Corwyn watched as the grains of sand seemed to crawl up the sides of the droplet. Funny, he thought, I've seen water splashed onto sand before but that always seemed so quick. Perhaps it's just because blood's thicker than... Blood? He paused, and as he sat up, a sharp pain in his right arm brought it all back to him. He'd barely started setting up camp when the big cats had jumped him. Of course, that meant he was still armed and armoured, which meant he was still alive. He looked around. One of the pumas lay nearby, with his sword still buried in its chest, and a scattered blood trail told him the other had fled, either to die, or lick its wounds. He had to move on, before the smell of blood attracted scavengers. Opening his pack, and noting with a wince that he'd lost a claw on the left hand, he dug out his medical supplies and set to work. The arm needed a couple of stitches, which he did, before being strapped up. It didn't worry him. It was painful, but working. No, he was more worried about his eye. As the first puma died on his blade, the second had raked the left hand side of his face. It was the last thing he clearly remembered. It hurt like hell, and was swollen shut. It too needed stitches, but Corwyn couldn’t do it; it just hurt too much. Best he could manage was to put some antiseptic paste on a cotton pad, and secure it over the eye with a couple of bandages. Fair enough. It would have to do for now. It had taken the best part on the morning to patch himself up. Nothing had come sniffing yet, but it was best to be on the way as soon as possible. Gathering his possessions together, he set off, setting a brisk pace, towards the nearby foothills. ************************************************************* For as long as he could remember, Corwyn had loved the night. Even as a child, he had loved to watch the stars twinkling over the city. Now his night vision gave him a superb edge over almost all other kin, and that gave the hunter and warrior in him an extra thrill. Somehow, as his night vision became keener, so too did his colour vision start to fail him. Only in open daylight was he capable of seeing any but the brightest of shades. He was often mystified when people talked about the difference in various shades, and he remembered with some amusement, his tutor’s frustration at Corwyn's inability to understand the work of the Great Painters. To Corwyn, red was red, green was green, and lavender was a flower that smelt nice. That he would never produce a masterpiece seemed like such a small price to pay for such a gift. Sighing, he shook himself out of his reverie and checked his wounds. He was pleased to note only the eye and arm needed further treatment, and of those the arm would be fine in a day or two. The eye was less swollen, and he was just able to open it. But all he saw were faint blurs. It seemed he had indeed been blinded. This was a savage blow. To lose an eye usually meant a warrior’s retirement, to one of the Tiger people, but Corwyn couldn’t go home. Not yet. He sighed. Nothing I can do, except continue on. He checked his supplies carefully. Food for four, water for two. Great, he thought, that water had better be close. Earlier, a change in direction in the wind had carried to him the scent of water. Noting it was now cool enough to travel, he gathered his belongings together and set off into the night. ************************************************************* "Ow, stupid things." Luanne cursed her ears. They were always snagging on thorns, or dipping in her soup. Of course, she never remembered to tie them back until they caught on a thorn, or dipped in her soup. She sighed, pulled the always forgotten ribbon from her bag, and gently tied back her ears. Returning her attention to the thorny bush, she saw that there were only two more berries to pick, and so she once again set to moving braches back to get in at them. It took a little care not to catch on the thorns, but it was more than worth a few scratches. The berries of these particular bushes were a vital part of a poultice she made to help fight infection. And that meant every one was precious. Often she wished they were more common, because they smelt wonderful as she prepared them, and she was sure they tasted just as good. She gave a little squeak as a thorn pricked her thumb. Clever girl, she thought, daydreaming in a Yellowthorn bush. When she’d finally collected the two, they joined the other ten in a solidly built earthenware pot, which she carefully put away. Maybe I can afford to plant a couple of these, she wondered, at least if I’m careful. Of the four berries she’d planted so far, two had grown, and while one was still a somewhat fragile sapling, the other was well on the way to becoming a fine young bush, already bristling with thorns. If she could keep them growing, they’d hopefully be producing berries