A feast in the great hall acts as a fulcrum for things to come.

Refuge

by TypicalFloof

Chapter 8: After-dinner Smoke

Chapter Theme: Benny Goodman - Stompin' at the Savoy 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ky8I_H2RVM

Matthew burned with jealousy. The gray fox slammed an empty serving tray on the counter as he prepared to grab another. The bumbling oaf! Showing up to a feast dressed like that! Next to—

Whap!

“Quit dawdling and grab that tray!"

Matthew massaged the top of his head and ducked out of range. Miss Sherry was very accurate with her ladle and was not shy about using it. The rotund squirrel's tail vibrated as she scurried about the great hall's kitchen.

“Watch the temperature on the tenderloin! That is not how you garnish a side dish! For heaven's sake, be careful with the roast!"

The fox sulked as he yanked a fresh tray from the counter, nearly sliding half the hors d'oeuvres onto the tiled floor. He pushed through the kitchen doors and scanned the great hall. Matthew's eyes flicked toward the gorgeous fox before narrowing at the sight of Grismore. Feeling a brush at his shoulder, Matthew pasted a pleasant look onto his muzzle.

“Still mooning over her, huh?" Matthew sighed at the mouse girl who had appeared beside him. He recalled that her name was Kelsey.

“What are you talking about?" he said in what he hoped was a nonchalant tone.

The mouse rolled her eyes and repositioned the tray on her arm.

“Oh please. You couldn't make it any more obvious if you tied a sign around your neck," she said. “Let it go! Besides, didn't you get with that squirrel? What was her name…"

“Carmen," Matthew replied through clenched teeth. He jerked away leaving Kelsey shaking her head in his wake. The gray fox did his best to serve his hors d'oeuvres in an affable manner. Inwardly, he seethed.

The mouse was correct. Matthew was with Carmen. At least, he had been — on  the very night the human arrived at the village. Carmen had finally weakened under his incessant propositions and agreed to go on a date with Matthew. He knew she had misgivings, but Matthew turned on the charm and she warmed up to him. Things had gone so well that Matthew successfully persuaded the squirrel to accompany him back to his place. The hormonal couple had been in a haze when they fumbled through Matthew's doorway. 

Things had just started to get steamy when they were rudely interrupted by Matthew's squawking radio. Helpless, Matthew could only watch as Carmen huffed and stormed out of the house. The fox moped all throughout his shift in the guard shack. He was supposed to have the night off! Subsequent efforts to woo her had been roundly rejected.

But although he had been caught up in the brief fling, the girl he truly pined for was Nora Weiss. Matthew had taken notice of her when they were both young. Only recently had he mustered the courage to approach her. The gray fox had done all the right things. He had taken it slow, found excuses to hang around her friends, and even ingratiated himself with her parents. But when Matthew finally asked Nora out, she said no. No hard feelings, she'd said, but she just wasn't ready for another relationship yet.

Any relationship outside the one she had with the human city's 'Mech simulator, that is. Matthew could never understand her obsession with the lumbering human machines. 

Shortly after she rejected him, his world was upended when some distant human faction had invaded, another had landed claiming to bring salvation, and Nora had run off to join the militia. Now here she was, having waltzed a human right into their village, joined at the hip with him no less!

“Hey, watch it!" an otter cried as the fox's elbow nearly collided with his face.

“Sorry," Matthew mumbled. He maneuvered around the irritated otter and continued emptying his tray.

How can she be with a flatface?! he fumed. What does she see in him?

The gray fox had strayed as close to Nora as he dared. She was leaning close to the human, hanging on his every word as he conversed with Grismore.

“...so that's how a commando unit can cripple a light 'Mech. Now don't get me wrong; it takes a tremendous amount of luck, and a highly skilled team to pull it off. It's a desperate tactic, but it can be done." Casey sat back in his chair and took a sip of water from his glass.

