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Subject: {ASSM} The Tails of Rabelaisia 4/8 Lady Chrystal (furry) TBD
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Date: Sun, 08 Apr 2012 07:10:02 -0400
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The Tails of Rabelaisia 4/6 Lady Chrystal
---

Sea Born Bard
Lady Chrystal and Charles
---

The young vixen leans on the rail and stares pensively at the storm
tossed waves.

There is a raging, elemental beauty out there.

Yet she sighs.

She grew up near or on the sea. Her family has, for generations now,
been seafarers.

Their love of the sea and desire to be on or near it is almost
instinctive.

She is no different.

Yet she sighs.

Unlike the rest of her family, she is cursed with an over abundance of
a fox's inquisitiveness. That compulsion to travel and seek new and
interesting things.

To the dismay of her parents and sometimes forced resignation of the
ship's crew, she also has far too much of a fox's sense of trickery.

Were she anyone else, she would have long since been told to remain
landbound.

What saved her from that fate was her undeniable skill as a crew
member.

Three years ago, at the age of 13, she had earned her Ship-Master's
papers.

For the last year, she has been the Captain of one of her family's
trading ships.

Every voyage has made a profit and she has yet to lose a crew member
to the fickleness of the sea.

Yet...

She can see no future for herself that does not include her first
love, The Sea.

A future of years of absolute boredom.

So now, in the middle of the night, she lets her voice ring out in a
frustrated shout...

"I'm bored! So damn bored! Isn't there a way???!!"

"Lady Chrystal. There is *always* a way." A huge paw gently touches
her shoulder to keep her from falling over the railing.

"One has but to be patient in seeking it and stay alert to the chance
when it arrives.

"Perhaps..." And here the voice turns whimsical. "You had but to ask
before the chance presented itself for you."

Chrystal watches as the aged bear moves to lean on the railing beside
her.

Charles is a Bard. A traveling entertainer they had picked up at the
last port. He said he was journeying to his homeland. Time for him to
settle at last.

In spite of his age, there is an obvious strength in his movements. A
youthfulness of action and thinking that belies the fact he is nearing
his time.

His many tales have made the trip seem shorter than it was. His help
was unhesitating when the storm hit. Together, he and Chrystal had
shouted their defiance as they combined their strength to hold the
wheel and keep her ship on course and running before the storm.

Deep, deep in her inmost thoughts, she admitted to herself she wished
he was in his prime again. Somehow, she feels a kinship with him.

"I'm going to tell you a story of one such time."

Gazing out at the sea, his voice turns soft and he begins.

* * *

"Bears are plodders.

"They are the workers of Rabelaisia.

"Guards, laborers, deckhands, dock-workers.

"They are only suited for the duller tasks.

"They have no appreciation for beauty. No talent for the finer skills.
If they are entertainers, they are invariably the clowns. Clumsy
acrobats ponderous in their movements.

"Yet one bear dared to wonder.

"Did it always have to be so?

"Deep in the late hours while at sea, he would get up and wander to
the railing to watch the play of the waves. He enjoyed the soft glow
of moonlight on the ever changing sea.

"Like you, he wondered if there was a way he could have more.

"He despaired of ever finding some way to combine his love for the sea
with his desire to teach others to see its ever changing beauty.

"So, only the sea and the night birds ever knew he was different.

"Then, after many years of despair, while drowning his sorrows in some
boring little port, he drunkenly shouted at the Bard who was there.

" 'What would you know of the loneliness of not fitting?! What can you
know of seeing beauty all around you and not being able to share it
with others?'

" 'After all...' And the young bear had filled his voice with drunken
contempt...

" 'YOU AREN'T A BEAR!!' "

She watches as Charles wrinkles his face in amusement at some hidden
secret.

"The Bard's reply was filled with a gentle sorrow the bear could hear
even through his drunkenness.

"You are right. I'm not a bear.

"But have *you* ever *tried* to not be 'a bear'?"

Chrystal looks at him in shock and belated comprehension.

"You?" It is the barest of whispers.

He nods. "Myself.

"That evening, after she was done, she came and talked to me.

"Still drunk, I agreed to apprentice to her.

"I haven't regretted it since.

"That night, I became Charles the 'Bard'. I left Charles the 'Bear'
behind forever."

They both lean on the rail in silence.

She ponders his words. The implications.

Seafarers, especially Captains, are used to having to make quick
decisions based on limited information.

It is now obvious that Bards are not just entertainers. What else they
are, she doesn't know.

Yet.

She vows she will.

She does know that this Bard is, for her, a bringer of opportunity.

Her voice is as quiet as Charles' had been.

"I accept."

And thus, at sea, adrift on her thoughts, a new Bard was born.
====

The Tails of Rabelaisia
"The Seven Saints of the Sea"
---

Lady Chrystal.

Rabelaisian Bard. Master storyteller, and much, much more.

She is a furry, an anthrovixen. Her ancestors were created with magic
during the final stages of the Rabelaisian Mage Wars.

She started life as a story character and eventually became something
more. She is now my female persona, one I wear comfortably after years
of familiarity. Like her creator, she too is creative and shares many
of my personality traits.

One of the strongest traits I have is a love for creating poetry, both
freeform and to rigid rules. For most of my life, my exclusive form of
expressing strong emotions has been through verse.

Lady Chrystal, Vel or Velvet to her friends--and Chrys to her lovers,
is, at heart, a poet.

What follows is her translation of a Rabelaisian work, 'The Seven
Saints of the Sea'.
---

Our saints were people, tried and true.
Come.
Listen.
Learn.

Aesir was first, master of skies white and blue
A working man, Captain and Mage
He learned to control the winds
And mastered the storms that others learned to hate.
Aesir, patron saint of winds and storms
He taught us we are master of our own fate.

Aditya was landsman born, a sea man's wife.
She stood on the docks through storm and strife
And bestowed her blessings
Husband. Sons. Daughters and friends. She blessed them all
Aditya, patron saint of light and good fortune
She taught us to look ahead, and love

Shintoshin kept within easy sight of land.
Every harbor, beach and cliff
She mapped her homeland
And gave us knowledge of ourselves
Shintoshin, patron saint of coastal waters
She taught us the joys of self knowledge

Shidehara wanted more than what she knew
So she ventured forth and learned the ways
Of storms and currents
It was she who mapped the unmappable
Shidehara, patron saint of navigators
She taught us the ecstasy of finding lands unknown

Vishinski was a scholar who loved the sea
He had a dream of journeys long
And found his guide in the stars
Night became day
Vishinski, patron saint of darkness
He taught us that knowledge overcomes fear.

Veddah was the.carpenter who designed the ships
That carried cargo and challenged the sea
Iron thewed, an honest, gentle man
He won us a world
Veddah, patron saint of the ship builders.
He taught us there is strength in flexibility.

Byssus was a weaver who loved to travel.
Ragged sails and becalmed ships made him think
And he found a way to make strong sailcloth
He tamed the winds of the open sea.
Byssus, patron saint of sail makers and the open sea
He taught us that diversity shared can unite a world.
---

Here are some notes about the Seven Saints:

Some names are based on translations from ancient Rabelaisian. Other
names have been chosen based on flow and mood considerations

1 Aesir - patron saint of winds and storms (male)
   Seaman's curse: "Aesir's blood!"

2 Aditya - Patron saint of light and good fortune (female)
   Blessing: "May Aditya's will be with you."

3 Shintoshin - Patron saint of coastal waters (female)
   Traveling a random or twisting path: "Shintoshin's journey"

4 Shidehara - Patron saint of navigators (female)
   Said of someone who holds to their plans in spite of unforeseen
complications:
    "He/She has the hands of Shidehara."

5 Vishinski - Patron saint of darkness (male)
   Seaman's saying: "The many eyes of Vishinski."

6 Veddah - Patron saint of ship builders (male)
   Said of a good keel (also of of someone who is 'stiff-necked'):
     "As limber as Veddah's back."

7 Byssus - Patron saint of the open sea and sail makers (male)
   Said of overcomplicated plans: "Byssusian"
====

Sailors' Lament
(a Rabelaisian Sea Chanty)
By: Lady Chrystal
---

A sailor I am
And always will be
She's all that I know.
The only life I can see

(chorus) The Sea, the sea.
She's a fickle bee
I love her
But she hates me.

I first left home
At the age of three
Thinking of fortune
And fame to be.

The Sea, the Sea.
She's a fickle bee
I love her
But she hates me.

The work is hard
The days are long
As I'm here to tell you
With this song.

The Sea, the Sea.
She's a fickle bee
I love her
But she hates me.

My Captain's a bear
(with a terrible air)
He never works
(It just isn't fair)

The Sea, the Sea.
She's a fickle bee
I love her
But she hates me.

So I grunt
And I groan
When I do go to sleep
It's always alone.

The Sea, the Sea.
She's a fickle bee
I love her
But she hates me.

The ale is watered
The food is bland
So I'm always relieved
To see the next land.

The Sea, the Sea.
She's a fickle bee
I love her
But she hates me.

Yet when we're in port
And after a few
I can't help but think
'What else can I do?'

The Sea, the Sea.
She's a fickle bee
I love her
But she hates me.

So I put down my mug
Give my lady a hug
And return to the sea
What a terrible drug!

The Sea, the Sea.
She's a fickle bee!
I love her ...
But she hates me!
====

Chrystalization
Lady Chrystal, Stefan and Sabrina
---

"Do you think I enjoy being saddled with the name my parents gave me?"
I sighed. Once again, my given name has caused me problems.

"Lady Chrystal, who has said you had to keep it?" Stefan's words cut
off my tirade in mid thought.

"How does Sabrina manage to put up with you? For a hare, you are,
without a doubt - the most *exasperating* example of the breed I have
ever had the 'good fortune' to meet."

"Thanks." His ears twitch in amusement. "Sabrina has often said the
same thing."

I shrug slightly. Stefan has heard me call him 'exasperating' - far to
often for the comment to get much of a reaction. "To answer your
oh-so-pointed question... Nobody." I pause and then bore in. "Your
point being?"

He nods. "As my apprentice, you've earned an answer. You have the
right to choose the path you walk. How such an excellent 'mistress of
trickery' missed the obvious is something we can discuss later."

"Choosing your own path includes the option of choosing how you will
be known as you walk it." He treats me to a benign smile.

"Oh." Once again, I have been caught making assumptions I had no
business making.

"So, let me see if I understand this. Anyone may change their name to
suit themselves? That doesn't make..." I fall silent in realization.
"Sense." I finish weakly.

I smile wryly and with a definite element of chagrin. "I've always
been known by many names. The name I was called depended on who I was
with at the time. The obvious conclusion is that people do indeed
change their names depending on circumstances and how they feel at the
time. I would normally mistrust such an obvious conclusion."

"You trust this conclusion?"

Instead of answering, I take the time to study Stefan. His pose is
that of someone who is completely indifferent to what is going on.
But... "Sabrina never told you did she?" I'm rewarded with a slight
twitch of an ear.

"I didn't think so." I smile and settle back to see how he reacts.

After a long silence, he leans forward. "Are you going to gift me with
your insight? Young Master?"

Oops. Then it hits. Master?

When he agreed to take me on for my final studies, he and Sabrina both
warned me that he is slippery. I am a vixen. I grew up in a family
filled with trickery and misdirection. In my arrogance, when I
discovered that Bards use misdirection as one of their main teaching
tools, I thought there would be little in that field that I would need
to learn. Charles, my first guide, had quickly taught me otherwise.
After I became a journeywoman, I had taken on the duties of a
wandering Bard. Practice had honed my skills. On one of those
journeys, I met Stefan and Sabrina. The two of them had taken that
honed blade and put a point on it.

At that first meeting, Sabrina and I had looked at each other in the
way of females and she had nodded slightly. If I wished it, I had her
permission to join my path to theirs. I had done so and learned much
from the two of them. Many of the things I had learned were not
related to being a Bard. I had gone from youth to woman while I was
living with them.

I smile wistfully. "Our age differences out of the way, we could have
been lifemates."

"Yes. Sabrina and I talked about that when you left to make your
rounds." He's calm. Well, I expected no less.

I nod. "Thank you. Although, I do not understand how being so blind to
the obvious helped you decide to make me a Master."

"Someday, you will." We lean back in our chairs and let a comfortable
silence settle around us. Every once in awhile, one of his ears
twitches in annoyed impatience.

"It's your ears. Much like my or Sabrina's tails, they are windows
into your soul. That's the reason I trust my conclusion. As a
predator, my people long ago learned the ways of their prey."

Instead of answering, his head jerks around to stare at his mate.
Sabrina had been quietly setting dinner for the three of us and she
had settled at her place to eat and await the results of our latest
evening lesson.

"There was never any need for me to mention it. I've never met anyone
else who could read you that well. I suspect..." She stopped. If
Stefan had made some signal, I missed it. She continued after smiling
wryly. "Chrystal is, after all, the first person we've met who could
have been your lifemate. I expect her to be able to read you at least
as well and perhaps better than I can. My kind never deliberately
hunted hares. We usually chased bigger game." Her words are bland.

"For a Mage, you have much of the Bard within your words." He's
laughing. "Your velvet smoothness hides a mind as steel hard as your
body. My love."

I gasp. They turn to look at me and I see the shared curiosity. "The
vagrant fortunes bestowed by the sea could someday cause me to
acknowledge the name and title my parents and circumstances gave me.
In truth, I do not expect to be the one to take over the family
business." I smile wistfully. "Someday, I might wish to return to the
joys of a seaborne life. Right now, being landbound is far too
attractive and 'interesting' for me to desire a return to ways I am
amply familiar with."

"Vixens, be they Bards or otherwise, are, from birth, noted for being
'velvet smooth' in their 'female ways' as much as they are known for
the smoothness of their fur." I nod my head in Stefan's direction.
"Your skills have honed that native ability into something more. I now
have a reliable tool that I can use to help smooth my path as I walk
through life."

I take a deep breath. "If you would, please call me 'Velvet'. I would
honor both my heritage as a vixen - and the two people who have done
the most to help me become a Bard worthy of the title." 
====

The Final Slave - Part One
Feyn, Hoke, Vix (Lady Chrystal) and Alex
---

"How long do we have to wait here, Feyn?" whined Hoke, shifting
uncomfortably.

"As long as we need to. Now shut up!"

