a house and look around from a high vantage point or sniff the air.

After finding a familiar scent, Va’il took them to an estate in the middle of the city. On the grass lawn Tico and Spand could be seen playing together while four other bearans stood around watching and talking.

“Ruby!” the boys shouted when they appeared.

“Hello,” Ruby said, both to the boys and the other bearans. The others were apparently all young adults, but all older than Ruby. There were two males and two females.

“Ah, you two must be the friends the boys have spoken of,” the eldest bearan boy said. “I’m Link Laloo, and these are my younger siblings. In order, my first sister is Greta, the next child is Boris, and our youngest sister is Francine. We’re the Laloo children, and good friends with Tico and Spand.”

“Thank you Link. I’m Ruby, and this is Va’il.”

“Human? Here in Grizz?” Boris asked.

“You heard it from Tico, the boys weren’t kidding,” Francine said.

“But not entirely. You, Va’il, you’re a half, aren’t you? Not a full lupus, correct?” Greta asked.

“Correct,” Va’il said, uncomfortable at the instant realization.

“Oh? Well if we have a human here, then there isn’t much to be surprised at, even halfs,” Link said.

“Glad to hear you’re open to us,” Ruby said.

“Of course. Tico and Spand are great friends of ours. Friends of my friends are also friends, so to speak,” Link said. “Why don’t you come in and we can host you before you return?”

“I don’t know,” Va’il said.

“Sure, we will be pleased to,” Ruby said. Va’il then agreed and together they entered the Laloo’s mansion.

“It’s a nice place here. Tell me, since I’m not familiar with Grizz’s politics. Are you wealthy or noble?” Ruby asked.

“Ah, that is a good question. We’re the children of Baron Braun Laloo, who effectively runs this city. So we’re the highest authority, in effect,” Link said with a smile.

“I see,” Ruby said. “That makes me wonder. You play with Tico and Spand casually, but isn’t there a class difference?”

“There is, but they are young and like to have fun. We don’t mind watching them. After all, we’re still just the children of the baron. We aren’t yet in a rulership position,” Link said.

“You say that so simply,” Greta said. “But saying that we aren’t is a misquote. One of us hasn’t been selected yet, you mean.”

“Yeah, don’t try any sly wording,” Francine said.

“Relax, he was just being simple for the foreigners,” Boris said.

“Oh please, you just don’t care because you think you’re the favorite,” Greta said.

“I am not the favorite. What father chooses, and who he chooses, is up to him. I can accept it,” Boris said.

“Not in front of the rest of them,” Link said, his voice heavy and threatening. The squabbling members all hushed. “I’m sorry, we’re having a bit of a struggle with inheritance. It is a family matter only, we shouldn’t have brought it up in front of you.”

“That’s fine,” Ruby said. “Really, inheritance is such a touchy subject. I’m sure your reasons are complicated. We will pretend we heard nothing of it. Correct, Va’il?”

“Heard what? I don’t get what the fight’s over,” Va’il said.

“Ah, just noble matters. Don’t worry about it, then,” Ruby said.

“Wasn’t going to,” Va’il said with a small laugh.

“Miss, Ruby, you seem familiar with matters such as these,” Francine said.

“Oh, somewhat. I just know a lot of things and care about more stuff than Va’il does. Nothing really important. If I said anything further I’d be showing my ignorance of noble matters,” Ruby said.

“Oh, I see. That’s interesting. Too bad,” Greta said. She hummed to herself and then walked off.

“Well, while she gets our father, let’s enjoy ourselves for a bit. Can I offer you tea, meat, sweets, anything of the sort?” Link asked.

They spent a few minutes conversing, after which Greta returned with a great brown bearan at her side.

“Greetings, friends!” Baron Braun Laloo said in a large, booming voice.

He introduced himself to Ruby and Va’il, welcomed them to his city, and spoke for a while in the midst of the group. After about an hour of speaking, eating, and having some fun, Ruby and Va’il left, taking the two boys with them. They got the items that Dena had asked of them, and then returned home.

Over the next month they went to the Laloo’s place a couple more times. The children were friendly with the two of them, and invited them over to associate more. It really seemed like they were a friendly family, except when matters of inheritance were raised. Fights began and ended with harsh words and raised fists. Sibling rivalry was terrible between the four of them, and the father did nothing to stop it. If anything, it appeared that he encouraged it, and egged the children on to be at each other’s throats. Other than that, the times were pleasant.

