The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories (8 page)

They reached the border outpost the next day, two clusters of buildings astride the road at the base of the first mountain. As they came into view, Alexan stopped the wagon. “Get in the back,” he ordered Jonas.

“
Why?”

“
I give them some papers, some money, and they let me across. If they see you, they’ll want more money and there might be other complications.”

“
But…” Jonas saw from the set of Alexan’s ears and jaw that he was not going to win this argument. “All right.”

He clambered into the back of the wagon and curled up as Alexan threw a blanket and some boxes over him. It felt as though he were being hidden because the fox was ashamed of him, but Jonas drove that thought from his mind. Of course it made sense not to vary a routine, especially when it came to a border he wasn’t supposed to be crossing.

When they emerged from the pass the next day, Alexan drew up the team for a moment. Jonas was already staring breathlessly at the vista before them. The slopes of the mountains ran down into a plain whose emerald contours were interwoven with a shining river that ran to a city. It hurt Jonas’s eyes to try to see the tiny details of the city, but he could see plainly to the south of it the reddish hills and the large lake, almost a sea, that lay at their feet. Though clouds still hung in the air over them, the plains were bright with sun, and Jonas couldn’t wait to get there.

“
Officially, we've been in Ferrenis for a day,” Alexan said, and pointed a black paw down at the plain. “But that is really Ferrenis.”

Jonas tried to follow the road as it wound down towards the sea of trees and fields. “Are there towns on the way to the city?”

“
Sure. Right there, by the river—see?”

And there was a small collection of buildings there that he hadn’t noticed before. He continued to gaze down at the plain as Alexan started the cart again and the wagon picked up speed. They traveled faster as they descended out of the snow, and with the warming air, Jonas’s mood improved.

They reached the first town in Ferrenis the next day. Foothill was a small town, but Alexan seemed happy to reach it. “The edge of the country,” he called it. “The Royal Patrol takes care of most bandits from here on.”

They saw two patrolmen, a burly wolf and a surly-looking weasel, when they went to get dinner in the local pub. The patrolmen looked up as they walked by and sat up straighter. Jonas thought at first that they knew Alexan, but then realized that they were looking at him. In fact, everyone in the pub was looking at him.

Even after he sat down across from Alexan, he heard murmurs and caught glances in his direction. Alexan didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, it didn’t surprise him. Jonas finally leaned across the table and whispered, “Did I do something wrong?”

Alexan’s ears flicked and he grinned. “No. Why?”

“
Everyone’s looking at me.”

“
Are they?” Alexan looked around, and Jonas felt certain now that he’d noticed and was just pretending he hadn’t.

“
Yes.”

Alexan chuckled. “You really don’t know why? Don’t you know anything about Ferrenis?”

“
No. Just that they don’t understand the Houses of Gaia and they don’t like us.”

“
Religious differences aside, the ruling family of Ferrenis are cougars. All cougars in this country belong to some sort of nobility.”

Jonas didn’t see Alexan’s amused reaction to his surprise. The fox’s growled “your highness” now made sense, and he remembered another fox now who had done something similar; that was where Alexan seemed familiar from. It had been a couple years ago, the fox was some noble at the palace who’d chosen between Jonas and Richy, he recalled. And he’d called him “your highness,” then denied it. Jonas filed that thought away for later reflection.

“
So they think I’m a noble?”

“
My guess is, they’re wondering why you’re so shabbily dressed.”

His clothes weren’t any dirtier than anyone else’s in the place, but Jonas suddenly felt very self-conscious. “Maybe we should go.”

“
Why? Let them look.” Alexan waved to the rabbit walking by with a tray. “Two ales and two dinners, whatever’s hot.”

She nodded and walked away. Alone among the people in the bar, she didn’t seem interested in Jonas at all.

Jonas didn't quite manage to ignore the scrutiny over the course of the evening; he was so used to being in tune to what people wanted of him that he found himself staring back at the pair of mice, the raccoon, the weasel, wondering what they wanted. By the end of the meal, he’d managed to stop himself from looking back at them, but he still felt their eyes on him, like fleas in his fur.

He told Alexan he wanted to eat in the wagon at the next town, but the fox dragged him into the public-house anyway. By the time they got to Caril, Jonas had been stared at more than in his entire career at the Jackal's Staff. When they reached Alexan’s house, he thought, and met his friends, they would get used to him. There, he could feel comfortable.

The house was small but neat, one of ten in a row along a side street not too far inside the western gate. Brick with white wood trim, like all the other houses, it differed from them only in that one of the front windows appeared to have a broken pane. It stood two stories tall, but was narrower than it was high, and the roof was slanted to the back. Despite Alexan’s long absence, the house looked to be kept fairly neat, with the exception of the broken window. A grey fox came out of the house when they pulled up, wearing a simple linen dress, a blue apron, and a surprised expression.

“
Master Alexan,” she said, curtseying as he stepped down, though her eyes remained on Jonas. “Is this good news?”

Alexan grinned at her. “Julianna, this is Jonas.”

“
Pleased to meet you.” Jonas extended a paw, and Julianna took it warily.

“
Are you sponsoring Master Alexan? Or are you here to investigate…?” She eyed his clothes as she spoke.

“
Neither,” Alexan cut in. “Jonas is going to be staying with me.”

“
Oh,” she said, and then nodded, almost winking at Alexan. “I see. Very good, sir. Shall I prepare the spare room?”

Jonas started to say no, but Alexan spoke first. “That will be fine, thank you, Julianna.”

