Chapter 13

The two humans introduced a great deal of tension into their journey.

Patches went completely silent and stayed far away from both of them as they moved more and more westerly and less and less to the north, keeping the horses in front of her when they moved, and staying as far from the two humans as she could when they stopped. Clover carefully examined Danna and Toby's clothes when they stopped a few hours after leaving the fight scene, removing a few hidden weapons from Toby's clothing and a stout metal cord from Danna's shirt, then she deigned to return their clothes to them. Patches stayed behind Kyven as the two dressed, but Teacup was asking Toby a bunch of unrelated questions, basically pestering the poor man to no end with her curiosity. Toby took it with aplomb, patiently answering her questions but not asking any of his own.

Danna continued to glare at Kyven, her eyes almost never leaving him after she dressed and they ate a small breakfast of dried venison. When they started out again, she didn't look back at him, which gave him at least a little reprieve, but he could still feel her hate, even from her back. It depressed him more than anything else, because now the only woman who had ever really captured his attention now hated him, and what was worse, he was stuck traveling with her. He had to endure that withering glare at least for another week. They moved into an even flatter area, the horses having no problem keeping up with the Arcans because of their magical horseshoes, and encountered no other large animals or Arcans all day. Nothing bigger than rabbits and mice… outside of a cloud of angry mosquitoes that swarmed on them as they stopped for the night, which caused Clover to use Shaman magic to cause every mosquito around them to leave, almost as if they were repelled, and they didn't come back. Kyven didn't see how she did it, but it was certainly he'd love to learn. He'd love to unleash that little trick on the fleas.

Stopping for the night was tense, for both Patches and him. Patches was afraid of the two humans, and wanted to get far away from them, and Kyven was unsettled by the hot glare Danna continued to level against him. But he saw some animals in the distance, what looked like deer, and he realized that he had a chance. But Teacup wasn't afraid at all, and since she'd grilled Toby earlier, she now turned her attention on Danna. She asked the woman a bunch of questions, which she refused to answer, just remained coldly silent and continued to stare at Kyven with murder in her eyes. It got to the point where he couldn't take it anymore, and went over to Clover. "There's something over there, I'm going to go see what it is," he told her, pointing to the south. "Maybe we can have some fresh meat tonight."

Clover nodded. "If it is bison, down it and come get us, we will move to the kill and camp there."

"Alright," he said as he pulled his shirt off, then unbuttoned his trousers and stepped out of them.

"Umm, can I come with you, Kyven?" Patches asked, grabbing hold of his arm. "I don't want to be near them."

Kyven was about to reject her request out of impulse, but saw that she was very tense, very nervous, and very scared. He nodded reluctantly, and she immediately went for her little torn shirt, pulling it off and reaching for the oversized trousers she wore. "The key to hunting is silence and caution, Patches," he told her as she took off her trousers and dropped them on the ground by his. "Just stay close to me and do what I say and keep quiet, or we'll scare away the food."

"Okay."

He led her out in the moonrise, as she followed him rather closely as he moved more slowly than usual and stayed visible so she could see him, ranging out. As they got closer, he saw that it wasn't bison, it was those red-tailed deer, the big ones. There were about twenty of them, a large herd, two males with large racks standing guard over about eighteen does. He slowed down and tested the wind, found it favorable, and then dropped down into the thick grass, which Patches mirrored. "These things are very big," he whispered to her. "I'm not sure I want to try to tackle one without using magic."

"I can help."

"Little one, as much as I like having you here, you're not big enough to help that much. Hell, I'm not sure I'm big enough," he grinned at her toothily. "I appreciate your company, but I'd also like you to get back to camp alive. These things can hurt us if we're not careful."

"Just tell me what to do."

"What you can do is wait here and take a little time to relax away from the humans," he told her, licking her cheek playfully. "Keep down and stay quiet, but don't drop your guard. We may not be the only hunters stalking this herd, and you're much smaller and easier to catch than they are."

She nodded nervously and hunkered down, her little ears scanning for sound.

He slinked off and melted into the shadows, stalking up onto the herd. They were big, real big, and he didn't feel like having to wrestle one of them down and try to kill it by himself. But, he was curious of these big brutes, he wanted an estimation of how they would react, how aggressive they were. He crept up within range, picked out his target, then channeled lightning against it. The bolt hit the doe in the head, dropping it instantly, and the rest of the herd started, braying and crying in surprise, but they didn't run. The animals saw the dead herd member, but instead of running, they circled the dead doe with the two bucks stalking around the perimeter of that ring, snorting and pounding their hooves into the ground aggressively.

Well fuck, they intended to defend their dead member! He wanted to see what they would do… well, now he knew.

It took a bit of doing to get his meal out of there. He crept up to the defensive ring and blinded them with a blast of light, which disoriented them, then blinded the buck that hadn't been blinded by the first one. That buck staggered to the side, swinging his head wildly to try to gore him with that huge rack of antlers, and then he channeled silence across the entire herd. It made Kyven's teeth throb to silence that large of an area for more than a second, but the sudden blindness from the flash of light and then the sudden silence broke their bravado, and the herd scattered in every direction. Kyven dashed in and grunted as he picked up the huge doe, almost struggling under its weight. By the Trinity, it had to weigh more than he did… and it was one of the small ones! But once he had it settled on his shoulders, he was able to run with it. He returned to Patches, who was right where he left, her and had her follow him to keep an eye out for any of those deer who might coming looking for their missing member once they reformed.

"Wow, that thing is huge!"

"It's one of the small ones," he said, shifting the heavy weight on his shoulders. "Now let's move, girl. I'm hungry for something other than dried venison. I hope these don't taste bad," he said. "Keep an eye out behind us. The herd was protective, and I don't want them hunting us down."

"Alright," she said. She did so, keeping an eye behind them as Kyven carried dinner back, but no pursuit appeared when he got it back to the camp. Clover was kneeling by Teacup, who was sitting on the ground going through one of the packs taken from the horses, who had been relieved of their burdens, watered, and picketed near the camp. They all looked at them as Kyven carried the large deer in and dropped it on the ground heavily, then blew out his breath. "That was an adventure," he grunted.

"Did they run or fight?"

"They tried to fight," he sighed.

"Did they cause any problems?" she asked, looking at Patches, who had already knelt by the carcass in preparation, waiting for Kyven or Clover to open its belly since her teeth weren't up to the task.

"I left her in a safe place," he chuckled, looking over at the humans. Toby was sitting against a saddle, gnawing on a piece of dried venison, and Danna was sitting across from him, her ration of venison laying on the ground. Now that he thought of it, she hadn't eaten that morning either.

If she wanted to starve herself, that was her business.

Kyven joined the others at the carcass, and they enjoyed the first fresh meat since coming into the grassy plain. He could hear Danna whispering to Toby as they ate, and though he couldn't make any of it out, his ears turning towards them certainly made it clear to them that he was aware of what they were doing. The four of them managed to take a pretty big chunk out of the large animal, which tasted a bit more robust than the white-tailed deer he was used to eating, and Clover and Kyven cut the remainder into pieces. Clover took to good-sized chunks and walked over to Toby and Danna and held it out to them. "If raw meat does not bother you, here. It is better for you than the dried meat."

Danna turned her nose up at it, but Toby took the piece he was offered. "Thanky ma'am. Ah've eaten it raw befo', an' Ah will again."

Clover nodded and handed him both pieces. "I will get your bedrolls for you," she told them. "Are you well?"

"Say again ma'am?"

"Saddlesores? Any aches or pains?"

"Ayah, no ma'am, Ah'm doin' fine."

"That's good to hear."

"They want us fat before they eat us like that deer," Danna finally said, in a low, snarky tone.

That made Clover laugh, which earned her a dark glare from the Loreguard captain. "Dear girl, humans taste terrible," she said. "You taste like moldy, rancid beef."

That made Danna give her a surprised look, somewhere between fear and indignation. She kept giving Clover wary looks as she returned with their bedrolls, and even spread them out for them. "It might be cold tonight. There are extra blankets on the pack horse if you need them. Waterskins are there as well. Kyven, we must completely remove the corpse from the camp and burn it or it will attract something we do not want visiting us," she said. "We will need a fire tonight regardless, but not the one that burns the remains."

They did so. Clover dragged the partially skeletonized carcass nearly a minar from camp and burned it as Kyven took what little wood they had with them and started a fire. He saw that Toby was eating the venison Clover had given him, but Danna had rejected the other piece, which Toby then ate himself once he finished his own. Clover returned and nuzzled him briefly, which earned him a hot look from Danna. "It is your choice, brother, first or second watch."

"I'll take second," he told her. "I've already been up pretty long."

She nodded. "Then take the girls and get some rest. I'll wake you at midnight."

Kyven nodded and, as Danna stared at him, he held his hands out to the young females. Teacup shed her clothing, which made Danna glare even more, and they joined him on the far side of the small fire. They bedded down, with Patches curling up against him and Teacup snuggling up against his back, and he put his arm over the panda. He was tired, but his mind was racing too much for him to immediately fall asleep. He could feel Danna's eyes on him even now, and it made him uncomfortable. She was certainly doing her best to make him as unhappy as possible. He tried to ignore her, but it wasn't easy. He sighed and tried to relax, but was unable to do so, at least until Patches started kneading his fur with her small hands. He concentrated on that sensation, a very pleasant one, and it lulled him to sleep.

Clover woke him up some time after midnight. He blinked woozily and opened his eyes to the spirits, and saw her kneeling over them. "Your turn, brother," she called softly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright," he answered, disengaging himself from the girls and sitting up. Clover helped him up, gave him an affectionate lick on the cheek, then knelt down and carefully took his place between the girls. Patches immediately curled up against her in her sleep, and Teacup rolled over on her back, her tail twitching and her small breasts rising up as she sighed in her sleep. Kyven added some dry grass stalks to the coals of the fire, not having anything else to burn, and they sputtered ruddy light across the camp for brief moments before they burned out.

The nearly full moon cast a silvery pall over the sea of grass, allowing him to see visibly for quite some distance, but having full sight with his spirit sight. He spent long hours wondering at what Haven would be like, how he would be accepted there, and wondering exactly what the spirits wanted from Toby. He wondered what kind of reception was awaiting the two humans in a place where there were no humans… probably not a very good one. Many of them were going to react the way Claw and Patches did, either with anger or fear. Humans had a lot to answer for because of the way they treated Arcans… and he shared some of that, he guessed. He was human, no matter how he looked now, and no matter how it had dominated his thinking lately. He would have the finger of accusation pointed at him as well, and he had to be ready for it. Some would not see him as anything but a human when they found out what he was. He had to be ready to face the same hate he saw in Danna, and he couldn't run and hide from them the way he could from her.