The weather cooled, and unfortunately Va’il and Ruby knew they couldn’t risk travel across the continent in late fall or winter, so they accepted their situation for the seasons, Derlik’s family a comfort to them over the long months. The Laloos as well were an interesting bunch, and over the course of weeks and months, Va’il and Ruby were invited over more often, and once spent a winter’s night at the Laloo’s house.

The last day Va’il and Ruby would see Derlik’s family was the day of the second time they stayed with the Laloos.

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The Lupine Saga 100

Posted on December 4, 2021 by James Ashman

Derlik left early the next morning. He gave everyone a brief goodbye, and then was gone. With him gone, the children no longer had a link to Rising, a surefire way of returning.

The rest of their first day with the family passed by quickly. They remembered the names of everyone, including the two boys named Tico and Spand, who were ten and twelve, respectively. The day passed without event, as did the next, and so on.

They became used to speaking with the members of the house, who were all friendly. They were kind, but due to their stature, intimidating. Va’il may not have seemed like a runt anymore, compared to years past, but even Tico, at four years younger than him, was taller and larger than him. That was good for each of them, for the boys wanted to play. Va’il was strong enough to be a match for the boys whether it was in a game or wrestling, but still too weak to be formidable.

Ruby occupied her time by either watching Va’il and the boys from a distance, or walking around the house and learning from Dena. The bearan mother was constantly busy, her energy always abundant. She took care of the older parents, prepared food, washed and mended clothes, fished, and many other things. Ulin was often out, either fishing, hunting, or working in the nearby city north of them. He often came home with some cloth, spice, or other material. He also worked on furniture, maintained a small field they were growing various foodstuffs in, and played with the kids. It seemed like everyone was hardworking, but happy. All their needs were cared for. Ruby did end up noticing that an official-looking person came one week, and he left soon after speaking with Ulin. It was a local tax collector, Dena later explained.

In addition to their casual life, the family would often go out to friends’ places, sometimes for a few days or weeks at a time. And, just as often, other friends would come over and spend some time with the family. During the former times, Ruby and Va’il were given the duties of watching the house, and were even trusted with some money to be used to get fresh ingredients before the family returned, and Ruby decided against using her own money, which would only serve to reject their trust and reveal a secret that Ruby knew was better to keep hidden. Other than that, they were given house chores and other duties as well. Ruby became proficient at fishing, and Va’il discovered the joys of chopping wood. They also learned how to do all the various house chores like cooking, cleaning, stitching, and everything else.

Their main objective, though, never left their sight. As entertaining as living with the family was, it wasn’t theirs. That realization never left them, and was never pushed aside by their momentary enjoyments.

“What?” Va’il asked. Ruby had just walked up from behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Let’s go somewhere else. Forest or down the beach?” Ruby asked. She was holding onto a familiar bag.

“What is it? Forest.”

“I’ll show you in private,” Ruby said. She threw the bag over her shoulder, and together they went to a clearing in the forest that was far away from the house. When they got there, Ruby placed the bag on the ground.

“You’ve had that since the inn. But you’ve never opened it,” Va’il said.

“Yep. But I am now. It’s been a fun while here, but I wanna talk about getting back to Rising, eventually. I don’t mean now, but you should know about these now, so you can think about it too,” Ruby said.

She opened the bag and took out two pairs of items. Each was a pair of shoes, but didn’t look like any shoes Va’il had seen before. The tops of them looked sturdy, and had laces. The bottoms, though, didn’t have a normal sole. Instead, there was a wheeled contraption. It had several small wheels made of something Va’il didn’t recognize connected to the sole through a metal framework, a small bit of a serrated metal block underneath the toe area, and a rubber block attached behind the heel. She handed one pair to Va’il.

“What kind of shoes?” Va’il asked, his eyes wide while investigating them.

“Slipskates. Well, that’s what Elise called them. Nobody else has any but us. Much different than slipstone skates, or even rolling skates. You know what those are, right? Oh wait, you probably don’t, do you?”

“No idea. I’m just a commoner,” Va’il said, grinning.

“Well, do you know slipstone?” Ruby asked. Va’il shook his head. “Of course not. Well, to put it simply, it’s stuff that slides against itself forever. Hold up that skate and move your hand quickly against the wheels, then you’ll understand.”

