All characters herein are copy write Daniel Pering. Any duplication or falsified acclamation thereof constitutes as theft and will be dealt with accordingly. I.E. enjoy but don’t mess with this stuff.

CHAPTER XI

Time moved slowly for Lillian, seated there, holding a sobbing human,

“It’s O.K. Shh calm down now.” She soothed. The human had cried himself to the point of dehydration. He looked up at Lillian’s kind face, ‘Why is she comforting me? Why does she even care at all? Just how far can I trust them?’ he closed his eyes to clear his mind and think, like his father had shown him, ‘Could they be the answer I am looking for? Would they be willing to take humans like my siblings and me and raise them; or would they kill us?’ he shook his head, ‘No, they’re caring for Beretta so they might be willing to help.’ He heaved an enormous sigh, ‘I guess I have no choice. I have to trust them.’ He looked back up at Lillian.

Lillian held perfectly still as she realized the human was looking straight into her eyes,

“What are you thinking?” she pondered out loud. The human stirred then stood up shakily. He then reached a hand down toward Lillian, which she accepted gratefully. Lillian was very puzzled by his actions as he hauled her upright, and came face to face with him. Lillian gently pulled her paw free from his grip, but as she did, he took her in his arms and embraced her. Lillian’s eyes nearly popped out of her head as she felt his grip on her. She coughed slightly and he quickly let go looking very sheepish. Lillian coughed some more and to her great surprise the human patted her on her back.

Lillian straightened up after some more coughing,

“Wow! You don’t look it, but I’ll bet you could lift me with one paw… uh hand, hand Lillian he has hands not paws.” The human scribbled something down in the dirt then pointed to it, trying to see if Lillian understood. She did not understand but suddenly Lillian’s memory received a jolt of power,

“Hey! Erica had to learn how to read ancient writing from old Ruth. I’ll bet you can write and she could translate it! Come on!’ Lillian grabbed the human’s hand and dashed back towards her village. The human barely had enough time to take his riffle, before he was pulled into a headlong run back towards the furr village.

Lillian totally ignored the stares and fact that she was startling half the village by sprinting helter-skelter through to Erica’s teaching hut with an armed human in tow. The hut was formerly Erica’s home but since she had accepted Roy as a mate and moved in with him, her old hut became something of a tutoring center for the more talented students. The hut was a simple affair being only twelve feet in diameter and six feet tall. Lillian found it with little difficulty, but didn’t stop to think that Erica might be there teaching at that particular time.

Lillian and the human unceremoniously burst into the hut full of students. Silence reined as Erica sized up the situation in her usual calm manner,

“Students, we have two very special guests with us today. This is Lillian and it looks like she has something to say. I’m sure you are all as eager to hear about it as I am.” Erica said to her students. Lillian swallowed hard,

“Um, may I have a seat?”

“Certainly. It is good to see you again Lillian.” Erica then turned to her class, “Class please carefully observe that Lillian’s guest is not a furr.”

“He’s not?” one tiny shrew fem asked.

“No, Eada he’s not. He is a human. Until recently we didn’t know that humans really existed. We thought they were a myth, but as you can see there is one sitting right in front of you. And I’m sure Lillian is going to tell us why she has brought him here.”

“How do you know it’s a him?” Eada asked.

“We are guessing at the moment.”

Lillian cleared her throat,

“Students, are you aware that your teacher might know how to communicate with the human?” Erica’s ears flattened back against her head,

“Come again?”

“You had to learn to read ancient writing and I’m betting it’s the human writing. It’s worth a try.”

“Fine then.” Erica grumbled, “Give him a writing slate and piece of coal.” Lillian picked up a slate and coal from the indicated pile and handed them to the human. Erica had already written something on a slate of her own. She shoved it in front of the human’s face. For a moment he looked like he didn’t know what it was but suddenly he began scribbling on his own slate. Erica’s ears stood straight up as she tried to look over his shoulder.

The human finished and handed the slate to Erica. Erica read it out loud,

“He asks where I learned to write?” Lillian was bursting with questions,

“Ask him his name.” She said. Erica scribbled it down and showed the human. The human responded by holding up the riffle and pointing the words on the side. Erica read then out loud,

“Winchester?” she asked. The human pointed at himself upon hearing his name. Lillian took the incentive. She pointed to Erica and said,

“Erica,” then pointed to herself and said, “Lillian.” The human nodded understandingly. Lillian wanted to get down to business,

“Ask him how old he is.” Erica wrote it down and displayed it to Winchester; who in turn wrote,

“Nineteen.” Erica read.

“Ask him how he lost his voice.” Erica and the human passed writing slates back and forth for a few minutes before Erica finally pronounced,

“He was attacked by one of the furrs who murdered his parents, if I understand correctly. That would explain the way you described him acting the first time you met, but it still doesn’t explain why he saved your life. May I ask him?”

“Yes please.” More scribbling and passing of slates, which ended in the human blushing and Erica giggling,

“He says he thought you were pretty and he didn’t want you to get hurt.” Lillian blushed, but had one more question,

“Ask him if he will bring his brothers and sisters to live among us.”

Erica’s ears pricked anew,

“Are you certain you want to ask him that?”

“Yes. We need him. The council of elders has decreed that if he comes to live with us he will also help us with our crops, and may let us use some of the guns he has available. He is stronger than any of us.” Erica sighed and wrote the question down. She carefully handed the slate to Winchester. Winchester wrote something down and handed it back to Erica,

“He asks, ‘Is tomorrow alright?’”