within a few short years. She looked skyward. It was getting late, and she knew she’d have to hurry to the last bush she knew, on the banks of the river, if she were to get home before it was dark. She pulled her shawl around her shoulders, and hurried on ************************************************************* They sat in silence, gnawing on raw rabbit. This far into Viscacha territory meant they couldn’t afford a fire. They had been scouting for days, establishing lines of attack, and tracking the village patrols. The patrols were sloppy, merely going through the motions. Complacency, thought Chozu, after years of peace. Though there hadn’t been any fighting for some time between the Viscacha and Puma peoples, that was purely because other than the hatred they felt for one another, there simply wasn’t a good reason to risk a good warrior. But times change. The recent harvest had been hit hard by a long dry season, and that meant the Pumas were dangerously short of supplies. A few of their people had put forwards the notion of asking the Viscacha for aid, but there was little hope, of that. It was more than likely that they too had been hit hard. When it was pointed out that it was in the Viscachas favour to just wait, and let the Pumas starve, the Chief had ordered scouts out and preparations for an invasion had begun. Chozu, and his younger brother, were those scouts. Chozu scanned the surrounding landscape. All clear. They had pulled back to the west of the Viscacha land, waiting for dark. Six days of scouting, and they had most of what they needed to know. Unfortunately they still had to make one or two risky trips, as close as possible to check the village layout, and possible defences. Still, it had to be done, and Chozu was determined to get as close as his skills could take them. Anak sighed slightly, and started to skin another rabbit. He, like most Kin, was used to cooked food, and though the rabbit wasn’t unpleasant to eat, he was not going to eat the fur. Still, the taste of blood made him feel different, somehow. More alive, perhaps. If not for Chozu, I’d probably even be enjoying this, he thought. He ate quickly; it would soon be dark enough to scout out again. ************************************************************* The final Yellowthorn grew by the edge of the river, just before the slow curve that brought it sweeping down to the south, through the middle of Viscacha land. She’d reached it later than intended, and Luanne was rushing. Too much daydreaming, she chided, as she picked the last few berries, getting more than a few small nicks in her hurry. Still, fifteen berries was welcome news. Now she knew she could afford to plant a couple. However, it was late, and even though these lands were generally fairly safe, there were always dangers in wandering around at night. A few short years ago, one of the youngsters in the village had wandered off, and try as they might they hadn’t been able to find him. It was several days later, as a patrol followed some faint tracks, that they had found his remains, torn and scattered in a small ravine. Big cats, or coyote, were the accepted suspects, and a concerted effort was made to drive all trace of both from their lands. Mostly they had been successful, but that didn’t mean they would never return. She shuddered at the idea of meeting a wild beast. She’d never seen anything more dangerous than the half-tame cats that they let roam the village, keeping tiny rodents, like mice or jerboa, from eating their grain. She put the precious berries, safe in their pot, deep in her bag, and slung it over her shoulder. ************************************************************* Anak glared at Chozu. Rather than announce it was time to go, he’d merely cuffed him, and gestured. He didn’t like Chozu particularly much. The older Puma had a vicious temper that had often left Anak battered and bruised. And there was something unsavoury about the way he was looking forwards to the attack. He was obviously planning something, and knowing Chozu, it was likely to be something nasty. He’d discovered his brother’s cruel streak early in life. Chozu had enjoyed tormenting the younger Puma, along with many of the other children. If he ever questioned anything his brother said, even now both were adults, Chozu would more often than not punctuate his decision with a punch, or kick. Unfortunately, Chozu was one of the Puma’s best trackers, and so behaviour that would have been intolerable in any other, was often overlooked. And he was convinced Chozu had something to do with the suicide of a young girl in the village. He hadn’t known the girl herself, but it seems Kala had, but each time he tried to get his wife to talk about it, she refused to discuss it. From her expression whenever Chozu was around, it was clear that she was afraid. Whatever Chozu had done, it was unlikely