Va’il held one of the skates up, and then pressed a wheel. It immediately moved, quicker and sooner than Va’il wished. It was as if his finger had slipped off.

He looked at his hand for a moment, realizing that it wasn’t his finger that slipped, but the wheel it touched. He then looked at the skate. The wheel was spinning, without any sign of slowing down.

“It’ll keep spinning, unless you stop it. To stop it, just touch it. But don’t press, just let you skin touch it,” Ruby said, a wide grin spread across her face.

Va’il did as instructed. The spinning wheel touched his skin, and the friction of it slowed and eventually stopped it. He then went to each wheel, giving them each a different amount of force to spin them. He watched them for a minute, and then a second. They didn’t appear to be slowing down at all, as if they were round stones falling down a hill that descended indefinitely.

“It’s not stopping!” Va’il said, his voice filled with amusement.

“Have you ever seen anything like it?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah! A weathervane, but inside a glass sphere, and it was rotating without stopping. It was in the more expensive market! The vendor called it slipstone too! What is it?”

“If you remember from class, I’m sure they taught you that when objects rub against one another, they don’t do it smoothly, and that’s friction,” Ruby said.

“Yeah, I know what it is. But everything has friction.”

“Except slipstone. And only when touching other slipstone. Otherwise it’s just like everything else when touching anything else. But slipstone against slipstone means no friction at all! So, the wheels all have slipstone on the connecting parts. So they won’t stop for a while. Outside friction will, eventually, stop them. But with just a flick of your palm, that skate will move for days, weeks, maybe even months. Elise took months getting them to work perfectly, apparently it’s not as easy to get right, unlike simple spinners.”

Ruby finished speaking, and then sat on the ground. She took off the shoes she was wearing, and replaced them with the slipstone skates. She laced them up, and then stood.

“There’s also a rubber stopper, and a toe to help with standing and pushing. Otherwise standing like this would be very difficult. But with practice, you can. Back at home there is an area, a big arena, where the entire ground is covered in slipstone, and the skates there glide over it. It’s like gliding on ice, without the cold, and far more difficult. These, on the other hand, let you glide over the ground.”

Va’il sat on the ground, put the shoes on, and then tried standing. He couldn’t stand. Every time he placed a foot on the ground, it would slide away. Ruby laughed at a few of the funnier motions Va’il went through. Seeing he couldn’t do it, she took off her skates, and physically helped Va’il stand on his own. He promptly fell again, and the process was repeated a few times.

“At least they fit,” Va’il said with a bit of annoyance at being stuck to the ground.

“Of course they do. Anyways, you’ve got to force them to stay in one spot. And don’t keep your feet facing the same way. Use the toe. No, don’t push in that direction! Push sideways. Get it?”

“No,” Va’il said. But by then he was getting used to the minor adjustments required to stand. After a few minutes of effort, he was standing on his own, though wobbly. Ruby put her slipskates on again, and then skated across the ground for a while, showing Va’il how to move in them.

“So, what do you think?” Ruby asked.

“Hard to get used to. Fun once I do,” Va’il said.

“No, I mean about using them to get home, what do you think?”

“Use them to get home?”

“Yes, wear them, and they make travel easier. We could go as fast as a team of galloping horses without much effort, without having to constantly run or exert ourselves. We could travel back to Rising in about the same time it took to get here with Derlik. Maybe a month even.”

“Maybe. There’s a lot more, but not having to run or walk all day would help. First I need to learn them. But I think you’re right.”

The next day Va’il discovered aching muscles he didn’t realize existed. But soon they were spending a while each day running off in secret and practicing with the skates. Once Va’il’s legs learned how to operate them, he was amazed at the utility. The wheels were designed to work on any surface, and sealed in a way that dirt wouldn’t get interfere in their movement. Each light push sent him far in any direction he desired. They were almost effortless. Without internal friction, the skates would go a far distance with only a single push, though they did stop soon enough since there were other factors to slow them down once they were on a person. While getting used to all the nuances of the skates and building stamina, they talked more of leaving for home, though summer had already ended, and quite a bit of time ended up passing after their arrival.

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The Lupine Saga 99

Posted on November 27, 2021 by James Ashman

The conversation ended and they disbanded. Va’il and Ruby explored the beach for a while, spoke a bit with the two youths, Derlik’s younger siblings, and then ate lunch. Afterwards they talked with Ofir, Elsa, and Ulin about the city and country of Rising. The father and his in-laws were fascinated by the first-hand experiences of a world they had never seen. Dena dropped in on the conversation every so often, but she was mostly busy with house chores and ordering Derlik around.

