The Questing Game

by James Galloway

  The Were-cat that was on the other side of that door was tall and stocky. A male, with red hair like Jesmind's, grayish fur with darker gray stripes, and a nasty scar on his left cheek. He was ruggedly handsome, but he looked ferocious, like a street fighter. But his voice was gentle and warm when he spoke. "Triana," he said with a smile, stepping into the room.

  "Thean, it's been a long time," she said with a nod, taking his paws in hers. "Come in, come in. Are Shayle and Laren with you?"

  "They're downstairs. You're looking very well."

  "Age does that. Thean, I'd like you to meet Tarrin. Tarrin, this is Thean."

  Tarrin stood up and looked at the older male. His scent was a little different from a female's, for obvious reasons, and something deep inside him reacted to the male's presence in an odd way. It wasn't challenging or threatening, it was just an awareness of this larger male. Like marking a potential rival.

  Triana chuckled. "I told you," she said cryptically.

  "You did," he agreed. "Tarrin, it's good to meet you."

  "It's good to meet you too," he reciprocated. "Triana's said good things about you."

  "I'm flattered," he said with a grin at the elder Were-cat. "Strong, isn't he?"

  "You have no idea," Triana answered.

  "What do you mean?" Tarrin asked curiously.

  "He means that you've got your hackles up," Triana replied. "That's somewhat normal when two males meet for the first time. It's something like a feeling out process."

  "I didn't--"

  "Save it, cub," she said. "Right now, everything about you is radiating your strength. You don't even realize you're doing it. Thean would be doing the same thing, if he wasn't old and decrepit."

  "Triana!" Thean objected.

  Tarrin looked at both of them, then he caught his own scent. She was right, his scent had shifted in its texture. He was actually trying to do that? He relaxed a bit, and realized again that he'd been standing in a very stiff posture. He had no doubt in it now, and he felt a little foolish that he'd been doing it. "Well, this is, embarrasing," he said sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

  "Nothing to be sorry about, Tarrin," Thean told him. "It's normal. I'm the first male you've ever met, so it's the first time for you. Us males kinda like it. It tells us that the other males aren't getting soft. They like to spoil us," he said, pointing at Triana.

  "I'm about to do something worse than that," she warned. "Go get Shayla and Laren for me."

  "Of course, Triana," he said with a fanged grin, then he left them.

  "How long have you known him, mother?" Tarrin asked curiously.

  "Since he was a kitten," she replied.

  "He's nice."

  "I like him. He's Nikki's father."

  Tarrin stared at her.

  "I'm not celibate, cub," she said bluntly. "How did you think I had four children?"

  "Well, that's not what I meant."

  "You meant that you don't think your elders still like doing things you cubs like to do," she snorted. "For your information, if you weren't my son, I'd probably be fighting Rahnee over you."

  Tarrin knew when it was time to keep his mouth shut. He may be able to play games with Rahnee, but Triana was another matter. "Uh, doesn't that mean that Jesmind was doing things wrong when she--"

  "Not at all. You're a bond-child, cub. That's not a literal relationship. In other Were kinds, bond-children often become the mates of their bond-parent. But it is customary for the bond-parent to wait until the child is accepted into Fae-da'Nar until they take them for mate, so in that way, Jesmind was wrong to take you for mate so quickly." She grunted. "It's really a moot point. There aren't enough turned Were-cats for it to matter."

  "Just me and Kimmie, right?"

  "Alive," she elaborated. "There have been others, but the human mind can't seem to cope with the instincts. Out of a hundred or so who have been bitten, only you and Kimmie managed to survive with your sanity. That's why we absolutely forbid biting people."

  "It's also why you didn't just bite people to increase your numbers," he said insightfully.

  "That's clever, cub," she commended. "We wouldn't do it anyway. Biting someone and turning them against their will is a serious violation of our laws. I taught you that."

  "Yes, but wouldn't they suspend it since there are so few of us?"

  "They don't want any more of us, cub," she said pointedly. "I think Fae-da'Nar would be tickled pink if we all just dropped dead. It would be a serious load off their minds."

