by Robin Roseau
"I have always kept my ear open for exotic opportunities, but my Little Fox has expressed a certain desire, and so now I will be doing more than remaining open to ideas."
"You're going to look."
"Yes. And while I cannot make promises, if there are foxes in Russia, it is very likely I will eventually find them."
"They will hide from you."
"They can hide from general searches, but if I know they exist, they will not succeed in hiding from me."
I glanced at Carissa, and she nodded.
"I detect a proposal."
"Neither of us knows if either of us will be successful in her search. And so, I offer a pact. If my search is successful, I will offer you, well, let us call it access. And if your search is successful, you will do the same."
"Access? Lara would never allow me to travel to Russia."
"I believe all you really wish is a certain sample or two. And that is all I require as well."
I studied her. I looked at Sonya. She was staring out the window into the night, seemingly oblivious to the conversation. "Does she know what we're discussing?"
"No. Nor has she suggested she knew what you wish. I am not in the habit of raising her hopes when I cannot make promises."
It was my turn to look out the window. They let me sit in silence for a minute or two before Ekaterina said, "Will you tell me your hesitation?"
"I do not wish to offend you."
"You intend to decline?"
I turned back. "I don't know if I can explain my hesitation without offering offense."
"Ah. You fear to express a certain reluctance into delivering offspring into my care."
"That is the first part. There are other concerns, but that is the main concern."
"Everyone in my household is happy," Ekaterina said. "I hold Sonya very close to me, but only for the same reason your mate holds you so closely."
"Are you lovers?"
"No. We are friends, and we love each other, but not in that style."
"Do you feed from her?"
"Yes, but no more often than the other members of my household."
Carissa spoke next. "Michaela, you experienced only the beginning of the thrall, when it is most intense. Do Deirdre, Anika or Joanna appear unhappy?"
"No," I said. "But a fox should be free."
"A fae needs freedom at least as much as a fox does," Deirdre said.
"But I imagine you have more freedom than the white-haired one does." Sonya's ears didn't even twitch. "And perhaps more than I do."
"I do not believe I have more than you do, but yes, probably more than she does," Deirdre said. "However, she seems happy, doesn't she?"
"I hold a great, great deal of land," Ekaterina said, "and she has free roam of all of it. She wears no collar."
"She wears the leash of a blood thrall."
"She is happy, as you were," Carissa said. "Any offspring would be happy, if Ekaterina keeps them."
"What?" I asked. "You'd what? Sell them?"
"No," she said. "I will add that to our pact. I will not trade them away, unless they themselves request it. However, I might want to discuss additional breeding opportunities, twenty or thirty years later."
I came to a decision and nodded. "I cannot make the same sort of promise you can make."
"Why not?"
"It would not be my sample to send you. I would neither force someone else nor deceive him. What do you propose?"
"We have the basis of an agreement, but you are asking how I would expect you to keep it?"
"Tentative agreement," I clarified. "The details matter. I would not make a promise I cannot control."
"Then I will add this. We will share information. If you learn of a group in North America, you will inform me. If I learn of one in Europe or Asia, I will inform you."
I started to open my mouth to protest, but she held up a hand.
"I will not poach, shall we say? I may offer assistance. And I will not force any fox in any fashion at all. I will not force a thrall, not to a fox in North America or one in Siberia. I will not force a visit to St. Petersburg. I may make offers; they may be very, very attractive offers. But I will not force."
"Even if you find this fox without my help?"
"Even then."
"We share information. And if I find a fox here?"
"Then you will do your best to facilitate a meeting."
"My best within reason, and within the sort of limits you know Lara applies to my life. And if the fox refuses any contact with you?"
"You are an honorable fox," she said. "I will trust your judgment." She smiled. "You are very careful in your agreements."
"I wouldn't want to make a promise I can't keep, or one that forces me to violate my morals to do so."
"I will not expect you to violate your morals, and I will not violate mine, either."
