Feyrahl, FurAffinity Edition

The Kingdom of Feyrahl, Ch 1.3

Although Cecil was the one who was supposed to be leading Kenzie, she found herself guiding him away from the noble women while Silas distracted them. He continued to look over his shoulder periodically until they were several turns down the hall away from them. Once the Human figured they were far enough away, she slowed, at which point the Ferret let out a sigh.  "My apologies, my lady."

Kenzie was not about to accept. "Why should you have to apologize, Sir Cecil?"

His muzzle scrunched up distastefully. "Doubtlessly they will have things to say about you walking the halls with me."

She rolled her eyes. "You were assigned to me by the empress. If they have a problem, they can take it up with her."

Glancing his way, Kenzie saw his pupils constrict and he flicked an ear, a grimace on his muzzle. "I know you may not have the greatest concern for your reputation at court, my lady, but you are a guest of the empire, and your standing is of great importance."

Although the Ferret still seemed obsessed with the gaggle of gossip, he nevertheless started walking again, leading Kenzie onward. She sighed, trying to question his concern without condemning his obsession with how she was perceived. "I'm sorry if you're worried about me, Cecil, but if people are going to condemn you for your past without getting to know you then I think little of THEM. Frankly, you don't seem like a criminal to me, and you've been nothing but a wonderful companion."

Cecil opened his muzzle to reply but noting came out. Ears red, he tried two more times, finally managing to push out some words. "H-how is it exactly that you think a criminal should be, my lady?"

She smiled, sliding her arm back into the crook of his. "I don't think it's a 'one size fits all' classification, Sir Cecil, but, in general, I think there are certain character traits that help define them: they lack empathy, they don't think about the pain they cause to those they victimize-- in general, I would think most criminals could be defined as cruel, or at least selfish or egocentric."

The ferret's eyes were on the tile of the hallway in front of them as he spoke, his voice quiet and reserved-- even though he admitted to what he was saying, it was obvious to Kenzie that he wasn't proud about it. "I stole... quite often."

The human woman responded in a neutral tone, attempting to avoid passing judgment. "I see... and I assume you had a reason?"

He nodded slowly, still gazing at the ground. "Growing up, I was one of the older boys in an orphanage. When the Head Mother passed away, the other staff disbursed and the orphanage closed. A few of the older youths and I tried to keep things together, and that meant getting what we needed to take care of the smaller kids... and we didn't always have a choice in how we got what we needed."

Kenzie considered that admission for a moment before responding. "So... you stole so you could take care of the others who were depending on you?"

Cecil nodded, guiding her around a corner and toward a large, open courtyard with a single large tree under which sat a stone bench surrounded by flowers. He led her to the bench, extending his arm and hers with it, letting her take a seat on the bench. "I did, yes. I am not proud of it, but the only other option would have been to have them go hungry."

She thought about that for a moment. "I suppose a job was out of the question?"

The Ferret moved to stand beside the bench to her right, one paw on his hip, the other resting on the hilt of the blade by his side. "When I could-- the older youths and I did everything we could, but most labores for those not-yet-adults pay little, and so we had to make due with getting what we needed by... other means."

Kenzie nodded again thoughtfully. "I suppose that makes sense... so you were a thief?"

Cecil fidgeted. "I... also swore fealty to a street gang."

That admission caught her by surprise. "A gang?"

Letting out a steadying breath, the Ferret slowly removed his overcoat, folding it and setting it on the bench next to Kenzie and then rolled up the long sleeve of his tunic, displaying his arm, where there was a large square section of scarring; it looked as though his fur had been seared off and his skin burned. "I passed their initiation so that the orphans would receive their protection... I once had their symbol carved into my arm but, when I swore myself to the emperor's line, it was burned off."

Still stunned by what she was hearing, Kenzie paused once Cecil fell quiet, trying to balance all of the admissions being revealed by her bodyguard. "The initiation... there are gangs where I'm from and I don't know a lot about them, but I can imagine that whatever they had you do was probably very... trying."

Cecil nodded, his sharp teeth biting down on his lower lip. He remained silent for several heartbeats before he finally opened his muzzle and his next admission came out hoarsely. "One of the other older youths came with me and they said only one of us could join... we had to fight. I... I, ah... I won."

Kenzie let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. "That must have been horrible."

She watched the numerous expressions replace one another on the ferret's face; she could tell that he was reliving the memories as he gaze down at the grassy ground on which he stood. He cleared his throat, reaching up one gloved paw to wipe at one of his eyes. "It was. They didn't accept half measures, and so, ever after, my friend walked with a limp... but.. I think he let me win."

Silence prevailed again for several long seconds, but, ultimately, Kenzie reached out and rested her hand on the fur of his lower forearm where he'd yet to lower his tunic's sleeve. "Sir Cecil... you did what you had to protect those you cared for. I can't imagine any of that situation was easy, but it's obvious you sacrificed a lot and, even though you committed crimes, I know you are still suffering for it... and the fact that you do it to yourself tells me that you have a conscience, and that means, crimes or no, you're not a criminal."

