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Warol had bounced back quickly and made a full recovery in surprisingly little time, after which they settled into a comfortable routine. They were in a small cave bordering territory familiar to Kyx. It should be, anyway. It was his family’s territory. This cavern had, in fact, been one of his retreats in his youth when he needed to get away from his parents for a day or two. Here, he’d been able to enjoy his own freedoms before he’d become of age to leave his whelping den and search for his own triad. He’d been the one to bring it to Rager’s attention when they’d been planning their route to the human citadel. But the cavern, unused for many revolutions, lacked food or even basic supplies beyond a few aged scraps of fur.
Kyx closed his eyes and wondered what they were doing venturing northward. They should take Arie to their own territory and be done with it. Arie would be angry, but she would have been far safer than she’d ever be in the citadel she was trying so desperately to travel to. If she thought it was a place that would embrace her, she was mistaken. He meant to tell her on many occasions of what he knew of Old Wayfairer Citadel, but he’d always lost his nerve, not wanting to see sadness on her lovely face.
Only once had he been that far north. He’d been a curious male and had just gained his freedom. His mother had cautioned him not to travel east beyond the Great Forest. The Harrowed Mountains, so named for the deep escarpments on their face, were brutal even during the mildest of months. But beyond that was nothing more than rolling plains dotted by the occasional tree, or a grove clustered around a gentle glade. That was beyond Ragoru territory, and dangerous for their kind. She’d begged him to stay far away from the Citadel, but he’d been a foolish male, just barely in his adult pelt.
He hadn’t dared get close, but it was enough to see it rising with walls of stone into the sky from where he’d crouched low on his belly on the tall grasses. The scent of livestock, grease, and fuel had stung his nose, as did the numerous human bodies dwelling together. But it wasn’t until he heard the loud crack of a weapon that kicked up dirt just feet from him that he realized his error.
Humans had spotted him.
It was only by luck that he was able to tuck himself into a hollowed-out apple tree and hide until he was certain that not a single human followed him further. As soon as it was safe, Kyx had run all the way across the plains until he reached the safety of the mountains. Not once since that day had he desired to return there. Nor had he even given the human citadel any thought, until Rager promised to escort the human female there.
Ever since that day, it loomed over him like a threatening specter. That first night after Rager made his pronouncement, Kyx had argued against it. Although he’d half-joked with a suggestion that they keep her, he’d been earnest in that he would do anything to avoid taking the human to that terrible place. Not just for his sake, but for hers as well.
Nothing good came from The Citadel, as his mother was fond of saying. Human cities bred hatred like vermin. He knew nothing good would have been there for Arie. Her bright spirit would eventually dry up and die there.
Unable to return to sleep, Kyx sat up and met Rager’s quiet gaze. The male was completely expressionless. Kyx would have thought him asleep, except every now and then he blinked. Nothing interrupted his focus for long.
“How long have you been awake?”
Rager’s mouth twisted with amusement, his ears relaxing as he regarded him. “Not long, but long enough to watch you kick Warol. A good thing you did, too. I was tempted to do the same and probably wouldn’t have been as gentle.”
Kyx shifted uncomfortably as Rager continued to stare him down. Finally, Rager leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, breaking all eye contact.
“You said this cave borders your parents’ territory?”
“It does.”
“Do you think your family would offer up food to us? The hunt yesterday was slim, and I do not wish for the female to wake hungry.”
Kyx glanced away in an attempt to hide his guilt. He should have thought to offer rather than wait for Rager’s request. He knew this side of the territory was lean. His fathers carried out the majority of their hunt on the far eastern side of their land, where the broad-horned bison migrated through. The autumn hunts were always flush with plenty. If he hadn’t been obsessing over the dangers of The Citadel as they drew closer, he would have done better.
“Yes, they would be happy to offer. My mind has been occupied and I didn’t think of it. This side of our territory never has much in the way of game, but they always bring in plenty from their hunting grounds. If I leave now, I will easily find my fathers before they go about their daily tasks.”
Rager inclined his head. Interpreting that as permission, Kyx slid away from Arie, making certain to tuck the furs more carefully around her in his absence. He stilled, enraptured, as he watched the easy rise and fall of her chest as she slept. He didn’t know how long he crouched there before he slowly pulled his hand away and stood. He only knew that the pale eyes of his lead observed him in silence as he made his way to the cavern entrance and pulled open the flap sealing it.
The first thing he was aware of was the sting of the cold morning air. The trees wore a white mantle of frost and his breath crystallized in the air as it escaped his body. Although his fur kept the worst of the chill out, the first touch of winter hastened him on his way. As cold as it was, he needed more provisions than what they had to keep Arie comfortable.
Memories from his time as a rog swamped him as he traced the familiar route home. Excitement spiked through him, however, when he saw the dark silhouette of his father and let out a loud howling greeting. The male turned quickly, froze, and then made his way to him with all speed before sweeping Kyx into a tight hug in his massive arms when they collided. Within minutes, his other fathers happily converged on him. Although graying around their chest, face, and scruff, his fathers looked as powerful as he recalled. Hands rubbed his head and ears, and muzzles nuzzled him affectionately before he was pulled bodily into the hidden entrance of the den.
From a soft pile of furs in front of the hearth, his mother lifted her dark head, her green eyes widening in surprise before she sprung to her feet. Her mane was threaded with silver, and small lines bracketed her eyes and mouth, reminding him of how long he’d been gone—and yet it was like nothing had changed. Her single pair of pale arms drew his face down to rest against her shoulder as she hugged him close to her before pulling back to look him over.
“Kyx, we weren’t expecting you. Where are your triad brothers? Did you find a mate yet?”
“Emala, let our son breathe,” his lead father, Korash, said with a chuckle as he pulled his mate gently away. His brow furrowed and ears tilted forward in a puzzled fashion. “Where are your brothers and mate?”
“Is your mate whelping?” his mother asked in a rush of excitement. His eyes widened as he realized his mother was rushing headlong into the wrong conclusions.
“No, no, I don’t have a mate… I don’t think I do, anyway,” he said. He still felt confused on the whole mating business. He knew he wanted Arie to be their mate but hadn’t the first clue how to go about it. Females always initiated mating by formally accepting her triad of choice.
Vordri and Mishar, his other fathers, identical in every way except their coloring, exchanged a look and chuckled, the latter laughing silently in his way.
“Kyx, if you aren’t sure, maybe you are mating wrong,” Vordri commented wryly. “You must have watched Korash too much as a rog.”
His lead father glared at his brothers and snorted.
Emala rolled her eyes at her males and beamed at her son. “You have attracted the attention of a female then, and are just waiting for the choosing?”
“Not exactly,” he said.