to be resolved. Unless Chozu fell out of favour, of course. He was brought out of his reverie by Chozu tapping his shoulder. Following his brother’s gaze, he thought he could see some movement behind them. No one from his own people was due until the pair had given their report and that meant a local. At Chozu's signal, he broke left, keeping low and quiet, aiming to circle behind whoever was coming. Chozu sat quietly in their makeshift camp, and waited. ************************************************************* She quickened her pace slightly, pulling her shawl close around her. Movement caught her eye. Not far ahead, she thought she’d seen a figure move behind some shrubs. "Mino? Is that you?" She frowned, her brother and his stupid tricks, there wasn’t time for this. "Mino, we don’t have time for games right now. It’s getting dark and we need to get back." Chozu smiled, a lone female isn’t a threat. He could see Anak stealthily moving closer, masked by the sounds of the river. He waited a moment till she got a little closer, and stepped out, dagger casually held in his right hand. "Don’t run, little one, you can't outrun me, and I’d hate to let you pointlessly tire yourself." On cue, the figure turned and ran. Chozu smiled. She hadn’t taken three steps before a fist drove into her stomach, and she collapsed coughing at Anak's feet. One swift kick to the head, and everything went black... "What next, brother? We can’t kill her, or take her with us. Unless..." "Yes, Anak? Unless what?" "We could pitch her in there," he said, gesturing towards the river, "make it look like an accident." "Maybe," mused Chozu, that didn’t suit his plans at all, but how to convince Anak... "But it occurs to me we could take her elsewhere, interrogate her, and make it look like an animal attack. Maybe even divert a patrol away from defence." "Interesting idea," Anak replied softly, "it might save some time to get first hand knowledge of the their layout, and so on. Where?" Chozu knew that most of the native predators had been killed or driven off a short time back, and that the most likely from here would be far south, towards the forest, or north, towards the hills. Wild puma country. He grinned. "Wild puma north of here, in the foothills, lets go." He securely tied Luanne’s arms, and carrying her over his shoulder, Chozu lead his brother into the growing darkness. ************************************************************* Corwyn was feeling somewhat the worse for wear. He’d managed to get lost in the twists and turns in the foothills, and he’d only in the last day managed to get back on track towards the tantalizing scent. His water had run out yesterday, and he was starting to feel it. He could still smell it, the gentle breeze still carried it, and all he could do was keep moving until he found it. Then he’d be fine. Certain things ahead puzzled him. He could see flickering stars in the mountains ahead. Stars? He shook his head, and took a few deep breaths. They couldn’t be stars. Torches and lamps? A city? Doesn’t matter, it’s in the same direction as the water I smell, so I’ll go that way. One was slightly brighter. Border patrol, he thought. Good, that means they’ll have supplies. Assuming they don’t just try to kill me. He picked up the pace, ignoring his fatigue. ************************************************************* She’d had no idea where she was when she awoke, only that she was being carried by someone. She tried struggling, and was thrown to the ground. The big Puma had laughed at her, and told her to start walking. Hours had passed before the pair had decided to camp, in a small ravine, just off the trail they’d been making. Then the questions started. Endless, repeated questions about defences, and warrior numbers, and patrol strengths. She’d answered as best she could, but most of the time the pair were unsatisfied and would punch her, or slap her, Eventually, they finished, untied her, and forced her to draw a crude map of the village. This they had gloated over, discussing attack routes, efficient strikes to reach the stores quickly. It soon became clear to her that this was no simple raid. It was to be a slaughter. She lay in despair. She knew that if she could not escape that she was going to die, her people would be murdered or enslaved, and she was going to die. But she could barely move, she hurt so much from the 'questioning'. All she could do was lay there. And die. "Anak, hold her up again." Again, she was forced to stand, and Anak slid his arms under her armpits, and lifted her clear off the ground. She squealed in pain. "Ah, still some strength I see... I’m sure you know that we have to kill you, but I’m just as sure you don’t know how." Chozu was enjoying this. "You see, we can’t have any suspicion that we were here. So we’re going to make it look like an animal attack. We have to kill