(Author Notes:)

Welcome to Blood & Carrots: Silverpaw.There are a few things we should get out of the way before you continue into this serial;

First and foremost, this is a SEQUEL to my first series. If you have not read it yet, seriously, close this and go do so now. This story assumes you are a returning reader, and you will be thoroughly confused by the world if you’re new to the series. Also it will spoil the bejeezus out of the first series.

Let me be clear; this story will still have plenty of raunchy kemonomimi-style furry smut mixed in, but like with the first one, there’s substance here. It’s story first, smut second. This isn’t a fic for a quick pervy read, but give it a chance and I think it will Deliver~.

The story of B&C: Silverpaw, will be much more dramatic and violent than my previous one. If you enjoyed my combative scenes and drama in the first, you’ll be right at home here! If not... w-well, sorry about that. I hope you will still enjoy it all the same! I’ve tried my best for you all, as always.

If you made it through my original B&C, it probably doesn’t matter, but I’ll say it again; this story has a Variety of sex scenes in it. Though since I’m still in the process of writing it, I can’t say for certain what types you’ll likely encounter. I will tentatively say m/f, f/f, and f/f/m.

Phew! That’s enough babbling, let’s get to it!
As always, I’ve done my best for my lovely readers, and I hope you enjoy your time in my world.
Thank you!

Episode 1:
I did not ask for this

My earliest memories were when I was a young teenager. My small nomadic family didn’t bother with concepts such as birthdays, so all I can say was I would have been between twelve and fourteen.

We were a small tribe of about four families, coming to around a little over a dozen citizens in total. We did the typical lifestyle of moving with the seasons, never having permanent residence. We kept in contact with other local tribes along with the nearby permanent settlements in the region.

My father was the shaman of the tribe, the medicine-fox as it were. He had reared me from a young age to understand the various flora of the area and how to utilize it to create rudimentary medicines as well as balms. No doubt I would have taken up his position when I grew to adulthood, under normal circumstances.

I recall that night with clarity for a variety of reasons. I was woken from my slumber by my mother. She told me a great evil would soon be upon us and there was no time. She forced a wretched smelling drink into my hands, ordering me to drink deeply of it. I knew not to argue with my parents and did as she demanded.

The brew tasted as bad as it smelled, as if someone had brewed it of rotten meat and rancid wheat. I nearly wretched several times upon quaffing it down. My mother then gave me sharp and clear instructions, told me when I woke I was to travel to the north to the nearest tribe. I didn’t understand but couldn’t question her, the tonic already starting to claim my consciousness. My vision darkened and I collapsed a few moments later. My slumber was absolute. I did not dream or register anything, I simply floated in the void of dreamless sleep.

It was the smell that finally forced me to wake from my sleep, that and the constant weight upon me. I opened my eyes to darkness and could feel my own breath blow back on me as I panted out. I was covered heavily in something but I wasn’t sure what. Shaking my head of the grogginess the tonic had left in me, I forced myself to move, crawling from a large pile of old unwashed clothing and soiled furs.

Later I would put the pieces together. The drink put me into a deep almost coma of slumber, slowing my heart to a faint whisper like thrum. My parents had then piled the foul-smelling articles heavily upon me. The combination served two purposes, one to shield my scent and the other to dampen the beat of my heart.

What I awoke to could only be described as carnage. My parents laid out before me in our small yurt, their throats torn out. It was as if a wild creature had attacked them. Their forms looked frail and drained as if their very blood had been siphoned from them. In a sobbing panic, I pushed out into the morning light, crying out for help. I called out to our neighbors and family for aid, but no one came to my cries for help.

The next several minutes were spent moving from home to home, seeing a similar scene of death. Every last member of my tribe was dead, their throats torn open, from the elderly to the children, I was the only one left.

After nearly an hour of uncontrolled sobbing and panic, my mother’s words came back to me. I did the only thing I could do, I quickly donned a small sword and bow, then I struck out northward to where the next tribe would be.

Nearly half a day was spent traveling but I finally came upon the small tribe, seeing the handful of yurts over the horizon. The men of the tribe saw my approach and rushed out to me. They were shocked to see a young female not even of age to marry on her own. I broke down into a sobbing fit all over again upon them finding me, explaining what had happened as best I could.

I was taken in, cleaned up and given food. Then the next day the hunters of the tribe had me lead them back to the remains of my home. The trip only took a few hours since we rode on primitive horses. The hunters set about the task of burying the dead, their own shaman having accompanied them to offer the rights of death to the fallen.

