Run Around

                            By:

                         Fox Cutter

    Chapter 3

I entered into the small room Oria and I had been given for
the length or our stay. Inside she was waiting for me,
sitting half in and half out of the window, looking out at
the sky.

"What took you so long?" She asked without turning around.

I sighed, sitting on a chair that was in the corner. "We
walked there and back, in the interim we talked a bit."

She nodded, her tail twitching slightly. "How long then?"

"Nine days, the fold won't be there again until the
twentieth."

She turned around in the window, frowning. Then slide off
the thick the stone frame and padded accost the floor to me.
He eyes locked onto the dragon shaped pendant that hung from
my neck. "The fourteenth is the first day isn't it?"

I smiled weakly. "Yes."

She walked over to the single bed in the room, sitting down
on it with a thump. "Would it be safe for you here at the
Keep?"

I nodded. "I don't think my being Rhea will be much of a
problem here. I'm more worried about the curses on the Keep
affecting us."

She frowned again. "I see... we could leave the Keep for the
three days your Rhea. We would stay here three days then
another four days. It should be safe enough for us then."

"Mostly, but a few times it has only taken three days for a
curse to start affecting a person. So to be safe I don't
want to spend more then three days here. And even six days
so close together still might be enough to set it off."

She twists her ears a bit as she thought this over. "So,
this is more of a calculated risk then a good plan."

I nodded again. "Yes, but I have a way to help it along.
When we leave the Keep we must do it in the early morning,
or late night. The twentieth we'll leave at dawn and head to
the fold. When ever we go we'll leave at dawn then and come
back as late in the day as possible. If we can do this right
we'll spend no more then five full days here."

Oriana stood up again, walking back over to me. "Which means
we still have to spend at least four days away from the
Keep. When do we have to leave?"

"Ryan had an idea about that, he's gotten Little Fox helping
him. From the short explanation I got we won't be alone
either on our little trip. They'll tell us tomorrow if they
can do it."

"Little Fox?" She asked with a smile.

I chuckled. "It just sort of happened. You saw the size
difference between me and him."

She nodded.

"Well, he started calling me Big Fox, so I began calling him
Little Fox, and it went from there."

She placed her fingers against the side of her muzzle and
shook her head. "You two have the same sense of humor."

I smiled at her, looking back over her shoulder at the bed.
"I see we're expected to share the room." I commented.

She looked back behind herself at the wooden, cloth and
feather bed. "I noticed that as well. You can take the bed
if you want, I can sleep on the floor."

I shook my head. "I always let you have the bed," I
commented.

She nodded. "I know, but I've had experience sleeping on a
stone floor. Also, before you even bring it up, I asked
about it and there are a dozen spells on all the bedding to
keep them clean and to detract lice and tics."

I chuckled. "I guess when a third of the population has fur
it's a necessity."

She smiled. "Of course we could just share the bed."

I shook my head. "No Oria, I wouldn't..." I paused, what I
wanted to say didn't seem to come to lips. "No."

Oriana looked disappointed, but not very much. She knew me
well enough to have know I would have refused. Just as I
knew her well enough to understand that her intentions were
pure. Still though, there was something else in her eyes,
more then just disappointment, but I couldn't place it.

I also knew her well enough that I didn't ask about it.

* * *

Noon on the next day. Oriana, Ryan, Little Fox and I were
seated along one bench of a large outdoor table. On the
other side was a large mule of a man. The master of arms for
Metamor Keep, Jack DeMule.

He was looking over both Oria and myself with a trained eye,
taking in both are strengths and weakness that he could see.

Eventually he spoke. "Ryan, am I to understand you want me
to send these two," He waved one of his hands towards us,
"on a five day patrol?"

Ryan nodded. "Yes sir, they have to stay in the area for a
few days and wish to avoid the curses."

Jack shook his head. "That can not be allowed."

"Why?" Fox asked.

"First, we do not normally send patrols out that are not
residents of the Keep. Second I would never send two people
out alone."

"Ryan and I can go with them," Fox said.

Jack started at Fox for a few seconds. "Ryan has just
returned and you have never been more then a days march away
on a patrol."

Fox crossed his arms. "Then I'll go and you can pick someone
else you feel will help us."

"Third," Jack continued, "I do not have armor nor weapons
for the two of them."

"We're armed." I replied, "My sword is in the room we were
given for the night."

He looked to Oria. "And her?"

She gave him one of her more unnerving smiles. "I can handle
myself."

Jack leaned back a bit. "I will not be able to armor you."

I nodded. "That's all right."

He frowned slightly. "I will need to think about this. The
idea of sending three unseasoned people on a long patrol,
two of which who don't even know the land. It goes against
my better judgement."