He looked at her, saw past her clothes with spirit sight, and again had to admire her loveliness. Just another reason to be angry with the fox, he pondered with a sigh. She hated him now, hated him with a passion… the only woman he'd ever wanted to pursue. He sat on his haunches, resolutely with his back to the humans, and scanned the plain in the distance to take his mind off of it. But he couldn't keep his mind off it long, as he heard stirring behind him. The manner of the movement told him that it was Danna, for Toby was much quieter, much more graceful. He heard her stop, then heard her try to stalk up on him from behind, her boots making far too much noise for him to miss it. When she got just behind him, and he saw the shadow of her in the grass before him, raising a hand holding something long and slender, he decided to warn him off before she hurt both him and herself. "I'd put that hand down if I were you," he said in a low voice, barely more than a whisper. "Giving both of us a concussion would not be a good way to start the day." When that hand instead rushed forward, he slinked to the side with speed and grace, causing her to completely miss. She staggered forward, and a slap to her knee tumbled her to the ground. She rose up, holding one of the drained black rods in her hand, probably stolen from the horse before they went to sleep last night, but when he leveled his glowing stare on her, she came to her senses and slowly lowered the weapon.

He had to face her hate. If he couldn't stand up to Danna, he'd have no chance against the Arcans. "Sit," he commanded in a low tone, leveling his stare on her. She gave him an uncertain look, then sank down to sit sedately, and quite femininely, on her legs. "I think it's time to clear the air between us," he told her in low tones. "Because I'm tired of seeing my death in your eyes."

"I'd kill you in a heartbeat if I could, Shaman," she hissed.

"Why?"

That question made her blink. She wasn't expecting it. "Why? Would you like an hour-long diatribe, or a simple list?"

"We have a good hour before dawn yet, so I think we can do the diatribe," he said urbanely, which again seemed to confuse her. "Now, which of my aspects is bothering you the most? That I'm a Shaman? That I defended myself against you and killed your men? Or that you think I pretended to be someone you thought you wanted to get to know?"

Her eyes flashed, and she rose up on her knees. "Don't tell me what you think I feel, Arcan," she snapped. "You have no idea!"

"Because I'm an Arcan?" he asked simply.

"Because you're an animal," she answered flatly.

"Oh, I think I have some idea," he said calmly. "So, you hate me because I'm an Arcan, I'm a Shaman, and my name is Kyven."

"You are not Kyven," she snapped, quite loudly.

"Yes. I am," he said simply, looking her in the eyes. "I was born to a miner and his wife in Atan. My mother died when I was very young, and my father put me into apprenticeship with Master Holm not long after, to give me the best chance at a life he couldn't give me. I spent nearly ten years in the shop as a crystalcutter."

"So you just tortured it out of him before you killed him," she said with a scowl. "So you could impersonate him!"

"I can't give you any real proof of who I am, outside of answering your questions," he told her. "I heard that you were in Atan looking for me, so I'm sure you asked around about me and learned about me."

She gave him a dark look. "There's nothing I could ask that you wouldn't already know," she retorted.

"Really?" he asked, closing his eyes. "Did you visit my shop?"

"Of course I did."

"Well, then, you entered through the front room, where we have our displays and where our customers come in. We have shelves flanking the passageway back into the main shop, filled with cut pieces of glass that resemble crystals to demonstrate the skill of the shop's cutters. You walked down a fairly long hallway to a terraced room with benches and a slateboard. That's where our first years take their classes, learning to read and write. Then you went down a hallway off to the left that had two sets of doors in it, past a stairway going up to your right, and then into the main shop. It's a large place, filled with workbenches up against the walls and six benches in the middle of the room. There's a raised portion on the right side of the room holding six benches, where the senior apprentices work, and on the far side there's a heavy metal-bound door that's the vault, where we keep our uncut and cut crystals. There's an office in the back right corner of the main shop, and right outside of it is a bench that's not used. It has a thin layer of dust on it, but it's all quite orderly. An array of tiny hammers are lined up in a groove at the back of the bench, and in a cup on the left there's an assortment of picks, and on the right there are a set of chisels of various sizes hanging off a little circular rack that spins around. There's a lamp right over the desk, and a magnifying glass is attached to a rotating arm that's secured to the right side of the bench. Right in the middle, on the top row of the three shelves, there's a badly cut red crystal sitting on a little stand. That was the first crystal I ever cut by myself, and I did so badly that Master Holm made me keep it to remind me of how not to cut crystals." He sighed. "But Holm died before I got back, and Timble's running the shop now. That is my shop. There are no Arcans in the shop. Master Holm didn't like Arcans. So, how can I know so much about the shop if I weren't human?"

She was silent a long moment. "How many apprentices are there?"

"Well, if nobody's quit or anything, there would be nine first years and eight–no, wait, six senior apprentices. Was counting myself and Timble there," he chuckled. "There are two servants in the shop who primarily help cook dinner, but the apprentices are the ones that do most of the cleaning. We have a teacher who comes to teach the first years to read and write."

"So, you can read and write?" she asked challengingly.

"Of course I can. All crystalcutters can read, write, and do numbers. It's part of the job."

"That's a lie. Arcans can't read."

Kyven stood up and went to the horses. He came back with a small book that Clover had taken from the Loreguard, sat back down, then opened it. "2 September. Continuing pursuit of the transformed human. Have joined forces with a freelance hunter that seems very competent, who is chasing the same Arcan as a runaway from Alamar. Given his exotic coloration, I can see why Alamar wants him back. His fearful reaction makes sense when I take into account the fact that he was in Alamar. No doubt they treated him like an Arcan."

"Where did you get that?" she demanded.

"It was in the gear Clover kept," he said simply, closing the small book. "So, have we established that I can read now?"

She gave him a cold look.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said calmly. "So. The simple fact of the matter is that I am Kyven Steelhammer," he told her. "I'm a Shaman, yes, but I was born human. This," he said, motioning at himself, "was a punishment from my spirit for doing something stupid."

"I can't believe that!" she protested.

"It's the simple truth," he said. "Now maybe you see why I ran? It wasn't because I'm an Arcan, it's because I'm a Shaman. I'm a human Shaman, Danna. From what I'm told, I'm the first one ever known, but from what I've seen, I don't think I'll be the only one."

"That's impossible!"

"Didn't people believe centuries ago that Arcans being Shaman was impossible?" he asked with calm logic. "Isn't that what the Loremasters say, that Arcan Shaman are abominations, against the natural order?"

"You are! You serve an evil force that seeks to destroy human civilization!"

"The Shaman serve, Danna. No more, no less. We serve the spirits, we serve the Arcans because they need us, and if the humans need us, we serve them as well. I think that was why I was born, now that I think of it. Humans need Shaman for some reason, and I was born in response to that need."

"That's a lie!"

"Is it? Think about it. Why do the Loremasters hate Shaman?"

"Because they're trying to undermine our entire civilization and enslave us!"

"Just like you've done to the Arcans?"

"Arcans are animals. It's their proper place to serve mankind. Without us, they'd all be running through the forest killing each other."

"Does that give humanity the right to murder Arcans for their fur?"

Danna was silent a moment. "Yes," she finally stated. "Arcans live to serve mankind in whatever capacity we wish."

"Well, then, Danna. Am I an animal?" he asked. "I'm sitting here talking to you right now. I know how to read, I know how to write, and I'll bet I can do numbers better than you. Am I an animal?"

"You're an Arcan. No matter how smart you are, you're still an animal."

"So all you can see is my fur," he reasoned. "What if I put this fur on you? Would you being changed into an Arcan make you an animal?"

"That's impossible!"

"Sometimes I wish it wasn't," Kyven grunted. "But answer the question. Would being an Arcan make you an animal?"

"No. I have a soul. Arcans don't."

"So, you just admitted that I can't be an animal if I was born human," he reasoned. "Now, back to the original point. What would the Loremasters do if they found out that humans were being born Shaman?"

She seemed to flare for a second, then sat back down fully, her face thoughtful and introspective. "I… I don't know," she finally said. "It wouldn't be good. It would mean that the evil you serve is invading humanity, just as it did the Arcans."

"Spirits aren't evil, Danna, though sometimes they can do some pretty mean things," he said with a shudder. "They merely are. I've seen them caring for humans as well as caring for Arcans."

"How can I believe that?"

"I've been able to see spirits since I was a boy," he told her simply. "It's why I had no friends when I grew up, always stayed to myself. The only one I ever told about it was my father, who told me to never, ever tell anyone what I was seeing. They'd think I was crazy, or I was Touched. So I kept quiet, always afraid that I'd let it slip someday that I could see what I see, and get myself in big trouble. If I didn't have any close friends, then there was no chance I could make that mistake, was there?" he asked with calm logic. "Anyway, I've seen them in Atan since I was a boy. Spirits seem very interested in humanity. I've seen them help people more than once. So I don't think they're evil. It think they're like people, there are some good ones and some bad ones, just as there are some good people and some bad people. Then there are ones like mine," he sighed. "Which you can't tell one way or the other."

"I don't believe you!"

"That's your choice," he shrugged. "I just want you to understand why I ran. It was nothing personal. I was afraid of what the Loremasters would do to me, that I'd only be safe out here, where they can't reach me." He looked right at her. "Now, why do you hate me so much?"

She snorted. "You killed my men, men with families, men who were my friends! That by itself is all the reason I need to hate you! But on top of that, you're a Shaman, you've taken me captive, and you killed someone I thought I might like," she answered flatly.

He sighed and shook his head. "I protected myself from you, I can't help the fact that I'm a Shaman, you brought this on yourself when you chased me, and I didn't kill Kyven because I am Kyven. You think I like to kill? You're wrong. I hate it. But I had no choice. You mean to take me back, which I won't allow, you were right on top of me, I didn't have many options I could see, and there were too many of you. I had to fight to win, and against so many of you, my only choice was to kill. You killed Claw, and though I'm angry with you about that, at least I don't hate you for it. I know you're feeling helpless because we captured you, but could you at least spread the hate around a little instead of spending your every waking moment staring at me?"

"I'm glad it bothers you," she said flatly.

"It doesn't bother me for the reason you think," he told her. "It bothers me because I wanted to get to know you. I thought–" he said, then he sighed. "I was hoping that when I got my humanity back, I could see if we could work. But I guess that's never going to happen now," he admitted, looking at the ground in front of him. "I wanted to get to know you, and now all you do is look at me with hate. That hurts," he admitted, then he got up and turned to pad off on all fours.

"Why do you do that?" she demanded, making him turn to look back at her. "If you really were human, why do you act like them? You walk on all fours, you eat like an animal, you touch them and fondle them like they were a bunch of whores."

"It's just as easy to walk like this as it is standing up," he answered simply. "And seeing as how we don't have any knives or forks or dishes, eating that way is much easier."

"How do you stand it?"