“Hmmm," Grismore said. “We don't exactly have access to those kinds of powerful explosives," he mused. “But we're pretty remote up here. I don't see how a 'Mech could reach us."

Their conversation was interrupted by a voice to Casey's left on the opposite side of the table.

“Enjoying everything?" Arthur asked. The stately otter leaned forward with a grin and poked a bony claw toward a dish in front of Nora. “Try the rabbit meat!"

Casey nearly choked on the bite in his mouth. He coughed and swallowed with some difficulty. “Rabbit meat?" he asked weakly.

Cedric wrinkled his nose at Arthur's barely-suppressed laughter across the table.

“Really, Arthur? Say, if you're willing to supply the comedy, perhaps we should put you on center stage for some entertainment."

Everyone around the rabbit laughed and went back to eating, except for Casey who poked at his plate. Cedric turned to the human next to him.

“Don't be shy, Casey," he reassured. “It's dumb rabbit. Arthur likes to tease, but it really is quite delicious."

“Dumb rabbit?" Casey echoed.

Cedric cleared his throat. “Ah, forgive me. Some things about our kind are easy to forget when one is so used to them." The rabbit scooted his chair closer.

“You know that there is a difference between us sapient anthros and our feral counterparts." Casey nodded. “The most obvious thing that separates us from them is our intelligence.

“Another is our lack of a predator-prey drive. While there are echoes, it mostly manifests in friendly competition between different species, or good-natured ribbing. You'll notice that Grismore is not currently gnawing on Kelsey's arm," he said, pointing to the mouse girl replacing a serving dish in front of the badger.

Cedric continued. “Other traits like our bipedal gait, complex diet, dextrous paws… The list goes on. Don't be afraid to dig in, Casey. No one will be offended."

As if to emphasize the point, Cedric lifted a forkful of rabbit to his lips. Not wanting to be rude, Casey speared a slice of the meat in question and set it on his plate. Doing his best to ignore Nora's elevated eyebrows, Casey cut a small bite and popped it into his mouth.

The tender meat dissolved almost instantly on his tongue. It had a smoky taste which complemented the dish's savory spices. Cedric smiled as Casey enthusiastically carved another bite-sized piece.

The feast gradually wound down with everyone having eaten too much. Families with younger children headed home to put them to bed while a smaller number of villagers lingered in lively conversation. Casey and Nora got up from their seats and were just about to step away from the table when Casey felt a heavy paw on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Grismore with a gleam in his eye.

The badger gestured to a few anthros behind him. “Some of us old-timers are going out back for a smoke. Care to join us?" Casey grinned at the sight of Arthur hobbling out the back door with a pipe clutched in his fist.

“I'd love to! But I seem to have left my pipe at home," Casey said dryly.

“Hah!" Grismore said, clapping Casey on the back. “I've got you covered." The badger pulled back the lapel of his jacket to reveal a few cigars tucked in an inside pocket.

“Ditching your date, huh," Nora said, hands on hips. She couldn't disguise the corners of her lips poking up, however. “I don't know how you can stand those things!"

“Are you kidding! They're delicious!" Casey retorted, eliciting an exaggerated eye roll from the fox.

“Well, have fun. Don't let the old fogeys keep you up too late," she said before departing with a flick of her tail.

Casey turned to Grismore before they stepped outside. “Are you sure about this? I know how expensive those are," he said.

“Nonsense," Grismore rumbled, extending a chocolate-colored cigar. “These are rolled with Vellan tobacco, actually. They're quite good!"

Casey accepted gratefully and strolled onto the porch. He sunk into a comfortable chair next to Cedric while Grismore settled in another next to him. The sweet aroma wafting from the long pipe clenched in Cedric's teeth intrigued Casey. He stifled a laugh at the look of intense concentration on Arthur's face. The otter was in the process of lighting his pipe which was hampered somewhat by his unsteady paws. Wisps of smoke escaped his lips when he succeeded. 