At night a magnificent feast awaited, though by bearan standards it was paltry. Afterwards they sat by the fireplace, keeping warm while listening to the adults speak. The air was cool, bothering the children who didn’t have much in terms of hair or fur, and didn’t expect such a chill during the summer. There was a brief mention of Va’il’s unique hair and eye color, but Va’il only responded by saying he was a half. The bearans didn’t question it further, but the mention made Ruby think of it. She was used to Va’il’s look, but she hadn’t given it much thought.

The night ended, and the family retired for the night. Derlik was especially happy to sleep in his old bed, though it had been a while since he last had. Va’il and Ruby slept in the main room, as close to the fire as possible. It would slowly die throughout the night, but the warmth it gave before it did was the only way the children could stand the cold that they weren’t used to dealing with, the one that came from certain oceanic winds in the region.

“Hey, Va’il,” Ruby said, “are you still awake?”

“Yeah,” Va’il said.

“I’ve been wondering about something. Do you remember something from a long time ago, when we first met? The first time, ever?”

“Sure. You were pretty rude back then. But that time was filled with strange things happening.”

“Just who is the rude one now? Fine, I admit it. But I was thinking about something else. That’s the only time I’ve asked you some questions about yourself. I don’t really know much, I was thinking.”

“That’s fine, isn’t it? I mean, I don’t know so much about you either, if you think about it. I know you’re Ruby. That’s enough for me, since I know who Ruby is and how she acts. I also know she’s important, but that isn’t really important to really know, right?”

“I suppose you’re right. But there are other things to know, that can be known.”

“Yeah. But when I think of it, there isn’t much left to know about others. We see each other daily, even if it’s only for a few minutes or hours. We know how we all act. We know what each of us is like. The only other stuff is how we are at home, and the people in those homes.”

“That’s what I was thinking of. You know Shiroi is my servant. You know her. But you don’t know about where I live, my parents, my home, or other people I know.”

“Yeah, but those aren’t needed, for me, are they?”

“Maybe. But that’s me. What about you? What more do I know, than Va’il yourself? And I was thinking, and could only remember bits of our first encounter. And how strange it was. And how some things were true, others were false. And even though I’m used to it now, these people reminded me about the things I’m missing.”

“We’re missing a lot, being here. What do you mean?”

“Va’il, you’ve only told me you’re a half. I’ve never really pried, but didn’t you say your mother is your only family member?” Ruby asked. Va’il didn’t answer right away, and thought of where Ruby was leading, where she’d been leading all along that he’d been trying to avoid. His throat tightened some.

“Yes.”

“And she’s just a normal lupus woman, right?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know anything at all about your father, then?” Va’il remained quiet at Ruby’s question. He tried thinking about how to answer. He wanted to say that he didn’t know anything, but that was no longer true. He knew he could lie, but he wanted to avoid that as well. He didn’t want to answer the question, and wanted to pretend it never happened. His lasting silence conveyed that after a while.

“My father is dead,” Ruby said after a while. “He was gone at an age I barely recall. He was quite a bit older than mother, and one day his heart gave out on him. Much too early in life, even for his age. But that’s all I know. Well, personally, aside from a couple faded memories. I know my family history, his history well. But as for the person himself, mother never really talks about him, but sometimes the older servants will mention a few things about him. He was Kaz Melonscone. Every so often the older ones would look at me and exclaim that I have Kaz’s eyes and nose. Sometimes I’d do something mother wouldn’t care for, and she’d scold me saying I am just like my father in those respects. But to me, there isn’t anything real about him. I’m his one descendant, the only child of a union between two great families. The daughter of a second marriage, with half-sisters who don’t really like me. When they do, I can’t be sure if they are real or faking it. I’m Ruby Louise Melonscone. And Va’il, now you know something more about me. If we’re separated from Rising for a while, it doesn’t hurt for you to know more about me.”

The room grew even dimmer as the fire finished a piece of wood. The low lights and flickers of shadows barely illuminated the two of them. They couldn’t see each other, even with the small amount of light.

“My father no longer lives as well,” Va’il said, his voice solemn and quiet.

“I’m sorry,” Ruby said. She felt her conscience rise with overwhelming guilt. She felt like she had pried information out of Va’il against his will by using her own story against him. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No. I want to tell you. But there aren’t many things I can say. You wanted to know if I got my unique looks from him, didn’t you?”