you, with tooth and claw." Luanne moaned softly, this was a horror she never expected. She knew she was to die, but so horribly? "But you still don’t know the best part. A torn up carcass, relatively intact, might still arouse some suspicion. It has to look real. We’re going to have to eat you." Anak dropped Luanne to the ground. "I will have NO part of such a thing." He was astounded and sickened. This was their most ancient Law. To eat someone was to be a beast, to be hunted without mercy. "Don’t do this, Chozu. You’d become Feral, and we’d be forced to hunt you down." "Quiet, you weakling. That’s just superstitious crap. It didn’t happen the time I ate one of their brats, it won’t happen now. And you won’t tell." Anak turned away. He knew his brother was vicious, but this was evil. He wasn’t stupid enough to challenge Chozu here, but when they returned home... Luanne had no strength left. Nor even voice enough to beg, not that it would help. She wasn’t just going to die; the big Puma was going to steal her soul, and deny her an afterlife. Even in death, she would never see her family again. In shock, she barely registered Chozu roll her onto her back, and straddle her legs. "First, though, I think we can all have a little fun." So saying, he took her dress in both hands, tearing from neckline down as far as her navel. "Well, maybe not all..." He nuzzled her, licked her cheek so he could taste her tears, and then casually lifted her right ear to his mouth, and bit. Hard. Luanne found her voice. ************************************************************* As the campsite came closer, he decided it wasn’t a border patrol. Too small a fire for a group of warriors. Possibly a hunter or two? At a hundred yards he could see someone standing, just to the right, on the far side of the fire. At fifty he thought he could see what appeared to be a couple of figures, lying on the ground, embracing. Great, he thought, I’m about to interrupt some poor devils romantic evening. The breeze shifted again, bringing with it the smell of a wood fire, and cooked meat. To Corwyn it brought something more significant still. Two distinct scents. The first, a male cat of some kind, the second, a female... rodent? That, in itself, didn’t alarm him, Kin often chose people from unrelated species as lovers, since that almost always avoided the complications of unwanted pregnancies. No, what had Corwyn alarmed was that the female’s scent told him she was terrified, and hurt. He drew his sword, and began to circle round to the left. He didn’t want the fire behind the cats. He wanted to be able to see their eyes, judge their movements. His night vision let him easily circle the trio, avoiding stepping on debris and alerting them. The sound of tearing fabric had him worried, since it confirmed his suspicions. He was almost where he wanted to be, when he heard a scream. No time to lose, he thought grimly, and charged. ************************************************************* There was a frighteningly loud roar, and as Chozu looked up in surprise, something leapt over the fire and kicked him solidly in the ribs, sending him sprawling. Anak spun, to see an unknown figure kick Chozu in the side as he tried to rise. "Stay down, or I’ll gut you." Corwyn growled, and Chozu froze. "You!" He waved his sword at Anak. "Drop the knife or I just might gut your friend anyway." Anak hesitated only for a moment before dropping his dagger. He may not like Chozu, but blood is blood. "Very good." He stepped back from the prone Puma. "Now let me tell you what we’re going to do." Chozu stood, and glared at Corwyn. "Who the fuck are you?" Corwyn stepped up to him, smiling, and placed his free hand on his shoulder. Chozu sneered. "You’ve made a big mistake interfering here." “A better question," Corwyn whispered, "would have been, what the fuck are you?" With that he tightened his grip, sinking his claws into Chozu’s shoulder. Chozu gasped, and gazed in horror as they bit into his flesh. He stared at Corwyn. What was this monster? He tried to pull back, but Corwyn held on, and raised the sword to Chozu’s neck. The big puma froze. "You can’t intimidate me, you little fuck. I eat shit like you for breakfast. Now, run." Chozu needed no further incentive, and fled into the night. Anak watched his brother run past him, and was astounded. He’d never seen him afraid before. "You might want to consider following." Anak turned to face Corwyn. "What did you...?" "Just go." He hefted the sword. "Now." Corwyn watched as Anak followed his brother, waiting till he couldn’t see them anymore, before moving over to the Puma’s prisoner. He’d initially thought he was rescuing a child, because of her small size. Now, her dress torn open, and hitched up around her waist, he could see he’d been very wrong. Small she might be, but definitely not a child. "Please... don’t hurt me..." she