Casey reached for a cutter on the table next to him and carefully snipped the end off the long, slender stick. He struck a match in the still evening air and calmly rotated the end of the cigar above it. Striking another, Casey brushed the tobacco in the center with flame. Satisfied, Casey lit a third match and puffed his cigar over it. He pretended not to notice Grismore's amused expression.

“How do you ever get any smoking done with all that lighting?" the badger quipped. Thick clouds of smoke billowed from the cigar in Grismore's muzzle as he grinned.

Casey took a deep draw. The smoke had a pleasant earthy flavor that mixed with dark coffee and fleeting cedar. “You were right," he said, raising the stick toward Grismore. “This is good!"

The quartet smoked in appreciative silence. Casey stared out over the rolling grass that spread beyond the great hall. Cedric broke the quiet.

“Thank you for humoring me by attending tonight, Casey." The rabbit turned his head.

Casey looked at the old rabbit in surprise. “I'm the one who should be thanking you," he said. “Without you letting me stay, I'd have been in dire straits."

Cedric bowed his head in a graceful nod. “What will you do now?" he asked.

“I'd wager you're anxious to return to your mercenary company," Arthur spoke. He looked contemplative.

A plume of smoke puffed from Casey's lips. “I am," he said. “I can't contact them from here. I need powerful, encrypted comm equipment. The kind I can only find by returning back to Vella."

He wondered how the colonel was faring against the Capellans. Intrusive thoughts of Nora suddenly nagged at Casey. What would become of her? He brushed them aside with difficulty.

***

Coincidentally, someone else also had Nora on his mind. Matthew was up to his furry elbows in dishes. He scrubbed mechanically, brooding. He savored the image of the beautiful vixen. She attended the feast wearing a simple, powder-blue dress that hung at her mid-calf. The edges were trimmed with muted gold. Nora had tied a blue ribbon in her braided hair that was a perfect compliment to the simple yet elegant dress. Matthew couldn't help the rising heat between his legs.

“Yowch!" The gray fox wrung his arm where a drop of steaming water had landed. Angrily, he forced himself to concentrate on the dishes. It's just the hormones talking, he thought. Get over her, idiot. What are you, some kind of perv?

Content with the shine on the pot he held, Matthew deposited it next to him and plucked a dirty plate from the stack. Heavy footfalls sounded behind the fox. He ducked, cringing. “I'm washing, I'm washing!"

Miss Sherry laughed heartily. He was relieved to feel nothing crash into his skull. “I think that's good enough for tonight, Matthew," she said, placing a paw on his shoulder. “It's late. Go home, and I'll have my crew clean the rest in the morning."

Matthew thanked the squirrel and hastily beat feet out the door. Hands in his pockets, Matthew's head felt cooler in the refreshing night air. Maybe I'll give that mouse Kelsey a call. As he meandered down the path, Matthew heard voices ahead. He saw a few villagers gathered at a crossroads leading back to several dwellings. The fox drew close, but could only hear snippets of their conversation since their backs were to him.

“...the human."

“How long will he…?"

Matthew stopped cold as he recognized Madeline's rasping tones. “The human is a danger to us all! He must not be allowed to stay here any longer!" Matthew's breath caught and he slunk behind a nearby tree. His heart threatened to leap out of his chest as his ears swiveled toward the impromptu conference.

“I tried to persuade Cedric," Madeline hissed. “But he would hear none of it. His curiosity toward the human has gotten the better of him."

“But what can be done?" a quavering voice piped up. “The decision has already been made."

“Regrettably so," the elderly mouse croaked. “He is part of the hirelings opposing the invaders. At least they are far away in the forests. But what if the mercenaries make a deal with their Liao brethren to the north and decide to turn on Vella, and eventually us?" Madeline hawked into the dirt. “Bah! Humans! Always at each other's throats."