“Sorry. Sorry, yes, I was thinking that.” Ruby’s voice was soft, filled with emotion.

“It’s all right. Things have changed since then. I told you before I didn’t know who he was, but that he lived. I can tell you now, I know he no longer lives. And that I did inherit much from him. But don’t apologize. Don’t. It’s natural you’d want to know. Especially now that we aren’t in a bumpy cart with Derlik hearing everything we say. And we won’t be home again for a while. But I’ll take you there. Don’t fret about me. I don’t mind telling you. But this is all I have to tell you, right now. If we get back home, maybe I can bring you to Mum for a while. She’s really nice. She’s always anxious to know about my friends. So just be okay for right now.”

Ruby hummed a sound of acknowledgement, and then stayed silent, waiting for the veil of sleep to arrive. She thought of her own actions and desires. She wanted to know more. She wanted so many things that she couldn’t contain herself. She was fraught with problems out of her control. But she took comfort, knowing she could deal with them. It was her own desires that had given her grief, though. She felt it wrong to pry, to know things about a person that they didn’t want to tell others. She had secrets herself, things she didn’t want to reveal. She asked herself if she was a hypocrite. She thought everything over yet again.

She was happy, she realized. She was scared and afraid of knowing things others wanted hidden, but behind it all she was happy. She had been given an answer, a sliver of what she wanted to know. And though she wasn’t happy with the method she used, she got it. She now knew a personal piece of information, and that was priceless to her. As she thought on it more, she recalled Va’il’s kind words. She smiled in the dark, remembering that he said he wanted her to know. And he had given more than what he had to. She knew he wouldn’t speak if he really didn’t want to. She held this small confidence in the boy she called her friend, and looked forward to knowing more about him.

A question appeared in her mind, more prominently then ever before: Who is, or who was, Va’il’s father? Was it just a common man? A noble? A foreigner? Someone from another country with looks vastly different? Not just that, but a human man that could approach a lupus female. Va’il was unique in his looks, and that was something that had concerned Ruby for a while. She wondered if Va’il knew who he was the son of, or if he only knew about his father’s demise. She couldn’t think any longer, as sleep and weariness tore at her. She decided she knew enough, and if she ever found out more in the future, she could relish it at that time. In all her thoughts, she somehow never stumbled upon even an idea of the truth; it was still far too foreign a concept to her.

Much time had passed since their conversation, so Ruby thought it all right to say, “Thank you, Va’il,” quietly, aloud to herself. She gripped the blankets and snuggled in their warmth.

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The Lupine Saga 98

Posted on November 20, 2021 by James Ashman

The sound of waves woke Va’il. The air was cold, and the first signs of daylight had grayed the sky. He jumped out of the cart, but was disoriented at the feeling of sand beneath his feet.

He looked around, seeing the vast beach in front of him. He hadn’t seen an ocean before, never had his travels or small adventures brought him to one. He knew the smell, as he had come in contact with it the day before. But Derlik’s journey through the night brought Va’il to the ocean long before he could gradually adjust to the closing distance. It was a different smell than anything else, one that made his nose tingle. Overall, the entire experience, sight, sound, and smell, was magnificent.

“You’re up early,” Derlik said. He was sitting, watching the waves.

“You too. Didn’t you sleep?” Va’il asked.

“No. How could I, when I’m home? When I’m this close to my house?”

“Ah, understood.” They remained quiet after that, listening to the waves and watching the sky grow brighter. The sun gradually appeared to their left.

Ruby was waken, and then they all ate. Derlik remained silent for the morning as usual, and Va’il and Ruby explored and played at the water’s edge for a while. Eventually they started the final day of their journey, which Derlik took at a slow pace. The horses walked slowly for a couple hours, tired from the last few days of speedy journey followed by a night of travel. They seemed to heave a sigh of relief when Derlik pulled on their reins and told them to stop. Over the years they’d been exchanged many times by travellers exchanging capable but exhausted horses for fresh ones, but never had they been pushed the way Derlik had the past few days.

The beach, with ocean on one side and forest on the other, had one unnatural entity on it. A massive house stood there, alone against the elements around it. Va’il and Ruby stood on the sand, looking at it in wonder, while Derlik walked to the front of the house and pounded on the massive door. After a minute, it opened.

