Pendant of Fortune (13 page)

“
It doesn’t help that his mansion is mostly built for weasels.” Streak chimed in.

“
That’s hardly his fault,” Volle said.

“
No, but it is a good point,” Tish replied.

“
They did a good job fixing up this place. I can’t imagine what it used to be like.”

Streak patted Volle’s ears. “I’m sure he’s trying his best. I just meant it was more difficult because he couldn’t host the whole royal party himself. I think we’re lucky to be staying down there.”

“
Undoubtedly you are.” Tish smiled. “I think it’s a good idea for a number of reasons.”

Volle nodded. “More private, for one thing.” He turned to smile at Streak, and though the wolf returned his smile, he did it with lowered ears, which Volle found a little odd.

He filed it away to ask about later, because Tish had started talking again. “That, and it keeps you away from the King and politics until your hearing.”

“
We are spending the day up here.”

“
Yes, but the perception is that you are staying somewhat removed.”

Volle leaned back toward the black wolf. “Are people actually paying that much attention?”

He shrugged. “Some may be.”

“
Who?” Tish just gave him a stern look in reply. “Well, okay. Alacris. Villutian. Barclaw? Is he here?”

“
Yes. But I don’t know if he’s involved in the hearing. You should look him up, though.”

“
I will. He’s a good bear. Maybe tomorrow.” Volle turned to smile at Streak. “They’re a gay couple, very nice.”

“
So his mate is Lady Barclaw?”

“
Of course,” Tika said. “What did you expect?”

Streak smiled and scratched Volle behind the ear. “I never know how much you’re teasing me.”

“
Lady Barclaw doesn’t wear a dress,” Volle admitted with a grin.

“
He doesn’t really have the figure for it.” Tika smiled.

“
Lady Villutian manages,” Volle murmured.

“
Now, now.” Tika wagged a finger at him. “She’s not the only lady at court with large hips.”

“
Tika, you are just about the slenderest lady at court. Except for Lady Dewanne, perhaps, but even that would be close.”

The plump wolf smiled and shook her head. “Poor Dewanne. She made him take her down to the village where there’s a hot springs, you know. He hasn’t been to most of the meals here.”

“
I know. Tish told me last night.”

“
But he didn’t tell Streak, did he?” Tika looked at the white wolf, who seemed confused. “Dewanne is the other fox in the peerage.”

“
Ah, okay.” He rubbed Volle’s ears and then idly ruffled the fur on the back of his neck. “It must be difficult for you without many other foxes there.”

“
I got used to it.”

“
There were other foxes, as I recall, just not in the peerage.” Tish grinned at Volle.

“
Yes, true.” He chuckled. “I should look up Dewanne. Maybe we’ll go down to Ikling one day.”

Streak nodded. “I'd like that.”

They chatted easily for a little while longer, until Alcis reminded them that lunch would be served soon. Tish and Tika retreated to their bedroom to get ready, leaving Volle and Streak in the parlor. Alcis bowed to them and followed the wolves, closing the door behind him.

“
They’re nice,” Streak said before Volle could ask.

“
You seem to get along well with them.”

“
Well, they’re wolves, for one thing. That helps.” He smiled. “They’re also friends of yours, so I don’t feel I have to be on my guard all the time.”

“
Just don’t say anything to Tika that you wouldn’t want to hear all the servants discussing the next day.”

Streak chuckled. “I gathered that.” He pulled his chair around to be closer to Volle, so their knees touched. “How much do they know about you?” he asked quietly.

Volle shook his head and put a finger to the front of his muzzle, and Streak nodded. “Sorry.”

The fox brushed his knee with a soft black paw. “I just don’t want to discuss that here.”

“
All right.” Streak glanced at Volle’s pants, then up at the fox’s muzzle. “How long will they be?” His tail thumped against the arm of the chair.

Volle grinned, matching the movement with his own tail. “Probably not long enough. They’re just getting dressed.” But he felt himself respond to the thought. “When we get back tonight, we’ll have plenty of time.”

Streak nodded, and sat back in his chair. Alcis returned to the room a few minutes later and informed them that Lord and Lady Tistunish would be back in just a moment, then busied himself about the room, wiping down some of the goblets and straightening the furniture. Volle watched him for a moment, looking at some of the small items he picked up and carefully dusted. There was a small wooden box that looked very old, a lacquered wooden jewelry box, and a small mirror, slightly tarnished, surrounded by a decorative floral border in silver. For a moment, Volle regretted the loss of his own possessions, abandoned in his chambers back at the palace. Tish had written to say that he was holding some of the more valuable ones, but the others had been lost.

Alcis finished his dusting, and set about polishing the silver mirror. Volle thought the raccoon was watching them in the reflection, so he whispered half-jokingly to Streak, “I wonder if they sent him back out to watch us in case we did something.”

The wolf looked surprised. “How would they have known?”

“
They probably wouldn’t. I just think it’s a funny idea. I did things like that sometimes.”

“
Back at the palace?”

“
Yeah.”

“
You told me about that one time. Did you do it a lot?”

“
What? No, no, just…there were a couple times…but it hadn’t been for years.” Volle stumbled over the words. “I mean, life at the palace wasn’t all about that.”

Tish reappeared at the door. “Tika will be joining us in a moment. Are you ready for lunch?”