"It actually tastes alright," he told her casually. "Cooked meat tastes weird now, after I've eaten it raw since midsummer. Anyway, I act like an Arcan because right now, I am one. I had to learn very fast and very hard how to fit in with them, because Arcans who are alone stand out, and an Arcan that stands out has a much smaller chance of living to see tomorrow."

"That's hard to believe."

"I've seen how it works from the inside, Danna," he said in a calm yet powerful voice. "I've seen Arcans slaughtered like cattle, and only for their fur. I've seen the scars on the ones who are used to fight just to entertain people. I've been in the cages of a kennel and seen how people treat them. I stood on an auction block and watched helplessly as I was sold to the highest bidder. I was nearly starved to death for the amusement of the man who bought me after I was captured in Cheston," he told her, a bit coldly. "And Arcans touch because they're a very compassionate people," he told her. "When you're in a collar, when speaking draws attention to you, touching is all there is. So Arcans touch, touch a great deal, to comfort each other and establish bonds. If I want to be accepted, I have to touch."

"You seem to enjoy it," she accused.

"Of course I do. It's very pleasant," he said simply. "And it makes me feel wanted and accepted. Who doesn't want that?"

"I wouldn't."

"When you're locked in a cage and have no idea if you'll live to see the sunrise, that opinion will change very quickly," he said with a calm look at her. "All Arcans have are each other. "When you're about to be sold and have no idea what will happen to you, you'll take comfort from wherever you can."

She was silent a long moment, then looked away.

"Don't judge me until you've walked in my footsteps, Danna," he said simply. "You have no idea what it's like."

"And pray I never do?" she asked acidly.

"No, I think you could do for a good healthy week or two walking in my footsteps," he said, looking at her critically. "If anything, it would give you a different perspective. Who knows, you might learn something." He turned from her. "I sure did," he added when he padded away from her on all fours.

He sat down on the far side of the camp, leaving Danna to her thoughts. He'd tried to be calm and rational, showing her that he was Kyven, and he wasn't what she thought he was. He wasn't sure how well he did, but if he just got her to think for a few minutes, then it was worth it. He watched the moon set, at least until Patches came up to sit beside him. "Is it true?" she asked in a small voice. "Are you really a human?"

"I was born that way," he told her calmly. "So yes, I guess you can say I'm a human." He looked at her. "Does that bother you, little one?"

She looked away, looked at the ground. "A little."

"But think about it. I'm a human, but how have I been to you since we met? Am I so bad?"

She glanced at him, then looked down again. "No," she finally admitted.

"Well, if I'm not so bad, maybe there's a chance other humans aren't so bad either," he said gently. "Don't judge all humans by your former masters, Patches, just like humans shouldn't judge all Arcans by the wild ones they see as animals." He leaned over and put his hand on her shoulder, and to his delight, she did not flinch away from him. "What do you think of me now, little one? Be honest. I can take it."

"I don't know what to think," she answered, looking at him. "You don't act like a human at all."

He smiled. "Whether I have fur or not, little one, I'm still Kyven," he told her. "I'm someone who cares about you and wants to see you be happy for the rest of your life. I'm a Shaman, little one, and you need me. I'll always be here for you."

She looked up at him, then wrapped her arms around his chest and back and nuzzled the fur on his chest. He chuckled and put an arm around her. "I love you too, little one," he told her gently. "So, am I forgiven?"

"For what?"

"For being something other than what you thought I was."

She looked up at him, and gave him a glorious smile. "I guess," she said, which made him erupt into laughter.


Much to Kyven's surprise, Danna's hateful looks curtailed after the talk. He figured she'd just do it even more now that she knew it bothered him, but it didn't come to pass. She still cast baleful looks at him as they moved and when they camped, but they weren't as venomous as they had been the first day. It was almost as if his talk with her had actually done some good, had made her think. Danna seemed to be a rather intelligent woman, and his calm logic in the face of her hate may not have swayed her over to his side, but at least it made her think… and that was what was important. She also gave over on her refusal to eat, chewing down quite a bit of the newly dried redtail venison while in the saddle as they rode from the campsite where Kyven had talked to her.

They didn't trade another word for over a week. They moved almost due west, then slowly curled northwest during that time, moving great distances during the day over the sea of grass, then resting at night. Kyven continued to hunt when and where he could, supplementing their dried venison with fresh meat, usually redtailed deer, but one night it was bison, after Kyven found a lone bison and downed it using Shaman magic.

Herbivores were not the only animals they encountered in that week. Kyven saw his first Wolveran a few days after the talk with Danna, spotting it during his watch, and then waking everyone up and getting them moving. He'd been warned by Clover about those brutes, and if he saw one, to get everyone up and moving quickly before the horses attracted it and the voracious, savage predator attacked. It chased them almost all day, too, until they passed not far from a small herd of bison and the beast finally veered off to attack them. The dogged determination of the monster was the entire reason why Clover was rightfully afraid of them.

Though Danna was totally silent, Toby was not. He was cordial and polite on the journey, often engaging in smalltalk with Clover and Teacup to pass the time when on the move, and giving Danna someone to talk to at night, which usually degenerated into her accusing him of sucking up. Toby just laughed her off, telling her "dahlin', they got us by the short an' curlies, and Ah've always been a man o' manners. They willing tah be polite tah me, so Ah'll be polite tah them."

Despite her defiant demeanor, Danna behaved completely. She did as she was told, didn't try to escape, spent most of her time sitting or riding in silence, her face lost in thought. The only time she defied Clover was a few days after the fight, when Clover brought a piece of redtail liver over and pushed it out to her. "Eat this," she ordered.

Danna made a face. "I most certainly will not!" she shot back.

"Yes, you will," Clover told her hunching down to nearly eye level with the sitting woman. "Dry venison isn't healthy if it's all you eat. There are things in this your body needs to stay healthy. So you will eat it. And from today on, you will eat a small piece of this when we have it, so you don't have to eat so much at once again."

"I won't eat it, Shaman!"

"You will," she said with quiet yet steely calm. "Your silly hatred towards me does not move me at all, woman. I am tasked to care for you, and so I will ensure you are healthy and well."

"Why? So you can feed me to your puppies when we get wherever we're going?" she shot back, her voice a little anxious.

Clover gave her a curious look, then laughed helplessly. "Dear me, is that what you think? Silly woman, we'll do no such thing. Once you answer our questions, I'd guess that you'll be placed with a family that will take care of you. You won't be allowed in the city, but there are any number of small villages where someone with your skills could be quite useful. They'd probably make you a sheriff."

"Sheriff? Sheriff of what?"

"Of the village," she smiled. "You're an investigator at heart, Captain. No doubt that any unruly behavior would be quickly squelched with you upholding the law."

"What village?"

"Any number of them, I suppose," she said with a smile. "I would think that we'll be seeing Vanguard in about a week and a half."

 As they moved north, the landscape changed. The land began to roll gently, lightly, going from flat prairie to rolling grassland, and then groves of trees began to appear. They continued on for a few more days as they moved into more and more groves of trees, which became small woods, then became large tracts of forested area interspersed with grassland. Wild Arcans became more and more common, lurking nearby but never approaching, at least until they happened across a pair of them as they journeyed northwest. It was a pair of wolf Arcans, naked and wild, a tawny-furred female laying out in the middle of a grassy plain as the dark gray male paced around her anxiously. Clover called them to a halt well away from them, and while the pacing male knew they were there, he did nothing. She called Kyven up to her and pointed them out. "I think the female is injured or ill, brother," she told him. "I need to see her, but I can't approach. I need you to try to get the male to calm down."

Kyven nodded, and immediately started removing his clothes.

"What's wrong with her?" Patches asked.

"I don't know, I'm too far to see," Clover answered. "Hopefully Kyven can calm the male down so I can see what's wrong with her."

Kyven removed his breeches and padded towards the pair, remaining calm. When the male took notice of him, he dropped down to all fours and padded towards him, moving slowly but steadily, until the male rushed him, then pulled to a stop and growled threateningly. Kyven slowed to a stop about twenty rods from him, sitting down calmly, then he slowly crept forward with his muzzle low to the ground and his tail wagging. The male gave him a strange look, ceased his growling, and advanced on Kyven. Then he looked back and realized that he was advancing away from the female, so he stopped and turned around, then ran back to her. He nuzzled her still form, which caused her to move jerkily. Kyven advanced on them slowly, and when the male saw him approaching, he put himself between Kyven and the female and growled. He again dipped his muzzle low to the ground and wagged his tail, then dropped down to lay down on the ground where he was, thumping his tail on the ground. The male stopped growling and advanced on him curiously, and Kyven looked up at him when he was very close, voicing a short whine. The male sniffed at his head and back boldly, then pushed Kyven over on his back using his hands and muzzle. The male sniffed at him for several long, tense moments, sniffing every part of him from head to foot, then, when Kyven licked him on the underside of his chin when the male sniffed at his ears, the male clamped his jaws on Kyven's neck in a display of dominance. This was the most delicate and dangerous part of any approach, and Kyven could barely hear Patches and Teacup gasp, but the male released him in short order when the female began to pant laboriously. Kyven rolled back over and slinked carefully up to the female, and while the male growled at him, he didn't attack when Kyven licked him submissively on the neck and face. He sniffed at the female in a non-threatening manner, licking her face to try to elicit a response, but she lay there with her eyes closed and her breathing shallow and labored. Her nose was dry and very hot, and her tongue, flopping limply from her mouth, was also dry. She had an old injury on her left hip, just over the center of where her left leg met her lower stomach, that was oozing pus and looked quite nasty, flies buzzing around it.

Kyven took a couple of steps back, then looked back to Clover. "She has an infected wound," he called as loudly as he could without upsetting the male. "I can cure the infection, but I can't heal her leg."

"Can you get me in?" she called, already removing her wrap.