After that, I was adopted into their tribe. I would have most likely been taken as a wife within a few years, but I was a fox, and they were a tribe of oxen. Inter-racial relationships simply didn’t happen in that time, doubly so for a predator and non-predators. Even so, they took me in and I pulled my own weight. They became my second family and their shaman even officially adopted me. He taught me of their own tribe’s medicine and I shared what I had learned from mine.

The times found us and eventually our small nomadic lifestyle ended as more settlements cropped up over the next decade or so. Eventually, the tribe dissolved into the budding civilization and I found myself alone. I had learned much in my time and eventually managed to open my own apothecary in one of the small villages. I never did wed, there simply weren’t any foxes in the area that were available for courting.

I didn’t know my age, but I knew the time to rear pups had slipped by me, I was already in my mid-twenties, after all. I should have started rearing children nearly a decade ago. So you could imagine my surprise when a young reynard found his way into my shop later into the winter months, just as I was ready to close for the evening.

Oh, he was a lovely thing to behold. The first male of my species I had seen in several years. He looked younger than me by a few years, sporting soft fur of brown and red, hair of raven wing, like my own. We weren’t the same species of fox, but my desire for him didn’t care. His charm was overwhelming and after just a few hours of talking, I insisted he stay the night. I didn’t realize at the time the decision was hardly my own.

I woke dazed and confused over what had transpired. I never got the birds and bees talk, but I was fairly certain it didn’t involve being bitten in the throes of passion. Well, not in any fun capacity in any matter. I, of course, had been embraced and turned. My mortality was lost to me on that night and he explained as such to me when I awoke.

Fury filled my soul at the concept of it. I had not given this dog permission to do such a thing, nor had I wanted it. I was content to run my little shop and take my trips into the wilderness for supplies. He had taken all that from me, but it didn’t matter what I thought or wanted, he had me enthralled and could bend my will as he pleased.

He was not a cruel fox, but he certainly had no hesitation to strip my will when I tried to come at odds with him. In a way it was like being wed in that time, you didn’t argue with the male back then, after all a female knew her place. Still, it was one thing to be that way out of duty and another to have it forced upon you, to break your very will to make it be so.

So my little shop closed and I stopped venturing out during the day hours. I did take some pleasure in going on walks at night when fear kept me from doing so before. I still hadn’t processed I had become the very thing that tormented me so many years ago. No, I had my suspicions, but mine was a controlled thing. I didn’t tear apart entire communities, I would slip in on an occasional vagabond or travel to a nearby town to feed.

Of course, the idea of sparing them had never been instilled upon me. I was a predator and they were the prey. As a personal code, I tried to avoid preying on the young and focus on the older or sick, but if I were hungry enough, all bets were off.

For the next handful of years, this was my life. My forced marriage to the fox, my forced hunger, my forced avoidance of sunlight and need to kill. It wasn’t a bad life, I even grew to enjoy his company despite the situation. I didn’t outright hate him and the lovemaking was thoughtful as well as passionate. I didn’t love him, but we learned to lean upon one another and enjoy our curse together.

Ah, there was one caveat to all this. Did you know that there are different types of us? Oh yes. Different types of vampires can offer different types of benefits and maledictions. Well, it just so happens mine did come with a heavy price. I was stricken with nightmares and not just any, but ones that focused upon the most tragic moments of my mundane life. Now, do you understand why I remember that last night with my family so clearly?

#

A curious thing happened after that. I had been with the fox over a decade when we had some unexpected visitors call late into the night. It was a small curvy sheep and a tall handsome white fox. The site of him left me stunned, flowing white fur and equally white hair that came down in a long ponytail. I had never seen a male wear hair of such length openly. I found him fetching from the very start.

The sheep introduced herself as Lorelai, she said she came representing the council. I had no idea what she was speaking about and the fox that sired me had never spoken of such a thing. He did, however, know of what she spoke of.

Things turned quickly from there. He commanded me to stand by his side and I did so, simply because I had no choice in the matter. The sheep seemed to know this keenly and instructed the white fox to not harm me.

To call the ensuing struggle anything short of laughable would be a gross understatement. He drew forth the black flames I had seen him call upon in times past, then the white fox drew forth his own flames of blue. I was in awe of it despite diving upon him and going for his throat with my teeth.

