THE WINDS OF AUTUMN

Written by & copyright of Foxonian Foxonian@aol.com

Featuring Cassie, Foxonian and Dominic

Cassie, the Rock & Roll Vixen
http://www.cassietherockvixen.furtopia.org

Please read the prequil, "Darkside Encounter," Featuring Laretta (Cassie's rhythm guitarist) and Ben
Moss (Laretta's boyfriend)
http://www.cassietherockvixen.furtopia.org/darkside_encounter.txt
Please read the sequil, "The Christmas Party" Cassie, Dominic and Shiva & Rich (both created for the story) at
http://www.cassietherockvixen.furtopia.org/the_christmas_party.txt


All characters created by & copyright of Earl Bacon except Laretta and Bob, who are created by and copyright of
Andre' Cotton, Alex and Dominic, who are created by and copyright of Donna Fritz, and Vixina & Cloudchaser, who
are created by and copyright of Cloudchaser Shaconage


"The Winds Of Autumn"

Standing on the balcony of the converted Swiss lodge, Cassie looked down at the view before her.  The leaves in
the Brekshire hills of Massachusettes had turned and fallen.  A cold winter wind was in the air.  The Rock Vixen
was wearing a dark blue blouse, matched with an ankle length deninum dress, whose hem ended just above a pair of
hiking boots.  Aside from the black leather choker with it's oval blue gem in it's center and the extremely long
sable back head hair flowing in the wind, one would not have recognized this furry-morph vixen as being the
famous rock/metal guitar goddess of the music biz.  So far, Cassie and her human lover Foxonian had gotten just
about everything ready for the winter.  Her new red-orange Corvette was in storage now, since driving a such a
vehicle in typical Bershire winters would be suicidal.

Her current mode of transportation was a 2001 red-orange Jeep Wrangler with the words "CASIVX" on the Mass.
plates.  Foxonian continued to solder on with his 98 Dodge Intrepid, refusing (despite Cassie's insistance) to buy
a newer car.  It wasn't that her lover was being "cheap", rahther he hated to get rid of a vehicle that worked so
well for him.  This car managed to make several trips across the country, without a problem.  In Foxonian's mind,
a reliable car shouldn't be disposed of so easily. Cassie, however, liked to own newer vehicles, often donating her
old cars (some with less then 30,000 miles on them) to charity events that her band was promoting (her last Corvette,
a '98 model with 36,000 miles was used in an  auction to help retired musicians who had fallen on hard times.)

This is not to say that Cassie was a "spendthrift", she knew how to invest her royalties from her albums with
other bands and from her latest:"Cassie's Band".  She had investments in real estate and in other securities.  Plus,
she had seen far too many musicians in her field "get rich quick" and then end up pennyless after their career's
wained and the money was all spent.  The Rock Vixen vowed that would not happen to her.  In fact, due to a lot of
good luck and shrewed investing on her behalf by her financial adviser, a small fennec fox named Susan, Cassie now
had more money than she could ever spend in her lifetime.  Now she could play her music for the sheer fun and not
for her next meal.  That made her feel happy, especially since she had now could help out any friend who needed her aid.

Cassie smiled as she looked down at her lover on his mower, fighting a fruitless battle with all of the leaves
covering the 30 acres below the lodge that marked where the old ski lift run was.  The vixen chucked to her self at
this little scene.  Both her and Foxoinan had a landscsaping company maintain the property year round for them
(since both of them were on the road so much) however, Foxonian liked to do a little bit of the work when he was
home, just to give him something to do.  After all, just sitting around wasn't in his nature.  Cassie too liked to
work on her window boxes and her small vegetable garden in the summer and she helped Foxonian rake leaves in the
fall.  In the winter, making snowmen and throwing snowballs at her lover were more her speed.

As Cassie was lost for a moment in her thoughts, she saw that the human had stopped his tractor and was talking on
his cell phone.  She walked toward her lover and started to pick up bits of the conversation he was having.  "I see.
Is that where we stand?  Okay.  Okay.  I'll tell her.  Thanks.  Bye."  Foxonian clicked off his cell phone and was
about to get off his lawn tractor, but a certain smiling furry-morph vixen had taken a seat on his lap and had
placed her arms arond his waist.  "What's up, Hun?"  Cassie asked as she kissed her lover full on the lips.
Foxonian retured the kiss before he replied, "*sigh* it's the promoter.  If the band doesn't go back out before
the first of the year, he's going to dump us.  I really hate to ask, but..."