The dining hall was smaller than the one Volle remembered at the palace, but it was still impressive. The vaulted ceiling rose so high he could barely see the cracks and patches. The walls had been freshly plastered, giving the room a warm feel, and the carpets on the floor were soft under their bare paws. The table was not covered with a cloth, and when he sat down, Volle thought he could tell why. It was a finely crafted table, clearly much newer than the palace, with reliefs around the border and in the center, leaving the serving area flat and polished. From the dark hue of the serving area, he suspected it was mahogany, but the reliefs were lighter, probably of cherry wood. It was an exquisite piece of craftsmanship.

Tish noticed him running his paws over the reliefs. “Beautiful, eh?” Volle and Streak both nodded. “I’ve been trying to find out who worked on it, but I haven’t succeeded yet. Maybe you can ask Lord Ikling. I understand this is to be made a gift to the King when he leaves.”

“
I’ll ask him,” Volle promised.

Lunch was a short but filling meal of vegetable soup, honey bread, and some roasted fowl done in a tangy, sweet sauce. A tray of small iced cakes made the rounds for dessert, which Volle noted were slightly stale. “Brought from the palace,” Tish said. “There’s no working oven to bake in here, apparently. At least they knew that. I shudder to think of what these cakes will be like in a week.” He really did shudder, then. “But for now they still taste all right.”

“
You’re doing your best to make sure there won’t be any left in a week,” Volle observed, which brought a laugh from Tika and a crumb-filled protest from Tish.

Streak grinned, looking around the table at the collection of overweight nobles. He hadn’t eaten much of the lunch and had refused the cakes altogether. “They’re really okay,” Volle said, munching on his second.

“
I know.”

“
Are you feeling okay?”

“
Yes.” He answered quickly, and loudly enough that the stag and doe to his left turned to look at them. “I’m fine,” he said in a lower voice.

The stag caught Volle’s eye as he turned to his mate. “Careful,” he said, deliberately pitching his voice so Volle could hear. “Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want repeated to the Ferrenians.”

Volle lowered his ears. “Nice to see you, too, Lord Wallen.”

“
One is tempted to wonder why your
wife
isn’t at your side. But then, it seems loyalty isn’t your strong suit.”

Streak started to growl, but Volle put a paw on his arm. “Maybe you should inform the King that you’ve already made a decision. You know, spare him the trouble of actually listening to the trumped-up evidence against me.”

“
Don’t think I haven’t suggested it,” the stag said. He lifted his head, grizzled and noble despite the short growth of antlers atop it. “You may have tricked all your fellow carnivores, but I can see you clearly.”

“
Good to know your vision isn’t failing yet,” Volle said affably. “May you continue to enjoy good health.”

The stag grunted something, snorted, and turned back to his meal. “Hear that, Tish?” Volle said softly. “You’ve been tricked.”

“
Don’t pick fights,” the wolf replied tersely.

“
He didn’t,” Streak protested.

Tish looked at them and nodded. “Just be as polite as you can,” he said softly.

“
He started it,” Streak said under his breath to Volle as they left the dining hall a few minutes later, Tish and Tika behind them.

“
I know. He’s always touchy around a lot of carnivores. Feels threatened. Did you deal with many herbivores in the guards?” Streak shook his head. “Them and the rodents…they still get a bit twitchy if there’s a confrontation with a carnivore. Wallen's worse around me, because his grandfather, or great-grandfather, was executed by King Bucher. So he has a thing about foxes.” He shrugged. “I shouldn’t have baited him.”

“
Did you have to deal with him a lot?”

“
Before? No. But there’s always someone like him. Always watching what you say…”

Tish put a paw on his shoulder. “You were good at that. It’ll come back to you.”

Volle smiled. “I don’t want it to have to come back. I’m disappointed that it ever left.”

“
You shouldn’t worry,” Streak said. “You picked up the farming really quickly. I’m sure you’ll get back into the flow of things here in a day or so.”

“
Thanks.” Volle nuzzled him and brushed the wolf’s tail with his own.

“
You two are so cute.” Tika giggled behind them.

They headed for the smaller of the two common rooms, where Tish and Volle set up a chess board and played a relaxed game, watched by Tika, Streak, and Lady Alacris. There were a few other bears in the room socializing or playing games, as well as a beaver couple and another wolf couple. Lady Alacris, a rotund bear, told them that the outdoor games that morning had gone over moderately well, but the wind had picked up as a threatening-looking bank of clouds moved in. “I didn’t mind, but some of the others wanted to come inside.”

Tish won the first game, Volle the second, but they never finished the third. They had paused to discuss Lady Oncit, because Lady Alacris thought she was perhaps not as happy as Tish and Tika did. She and Tika were arguing when Lord Alacris lumbered into the room. He was portly rather than overweight, but still easily outweighed any of the canids at the small table.

“
Hello, dear,” he said to his wife as he walked up, then turned to Tish. “Tish, the King wants you in on this next meeting. Probably go all the way to dinner.”

Tish got up and nodded. “Excuse me, all. I’ll catch up with you at dinner.” He started toward the door, but Alacris remained at the table.

“
Vinton,” he rumbled. “Good to see you here. Best of luck.” He extended a paw.

“
Thanks.” Volle stood, grasped the immense paw, and bowed.

Alacris nodded curtly and then strode out of the room, Tish close behind him. Volle sat down again, feeling a little better. “Good to know he’s on my side.”

“
We never doubted your innocence,” Lady Alacris said. “Merro argued against promoting that rat to Lord Fardew, but it didn’t do any good.”

“
Really?” Volle rubbed his muzzle. If Lord Alacris couldn’t stop an appointment, maybe he wasn’t the closest advisor to the King any more.