"Give me a minute." He licked at her wound, tasting the vileness, then channeled the spell to cure diseases into her through his tongue, literally licking away her infection. But he could do nothing for the wound itself, that was healing magic he didn't know. His curing of her infection was no miracle cure that restored her to health, for she was still weak from her injury and illness, and she wouldn't feel better for a while. He looked back to Clover and waved her on, and the coyote started moving forward on all fours. Kyven padded back towards her to make the male look, and when the male rushed to intercept Clover, Kyven interposed himself directly in the male's path. The male growled at him, but Kyven just dipped his muzzle low, then rose up and licked the male on the neck. "Submissive, Clover," Kyven told her quietly as she got near. Clover laid down on her stomach, and the male padded over to inspect her. When he caught her scent, he growled threateningly, but he seemed startled when Kyven clamped his jaws on the side of the wolf's neck, a gentle grip, and very gently, very carefully pulled on him, pulled him back towards his female. The male nearly turned on him, growling in a very aggressive manner when his dominance was challenged, but Kyven was quite adamant without being aggressive himself. His gentle hold was not an attack, but his incessant pulling was clearly an attempt to make the male do something. The male jerked free of him and bared his fangs, but Kyven didn't respond, neither submitting nor reacting in kind. Kyven's impassive stance confused the male, and Kyven took advantage of it to pad over to Clover, sniff at her back and shoulders, then clamp his jaws on her neck and pull on her. Clover was forced to go in the direction he urged, to the side of the female, then he rolled her over on her back. The male advanced on them boldly and again started to growl, but when Clover mimicked Kyven's act of licking at his neck in supplication, the male advanced and sniffed at her foot and shin. He was still growling as he sniffed her, then quite boldly stuck his nose between her legs and sniffed her genitals, then sniffed up her body to her neck and head. Kyven was ready to intervene if the male made any hostile moves, but he just sniffed at her head, Clover licked him under his chin, and then he clamped his jaws on her neck in a display of dominance. He let go of her when she licked at his chest, and he returned to the female. Kyven got beside him, and motioned for Clover to approach on his far side, away from the male. She did so slowly and carefully, and lowered herself to the ground when the male growled at her. But she was close enough. She leaned forward and touched her nose to the female, and Kyven felt her channel magic into her. It was a sustained spell, causing the wound on her hip to slowly close, going from a festering wound to a scabbed cut, which was when Clover ceased and licked tentatively at the female's shin.

The female's breathing improved noticeably, and she opened her eyes. She looked at the male, then looked at Kyven and Clover in surprise, and not a little fear, moving to shy away from them. But Kyven leaned down and licked her face gently, which calmed her down. Kyven waved Clover back with his hand out of sight of the two wolves, and she obeyed, backing up, then turning and walking away quickly yet quietly. Kyven licked the male's neck, reared up on his legs, and put his hand on the male's shoulder. The male looked up at him curiously, but when he reached his hand down to the female, she looked up at him with both curiosity and fear. She took his hand, and he gently urged her to a sitting position, then urged her to stand on her legs. She stood there for a moment, looking at him, and he touched her wound, which was now much smaller and healthily scabbed over to minimize the chance of infection. She gave a slight wince, but she seemed surprised, touching it herself. The male sniffed at the wound, licked it a few times, then rose up on his legs as well, put his hands on her shoulders, and licked her enthusiastically. She nuzzled him in return. Kyven backed away from them, then turned and walked back to where the others were. Teacup handed him his breeches, and he put them back on calmly as Teacup gushed in a low tone. "That was so cool!" she exclaimed. "I've never seen anyone make friends with a wild Arcan before! How did you know how to do it? Why did you lick him? What's the thing when he bites your neck about? Is the female going to be okay?"

"Calm down, Teacup," Kyven chuckled, then he turned to face the two wolves as they approached warily. He put his shirt on and walked out towards them, and they rose up on their legs. The male grabbed his hand and tried to pull him back from the others, but Kyven just held his ground and shook his head. He licked the male on the cheek, then nuzzled the female, and then he urged them to retreat the other way with a motion of his hands. They gave him a long look, then turned, dropped to all fours, then bounded towards the nearest treeline. "Good luck," Kyven said quietly as they raced off.

"Pardon mah askin', but why help them? They wild," Toby asked.

"We help all who need us, Toby," Clover told him simply. "Be them normal, feral, or human. That is the Shaman way."

"Please," Danna snorted, pulling on her reins.

"You know nothing of the Shaman, Danna," Clover told her with steady eyes. "Only what the Loremasters have told you, which is all lies."

"I know what I know."

"You cling to a fairy tale," she answered. "But I will not tell you anything, woman. I'll let our actions speak for us. When we reach Vanguard, just watch, listen, and learn."

"How far to this place?" Teacup asked.

"We will arrive tomorrow," she answered. "From there, it will be four more days to Haven."

"Great, we travel for two weeks to see a bunch of Arcans living in a pack in the middle of the forest," Danna growled.

Clover smiled, but said nothing

They reached Vanguard about noon the next day, seeing it in a grassy field surrounded by forest on three sides, at the end of a long grassy plain that jutted into the forest. It wasn't a pack of Arcans living like animals, as Danna seemed to think, it was instead a good sized hamlet of about twenty timber buildings, surrounded by farmland on all four sides. They would go up a road between two farms two reach the village. "Vanguard," Clover announced as they pulled up and looked down the small hill to the village. Clover looked at Toby and Danna, and the two mounted humans were stunned to see not Arcans living in mud, but Arcans living in neat, tidy homes, farms with houses and barns and storehouses, and smoke rising from a stout chimney where it seemed a smith was hard at work. "Kyven, lead them. I'll go ahead to warn the village we bring humans."

"Yes, Clover," he nodded, and she bounded ahead of them. "Let's go, everyone. Let's just walk, give Clover time to spread the word."

Teacup was already going a thousand minars a minute, pointing at everything and talking quickly. She waved with great enthusiasm to Arcans working in the fields, who were looking on fearfully once they saw the horses carrying two human riders. They reached the small road and walked along it, as the workers watched them go by, at least until one very young female canine bounded up to them from the fields. "Shaman!" she called excitedly. "Will you bless me, Shaman?"

"Of course," Kyven said, stopping and kneeling down. "What's your name, honey?"

"I'm Chaser!" she said with a big smile.

"Well, may the spirits bless you and watch over you, Chaser," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder and reciting the blessing with a smile. She threw her little arms around his neck and hugged him, then turned and raced back into the fields before anyone could even say a word.

"Well, I see how she got her name," Teacup giggled.

"I wonder how she knew I was a Shaman," Kyven mused as he watched her run away.

"Deduction," Patches said. "There are humans here, and they wouldn't be here without a Shaman. We're too small to be Shaman, so it has to be you."

"That's a good point," Kyven chuckled as they started out again.

Danna and Toby were quiet, and a little awed, as they reached the village. It had no organized streets. Instead, all the buildings were built in a ring surrounding a grassy field in the center, where many Arcan children were playing. In the very center was a large stone ring that was clearly a firepit, and there were smoothed logs surrounding it that looked suspiciously like benches. Clover led over a very tall male wolf Arcan with fur nearly as black as Kyven's, but a gray face and no hair. The wolf was clearly a Shaman. "Tallspan, this is Kyven," Clover introduced. "He is on his Walk."

"Welcome to Vanguard, brother," the huge wolf said, taking Kyven's paw. "And what lovely young ladies you bring!" he said with a smile, leaning down to look at Teacup and Patches. "I am Tallspan, lovely ladies, the Shaman of this village. Welcome to your first stop on the road to happiness."

"Hi! I'm Teacup!" the raccoon said, taking his hand and getting hers swallowed up in it. "You're very handsome."

"Well, thank you," he smiled. "A red panda! Such a rare and beautiful addition," he said, shaking Patches' hand. "Was your journey well?"

"Well enough," she said, glancing back at the horses.

"Ah, so these are the humans the spirits have summoned to us," he said, looking at Toby and Danna, his head nearly at a level with theirs. "Welcome to Vanguard," he told them. "Please, dismount, I'll have your horses cared–" he looked at the pack horse, carrying the body of Claw, and he sighed. "Poor soul," he said, going over and putting his hand gently on Claw's back. "I'm very sorry."

"He died in a manner of his own choosing, Tallspan," Kyven told him quietly. "He saved my life."

"Such nobility," he said. "Clearly, he has earned his rest on Firetail's hill. But to ride strapped to a horse is below him. I will give you a cart to take him the rest of the way." He whistled, and several Arcans hurried over and started the somber task of taking Claw from the horse. Toby dismounted, and Danna did the same, though more slowly, as she still continued to look around, as if in disbelief. "Come, rest with us this day," he said to them. "You can start out in the morning. Let the hospitality of Vanguard wash the travel dust from your fur and send you on refreshed."

"Pardon mah askin', but who built all this?" Toby asked the wolf curiously.

"We did," he answered with a smile. "Vanguard is the first village those fleeing from the human lands encounter. This is the border of Arcan territory. To the north are the lands of Haven."

"Arcan territory?" Danna scoffed.

"Yes, you have entered Haven, woman, the hidden land of the Arcans. This is where we come to escape bondage in the collars of humans. You have been summoned by the spirits, so we will treat you with honor and respect, but do remember that you are in our land now," he said, quite seriously.

Danna gave him a harsh look, but said nothing.

They all looked in surprise as a pair of humans came out of the forge, both of them wearing leather aprons. They saw the new group and hurried over, introducing themselves. "New faces!" the taller, black-haired, older man said. "Welcome! I'm Darik, the main alchemist," he said, offering his hand to Toby.

"Humans? Here?" Teacup asked in surprise.

"Of course there are humans here," Tallspan said with a smile. "We have five families of humans that live in the village. Darik is our master alchemist."

"Why do humans live here?" Teacup asked.

"Well, because they aren't allowed any further north," Tallspan winked. "But some humans do live with us, part of our happy village."

"I was prospecting when I was younger and stumbled into this region," Darik told her. "I was attacked and injured by wild Arcans. The Arcans found me and nursed me back to health, and I never left. I apprenticed in the alchemist's shop and I've lived here ever since. This is my son, Verl," he introduced the smaller, leaner, rather handsome man with brown hair and striking blue eyes.

"Nice to meet you," he said, shaking Toby's hand.

"So you've never been north?"

"Well, once we were allowed to go to Glenfall, but that's about it," the younger man answered. "There are some Arcans up north who are just too afraid of humans, so we respect them by staying out of their sight."

"Wow, do you like it here? Are the Arcans nice to you?"

Tallspan laughed. "Darik and the other human families are our friends, little one," he told her, reaching down and picking her up, making her squeal in surprise, then setting her on his shoulders. "Darik has been here for over twenty years, and his wife was born here."

"Wow, really?"

"Yes, really," he answered as he carried her towards a large timber building on the far side of the ring of buildings.

"I'm surprised you don't have any soldiers here," Kyven saw.

"Well, your approach has been watched carefully for over a week, young brother," Tallspan chuckled. "We only move fighting Arcans to the village when hostile forces approach."

"Ah," Kyven noted. He glanced at Danna, and saw that she looked quite surprised, looking around, and giving Darik penetrating looks.

Kyven was swarmed over by Arcan children as they crossed the center of the village. Clover gave him amused looks as the children clamored around him, talking about his fur, which caused him to drop to all fours and let the children swarm him. He laughed when they literally pulled him to the ground, digging their tiny hands into his fur, letting them explore the soft expanse of his fur with their fingers. They all squealed and giggled when he powered his way back to his feet, with children literally hanging off of him. "Leave him be, children!" Tallspan called back to them. "You're trying to mug a Shaman, you know!"

"Shaman!" they all called, hugging him and holding onto him. "Bless us, Shaman, bless us!" a cute little cat Arcan said, hanging onto his neck.