"Carissa?" I asked.
"You are both operating in good faith," she said. "You could quibble over details, but this is a handshake agreement, not a legal document. I believe you both understand each other."
"Well then," I said. I decided to restate our agreement. "If I learn of any other foxes, I will tell you. You will do the same. If I meet another fox, then I will make reasonable effort to facilitate a meeting for you."
"I will not force any foxes into any agreements," Ekaterina said. "And if I have the opportunity to do so, I will grant you whatever access you request to any foxes I find."
"Which might involve collecting and mailing a sample."
"Perhaps you understand I wouldn't handle that directly."
We all laughed, and I had an agreement.
"I hope no one intends to tell Lara about this," I added.
"Why do you think she's not in the car with us?" Carissa asked.
Ekaterina smiled. Then she turned to Sonya, laying a hand on her arm. She spoke in Russian, and the fox smiled. She turned to me and hugged me tightly.
"I told her you offered to teach her to kayak, the next time you see her," Ekaterina explained.
"I would love to," I said. I held Sonya as tightly as she held me.
* * * *
We arrived back at Carissa's. We were barely out of the car when Sonya asked Ekaterina a question. Ekaterina said something in Russian to Carissa. And Carissa in turn sidled up to Lara, intercepting her before she could reach me. The two spoke quietly, and then Lara nodded. Carissa stepped aside, and Lara completed the walk to me, pulling me into her arms and squeezing.
"We'll be home tomorrow," I said.
"Did they try to take you from me?"
"No, honey. And they wouldn't have succeeded. You know that, in spite of our little disagreement."
She held me another moment then released me, more or less. "Carissa has offered to allow a run. She says we are safe here, although she suggests howling might be a poor idea, and she asks us not to hunt."
I traced the conversation backwards and smiled. "You agreed?"
"With your approval," she replied.
I raised my voice. "Sonya, we are going for a run. Will you join us?"
A second later came the reply. "Da."
* * * *
Twenty minutes later, we collected back outside. The instant shifters had changed back into our day clothes. The slow shifters were already in fur. Carissa and Deirdre were already waiting; they had both changed, although I didn't think they intended to run with us.
Carissa and Deirdre looked at us, but they both knew our pack could shift instantly. But then Ekaterina and Sonya arrived; Sonya was in fur.
She was every ounce as beautiful as I was, white as snow. She stopped in the doorway of the house while Ekaterina held the door open for her, then she stepped down, trotting over to me.
I knelt down to get a good look.
She was so beautiful. I told her that, and Carissa translated. Sonya squeaked her glee, then rolled onto her back, offering her tummy. I dug my fingers into her fur, treating her the way I loved to be treated.
She continued to squeak in pleasure.
I hadn't made those noises in years; they weren't wolf noises, and I had altered my foxy vocabulary to more closely resemble wolf expectations.
Elisabeth stepped over. "She's as beautiful as you are, Michaela."
"Maybe more so," I admitted. "And possibly faster."
Elisabeth stared. "I hadn't even thought about that. Has our fox met her match?"
I laughed.
Ekaterina stepped over. "Alpha," she said to Lara. "Do you accept responsibility for Sonya's security, or would you like me to run with you. It is entirely your choice."
Lara turned to the vampire. "Michaela, no games."
"No games," I agreed.
"We'll take care of her," Lara said.
"I will listen," Ekaterina said, "and if I hear a wolf howl, I will be there instantly."
Lara nodded to her.
Then it was Carissa's turn. "Lara, none of you know the limits of my land. The boundaries are not clear, and there are dangers you won't find in your northern forests. It is safe if you stay to the obvious fields, but if you wish to travel somewhat further, then I offer myself as guide."
"You can keep up with us?" Lara asked. I scoffed.
"Of course," Carissa said. "Especially if we are running at a fox pace, although I will travel in fits and starts. I will run ahead, then lag behind."
"Then we welcome your company."