Feyn's voice was a quavering growl, grating unpleasantly on the ears.
He turned and glared at Hoke, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

Hoke opened his mouth to protest and then thought better of it. He
settled back into the poky alcove, wishing that it was bigger, or that
he was smaller. This was no place for a mule to spend hour after
uncomfortable hour.

It was all right for Feyn, he thought rebelliously. Damn Jackal had
both the bigger alcove and the smaller body. Hoke just wished he had
the courage to complain, but he knew he never would.

Besides, if he complained, Feyn might find somebody else to partner
him, and Hoke had to admit that the money was good.

'Only one more to go,' he thought to himself, as the cold night air
bit through his clothes and his fur.

Suddenly, as if his thought had triggered it, there was a silhouetted
form outlined at the far end of the alley.

What a silhouette it was! Fox, if Hoke was any judge. More than that -
female fox. Unmistakably so.

Hoke grinned in lecherous satisfaction. Females always fetched a good
price. They were more.... versatile in the duties that they could
carry out. He silently prayed that she would make her way into the
alley, where they waited to ambush her.

He and Feyn shared an eager grin as she turned and began to walk
towards them. Yes, *very* definitely female! In less than a minute,
she would step into their trap and be the last of their current
shipment of slaves.

Luck must indeed be smiling on them.....

* * *

'Oh dear'. The woman smiles to herself. 'It's a good thing it's dark
so they can't see my face. They'd be having second thoughts about
capturing me...'

The two in the alley were thinking so strongly that she was wondering
how come people even fell into their traps. 'Inept and lucky' she
thought. Of course one had to allow that they only hunted in the towns
on the coast. People were less likely to be alert and more likely to
fall victim to such as these.

'Well, I've been wanting a vacation for some time anyway. At least on
this one I won't be lacking for entertainment. I won't have to pay for
any of it either.'

After pausing as though in indecision, She ankles her way into the
alley.

A large hand wraps around her mouth as one of her 'captors' grabs her
from behind.

The other stands in front and touches a knife to one of her breasts.

"Scream and you'll pay for it. I'd hate to deliver 'damaged goods'.

"Do we understand each other?"

She nods her head and whimpers a bit.

"Good." The jackal smiles at her. His voice is mocking. "My Lady, you
are about to take a sea voyage with us. I do hope you have learned
some domestic skills. Cooking, cleaning...

The one behind her has begun to fondle her. She shivers as though just
realizing what is in store for her.

"Entertaining." Her captor breathes in her ear... His voice is husky
with unmistakable desire. Already, he is partially aroused and she can
feel him leaning into her from behind. Hinting at things to come.

At which point, there is a noise off to one side as something falls
noisily.

* * *

Feyn whirls around at the sudden clattering and final thud. In the
darkness it is near impossible to tell exactly *what* has fallen.

He takes a wary step towards the location of the crash and then stops
short.

The object must have fallen from the roof above. Was someone watching
them? If so, were they likely to inform the authorities? This could
spell trouble for the two of them.

Feyn stares up at the rooftop with narrowed eyes. Yes! He is sure that
he sees a glimmer of movement from up there. They have been observed!

A sudden whimper and a squirm from the female decides him.

"Hold her, you fool," he hisses at Hoke. "I'm going up there."

He gestures towards a wooden ladder, fixed to the side of a nearby
warehouse.

"Are you going to be all right? What if someone's up there?" asks the
mule nervously. All thoughts of amusing himself with the woman seem to
have temporarily faded.

Feyn fairly spits his answer out.

"Of course I'll be all right. You just keep an eye on *her*!"

With that, he quickly scales the ladder. He is nearly at the top when
he notices that something is wrong. He feels a lurching sensation in
the pit of his stomach, as he realizes the spike that holds the ladder
to the wall has twisted loose.

He grabs onto the side of the building but it is too late. His weight
drives the top of the ladder further and further away from the safety
of the rooftops.

For a moment, he clings desperately to the ladder, then with a snarl,
he jumps.

His landing is soft. There *is* that. He is surprisingly ungrateful,
however.

The stench hits him first. A midden-heap! He had smelled it from the
alcove earlier in the evening, but up close, it is a lot more
revolting. He is sunk up to his muzzle in the vile assortment of
waste.

Growling in fury, he wades out, noticing the disgusted look on his
partner's face as he gets near to the two of them.

"Let's get out of here," he mutters sullenly. "Bring her with you."

Keeping a respectful distance from Feyn, Hoke follows him out of the
alley, shoving the woman roughly in front of him. They head towards
the harbour.

* * *

Chrystal sighs to herself. 'These two are *dumb*. Any *real* thief
would have checked further before leaving. These two?'

Well, at least the waterfront isn't far.

As they pass a tavern, she moves as though trying to break away for
safety.

"Don't. The mule's voice is soft. I can still catch you and do other
things before you could get help.

"Besides. They know us in there."

She makes a mental note for later. She'd been wondering which tavern
keeper was helping the local slavers.

She studies the dock with interest. Why the possibilities for mischief
are endless for someone with skill.

Stifling her giggles, she shakes her head and murmurs...

"No.. Oh no..."

Feyn turns and smiles at her. "Oh yes my lady. I'm sure you'll find
the sea air refreshing. And..."

At which point his foot lands on a hawser that slid over slightly. The
rope rolls and he tries to maintain his balance by grabbing for
something.

As the sailors watch in stunned amazement, the lobster crates he
grabbed slowly topple on him.

With a loud clatter, the whole stack finishes falling. One lands with
its opening over his head and the weight topples him into the water.

Silence and then roars from all the sailors who raucously laugh at his
misfortune.

Still spluttering, Feyn surfaces and uses part of the same rope to
drag himself back on the dock.

She can feel the suppressed mirth in Hoke as his body shakes where the
two of them are in contact.

"Get her aboard." Feyn snarls. "Let's get out of here."

Feyn walks across the plank and turns to wait.

Hoke prods her forward. "Go vixen. Jackals don't like to be wet and
he'll take it out on you at the slightest excuse."

Chrystal openly shudders as the sailors make ribald comments to her
while she walks across the bouncing board. Feyn grabs at her and Hoke
starts his way over.

Just as the mule gets over half of the way across, there is an ominous
cracking sound and the board bends alarmingly under his weight.

Then, just as he gets close to the ship, it finishes breaking and
falls into the water. Hoke, in his effort to save himself, grabs for a
rope and hangs on.

Feyn howls in horror as he realizes he is standing in its coils.

"Let go you fool!" But it is too late. Hoke's paws are frozen shut and
Feyn and several of the previously laughing sailors are pulled into
the water.

When all the shouting subsides, Chrystal is standing at the opening
and looking down at them.

Her lips quirk and finally she can contain herself no longer. Her
silvery laugh flows from deep within her.

"You are right. I find the trip refreshing already." She smiles at
Feyn as he glares at her.

* * *

Finally, a couple of the remaining sailors stop laughing for long
enough to start the rescue operation going. Still chuckling amongst
themselves, they haul their fallen shipmates back onto deck again, one
at a time.

Hoke is one of the first to be dragged up by the rope.

He glances nervously at the vixen slave. She looks back at him with
evident amusement, and he considers repeating his warning to her about
Feyn.

Puzzlement causes him to frown. Doesn't the vixen realize that she's
in a lot of trouble? She *laughed* at Feyn. Openly taunted him. He's
going to be up on deck in another minute or two, and fit to kill
someone.

Yet she doesn't look scared. Rather the opposite, in fact.

Hoke sees that Feyn is being brought up from the water even now. He
shrugs and retreats to a shadowed alcove, behind some crates. *He*
doesn't want to face Feyn while he's in this mood. The vixen will just
have to learn by experience. Maybe next time, she won't be so quick to
air her opinions.

As he watches, Feyn is dumped unceremoniously on the deck, wet and
shivering.

No, Hoke notes. Not shivering. Trembling with rage and humiliation.

His eyes meet the vixen's steady gaze, and he advances menacingly
towards her. She never falters, and within seconds the two of them are
nose-to-nose with each other.

"You!" hisses Feyn, venomously. "You are going to wish that you'd
never met me!"

He draws his paw back in a striking gesture. Hoke winces. Although his
slow brain is barely aware of it, the wince is as much for Feyn as it
is for the slave. Her fearless countenance makes Hoke uncertain on his
partner's behalf.

Before he can open his mouth, however, another voice cuts sternly
through the air.

"You there! Slaver!"

Feyn whirls around, and the fury on his face fades abruptly. The
Captain of the ship stands on the deck, glaring at him. The rest of
the crew stand around, silent and uncomfortable.

The jackal opens his mouth to speak, but the Captain cuts in first.
His voice is like ice now. Soft, but full of menace.

"Need I remind you that the slaves are under your protection? We need
to deliver our cargo undamaged, if we expect to get paid.

"Personally, I don't care whether or not you get any gold for this
job. However, my bonus is dependent upon the health of these ladies."

He glances around at Chrystal and the other slaves on deck. Then he
meets Feyn's gaze again.

Hoke can see Feyn's mouth begin to open, as he considers arguing. It
shuts again, as he realizes that the Captain is both larger and
stronger than he is. Arguing with a grizzly bear on his own territory
is, even to Hoke's simple mind, not a good idea.

The grizzly continues to speak. Now his tone is a mixture of amused
contempt and impatience.

"If you can't keep them under control without violence, then you have
no place doing the job that you do.

"Furthermore, if you insist on acting like fools, then you can hardly
expect any of the slaves to respect you.

"Now, try to keep them unbruised and out of my way for the rest of the
voyage."

Feyn glowers with sullen outrage at the Captain's words, but he wisely
keeps silent.

As Hoke watches, the Captain takes charge. He turns to the mule, and
speaks commandingly.

"You. Take those three and show them their serving duties.

"Jackal, you take the other three down to the galleys, and set them to
cooking something for the crew.

"The rest of you, get back to work. I want to set sail within the
hour. Move!"

As the crew scrambles to obey, Hoke notes with interest that the
Captain has separated Feyn from the vixen. He leers as he thinks of
his chance to 'instruct' her. Being the prettiest of the three, she
would probably end up as the Captain's personal serving wench.

Still, in the meantime.....

* * *

Behind her pose, Chrystal's mind is churning. The Captain's concern
for them as 'goods' is understandable. What has her puzzled is the too
convenient timing of his intervention. Followed by his seemingly
casual separation of her and Feyn.

He shows no evidence of being able to use power. Still, she knows that
one can hide oneself to casual observation. If one is skilled enough.

She decides to gamble.

As Hoke reaches for her, she glares at him.

Then her eyes flicker briefly to the Captain.

"It doesn't take a *Bard* to figure out that circumstances have
changed."

She is rewarded with a slight widening of the Captains eyes which is
then quickly suppressed. Putting contempt in her voice, she continues.

"I've served in the King's Banquet Hall. I doubt if *slavers* have
need of such skills. However, your message is clear. If I am to
survive, I must cooperate with you. It seems gentlemen, that I must
await your pleasures."

The Captain's slight smile becomes an open grin as she finishes.

She smiles at Hoke. "Well? Mule? I believe you are to show us where I
and these others are to perform our 'duties'?"

Chrystal doesn't wait for him as she turns and starts the other two
women down the companionway ahead of her.

Hoke suddenly becomes aware she and the others are almost out of
sight. That smile had dazzled him and for a brief moment he wished
that things could have been otherwise.

Sighing briefly he then hurries to catch up to them. Yes, she is
spirited. It will make breaking her all the more pleasurable.

As they get to a point out of sight of Feyn and the Captain, Hoke
grabs her and turns her roughly to face him.

"You play a dangerous game Vixen. Feyn has been known to severely
damage people who displease him."

She studies him thoughtfully. "Then he is a bigger fool than you are.
Hoke.

"I know what price someone like myself will bring. Once he remembers
that, I think he will keep himself under better control. Your Captain
will also see to it that Feyn remembers to control himself. A grizzly
is not someone to be trifled with. Especially when he has a personal
interest in the outcome."

Hoke shivers at that reminder. He's seen Alex throw a sailor bigger
than himself across the deck.

"Still, Feyn may forget and by the time Alex caught him, it would be
too late for you."

She nods. "True. And that puts you in something of a situation doesn't
it?"

Hoke looks at her but she refuses to say more.

"Now, these duties we are to perform. Shall we get on with them?"

She turns away slightly then glances back at him. "I know *all* the
duties involved in serving a Master. I think you'll find me highly
skilled at them."

Smiling, she pulls out of his lax grip and continues down the
passageway.

'That should add a bit of confusion' she thinks.

'What?...' Hoke is confused. Is she hinting that she would come to him
willingly? Or is she toying with him?

This doesn't make sense. The same Vixen who stood up to Feyn is now
practically throwing herself at him?

He has no doubt she's far smarter than he is. What puzzles him is her
seeming submission to her conditions.

Wait.. Seeming... He ponders that. Could she be putting up a bold
front after all? Maybe... Turning to him for 'protection'?

Hoke's smile is open now. *That* has happened before. He'd be a bigger
fool than most if he didn't take advantage of the situation. Yes, and
then her hurt realization as he does nothing after he has used her...

OK. He has the game figured out now. Smiling, Hoke catches up and
starts explaining what will be required when they serve the Captain.

* * *

The mule and his three wards settle at last, in a quiet corner of the
ship. Hoke gets his explanations over with as quickly as possible. He
is constantly aware of the difference between the vixen and the other
two.

While they listen to him in terrified uncertainty, she interrupts
occasionally with questions. She shows no fear, and her interest in
Hoke is unmistakable. Whatever her motives are, he is more than
willing to make the most of his good fortune.

Once he has answered the last of her seemingly endless inquiries, he
stands up and ushers the three of them back into the corridor again.
Chrystal squeezes past him with a knowing smile, and Hoke leers back
in return.

Now all he has to do is get rid of the other two females. It should be
easy enough.

He leads them to their sleeping quarters.

"There's room for two of you to sleep in here." Gruffly, he adds,
"You'll have to share with someone else. Come with me." He gestures at
the vixen and she saunters out of the room with him.

Hoke's eyes gleam. Sleeping quarters, yes. Not the normal ones though.
A narrow bunk would be a little restricting, considering what is on
his mind at the moment.