"A very special blessing for all of you," he laughed, holding his hands out and wrapping several of them up in an embrace. "Now go back to your play and let me get back to my work. We can play later, but work comes first," he said as he shooed at them when they started disengaging themselves from him.

"Shaman," a child skunk barely more than a toddler said, hugging him around the neck, licking his cheek, then running after her playmates on unsteady little legs. Kyven walked past Toby and Danna, who were leading their horses, and rejoined the Arcans at the head of their little procession.

"I'm glad you distracted them so I could escape," Clover winked. "Usually I'm the one they dogpile."

Kyven laughed. "Well, I didn't mind all that much. How long will we be here?"

"Overnight. Now is our time to rest, eat, and enjoy a respite from our journey," Clover answered. "Danna, Toby, you are allowed to roam the expanse of the village," she said back to them. "Just don't go any further than the edge of the tilled farmlands, or you'll not enjoy it. Just follow us to the inn so you may get a room, and then you are free to do as you will."

"Why thanky ma'am," Toby said with a nod. "Think Ah might be able tah pay someone tah wash mah clothes while here? These are getting a tad fragrant."

"Pay?" Tallspan said, then he laughed. "Human, there is no money here," he told him. "When someone needs something or needs something done, he asks for help, and help is given. We have no need for money, we have each other."

"What? No money at all?" Kyven asked in surprise.

Tallspan shook his head. "We have no need for it," he answered. "Here, we barter for what we want, but we freely give what is needed."

"Very different."

"Yes. We borrowed some things from the humans, but we did not adopt their greed."

Kyven found their inn to be what he expected, but also very different. There were a few people there, four Arcans and two humans, one behind the bar, a human girl serving the guests, and three Arcans and a human sitting around a table eating lunch and talking with each other. The Arcan behind the bar was some kind of spotted cat with broad features, looking vaguely like a cougar, but not quite. "Sala, we have special guests!" Tallspan called when they entered the inn, as Danna and Toby came in after handing their horses to young Arcans outside to care for them. The human girl came over to them, then hugged Tallspan fondly. "Shaman," she said with a smile. "Who are these people?"

"Guests on the way to the city," he answered. "This is Lisella," he introduced.

"Humans going to the city? Since when?" she saw when Toby stepped in.

"The spirits have wished it," the wolf answered calmly.

"Well, can they wish me to go?"

He laughed. "Maybe someday, when the Arcans there no longer fear humanity," he told her, patting her on the shoulder. "Not all Arcans are as open as we, child. Give them their one place to feel safe."

"Of course, of course," she said. "My, you've got quite handsome fur," she said, taking Kyven's hand.

"I'm Kyven," he introduced.

"He is on his Walk," Tallspan told her.

"Will you bless me, Shaman?" the girl asked immediately.

Kyven was a bit surprised. No human had ever asked him that. But, he wasn't about to slight her, so he put his hand on her shoulder and gave her the blessing.

Danna and Toby sat at a table of their own as the Arcans sat at a long table in the center of the room. They were brought long strips of raw meat that tasted very rich, which Clover identified as bison meat. The humans were brought a thick, hearty stew with dark bread, and Danna looked almost ecstatic to pick up a spoon and eat cooked food. Patches and Teacup talked to each other in excitement as they ate, excited about the village, and then Clover gave them a smile. "Go ahead and go look around, young ones, but stay within the boundaries of the village. Patches, mind that there are humans here, but they will not bother you. If you need us, just ask anyone to be brought to us, and they will."

"Thank you, Shaman!" Teacup said in excitement, jumping up. "Come on, Patches, let's look around!"

The panda did get up and go, but she didn't seem quite as enthusiastic about it as she passed the serving girl, Lisella.

"You two as well," Clover called to the humans. "Toby, Danna, Sava can help you get your clothes washed, and might be able to help you get some spare clothes as well."

"Brienn has been working overtime with bison leather," the spotted cat said with a nod. "She should have some leathers for both the humans that they can wear, as well as some fur cloaks so they can keep warm. It's coming into fall, and should be frosting soon. It can only be colder up north."

"Ah'd appreciate it," Toby said with a nod, then he took another bite of his stew.

Kyven and Clover lingered in the inn and chatted with the large wolf Shaman. He was a very kind and caring soul, very curious about him and very concerned for his well being. He explained Vanguard to him, as well. The village was the only village in Haven that had humans in it, and also served as the first stop on the road north from the edge of what the Arcans considered Haven territory. They saw humans in the wilderness to the south from time to time, lone settlers and prospectors, who were gently urged to keep south by roaming patrols of Arcans who pretended to be wild. They used a tactic that Kyven would admit would be quite effective; any encroachers would find themselves facing a pack of some thirty "wild" Arcans, Arcans that wouldn't attack, but also wouldn't permit them from moving any further north by standing in their way and daring them to try to go by. The real wild Arcans and the agents of Haven were primarily to the southeast of Haven territory, causing most of the humans to settle to the southwest, out on the grassy prairie. By using this tactic, most people, who would not dare tangle with that many wild Arcans, stayed safely away from Vanguard. Kyven was surprised to hear that there were actually quite a few humans in the wilderness south and west of the village, mainly isolated settlers who were willing to live without crystal-based technology and rough it. Some of them were even in contact with the Arcans of Haven, though they had no idea they were from Haven, or that there was a Haven. Their visitors were Arcans they thought were escaped slaves would trade with them, trading pelts and animal meat for agricultural goods like wheat and vegetables, or chickens, or other things. The humans who were friendly to the Arcans helped by keeping them abreast of what was going on in their area, since some of the scattered humans lived close enough to communicate with each other.

To the north of Vanguard, Kyven learned, was Arcan lands. There were small farming villages like Vanguard dotting the windy plains, forest mingling with prairie randomly all the way to the city, a land filled with nothing but Arcans. There weren't many Arcans in each village, but there were villages scattered all over the region, both to the east and west as well as north, each a little island of civilization in the wilderness, all of them connected by small roads. The Arcans didn't trade with each other from village to village very much, each village its own little independent place, like the Free Territories. Each one had a Shaman, just like Tallspan was the Shaman of Vanguard, who served as both the village servant and advisor to the village chief, who was chosen by the villagers to lead them. Tallspan used his Shaman magic however the village needed it, healing injuries, curing illnesses, helping farmers, but his most important function was teacher. Tallspan taught the young children every day while the parents were busy, teaching them their heritage, and to Kyven's surprise, teaching them how to read and write. Every Arcan and human in the village older than six knew how to read and write, which was a literacy rate that far, far exceeded the human lands. In the human lands, barely one in fifty could read and write.

"Why is it so important?"

"Because our lives are not as long as humans, and we are fully grown and working before human children are barely a quarter grown, we have less time to find wisdom," he explained easily. "There is much to be learned in books, Kyven. How will our children know their history if they can't read, since we write our history down? That's one of my jobs, brother. I'm the village historian. I keep the village history, everything noteworthy is written down."

"Like this visit," Clover winked.

"I'll be penning it after the afternoon reading lesson," he chuckled. "The Shaman not only watch over those who need us, we also keep the history of the Arcans. It is our duty to ensure our people remember who they are and where they came from, and so we learn from our mistakes in the past and don't repeat them."

"Always a wise thing," Kyven said with a nod. "Where do you get the books?"

"We make them," he answered. "Every village has a papermaker and a bookbinder. Sometimes that's the Shaman himself," Tallspan chuckled. "I know spells to make paper out of wood."

"Clever," Kyven nodded. "Mind if I go look around?"

"Our village welcomes you, brother. Be my guest," Tallspan told him.

Kyven found it to be a little microcosm of activity. They had a forge, alchemist, barrel maker, tanner, tailor, and smith serving the farmers who tended the crops that surrounded the village. Every family was a unit, and the families were social with each other, both Arcan and human families. Kyven had never seen such a level of cooperation before between the two races. Yet, there it was. The human girl working for the Arcan in the inn, and the human family working side by side with an Arcan family on a farm just between two houses. This place was a sign of hope that things could be different between Arcans and humans, but he realized that it wouldn't be anytime soon. The entire human race had a prejudice, a concept about Arcans that would make it quite impossible for them to just turn around and accept the Arcans as equals on a wide front. There were too many Arthur Ledwells in the world, and too many places like Cheston and Alamar, places that saw Arcans not only as a source of labor, but also as a source of amusement in the form of fur and Arcan fighting. Danna's attitude summed up the huge hurdles facing the Arcans in the quest for acceptance. She was intelligent and well educated, yet she saw Arcans as nothing but soulless animals, objects, the subjugated slave race whose rightful place was to serve man in both life and death.

Little victories. How many little victories would it take? A thousand? Ten thousand? A million, before the human race accepted that Arcans weren't animals, and had rights just like them? He'd be working on it all his life, he supposed, but there wasn't really any other way he could see. If the Arcans rebelled against humanity, or the Arcans of Haven declared war on humanity, they'd face a mass genocide of unimaginable proportions as a vast segment of the Arcans in captivity would be slaughtered either out of fear or retaliation. It was such a daunting concept, he realized. How did one free a people enslaved by another, when those captors had no care for their lives? Any resistance would get them killed, yet they couldn't allow them to go on as they were. How did one pull a piece of red-hot stock from a forge with no tools and not get burned?

He sat down and pondered on it for a while, then sighed and leaned back on his hands, his tail thumping absently on the ground as Danna and Toby passed by. He was still pining for her, but she hated him now. Perhaps… perhaps he'd been too hasty when he killed her men. But Clover had given him permission, it had been very nervous and scary, and he panicked when he made that critical mistake and let them get in front of him rather than keeping their attention focused forward so Clover could hit them safely from behind. He didn't really feel mournful over killing them, still feeling justified in his mind, but Danna had made it clear that it was one of the reasons she hated him now. Had he overreacted? Could there have been a different way if he'd stopped to think about it? The fox taught him that sometimes, killing was necessary, but her way was guile and deceit. Brawling was not her way, her way was trickery and cunning, avoiding direct confrontations, resorting to violence only when it was absolutely necessary. The fox was like a thief, silent in the night, clever and quick-witted, a shadow that slipped among men unseen and only attacked only when it was necessary.

Maybe he should have reverted to guile and deceit, rather than simple murder. He could do nothing about Danna hating him for being a Shaman, but at least that would have given her less reason to hate him.

One of the village children sat down beside him, a very small canine Arcan male with snowy-white fur and a black patch over one eye. "Are you teaching us today, Shaman?" he asked in a respectful yet enthusiastic voice.

Kyven glanced at the boy, and couldn't help but smile. "No, I'm just thinking," he answered.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I made a mistake, and I'm trying to think of a way to fix it," he answered.

"Shaman don't make mistakes," the boy said defensively.