"Excellent," Carissa replied. She turned to me. "Our best path is in that direction." She pointed. "We cross the field, and there is a path through that copse of trees. I can meet you at the entrance to the trail."
I smiled, loosened my clothing, then turned to Lara. I leaned up, put my hands on her shoulders, and then shifted to fox, just like that. The end result had me hanging onto Lara, the tip of my tail just brushing the ground. My clothes fell from my body as I squirmed. Lara laughed and gathered me up, supporting me more carefully, and I clung to her, chuffing happily.
I looked over Lara's shoulder to see Elisabeth shaking her head at me. From her place on the ground, Sonya offered her own squeak of pleasure at my antics.
"You goof," Lara said, kissing me on the nose before setting me down. She collected my clothing and set them on the verandah. While the wolves undressed the slow way, I bowed to Sonya, inviting her to play. She bowed back, and I immediately dashed away. She gave chase.
She was just as fast as I was, and it was clear very early on we were a physical match for each other. I weaved amongst all the available obstacles, both two-footed and four-footed obstacles, and while she didn't catch me, I didn't lose her, either. She snapped at my tail, catching it a few times, but I decided that didn't count at all.
I knew everyone was watching. The undressing wolves had all stopped to watch me, several of them laughing.
"I've got money on the fox!" Karen called out.
"Which one?" Angel immediately asked. Karen didn't answer with more than a laugh.
I continued to try to lose Sonya. I dashed around Lara, between Elisabeth's legs, and ran underneath Eric in his fur. He tried to sit down, forming a wall for Sonya, but she leapt over him instead of going underneath, and she almost caught me when she came down. I chuffed for his attempt, and he chuffed back.
"You've met your match," Lara called out. "Ekaterina, I think I like your fox. It's about time Michaela lost this game."
I doubled back, barely avoiding Sonya, and barked at Lara. Traitor. She laughed again. I was deeply tempted to bite her ankle on the way past, but I couldn't risk the delay.
I didn't trust that Ekaterina wouldn't help her fox, so I avoided her. But I did two circles around Carissa, Sonya snapping at my tail the entire time.
Sonya eventually caught me. I feinted, but she correctly predicted my shift of direction, and she came down right on top of me, a perfect leap, knocking me onto my back. We skidded to a stop with her on top of me.
But then I discovered an advantage. I was more accustomed to playing rough and tumble than she was. With four paws, I pushed her off, and she went flying past me, bumping against her vampire's legs and coming to a panting rest on her side.
She didn't yelp, but she didn't get up, either. Instead, she lay there panting, and I worried I had stunned her.
Ekaterina knelt down and was checking her fox at the same time I rolled to my feet and cautiously approached, whining.
"She is fine," the vampire said.
I lay down in the grass and put my head between my legs, watching Sonya. We both caught our breaths, and then she lifted her head, looked around, then rolled onto her stomach and mirrored me.
"Are you two done?" Lara asked. I huffed. As if.
"Does that sound mean something?" Ekaterina asked.
"In this case, I think she's waiting for Sonya to run away this time," Lara said, and I chuffed.
Ekaterina spoke gently in Russian. Sonya leaned up and licked her quickly once, then stood and bowed. I bowed back, and then she was running.
She was just as hard for me to catch as I'd been for her. She ran me all over, and while I could snap at her tail, she was really hard to catch.
But not impossible. She was as fast as I was, and as agile. But she wasn't accustomed to this game, and several times I could have caught her. But I was afraid I would hurt her, so I satisfied myself with chasing her.
I thought Lara would have caught her, too, and maybe some of the fastest enforcers, but I wasn't sure.
Finally, she ran past Lara, and instead of continuing to give chase, I leapt for Lara. Laughing, she caught me, staggering for a moment. I was small, but thirty pounds of hurtling fox is still a lot to catch.
"Good game," Lara called out. "Stalemate."