whimpered softly. "Shh, I’m not going to hurt you. Here, let me untie you." He reached to untie her, but she shrank back. "Please, I realize I look frightening, but I’m a friend, I won’t hurt you, please let me help." He tried again, and this time, though obviously afraid, she allowed him to come close. He undid the leather strap that bound her wrists and stood back as she scrabbled away from him. Luanne didn’t know what to make of the turn of events. One moment she was a prisoner, about to be raped and murdered, the next... And who was this that had rescued her? She pulled her torn dress tight, and began to cry. Suddenly there was a blanket being draped over her, and she squeaked in surprise "Don’t be afraid, I’m not going to hurt you...” he said, stepping back. He looked her over. He had no idea what she was. She had the overall look, including the long, soft ears, of a Rabbit, but also a rather magnificent bushy tail, like a squirrel. But there were no squirrel Kin, so he couldn’t think of what kind of hybrid she might be. She seemed to Corwyn to be in shock, and had been badly beaten. He moved round to where she could see him, and sat, keeping a little distance between them. "We have to move from here, little one, in case they come back. Can you walk?" She shook her head, but said nothing. "Well in that case I’ll have to carry you. But you take a moment to rest first, ok?" He stood, and walked over to the Pumas' packs. He took all of use, stuffing it into his own pack, and was especially glad of the water-skins. He drained one, and carried the other over to the shivering girl. He sat again, offering her the water. She looked at it, and then at him, and it was obvious she was still petrified. He put the skin down where she could reach it, and said "Corwyn." She blinked. "That’s my name, Corwyn." "Lu... Luanne" she whispered. "I’m very happy to meet you, Lulu-Anne, but we really have to go. I’m feeling a little tired, and I don’t think I can fight them if they come back." He moved to pick her up, and she flinched. He knelt next to her, and gently took her hand and held it to his chest. "Lulu-Anne, look at me." She looked up, eyes wide, and found herself gazing into a single green eye, almost sparkling in the flickering light from the fire. "I swear, on my life, that I will never harm you, and you have nothing to fear from me. Trust me. We must go." She nodded and closed her eyes, and after a few seconds she felt his arms slide under her. She stiffened as he lifted her. "Well soon have you home, Lulu-Anne, don’t you worry." "Luanne." she whispered as he started walking. "Just Luanne." "Ah, my mistake." He paused for a moment. "I’m going to head straight south, till we meet a river or lake. Think you’ll be able to guide me from there?" "From the river... yes..." He resumed walking, carrying her off, into the darkness. ************************************************************* The first things she noticed, as she woke, were the smell of a fire, and the sound of someone humming. She sat up, and looked about in the early morning gloom. Sitting by a small fire was her rescuer, and for the first time, she was able to get a good look at him. He’d stripped down to his breeches, so she could see the pattern of stripes down his back and side, a striking mix of orange, black and white. And he was huge. Not merely bigger than her, but heavily muscled. Particularly the arms, and his hands seemed just enormous. He turned slightly, to wedge a stick, with spitted fish, into the ground next to the fire. He noticed she was awake, and smiled. "Good morning, Luanne. Just in time for breakfast. Bread cheese, and the fish'll be ready soon. Hungry?" She was. She was also somewhat confused and disoriented, and so just sat watching him. She was, he thought, very cute. Her fur was a rich earth colour, paler down the chest and belly, from what he could see. And since her dress had slipped off her shoulder as she sat up, he could see more than she likely intended. He suddenly stood and walked to his pack, rummaging through it. When he found what he was looking for, he dropped to one knee in front of her. She squealed, and shied away, closing her eyes. "For your dress..." Timidly, she opened her eyes. Held out in front of him, in the palm of his hand, was a golden brooch. For her dress? She looked down, flushed, and pulled her clothes tight. As she reached for the brooch, she nervously glanced at his face, and froze. His face was patterned much like his arms and back, but half of it was covered by a mass of bandages. He heard her shuffle forwards, and was taken by surprise when, rather than have her take the brooch, he felt her hands on his face. He opened his eye, and found himself gazing into pale brown eyes, just inches from his own. "Oh. Oh, you’re hurt." She brushed the bandages lightly with her fingertips, and pulled