Counterpoint By: Fox Cutter 06/09/1999: A wide smiled crossed Fox's face as he took Romana into his arms. Holding her with a relaxed ease that came from his experience as both her father, and at times mother, he stroked a finger down the side of her face. I smiled and leaned forward, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Now you be good while I'm gone," I whispered in his ear. He responded with a laugh that was more in his eyes than in his voice. "I'll try love, but I can't make any more than the usual promises." "As long as you don't go running off with the children, I'll be happy." He grinned. "No running off on some damn fool adventure. Gotcha! I think I should be able to manage that, this time." "I'll be back in a bit," I kissed him on his other cheek, "I'll make you a special dinner when I get home." "You spoil me Oria, you really do," he told me, leaning forward to kiss me softly. Slowly breaking away from the kiss, I collected the last of my things, and moved quickly out the front door as Fox settled down with his daughter, getting ready to read to her. Santhara followed in her now familiar position a few feet behind me as I stepped outside into the light of the suns. I paused for a moment after I closed the door, quickly getting my bearings. The taxi I had called for was waiting a few away, idling in the driveway. Resting against the side of the vehicle, her head back and wings spread to bask in the sun, was Sora. She didn't seem to hear me as I walked up to her. The only activity I saw was the slow swaying of her large wolf-like tail against the door of the taxi. "Waiting for someone?" I asked, once I got close. Lifting her head up, she looked at me over the top of her blue sunglasses, and smile shyly. "Something like that. When I saw the taxi I knew someone was going somewhere. I decided to see if it was safe to come along?" "I'm just going to the market to pick up a few things," I replied to her. "You can come along if you want." She smiled, closing her wings. As she stepped back away from the vehicle, she opened the door for me in the process. "Thank you, I think I will." I ducked inside the open door, adjusting the seat a bit until I was comfortable. Sora closed my door, and went around the back of the vehicle, entering through the other door and sitting down next to me. Santhara settled into the passenger side of the front seat, and told the driver our destination. We were off before I had time to get my seatbelt fastened properly. Sora struggled with hers for a few moments, her wings impeding the belt. "I haven't really had a chance to talk to you for what feels like two years," I said, once everything was belted down, and I could relax as we slipped into traffic. "What have you been up to?" "Oh, my usual complement of things, relaxing, reading. Occasionally popping though folds to other worlds to look around. Nothing really all that exciting. I've just been doing it to keep occupied, but that's all changed today." The last words were followed by a soft smile. She was excited about something, and was trying hard not to show it. "What happened today?" I asked. She smiled as wide as she could, which actually showed a slightly disturbing amount of teeth, and tried to flex her wings. "I got in." "In?" I asked, my ears perking from my curiosity, not understanding what she meant. She nodded vigorously, her red eyes bright behind her sunglasses, which made them look light purple. "Yes, 'in'. As into the Hunters. I just got the news this morning. I start training in three weeks." I smiled to her, and nodded. "That is very good news, congratulations! Do you have any plans on how to celebrate?" "I was considering getting drunk off my feet," she paused, then shook her head, "but I did that when I got my citizenship. It's too soon to do it again. It kind of takes the thrill out of it." I sighed, but with a smile. "I used to celebrate that way all the time. You're right, doing it too often does tend to lessen it. Do you have anything else in mind?" "I have a few thoughts, but nothing I'm sure about. I think maybe a nice trip to a world with low gravity, and I could go flying. Or at least attempt to. I fear I wouldn't be very good, but my sister used to rave about it all the time. So I think it's worth a try." In my mind's eye, I could easily see her flying though the air, slow and very graceful. "That might be a good idea for you. I think you would look very good flying. And I didn't know you had a sister." For a moment a flash of dark emotion crossed her face, as a solemn frown formed on her muzzle. It lasted only a moment, before she spoke. "I don't talk about her much. Not to anyone." It didn't take an expert in bedroom physiology to tell that something bad had happened to her sister, and quite possibly she blamed herself for whatever that happened to be. It was also perfectly clear from the way she spoke, that, as a subject for conversation, the matter was closed, and that was the end of it. We both sat in silence as the taxi drove though the streets of Corbin. Eventually it came to a stop at one of the entrances to the The Grand Market. The three of us exited the taxi, paying the bill. We entered inside, and started walking along the brick paved streets. "So, what are we here for?" Sora asked, stretching out both her arms and her wings. "Mostly for some food," I answered, spotting a produce store at the end of the block. I started to walk towards it as I fished the shopping list from my pocket. "Anything in particular, or just what looks good?" "Some of both," I explained to her. "Fox's new doctor provided him with information about the changes in his biology, and nutritional needs. He's missing a few essential things in his diet. I'm here to pick them up, and I have some plans for dinner as well." She nodded, and fell behind me a few steps as we walked, with Santhara just a few feet behind both of us. The tigress was trying hard to look inconspicuous, and had not quite succeeded yet, but she was getting better at it. A moment later Sora moved up to walk with me again. "Oriana, can I ask you a personal question?" "You understand where the boundaries are. Just keep your feet on the correct side of them, and you may ask me anything." I replied, walking into the store. "Well, you're