Sonya continued to run for a moment, then hid behind Ekaterina. She saw Lara holding me and lay down, panting heavily.
It had definitely been a good game.
Lara set me down as well. The wolves finished shifting, and it was time to run.
Deirdre
It was a good run, although not as good as if we'd been home. Carissa had a lot less property, after all, but still, we had a nice run. We collected our clothing and got dressed. Deirdre was waiting for us, and once Lara and I were dressed, she quietly said, "I want to show this to you and Lara, but no more than that."
And so we moved the entire party into the house, and then Carissa asked Anika and Joanna to serve as hosts for "perhaps a half hour". Lara gestured to Elisabeth, who kept the enforcers with her. Carissa, Deirdre, Lara, and I headed to a small sunroom at the back of the house.
"Lara, do you know why we're here?" Deirdre asked.
"No."
"Michaela asked me about my birth form." Lara's eyes grew wide. Deirdre paced for a moment. "The fae are not like other creatures."
"None of us are like other creatures," Carissa said.
"I suppose not," Deirdre admitted. "Fae children are a product of not two parents, but in a way, three. We each have a father and a mother, like most creatures. But the magic of Elfame in many ways is a parent to us as well. Our magic is wild and unpredictable, and no two of us have exactly the same magic. This is because of the wild magic of Elfame."
I nodded understanding.
"The term fae really represents any of the sentient creatures born in Elfame. And so, some fae look almost exactly like humans. Some are not even humanoid but instead represent beasts of one nature or another." She paused. "And some represent something entirely different."
She seemed nervous.
"Many fae are unable to alter their form. Some are able to alter their appearance only through illusion. Spells. Their pointed ears may look rounded, but if you touch them, you would feel they are pointed."
Lara and I understood.
"Some are able to alter their appearance almost as easily as you both do, although most who can do this take somewhat more time at it than you do, Michaela." She smiled. "For others, we must use spells to achieve a human form. This is something I must do. But because I use spells,
I can also alter my appearance within the realm of human appearance." She gestured to herself. "This is how I choose to appear. With some of us, the spells remain active, and they are easily dispelled. The magic I use performs a complete change, and there is no residual magic involved in holding this form."
She paused again, letting us consider it.
"I must use magic to look like this. But I have an appearance that is natural to me, that I can take easily. It is not like any elf from Tolkien."
"Lara and Michaela," Carissa said, "I probably do not need to say this, but what Deirdre shows you is not to be shared with anyone, not even your head enforcer."
"Of course," Lara said. "We understand."
The vampire nodded. Deirdre held her arms from her sides and began to turn around in a circle. She spun about three times, and when she came to a stop, she looked entirely different.
Well, perhaps not entirely. She was wearing the same clothing and was the same basic size. She stood on two feet, with two arms. She had a head with a mouth, nose, and two eyes.
But her ears were not just pointed; they were as long on her head as the longest of rabbit ears, perhaps six inches tall, the tapered tips jutting above the height of her head. The outsides were covered in a fine fur, much like a dog's ears.
Her eyes were much, much larger than her human eyes, green, and I was left wondering if they glowed.
She spoke, and her voice was deep and gruff and not at all pleasant. "Do I shock you?"
"No," I said. "I didn't know what to expect, but I am not shocked. May I touch?"
She inclined her head. I moved towards her, Lara with me. And I reached to caress her face.
Her skin, at least what I could see, was white, but it was thick and rough. It was not grooved, but it felt almost like the bark of a tree. It was somewhat more supple around her mouth, but I imagined she carried little expression in this form.
"I bet you have a great poker face," I said.
She growled, and I realized it was the closest to a laugh she could make.
She had hair on her head. It was green, the color of leaves, and coarse. I ran my fingers through it anyway. Then I caressed one of the ears.
"Does it hurt to change shape?"
"No."
"This is her magic form," Carissa explained. "She can perform much of her magic in her human form, but when she is serious, she looks like this."