The white fox grabbed my wrists and overpowered me, handily pinning me to the floor and holding me down. I felt fury well up in me as I thrashed and snarled, trying to break his grip so I could take his throat. Then like a thread being severed the desire was gone. I gasped out from the shock of it all, feeling my will returned to me in earnest for the first time in over a decade.

He released my wrists and stood, even offering me his hand. I took it and felt his touch warm in my palm as he helped me to my feet. I yipped and blinked upon the scene, the sheep had her hand outstretched, with my sire on his knees before her. He was dazed and his head was tilted, exposing his throat.

“You! Tell me your name!” The sheep known as Lorelai spoke the words to me and they came to my soul as nothing short of absolute commandment.

“S-Sarnai… My name is Sarnai.” I spoke out my answer in a sharp polite response as if I were a soldier answering to a commander.

“He has kept your will bent towards him all this time, Sarnai. You need not worry any longer. You are safe.” The white fox next to me spoke out gently, his voice sending a chill down my spine as my black ears lifted, eager to hear more of his words.

“Elias! Do not make promises to her you cannot keep.” The sheep showed her sharp canines as she glared back at me with her blood-red eyes. “She will only be as safe as she chooses to be.”

I felt fear fill me and shook my head as I spoke out to her, “I-I don’t understand any of this...”

“No doubt.” Lorelai gave me a gaze that seemed to soften. “This was not your decision to make, but I will give you a decision now. Will you come with us and learn our ways, or stay loyal to this child who claimed you against your will?”

The fox that sired me sat there on his knees, his teeth showed in a furious scowl, but his body was paralyzed from the sheep’s overbearing will. I felt something fill me that I had not felt in all these years, contempt and resentment. Sure I had enjoyed the foxes company for what he was worth, but how much of it was my own feelings?

I placed my hands upon my hips and gave a nod. “I will. I did not ask for this, but I am in your debt for freeing me of it.”

A relieved sigh escaped the white foxes’ throat and I couldn’t help but blush to hear it, imagining he was worried about what would happen to me. The sheep gave a nod and spoke towards me once more. “You have a spark of this worthless creature’s power, but I will not see it wasted with his end. Come, feed upon him, exact your vengeance and claim all of his power as your own, my sister.”

I shuddered and widened my eyes at the words. “But...”

“Do not ‘but’ me, fox. He dies this night, regardless of it. I only see you are better off for it, now come.” She cocked her brow at me, the look in her eyes saying the next time she told me, it wouldn’t be a request.

I bit my lower lip and looked upon the helpless fox I had shared a bed with for so many years. The one that helped me hunt and learn to harness my powers. There was a spark of fondness for him and I felt myself torn.

“Do not forget, he has held you captive for nearly a decade, Sarnai. Your feelings are twisted to a false love.” Elias spoke out to me from my side, as if reading my thoughts.

I looked upon him, the white fox had spoken more kindly to me in these last few seconds than the other had in over ten years. The anger came to me at the thought of that and I strode forth to the fox on the ground and grabbed his chin. I jerked his gaze to look into my dark brown eyes, my large sharp teeth plainly showing. “Well… maybe we could have been something nice, had you just made it my choice. I don’t hate you, but I won’t mourn you either… rest well.”

His eyes widened as I finished my goodbyes to him and I plunged my teeth into his throat. I felt his body shudder as the euphoria of the embrace took him and I pulled everything he had into me, feeling every spark of his flames come with it. The last of his essence drew forth and I held it in my mouth, as if savoring a fine wine I had been waiting a decade to open. I swallowed it and let out a heavy pant, my bloody tongue lolled out slightly.

I dropped the lifeless fox to the ground and lapped a bit of blood from my fingers, my tail wagging lazily. My eyes shifted to the white fox staring intently upon me, seeing the hunger in his own eyes. The feeding had left me drunk and feeling giddy. I dragged my forefinger across the trickle of blood at the corner of my mouth and sauntered over to the other fox.

“Elias wasn’t it? Do you like what you see?” I pushed to him and offered my bloody finger. The fox parted his mouth and I popped it into his maw, feeling his strong tongue drag against it. My black ears folded and then I gave a soft yip as he nipped my finger and began to sup my blood from the wound.

I felt my tongue loll as he gripped my hand, sipping up a little more of my own essence before dragging his tongue over the wound, healing it. He pulled my hand down and gently kissed the top of it. “I do… you’re stunning...” My ears sprang up and my cheeks darkened at his words, feeling my heart lurch into motion for the first time in weeks.