Kyven chuckled. "I wish that were true, child, but we're just like everyone else. Most other Shaman are much wiser than me, you see, and since they're so wise, they don't make many mistakes. I'm still in training. I haven't learned the wisdom of Shaman yet, and part of it is learning from your mistakes. As long as you learn from them, mistakes can sometimes be good things. They teach you what not to do."

"You talk like the other Shaman," the boy told him with a grin.

"I guess they're rubbing off on me," he winked. "But this was a really, really big mistake. I made someone very angry, and I'm trying to find a way to at least say I'm sorry in a way that she'll accept."

"Just tell her," the boy said. "My mama says just be honest, and everything works out in the end."

"Sometimes honesty is good, but sometimes it won't help," he countered. "I did something that really made her angry, child. Just saying 'I'm sorry' won't fix this."

"Wow, sounds like you really misbehaved."

Kyven laughed ruefully. "I guess I did," he answered. "I guess sometimes you make a mistake that just can't be forgiven."

"What did you do?"

"I killed a human. A few of them," he said. "They were chasing me, and I killed them because I was afraid. She was friends with these humans, and now she hates me because of it."

"Wow, that's a tough one," the boy said, scratching his chin in thought, a pose that made Kyven quite amused. "You're right, just telling her you're sorry wouldn't be enough, would it?"

"I'm glad you agree with me."

"Well, you could always say you're sorry anyway," the boy said. "It certainly couldn't hurt, could it?"

"I guess not," he said, leaning back on his hands again, looking up into the sunny sky.

"You could do what I do when I get in big trouble," he said. "When I get in big trouble, I go out of my way to suck up to my mom for a while afterward. Pretend to make up for it, you know?"

Kyven laughed. "Shame on you," he teased. "You're supposed to not do it again after you get caught."

"But it's fun," the boy grinned. "Just be extra-extra nice, even if she's mean to you. My sis always says that it's hard to hate someone that doesn't seem to hate you. You give them no reason, you know?"

Kyven was about to chuckle, but the elegantly simple concept behind that idea was so, so true. Kyven didn't hate Danna, and just avoiding her wasn't showing her that he didn't hate her. He did need to show her that he wanted to at least try to reconcile. He doubted that it would matter to her, but he had to show her at least that much. He had to show her that the only hate there was hers for him, and just telling her that a few days ago wasn't going very far to proving it to her. He hadn't even really talked to her since that day, just leaving her to stew, partially because he didn't really know what to say to her.

"I'll have to think about that, I suppose," Kyven told him. "What's your name?"

"They call me Spot, because of this," he said, pointing to his black patch.

"I'm Kyven. Nice to meet you," he said, offering his hand to the boy. The boy grinned and took it, and they shook hands.

"Wow, you have a human name," the boy told him.

"I should. I am human," Kyven grinned at him.

"No way!" the boy gasped. "You're human? But–But–"

"I'm a human Shaman, child. My totem spirit wanted to teach me the life of the Arcans, and this," he said, motioning at himself, "was how she decided to do it. I guess she didn't think I'd really understand unless I lived life as an Arcan. You can't know what it's like until you're literally seeing through the other's eyes."

"What's it like to be human?"

"Honestly? A little different, but not too much," he answered. "I don't feel a whole lot different, outside of the fur and the tail and the muzzle. But I'm treated much differently. It was a very hard thing to go from being human to finding my entire world turned upside down, and being on the other end of a collar leash. I guess that's what my totem wanted me to learn, so I'd understand the Arcans I'll be working with much better," he said musingly, looking into the sky. "They were very… harsh lessons, Spot. But I guess, now that I look back on them, they were necessary. I really would have never understood unless I'd been put in an Arcan's footsteps and experienced what your Arcan cousins in slavery have to go through. It's why I'm here now, you know. Living as an Arcan dedicated me to your people, and now I'll work the rest of my life to free them from slavery to the humans."

"I'm glad you're on our side," the boy said. "A human Shaman working for the Loremasters? That would be scary!"

He was about to say something, but he came up short. A human Shaman working for the Loremasters. Scary, yes… but what could he learn from the Loremasters if he did it? What could he bring to the Masked, what information could he uncover if he infiltrated the Loremasters… and a human Shaman would definitely be able to pull it off! He could defeat their truth crystals, he could use his magic to move through the Loremaster organization and learn what they were up to, he could defeat or trick their alchemical devices and gain access to any part of their organization. He could warn everyone in the Masked about everything they were doing if he could worm his way into their main headquarters, get close to their leaders.

Guile and deceit. Weren't those the ultimate tools of a spy?

He could do it. If there was some way he could, could change back and forth between human and Arcan, he could use the stealth of the shadow fox and also use his Arcan form as a foil, while hiding among them in his human form, while they all searched for an Arcan, if he was ever seen or spotted. He'd be all but undetectable, and since the Loremasters would never, ever suspect that there was a human Shaman, nor that a person could change into an Arcan–wait. Danna had thought that Kyven had taken human form as an Arcan Shaman… might they suspect that? And Kyven's eyes did not change, both Timble and Danna had recognized him from his eyes, even as an Arcan.

He'd just have to be careful, he supposed.

"It would at that," Kyven mused, and he watched Danna and Toby walk back across the village, going from the forge to the leatherworker.

"That's her, isn't it?" Spot asked. "The girl you made mad?"

"You're very observant," Kyven told him with a smile. "That's her. She and her men were chasing me, but I killed them when they caught up to me. I could have done it differently, I supposed, but I was afraid and a little panicked. I acted rashly, and now I'm suffering for my mistake."

"Is she pretty? I don't know what humans see in humans."

"I think she is."

"Hmm," the boy said, looking at her. "I don't see what you see."

"I'm human, I have a different perspective," Kyven chuckled.

A bell began to ring. Kyven looked and saw Tallspan coming out of the inn, ringing a hand bell. "It's time for lessons. It was nice meeting you, Shaman. Will you bless me?"

Kyven put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "May the spirits bless you and watch over you, and keep you out of trouble," he said with a wink.

"No, trouble is fun!" the boy protested.

"Too late, now you gotta be good," Kyven grinned.

"Awww!" he growled, then got up and rushed over to Tallspan along with other Arcan children.

Kyven watched as the wolf Shaman took the kids near the center firepit, and had them sit on the ground as a small cat Arcan passed out books to them, then laid back on the ground, put his hands behind his head, and pondered on his idea of invading the Loremasters. He could do it, he was sure of it. What could he learn? How could he help the Arcans by doing it? He wasn't sure. It would certainly be dangerous, but he was also in a unique position to pull it off. He could move about invisibly in Arcan form, and if he could find some way to be able to switch back and forth, he could hide among them in human form while his Arcan form slipped among them and learned whatever the Masked needed to know to help the Arcan people. If he was very lucky, he could infiltrate the highest levels of the Loremasters and learn what their leaders were up to… if he could switch between two forms.

But that was only one way he could serve. Even if he couldn't regain his humanity any time soon, he had unique abilities that would let him get into places nobody else could. As long as he had shadows to work with, he was invisible. He could go many places no one else could, and that ability could be very useful. Right now, he'd do whatever it took to help the Masked, to start amassing his little victories and help stop what was happening to the Arcans.

Clover came into his view, along with Patches and Teacup, looking down at him. Clover was smiling, Patches was giving him a serious little look, and Teacup was looking at the children and Tallspan. "Are you enjoying yourself, brother?" Clover asked with a sly little smile.

"I'm keeping the sky up," he said dryly. "Don't block me or it might fall on you."

Clover laughed and sat down beside him, but the two girls wandered off to continue exploring. "We'll be leaving in the morning," she told him. "Tallspan will be coming with us, as well as a few to drive the cart carrying Claw," she said with a sigh.

Kyven reached over and patted her on the knee, and she took his hand in her own, holding it for comfort. "I miss him too," he told her.

"To come so far and fall, such a pity," she said somberly. "But at least he'll find his peace resting on Firetail's Hill." She looked at him. "Heavy thoughts?"

"Pondering the future," he answered. "How I can help the Masked, given my, tricks. I hope I can do something."

"I'm positive they'll find some uses for you, brother," she nodded. "After you complete your Walk, a Shaman of your unique skills would be very, very useful. Your totem is illusion, deceit, and cunning, giving you the ability to get into many places no one else could penetrate. I'm just a little worried, that's all."

"What about?"

"The spirits have called all the Shaman back to Haven, brother. Even the ones on their Walk. They would not bring us home, and call those two humans, unless there was something serious going on, something of which the Shaman are unaware. The spirits know something, and they are calling us together so we may know this information and respond to it."

"What do you think it is?"

"I have no idea," she answered. "But it concerns me. To bring all the Shaman together is a drastic step. It has never been done before. It can only mean that what they wish to tell us must be similarly drastic."

"Who knows," Kyven said. "Maybe it's good news."

"There is rarely good news for the Arcans, my brother," she said seriously. "I would hope that it is good news, but I will expect the worst, so that I am pleasantly surprised."

"That's not like you, Clover."

"I know, but I can't help it," she said as he sat back up. She gave him a grateful look when he put his arm around her, and she pressed up against his side, snuggling against him. "It's hard to believe that you are human sometimes," she said lightly as she put her head on his shoulder. "You are just so, so Arcan."

"I learned well," he said dryly. "Would you like some different comfort?"

She chuckled. "I do now that you've asked," she told him. "It would take my mind off things."

Kyven stood up and helped her to her feet, then walked hand in hand with her back to the inn.


After a languid, sensual session of lovemaking, giving Clover time and attention and a little time of respite from her worries, they dozed in one of the upstairs beds. Clover had been much more unsettled than he realized, very nervous, and very needful from the way she touched him. He gave her what she needed, gave her a few hours of simple pleasure and a chance to forget about her problems for a while, then slept with her in his arms, granting her a sense of peace and security. That she was much better as a Shaman than he, and much wiser, didn't matter. She just needed to be held, to be loved, to indulge herself in a sense of togetherness and comfort. She needed that afternoon without worry, to give herself a chance to calm down, relax, and return to the real world with a more calm and ordered mind. It helped Kyven too, since Clover was a tender lover, and she had almost unbelievable endurance and the ability to control his own pleasure to extend their lovemaking as long as she wished. He very much liked making love with her because of her lovemaking skills, one of the most sensual and sexy females with which he'd ever had the pleasure of sharing a bed. She needed a distraction, and he was more than happy to give it to her because it allowed him to experience her again, and also vented a little building frustration with thinking about Danna.

He guessed it was only bad luck that the one to barge in on them was Danna. She opened the door and gasped, which roused him from sleep, making his eyes flutter open. Clover, who was resting with her head on his chest, also woke up, rising up to look at the door, and at the surprised human, whose face was registered growing outrage. "What is it, Danna?" she asked calmly.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, a little hotly.