  "Then why do you stay with them? Why don't the Were-cats just abandon Fae-da'Nar?"

  "Because they'd declare us Rogue, and then come and kill us," she replied bluntly.

  Thean returned with two more Were-cats. The female, Shayle, was tall and willowy, with narrow hips and a marked flat-chestedness that was unusual for the rather buxom breed. She was still very pretty, rather more cute than pretty, with cherubic cheeks, bright green eyes, and sensual lips that were curled up into a light smile. She wore a simple pair of tanned leather leggings and a tight-fitting buckskin vest that left her midriff bare. Her hair was the same tawny color as her mother's, but her fur was a tabbycat's orange with darker stripes. The other male was thin and about half a head shorter than him, with features that clearly related him to Triana. But his hair was black, his fur a dark brown with dark stripes, and his eyes were small and set close together. He wore a black doublet over a linen shirt, and matching black breeches.

  "Good, you're here," Triana said. "Shayle, Laren, this is Tarrin. Tarrin, Shayle and Laren."

  "It's good to meet you," Shayle said in a bright voice, coming in and reaching out for him. He offered his paws the same way he saw Triana offer them to Thean, and she took them and held them for a moment. "You have Mist's scent all over you," she remarked.

  "Shayle's got a nose on her," Triana remarked to him.

  "Well, yes," he said self-consciously.

  "Good," she winked. "It's about time she came down off her mountain. Where does the line form?"

  "Shayle!" Triana snapped.

  "Well sorry," she snorted, letting go of his paws.

  Tarrin was a bit startled. Getting that from Rahnee was one thing, but getting it from a sister was something very, very different.

  "Laren," Triana prompted.

  The male stepped forward slightly, and gave him only the most cursory of glances. "Hi, or something," he said distractedly. His posture and scent were hostile, and something about that caused Tarrin to react in a similar manner. He drew up to his full height and stared down at the smaller Were-cat with a flat look, daring him to say that the same way again. Tarrin's display made Laren's eyes go flat, but he didn't attempt to challenge him in either height or posturing. He simply backed off.

  And got a slap to the back of his head. "You don't speak to one of the family in that way, boy," she said heatedly. "Not your sisters, not me, and not my bond-child. Apologize."

  "Sorry," he snorted.

  Triana cuffed him. "Say it with feeling," she growled.

  "I'm not--"

  "You won't live to finish that if you try, boy," Triana snapped, showing him a paw full of wickedly long claws. "You may like playing at this attitude game, but you'll lose it when you're around me, do you understand me?"

  "Yes mother," he said in a quiet tone, but his eyes were flaring with anger.

  "Now apologize," she said furiously.

  "I'm sorry," he said in a voice that was hardly sincere.

  "Get out," Triana said ominously, pointing towards the door.

  "Whatever you say, mother," he said to her flippantly, then left the room.

  "And that was my son," she sighed after he was gone.

  "That was entertaining," Thean said in a relieved tone. "I was getting ready to pull them apart."

  "You should just let Tarrin thrash him, mother," Shayle said. "I don't doubt that he could," she said, looking at him in a way that made him feel very uncomfortable.

  "Why did he do that?" Tarri
n asked.

  "I really don't know," Triana said. "He's been like that for a few decades now. Nobody knows why."

  "I need to go get something to eat, mother," Shayle said. "I'm starving. Be right back."

  "Alright," Triana said as Shayle and Thean left.

  Tarrin's ears twitched. "She--"

  "Save it, cub," Triana said. "She's not your sister. She's my daughter. The two of you aren't related at all, so she can chase you all she wants."

  "But you're my bond-mother."

  "That's right. I'm your bond-mother. You're not related to my other children any way except through me. To my daughters, you're fair game."

  "Oh. It still feels weird."

  "Get used to it," she said. "You already know how Jesmind feels about you, and Shayle and Nikki have similar tastes in males. I think they get that from me," she said absently.

  "If I'm not related, then why call me family?"