“Break it up you dogs, before I get a bucket of cold water!” Lorelai spoke the words playfully and grinned upon the two of us. I realized he was still holding my hand and broke from his grip, blushing and averting my eyes.

“S-so… what happens now?” I asked the sheep curiously.

“Now you come with us.” Lorelai spoke the words calmly and picked up the bedside lamp, throwing it to the floor next to the foxes’ body. The oil burst forth as the fire quickly claimed it and started spreading across the floor.

“What?! B-but all my things! My home!” I called out in shock, backing up from the flames as they spread over my former sire’s body and started to creep up my bedding.

“All replaceable, let us be on our way.” Lorelai spoke the words in a strong command and I felt her willpower demand I follow her. The three of us left my home and former shop behind. We had made it out to the street and to the fringes of the town when I heard people starting to take note of the fire. I frowned from the field of grass, watching my home and former life being burned away.

“You won’t believe it now, but it’s best this way, Sarnai. I’m sorry...” Lorelai spoke the words gently to me, then gave my wrist a gentle tug. “Come, I have horses waiting, we need to get to the next village before sunrise.”

#

“So how did you find me?” I spoke out to the two of them while we rode together in the moonlight. We weren’t on a road of any sort, just trotting through the fields of grass and foliage, following behind Lorelai’s lead. It was our second day of travel since they had found me.

“Every few years I and Elias will take a year or so to travel around the various settlements and Khanates, to see if anyone like you has turned up.” Lorelai spoke the words casually while pulling the horse around a particularly dense thicket of brush. “Rumors will spread easily and then it’s a matter of just sensing your energy once close enough.”

“How long have you two been together?” My eyes averted towards the fox who rode beside me, his crystal blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight. I had heard rumors of men with blue eyes but never seen it in person. He glanced back at me and showed me his large sharp teeth in a playful grin. I felt my heart leap and quickly jerked my gaze back to the front.

“Hmm… he’s been part of my family for around fifteen years now. I found him and an incubus playing doctor together.” The sheep spoke the words and looked back over her shoulder at the two of us riding next to one another behind her.

“What’s an ink o buss?” I asked curiously, then lifted my ears in realization and jerked my gaze back to the fox. “Oh! Y-you practice medicine? I’m an apothecary, erm… well, I was.”

“Yes, I’ve been spending the last several years learning medicine. We should sit down sometime and compare our knowledge, we might learn something.” Elias barked the words out with a cheerful smile and met my eyes with his.

I felt my heart start to thump heavily in my chest once more while I stared upon those exotic looking eyes, then yipped out as my horse bucked slightly from me driving it into some bramble.

“Do pay attention, Sarnai. Primitive horses are expensive to replace.” The sheep sighed the words and looked over at me with a frown. “And to answer your previous question, an incubus is a form of demon.”

My ears lifted in shock. “You mean to tell me demons are real?”

She giggled and showed me an amused grin. “You became an unnatural blood-drinking vampire, but you’re surprised to hear about demons?”

I felt my cheeks darken and frowned. “I- I didn’t even know what a vampire was until a few years ago, how was I to know?”

“Well, we aren’t very well known. Which is a good thing.” Elias spoke the words out to me and smiled.

“He’s right. There is a reason I avoided the main section of road in this area.” Lorelai nodded the words while pulling the horse down a slope of grass.

“Why did you?” My head tilted curiously as I moved the horse down the slope behind her, my years of training coming to bare as I reigned the fussy steed in and kept it under control.

“The nearby villages tend to be more on the religious side of things. I don’t want a run-in with the church. They know of our kind and could be problematic. Especially with a fledgling like you in tow.” The sheep sighed the words and brought the horses in line with what looked like the makings of a well-traveled road a few miles ahead of us.

“I’m guessing there’s no talking with them?” I asked curiously.

“Well, they will do plenty of talking at you, when they’re lighting you on fire at a stake.” Elias spoke the words casually.

“But… I’ve seen how strong and fast I am since I changed years ago. Wouldn’t I be able to just break their rope?” My ears lifted at the prospect of it all.

“Not if they have blessed silver, which they would.” Lorelai rubbed at her head and frowned. “Look, let’s chat about this later, Sarnai. We will be spending years bringing you up to speed on things, let’s just enjoy one another’s company for now.”

“Sure… uhm… what did you do before you were a doctor, Elias?” I asked the white fox, eager to get to know more about him.

His teeth clenched and his jaw set at the question. I could tell instantly I had struck on something. “I uh...”