back. "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry..." He took her hand, and passed her the brooch. "Don’t be. It’s nothing to do with you, or your attackers. Happened days ago. Got in a fight with a wild puma. "You... were already hurt?" She stared at him, and he grinned. "I’m a soldier, Luanne, getting hurt is what I get paid for." Ah, a mercenary. That she understood. "I, um, I’ve no money to pay you..." "I haven’t asked for any. But if you insist on a reward, all I ask is a room in your village for a few days. Sound cool to you?" She nodded, and he bowed slightly. "Consider me paid. Just let me finish up here, and then you can guide me to your home." She watched him potter around camp for a time, and was grateful of the fish soup he made. He had yet to try anything, and she was feeling slightly more relaxed in his company. By the time she’d finished, Corwyn had gathered up all their gear, and was standing next to her, gazing around. He sniffed, but didn’t pick up anyone else’s scent. "Can you walk, do you think?" "My ankle’s still swollen..." Wordlessly, he crouched, and gathered her up in his arms. "Which way, little Luanne?" She pointed, and he set off, following her directions. ************************************************************* She’d been watching him for some time now. At first she’d just watched where they were going, but increasingly her attention was on him as he carried her. He regularly paused as he walked, sniffing the air, like some beast stalking it’s prey. And his eye! It didn’t merely seem as if it glittered in the light, it really did, like the iridescent wings of a butterfly. He seemed very strange. She thought of how he’d carried her through the night, sure-footed and confident. He’d even jogged for a short time, telling her to hold on tight. How he could see in such darkness, she had no idea, but he could. "What are you...?" she whispered to herself. "I’m a Tiger. I suppose you’ve never seen one before, fair enough, I don’t know what you are either." "Viscacha. I’m a Viscacha" He nodded, and was about to reply, when he stopped, and looked around. He took off towards their left, at a brisk pace. "Where are you going? It’s back that way…" He smiled. "As you say, but there’s someone this way calling out your name." They’d scarcely gone fifty yards when she thought she could hear it. A faint voice... Mino? "Mino..." she whispered. "A friend of yours?" Corwyn asked, stopping. "My brother" He carefully sat her down, and bellowed "HELLO MINO, OVER THIS WAY." He picked her up again, and set off. It wasn’t long before he could see several running figures. Six men, built along the same lines as Luanne, armed with spears and knives. One had a drawn bow. As they drew close, they separated, obviously to surround him. One of the younger men came in faster than the others, brandishing his spear "Luanne! Luanne! What the hell have you done to my sister?" Corwyn slowly, and gently set Luanne down, and stood up, arms wide in surrender. "Rescued her from a couple of Pumas, is what I’ve done." "Mino, Corwyn’s my friend, please don’t fight." There were tears in her eyes, and she was shaking. Mino dropped his spear, and ran over. "What happened, Lu? What’s this about Pumas?" "I was hurrying home, and two of them hit me. They took me somewhere, and... and they made me tell them things... one was... was... he was going to eat me..." Tears filled her eyes and she started to sob again. "Oh Gods, Lu, come here" He hugged her close, holding her till she could go on. He and the others were shocked to hear such a thing. It was monstrous. As she detailed the events of the previous night, the other Viscacha became increasingly tense and agitated. The idea that the Puma’s were planning an attack, not just to raid, but to destroy them utterly, was a great shock. By the time she related her rescue to them, she was again crying in her brother’s arms. Corwyn watched them all closely. Two were close to panic. Another two seemed solely interested in Corwyn himself, watching suspiciously for any sign that he was up to something. The young brother, Mino, was lost in concern for his sister. The archer, an older male Corwyn thought was in charge, was also watching Corwyn closely. As Luann finished, he stood, "Mino, you should take her home now," he said gently, "and you four, go see if you can find the other Puma, but don’t leave our territory." He turned to Corwyn as the others left, Luanne clinging to her brother. "You have my deepest thanks, traveller, for saving the life of my niece. I would like to know the name of her benefactor." "I am Corwyn, Firstborn of the House of Amberstar. In Sol's name, I greet you with open arms, and weapons sheathed." He spread his arms and bowed slightly. "And I am Pahu, Luanne’s uncle, and I welcome you to Viscacha lands, also in Sol’s name." He took Corwyn’s right hand in both of