a god fearing woman, I just--" "No," I snapped cutting her off as I came to a stop, turning to look at her. A look of both shock and worry covered her face, as she took a step back, surprised at the force of my reply. She wasn't the only one. "I am not 'God Fearing'," I told her in a stern tone of voice. "My parents are god fearing. They believe their God is going to come down from the sky one day and smite them if they don't live up to her standards. I, am not like that. My God, is not like that. I worship Thryn. I do not fear him." She looked at me in surprise. "I see. I didn't know that." "Most people don't understand that. Myself, I never understood why someone would believe in a God simply to fear her." I smiled. "It seems silly to me." "I suppose so," she said as she took off her sunglasses, folded them closed, and hung them from the front of her shirt. I started back down the aisle, my attention partly on the items in front of me, about the same on Sora as she followed sheepishly behind me. The last bit was on the human male who had apparently been shadowing us since we came into the Market. For the moment I paid him no mind; I could just be being paranoid. I would have to see how things developed, but for now I had other things on my mind. "What was your question?" I asked Sora, as I paused to check some produce. "Are you sure?" she sounded a bit timid about it. I nodded. "Unlike my husband, I'm more than willing to have a real conversation about religion. So yes, I'm sure. You may ask your question." She nodded, taking in a slow breath, then letting it out again. "What does your religion say about people who commit suicide? What happens to their souls? Do they properly pass on into their next life, or do they go onto some sort of afterlife?" The question surprised me in many ways. I quickly suspected, from the conversation in the car that the suicide she was asking about was her sister's. I was also confused by the question. "I'm not sure I understand. The next life is the afterlife." "When we die, we are reborn again into a new body. We come back again, as someone new, to live and learn more. Or to continue to fail at life, depending on what sort of soul you are. Sometimes people leave, they go on to the afterlife." I nodded, "I understand now," I told her, pausing for thought as I selected some greens. "My world, you only have one chance at life. When you pass on, you go to the afterlife. How you lived your life, both in your eyes, and in the eyes of those around you, determines where you go in the afterlife." "And if you commit suicide?" she asked. I smiled, "As you can imagine, it's hard to really say what happens after you pass on. People don't come back to talk about it. All we know is what we've been told by the various Gods who've been there. Not that they all agree with each other." "There are a few things in common," I continued, watching her frown slightly in disappointment. "All the religions on my world have the same afterlife, though not everyone has the same rules. Thryn gives us many chances to redeem ourselves throughout our lives. Our salvation is always in our own paws, for us to hold onto or lose. As for suicide, that's always a tricky thing to judge. Everyone who commits it believes it to be necessary. If they didn't, they would never do it." Her frown deepened. "And what if events forced them to do it?" "It's hard to believe that events can force anyone to do anything. It's always a choice, even if it doesn't seem like it really is." A hard look started over her face. I clearly wasn't telling her what she was hoping to hear. "But events do affect choices, even making us not belive there are any other choices. The fact that a person takes their own life doesn't reflect well on them, but the situation and choices around the events must be taken into account. And your life up to that point can redeem you in some fashion. In my world, she wouldn't go to the highest levels of the afterlife, but probably somewhere in the middle, depending on the events and decisions that created her life." Sora nodded slowly, closing her eyes just slightly. "Thank you. It's not quite what I was hoping to hear, but it does provide me with something to think about. If it might be allowed, could I study the holy book of your religion?" "You would have to learn how to read my language," I told her, picking out a few more items that would be good for dinner. "My translator has learned your language, as you and Fox speak it most of the time. Perhaps you can teach me your written language when you teach him?" I smiled to her, walking to the checkout. "I believe that can be arranged. And you have an advantage, you just have to teach the translator. Fox has to learn it himself." She laughed softly, and smiled a bit in return. "Thank you." "You're welcome," I answered, paying for the food. They took it away for the moment, but it would be waiting for us at the entrance when we left. As the order was rung up, I noticed my shadow out of the corner of my eye. He was pretending to shop, but most of his attention was focused on the three of us. Once I had the receipt in paw, I walked out of the store, taking long quick strides as I turned a corner and came out onto to the street. Sora was taken off guard by this and almost had to jog to keep up with me. "What's the hurry?" she asked. The hurry was that our shadow was following right around the corner behind us, only a few seconds later. "You'll see," I answered, keeping my voice quiet as I came to a stop in front of a small stand. I gave a short motion, which to anyone watching would seem like I was pulling at the top of my skirt. Really I was calling Santhara over. "How long has that man been following us?" I asked my bodyguard in a hushed voice, pretending to look at the items laid out in front of us. "He started following us about three minutes before you noticed him," she replied. Sora looked a bit surprised at this, a frown playing over her face. "I think I've seen him before, a few months back. It was here, at the Market, but he wasn't shadowing me then. And I think I know him from somewhere else as well, I'm just not sure where." The tigress nodded, tensing up slightly. "Should I deal with him?" "I'm not in the mood to have blood on my paws today," I