"I needed comfort, and Kyven was gracious enough to grant it," she said simply. "Among the Arcans, it is quite common."

"He fucked you?" she asked in growing shock.

"A crude term, but essentially correct," she said mildly. "He gave me an afternoon away from my worries and cares."

"I–That's–Disgusting!" she said hotly. "How could you fuck an Arcan if you weren't already an Arcan!" she demanded hotly of Kyven.

"That's an unfair accusation," Clover said calmly as she sat up fully, regarding Danna with steady eyes. "As you are fully aware, many human men do not make such a, distinction when choosing bedmates."

"And they're perverted too!"

"How so, when you have stated yourself that Arcans exist only to serve man, in whatever manner he chooses?" she asked with strong eyes. "To decry but one way humans use us but not others that are equally terrrible is to be a hypocrite. But Kyven is in no manner a, what did you call him? Pervert? He is merely acting within the established culture of my kind, nothing more, nothing less, as his totem wished him to do when she changed him, so he could learn Arcan culture and operate among us without causing friction. I find it quite charming that he's willing to carry through with giving me comfort, because he is human, and he's not attracted to Arcan females. It says much about him," she said, patting him on the stomach fondly.

"It says a lot about him, alright," she growled, and slammed the door closed behind her as she left.

Kyven groaned and laid back. "Great, now she hates me even more," he lamented.

"I believe it's time I had a little talk with Danna Pannen," Clover said in a deliberate voice, sliding out of bed and standing up. She brushed her hair back, shivered her tail, and then advanced to the door on confident legs, leaving Kyven in bed. He laid back and sighed, wondering just what that was going to be about.

He dressed and left the inn, and saw that it was nearly dusk. There were quite a few Arcans and humans moving about, primarily between houses and towards the inn, ready to enjoy the rest of the day with a meal and good company. He also saw Clover and Danna. The coyote had the human woman seated on one of the logs near the firepit in the middle, which several males were preparing for a fire with wood. She was deep in conversation with the human, keeping hold of Danna's hand in her furry hand to both keep her from rushing off and also to maintain a touch on her. Danna looked angry, but she remained silent and allowed the Shaman to speak. Kyven left them before Danna saw him and got mad again, wandering down by the edge of the village, by the fields. The fields were quiet, and the wind was cool and sweet-smelling.

"Quite a view, eh?" Toby asked as he strode up to Kyven, the wind pulling at his blond ponytail. "Not what Ah expected tah see 'tall."

"Toby," he said with a cordial nod. "I'm sorry I haven't been more courteous. I was staying away from Danna, and you're the only one she can really talk to. I didn't want to start any fights and bring trouble on you."

"Ain't no big thang," he answered. "Ah understand. Are ya' really human?"

"Afraid so," he answered. "Born and raised in Atan. But I'm also a Shaman, Toby. My totem, the spirit that commands me, she changed me into this so I could fully appreciate the Arcan position, probably to make me commit to the Masked. Arcan slavery is much more of an issue when you live it."

"A human Shaman. Ah nevah thought that'd be possible."

"You and me both, at least until I discovered the truth. So, still gonna try to take me back, now that you know the truth?" he asked, looking at the hunter with a slight smile.

Toby laughed. "Ah reckon Ah'd have a big problem tryin' it," he said with a grin. "Ah'd never get a collar on ya'."

"That and the fact I'd be a little unwilling to go back," Kyven chuckled. "Has the trip been alright for you so far?

"Outside o' Danna bitchin' every ten seconds, not bad," he answered. "Ah'm a bit worried about what's gonna happen when we get where we're goin', though. In some ways, Ah feel like Ah'm bein' herded tah the slaughterhouse. In a way, now Ah feel like an Arcan."

"I doubt that," Kyven said. "The spirits want you to be there, for some reason. Who knows, maybe they really do want you to do something. You're a very formidable man, and you know a great deal about the way things work. Maybe they have a scheme in mind, something a man of your talents could pull off where few others could."

"Ah'm no rabid slaver," he shrugged. "Ah do what Ah do because Ah'm good at it, an' Ah can earn a good livin'. Besides, it's the system, an' Ah was just livin' in the system. Wasn't never nothin' personal with y'all, just business. Ah've always been polite."

"That you are," Kyven agreed. "And for what it's worth, thank you."

"Fo' what?"

"For treating me with respect, even when I was wearing your collar. You're the most decent slaver I've ever met."

Toby chuckled. "No problem, friend, no problem. Hopefully that'll earn me a few points when we get where we're goin'."

"Probably. You'll probably fare better than Danna," he noted.

"Ah saw the Shaman talkin' tah her," he said, looking back to the village. "Ah'm surprised Danna ain't tryin' tah bash her face in."

"Clover has a… way with people," he said. "She's very gentle and sweet-natured, but she's also very wise. I don't doubt that Danna has her hands full trying to hold her own against her in a conversation."

"Ah wonder what they talkin' about."

"About me, probably," he sighed. "I never wanted Danna to hate me. I've–" he turned to look out over the crops. "I've been thinking about her almost since the day we met. And now she hates me," he sighed. "I killed her men, she finds out I'm a Shaman, and I'm an Arcan. You know what it's like to want to be close to a woman who won't have anything to do with you, Toby?" he asked, with a bit of resignation. "That's why it stings so much when I see the hate in her eyes."

"Ah think killin' her men mighta been not a good idea," Toby told him. "Most o' her anger has been ovah her men. She took her job leadin' 'em seriously."

"I panicked," he admitted. "I was supposed to keep the men in front of me, and I let them get behind me. I did the only thing I could think of at the time. I've been seeing how big a mistake that was more and more every day," he said. "And to think, I gave her that big speech, trying to be all rational and calm, and I didn't do the one thing I should have done."

"What?"

"Said I'm sorry," he said. "Even if I didn't mean it. I was trying to be rational to someone who was emotional, that doesn't work very well."

"They say everything's clear when yo' lookin' back," Toby said sagely. "Ah'm gonna go turn in, Ah'm sleepy. See ya' in the mo'nin'."

"Night Toby. Sleep well," he said, watching as the moon began to rise, a moon that was waning through its half moon cycle. He watched the moon rise completely, then went to the inn and sat near the corner, politely begging off the many who tried to strike up a conversation with him. They could tell after a moment that he wasn't feeling very chatty, so they left him be. He nursed entirely too many tankards of ale that were good for him most of the night, leaving him a little drunk, chin on his hand and elbow propped on the table, just watching the Arcans and the few humans that lived here interact, quite amiably. The Arcans here accepted the humans who lived here, and the humans seemed quite content to be among the Arcans. These weren't typical Arcans, though, these were just the ones that weren't afraid of people. The Arcans that were fearful of humans would be further north, from the sound of it, since humans weren't usually allowed past Vanguard.

A shadow blocked the light of the alchemy lamp illuminating his table. He looked up and saw Danna, standing there with her hands on her hips. She looked down at him, her eyes flashing, but she said nothing. "I could say I'm tired of trying," he said in a slightly slurred voice, clearly the voice of a drunken male. "I've tried reason, I've tried giving you space, I've tried being nice, but it just seems that everything I do makes you hate me more. The only thing I can say now is I'm sorry."

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"I'm sorry I killed your men," he told her, then he looked away. "I'm sorry we captured you, and I'm sorry you hate me. I can't help it. I did what I thought I had to do, even though now I'm starting to doubt if it was the right thing. I thought it was at the time. I tried explaining things like rational people, but it didn't get me anywhere. I tried backing off to give you space, but that just made it worse. Then you walk in when I was just trying to make Clover feel better and it makes you hate me more. I give up," he sighed. "I'm attracted to you, but you hate me. Even if I did get my humanity back, what's the point? I killed your men, I humiliated you, I'm dragging you to Trinity knows where and I have no idea what they'll do to you, and to top all of that, I'm a Shaman, which you hate as a matter of course. It's over before it ever had a chance to get started." He drained his tankard with one long draw, slammed it home on the table, and stood up. "Now, I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Danna, and goodbye. Sleep well."

He got up and walked a little unsteadily towards the stairs, staggering up to his room. He sat on his bed for a little while, then struggled out of his clothes, opened the shutters on the window to let the cool late summer night air into the room, then lay on the bed, over the covers, feeling the cool wind blow over his fur. He let that sensation lull him to a troubled sleep, as he let go of any chance to be with Danna.

She hated him, and it was over. It was time to let it go and move on, and concentrate on the reason he was here… to join the Masked.


Of course, that conviction didn't last long when he had the chance to look at her.

Kyven had a bit of a headache the morning they started out, with three new people with them. Tallspan had joined them, and two Arcans from the village came along to drive the cart holding Claw's body. They rode at a much slower pace now, barely more than a walk for the Arcans, having to go slow to let the cart and its horse keep up with them. That slower pace was actually a curse for Kyven, since he had lots of time to look other places than straight ahead. He found himself glancing back at Danna almost every other minute, looking at her hair, looking at her face, looking at her now clean clothes, having been washed during the night while she was asleep. He knew he had to stop it, to let it go, but he just couldn't help it. He was drawn to her in a way he couldn't ignore.

Perhaps this was another lesson, a lesson in resisting his impulses to keep his mind on his job. He couldn't be this distracted when he started working for the Masked, or he wouldn't last long. But he rather doubted it.

Danna's presence drove him to the front of their party, and keeping her completely behind him helped a little. To look at her, he had to turn completely around, and he wasn't going to go that far. He kept quiet and tried to work through this hangover, hearing without listening as Tallspan went on and on about the territory ahead. They passed through another village around midafternoon without staying the night. They did reach a village about sunset, and while the residents gaped at Toby and Danna, Tallspan met with a burly bear Shaman who called himself Hardstep, who was then introduced to them. Kyven was shown to a room without much conversation and went to sleep without eating, mainly because his stomach didn't feel much up to eating.

He awoke feeling much the same way, his stomach feeling queasy, but he put it out of his mind as he went down after Patches woke him up. He met the big bear, Hardstep, once more, who turned out to be a rather jolly fellow who loved to tell jokes, and also loved to laugh. He joined them as they continued north, and Kyven tuned them out and concentrated on not throwing up as they walked that day, walking on all fours rather than on his legs because it made his stomach feel better. Drinking all that ale was really punishing him, it seemed, he'd been sick at his stomach ever since the hangover. Was it some Arcan reaction to too much ale? He wasn't sure, but it surely kept him from even thinking about food. He sat near the small stream at which they stopped for lunch, drinking water in small sips as he tried to get his stomach to settle down… and also to stay away from Danna.

Patches came over to him as the others ate and offered him a bit of buffalo meat. "Here, you haven't eaten all day," she said, holding it out to him… but the smell of it turned his stomach.

"No thanks," he told her, bowing his head. "My stomach's been upset all day. Nerves, I guess," he chuckled weakly. "I'm surrounded by Shaman and we're getting closer and closer to where we're going. I feel a little out of place."