“Mom, I’m home,” Derlik said. Va’il and Ruby each opened their mouths in surprise, and then looked at each other.

“Did he say?” Va’il asked.

“Der! It’s Der! Come on out everybody, it’s my boy!” shouted the mother. She stepped out of the doorway and wrapped her arms around her son. As she did, more people came out of the house. A couple males, an older female, and a couple youths, arrived. They all started laughing and conversing while Derlik was in his mother’s embrace.

The mother let go of Derlik, took a step back while sizing him up and squeezing his arms. She then clobbered him with a large fist. His head shook a bit, but the smile didn’t leave anyone’s face.

“And that’s for not writing lately!” Laughter ensued from the welcoming group.

“It is!” Ruby said, her eyes wide. Both kids were out of additional words to express their surprise. They had known that over the last month they were traveling to Derlik’s home, but they thought he meant a city or the country itself. His personal home, though, was different.

“And that’s about all for that,” Derlik said at the end of a short conversation. “Now, let me introduce you to some friends. Come here, you two.”

“Hello,” Ruby said while giving a charming smile to the tall bearan mother. Va’il bowed his head and said the same. Everyone around the two of them were much larger, uncomfortably so. It was one thing to be a head shorter than someone. But to be surrounded by bearans, all of which were much taller, much wider, and much heavier, was a unique experience. Even the youths, visibly younger than Va’il, were an arm taller and twice his size.

“And they are?” a male asked.

“Va’il and Ruby, friends from Rising, father. They are rather unique, and the reason I have come home unannounced. I’ll try to explain more once we’re settled. Is breakfast ready?” Derlik asked.

“We’ll hear it later then. You know it is! Just in time, boy. A fresh catch. You certainly have some good timing for food,” the father said and then gave a hearty laugh.

“Hey, what is that boy?” the older female asked.

“Me?” Va’il asked.

“Yes, what are you? I just thought that too.” said the mother.

“Va’il’s a lupus boy,” Derlik said.

“No, he isn’t,” the father said.

“What? What are you talking about?” Derlik asked.

“Their right. I’m a half. Lupus and human,” Va’il said.

“A half? Well, considering neither of you are bearan, it doesn’t really matter. We know now, that’s enough. Thank you,” the mother said. She was warm in her words and had a kind smile, for a bearan.

“A half? All this time, I didn’t even notice,” Derlik said.

“He can be a bit clumsy at times,” the mother said.

“Certainly is,” the older male said.

Va’il and Ruby looked at each other and laughed. Throughout the last month, they had only seen Derlik in a serious and grown-up light, and he had rarely talked with them. It even surprised them he referred to them as friends. But their perception of him changed upon seeing his family. He could be absent-minded at times, which they could have noticed before if they had looked for it. It was a refreshing end to the long travel.

#

“A bath! A bath! Oh my goodness how much better life is with a bath! Va’il, I can stand you now!” Ruby said. The dirt from her cheeks was gone, replaced by skin that had been exposed to the sun far too much over the past month. Her hair was restored to its usual state, unlike the tangled mess she had been reduced to dealing with the past few days. They hadn’t been to an inn in a week, degrading their health and looks. Va’il was a dirty mess, far worse than a day of playing in dirt could have done to him, until Derlik’s mother prepared a bath for him. The sun had also worked on him, finally bringing his complexion out of paleness. The absence of the smell that all three travelers had acquired was the greatest reward, though.

The cleaned travelers were given clean clothes, adjusted for each of their sizes. They weren’t great quality or well adjusted, but the blue dress Ruby wore was a marked improvement over her previous attire. Va’il was given blue and gray pants and tunic. They were fed well that morning, with fresh fish that had been swimming a few short hours ago. The table buzzed with Derlik relating the story of their travels, starting from their journey in Farrow. He didn’t broach the reason why they had come yet. Once breakfast was over the youths were sent out to play, while the rest of them sat in the main room and discussed in further detail what was going on.

“So, Der, mind explaining what’s going on, now?” his mother, Dena, asked.

“I cannot fully explain. Do you two mind if I give the basic reason without talking about the other things?” Derlik asked. Va’il and Ruby each nodded, knowing that there wasn’t any actual reason to withhold information, other than to save Derlik’s pride. Considering it would be impossible to explain all his reasons for doing each thing he did before their travels started, a cover-up of sorts was necessary.

“Not fully? Why?” Dena asked.

