Rude awakenings.

This piece came about as an attempt to clarify Kerr and Miera's relationship, which it doesn't do, and give a few hints as to their civilisation's past. Therefore; no yiff in this chapter...

As the sunlight moves across the rabbit's body he slowly awakens. Where am I? Then noticing the slender, black-furred arm draped across his chest, Oh, it wasn't a dream.

As he slowly tries to inch away from the female laying next to him her claws suddenly expresses and digs into his chest-fur. "Going somewhere, bunny-boy?" the panther whispers into his ear. Then she licks his ears sensually.

"No, I wasn't," he replies timidly, "mistress."

"What a pity," she states, then suddenly pushes him out of the bed.

"Ouch!" Rubbing his sore tail he looks at her. "Why?"

Stretching langorously, she states, "Be a dear and make me breakfast.There's a tray in one of the cupboards, fruit and ham in the cabinet and you already know where the tea is."

When the rabbit returns half an hour later with the food the panther sit up, stretches, showing off her round, fur-covered breasts, then grabs the tray and places it beside her on the bed. Glancing menacingly at him she growls, "Where's the meat? There's only fruit on the tray!"

"I'm sorry, mistress," he whispers, "but... I..."

"Don't like working with meat?" she finishes for him. "Two rules," she states, "one, we don't serve meat from anything that can speak in this house, and two, next time follow orders or I'll make an exception from rule one! Is that understood?"

"Yes, mistres!" the rabbit exclaims.

"Good! Now get out into the kitchen and clean up while I enjoy my breakfast."

When the panther enters the kitchen an hour later she finds the rabbit sitting by the table, gnawing on a carrot and looking depressed. She walks up to stand behind him, wraps her slender arms around him and rests her head on top og his. "You're not disappointed that I didn't want to fuck you this morning, are you?" she whispers into his ear.

"No," he mumbles, "mistress." Then he yawns.

"Feeling tired?"

"Yes," he responds. "I've been tired since you brought me here."

"Oops!" she exclaims "I bet you've been a bit hungrier than usual, too?" When he nods, she continues, "Can you remember how long you were in that horseless wagon with us?"

"From late morning to midnight?" he hazards.

"I'm afraid it was a little longer than that," she begins, "three days in fact. We put drugs in your drink at midday the first day so that you would sleep most of the trip. The effect should be gone in a few more days."

"But why?"

"Because we wanted to be certain that you didn't remember the way back," she replies, then licks his ears. "I must agree with Leeta; you really taste good."

"Than you, mistress," he mutters.

"It's time to talk about your tasks. You will of course do all the cleaning in here and whatever errand Leeta or I send you on," she begins, "and in the morning you're to prepare breakfast. The exception is of course if you wake and can't move without waking me. And that brings us to another task that I doubt you'll complain about; you're to pleasure me whenever I want you to. Leeta gets to play with you, too, but only if I don't need you."

Sigh.

"Does she play too roughly for you?" the panther asks, grinning. "Don't worry, I've told her not to damage you."

"But why me?"

"I thought we made it clear when we picked you up," she states, "you're cute and you follow orders enthusiastically, particularly in bed. I guess you could say it was your own fault; we only wanted to have a quick fuck and maybe scare you a bit before we released you, but you performed rather too well."

Releasing the rabbit from her embrace she grabs a cup from a rack, fills it with tea, then walks towards the study. "I'll be working in here for a while. I'll be expecting a fresh pot of tea at midday, but until then you can tend the garden." Then she shuts the door behind her, leaving the rabbit alone in the kitchen.

Midday.

"Just in time!" the panther exclaims when the rabbit entest the study, carrying a pot of tea in his paws. Pointing at a small table she adds, "just pour me a cup, then place the pot there."

"Yes, mistress," he responds quietly. Looking around he spots her cup, buried underneath a large parchment and carefully extricates it, then fills it and places it on the table, near the panther. Glancing at all the papers and books laying about, he asks, "What are you doing?"

"Did I give you permission to speak without being spoken to?" she snaps back at him. Then, before he can responds, she continues, "I don't care about it, but others may take such insolence as an insult and punish you rather severely. Don't do it with anyone but me or Leeta present. Act meek and don't lock eyes with anyone, either." Sighing, she indicates the papers on the desk, "These papers are old shipping manifests and inventories that was found in an old building some time ago. I'm studying them, and other documents, to reveal our history, but they make no sense at all." Holding one up, she asks, "Take a look at this, maybe you can understand it?"

Grabbing the sheet he glances at it, then gives it back, shaking his head slowly.

"The document is a copy of the original," the panther states, "so you don't have to worry about accidentally tearing it. Have another look."

"I..." he begins, "I can't read."

"Oh," she states, "I always forget that your people isn't as educated. I guess we have something to do on those rainy days in the fall, then. Won't that be great?"

"Me?" he asks, "learn to read?"

"Why not?" she counters, "you'll be more useful to me if you can read." Then, brandishing the document, again, she adds, "As for this, it is a list of goods ordered by a raccoon innkeeper. What is so strange is the meat; whole wagon-loads of it. Raccoons eat meat, if it's not too much bother to get it, not these amounts. Much of it was fresh, too, live animals to be slaughtered, not smoked or dried. It was enough to feed every predator in this village for at least an eight-day, possibly two. Can you think of a reason why a raccoon would order it?"

"No," he replies slowly.

"And that is just a minor problem. Did you know that we all use the same copper, silver and gold coins?"

"No?"

"Yes. I wonder how that came to be."