He takes her to the officers' quarters, counting on finding at least
one of them unoccupied. Sure enough, there are a couple of open doors
at the far end of the corridor. Quickly checking that no-one is
watching him, he ushers Chrystal into the cabin.

She enters compliantly enough, then turns to face him. He shivers
again at the sight of that alluring smile. Quickly, he swings the door
shut, and takes a step towards her.

For a moment, he is only aware that something is different. Not quite
right. Then the pain sets in.

The end of his tail feels like it is on fire. As he turns around
sharply, the base of his tail is yanked sharply and painfully. In
agony, he sees that he has somehow got his tail trapped in the door.

Hoke fumbles frantically at the latch, but he is clumsy from the pain,
and his lack of ability to turn around properly. Added to that, the
door appears to be jammed somehow.

Trying to stifle his agonized braying, he finally manages to get the
door open again. His tail is throbbing in rhythm with his heartbeat,
and he sees with sorrow that there is a visible dent in it now.

For a few minutes, he is capable of nothing more than holding his tail
and moaning softly. In time though, his attention returns to the bed
and the female.

She is looking at him with raised eyebrows. No sympathy, but he
wouldn't have expected that from her. By the slant of her head, and
her general bearing however, it is obvious that her original offer is
still open.

The pain in his tail has receded to bearable levels now, and he begins
to feel an interest in the vixen again. A slow smile spreads across
his face, and he walks purposefully towards her.

Chrystal smiles and pats the bed. Hoke sits beside her and immediately
reaches for her. She holds up a paw and stops him.

"Wait. I'll clean myself up for you, and I'll be back in a moment."

Hoke sighs in resignation. In all honesty, he doesn't care whether
she's clean or not. Still, let her think *she* is seducing *him*. It
makes no difference to the eventual outcome, and she will be setting
herself up for greater disappointment later.

She disappears into the washroom, and he waits, still gently nursing
his tail.

Suddenly, he hears a rumbling from above his head. He looks up and
sees a locker above the head of the bed. As he watches, the rumbling
noise is explained. He watches in horror as a bottle comes toppling
down from the locker.

Time seems to slow. Hoke raises his paws to try and catch the bottle,
but it slips through his panicked grasp, and lands with a heavy thud
on his skull. Hard though Hoke's head is, it does not break the
bottle. However, it bounces off his skull and crashes to the floor,
and *that* is enough to smash the glass. Liquid flows freely onto the
floor of the cabin.

Hoke is aware of none of that. He is yelping in pain and holding his
head, where a large lump is already beginning to form.

His agonized shouts bring Chrystal running. She looks at the mess, and
looks at Hoke, hiding a smile.

"What's the matter?"

"My head...." he moans, his eyes squeezed into a grimace of pain.

"Come here. Let me take a look at it," she says, adding an inflection
of sympathy for good effect.

Hoke winces and gets up from the bed. He realizes that his foot is
wet. Before his slow brain can work out the implications of this, he
has taken another step forward. Straight into a large chunk of broken
bottle.

Fresh waves of pain shoot through him. Somehow, he manages to fall
back onto the bed, grabbing at his foot and shrieking.

"I'll go and fetch some help," says Chrystal softly. She quietly opens
the door and leaves to find the Captain.

She allows herself a grin at last. Trespassing in an officer's cabin?
Unless she's very much mistaken, that is going to get her captor into
further trouble. Hoke isn't going to be a popular little mule for a
while.....

* * *

As Chrystal appears on the deck, there are jeers and more ribald
comments from the sailors. The crew made good time on getting the ship
ready and they are out at sea already.

Finally, the noise attracts the Captain's attention and he calls to
her.

"Well Vixen? Is my lunch ready?"

She jerks as though startled and then lowers her head. "No
Ship-Master.

"It's the mule. He's badly hurt and needs attention. Do you have
someone who can tend to his wounds?"

The Captain looks at her and sighs deeply. "My name is Alex. Vixen.
You might as well get used to using it for the rest of the voyage." He
smiles at her knowingly.

The sailors who see this share grins. There is much speculation about
their Captain's appetites. One thing is certain. He *always* makes the
most beautiful slave his at the start of a voyage.

The other 'fact' they know is that somehow, he manages to make the
most reluctant female slave unwilling to leave him by the end of the
voyage.

"As for the mule..." This time his sigh is weary. "What has happened
*this* time? On every voyage I've had the 'pleasure' of their company,
they always wind up having problems.

"He didn't try harm any of you did he? If one of you hurt him, I'll
have to take steps."

By now, he has joined her and they are headed down the companionway.

Crystal's reply is made with a slight twitch of her lips.

"Oh no Alex. I think he was distracted about something... You know how
Mules can be sometimes... Anyway, he was showing me the cabin I would
be sleeping in for the voyage, a very nice one by the way, and he got
his tail caught in the door when he closed it. Then, while I was
refreshing myself, a jug fell on his head and when it hit the deck, it
broke. I was trying to help him and when he stood up, he stepped on a
piece of it and cut his foot.

Alex studies her thoughtfully. Much as he would like to berate her
publicly, he can see that indeed, Hoke has been his usual clumsy self
when on ship.

After they are out of sight of everyone, he stops her and turns her to
face him. He smiles slightly. "Indeed, it sounds like he's going to be
as clumsy on this trip has he has been on the others. I appreciate you
bringing a message about his clumsiness so early in the voyage.

They hear footsteps coming up behind Alex.

He responds by reaching out to gently touch her forehead with one of
his massive fingers. "Yes Vixen. By telling me about this, you have
already served me well. I suspect... " Here he puts an unmistakable
leer in his voice. "That by the end of the end of the voyage, you will
have served me equally well in some of your *other* capacities."

While she lowers her eyes in response to his open lust, they are
quickly bringing each other up to date.

As he turns her and pushes her ahead of him, he asks "So which cabin
is he in?"

She points towards the end of the passageway. "One of the ones down
there. See, you can see the liquid running out of it. Oh, please Alex.
Do something for him. I can't stand to see someone in so much pain.
I'm afraid I wasn't trained for such things. Minor things I can deal
with.. But his injuries need tending I cannot give."

Truth for the benefit of observers. Let them interpret it as they
will.

"An officer's cabin? This mule takes much upon himself that he
shouldn't. I suspect vixen, that you were going to have some unwanted
company later.

"Understand me well, you are property now and the damage I referred to
before we left was physical only. Some damage does not show and
thereby it does not reduce your price."

She shudders visibly. If she didn't know who he really is, she would
believe he is the rogue he pretends to be. Indeed, he has spoken
truth.

As they walk toward the sounds of a moaning mule, each considers what
they have learned about the other.

Alex is a Tracker and King's Messenger, he grew up on the decks of
ships. When the call went out for people to help track down these
slavers, it was natural for him to be one of the first to join. It
took him 10 years to carefully build his identity as a rogue Captain
willing to carry unusual cargoes for his own profit.

When he could do so safely, he had done his best for the slaves he had
carried. It was never enough though and Chrystal had seen some of the
things he would have to live with for the rest of his life.

Chrystal had grown up around the sea as well. Except she had become a
Bard and then spent most of her time on land. Since she had spent most
of the subsequent years as a Bard away from the seaports, (she is
known inland for her sea songs), she had seen her duty when word was
quietly passed that the slavers were almost all known and the net
would close soon. So, thousands of miles from her birthplace, she had
chosen to get herself captured.

Alex had seen that she had a fox's true love for trickery. Her years
as a Bard had only made her more skillful at it. Her towering
self-confidence was not a pose. It was very real and included a sense
of mocking humor that felt nothing was sacred. She also had a fox's
feeling for earned justice combined with a Bard's well honed skills.

Alex had to hide a grin. His uses of power to make Feyn's and Hoke's
lives miserable while shipboard paled when compared to what she had
already done.

In that flashing exchange, they had worked out the ground rules for
the trip. Alex would do his best for the six slaves. Chrystal would
concentrate on Hoke and Feyn while he kept his sailors out of
mischief.

By the time they reached the open door, Alex had decided he was going
to enjoy this last trip as a slaver by watching a Master who enjoyed
her work do her best to enjoy herself.

* * *

In the meantime, Feyn has been having his own problems.

Mumbling imprecations and dripping water, he roughly starts his three
slaves down the companionway that leads to the galley.

As he starts down the steps, the sailors choose that time to set sail.
It is with a sense of inevitableness that as the ship lurches, he
realizes he is standing in a puddle of water that has dripped from
him. Further, he is off-balance.

Time slows for Feyn and he has time to resign himself to his fate as
he falls through the hatch and winds up tangled with the three slaves
at the bottom.

Wet, bedraggled, bruised, angry, frustrated... Feyn is all this and
more as he finally manages to stand up. Regretfully, he has to admit
he should have been paying attention to things. This time, he can't
blame what happened on anyone but himself.

'Feyn.' He thinks to himself. 'Maybe you should do something safer for
a living.

'Footpad sounds nice and safe. Or maybe arrange delivery by land-based
methods...'

He consoles himself with thoughts of the amount of profit on this
voyage. The vixen will fetch the best price he's ever received. He's
certain of that much.

To make matters worse, he knows that Alex will use her himself for the
duration of the voyage. On reflection, he realizes that may be for the
best. She'll be more likely to arrive undamaged and bring the best
price.

Moodily, he shoves one of the females and tells the others to go into
the galley.

"This is where you'll spend the rest of the voyage. Unless one of the
sailors finds a use for one of you, you'll spend your time here or
sleeping on the pallets there in the back of the galley."

He points at the assembled cookware and stores. "Now, I assume at
least one of you knows how to cook. There are plenty of supplies. Just
fill the pots and keep the food available unless the Captain or I tell
you to shut down the galley.

He turns to leave and slams his head into a cabinet door that one of
the slaves had opened. Snarling, he slams it shut and turns to punish
the responsible slave.

He gapes as he realizes none of them are near. It was closed as he
walked past it... Then how...? He puzzles at it and then gets his
first hint as the ship lurches again and the door hits the back of his
head.

With a weary sigh, he turns to examine it closer. The latch is broken.
The door fits tight enough but when the ship shifts suddenly, it falls
open.

It is about then he hears the unmistakable sounds of a mule in extreme
pain. Well, Hoke can just suffer. Feyn doesn't know what happened but
*he* needs to go find a place to dry off and rest.

"Start cooking ladies. In about an hour, you'll be serving some hungry
sailors."

Irritated, he turns to make his way to his usual quarters while on
shipboard.

And falls flat on his nose as he trips over a bag of potatoes that has
rolled off of a stack of supplies.

Bruised, still dripping water, and now bleeding from his nose, he
manages to stand and lurch out the door and head to his room. Once out
of sight of the slaves, he leans gratefully against the wall for a few
moments.

It is a paranoid and wary jackal who steadies himself with one paw on
the wall and limps cautiously down the passageway.

He feels relieved when he finally gets close to his door. He's been
watching the floor with every step and every time the ship sways, he
checks the walls to see if there is anything that threatens him.

Then, the ship heels over in a stately turn and he feels something
hard hit his head again. Just before he passes out, he has time to
realize that he forgot about the lamp hanging in the passage.

He's almost grateful for the blackness that engulfs him. At least
there will be a respite to his pain. With a soggy thump, his now limp
body falls and lands half inside his room. Unnoticed each time the
ship sways, the door swings and hits his head.

* * *

It is dusk on board the ship.

Feyn glowers angrily. Trust Hoke to get caught pushing his luck by
using an officer's cabin. Due to his blundering, the two of them had
been punished by the allocation of an inferior set of quarters.

Now the two of them have to share a small room, and they have been
confined to quarters for the rest of the day.

Feyn's head is still throbbing like a mouthful of diseased teeth. The
last thing he needs is to be stuck in the same room with his
dim-witted partner.

He sighs. Despite the numerous aches and pains, he has to try and get
some sleep. Tomorrow will be 'business as usual'.

Settling down, he gets comfortable and closes his eyes. Darkness
closes in comfortingly and he begins to drift off to sleep.

"Feyn?"

"Mmmmm? Wha'?"

"Are you still awake?"

He growls softly. "I am *trying* to get to sleep, Hoke."

"Oh. Goodnight then."

Feyn turns over irritably. His head erupts with a brief burst of pain
which gradually settles to its dull thump again.

His eyes close for the second time, and slumber beckons.

"Feyn?"

The answer is soft, but menacingly pronounced. "What?"

"You know that vixen?"

Feyn glares angrily into the darkness. "Yes, what about her?"

Hoke's voice is slow and troubled. "When she was bandaging my foot....

"Well, she mentioned something about the price she'd fetch.

"I was surprised she'd fetch so much and I said so. Then she asked
what we usually got for slaves and I told her."

"What's your point, Hoke?" snaps Feyn, impatiently.

Hoke sounds a little apologetic. "Well, she.... she laughed. She said
that we were either fools, and selling slaves for a pittance or...."

"Or what?" Feyn snarls dangerously.

"Or.... or you were cheating me," finishes Hoke in desperation.

Feyn is wide awake now. That vixen! That *damned* *evil* vixen!
Tomorrow he will wring her neck! He will.... he will....

In sullen fury, he realizes that he is virtually helpless to act. If
he damages the merchandise, the chances are that Alex and his crew
will throw him overboard. They want their bonus, and if there is so
much as a scratch on *any* of the slaves.....

His mind snaps back to the present. Time to do some quick-talking, to
settle that stupid mule's mind. He settles on a hurt tone of voice.

"What are you saying, Hoke? You'd believe a slave's word over mine? I
swear to you that you've been receiving a fair cut of our wages. Or is
my word not good enough for you any more?"

"Oh no, Feyn. I didn't believe her!" Hoke's voice is defensive. Full
of deference. Feyn smirks, his face hidden by the dark. "It's just....
she said...."

The jackal interrupts, still with an injured air. "Go to sleep, Hoke."

The mule gradually bumbles to the end of his apologies and silence
descends in the cabin again. Feyn sighs. Sleep at last!

Suddenly, the clang of the ship's emergency bell rings out in the
night. Feyn jumps up with a start, wincing as his head throbs again.
He can already see Hoke's silhouette limping to the door, and he
follows as quickly as he can.

The bell stops ringing as they are halfway to the upper deck. Feyn
thankfully takes his paws from his ears and runs on.

As they get onto deck, he realizes that something is not as it should
be. People should be milling around. Panicked, or busy, or...
something!