"I know.  Vacation's over.It's back to work." Cassie said with a sigh.  "Yup.  But there's more," Foxonian began."
As you know, we have been usuing our promoter to provide us with security at the concerts and while on tour.  With
the news you told me about Dominic, Andy and I have decided that the band should have it's own secruity force.
We should take care of this "in house" since we don't know if our promoter will give us what's required."  "Okay.
I think that's reasonable.  What are you going to do?"  Cassie said as she placed her head on her lover's chest
and continued to look up at him.  "First,I would like to talk to Dominc about what he knows.  I asked Rachel if I
could speak to him and she said that he would get back to me.  Second, Andy and I will start to interview for a "Chief
of Security" position.  Once we have the person were looking for, we will go from there.  Our goal is to get the
new security team in place before Jan 30th.

"Do you want to have the band's Christmas party up here this year?"  Foxonian asked.  "Yes, that would be fine,"
Cassie began, "but I would like to have everyone attend this.  That means the girls and their boyfriends if
possible, plus Slim and his crew. Heck, even Susan can come,if she's free."  "That's a pretty big 'if,' "
Foxonian began, scratching under Cassie's muzzle in the spot she loved to have scratched.  "That little vixen has
so many things going at once, I really don't know if she ever sleeps!  Still, I haven't seen her in a bit,so why
not?"  "Great.  I'll go up to the house and start making the phone calls and such.  You be good 'till I get
back.  Kay?" the rock vixen said as she slid of her lovers lap, giving him a peck on the cheek as she did so.
"Of course.  How could I ever refuse you?" the human replied, causing Cassie to giggle as she walked up the hill.

Foxonian was still looking at the beautiful vixen from his lawn tractor seat when a voice less then a foot away from
him nearly scared him to death.  "You wanted to see me?"  A tall, handsome (for a furry-morph) collie dressed a
long black felt coat over a dark suit with a frilly ascot instead of a tie.  "Are y-y-you Dominic?  How did you
get here?  I didn't tell Rachel where we were?" the human replied with a slightly frightened expression. "I have
my means" Dominic replied with a slightly fanged smile.  After a moment or two of silence,Dominc spoke.  "What you
want to know carries a very large burden.  It could mean your life and Cassie's if I tell you all I know.  I will
say this, your precautions concering security are well intentioned.  Go with them.  I will do what I can to protect
all of you."

"Can you tell me anything about who is involved?" Foxonian asked.  "I told you what the risk was.  Are you
foolish enough to still ask me?" Dominic said in a calm, stern tone of voice.  The human thought for a moment
before saying "No.  I'll leave it to you to take of your end.  I'll work with mine and deal with whatever arises."
"We are agreed then," the collie-morph said as he exteneded his black leather gloved hand to shake Foxonian's hand.
"If I have anything to tell you, I will let you know in my own way.  I will be attending your Christmas party, so I
can brief you then, if you like." Dominc said.  "That would be fine, thanks," Foxonian began, noting the
collie-morphs' nod in agreement."  If there is anything I or Cassie can do for you, just let..WHOOPS!" just
then, Foxonian's cell phone fell out of his pants pocket.  As he bent down to pick up the cell phone,the human felt
a cold autumn breeze.  He looked up and he was alone.  Dominic had vanashed.

Sitting for a moment in silence, Foxonian thought about what had just happened.  This Dominic fellow was the creepiest furry-morph he had ever met and he had met quite a few in his day.  No wonder Rachel loved him.  The deer femme tended to look a little odd, with her gothic beer-maid's outfit.  But it was more than just looks.  There was something about Dominic that Foxoian just couldn't put his finger on.  One thing he was sure of, the collie-morph believed that they were all in danger and that it was mostly his business.  But, being prepared meant that it was a threat that could get by him.  That worried the human.  What could it be that has this collie-morph so concerned?

"Hey, are going to sit outside in the cold all day?  It's starting to cloud up and the forecast is calling for snow.
I have some hot chocolate up here that needs to be shared.  What do you say?" a beautiful red fox furry morph vixen
with long black head hair (now blowing like a flag in the increasing wind) called from the lodge's balcony.  With
a smile on his face, the human stared his lawn tractor and said, "Be right there."  As he drove the tractor into
the storage shed, Foxonian thought, "cold wind blowing in indeed."

THE END