"So do I. I don't know what's going to happen when we get there. What I'm going to do, where I'm going to go. I don't even know where I'm going to live. Will I ever see you again when we get there, and the Shaman go on?"

"I hope so, little one," he said with a smile, reaching over and patting her shoulder. "I'm going to miss you when you find your place, and I leave. You've been a good friend."

"Thanks, Kyven," she said with a shy smile. "You're not bad, for a human anyway."

Kyven chuckled weakly, then leaned down and again lapped at the water, drinking a little more. Patches left him and returned to the others, but did give him a few smiles when he looked in their direction.

When they started out again, he had to catch up because he was in the bushes, suffering a bout of diarrhea; that ale had really torn him up. He had to hurry to catch up with them, following along behind them, following the cart. As the afternoon progressed, though, he felt decidedly light-headed and a little disoriented. Something occurred to him, that this might be something other than some kind of extended reaction to the ale, but he was too far gone by then to consider that he should do something about it. He was confused, his only real clear objective to stay with the cart… though he wasn't sure why. He just knew that it was what he was doing, so it was what he did. He followed the cart with a drooping head and a sagging tail, his stomach rebelling against him and his insides all knotted up, as his throat seemed to get tighter and tighter and drier and drier. He had to stop a moment to drink at a stream the road forded, lapping at the water to try to slake his thirst. He drank at the stream for long, long moments, as the cart and the others wound out of sight, and when he finally could drink no more, when his belly was almost distended with water, he found that he was still thirsty… yet he could do nothing about it. He simply sat there and lapped at the water, unable to swallow it, bringing it into his mouth and letting it fall back out. Eventually, his thirst abated, and when he looked around and saw no cart, the need to follow it faded from his mind. He sat there in confusion, unsure of what to do, then turned and went back down the road the way they came because he was unsure of why he was even there. The road seemed to swim in his eyes, undulating and gyrating in crazy ways that made his stomach churn, so he turned off of it and found himself in cool grass. He laid down in the comforting grass, surrounded by soothing smells that seemed to settle his stomach, and closed his eyes as the unsettling feeling faded away, and before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep.


The others went quite a way before any of them realized that Kyven was no longer with them. Patches was the one that noticed that he was no longer following the cart, and she went over to Clover, who was weaving a garland of clover flowers for Teacup, who was energetically babbling at the bear Shaman, Hardstep. "Clover? Kyven's not with us anymore," she said, motioning behind them.

"I'm sure he'll be along in a moment, child," Clover told her.

Patches kept watch, but after more time than she felt entirely good, she again brought it up. "Umm, I think maybe we should look for him, Clover," she said. "He wasn't feeling very well when we stopped to eat. Maybe he had to stop."

Clover gave her a steady look, then turned to the other Shaman. "I'll be back presently, my friends," she told them. "Patches thinks Kyven had to stop. If he is feeling poorly, we'll catch up with you in Glenfall."

"Certainly, sister," Hardstep nodded. "I think the boy was looking a bit unwell when we stopped, but he seemed to shake it off."

When Clover turned back down the road and bounded off, Patches followed her determinedly. Clover just smiled when the young female pulled up with her and nodded, and they backtracked for quite a ways. Clover would stop from time to time to smell the ground, trying to find Kyven's scent, she figured, then they would keep going back. When they again reached the stream, Clover paced back and forth along the edge, sniffing at the ground. "He never came over to this side," she announced. "And the stream is far too shallow to drown him or carry him off, even if he collapsed in it. Why would he leave us?"

"I don't know," Patches said. "Couldn't he cure himself if he was ill, like he cured that feral wolf Arcan?"

"He could," she said. "Let's find him, child."

The sun began to creep low on the horizon as they continued to backtrack, as Clover kept checking the sides of the road to see if he went off into the grassy plain, perhaps to chase down something to eat. They searched for over an hour for him, until Clover gave a call as Patches went past her. She came back to find her kneeling over Kyven, who was curled up in the grass in a fetal position, his breathing fast and shallow and his nose dry. "Kyven!" she called in alarm.

"Shh, it's quite alright, child," she said with a gentle smile, a hand on his shoulder. "He'll be just fine."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He has drinking sickness," she said with a little smile.

"Drinking sickness? But that's a baby's illness!"

"Patches, Kyven was born human, do not forget. He has no immunity to childhood diseases like drinking sickness and red-eye. He must have picked it up from the children in Vanguard."

"Can you cure him?"

"I could, but it would be an exercise in futility," she answered. "He'd just catch it again so long as he's around children. It's best to simply let it run its course, so his body learns to fight it off. From the look of him, he's already recovering. He should be up and about tomorrow." She reached down and picked him up, cradling him against her as best she could, given his arms were dangling almost down to her knees. Kyven was bigger than she was, so it made it hard for her to hold him. "Run ahead and tell the others what happened, and ask them to turn around and come back. I'm capable of carrying him, but he's taller than I am, that makes him a tad awkward for me to hold," she admitted with a smile. "Oh, and could you tuck in his arm and tail so they don't foul up my legs?"

"Certainly," she said, doing so, draping his arm over his stomach, then tucking his tail in around his leg and draping it between his legs, holding it in place. "I'll bring help as quick as I can, Shaman."

"That's a good girl," she said with a smile, motioning for her to go with her muzzle. The panda loped off, both relieved that Kyven was going to be okay, and just a little bit amused. A grown adult, catching drinking sickness? It was almost funny. But, it certainly proved that Kyven wasn't born Arcan, if he caught a baby's illness. Patches wondered if he was going to catch red-eye next, or maybe even dryscale.

He'd certainly look funny with half of his fur falling out.

She caught up with the others and stopped them. "We have to go back, Shaman," she told them. "Kyven fell ill, and Miss Clover is carrying him."

"Ill? What happened to him, child?" Tallspan asked.

"He has drinking sickness, Shaman," she answered, a little shyly when she realized that everyone was looking at her. "Miss Clover said he'd be alright, but she wants us to go back for her because he's hard for her to carry. He's too tall, he's hanging out of her arms."

"Drinking sickness? Drinking sickness?" Hardstep said in surprise. "That's a baby's disease! How did he contract it?"

"Kyven was born human, Hardstep," Tallspan told him calmly. "He has no immunity to our common childhood diseases. He must have picked it up from the kids in the village. Did Clover cure him, child?"

"No sir, she said it was best to just let it run its course," she said as the cart drivers turned the cart around.

"She did the proper thing. Well, let's go pick them up. I think I'm much better suited to carrying the young male. His feet must be dragging the ground if Clover is carrying him," he chuckled.

"I think I'm much better suited to such a task, brother," Hardstep laughed, thumping his barrel chest.


 "Well, that proves it beyond any doubt," Toby said in a quiet whisper to Danna as they turned around. "Ain't no human can catch that, an' it is an Arcan childhood illness. Ah done seen enough o' it in Alamar. Kyven really is human. When he was turned Arcan, he got vulnerable tah they're sicknesses. He's like a baby with no defense."

Danna gave the hunter a shocked look. "How can you be so sure?"

"Ah doubt they'd lie about somethin' like that, Danna," he answered. "Not among themselves. What good would it do?"

"They're trying to trick us!" she whispered back as they headed back the other way.

"Why? Ain't no reason tah do so," he answered. "We just afterthoughts, sugah. They don't care none what we think."

"Is it fatal?" she asked in sudden concern. "If he dies…" she said, giving him a fearful look.

"It's like chicken pox fo' Arcans," he answered. "Ain't fatal, just puts em in a sickbed fo' a day o' two."

Danna leaned back in her saddle and pondered that. If they weren't lying, then he really was human, and that idea shook the very foundations of her entire core values. A human Shaman. It was impossible! It was… it was against everything the Loremasters taught! If there were now human Shaman, then either the evil force the Arcan Shaman served was spreading into humanity, or the Loremasters were wrong about the Shaman. So, which was it?

She wasn't sure. But she had to find out. If the Loremasters were right, then this was something that hey had to know, no matter what it cost, no matter what it took. If humans were becoming Shaman, then the very bedrock upon which human society was built upon was starting to crumble.

If the Loremasters were wrong, then… what? What did it mean if the Loremasters were wrong about the Shaman? From what she'd seen so far, the Shaman were quite different when dealing with Arcans than the Loremasters taught. They didn't rule the way she expected the to, they instead acted like, well… doctors. And after that long talk with Clover, where the Arcan basically ripped everything Danna had ever been taught apart with calm, gentle words, now she wasn't so sure who was right or what to believe.

Kyven. Clover had been quite shameless about her attempts to change Danna's mind about him, telling her in brutal, graphic terms what he'd gone through before she met him in Atan, how he was nearly starved to death by a sadistic man, and the horrors he'd seen in a kennel cage. Even Danna had to shiver a little bit at the thought of it, the way Clover described it, starving literally in plain sight of many who could save him just by giving him food, people who walked right by his cage, and yet did nothing. How helpless he had to feel, literally watching others eat, and yet going day after day with hunger consuming him from the inside out…

Clover's attempts hadn't gained much ground with her. Kyven had killed her men, had directly taken the lives of three of her friends and indirectly caused the death of the fourth by forcing them to chase him, four men whose well being was her responsibility. She could feel sorry for what he went through, but she still could not forgive him for what he did.

But, there was a little sympathy for him, though most of it vanished when she thought of him having sex with that coyote. He was only supposed to look like an Arcan, not act like one to such an extent he was fucking their females! The very thought of it burned her up.

But it wasn't jealousy. It couldn't be, she hated him. It had to be something else that made her angry and outraged at the thought that he was touching some other woman, putting his hands on her, looking down at her with those green eyes as he–

She got herself back under control. Alright, she had to admit she was attracted to the human Kyven, it had been one of the reasons she'd investigated him, to find him. But that Kyven wasn't the same one. He was more Arcan now, more Arcan than human, and he was a Shaman! She couldn't get tangled up with someone like that.

But those eyes haunted her dreams.

She watched when the coyote came into view and came up to them. The other two Shaman surrounded her, checking the still form in her arms, and then he was transferred into the burly arms of that large male bear Arcan. They all laughed when the touched him, then looked back to the little raccoon female and the two canines driving the cart. "Drinking sickness!" the two said one after the other, which made the raccoon giggle like a little girl.

"That tears it," Toby whispered. "Kyven is human."

Human. He really was human. A human Shaman.

Trinity… it meant that the entire world was going crazy.

In a moment of silent clarity, Danna completely understood why he ran. If the Loremasters found out that humans were becoming Shaman–she had no idea what they would do. But whatever it was, it certainly wouldn't be pretty.

In that regard, she couldn't blame him for running, but she still couldn't see her way to forgive him for what he did to her men.

Chapter 14