In fact, there is only the skeleton crew around, and they show no
indication that anything is out of the ordinary.

Feyn grabs one of them. "What's going on?" he asked roughly.

The sailor looks at him curiously. "What do you mean? Aren't you
supposed to be in your quarters? Do you want me to fetch the captain?"

Feyn mutters inaudibly to himself for a second or two.

"Ahh.... no," he says at last. "We were just going back, weren't we
Hoke?"

He turns and drags Hoke back towards the bedroom. Hoke protests, as he
has only just managed to limp his way onto deck at that moment, but
Feyn ignores him.

What is going on here? This journey has been even worse than the usual
ones. Now he's hearing things? No, Hoke heard it as well. If it wasn't
the emergency bell, what could it have been?

Still lost in silent speculation, he and Hoke get back to their room.
The jackal puts one of his front paws on the rungs of his ladder, and
the other one on the flat surface of his top bunk.

Flat? Not any more!

A startled yowl brings his mind sharply back to the present. He yelps
in surprise and alarm as a set of small but sharp claws rake across
the offending paw. Whimpering, he sees the small shape of the ship's
cat darting out of the door at full speed.

He sighs. His fault for leaving the door open, he supposes. He crawls
onto the upper bunk, only to find that his knee is suddenly and
unaccountably wet.

'No!' His mind screams out that this just isn't *fair*! The cat has
decided to add to his misery, by leaving him a parting gift.

Enough is enough. He has taken as much as he is going to take. It's
time for someone else to suffer.

"Hoke?" he growls softly.

"Hmm? Yes Feyn?"

"You're taking the top bunk."

Hoke's voice is uncertain. "Thanks, but I'm comfortable down here.
I've just warmed up again."

Feyn snarls. "It wasn't a request. Now get up there and let me have
your bed."

"But why....?"

Hoke sighs and realizes that now is not the best time to irritate his
partner. Wearily, he limps out of bed and climbs the ladder. He
realizes soon enough what the problem is, and he considers
complaining.

No point, he decides, miserably. Feyn will never give up the lower
bunk now. He'll just have to suffer for the rest of the night.

The smell of cat urine begins to percolate into his nostrils and he
sighs with resignation. Closing his eyes, he tries to block the damp
sensations out and go to sleep. After a while, he can hear Feyn
snoring softly beneath him.

Suddenly there is a creak. Hoke listens. The ship must be settling
into some bad weather again. He sighs at the prospect of a storm, on
top of everything else.

Trying to ignore his throbbing and splinted tail, he turns over and
settles again.

This time, there is a splintering noise.

"Ummm.... Feyn?"

He waits for a response, but Feyn seems to be well and truly asleep at
last. Hoke wonders what to do. The splintering definitely came from
the platform below him. Should he awaken Feyn and risk his
displeasure?

No, some things are not worth the price. Hoke decides to keep still
and hope that nothing else happens.

Another loud creak. Hoke swallows nervously and holds his breath.

Just as he has decided to move his heavy bulk off the top bunk and
sleep on the floor, he finds out that he is too late. With a final
splintering noise, the bunk collapses, sending him crashing down on
top of Feyn.

A joint scream of pain as the collision occurs, and then occasional
whimpers and moans are the only noises to break the silence within the
cabin.....

* * *

Alex glares at the two tangled bodies as he stands in the doorway.
He's holding a ship's lantern and is studying the mess.

"Damn fools. Should have known by now that top bunks were built for
small people. Especially since you broke one set on your first voyage
with me.

He turns to a couple of the sailors trying to see around his bulk.

"Get these two untangled and take the scrap to the galley for the
stoves. One of them is going to have to sleep on the floor here
because I'm not about to oust one of my crew just so they can sleep
comfortably.

"I'm going back to my cabin and if either of these two causes any more
problems, toss them in the worst ship's dingy with a couple days worth
of food and let them fend for themselves."

He turns back to look at the suddenly silent jackal and mule. "I trust
I've made myself clear on the matter?"

Without waiting for any answers, he leaves them to their combined
misery and the taunts of his crew.

* * *

Alex has chased the other two slaves out of his cabin and he and
Chrystal are seated at his table.

"So there they were, tangled up on the wreckage of the bed and I had
just told them I'd dump them overboard in a leaky boat if they caused
me any more problems..."

He's answered by Crystal's silvery laughter. "I'll leave them alone
tomorrow."

She smiles lazily at Alex. "Physically anyway. Mentally, I think the
sight of you and I with our arms around each other and obviously
enjoying ourselves together will be more than enough to irritate the
both of them.

"That reminds me. There is a cabinet door in the galley you need to
have the ship's carpenter fix. Its latch is broken."

"Broken?" Alex looks at her. "He just checked everything before we
left port...

"Oh. I see." His smile is genuine as he realizes what must have
happened. "More of your work?"

Chrystal grins at him. "I couldn't just ignore Feyn and let Hoke have
all of my attention now could I?"

"And it's not really broken. The inside part of the latch fell off and
just needs to be nailed back in place."

They raise their glasses of wine and touch them together in a silent
toast.
====

The Final Slave - Part Two
Feyn, Hoke, Vix (Lady Chrystal) and Alex
---

Feyn was amazed.

For once, he had actually enjoyed a sea voyage.

So much so, he wished this one could go on longer.

Reluctantly, he had to admit 'Vix' as they were calling her, had made
the difference. From her safe position as 'Captain's Favorite', she
had wound up charming everyone on board the ship. Him as well.

She freely admitted she didn't like the idea of becoming a slave.
Further, she told them she wouldn't hesitate to escape if she found a
chance to do so. But, since there was nothing she could do right now,
she accepted things and did her best to enjoy herself.

"There's no point in arguing about the cards fate has dealt me. So
there's no reason for me to make my life miserable with worrying. In
the meantime, I grew up near and on the sea. It's nice to be back and
I'll enjoy it while I can."

Feyn and Hoke had found themselves discussing her in private. They had
long ago given up trying to break her spirit. For the first time, he
found himself respecting one of his victims.

He also had to admit that were their positions reversed, he wouldn't
have been able to adapt as well as she did. He grudgingly admitted
that like her, he would be constantly on the lookout for an
opportunity to leave.

Oddly, the second day out, when they had chanced to meet in a ship's
corridor, she had looked at him and then given him her parole. She
wouldn't try to escape or hinder him or Hoke while on ship but once
they were on land, she would take whatever chances came her way to
leave.

Amazed that someone would give him that, he had accepted. He hadn't
regretted it. In fact, he and another sailor owed her their lives.

A gale had overtaken them and while the Captain was trying to keep his
ship running ahead of the storm, she had been on deck lending a paw
wherever needed.

A sudden wave had swept him and the sailor off the deck and she had
grabbed a rope and followed them. Somehow, she had tied the three of
them together and they had been pulled back on board.

He sighed.

Their destination was in sight and soon they would be on shore. He,
Hoke, and Vix were leaning on the rail in companionable silence
watching it approach.

"Why Vix? You could have let me drown. No one would have blamed you if
you had."

"I *had* to save you. Or at least try. I was the one in a position to
do it. Nobody else stood a chance of rescuing the two of you in that
storm.

"I grew up on the sea. I've spent my adult life as a wanderer.

"If there's one thing I've learned, everyone's life is valuable.

"Had I not tried, I would have had to live with that for the rest of
my life. Better that I live a slave than have to remember that my
inaction caused someone to die."

Feyn was troubled. Vix and the others had become something other than
so many gold pieces in his thoughts. She had worked the other women
out of their apathy to the point that, while not exactly happy, they
accepted what their fates were. So, like her, they started to make the
best of what had happened.

For the first time, he was seeing them as people. People who but for a
twist of fate, could have been him.

He looked at her and then at the shore.

"You know what's about to happen don't you?"

She nodded.

"No matter what you might think of me, I'm a person of my word. In my
profession, it's all I have. I have to finish the deal and deliver my
'shipment'."

She was silent for a while. When she spoke, her voice was soft.

"Feyn, Hoke. I understand that. But there are always choices to make.
You could stop being slavers and find other, more 'honest' work.

"Believe it or not, Alex would take you on as crew.

"No matter what happens, remember that.

"Remember as well, that I don't hate you. We all walk our own paths.
Sometimes, we have no control over where our steps take us. But.." and
she paused to look at each of them, "Never lose sight of the fact that
sometimes, we have the chance to choose where we walk. Don't let habit
make you miss that chance."

The dock was nearing finally.

"Vix, I'll miss you. You are a deep one. Someday, I'd like to learn
more about you. But I doubt if it will happen. I can't afford to let
my captives become people to me. I've violated that rule with you and
I'll regret it later."

* * *

Hoke couldn't repress a slight sigh.

Well, that was that. The job was done and life could get back to
normal now.

Only trouble was, he wasn't sure that he *wanted* things back to
normal. Something had changed, and it wasn't difficult to pin that
something down.

Vix. There were times when he wished he'd never set eyes on her. Why
couldn't someone else have become their final slave in the shipment?
Any normal victim would have left them with cash in their pockets and
a happy smile on their faces.

Now, even though they had been paid well - even though they could look
forward to a pleasant and unstressful trip back to the other harbour -
he couldn't bring himself to feel any enjoyment or satisfaction.
What's more, he could tell that Feyn felt the same way. Not that he'd
ever admit it, of course.....

With only a day's journey from the Port City to the Slave Market,
there had been little opportunity for the slaves to make good their
escape attempts. He had half expected Vix to put up some sort of
fight, but she had surprised him with her compliancy.

Predictably, Vix had fetched the highest price of the shipment. No
doubt she would be sold for double what they had received, but that
was of little concern to Hoke. Their own cut had been more than enough
to keep them living comfortably for a few months.

A new and unfamiliar emotion was creeping its way into Hoke's heart
and mind. It was so strange that it took him most of the journey back
to match a name to the feeling.

Guilt? Incredulity washed over him as the thought occurred. Yet the
gnawing tightness in his belly, and the uncomfortable restlessness
within him could be explained in no other way.

Unwillingly, he admitted to himself that he had no desire for the
wealth in his pockets. He wasn't even sure that he could bring himself
to spend it. Those slaves had become more than money to him. Despite
all of his ingrained defenses, they had become people.

Objects were to be bought and sold. But *people*? For the first time,
he found himself thinking about the lives of those they had sold.
While the two of them were walking away, those slaves were being
washed, prepared, possibly branded, marked as property, sold as
property. Spending the rest of their lives as nothing more than
someone else's purchase.

He shrugged, trying to shake the heavy weight that lay on his
shoulders. What was done, was done. There was nothing they could do
about it now. Life would just have to go on, and in time, Vix would
become just another memory. Maybe he'd forget all about her
eventually. At the moment, he doubted it, but stranger things could
happen....

Throughout the whole journey back, neither Feyn nor Hoke spoke a word
to each other. Each was wrapped up in their own thoughts, and neither
wanted to be the first to express their true feelings.

It was dark by the time they got back. Their paws dragged with
weariness, both mental and physical. However, the day was not over
yet. As they trudged back on board Alex's ship, he was waiting for
them on deck.

"You two. Come to my quarters," he said shortly. Without waiting for a
reply, he turned and headed below decks.

For a moment, the two of them simply stared at each other. Then, with
a resigned shrug, Feyn walked after the Captain. Hoke automatically
followed in his wake.

The grizzly held the door open and indicated for them to take seats.
He sat down and sighed.

"I've got news for you. Not good news either.

"While you were taking the slaves to their destination, I took the
time to talk to some of the other Captains in dock here. One of them
in particular knows me quite well. He does the same trade route as our
ship.

"He left the far port a few days after we did. Apparently, in the
hours prior to his departure, there were some rumours flying about the
two of you.

"He only mentioned it to me because he didn't want me getting into
trouble over you two.

"Apparently, there's a price on your heads. A high price. Somebody
wants you, and from all accounts, there were a few hunters who had
picked up interest in the bounty even before Ivor had left the
harbour."

Feyn and Hoke stared at Alex, aghast.

"But.... but why?" asked Feyn, almost plaintively.

"Alex gave them a grim smile. "As far as I can tell, you've managed to
offend one of the city Guilds. I couldn't find out which one put the
price up for you, but the reason seems clear enough.

"You're being hunted for capturing someone under Guild protection. It
seems like you managed to pick an unsuitable candidate for slavery. I
suppose it was bound to happen eventually."

Through a mouth that was suddenly numbed, Hoke whispered, "Vix."

Alex and Feyn nodded their agreement without hesitation. There could
be little doubt. She stood apart from the others in ways that they
would have been blind to miss.

Alex looked at them, an unreadable expression on his face.

"It looks like you chose badly, making her into part of the cargo. The
question is, what are you going to do about it? I won't risk the
safety of my crew by transporting you back across the waters. If you
get picked up while you're still on board, we'll *all* be in a lot of
trouble."

He fell silent, watching the two squirming slavers with a seemingly
neutral expression.

The moments passed. Two trapped animals sweated and pondered their
misfortunes, seeking *any* route of escape.

Finally, Feyn spoke in a voice drenched with weariness.

"We'll have to get her back."

Alex shrugged. "There's a small chance it may *not* be the vixen
that's important to these people. If you intend to get her back, I
suggest that you play a safe hand and get them all.

"If you can retrieve the cargo and somehow persuade them to have this
'bounty' issue dropped, then you may just stand a chance of staying
free.

"If you can't...." he shrugged his massive shoulders again, "I'll just
have to leave you here and sail without you. The hunters will catch up
with you eventually, but by then it won't be my problem any more."

Feyn and Hoke sighed and looked at each other. Their chances were slim
at best, and this would probably turn into the most expensive voyage
of their lives.

Still, what choice did they have?

* * *

As the two started their journey back to the Slave's Market, it was
Hoke who remembered their last conversation on board the ship.

"Feyn?"

"Yes Hoke? Was is it?" Feyn was tired. But, to have any chance of
saving their lives or avoiding being picked up, they had to move
quickly.

"Something Vix said." Hoke was troubled and Feyn could hear it in the
mule's voice. "Something about us making choices.

"Is this what she was talking about?

"Making it right rather than running away?"

Feyn stopped and stared at his partner. The damned mule was making
sense. Too much sense.

"She knew... Damnit, she knew..." Feyn was shaking now. He was angry.
Angry with himself. Vix couldn't have traveled all those years without
some type of protection.