“He was a rampaging monster.” The sheep spoke the words out pointedly, earning a bark of protest from the larger fox.

“M-my lady! Must you openly-”

“Yes. Never forget your shortcomings, Elias. Hold those memories close and draw upon them whenever the frenzy begins to take hold. Remember the lives you claimed and what is at stake.” Lorelai spoke the words in a sharp tone of reprimand.

A silence hung between the three of us for a few minutes before I spoke out. “The frenzy? Is that what I had happen to me a few times?”

Lorelai halted her horse, our own coming to a stop as well. She turned her ride to look upon me directly. “What did you do?”

My black ears lifted at her words, they weren’t a question. I felt her will pour forward and compelled me to answer. “I… I blacked out… I was feeding on an older venerable member of a village, but then when I came to, I had gone through the house and claimed his son who was caring for him, along with the son’s wife as well as... their child.” I shivered at the memory and felt my eyes growing wet. “They… they were some patients of mine, I even helped her deliver the boy half a decade prior...”

Lorelai sighed and shook her head. “Sarnai… this is why the frenzy must be respected and feared. Never forget that memory… it is a hard one, but it will steel your resolve.”

My head nodded. “It… it reminded me of what happened to my tribe all those years ago.”

“What happened?” Elias asked me curiously.

I met his blue eyes and recounted the tale. The story that replayed in my dreams almost nightly. I saw him freeze up at the words, saw his eyes dart away awkwardly. He started to speak but Lorelai interrupted him.

“That sounds like one of our kind that had fully succumbed to the frenzy. It’s sad but not unheard of. It’s one of the reasons I and Elias make these trips.” Lorelai turned her horse and pushed it back into motion.

“Y-yeah… we’ve had to put more than a few down over the years.” The fox huffed the words out, looking straight ahead.

“I wonder if you got the one that attacked my family.” A large part of me hoped it would be true, just so that hopefully the nightmares would ease.

“It’s a possibility. Given how long ago that was? I know I personally put down half a dozen in five years alone.” Lorelai looked back at me and frowned. “Do not let it weigh upon you, the poor creature probably wasn’t in their right mind any more than a wild beast would be.”

I nodded and focused on guiding my horse as silence settled over us.

#

Our journey lasted a few weeks as we slowly made our way west. Lorelai explained how we were trying to beat the first snows of winter. I saw all sorts of lovely natural sites I never dreamed I would see and their constant company was a welcomed thing I had not had in years.

I learned much on the journey, of what I was and what I was not. I learned of Elias and Lorelai. I learned of the court and its laws. Most importantly, I felt my bond starting to strengthen and grow between Elias and me.

Finally, as the first snow began to fall, we came upon an impossible site. I had never seen such architecture before, massive towering buildings and walls bigger than I thought possible to create. We had arrived at what would now be present-day Moscow.

“So many people… even at night!” I barked the words out as we rode through the well-kept streets of the metropolis, our horse’s hooves clacking on stone instead of dirt and rock. “How many people do you suppose there are in this place?”

“At the last census, over forty thousand.” Lorelai spoke out casually about it.

My jaw hung open at the words. I didn’t even know there could be that many people in an entire country, let alone one settlement. “How is that possible?”

“Well, their new crown prince has been on a rampage claiming new lands and drawing in more people left and right. They’ve even started taking to calling him ‘The Great’.” Elias spoke the words in a conversational tone.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. “Showboating and nothing more. He simply has some of the best generals of the time and is taking all the credit for their efforts. Regardless of the means though… it suits us just fine.”

“Why is that?” I asked curiously.

Lorelai gave me a cocky grin. “Because we can exploit the mundanes newfound power and wealth to our own means. Wait until you see our home.”

My brown eyes widened as we came upon the house a few minutes later. It was big, looking to consist of dozens of rooms. “My word… such a large dwelling… you have such a big home, Lorelai.”

“It is now your home as well, Sarnai.” The small sheep hopped from the horse as a servant came to collect the steed.

“How many people reside here?” I asked curiously while dismounting and giving the head of the horse a gentle loving pat.

“Counting my servants? You will make thirteen.” The sheep smiled upon me.

“Thirteen? How many is that?” I tilted my head curiously. Though I was educated far more than most had been, my rudimentary math skills just got me through working in tens.

“It is ten and then three more. I will happily teach you more about it.” Elias barked the words cheerfully, his large white tail wagging as he looked down upon me.

