[Mkguild] MK story Journey part 2

[Christian Okane]

Here is part 2!


   "What's the final count?" Fox asked solemnly.

   "Tom, Philip, Berlan and Diane are dead," Kallie answered softly. "And
everyone else is wounded. Including four of the children."

   "Bury the dead and we'll load the wounded onto a wagon," Fox ordered.
"Metamor has an outpost nearby where there's a healer who can help us."

   "How far away is it?" Kallie asked.

   "About an hour's walk. If we're lucky we'll come across a patrol before
then. Can you walk that far?"

   "I can," she answered, "as long as we take our time. Leave the wagon for
those who really need it."

   "What about them?" Marica asked and pointed to the outstretched corpse of
a bandit.

   "Make sure they're all dead and strip them of anything valuable," Kallie
ordered.

   "These aren't Lutins are they?" a boy asked. Kallie noticed that his
right hand was bandaged. "I thought Lutins were green."

   "Lutins are green and brown and all other shades. These are humans,"
Cutter answered.

   "Who were they?" Kallie asked. "They're not from Metamor, are they?"

   "Bandits," the fox explained. "From the south. They raid into the valley
killing and stealing whatever they can and then fleeing south before we can
catch them."

   "Surely the Ruler of Laselle doesn't tolerate such things," Neal
commented.

   Cutter shook his head. "King Farlamere is too frightened of the curse to
get close to the valley. And the nobles who are close to it are greedy fools
and tolerate the raids as long as some of the loot winds up in their
coffers."

   "Their greed was greater than their fear of the curse."

   "They're learning to fear US more than the curse," the foxtaur commented.
"We'll track down the surviving raiders and kill them."


*********************


   Kallie took a few steps to follow the wagon and pain lanced up her leg
and through her whole body. She had to lean against the tree to take the
weight off of her wounded leg.

   "Walking is definitely out for you," Cutter said. He stood next to the
woman. "We'll put you on one of the wagons."

   She shook her head. "There's no room."

   Fox turned sideways to the woman. "Get on," he said calmly.

   "What?" she asked, surprised.

   "There is no room in the wagons for you to ride and you certainly can't
walk," he explained.

   "Ride you? Like a horse?"

   "Why not?" the foxtaur countered. "I'm more then strong enough to bear
your weight."

   "It doesn't seem right."

   "Nonsense. Now get on. Your only other choice is to wait here alone until
we can come back. Tomorrow."

   Being wounded and alone all night in these woods was not an option. There
were too many predators both two and four legged wandering around.

   With more than a little trepidation and a lot of flailing of her arms and
legs Kallie managed to scramble onto Cutter's broad back. The woman could
feel the strong muscles of his back with her legs even through her clothing.
She was surprised how powerful those muscles felt.

   "You had best hold on," He said.  "This could be a rough ride."

   Kallie wrapped her arms around the foxtaurs torso and pulled herself up
tight. The heat of his body seeped through her clothes filling her own body
with warmth. She rested her head on his shoulder.

   Cutter laughed. "Comfortable?"

   "Very."


*********************


   For a castle it was not very impressive, merely a stone tower surrounded
by a wooden stockade which was itself surrounded by a deep ditch. Still to
the weary people struggling up the road it was a welcome sight.

   No sooner had the tower come into view than they saw a half dozen riders
come galloping down the road towards them.

   Kallie was surprised when the lead rider pulled up in front of them. It
was a mouse-like man dressed in heavy armor and riding a small pony. The
troops with the rodent were no less strange. Two looked to be very young,
two were women and the others were a wolf, a tan colored badger and some
sort of brown furred cat that Kallie had never seen before.

   "What happened?" the rodent asked in a surprisingly tough, masculine
voice.

   "Bandits," Kallie answered.

   "There are wounded in the wagon," Fox added.

   "Get them to the tower. Sammy will help them," the mouse ordered. "Where
did they go?"

   "South," Cutter answered. "We killed most of them but five escaped."

   The rodent nodded. "I'll have their ears by sunset," he answered and then
rode off with his odd-looking troop.


*********************


   The little castle was small and damp, but the weary travelers felt at
ease there. The garrison made them feel welcome instantly. In moments the
wounded were unloaded and carried carefully inside one of the wooden
buildings that rested hard against the interior of the palisade. Kallie
slowly limped after them.

   The castle's healer was the oddest thing any of them had ever seen. She
looked like some sort of scaled anteater with powerful claws, and was
wearing a gray dress with the mortar and pestle stitched in gold on her
right shoulder. Standing two steps behind her were two men dressed only in
tunic and pants. Kallie had assumed she was some sort of servant till she
started tending to the wounded. She looked long and hard at the bloody mess
that was Deitan's stomach, moving the crude bandages aside gingerly.

   Kallie didn't have to look at the man's stomach to know what condition he
was in. She had already seen it and knew it was a death wound. A person
didn't recover from having their stomach sliced open so completely.