“
Pleasure to meet you, sir.” The grey fox curtsied and walked briskly into the house.

“
The spare room?” Alexan was already walking back to the wagon, but Jonas stayed where he was standing.

“
Sure. What about it? It’s clean.”

“
No, I mean…”

Alexan was starting to lift a crate out of the back of the wagon. “Will you come give me a paw with this already?”

Jonas didn’t say anything more as they moved the crates of weapons into the house, to a storeroom in the back. Several crates were already stacked there, and the smell of wood was strong in Jonas’s nostrils. “Why didn’t you take these to Tephos?”

“
They weren’t here when I left.” Alexan glanced at the crates. “Some of the merchants I deal with bring things by while I’m away. They know by now that I’m good for it.” He hurried out again.

Jonas watched Alexan as they moved crates, trying to figure out the fox. At times he didn’t seem to want Jonas around at all—and then he’d given him his coat and smiled that smile. And he had invited Jonas into his house. So maybe it was presumptuous of Jonas to have thought they’d be sharing a room. These things would come in time, he told himself. And it was nice going to bed without a sour aftertaste in his muzzle, or an ache under his tail.

All the same, as he pulled the blankets over him and curled up alone, he missed Sasha, Pike, Richy, Alicar, and even Tally more than ever.

Chapter 5

Jonas had a chance to examine Alexan’s merchandise before he got to meet his friends. Alexan had him inventory the stock as he carried it out to take to his local market stall. He had a number of finely carved bows with intricate designs that made Jonas want to trace them over and over with his claws; he had a number of wooden handles without blades that had simpler designs but were made from exotic-smelling woods. They felt smooth and good in Jonas’s paw.

Also in his inventory were a number of finely fletched arrows—without tips—and some narrow wooden darts. Then there were shields, all wooden and of various sizes; they took up the most room. A few had beautiful designs around the edges, but most were unfinished in the front.

“
The buyer has them painted,” Alexan said when Jonas asked him about it. “Just count them, okay?”

He’d come back from the market that day in a bad mood. Normally he liked to talk about the weapons because he was proud of his merchandise, and Jonas had hoped that would distract him from whatever was bothering him. “What’s the matter?” he asked, but Alexan ignored him and went on inspecting Jonas’s numbers.

“
Are they okay?” Jonas asked when the fox put down the paper. Alexan had a strange look in his eye, a worrisome look.

“
Come on.” He grabbed Jonas’s wrist and led him to the bedroom, where he pointed to the bed. “Get undressed.”

“
What? We haven’t even had dinner yet.”

“
We’ll eat later. Get your clothes off.” The fox was already unlacing his own trousers, pushing the door closed with his body.

Jonas stared at him for a second, then undressed. Whatever was bothering Alexan, he’d be more relaxed after sex.

He’d barely turned over before the fox was on him, thrusting and biting harder than Jonas had ever known him to. He bore the assault steadfastly, even when the fox’s sharp teeth sent lances of pain through his shoulder. “
There
,” Alexan growled, “your
majesty
, how do you like
that
,” with thrusts and bites punctuating his words.

It was all over soon enough, and Alexan was left locked inside him, panting hard. He licked Jonas on the shoulder and said softly. “You’re bleeding.”

Jonas wasn’t surprised; he’d had to make an effort to keep from crying out at the sharpness of the pain. All he said was, “You were upset.”

“
Yeah.” Alexan started to lick at Jonas’s wound. “The king…” He shook his head, then went back to licking.

“
He did something?”

“
Maybe. See…the reason I can trade in weapons is because the law prohibiting weapons trade between us and Tephos only says that trade in “bronze and steel” is forbidden. Wood and string aren’t mentioned. So I’m legally safe, even if really nobody is supposed to be going over there. But the king is considering a provision banning anything that could be used as a weapon. It’d ruin me. It’s because of that whole trouble with the assassin a couple years ago. Like that had
anything
to do with weapons!”

“
Ow.” In his excitement, the fox’s claws dug into Jonas’s side.

“
Sorry.” Alexan relaxed. “Not your problem.”

“
If it’s bothering you, then it worries me.”

Alexan stroked down Jonas’s side and found his sheath. He squeezed it, but Jonas wasn’t very aroused. “You don’t need to be worried.”

“
What are you going to do?” Jonas tried to relax and enjoy the stroking.

“
I need to find a noble sponsor, someone with the King’s ear. If he can sway the king…there are a couple merchants who supply to me who I might be able to get to join me.”

Jonas let the stroking wash over him, closing his eyes. “Is there something I could do? Maybe help get in with one of the cougars?”

Alexan laughed without breaking his strokes. “You? You’re just a prostitute. Don’t worry about it.”

He kissed Jonas’s ear. Jonas sighed, stopped talking, and focused on his growing arousal. But his climax, when it came, was more a relief than a pleasure.

The next night, Alexan was more relaxed, and Jonas enjoyed himself considerably more. Afterwards, he lay with his arm around Alexan and the fox’s paw brushing his stomach’s fur, and he felt good enough to give the fox a kiss.

Alexan nuzzled him back and kissed his nose with a smile. “You don’t have to go back to your room tonight if you don’t want to.”

“
I’d like to stay.”

“
Mmm.”

Jonas nuzzled his ear. “Will I get to meet some of your friends?”

“
Sure.” Alexan sounded amused. “Why?”

“
Well, it just gets lonely here during the day. Julianna doesn’t talk to me much.”