“These kids were in danger. They had to escape, and I have helped them to do so. They would be in peril, had they not left. Hope you can understand, I cannot disclose what kind of danger, even to family, since there is safety in less people knowing. This is to protect them. I also cannot tell who is after them or why. To know that is also dangerous, both for them and to those who know. That’s about the best I can say. Can you accept that?” Derlik asked.

“Peril enough to flee here?” Ulin, Derlik’s father, asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“I see. Dear, and mother, that should be enough. We didn’t even need to know that much. Our curiosity has gotten the better of us. Son, what do you need from us? That’s the real question. Why come here, of all places?” Ulin asked.

“I cannot watch them forever. I’m going back to Rising. I ask that you please look after these two,” Derlik said.

“You’re just dropping us off, Derlik?” Ruby asked.

“I’m doing what I was compelled to do. I did explain it before. I had to save you. But I didn’t forfeit my life. I placed it on hold. I want, no, I need to go back. To the life that I’ve been living ever since I left here,” Derlik said.

“Der, that sounds irresponsible,” Ofir, Dena’s father, said.

“I know it sounds like that. But just as there are reasons I cannot tell you of their danger, there are reasons why I must go that I cannot explain. I’m sorry that I’m dropping you two and leaving, but understand that we weren’t going to be together forever. You certainly knew that,” Derlik said.

“I understand what you mean,” Va’il said. “Yeah, you should go back. It’s fine. But on the other hand, we don’t want to burden your family. Dropping us on them isn’t something we wished for.”

“I know that. But that is the situation. And I think you two will do well here. And, maybe I should point out to you that once I am gone, you are free to return. I cannot stop you from returning at that point. I can advise against it, for now. But I have no doubt that you will make an effort to return. If it pleases everyone, then my delivery here can be thought of as a temporary measure,” Derlik said.

“And will you come to pick them up after a time? How are they to get back? How can you just say that, knowing it isn’t realistic?” Dena asked. She looked ready to clobber Derlik again.

“Because it’s them. They’ll find a way, if they need to. They’ve already thought of it, I’m sure. Am I correct?” Derlik asked.

“Maybe, I don’t know though,” Va’il said.

“We could make it back alone,” Ruby said, her voice brimming with confidence. “You may have sprung this on us, but we weren’t counting on you for much anyways. I’ve been thinking about it ever since you mentioned Grizz. So, somehow, we can make it back. I know we can. There are greater obstacles we could face. That we will face. This isn’t one of them. I thank you, Derlik, on the behalf of my namesake, for the good things you have done.”

“You sure, Ruby?” Va’il asked.

“Somehow, yes. I think we could. I know you could, alone, right Va’il?” Ruby asked.

“Maybe. But it would take too long. And besides, I’m not alone.”

“Time is something we can cut with the proper methods and items. You leave that to me. Let’s just thank Derlik and send him on his way. Or, I would say that, but that would imply I want to impose on his family. I cannot do that,” Ruby said.

“What an interesting human. So small, so odd, and with such strange looks. But you have the giant heart of a bearan, little girl. I want to wish you well, but the world is a tough place. Maybe it takes someone like you to cross it successfully,” the grandmother Elsa, wife of Ofir, said.

“Mother Elsa approves, I approve,” Ulin said.

“We’re all in agreement then. We’ll look after you, temporarily. Though, I won’t tolerate if you simply freeload. My boy may be thick at times, but he works. You kids fine with some tough work to earn your keep?” Dena asked, a wide grin across her tough face.

“Of course,” Va’il said.

“That seems reasonable,” Ruby said. “Yes.”

“Good. But I’ll give you kids a week to recover. Relax, work, and then let me know a few days before you decide to go. Whether that is in two weeks or two years, it is fine. I apologize for my boy again. I know you have your circumstances, but I cannot shake the feeling that I need to clobber him again for having to bring you here. I guess that’s misguided of me, since I don’t know everything. I’ll accept that. Till the time comes, stay with us. We’ve got enough to let a couple small ones like you stay here. Maybe I’ll even get a kick of pleasure watching you bring back some items from the market in the city. Yes boy, that’ll be fun,” Dena said.

“Mother’s already planning how to work them. I’m sorry you two. But I’ll be leaving tomorrow nonetheless. If you have good fortune, may we never see each other again. If we do, I hope it is if I come here to visit. Don’t let mother work you too hard,” Derlik said.

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