My cheeks darkened and I averted my eyes, my own tail slowly wagging. “That sounds lovely… I apologize for not being very well educated...”

“Do not apologize, before I met Lorelai I couldn’t read, write, or even tell the time.” Elias spoke the words and thrust his finger out towards a large structure in the distance, a clock tower as it were.

“Tell the time?” I tilted my head curiously and looked upon the odd contraption, recognizing the various markings, a system I used to keep track of my inventory.

“Well, there will be time enough for that later. Let us get inside, I am weary from travel and wish to relax by the fire.” Lorelai spoke out to both of us and turned to climb the steps leading to the large white home before us.

I spent the next several weeks learning the basics of education, as well as how to speak the local languages of the region. Elias taught me all sorts of new medical knowledge including how to let blood from patients without killing them. For the first time in my decade of this curse, I was able to feed without slaying people.

Things began to settle into a normal routine for me from there, my days filled with lessons and family time. Elias taught me medicine and I taught him how to use a bow. The attraction for us was there and ever-present, but neither of us seemed willing to pursue it.

#

The winter season finally passed and the snow began to melt. It was within the first few weeks of spring that we received a curious visitor, a family member I had yet to meet. I was summoned to the foyer by my lady and presented myself in short order.

“You summoned me, Lady Lorelai?” I spoke to my lord sister as I moved to her and Elias. They stood at the entrance with a stranger I had not met, a tall well dressed male goat with short jagged silver hair and dark eyes.

“Sister, this is one of our brothers, he has just returned to us.” Lorelai motioned to the goat who was as tall as Elias which brought him around a foot taller than me.

“Yes, I had to take refuge in a small town several weeks travel, the winter snows saw fit I would not see home again until spring came.” The goat spoke the words casually, his smooth voice sending chills down my spine.

He met my brown eyes and before I knew it he had my hand in his. “Ah… you’ve let quite a beauty slip in while I was away, Lorelai.” The stranger showed his teeth in a brilliant smile and leaned down to softly kiss the top of my hand. My tail grew rigid and I felt energy surge through my body at his touch. “I am Val, brother to you of house Silverpaw.”

“It… It is a pleasure… I am Sarnai...” I spoke the words in an awkward huff, feeling my heart thumping in my ears. The goat gave me a playful grin and then my ears lifted at the small rumble of a growl coming from Elias nearby.

Val shifted his gaze to the white fox and gently released my hand before looking to Elias. “I apologize, brother. I did not mean any disrespect if she is yours.”

I barked out at the words, my cheeks darkening. Lorelai cleared her throat, her will pushing over the three of us. “Sarnai is not claimed by anyone, but she is under my care until her evaluation in a few weeks. Do not turn this into some masculine display of marking territory, my brothers.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Elias folded his arms and looked away, his tail whipping about in agitation.

Val chuckled and slid up to the fox, linking his arm with him. “Come, old friend. It’s been over a year… catch me up on things.” The goat pulled at the fox, tugging him out of his defensive stance and walking away with him.

I frowned as they walked away then cut my eyes down to the sheep. “What… was that feeling I was getting from him?”

“He’s an incubus, Sarnai, they are pleasure demons. He is still trying to control his powers, but his touch will start your reproductive parts going crazy, if you know what I mean.” She brushed some curls from her horns and looked back towards the fox and goat as they exited the foyer. “They have been thick as thieves since I’ve known them.”

“They seem very close, I’m a little jealous. I never had such a close friend in my time as a mortal.” I frowned as I spoke the words, then lifted my ears as the sheep bumped me with her hip.

“Relationships are not just tied to the mortal life, Sarnai. You may no longer be living, but you can still have meaningful relationships now. Do not dwell on what is lost.” She gave me a nod, her curls bouncing slightly.

I bowed to her slightly. “You are a font of knowledge as always, my lady. Thank you.”

A shocked huff escaped my throat as I felt her hand upon my head, rubbing my ears and hair gently. “Don’t lay it on too thick, okay my sister?” I raised from my bow and saw the sheep offer me a coy grin. “More to the point… are you ready for your evaluation in a few week's time?”

Fear settled into the pit of my stomach and I frowned. “I think so… the whole thing sounds so unnerving...”

Lorelai shrugged. “Peace my child. I have already deemed you worthy, the rest is formality. They will not go against my wishes.”

I gave her a nod and lifted my ears. “Will we be studying again today, my lady?”