his. "Tell me, how in the world did you take on two Pumas by yourself?" "Um, actually, it wasn’t hard. One was about to... rape Luanne, and the other had his back to me. I just ran in and kicked the big one off her, and since I had a sword, and between then all they had was a knife, they ran off. " His face hardened. "Though if I’d know what they were up to I’d have killed them both." "Well, no matter how easy you say it was, you have our deepest thanks." He turned and gestured for Corwyn to follow. "Come, there are quite a few people who’ll want to meet you." ************************************************************* The sight of Mino carrying the injured, and exhausted Luanne back towards home had the village in an uproar. What had happened? How did she get injured? Where was the rest of the search party? Ignoring their questions, Mino forced his way past, into the large, sprawling building that was home to his extended family, slamming the door behind him. The crowd milled around outside, hoping their friend was going to be all right. During Luanne’s training as an apprentice to the village healer, her gentle manner and eager nature had earned her many friends. She’d probably have a few suitors too, if she wasn’t quite so shy in that regard, nor so busy in her training and other work. One of Luanne’s closest friends, a slightly younger girl called Ahni, was about to knock, to see if she could help, when she was interrupted. Several people around her had gasped, and more than one swore. Coming through the open square towards her were two figures. One was a familiar one to her, Luanne’s uncle Pahu. But the other... People were rapidly getting out of the way of the large cat. Clad in dark, somewhat bloodstained leather armour, and covered in bandages, he looked an intimidating sight to the young Viscacha. He was talking to Pahu, and gazing about. She pulled back against the door as he approached. "We’re here", Pahu said. "Ah, Ahni, please don’t be frightened, Corwyn here is a friend, and my guest." "Delighted to meet you, Ahni." Corwyn smiled, and bowed. "Ah... um... Pahu?" was all she could manage in return. "It’s ok, Ahni. He won’t hurt you. I’d like you to do something for me, Ahni." "Yes?" She couldn’t take her eyes off of... whatever he was, he was so unlike anything she’d ever seen. "I need to check on Luanne and make sure they aren’t surprised when I take Corwyn in. Can you look after him till I come back out?" " Oh... but I... I mean he’s..." she stammered." "Just for a few short moments..." he winked, opening the door. She began to say something, but stopped as the door closed. She turned back to the strange figure, to find he was looking around, at the É rooftops? She wanted to ask him what had happened to Luanne, but was too nervous to speak. After a few moments he noticed her somewhat nervous shuffling. "I must seem very odd to you, little Ahni, yes?" "Oh, um... I just wondered... Luanne, um, do you... do you know what happened? Is she going to be ok?" "Yes, I do, and yes, she will. I can’t really say more until I talk more with Pahu" He could hear how worried she was, but didn’t want to alarm her with what he knew. "Oh." There was an uncomfortable silence, suddenly broken by the door opening again "Ok. I’ve prepared the family a little, you can come in now Corwyn." Corwyn took a step, and then paused. "Am I correct that this one is a friend of Luanne’s?" "Yes. A very good friend, in fact." Pahu answered. "Perhaps she could come in too? I’m sure Luanne has many friends who are worried, would it not make sense to let at least one know how she is? So she can tell the others?" Pahu smiled, he hadn’t thought of that. Likely no one else in the family had either. "Of course. Ahni, I’m sure Lu would love to see you, come in." "Oh, um, thank you..." She smiled weakly at Corwyn, and followed the others inside. ********************************************************* This is as much as I have barfed up so far. The story as a whole is planned out, though the positioning of certain chapters is sort of... fluid. This is a proper second draft, though likely still flawed in places. A 'future Earth' story, and though it looks to be fantasy, its actually a 'hard' SF, i.e. nothing in it is contrary to current scientific knowledge/theory. Any apparent magic follows Arthur C Clarke’s 'magic as advanced technology' idea. Edit: erk, spotted some damn obvious flaws, such as an unarmed Corwyn sheathing weapons, hope I’ve caught 'em all this time, sheesh. Some background gubbins. Kin obviously means 'anthro animal'. To the Kin, it basically means 'intelligent' All Kin are omnivorous, though still have a preference for their 'ancestor's' diet. There are no humans left on earth. The Kin do not know their own origins beyond legend of creator gods. As is usual for such, All characters and concepts are © Graham William Robertson.