   "Hmmm," the odd healer commented out loud. More to herself then to anyone
in particular. "Bad but savable." She pointed to Deitan. "This one goes
first. Immediately." After that proclamation she stood up and moved to
another patient.

   The two servants moved to Deitan's cot, one standing on either end and
with practiced ease lifted him and the cot off the floor.

   Breina grabbed the arm of one of the men stopping them both. "What are
you doing?" she asked in an anguished voice.

   "They are going to save his life," Fox said suddenly appearing next to
Kallie. She flinched in surprise. In spite of his massive bulk she hadn't
heard him approaching.

   "How?" Marcia asked. "His stomach is ripped open and his innards are
hanging out."

   "I'll put his intestines and stomach back in and sew it closed," the
healer answered in a matter of fact tone. Then she calmly pulled the woman's
hand off the man's arm. Deitan was carried quickly from the room with the
healer following after. Following closely behind her was Breina.

   "He will be fine. Samantha is a fine healer," Fox explained. "He'll be up
and about in a month."

   Kallie looked at the foxtaur with a dubious expression on her face.

   "The keep has the finest healers in the Midlands. He will get care better
than any royalty ever would."

   The woman scowled as she remembered the recent past. "I hope so," she
said softly.

   A young girl who looked no more than about twelve came up to Kallie. She
was wearing a tunic and pants made of gray cloth. Stitched in gold thread
onto the right corner of her tunic was the mortar and pestle emblem of a
healer. Without a word the healer started to examine her leg.

   Kallie stood patiently while the girl tended to her injured leg. "The
stitching is still tight with no bleeding. The flesh looks healthy," the
girl said in a voice far older then her young face. In a few moments fresh
bandages were wrapped around her leg and the wound was safely covered. "Go
easily on that leg and keep the wound clean for at least a month. Be sure to
see a healer once you reach the Keep." And with those words the girl rushed
off to work on other wounded.

   "I don't even know her name," Kallie commented as she looked at the back
of the retreating healer.

   "Tabitha," Fox said. He had stood silently during the examination
watching everything intently. "And do not let her looks fool you. She is
actually over fifty years old."

   "Fifty? Is that part of the curse?" she asked.

   "Yes," he answered and nodded his head.

   Kallie tried to stifle a yawn but with little success.

   "I think you need a good night's sleep," Cutter commented.

   The vulpine led Kallie away from the infirmary and out into the little
courtyard of the castle. There was barely twenty feet from the walls of the
small, wooden infirmary to the stone walls of the tower. Turning right the
two walked slowly around the tower and past the small buildings sandwiched
between the palisade and the courtyard.

   "When was your last good night's sleep?" he asked with a touch of concern
in his voice.

   "Several months," the woman answered honestly. All the long months of
running and being chased caught up with her and a great weariness crept over
her.

   Cutter suddenly turned and stepped into a building. From the outside it
looked a lot like the infirmary they had just left. A simple, two story,
wooden building with a slate roof. A stout wooden door was meant to keep out
invaders and the valleys harsh weather.

   The two found their way through the door and into a large room. Lining
the walls of it were a score of beds all neatly arraigned. At the foot of
each bed was a small wooden chest. In the center of the room were several
large wooden tables with chairs arraigned on either side. She recognized
many of the people from the caravan had already settled into some of the
beds. They all were silent. Moving about without saying a word. Even the
children were strangely quiet.

   Fox led Kallie along the line of beds past the silent people till they
came to an empty one in a corner.

   "It's not private but it is dry, warm and the mattress is reasonably soft
and comfortable."

   Kallie took off her coat and dropped it onto the bed. Her crossbow and
quiver she placed carefully under the bed along with her backpack and
shield. She removed the sword and scabbard from her belt before placing it
next to the backpack. The sword she placed on her bed within arm's reach.

   Cutter looked at where she had placed the sword but didn't say anything
at first. "You're safe here," he said finally. "Those people who aren't
scared off by the curse won't get past the magic and the guards protecting
this place."

   She slowly stripped off her armor leaving her in the thick, wool pants
and shirt that made up the under padding. Kallie draped the heavy, chain
link vest and pants on the chest at the foot of her bed. 

   Without bothering to pull back the blankets she stretched out on the bed
and closed her eyes. Kallie was asleep in seconds.


*********************


   Kallie woke to the sound of rain gently pattering on the roof. Opening
her eyes she could see a thin beam of grayish sunlight streaming through the
window. She tried to sit up quickly and aches and pains assaulted her with
each movement. Kallie waited for the worst of the aches to subside before
finally slowly sitting up.

   "Good morning! Welcome back to the land of the living."

   Kallie looked up at the voice and found Marcia sitting on the bed next to
her, patiently sewing up some holes in a shirt.

   "How do you feel?" Marcia asked without stopping her work.

   "Terrible," Kallie answered honestly. "My entire body hurts."

   "We were worried if you'd ever wake up."