The sheep nodded and gripped my hand, gently pulling me with her to the study. “Yes, let us go over your cartography studies. I wish to bring you with me on my next trip in a few years.”

My tail wagged excitedly at the prospect of seeing more of the world. “Oh, I am honored. Will we see the sea you described?”

“Perhaps… that depends on how far we go.” Lorelai showed me her teeth in a playful grin.

#

A few weeks later I found myself standing in the foyer of my home before Lorelai and four others I had never met. My lady was the first to stand before me, then to her right a large bull easily twice her size and a few feet on me as well. The confines of the formal wear he had on seemed to strain against the sheer mass of his limbs.

“Young fox, you stand before the council of bloodstone. You seek entry into our court, do you not?” The bull ground the words out in a low deep tone of voice that seemed to shudder in the air. I could feel his power and will drip off him, perhaps even more so than my lady.

My black ears lifted and I stood a little straighter. “Yes, I do, my lord.”

He grunted a nod towards Lorelai then stepped back as she stepped forward. “Sarnai, you will be asked a series of questions by each of us. You are to answer them truthfully to the best of your ability. There are no correct answers, these are questions of the heart.”

I gave her a nod and flicked my tail a few times. “Understood, my lady.”

Lorelai nodded and folded her hands in front of her. “Think back to the worst slight you had when you were mortal. Would you go back now, seek out those that wronged you and exact vengeance upon them?”

My dreams came to mind right away and I showed my teeth in a growl. “Would I have the means to find them and know their identity? Without hesitation.”

The sheep nodded and stepped back. The large hulking bull stepped forward next and leveled me with a long gaze. “A party of hunters has slain one of your closest kinsmen within your family. You have found them and bested them, they lay before you helpless. Do you make their ends swift or do you exact a gruesome retribution upon them?”

The words made me think of the white fox and how close we had become over the season. I then felt fury building in me and extended my hand, letting black flames dance on my fingertips. “Without a doubt I would make them regret their decision to strike down my kinsmen. Their lives would be wrought with agony and suffering for days before I put them to the sword.”

The third council member was a bat with a deep dark skin color I had only read about. I had never seen it personally. His presence seemed more aloof than the others as he stepped forward and flicked his wings, the tip brushing near the bull’s head as he scowled and pushed it back. I couldn’t help but giggle at the display.

“Sorry about that, Ra’s...” The bat showed him a playful grin, then shifted to look upon me. “So… would-be sister. While out on a hunt you are discovered feeding by a mundane who is clearly with child. Do you let her go, or do you k-”

“I kill her.” I spoke the words before he even finished the question.

The bat frowned and folded his arms. “So you take our laws so frivolously?”

“Do not be absurd. She would shatter the veil which is paramount. I would not risk the lives of my kinsmen over it.” I huffed the words and stuck my nose up into the air.

The bat showed me his teeth in a grin. “Wow… feisty… I approve.” He hummed the words as he stepped back into line.

A small female dog stepped forth next, she looked only a foot taller than Lorelai and wore a simple white tunic style dress, sporting formal laurels in her curly golden hair. “Sarnai… what do you think about love?”

I barked at the question, the topic throwing me off guard. “I… wait, what?” I showed my teeth with a growl, my cheeks darkening and my anger building for some reason. I felt frustration well up in me because I immediately thought of the white fox.

The golden-haired dog gave me a giggle and looked upon me with blue eyes that reminded me of his. “It is not a complex question, and yet it is… what do you think… about love?”

My eyes darted back and forth several times before I looked upon her again. “I don’t… I mean I felt what I believe was love for my parents and my adopted family…. Still, I do not believe I’ve experienced love that you are speaking of.”

The small dog put a finger to her cheek, showing me an amused smile as she stepped back. Seemingly satisfied with my attempt at an answer.

With that, the final member of the council stepped forward, a large massive lion with exotic skin like the bats. It wasn’t quite as dark, but still very deep brown and looked unearthly to me.

He folded his arms and looked down upon me, as if sizing me up. “Think back to your first kill. When you felt that rush of energy and power within you. When you felt the life of another ending at your fingertips and knowing it was all in your control. How did that make you feel?”

I grunted and looked away, biting my lower lip. His ears lifted and he roared out to me sharply. “You look upon me when you answer, fox!”

A bark escaped my throat but I jerked my eyes towards his and I clenched my teeth before speaking out bitterly. “Like a monster...”

He cocked a furry brow and showed his sharp teeth in a smirk. “The proceeding rush of pleasure and power did not make you feel like a god?”