told her, glancing up at Sora. She was trying to play along, and not doing a great job, but it would do for the moment. "Slip me a knife, then drift back behind him. There's a dead end about a hundred feet up. I want to talk to him, and that will be the best place for it." She nodded, and reached for one of the items in front of us. I reached for the same item, and our paws collided. In a quick move, I took the short blade that she had concealed there, and pulled it back, tucking it away. To Santhara's credit, her part of the exchange looked perfect, my side was a bit clumsy, and the knife wasn't as well hidden as I would have liked. It was nothing like I had been trained to do in the Guild. That made me both happy and sad at the same time. It was a strange mix of emotions that made me uncomfortable, but would have to be dealt with later. I made a quick motion to her to start moving back, then bought one of the trinkets from the stand, just to keep up appearances. The owner just nodded, and happily took far too much money for what was essentially a colorful piece of plastic. Sora and I walked away from the stand, leaving Santhara there for a bit longer, so she could buy something for herself. My shadow paused for a moment, not sure what to do before giving her a wide berth as he continued to follow us. "You all right?" I ask my friend, turning to half glance at her. "I think I'm scared," she told me, as she moved a bit closer. "What are you planning to do to him?" I smiled, a weak, forced smile, but a smile none the less. "Talk to him. I'm not going to hurt him unless he forces me to." "Another choice that doesn't seem like a choice," she commented in a dry tone. I nodded. "Something like that." I said, taking a slow turn into what I knew was a dead end. It went on for a short time before ending at a blank wall. A quiet place away from the crowds. There was only one shop hidden away back here, a strange little magic shop I ran into once before, but it was thankfully closed. I took a dozen steps in, before finding a place I could slip behind to wait for my shadow. Taking Sora by the arm, I pulled her into the cover with me. It wasn't perfect, it would only take a moment of looking to find us, but that's all I was waiting for. Just shy of ten seconds later he turned the corner and came to a sharp stop, looking frantic for a moment. He started to backpedal but Santhara was right behind him, one paw on his back, the other on his shoulder. She pushed him towards me. Stepping away from my hiding place I motioned for Sora to follow me as I walked to the end of the street. There was a small corner back there, hidden from view. The kind of place where I would take tricks back when I was working the street. From the look of the garbage on the ground, I wasn't the only one with that idea. Santhara shoved our new friend face first into the wall, and took a step back. He let out a gasp as he hit, then slowly turned around, a look of panic in his eyes. "What do you want with me?" he asked, almost pleading, his voice shaking in fear. "I don't have any money." "I don't care." I told him, slipping the knife out of its sheath, but keeping it hidden behind my arm. "I want to know why you were following me." "I wasn't following you," he protested, lifting his hands up to try and defend himself from us. "I was just out shopping, that's all. Please don't hurt me." "Shopping, but without any money?" Santhara asked. "What's that," Sora asked, "on the inside of his left wrist." I looked closer, there was a hint of black on his skin, peeking out from under his shirt cuff. Grabbing his arm with one paw, I used my other hand to pull the shirt up his arm, letting him see the blade in the process. At first glance, it seemed like a design was tattooed into his skin, but only at first glance. His skin was actually burnt, like it had been branded. The design itself was something like interlocking triangles inside of a circle. I only got to see it a moment before he pulled his hand away, with a surprising amount of strength. When he stood back, the fear and meekness he was showing before had vanished. He stood tall, a very hard look on his face. "Well, this answers many of our questions." Then suddenly his eyes turned white, and he started falling, landing hard on his knees as the three of us jumped back. As he impacted, everything started to break up, like a picture of out focus, and he just slumped inwards into himself, collapsing into a pile of red dirt. "What the hell just happened?" Sora asked, in rather clam tone of voice considering the circumstances. "I'm not sure," I answered, returning the knife to its sheath. "He didn't seem to be real. I think that mark on his wrist had something to do with it." "I agree," Santhara replied, "It needs to be looked into." She bent down as she spoke, taking a sample of the dirt and putting it in a small container she pulled from somewhere. I nodded, offering her blade back to her. She shook her head as she stood up, motioning me to keep it. Placing the blade back in it's hiding place, I looked down at the dirt. "I'll see if Ken has any idea what the symbols mean, and you talk to the Guild." "Who was that?" Sora asked. "Someone who worked for Cain?" "It might be," I answered, feeling even more worried than I had been before. "The Guild has been dealing with his allies. The people who worked for him aren't..." I trailed off, then shook my head. "Let's just leave it at that." Sora coughed just a bit, having understood exactly what I meant. "I think I would like to go home now." "Yes," I replied. "I think that is a good idea right now. Let's go." We started back to the gate, but I only got a few steps away before turning around and looking back at the pile of dirt. I was sure now I had seen that man before, but not recently. It was over year ago at least, if not longer. I was sure this man had nothing to do with my husband's late double. No, this was something else entirely. Something that I was at the center of. I just wished I knew what it was. ----- This story is copyright 2002 by Fox Cutter, hardcopy reprints limited to one per person, all other rights reserved. This story may not be distributed for a fee except by permission of the author, and this copyright notice may not be removed.