   "What?" Kallie asked more than a little confused.

   "You slept through an entire day--nonstop," Marcia explained.

   Kallie stood up and stretched her stiff and sore body. "I didn't know I
was that tired."

   Marcia nodded. "You've been though a lot the last few weeks."

   "We all have," Kallie added. "What happened while I was asleep? How is
Deitan?"

   "Deitan is doing well," came the answer in a voice that was filled with
equal parts confusion and amazement. "That strange healer has kept him
alive. She actually sewed together the wounds and he's getting better!"

   "Metamor Keep has the finest healers in all of the Midlands," a voice
said.

   Turning to the voice, Kallie found herself looking one of the animal
Keepers. This one was a fox and was standing in the doorway on two legs like
a human. The vulpine was leaned lightly on a large wooden cane. This fox
looked familiar.

   "Cutter?" she asked, confused.

   "Yes?" the fox man asked.

   "You're different? What happened to your back legs?"

   "I changed. I'm not limited to just two forms. I can take three, fox,
foxtaur and this two-legged form," Cutter explained.

   "Can all keepers change like that?"

   "No," Cutter explained and shook his head. "I only recently learned it
from my friend Misha." 

   "I prefer my four-legged form but that is too big for the cramped rooms
and halls here. Metamor Keep has wider halls, thankfully," Cutter explained,
walking over to her, his cane tapping on the stone floor.

   She watched him for a moment, the look his face showing how much each
step pained him. Instead of allowing him to walk the length of the hall she
stood up and walked to his side. "Do you need a healer?" she asked.

   The vulpine shook his head. "There is nothing that any healer can do for
me. Some of the muscles in my leg have died and they simply cannot be
brought back."

   Kallie thought about that for a few moments, the image of this man, every
step causing him pain, strikingly at odds with the man who saved her. There
was no pain in that man, no hurt, and much more strength. It was like he
lost a part of himself when he lost his hind legs.

   "That is horrible," she said.

   "It is the price that I pay for who I am, but enough about my legs. Would
you like some breakfast?" the vulpine asked. "I have a small meal prepared."

   She smiled and nodded her head. "I am famished. I'll eat anything as long
as it's not trail rations. We've been eating those for weeks and I'm sick of
them."

   He laughed. "No trail rations. Mutton, vegetables and fresh bread."
Cutter turned and the two started to walk down the hallway. Cutter moved
slowly leaning hard on the cane and limping badly.

   "What was it like to change?" she asked suddenly as the moved.

   Cutter seemed to pause for a moment, a small smile crossing over his
face. "The initial change is different for everyone. Some happen in hours,
some take days. The change to a child seems to be the worst, your body
losing all the strength and skill that you had gained. I am pleased that
such a thing didn't happen to me."

   "So pleased that you took your new species as your name?"

   "Oh no, that was a happy coincidence. I was known as Fox when I first
came to these shores, and I returned to that name once I came to Metamor.
The fact that I became a fox was simply a blessing from The Twins," he said
with a small smile, starting to slow in his walking. It was clear that even
this short journey was taking its toll.

   Kallie nodded her head and offered her arm to her new friend. He looked
at it for a moment, then took it in his, shifting more off his weight off
his bad leg. "Thank you," he said.

   "I wonder what I'll become?" she asked as they continued their slow walk.

   "Maybe it will be the female curse. That would change you the least."

   A slight chill went through her at that suggestion.

   The vulpine stopped at door that rested partly open. He pushed it the
rest of the way revealing a small room beyond. There was no bed but a large
mattress on the floor next to a wooden table. The table had a spread of
plates, cups and other containers filled with food on top and a single chair
next to it. "Not a feast fit for a king but still a good meal."

   "It's a feast for me," Kallie answered honestly." What do you think I'll
become?" Kallie asked suddenly as she moved into the room. She slowly closed
the door behind her after stepping inside.

   "What do you want to be?" he countered.

   "I don't know," she answered honestly. "I wouldn't mind being younger but
I wouldn't want to stay that way. So many things only an adult can enjoy,"
Kallie said in a soft voice. 

   "Oh? Like what?" Fox asked.

   "Lots of things," Kallie answered and snuggled up closer to him.
"Drinking, partying," she explained and slowly and gently ran her fingers
over his chest. Her fingers ruffling his white chest fur. "And love making,"
she finished and kissed him softly on the muzzle. The woman wrapped her
slender arms gently around him.

   Cutter was surprised by her boldness at first but the heat of her body
seemed to seep into him filling him with her warmth. He had been alone for
so long, and the pain of the Yuletide battle came to his mind, making him
shiver.

   "Are you cold? I can keep you warm," she said pressing her body tightly
against his.

   In her embrace all the pain and bitter memories flew from his mind like
leaves in the wind. He returned her embrace, hesitantly at first but with
growing passion running his hands across her strong and supple body.

   Kallie leaned backward slowly drawing them both to the floor still locked
in a passionate embrace.


end part 2


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