  "You're making this harder than it needs to be, cub," she said flatly. "You're my bond-child, but you're not related to any of my other children. You're really not related to me either. If I wanted you, I could take you for mate myself. But I don't think of you like that. To me, you are one of my children. Just not related to the others."

  "If you say so," he drawled.

  "I do. Now let's go downstairs and get some dinner," she said, smacking him on the backside lightly.

  The meal was both easy and tense. It was easy in that Shayle and Laren were Triana's children, and she took the time to catch up with them. It was tense in Tarrin's presence. All he could do was stare at Laren and narrow his eyes, and he had no idea why he didn't like the smaller Were-cat. He knew it was impulsive, instinctual, but he still couldn't control it. After the meal, Triana gave him one quick look, then turned to Thean. "Thean, I think Tarrin needs some real exercise," she prompted. "Why don't you take him for a short walk?"

  "I think that's a good idea, Triana," Thean replied smoothly. "You feel up to it, cub?"

  "I guess so," he replied to the older male.

  "Come on then," he said, standing up. "We'll walk down to the river."

  It had been the first time he'd been outside in a long time. It seemed a lifetime. The city smelled as most cities did, a foul combination of the worst smells of human and animal, mixed in with the smell of decay, with just a hint of excrement. But he'd grown used to that miasma, and found it easy to ignore as the two males walked slowly and easily along a wide avenue that sloped gently down towards the river. The other citizens gave the pair strange looks, but they probably mistook them for Wikuni, for look was all they did. The people of Shoran's Fork dressed much differently than they did in Sulasia. Men and women both tended to wear robes, some more elaborate or expensive than others, which was probably some kind of indication of wealth or rank. Arkisians were dusky skinned and tended to have black or dark hair, but that hair was kept exceptionally clean and neat, and it was often greased or oiled to make it shine in the afternoon sun. Women wore their hair long, men wore theirs short, but most of the men he saw had strange narrow goatees with no moustaches. Looking at the oiled, pointed facial adornments made him rub absently at his own chin.

  "Don't worry too much about that, Tarrin," Thean said after a couple of blocks. "You and Laren are young. That kind of a reaction isn't uncommon among younger males."

  "It's more than that," he said. "He was disrespectful to Triana. That was unforgivable."

  "Let her deal with that," he said with a chuckle. "Her punishment is usually worse than anything we could ever dream up."

  "Is it always like that with the females?" he asked in a curious voice.

  Thean chuckled again. "Well, given the circumstances, it's not really unusual," he said. "Triana told me about Mist, and about Rahnee. Then there was Shayle. You're not used to that."

  "No."

  "It's not uncommon, but in a way, it was a little unusual," he said. "We don't often gather, so we do act just a little different in groups. We're solitary as a race, usually. Some females, like Rahnee, spend all their time hunting down males. Rahnee's been in heat for about sixty years, but I think it's because her own two children both died before they reached adulthood. She's alot like Mist, she just wants a healthy baby. It's an instinct, and as I'm sure you've noticed, we're very attentive to our instincts."

  "I didn't know that," he said quietly.

  "I suggest you don't bring it up either," he warned. "Rahnee gets violent when people talk about her dead children."

  "That's a good idea. What's it like when we're not in groups?"

  "That's up to you," he said mildly. "You'll find your own place, Tarrin. Some males, like me, travel around alot. I'm something of a student of history, at least the history before I was born, so I move around alot, going from city to city to read in their libraries. Others, like Laren, like to stay more or less in one area, where they can easily be found. It's entirely personal."

  "But the females don't act like that--"

  "No, not usually," he grinned. "They're gathered in a group, so they have to be a little bolder than usual. Think of it as a status thing. Were-cat females are alot like human men. They like to brag about their prowess."

  "Jesmind told me about that," he said.

  Thean chuckled again. "Jesmind. I'm surprised she's still alive. What a hothead. She has more temper than Mist."

  "I noticed."

  "How has she been? I haven't seen her for nearly fifty years."