The ferret offered a poor attempt at an accommodating smile as he nodded his head, drawing his arm back and lowering his tunic's sleeve. "As you say, my lady."

Silas' voice was unmistakable even though Kenzie was still unable to understand him. The Fox flowed into the garden with the grace of an acrobat and the ease of a spring breeze. His smile was polite, and his eye contact was focused on Kenzie, though she could see that whatever he was saying was meant for Cecil. She also noticed that the Ferret's round ears lowered, their insides turning red at whatever the ranger had said. Unwilling to see yet another person socially browbeat her companion, Kenzie interposed herself. "Sir Cecil is my bodyguard, and I won't have anyone speaking poorly of him."

Cecil quickly interjected, moving to the side. "It's alright, my lady. Lord Longfield and I are on good terms... he was jesting with me."

The Fox interjected, a playfully sour expression on his muzzle; Kenzie had not seen him so expressive at any point during their journey back from the coast and it caught her by surprise.  His words, of course, made no sense to her. That brought an interesting inquiry to mind. "He can't understand us... can he?"

The Ferret gestured to Silas. "He can understand me, as we both speak the local language-- if you recall, the spell makes you THINK I am speaking your language, but he hears what I am really saying, and I hear your language as our own, but Lord Longfield--" he paused as Silas went to interject again "--I know you don't like the title, but you are a member of court, so 'Lord' it is."

The Fox made another sour expression and spoke a few brief words. Cecil nodded with a reserved smile. "Then 'Lord Silas' it is."

Silas let out a sigh, but it was accompanied by the faintest hint of a smile. He then peeked around the Ferret, one paw going to his chest, the other raising outward as he bowed at the hip, facing her. "Roona McKenzie."

The statement got a raise out of Cecil; his fur puffed up, tail turning into a pipe cleaner. "Addressing her by her FIRST name? You are barely acquainted!"

A debonair smile creasing his muzzle, the Fox made a brief but obviously poignant statement to the ferret, whose ears lowered in embarrassment. Kenzie wasn't about to let that slide. "What did he say?"

The Ferret's eyes glanced back and forth between the Human and Fox until Silas made another comment, at which point Cecil nodded. "I can do something about this."

Kenzie realised right away what Cecil had in mind the moment he flattened one paw and raised the other over it.  She recognised the point of light and wasn't quite as surprised the second time, as she watched water emerge from nowhere and trickle down onto the light, forming a ball hovering just above Cecil's paw. Silas spoke up, at which point the Ferret nodded. "Yes. Wet your finger and touch it to your tongue."

The Fox did so, and Kenzie didn't realise until after he was done that she watched the slender black finger slip into the velvety muzzle ringed by twitching whispers, embraced by a bubble-gum pink tongue, but she quickly cleared the thought from her mind as Cecil addressed her. "Your turn, my lady."

Silas' ears rose at the statement, but Kenzie focused instead on the ball of water, pressing her finger into the mystical shape and admiring the sensation again before pulling it back out and sticking it in her mouth; the taste was the same as the last time, but still surprising in its sweetness. Once she had done so, Silas spoke, and when he did, she heard him distinctly, and his words came in English with what sounded like a 'Queen's English' accent. "Well then, Lady McKenzie, I trust we are no longer strangers in language?"

Kenzie smiled despite herself; although Silas still had an air of detachment to him, there was also an odd warmness to him. She passed that and got straight to what she wanted to say to him. "Sir Silas Longfield... I wanted to thank you for intervening when it came to the ladies of the court. There is no call for anyone treating Cecil like he's still a criminal."

The Fox bowed again. "In that, we are of a like mind, Lady McKenzie. I am glad that he has finally found someone who is thankful for his assistance."

Cecil interjected. "The Emperor is thankful for me!"

Silas nodded his head to the Ferret. "I acknowledge that to be the case, but the guest of his court seems ready to defend your honor in much the way, that you would willingly defend hers." he then turned to McKenzie. "But, in response to your thanks, Lady McKenzie, let us just say that I do not abide needless cruelty."

His statement made her pause. "NEEDLESS cruelty? I'm hard-pressed to identify when cruelty would be needed, and I--" her words got cut off as she let out a huge yawn.

Chuckling, Silas offered another genteel bow to her and, before she could continue, he spoke up. "I am glad to be of service, Lady McKenzie but it is getting late, and the waning day is obviously having an effect upon you. As a proper gentleman, I will keep you no longer so that your loyal bodyguard can see you to your quarters. May you have a fine night and your sleep be both pleasant and restful."

With his quick-yet-formal farewell concluded, Silas about-faced with panache, his loose traveling cloak swirling around him with all the drama of a theater actor. It was a very poignant departure. She looked back to Cecil, who was gazing at her. "If you are fatigued, I will gladly lead you back to your room, Mistress."