Matthew gripped the tree, stunned. His mind reeled as the small group broke up. An invidious smile slowly spread across the fox's face. Maybe there was a way to be rid of the flatface after all! Matthew hurried back to his cabin as a devious plan cohered in his head.

***

A gentle tapping sound brought Casey back to reality. Arthur was dumping the contents of his pipe into an ashtray. Standing, he said, “My old bones are tired. I'm off to bed. Goodnight." The otter turned up his collar and shuffled into the hall.

“I'm off as well. My shift at the wall starts soon," came Grismore's gravelly voice. The badger got to his feet and stretched.

“No rest for the weary, eh?" asked Cedric as the badger lumbered away.

The rabbit tipped his pipe into the ashtray and began stuffing more tobacco into it. Casey continued taking draws on his cigar. He had smoked slowly, so there was about half remaining. The MechWarrior puffed some smoke through his nose, savoring the flavor.

“Cedric," Casey said at last. “I was thinking about what you said at the feast." The rabbit replaced the relit pipe in his teeth and turned his head. Casey searched for the right words.

“Do you ever wonder where you came from? Your ancestry, I mean. Humans can trace back to Terra; it has always been our home. Even after expanding to the stars, we always had an anchor there. But no one knows the origin of your kind."

The rabbit leaned back in his chair.

“We're a simple people," he said at last. “We know for certain that we settled on this planet a few centuries ago. Where we came from," Cedric shrugged, “is a mystery. As is the source of our intellect. There is something undeniably different from us and feral animals. But we have never positively identified its cause."

“Some say anthros are an alien race," Casey said. “Others think you originated on Terra; some kind of Star League creation."

Cedric focused his eyes on Casey with naked curiosity.

 “The theory is that once the Star League collapsed, anthros were scattered as the first Succession Wars broke out. In a way, I suppose that you're a living kind of lostech." Casey blinked, scratching the back of his neck. “Sorry! I didn't mean to offend…"

Cedric's ear twitched as a wreath of smoke trailed past it. “None taken. The truth is, neither we nor you know for certain. We may never know the answer. What do you think, Casey?"

The intensity of the rabbit's gaze caused him to look away.

“I don't know," Casey said after some contemplation. “But you have a conscience, wisdom, hopes and dreams…" The bodies of Johannes, Karl, and the raccoon flashed before Casey's eyes. They were replaced with the still form of Nora as Casey had gazed upon her in the tent. Something fell into place as he weighed the rabbit's words.

“Humanity," Casey whispered. He looked back at Cedric and searched the rabbit's wise face.

“Something tells me my earlier curiosity has been satisfied," Cedric said gently. He reached out and patted Casey's hand with his fluffy paw. “Well, I am not as young as I once was. It is far past this old rabbit's bedtime."

Cedric heaved himself to his feet and bid Casey farewell as he departed. Casey stared at the smoking nub held between his forefinger and thumb. If I smoke another, I might just solve the secrets of the universe, he thought idly before tossing the butt into the ashtray.

Casey rose to his feet and yawned. Goosebumps ran down his arms and he shivered as he felt the autumn chill. Embracing the cool night air, Casey meandered around the outside of the hall back to Nora's cabin.

***

Matthew swung his leg over the back of his horse. What had Madeline said? The Liao humans were north of the capital. Matthew had no idea where. The fox bared his teeth as he felt the weight of his pack on his shoulders. He would search as long as it took to find them! Then he would be free of the miserable flatface for good!

He sawed the reins and kicked his horse into a canter, racing down the main street and out of the gate. The horse kicked up puffs of dust as Matthew vanished into the night.

          In the interest of full disclosure, I got the idea for the “dumb rabbit" bit from Geraden (https://geraden.sofurry.com/) in his Corwin Hall series. The existence of intelligent anthros and feral animals poses some interesting existential problems, and I liked his way of dealing with it. I doubt he'll come across this story, but I wanted to be transparent regardless.