I frowned and folded my arms across my chest. “It did not… I felt like a callus heel that ended a helpless creature's life. The hunter in me understood the need for it though. I accepted it was the way of things now.”

The lion nodded and moved back into the line of nobles. Lorelai then stood and looked me over. “You are a vengeful fox, Sarnai. You will need to eventually let that go, or it will be your downfall. I assure you of that.” Lorelai cleared her throat and placed her hands in front of her and clasped them. “Let the council note, I approve of Sarnai Silverpaw as a member of the court and welcome her into my family as a sister.”

The bull known as Ra’s stepped forth next and snorted through his nose as he eyed me for a long moment. I felt nervousness creep up my spine over his calculating look and felt my eyes avert awkwardly. “Lorelai… this one is clever and resourceful. However, I can sense a madness of anger and hatred that swirls in her like a maelstrom. Do you really feel she is proper for this?”

The sheep fixed the bull with a level look and frowned. “Do you reject my candidate, Ra’s? Know that if she were to overstep her boundaries or our laws, I would take her throat myself.”

The bull snorted at her then cut his eyes back towards me. “Fox… vengeance can be a sweet nectar… however, I can feel you take pleasure in the suffering of those that wrong you. Do not let this lead to your demise. Many a warrior has fallen to bravado and self-assurance, thinking they had won the day and savored their victory a moment too soon.”

He rolled his neck and I heard the cracks and creaks of his body before he put his large heavy hands before him. “Let the council note, I approve of Sarnai Silverpaw as a member of the court… reluctantly.”

I gritted my teeth at his words and shook my head, composing myself before the bat stood forward next. “I’ve got nothing fancy to say. You homed right in on that question. Our veil is number one and you get that crystal clear.” The dark-skinned bat placed his hands in front of him and spoke out in a sing-song voice. “Let the council note, I approve of Sarnai Silverpaw as a member of the court.”

The golden-haired dog stepped forward next and placed her hands in front of her. “Life is better with love… even this one, Sarnai.” She spoke the words in a gentle bemused voice before continuing. “Let the council note, I approve of Sarnai Silverpaw as a member of the court.”

The final member stood and folded his arms over his chest. “There is merit in enjoying the kill, sister. Still, I share your feelings. When you hunt, there is the thrill of the chase and struggle of survival. Too often when we hunt, it is in the shadows, and hardly a hunt but a butchering.” He sighed and put his hands before him. “Never forget to respect the kill you make. Let the council note, I approve of Sarnai Silverpaw as a member of the court.”

The large bull lumbered forward a few more steps. “Then we are in agreeance. As the acting head of the council. I approve of Lorelai Silverpaw's request. You are now Sarnai of house Silverpaw. May you bring honor to your family and our court.”

The bull dropped to a knee and embraced me suddenly. I yipped out not expecting the gesture as he pulled me against his massive body. “Welcome, sister.”

The bat came before me next and threw his arms around me as if he had known me his whole life. “Welcome, sister!”

The small golden-haired dog came next. She took both my hands and offered me a gentle smile. “Welcome, sister.” She then embraced me and held me against her ample chest for a long moment. I couldn’t help but wag my tail, feeling the will of her washing over me.

The lion stood there a moment before clearing his throat. The dog pulled from me and offered him a playful smile before stepping away. He then took a knee and drew me to his chest, embracing me in a powerful hug. “Welcome, sister.” I huffed out at the strength of his grasp and nodded my head.

Finally, Lorelai walked before me and opened her arms. “Come.”

I moved to her and took a knee, feeling her embrace me tightly. Her arms wrapped around me and I felt her hand on my head, stroking my hair gently. “Welcome home, my sister.”

I shivered at her will and felt all the tension come to bear upon me. I nodded and hugged her close, pushing my face into her chest, feeling her hold me there like a mother cradling a child.

“Well! That was fun. Has anyone seen my cloak? I can’t roam the streets out here, they will think I’m some kind of demon or vampire or something.” The bat spoke the words playfully as he slapped his hands together.

“I know your pain, Lawrence. I’ve been called an ‘ogre’ several times because of my skin.” The lion growled the words out as he folded his arms over his chest.

Lorelai smiled and pulled from me, rubbing my head and pushing her forehead to mine. “This is your family now in earnest. Live and be happy, my fox...”

I blinked at her and felt my vision grow blurry before I nodded and pushed my forehead to her own. “Thank you, my lady… thank you for everything...”

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