"Hoke, we did make a mistake. We should have kept an eye on her to see
if she was connected before we tried to grab her.

"We *have* to get her back. If we don't, we won't last long. The price
on our heads will bring out the best bounty hunters there are. We
don't know how to stay hidden from them. Our capture is certain."

He could see Hoke nod slowly. "I don't want to run and hide.

"Feyn... I don't think I could have spent the money anyway.

"I got it from selling *people*. People are not property. They have
feelings. Feelings like me."

Hoke's gaze on Feyn is intent. "After we get Vix and the others, you
can do what you want. I'm going to see if Alex will take me on like
she said he would. She wouldn't have suggested it if she didn't have a
reason."

Feyn stared at Hoke. Out of the mouth of a mule... A fairly stupid one
at that...

'if she didn't have a reason...' The words hung there in the air.

Now, he was almost certain what had happened. But, until he was sure,
he wouldn't tell Hoke of his suspicions.

There was only one Guild whose members had a reason for everything
they did or said. He had a strong feeling that Vix had wanted to be
captured. He also suspected that Alex was not what he seemed to be.

He *knew*, that more than likely, Vix would be greeting them when they
arrived to rescue her and the others. But, like any good drama, the
play must go on to the end. Even when you already knew the ending.

Besides, he had told Alex they would bring Vix and the others back. He
had given his word. He had *that* driving him as well.

He remembered some of her last words to them. "Sometimes, we have no
control over where our steps take us."

In his mind, he raised a glass of wine in silent salute to her. He
hoped to do it soon in person. She had been warning him and Hoke about
what was happening. His honor was a double edged knife and this time,
he had cut himself badly with it. Still, he was content with how it
was turning out. He hadn't heard of any slavers receiving a 'Bard's
Lesson" who had been allowed to stay away from the King's Justice
System.

Although, now that he thought about it, he suspected that he and Hoke
had been judged. And been allowed to pronounce their own sentence on
themselves.

He let none of those thoughts color his voice when he spoke finally.

"Hoke, somehow we'll get Vix and the others back. Things will work out
and we'll be ok. Trust me. You've trusted me all these years, trust me
one more time."

"OK Feyn. You're a good friend. I'll trust you."

Hoke smiled his big innocent smile and Feyn winced as he remembered
how many times he had betrayed his partner.

* * *

It is early morning when they arrive at the market.

Instead of being busy as usual, it is silent. No crowds of buyers. No
cracking of whips as slaves are encouraged to move and posture.

Instead, a figure clothed in a shimmering cloak is seated cross-legged
on the seller's platform.

As she stands to greet them, the cloak swirls around her and there,
emblazoned just below her breasts, is the symbol Feyn is expecting to
see.

The mark of a Master Bard.

"Greetings Feyn. Hoke. I had hoped you would return." This time, her
smile is warm and genuine.

She looks at them. "I, Chrystal, a Master Bard, ask you in the name of
the King..." She pauses to let them register her words.

"Are you satisfied with the sentence pronounced upon you?"

* * *

Hoke stares at Chrystal, then turns to face Feyn with fear in his
eyes.

"Feyn!" he hisses, from the side of his mouth. ('As if that would
prevent her from hearing the conversation,' thinks Feyn, wearily.)
"She's a *Bard!* We've been caught, Feyn!"

Feyn sighs and pats Hoke with a soothing paw. He may be stupid, but
Feyn is surprised to find that he feels quite protective towards the
mule.

"Hoke, we've been 'caught' ever since we picked Vix up that first
night.

"Think about it. We're being hunted for taking Vix, when she's under
the protection of a Guild. Yet now you find out she's a Bard."

He laughs wryly, and inclines his head in respectful salute to the
smiling vixen. "You and I have both been around long enough, Hoke. We
know that Bards are the last people who'll need help from their
guilds. What's the motto of the slavers, friend? 'Of trackers and
hunters and Bards, beware.'

"There were never any bounty-hunters after us. *She* would have no
need of that extra protection. Or, if there were, they were after us
from before we even set sail."

Hoke's expression of panic begins to fade, and Feyn continues to speak
in a resigned, but amused, voice.

"If that isn't enough to convince you, partner, look around you. Use
your eyes.

"The slaves are gone. The marketers have been dealt with. I would
imagine that most of them have received rather harsher justice than we
have.

"Neither do I think that Vix managed this on her own. All through the
voyage, we may have been thinking that *we* were using her and the
others. Yet she was the one using *us* and the ship. You have my
greatest respect, Lady."

His laughter is hearty and unfeigned. "A free sea voyage to the heart
of the slaving-centre. I imagine it was quite an operation. How many
of the other slavers have endured a Bard on board during this latest
voyage?"

Now his voice becomes thoughtful. "How many have been treated as
leniently as we have? Unless our sentencing doesn't end here."

He gazes directly at the Bard before him.

"What about it, Vix? What happens now?"

* * *

Chrystal's smile is wide.

"Only 5 others Feyn. The 'operation' as you call it has been going on
for ten years now. The Bards only stepped in at the last to ensure its
success this time.

"As for your sentencing, you've carried it out by your act of return.

"The King's Justice System is through with you for now.

"Both of you are free to choose whatever path you wish to travel.

Her next words are quietly spoken. "As you note, many *did* receive a
much harsher sentencing.

"Should you find your way to the system again, I'm afraid you will be
judged harshly as well.

Feyn could hear the warming in her casual statement. People who abused
a Bard's leniency were few. When caught, they were not treated with
kindness.

"Feyn? What sentencing?" Hoke's question is plaintive.

Feyn looked at Vix and questioned her with his eyes. She nodded in
return.

He sighed. "It's like this Hoke. We've been on trial the entire time
we had Vix with us.

"She could have stopped what was happening at any time."

Hoke nodded.

"Now, as a Bard, she *could* have captured us at the very beginning
but she didn't.

"In an operation this big, she could have done what she needed and
never come here. There were others to do that as well.

Now he sighed wearily. "Instead, she let us continue as we were.

"She let *us*, two slavers, speak for ourselves with our actions
towards her and the others.

"Don't you see it yet Hoke? She gave us the chance to change and we
did.

"Finally, we spent all of last night trudging alone with our thoughts.

"We could have turned back at any time.

"Instead, by returning to 'make things right', we proved to her that
the change was genuine and not due to only being around her for those
two weeks.

He could see Hoke working through what he had just heard.

Finally, the mule sagged. "But if I work on Alex's ship, I'll be
helping slavers...

"Feyn, I don't know how to do anything else!" His voice was anguished
now.

"And...

"And I don't want to disappoint Vix!" There, he'd said it.

Feyn nodded and turned back to her. Hoke had just expressed his own
fear.

Now to find out about his other suspicion.

"Well? Lady?"

Hoke was visibly trembling with worry. Feyn was trembling inside. If
he was wrong about Alex...

He too would have lost the only reasonable option he had for a future
that kept him out of the justice system.

Chrystal nodded.

"Alex and his crew are not what they seem. One reason I waited was to
protect his hidden identity."

She smiled. "Even *I* didn't know who he was until after we had a
chance to talk to each other.

"Hoke, you can't change what you've done in the past. No one can do
that.

"You can however, work to change the future."

Suddenly, her words were tinged with the laughter they had come to
expect from Vix. She had returned to their friend Vix who was
intensely curious about them and their lives. Vix, who saw them as
'people' rather than 'slavers'

"So Feyn, Hoke.

"Now that you are free, what are your plans for the future?"

Feyn and Hoke share a brief glance and an almost imperceptible nod.

"We're going back to the ship. If Alex won't take us on as crew
members, he'll at least set us back on our own shore," answers Feyn
with a wry smile. "Although if you're not with us, I wouldn't bet on
him even doing *that* much."

Chrystal shrugs. "My business here is done. There's no further reason
to stay. I'm looking forward to a pleasant trip home with Alex and the
rest of you. You plan to get with him then?"

Feyn opens his mouth to speak, but Hoke gets there first.

"We don't know yet. Do we, Feyn?"

Chrystal and Feyn share a surprised glance. Hoke? Being mysterious? It
looks like things really *have* changed in the short time that 'Vix'
has been with them.

Her voice is mild as she breaks the tension. "We can set off in the
morning. I know a place where we can rest overnight."

Relieved nods are exchanged all around, and Jackal and Mule follow the
Bard to an inn for the night.

* * *

In the morning, the three of them set off towards the coast again. The
atmosphere is friendly and pleasant, unlike their last two trips along
this route. Still, Hoke will not be drawn on his reserve of the
previous night.

They make good time and get to the ship before darkness has set in. A
couple of the crew see them coming and run to fetch the Captain.

As they get onto deck, Alex comes out to greet them. He and Vix share
warm smiles and greetings, then he turns to the other two and gives a
deep chuckle.

"I suppose you two will be on the return trip, now that your lives are
no longer in danger?"

Feyn gives a wry smile, but Hoke answers seriously.

"Alex. Sir. Feyn and I... that is... we were wondering if you had
any... well... any... ahh... ummm... jobs... at all... umm..."

Alex looks at the two of them.

"I don't take on anyone who doesn't pull their weight. You'd have to
work hard for your wages. Understood?"

The both nod, hope lighting up their faces.

"One more condition," adds the grizzly, with a frown that only Vix can
see through.

"Yes?" they ask, in innocence.

"The mule sleeps on the *lower* bunk," he says, before breaking into
hearty laughter. He sobers quickly. "Yes, the two of you will be
welcome on board. Vix has already spoken for you, and that's good
enough for me."

He begins to turn away, but Hoke interjects, stopping him mid-stride.

"Umm.... Captain? I have a condition of my own."

Alex turns, raising an eyebrow. "Condition? Let's hear it."

Hoke swallows, but looks determined.

"It's like this, Captain. Vix said we couldn't change what we'd done
in the past. It doesn't stop me feeling bad, though. I don't just want
to stop being a slaver - I want to make it better somehow."

The three of them listen. The words are simple, but there is no
mistaking the sincerity of them. Even Feyn looks uncomfortable at the
inference of Hoke's statement.

Vix's comment is soft. "And?"

Hoke gulps. "I won't work for a slave ship. Vix said something about
you not *really* being slavers, so I hoped that would sort itself out.
There's more than that, though. I want to do something *good* from now
on. So, I - we -" he looks at Feyn, who nods slowly. "We need to know
what we'll be working at, before we can take the job."

He falls silent and waits in trepidation.

* * *

Only Chrystal is unsurprised when Alex's shoulders visibly sag and he
becomes nothing more than a weary looking grizzly rather than the
Ship's Captain.

Feyn and Hoke are staring at him in shock. How could Hoke's simple
words destroy this person?

"I see." The words are simple and filled with layers of meaning.

Alex gestures. "Come. I would appreciate it if you come and join me in
my cabin." He glances at them and then turns and heads for it without
another word.

Feyn and Hoke look at Vix. "What was that all about?" Feyn asks it
first.

Vix sighs. She is watching Alex's slumped form as he trudges away.

"Feyn, Hoke. He's spent 10 years running this ship as a rogue.

"We talked a bit about what he would do *after*. He talked about
quietly continuing as such.

"Hoke, you reminded him of his duty. I don't know what he's going to
do with his life.

"Come, let's go join him. He needs us right now." Her words are softly
spoken but, to their amazement, include them as equals.

Without a word, they reach and enter the cabin to see Alex slumped
over the table.

Vix stops at the cabinet containing his wine and glasses. As Hoke and
Feyn gingerly seat themselves, her voice is gentle.

"Alex?" She waits until he looks at her before simply nodding at the
cabinet.

He nods. "My best for all of you."

She nods and without a word performs the simple task of serving all of
them before getting her own and settling quietly.

There is silence as they watch Alex moodily swirl his wine. With a
sudden motion he gulps the entire contents of his glass and sets it on
the table.

He and Vix share a look and he shakes his head slightly. "No, that's
all I'll have.

"Thank you Hoke. You reminded me where my real duty lies.

"Yes, my entire crew and I are guards. I was a King's Messenger and
Tracker before I took up this task.

"It's time I quit. I have far too many nightmares as it is.

"I think...

"With Chrystal's help of course...

"It's time my crew and I got caught and taught a 'lesson'. I need to
be able to justify the sudden change in our lives."

Suddenly the ship lurches and there is a barely audible curse heard
from outside.

Chrystal nods at Alex and smiles. "Your crew is most discrete in
'protecting' you Alex.

"However, what I have to say is not for other ears."

She lets her smile broaden. "I think they now understand how I feel.

"I also took the liberty of 'informing' your second that we might as
well head back to your home port.

"He was *most* co-operative about it. I imagine we'll be underway in a
few minutes.

"A 'Bard's Lesson' Alex? No, not this time. It would be too
'convenient' at this point.

"I think..." She falls into a thoughtful silence.

Feyn and Hoke start getting very nervous. Her eyes are unfocussed but
she is distinctly gazing at them.

Rousing herself, she smiles a smile that relaxes them. A bit.

"Yes. That will work nicely.

"Would the two of you touch-link with me? You control."

Hoke and Feyn start shaking in fear. As she realizes what is
happening, Chrystal sags back.

"Never mind.

"You've seen a 'forced-link' haven't you? It was probably done to make
you fear ever forming a link with anyone else."

She patiently waits until their trembling subsides.

"Here's what I have in mind.

"Alex's crew is going to hear about Feyn and Hoke getting their
'lesson' and deciding to mend their ways.

"At that point, the crew is going to approach Alex and demand that he
find another line of work since they have no desire to wind up getting
treated to a 'Bard's Lesson'.

"For the final touch, in a fit of resolve...

"Feyn and Hoke join the Guards and express a desire to train aboard
Alex's ship. That will give Alex the excuse he needs to openly bring
Guards on board to show how serious he is about things.

"Plus, it lets me openly return to life on the sea. I've missed it and
want to return finally. I wouldn't mind sharing it in such excellent
company."

She raises her glass in a silent toast and then settles back with a
smug grin.

Feyn and Hoke stare at each other, each wondering whether the other
will speak first.

At last, Feyn breaks the silence.

"Guards? We couldn't be.... I mean, they wouldn't want us.

"Anyway, even if we could find ourselves positions in the King's
Guard, we wouldn't be able to return to this ship for a long time.
There are things like training periods aren't there?"