He paused for a few seconds, "Still though, I do understand
the fear you have of being cursed here, and the land around
us isn't safe for lone travelers. More so with the lady
already cursed."

Standing up he looked us over once more. "I will consider
it, if I feel it will be safe enough for you I may allow it.
You will be sent a message before dark, you will know then
as to my decision. Until then I bid you good-day." He then
turned and left us, walking back towards one of the
entrances into the Keep.

Oria and I looked at each other, I could see a sense of
worry accost her face. "You all right?" I asked in a
whisper.

She shook her head. "No," that was all the answer she would
give.

* * *

Hours had now past and the four of us had once again
gathered inside "The Deaf Mule". This time though it wasn't
in shock and question, it was more of a steady worry you get
when your hoping for something.

To kill the time we had been sitting around and talking a
bit. Both Ryan and Little Fox had been telling stories about
the Keep and some of the more interesting events that had
happened inside of it.

During all of it I watched my double down almost a bottle of
wine. Even if it wasn't very alcoholic he had drunk a lot.
It was kind of a surprise for me as I never even did casual
drinking. The only reason I was sipping on wine currently is
I know better then to drink the native water of a medieval
world.

Ryan was drinking his beer again, Oria had taken a taste
from it and instantly ordered herself a mug. I was just
sticking to some wine, I hadn't even finished my first glass
yet.

As we fell into a lull in the conversation Little Fox spoke
up. "So, how long have you and Oriana been together?"

"About two and a half years now." I answered, "Since I got
back from my exile."

He shook his head. "No," He said with a smile. "I meant
together as together."

I saw Oriana instantly bush a deep red in her ears as I felt
myself stiffen up. Fox laughed. "That long then?" He asked
with a wider smile.

"We're not lovers at all," Oria answered him.

"Really," Ryan said, "you two act like it."

She shook her head. "Well, I do love him," she commented,
then blushed even deeper then before.

Fox raised his eyebrows and perked up his ears. "Oh really
then? What about you Big Fox?"

I shook my head. "We're really close friends, but I don't
love her."

He smiled even wider then before, nodding his head. "Just
casual sex then?"

I snorted in laughter, nearly spilling my glass as I was
just picking it up. Oriana looked like she was about to fall
under the table and hide.

Little Fox looked amazed. "You mean you're living with a
beauty of a women and haven't been with her? Do you prefer
men?" From the look of his face and how he spoke it, the
last part was intended as jest.

"It's my fault," Oriana said, stopping me from what I was
about to snap back at him. "We've both tried at one time or
another, I just can't get over that he's not a lion."

I noticed that Ryan was gone by this point in the
conversation. Couldn't blame him, I wanted to go after him
for my own safety.

Fox was a little perplexed by this. "How exactly did that
come about?"

"It's a type of xenophobia," I answered, "and honestly, a
common one."

He nodded. "So you're world isn't mixed species then?"

"No, just lions," she answered.

Leaning forward over the table he started to say something
else, but was interrupted as Ryan returned to the table. "I
just talked to a messenger."

The rest of the conversation came to a dead stop. "What did
Jack have to say?" Fox asked.

"You three are suppose to meet with Jaffee at the western
gate at dawn. He will lead you." Ryan answered as he sat
down at the table.

Both Orian and I let out a low breath, almost in time with
each other. This was actually going to work for us.

Little Fox stood up. "Well then, if we leave at dawn I must
prepare my armor and leave the library in a manageable state
for Chris. I shall see you all in the morning."

We all said are mutual farewells as he left. Turning back
around to face the table I was greeted with a flying fruit.
I reacted without thinking, ducking to one side and putting
my hand out to catch it.

In the same fashion as back home on Prid I let the fruit
roll over my palm and up my fingers. This time though it
stopped there.

There was a few seconds of time before I realized that I had
actually managed to catch the fruit. After weeks of being
pummeled with the soft stuff I had finally managed to catch
one on my claws.

Grinning I pulled the fruit, it was an apple, of my claws.
Oriana was clapping softly and smiling wide.

Ryan looked panicked. "You're already starting to change,"
He whispered.

"What these?" I unsheathed my claws from my fingers by
pulling them as far back as I could. "No, I've had these for
a month now, it's related to my eyes."

He nodded, still shaking. "Are you sure?"

"Yep," I answered taking a bite from the apple.

He shook his head in amazement. "I knew your eyes had to
have been magic, but claws... what happened to you to cause
this?"

I frowned and didn't say anything. He was smart enough to
take this as my answered.

   To Be Continued...

-----

This story is (c) 1998 by Fox Cutter, hardcopy reprints
limited to one a 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.
"Metamor Keep" (C) 1998 by 'Copernicus' all rights reserved.
Jack DeMule is (C) 1998 by Jack DeMule.