  "Well, the last time I saw her, she was doing alright," he replied. "I think Triana saw her last, though. You'd have to ask her."

  "I might. Anyway, the females aren't usually this, bold, when you meet them one to one. It's usually on their minds, but they're not quite so pushy about it. Don't worry, cub, a female would never force you to do anything you don't want to do. She'll respect your decision, but don't try to lie to her."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Don't say 'no' when the rest of you says 'yes.' When you're interested, it shows in your scent. Declining a female when she can smell your interest is a serious insult."

  "I did notice that," he said absently. "The scent thing. The texture of Mist's scent changed quickly when--"

  "Exactly," Thean said. "It's the same for us. But to ease your worries, the entirety of Were-cat society doesn't revolve around sex."

  "You could have fooled me."

  Thean laughed. "You're dealing with a rather hard-pressed pack of more notorious females, Tarrin," he confided. "They're not the mainstream. Rahnee's aggressiveness is something of a scandal, even among our kind. Just wait til you meet some of the mellower females, like Nikki, Kimmie, and Miko. You'll see that Were-cats are alot like humans, they represent a wide spectrum of personalities."

  "I don't know," Tarrin sighed. "I feel like a stranger, Thean. I know they're my kind, but they feel so alien to me."

  "You've been alone most of the time you've been Were, Tarrin," Thean said. "Your outlook on life is based on human morals. You've more or less taught yourself what it means to be Were, and for you, that's what matters. You're not familiar with how those of us who were raised in this society see things. And if it works for you, cub, don't change it. You don't have to change who you are to be part of us. We'll accept you, no matter who or what you are." He scratched absently at the side of his neck. "If you want to stay away from us, that's your decision, and we'll honor it. As long as you obey the rules of Fae-da'Nar, you can do whatever you want, and be whatever you want."

  For some reason, that made him feel much better. "Thanks, Thean," he said sincerely.

  "No thanks needed, cub," he smiled. "I'm just setting things out for you. I think Triana sometimes forgets to explain things. She just says 'this is the way it is,' and doesn't bother explaining why. I've found that knowing why is usually more important than knowing what."

  "Dolanna says the same thing," Tarrin said. "I guess it's some kind of theory."

  "Dolanna?"

  "A Sorceress," he replied. "A ver
y good friend of mine. She's very wise."

  "I think I'd like to meet this Dolanna," Thean said speculatively.

  The River Ar was huge. That was being modest, however. It was nearly two longspans across the massive mouth of the river, an immense gulf filled with surprisingly clear water. Tarrin would have guessed that such a large river would have muddy water, but the river Ar ran relatively clean. It explained why the shallow bay's water was also rather clean. The sides of that great width were taken up with stone quays and wooden docks, docks that had to extend around a hundred spans into the river to give ships enough water to dock to them. To make up that distance, wide wooden platforms had been built over the water, upon which were constructed warehouses and other buildings. A good length of the city of Shoran's Fork was set over water. Tarrin and Thean stood at the end of an empty pier, looking out over the fresh water of the river, looking out at the city of Var Denom. There were many ships in the river, moving easily against the very sluggish current of the river.

  "I've always liked the Twin Cities," Thean said conversationally as he looked down into the water. "It's the only place I've ever been where two cities in different nations stood within sight of each other, and weren't at war."

  "Was it always like that?"

  "More or less," he replied. "Var Denom was originally part of Arkis. It was really part of Shoran's Fork. But a long sequence of events I won't go into caused it to declare independence. The King of Arkis at that time allowed it. He wanted an independent city sitting there because at that time they were having trouble with Darronam, a kingdom that once stood west of Arkis. An independent city with its own lands put something between the two squabbling empires. Old King Shul was a wise man. He ceded a little land to avoid a war. Most kings wouldn't do that."

  "What happened to Darronam?"

  "Faded into history, my boy," Thean replied. "Darronam was very aggressive, and they eventually pushed once too often. Tor did them in, with help from Arkis. What was once Darronam is now the free duchy of Darrigon."