He sighs and looks half-nervously between the Captain and Vix.

"I.... I think Hoke and I would *both* feel better if we could just
stay on board and not go off for training. Some of the guards might
learn about our past, and be... well... a bit rough on us."

He has the grace to look a bit shame-faced as he speaks, and Hoke
deliberately turns his gaze away from the other three too.

Alex chuckles, relieving the tension a little.

"You two don't know much about the way of guards, obviously.

"No, it's not a criticism. Still, maybe I should tell you a couple of
things, to relieve your minds a little.

"Firstly, guards *never* ask about another guard's past. It's one of
their main rules. You're in there on your current merits, and your
former life won't matter at all to them."

As he watches them glance at each other with renewed hope, he
continues.

"As for training, I suppose myself and all my crew will have to spend
a little time back at one of the bases, for a refresher course. It
certainly wouldn't do any of us any harm."

Hoke looked dejected again. "A refresher course? Then you'll sail off
while we're still in training. It makes no difference."

Alex raises his eyebrows. "Patience, mule. I'm not done yet.

"You'll come back with us onto the ship, for the continuation of your
training. After all, we're a company of guards together. Why shouldn't
you train with us? It won't be any different than training with any
other company. A bit harder work perhaps, but that's the price you'll
pay for staying with me. And Vix, of course."

He turns to her, with a half-smile.

"I presume your plans still involve staying around and waiting for the
newly reformed crew to return to their ship?"

Vix grins anew. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," she chuckles.

Again, she fills the glasses and raises hers to the other three. The
only sounds are the creak of the ship and the clink of glasses, as the
four of them toast their new future.
==== 

Bard's Choice
Lady Chrystal, Alex, Trialla, Artur, Ishtan and Nikkolai
---

As the Laughing Lady sails into the harbor, her 'Mistress/Owner
Aboard' and the Captain are standing at the railing.

Vix is pointing out the things that are the same as when she left and
what she sees as new.

It has been 27 years since she left here to become a Bard.

For 10 of those years, she has been a Bard and 'Mistress/Owner' of
this ship. For the other 17, she was first apprentice, then
journeywoman, and finally, for 11 years, a Master Bard.

Now, she and her mate Alex are ready to become landbound. The Laughing
Lady is to become the flagship of the fleet they plan to build.

"Look. There's one of the family ships. I wonder who's in charge?"

Alex looks at her and smiles slightly

"You're the Bard. Think *You* could compensate for the lack of a
breeze?"

She turns to look at him. "Well, I suppose I could do something..."
Her voice is filled with her light and gentle laughter.

Slowly, the flags extend as though hanging from a line...

Still smiling, she starts to turn back so she may see who is now
running the family business.

Before she turns around completely, Alex gasps. There is a sudden
flurry of whispers and then the crew falls silent in their own shock.

"No!" The word is filled will his surprise, shock, and deeply felt
agony.

Vix finishes her turn and freezes as what she sees registers.

Long seconds that seem an eternity.

Silence as Alex reaches to wrap his arms around her as if drawing her
agony into himself.

At long last, with a wail of grief, she turns in his arms and clings
to him as she weeps.

The indicated ship is flying two flags. One, the flag to indicate the
original owner has died. The other is the symbol of the new owner.

It's a symbol they both know well.

Lady Chrystal owns the fleet.

Vix.

Still numb, Alex calls for his crew to run up the flags they never
expected to use on this voyage.

Those of 'Lady Chrystal' and 'Owner Aboard'.

As he hears them snap in the breeze caused by the ship's movement, a
vagrant breeze carries the distant shouts of orders to their ears.

Gently, he turns Vix to watch as both flags are lowered. A pause and
then, her flag followed by the one saluting the flagship quickly rise
to the top of the mainmast.

* * *

"Lady?" The voice breaks into her thoughts.

Chrystal is seated at her desk and reading the reports of what
happened to make her the owner of the family fleet.

"Yes Trialla?"

"Captain Ishtan wishes to come aboard and see you. He's carrying a
box. Says it's important he talk with you."

Trialla has been the Captain of her private bodyguards for the last
seven years. She was Hoke and Feyn's parting 'gift' when they left to
perform other duties. Guard trained and further taught all the skills
of slavers by Feyn and Hoke, she had become one of Chrystal's and
Alex's closest advisors.

"Lady Vix?" Trialla's question jerks her back to the present
completely.

"What is it Trialla?"

"The Captain acts wrong. He says he's been working for your family for
years.

"Well, he doesn't grieve." Trialla finishes simply.

There a long silence as they look at each other.

"I see." Her voice is soft and filled with a coldness that has never
been there in all the years Trialla has known her.

Trialla trembles. She can feel the tingling of power being restrained.
Far, far too much power. It takes a *lot* before she can begin to
notice such things.

Chrystal walks over to a drawer and lifts out her cloak.

After she dons it and it settles around her, she turns back to face
Trialla.

"Tell Artur to quietly prepare a boarding party. Their target is the
Sea Spray. They won't have any problems with the crew. They are to
seize the ship, crew and any passengers.

"They are *not* to attempt to search any part of it. To do so could
mean their deaths. Make the preparations below decks.

"I want our two fastest runners to discretely go ashore and carry the
following message to the Bard and Mage Guild Halls.

" 'Lady Chrystal, a Master Bard, invokes 'Bard's Choice' and desires
the presence of your best healers.'

"I'll explain later.

Trialla shivers as Chrystal walks over to lightly touch her face with
a paw. The touch is gentle but a person would have to be blind indeed
to not see how much effort Chrystal was using to remain calm

"Trialla, Bards seldom kill.

"I have ample reasons and the *desire* to do so.

"Justice demands that in this case, even though I am allowed to, I may
not administer it.

"Get things started and then send two of your best to take their
places beside me.

"I want Artur and Alex here before you escort the 'Captain' into my
presence.

"Tell all of them that they are not to act unless I order it. It could
mean their lives as well as mine.

"Once Captain Ishtan is below decks, the boarding party is to move
quickly and quietly."

A bit of her old laughter returns. "The crew of the Spray is
'incapacitated' and will cause no trouble."

Her voice becomes cold and hard. "Do it."

Minutes later, two female leopards dressed in ceremonial harness enter
the cabin. They are followed by Alex and Artur.

All four freeze at the aura of menace radiating from Chrystal.

They relax slightly as she utters a soft chuckle.

"Oh Trialla. You *are* a dear one."

Captain Ishtan is a leopard. With simple directness, Trialla has let
them know her concern.

"Ladies. I want you on either side of my desk. Look menacing but
relaxed." The three of them share smiles. This is a game they know how
to play.

"Alex, Artur. I want you standing behind me.

"All of you. No matter what happens, make no out of the ordinary moves
unless I tell you to.

"A wrong move could mean the death of one or all of you. It could mean
my own."

"Places everyone."

* * *

"Enter Captain. I'm told you have something for me?" Chrystal's voice
is relaxed.

Everyone there catches his slight hesitation before he enters.

Alex, his Tracker skills alerted, studies the leopard and then tenses.
Seemingly casually, he rests a paw on Chrystal's shoulder.

"Careful. He's an Assassin."

"I know. Let the game be played. He just realized my grief is not as
blind as he had hoped."

"Greetings Mistress. I was 'requested' to give this to you."

As he leans forward, there is a flash of steel and three swords are at
his throat.

The tense silence is broken by Alex's cough.

"You'll have to forgive my mate's bodyguards. The current situation
has them somewhat more protective than usual.

"Though their duties are more ceremonial in nature because of her
chosen profession, they do take them seriously."

Ishtan's voice is strained from his efforts to keep it under control.

"I commend their skill and enthusiasm."

The box is lifted from his hands. Then, slowly, it turns and rises to
stop where he can see it.

"Well 'Captain'? Care to tell me what's in it?" Chrystal's voice is
merely curious.

"Lady!" I don't know! I was not so foolish..." His voice trails off as
he realizes his blunder.

He sags. "Parole?"

"Accepted." Her voice is brittle and cold.

Slowly, the lid rises and there is a 'twang' of a released spring. A
small dart stops inches in front of his face.

"I think we understand each other. Do we not?

"Guild-Master?"

A small pile of seemingly innocent objects appears on her desk.

"Put away the steel. We are in no further danger from Ishtan.

"Master. You may show the rest of my people what is in the box. It's
harmless.

"Harmless physically anyway." Her voice is tinged with a deep irony.

"Explain to me what brought the Assassin's Guild Master to betray the
trust my family has had in the Assassin's Guild for these many
generations.

"Unwary sailors in the presence of a young vixen often say things they
would not otherwise speak of. I have long known the Guild uses a ship
in our fleet to cover many of their activities.

"My family has long known of it as well.

"I'm *very* interested in what led to the assassination of my entire
family."

* * *

There is silence as he reaches into the box. As he removes the object
from within to display it, Alex, Artur, and Trialla all stare at it in
shock. Only Chrystal seems unaffected.

As one, the three jerk into action only to see their daggers stopped
in mid-flight.

"My Lady." Artur's voice is tight with suppressed anger.

"Let *us* deal with him. The chances of war. He knows this."

She stands and reaches to take the object and study it.

A slave shackle. The one she wore 10 years ago.

"Yes, this *was* war. " Her voice is chilling to those who are used to
her usual tones

"This shackle reeks of those who waited for this moment.

"Ishtan. As soon as you decided to deliver this, your life became
mine. Mine to do with as *I* will.

"You had to know that.

"Explain."

* * *

"May I sit? I find myself in need of more support than my legs are
willing to give much longer."

"Trialla. See to it. Alex? Something to settle our nerves if you
please."

The three daggers float back to their owners. "And put these away."

"Lady.

"Six years ago, the guild was approached and asked to 'remove' your
family. The hope was that it would draw you in so you would be an
easier target.

"The messenger was allowed to return to his leaders. One of our people
was with him.

"After the messenger was killed in front of them, *our* message was
delivered. The realities were explained and we told them we would
actively stop anyone they sent against your family. Or against you if
we learned of it.

"In that, the Guild did not betray you. In the years since, there has
been a quiet war going on between the assassins and the slavers.

"The leaders of the slavers, and I know not who they are, have yet to
learn that one does not make war upon someone under Guild protection.
Even more so, they should not declare vendetta against a Bard. We have
repeatedly told them this.

"After some discussion with your family, it was decided that you would
not be told about what was happening. The assumption was"... Here he
shrugged eloquently. "That you would be doing everything you could to
protect yourself and your crew. It was one more error in our judgment
of the situation.

"Lady, none conceived that people would be so willing to discard the
concept of being held accountable that they would have an entire clan
assassinated. Just for revenge.

"To be even blunter, nobody understands what made them single out your
family. There are other people who were far more involved in that
raid.

Her voice was calm and musing. "True. Alex, Feyn, Hoke. All were far
more involved than I was.

"I begin to wonder if the one behind this is a failed Bard. How
elegant a solution to strike at me so they and the crew hurt all the
more.

"Perhaps they hoped to inflame my friends into a rage that I could not
restrain. If a Bard cannot stop such a vendetta on her behalf...

"Then the reputation of *all* Bards is called into question.

"Continue with your tale, Captain."

"There have been dozens of attempts on your family.

"Even assassins cannot be everywhere at once.

"I was at sea when a courier vessel found us and told us of your plans
to return home.

"Rumors abounded that the slavers were planning a special greeting
should this ever happen.

"We tried to get here in time.

"We failed.

"Two days ago, we arrived to find... this." He waves his paw to
indicate the surrounding chaos.

"We found that box sitting on a table in the midst of the ruins of
your manor house.

"Whoever left it there was obviously hoping your grief would blind you
to the potential danger.

"Lady, I'm a failed Bard. I remembered enough of my apprentice skills
to *know* that box was dangerous.

"The murderers of your family 'were' assassins. Apprentices. Ones
infiltrated into the Guild by the slavers.

"The honor of the Guild has been destroyed. All I could do was hope
that you are as skilled as tales have made you out to be. This was not
an attempt on your life by the Guild.

"I could think of no other way to gain an audience and ask your mercy
on us. Perhaps, you may see a solution where I cannot.

"The report of what happened was written at my orders, by another. My
word that the details, so far as we know them, are in there and
accurate to the best of our knowledge.

"We could not find the planners of this crime. The ones who carried it
out await your justice.

"As do I."

The is a long and oppressive silence as each in the room considers his
words. Things are not as they had thought at first.

They are far worse.

"Captain Ishtan. For your actions, I can find no reason to fault you.

"I hold *you* blameless in this.

"Nor, in all honesty, can I find much fault with your Guild."

She holds up a paw to stop him from making any comments.

"Therefore, I will *ask* that the Bards do not pursue this any
further. You and your Guild will be allowed to clean house as you see
fit. Without Bardic 'interference.'

"As for the Slavers." Her voice is chill with suppressed anger and
cold hatred.

"By tomorrow noon, this 'war' will have ended.

"Rabelaisia need not fear that there will be a 'Bard's Vendetta' in
progress.

"Tamara. Lia. I cannot order you to do what I am about to ask of you.

"It is my desire that you escort Captain Ishtan until he appears
before the Queen. That you place his life above yours. Above mine if
needed.

"For the sake of Rabelaisia, he *must* appear before the Queen."

The two leopards look at each other. Without a word, they move to
flank Captain Ishtan.

"Thank you, ladies. Tomorrow, you and the entire crew will know the
reasons for this and other things about to happen.

"Captain Ishtan is to be accorded all respect and courtesies due him.
Escort him to the guest cabin and advise the crew.

"Captain, don't thank me for this. Tomorrow, I'm going to place a
heavy burden on you.

"Leave us, please."

Chrystal sags after Trialla closes the door behind them..

"Please. Be seated and make yourselves comfortable. We have much to
discuss."

Alex chooses instead to stand behind her and gently massage her neck
and shoulders.

She sighs and settles into his efforts for a few minutes.

Finally, he slows a bit and asks the questions he, Artur and Trialla
had puzzled over before the meeting.

"What is 'Bard's Choice'? And what made you call for healers? We have
excellent healers on board already."

Instead of answering right away, she walks over to pour herself
another glass of wine.

When she turns to face then, her fur is tear stained.

" 'Bard's Choice' is a very rarely invoked set of rules. They are
rigidly enforced by the Guild.

"Briefly, they are called upon when a Master feels that their
subsequent actions as a Bard have the potential to affect all of
Rabelaisia and the Bards' standing within our culture.

"Because of this, once invoked, the Bard has one day from the time of
the request to complete their actions."

She pauses to look at each them before sipping her wine.

"At the end of that time, *all* of the invoking Bard's abilities to
handle power are suppressed.

"A council of Bards is called and they meet jointly with the current
ruler to decide if those actions, even if unfinished, were in the best
interests of Rabelaisia.

"The Bard may not speak on their own behalf. Motives are not
considered.

"Only the actions and resulting effects of those actions are what
matters.

"If they are deemed acceptable, the suppression is lifted.

"If not, the powers are removed and the result left to live as an
example so that people may know the Bards do not play favorites with
their own.

"Once invoked, there is no turning back.

"As for the healers, they serve several purposes.

"Witnesses to my actions.

"To save my life tomorrow morning. After what I do, only power
handlers will have a chance of saving my life so I may face the
future. I do not desire to die. Without them, I most surely would.

"And lastly, to suppress my abilities at the appointed time."

In the shocked silence that results, she turns to stare out the window
at the sea she loves.

"I wish the rules were different but I understand their necessity.

"Should a Bard be seen to use their skills for personal motives -

"We loose all we have worked for these many generations.

As they stand in shocked silence at what Chrystal has calmly accepted,
the silence is broken by a gentle voice.

"Lady Chrystal.

"Would it comfort you to know the rules have changed?"

Chrystal stiffens in surprise.

"Nikki?"

Her answer is a gentle chuckle she hasn't heard in years.

"I commend the skill of your companions. I didn't have to stop them
before they made a serious mistake."

Something in the tone of his voice causes her to start smiling as she
turns.

She can't help breaking into a grin when she sees his full meaning. He
stopped them *after* they realized their mistake but before they could
recover.

He is standing in the center of the cabin with three sword tips inches
away from his throat. His manner is easy and his smile unforced.

"I don't believe I've met them before. Care to introduce us a bit more
formally?"

"Trialla, Alex, Artur... Put away your toys.

"Welcome aboard, Nikki."

"Nikki, you know of my companions.

"Trialla. commander of my bodyguard. Soon to be commander of all
retainers throughout my fleet as well as my personal retainer and
executive officer. If she accepts the duties.

"Artur. A Guard and Commander of the Laughing Lady's Guard contingent.
Soon to be Fleet Commander of my ships and the new Captain of the
Laughing Lady. The fleet flagship. If he wishes.

"Alex. King's Messenger. Tracker. Captain of the Laughing Lady for 20
years.

"My mate. My Partner.

Nikki nods slightly at each in turn. "Honored to meet all of you."

"Before you stands Nikkolai the Bard. A Bard most know of. Few in this
part of the world have ever had the pleasure of meeting him.

Then her eyes widen a bit.

"Now that I look closer... Also the senior spokesman for the Bard's
Council.

"Considering you weren't even a member the last time we met...

"You must have quite a tale to tell."

"Well, yes. That *is* a tale to tell." His tones say he finds it
amusing in some way. Chrystal catches the subtle undertones that tell
her the full tale is for her ears only.

"Before I tell you that, I am allowed to mention some of the reasons I
am here.

"The rules governing 'Bard's Choice' no longer exist. 'Bard's Choice'
is now a call for the support of all Bards in a time of personal
crisis.

"Same situation. Different focus.

"It was recently decided that since the invoking Bard accepts that
their actions affect all Bards...  It was time for all Bards to accept
that and support their fellow Bard rather than isolate them.

"Thus, we are seen to be acting in concert from the beginning rather
than after the fact.

"You need not fear the loss of your standing as a Bard. Nor, will you
or anyone else have their abilities suppressed.

"Now, even though she may tell you as much or as little as she chooses
later, I must ask for a private time with her if it is convenient.

"There is much she needs to know before she acts. Some of which may
influence those actions.

Now, he smiles in amusement. "Besides. 'The Laughing Vixen' is already
a subject of much folklore.

"Rabelaisia must not lose all that she has done because she suddenly
finds herself a target of vendetta.

"We have worked to change our world and remain as links to our past.

"It *has* changed.

"The Bards are finally changing with it."

The collective reaction is one of shock.

The Bards of Rabelaisia? Change? They are Rabelaisia's most valuable
link to a past that all have sworn shall never return.

At last, Chrystal nods thoughtfully. He said 'change' not 'abandon'.

"Trialla, Artur, Alex. I think I had better hear what he has to tell
me."

* * *

"Now, my smiling friend.

"How come you are here and not someone else?

"The council is well known for their sending of 'messengers'.

"I never expected you to accept a position on the council. It is well
known that you prefer to be amongst the people."

He walks over to her wine cabinet and pours himself a glass.

As he stands there looking at it, she can tell he is gazing at the
recent past.

An absent sip and he turns to look at the sea.

"I wish that your family had not been killed. It saddens me.

"That and your invoking of 'Bard's Choice' complicate what was to be a
very pleasant experience for both of us.

"News travels quickly Lady. Even without the Bards to help it spread.

"When I arrived at your last port yesterday, people there were already
aware your family was dead.

"Many were speculating on what form your Bard's Justice would take.

"All agreed that you would find a way to make your revenge a tangible
reminder that one does not act against *anyone* let alone a Bard...

"And expect to avoid being held responsible for their actions.

"Except for a small few, the acceptance of personal responsibility is
a habit in the minds of the people of Rabelaisia.

"Lady. The people trust you more than you do yourself in this.

"Therein lies *one* of the problems.

She senses there is much more to come. But Nikki is ready for some
questions.

"What was this 'pleasant experience'?

Without turning, his voice is gentle.

"There are now *three* Bard's Councils.

"A settled one. A wandering one. Each is composed only of Settled or
Wandering Bards.

"Lastly, there is an 'Overcouncil' Three people who oversee and
mediate between the other two.

"I've been trying to make contact with you in order to ask if you wish
to become the third member of the 'Overcouncil'. The other two members
are the Queen and myself.

"The offer, once made, cannot be withdrawn. This also was agreed on
beforehand.

"Only you can decide if you are suited for this task."

"I see." Her voice is musing. "As you say. Events have complicated
things."

"How is it you are able to stand there? If you were in our last port,
you had to have traveled close to 1000 miles to get here.

"A teleport of that distance should have left you exhausted."

"Ah Vix. You seem to have forgotten." His laughter has her grinning.

"I am a wolfhound. As you may be aware...

"Wolfhounds are no strangers to the idea of running.

"I ran here and only teleported into your cabin from the dock."

"I'm afraid there will soon be tales of a tan and white 'presence' who
silently and swiftly passes travelers in this part of the world.

"I was in a hurry so I cheated and used a bit of power to sustain my
pace without tiring.

"Otherwise, I would have been here later than I am."

"Before you ask, I have no idea what my top speed is. I ran as fast as
I felt I needed to. A speed about the same as a full sprint for a
wolfhound.

"When I heard of what happened. I expected you to make the Choice."

His shrug is slight. "You needed to know the Bards support you in
this."

"I was the closest Bard who could deliver that message."

"I see." Indeed she did. Wolfhounds were known as the fastest
sprinters on Rabelaisia. She also knew that even those who ran in
public did not reveal their true speed.

"So the trip that took my ship over a week, took you about 7 hours.

"No wonder you are relaxed. You've had time to nap if you wanted to."

Her voice is bland. "You did make a few stops along the way did you
not?

"In that many hours, most 'normal' people have to."

"Well, yes. I did take a few minutes here and there. I even napped
when I got here and realized you had things under control and weren't
going to act until tomorrow.

"I also sent word to a King's Constable. He'll be here in the morning
to render judgment on whoever you ask him to."

Her response is to collapse into her chair in surprise and
realization.

"I had forgotten we have one to call upon."

"Wait. *A* Constable? More than one?"

"Yes. There are several now. Like King's Messengers, they reveal
themselves only at great need. You had one aboard your ship for
several years.

"Because of his personal involvement, he could not be here to render
judgment.

"For now, there must be only one visible at any time. The Constable's
Guild is not yet ready to reveal it's existence.

"His 'speech' before the old King was elegant in it's simplicity.

" 'I stand here to announce that in an effort 'to make things right',
I am taking on the duties and responsibilities of a King's Constable.

"Have you never wondered that some of his more 'pragmatic' decisions
in the field were never questioned? Or fully approved at all times
when you sent in your reports?"

"Hoke?" It is a stunned whisper.

"I can see Alex as one. Most anyone else. But Hoke??"

"He's so - simple and straightforward."

He raises his glass in a silent toast.

"Indeed. He is simple by any reasonable standards.

"Yet, he met someone who did not force him to become what he wasn't
meant to be. She encouraged him to accept and become comfortable with
his 'simpleness'

"This person helped him see there was a path that led to that
'simpleness' becoming his greatest strength.

"Hoke now has a clarity of vision that rivals that of his 'Mistress'.

"You may be proud of your work Vix. None of us could have known it at
the time but it has all led to this point.

"A time where we may sever the bond between person's actions as a Bard
and their actions as a person. We can do it in a way that will
reassure the people that Bards, although they are Bards, are also
people and sometimes situations get beyond even their abilities to
handle 'cleanly'.

"Your actions here are important to the Bards. They can give us the
space we need to at last act as ourselves if the situation demands it
of us.

"And those actions will be seen as that of an individual under
conditions that take them out of their roles as a Bard.

"So, I am here to tell you.

"Act as yourself and for yourself if you feel you must. The people of
Rabelaisia will accept it of you.

"There is a collective anger that someone would dare to take such
actions against anyone Not just a Bard and her family.

"Already, other slave-masters are moving against the planners of this.
I think the ones who planned this will be relieved to suffer a clean
fate at your hands rather than what they now face.

He refills his glass and then moves to settle in one of the chairs.

"Slaving has long been tolerated because the slavers never crossed
certain boundaries.

"By letting themselves place revenge ahead of their normal actions,
these have crossed those accepted limits.

"Bluntly, the backlash has already resulted in the public hanging of
suspected slavers. The people no longer trust *any* slavers to stay
within acceptable limits.

"With the people aroused to this degree, I expect that in a generation
or so, in this part of the world, slave-trading will be a thing of the
past.

"If *you* can channel the current anger to good effect.

"The slavers have acted. The people know how *they* would react."

"Perhaps you can find a better solution.

With a slight nod of his head, he finishes.

"Lady Chrystal.

"The Bards of Rabelaisia await your pleasure.

"In the seeking of Justice - what would you have us do?"

Her voice is filled with the pain of holding herself back from what
she wants to do.

"Nikki.

"It's not that simple.

"It's obvious you don't know some important details.

She sketches in the involvement of the Assassins.

"So, I owe them help in restoring their honor.

"I need to think some. While I do so, here is the report they
prepared."

She slides the papers across her desk and then leans back and closes
her eyes and begins to consider her options.

The long silence is punctuated by Nikki's sigh and his steps to go
gaze out the window.

Well over an hour later, Chrystal rises and goes to join him.

As they stand side-by-side, they reach to wrap an arm around the
other.

"Nikki?

"I have a solution of sorts." Her laughter is a bit forced.

"Guild-Master Ishtan isn't going to like it one bit.

"If he wants to restore the honor of the Assassin's Guild, he has no
choice.

"Nor do I really.

"As well, many, many people are not going to enjoy my decisions.

"I had other plans for the people involved."

Now, she sighs.

"The ones who planned the attack and the ones who carried it out will
die.

"If they don't die by my orders, they will die at the hands of the
Assassins. Or by someone else's orders."

Nikki nods in agreement.

"Indeed. Ours is a hard world at times.

"The ones who killed your family know this. I suspect they all
expected to die at the hands of the Guild. Master Ishtan's grasp of
reality is profound. By not killing them, he has already done much to
restore his Guild's honor.

"As for the ones who planned this. They all have abused the Bards' and
King's Justice given to them ten years ago.

"They too, while planning to seek revenge and hoping to avoid being
captured, knew their fates if caught.

"How then, do you plan to make those deaths mean something?"

Her answer is to walk to the door and open it.

"Trialla?

"Call a crew's meeting. I want the entire crew, the crew of the Spray
and all our other 'guests', present. No exceptions.

"Alex is to stand with the crew this time. As is Artur.

"I will be addressing everyone as Lady Chrystal. Nikki will represent
the Bards. Captain Ishtan, his Guild."

She gazes after Trialla thoughtfully as she starts rousing the crew.

"Nikki. I don't know what I did to deserve such people around me.

His comment is mild.

"You have been yourself. Helped them to become themselves.

"Who would *not* wish to repay such a person?"

Her nod is slow. "I see. Such a simple thing. I never would have
expected it to have such profound results."

Now her voice takes on a slightly ironic tone.

"As for making their deaths mean something...

"I am after all, a Bard.

"I will show the world that the loss of their honor and their
deaths...

"Is the most honorable thing they can do now.

"While we wait for the crew and our guests to be gathered, would you
tell me about these 'changes' Bards will be making?"

Nikki's grin is open and relaxed. As is hers.

"Indeed. You deserve to hear it.

"After all, you will be helping support it if you accept the position
offered."
====

Nikki's Choice - (includes Bard's Awakening)
Nikkolai, Lady Chrystal, Ash, Whisper, Pippa
---

Nikki's slight smile as he settles comfortably hints at the many
layers of visions Vix's request bring to mind.

He raises his glass in a toast.

"To the 'new' Bards. And to a future that will allow us to continue to
be a part of Rabelaisia."

Vix settles back and raises her eyebrows as she comments.

"New Bards? You and I?

"We are known as most traditional in our dealings with the...

"Oh.

"I see.

"It's your tale Nikkolai. I gather you have been wanting to share this
one with me for quite some time.

"Yes Vix. I have wanted to tell it to almost from its beginnings.
Until recently, only Ash and myself have known all of this one.

"Even we do not know how it will end.

His chuckle echoes softly. "Not even Whisper knows that her beloved
'Nikki' has crafted a tale he does not have an ending for.

"Then again, this tale was deliberately crafted so it would, with good
fortune, never have a true ending. Only many beginnings.

* * *

The middle-aged Bard stands before the Bard's council. Unbeknownst to
them, he had long ago planned for this day.

Since his family will be affected, nobody is surprised at their
presence.

There are few who bother to question the decisions of Nikkolai.

That, in his view, is a major part of the problem he sees developing.

Of his family, only his son Ash knows his decision in advance.
Together, they have spent years working to a partial solution.

"I appreciate your asking me to accept this honor.

"However, I'm afraid that I must refuse."

There is a stunned silence. One of Rabelaisia's best known and
*respected* Bards...

Has just refused a position on the Bard's Council.

"I wish to remain as I am. A Settled Bard."

Before people begin to recover and ask the inevitable questions, Ash
steps forward.

"Perhaps the people here would like to hear a story? Something to
distract them from the pressures and shock?

"Before things are said or decided in the heat of the moment?"

One Bard finally speaks.

"Ash. Nikki. It is obvious the two of you planned this.

"What point you have to make is not seen yet. That you have one to
make is, again, very obvious.

"Far too obvious. Ash obviously speaks words Nikki chooses not to.

"Ash. Before you tell us your story.

"Who are you?"

Everyone wonders at the sad smiles that appear on Ash's and Nikki's
faces.

"I am Ash. A Master Bard. I am son to Nikkolai and Whisper. Two who
are also Master Bards.

"I am also Ash, wearer of Runner's Cloak. A rare honor bestowed by the
Coyotes themselves."

"The original idea is Nikkolai's. The way I choose to tell the tale is
mine.

"I am Ash.

"As I was taught from my earliest training - as do we all learn -

"I speak for Rabelaisia."

He falls silent and looks at each person on the council in turn.

They are stunned at the tone of gentle rebuke in his voice. There is
obvious anger on several faces. Anger that Nikki would choose to do
this to them.

Then, the dawning realization. They still haven't heard what this
'idea' was.

There is also the grudging awareness that of them all, Nikki and his
son are perhaps the most 'Bardic' teachers in generations.

That the wearer of 'Runner's Cloak' chooses to support Nikkolai in
this means only one thing.

The Bard's Council is about to receive a 'Bard's Lesson'.

As Ash waits patiently in the traditional request for silence so he
may continue, there is some whispered conversation amongst the
councilors.

At last, they settle and face him.

"Even my father has not heard this tale. It is a new one crafted for
this time and audience. May we never need one such as this again.

"I call it...

"Bard's Awakening'

Bard's Awakening

Nikkolai and Ash

By: Ash - wearer of Runner's Cloak "Many years ago, before I was born,
there was a young wolfhound who dreamed. He was a prankster. A person
devoted to jokes that made more settled people look foolish.

"His life's dream - was to somehow become a Bard. Except that Bards
were too dignified for his tastes.

"So, he despaired of ever becoming one. He couldn't see himself ever
being that quiet and dignified.

"So, one day, he choose to use his skills to reduce that dignity to a
more everyday level.

"Thus, he found out that even a joker can become a Bard.

"Over the years, as he learned and grew, he found inner stability. He
discovered that he *could* be true to his nature and still fulfill his
sworn duties as a Bard.

"He found stability.

"Yet, as will a festering wound, the very fact of his stability nagged
at him.

"He boiled it down to a simple question.

"Is stability the answer?

"Bards encourage growth. Acceptance of personal responsibility.

"In short, Bards are Rabelaisia's leading and yet most subtle agents
of change.

"That stability may lead to it's sister - stagnation - was a lesson he
learned when he was offered a choice between two paths in a forest.

"One led to his normal affairs. The other led to his finding a mate.

"In short, by abandoning his stability, he found a newer and more
lasting stability.

"It was all too obvious one could not stop there.

"In his mind, it became obvious that stability was a state of mind.
One could embrace a static version and become stagnant. Or, one could
dare for a greater, more lasting stability.

"The stability of change.

"It was during this time, just before his children were born, that he
noticed something alarming.

"The Bard's council was, in spite of it's avowed purposes, choosing
people who were more interested in static stability. In maintaining
the status quo.

"Individual members would sometimes be agents of change but the
council as a whole was subtly opposing it.

"Why else would they only choose members from 'Settled Bards'? The
logic was excellent, their reasoning sound.

"Except it was, in his mind, subtly wrong.

"Because by their very positions, Settled Bards have lost touch with
the greater part of Rabelaisia. They know only the area where they
live. They cannot know, in the ways Wandering Bards do, how Rabelaisia
is changing.

"Was there anything he could do?

"Not yet. He was a Master, but new at that rank.

"So, he waited.

"As he waited, his teaching methods shifted subtly. He began to teach
his apprentices and any others that one should accept their duties but
at the same time, look outward and see life as a series of changes.

"He taught people to question the basis of their beliefs, their
actions.

"What of 'The Bardic Way'? Was it completely right?

"He had no complete answer to that question. It worked and was the
best of any solutions he could think of.

"As it often happens, he and his mate had children.

"Four of them.

"He and his mate very carefully encouraged them to walk their own
paths. Taught them that the very basis for our lives is freedom to
choose.

"Even if you choose wrongly, you can learn from that.

"Thus it was that one became a Tracker.

"One became a Guard and then, by choice, King's Constable.

"One, after many fits and starts, became a Bounty Hunter.

"One, by conscious choice, followed his parents and became a Bard.

"Thus it was, that while his children learned their lessons, he
learned some of his own.

"At one point, one of his sons explained the reason he wouldn't become
a Bard.

" 'I don't want to ever play games with people's minds.'

"Is that how Bards were being viewed? As manipulators?

"He didn't rebuke his son for his honesty. He learned several lessons
that day. If a person who grew up around Bards dares to call them
'manipulators', what must the ordinary person think of them?

"The relevant lesson he learned though was slightly different. There
comes a time when one must deliberately hold back and not impose your
values on another.

"His children were all so strong in their acceptance of this system
that it became the only way they could learn many lessons.

"Through experience.

"He learned that one *cannot* know what is right for everyone. That
times change.

"So it was at last, when I became a Journeyman Bard, he first came to
me with his fears.

"Yes, the Bard of whom I speak was Nikkolai. My father.

"Over the years, we have worked to avoid the fate we both saw at that
time.

"That the council has asked my father to join them is both a mark of
our success - and our failure.

"Our success that he is recognized for what he has done for
Rabelaisia.

"Our failure because of the two of us, I am more qualified than he is
to sit on the council.

"Councilors, my father is, we hope, one of the last, and in my
opinion, perhaps one of the greatest, of the old style Bards.

"A Bard who recognizes that by his very success, he is wedded to a
specific time and place in Rabelaisia's history.

"As for myself, while I am not his equal in many ways, I see a future
of change. I am not wedded to following in his footsteps.

"Rabelaisia *has* changed.

"The Bards of Rabelaisia must change with it.

"Or we will become in reality, its entertainers only. People who tell
amusing tales that have no meaning in everyday life.

"We have worked to change our world but have failed to change with it.

"I stand here to inform the council that in asking my father to join
them, they are wedding themselves to the past.

"That they have allowed themselves to be swayed by emotions and lost
sight of their main purpose.

"I tell you the council not only seeks stability -

"It follows a path that leads to stagnation.

"I stand with Nikkolai.

"I refuse a place on this or any other council.

"It is time for the Council of Bards to openly embrace change."

Ash pauses at last. He is not finished.

He has one last task. If he decides he must perform it.

He looks at Nikkolai. Finally, Nikki nods, smiles sadly, and makes a
gesture that says: 'Your choice.'

Ash nods slowly and then questions his father with his eyes.

There is a stunned silence as Nikkolai removes his cloak, carefully
folds it and then places it on the table.

After he returns to where he was standing, Ash removes his cloak and
carefully places it next to Nikki's.

The last thing anyone expected has happened.

The two of them stand in open defiance of the Bard's Council. If the
council does not change, they will no longer support it.

Whatever happens now, one thing is certain. The Bards will never be
the same.

It is Pippa who breaks the silence.

"Dearest Brother.

"How frustrating it must be to see all your carefully crafted subtlety
wasted on these people.

"And Mother. How careful you've been to stay silent and in the
background.

"Ash, your game of 'distractions' had me stunned for a bit.

"Very well. I will mention some details of my own.

"The way my father taught my mother when she decided to become a Bard.
Very non-traditional that apprentices are allowed to craft stories in
public. Even Masters hesitate to do such.

"Nikki and Whisper are well known for their willingness to craft new
tales based on the whims of their audiences.

"I am reminded of the time Nikki rescued the slaves and stayed to
place the orphans. His use of the pebbles to let Chel discover her own
path. He did not 'guide'. He did not 'lead'. He pointed and said
'there are many paths and you may see ones I do not'.

"My brother Blade's clear vision of how power handlers would have been
so quickly vilified in that village after his first job as a Bounty
Hunter.

"If Bards had been doing their job, such easy hatred would not have
been possible.

"Yet...

"I am struck more by what my brother did not say.

"He did not mention that my father is not only an old style Bard but
also a new type. He is known for his willingness to go out among the
people even though he has a family.

"His very respect is because of that.

"Ash did not say *when* he crafted his tale. I suspect he crafted it
on the spot to suit the reactions of the council.

"Ash sees a future filled with change. What does Nikki see in the
future?

"And perhaps most importantly...

"What my father did not say.

"He refused a position on *this* council. Not a future one.

"Yet Ash specified he was more suitable for this council than his
father and then refused an unoffered position.

Her laughter is quiet.

"Brother, Father, Mother. All that subtlety wasted.

"Or was it?

"I, a non-Bard raised around a new type of Bard saw it immediately.

"Was it left for a non-Bard to deliver the true lesson here?

* * *

"Nikki?"

Chrystal's question is a slight breath of sound.

"Such games.

"Or were they?

"Was that the lesson?

"That Bards needed to quit focussing on the past and look to the
future?

"You risked a great deal when you and Ash removed your cloaks.

"I wonder that you did not make the Choice.

His eyes met hers and she can see the pain in them.

"Whisper asked me the same question that day...

* * *

After an oppressive silence, Whisper walked over to stand behind the
table.

Her stunned pain was obvious as she reached to pick up Nikki's and
Ash's cloaks.

She stared at the cloaks and then gently replaced them on the table.

"Is this your way of telling us you will not be bound by Bardic rules
if we do not agree to whatever it is that you have planned?

"My mate. My Son. Was this the only solution you could see?

"Nikki." Her voice was a pain filled whisper.

"You did not make the Choice. Are you now so confident that you feel
no need to be bound by the oaths you took as a Bard?"

He held out his paws in the traditional greeting of mates. There was a
shocked silence as those gathered realized he was using the subtle
ones that mates only used in private.

"My love.

"Fellow Bards and others gathered here.

"Now at last may I speak of the lesson Ash and I are teaching.

"In spite of our oft quoted purpose in striving to never return to the
Mage Wars...

"Here before you is what I foresaw and Ash and I have worked to
prevent.

"Unless we as Bards change our worldview...

"We stand on the brink of starting a series of battles beyond those
long ago ones.

"Ash and I will not begin any battles here. It is our hope that our
battles will end here rather than continue.

"May I tell *my* tale?"

The shared glances told a story of confusion and anger.

After almost an hour of quiet discussion, it was agreed that Nikkolai
should be allowed to speak.

"Let me point out from the beginning that I and Ash did not quit as
Bards.

"Yes, we will stand in opposition to this council's policies should
they continue.

"What have Whisper and I been called? 'The People's Bards'. We are
seen as Bards who are willing to live and be with the people rather
than hold ourselves aloof.

"I choose to not make a Bard's Choice in this matter because I feel
that any 'justice' I receive would be based on rules made for other
times.

"I would take this decision to the people of Rabelaisia.

"I still remember my oaths.

"To help avoid a return to the times of Runner and Ruth. To gently
guide our people to a future in which personal responsibility is a way
of life.

"The future is now.

"I am a Bard. I am also a Rabelaisian.

"I must stand before this council as a citizen of Rabelaisia. Not as a
Bard.

"It is time that we must find a way for Bards to be able to act as
private people if the situation requires it.

"That is the 'lesson' Ash and I have chosen to give today."

He at last turns to gaze at Whisper.

"Forgive me love.

"Ash, it is time.

"Council of the Bards. We foresaw this moment. A time when reason
would be clouded by emotions and fear.

"Therefore, over the years, he and I have worked to find a way to
reassure you that we are not going to use Power to sway things or try
and control what happens."

As Ash and Nikkolai reach to form a mutual touch-link, there is an
agonized shout from Whisper.

"NO!!"

Their hands fall away and they turn to face her.

"Too late my love. It is done and only you may help us return to what
we were.

"If you and the council decide we should.

With that, two now ordinary wolfhounds calmly leave the room.

* * *

"Was the Council truly that blind Nikki?"

He nods slowly. "They were."

"Whisper told me later that it was several days before she realized
that the use of Power was the smallest of a Bard's skills.

"Days before she and the Council remembered one of the first lessons
we learn."

Chrystal speaks it for both of them. "Words have a power of their own.
As a Bard, I must strive to never abuse that power.

"So for several days at least, one of our most revered Bards did not
have the ability to use Power.

"You cheer me Nikki. I had forgotten that attitude of seldom using
power. Yet I myself seldom use it."

Her gaze turns thoughtful. "I would miss the abilities. Yet as you
say, I have made my reputation by not using them.

"People expect even Bards to use power only as a last resort.

Now he interrupts her.

"Or use power because it is a natural part of you and one should not
deny one's inherent abilities."

His voice turns gentle. "Nor should Bards condemn someone for using
the tools at hand to solve a personal problem.

"The people of Rabelaisia won't condemn you."

She fills the silence with quiet words.

"Bards speak for the people.

"Thank you Nikki.

"Speaking of 'distractions', as much as I would like to hear the rest
of what happened, the crew is ready.

"I must return to my duties as the new owner of the family fleet.

"Thank you for helping.

"Shall we?"

Thus, they are standing with arms around each other and sharing a kiss
as Trialla quietly enters to let her know it is time.

"Trialla, join us." Nikki's words are quiet.

As they reach to touch her, the three of them vanish.

A cool breeze and delighted shouts greet their appearance on the deck.

"I wanted to spare you any trivial use of power Lady." His words are a
gentle benediction in her mind as he moves to stand beside her. "Let
it begin."
====

End: The Tails of Rabelaisia 4/6 Lady Chrystal

-- 
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