The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories (40 page)

“
Count of Farrian. Surnames are taken only for inherited land, you know.”

Volle thought again about the land of Vinton that he had ruled, false pretenses or no, for five years. He had a governor and had visited his lands three times, the last two times to see his wife and son. “Do you know anything about Ilyana? Has she been stripped of her title?”

He’d asked Seir, but she didn’t know, and the question had worried at him not only throughout his imprisonment, but on the ride back as well. Avery shook his head. “According to what I’ve been told, she is still Lady Vinton. When news of your unfortunate circumstances finally leaked out, you were sought for trial, and of course they did not find you. She is in no immediate danger. However, once a replacement is found, she will lose her title, of course.”

“
Right.” Volle sighed and rubbed his muzzle. “I wish I could do something for her, and Volyan. They shouldn’t suffer
because I was caught.”

“
There are risks in everything,” Avery said.

“
And Volyan won’t have a future now,” Volle said.

“
If you want to visit him in Vinton, that can be arranged. You’ll just have to be careful.”

Volle shook his head. “I want to see him, but I don’t want to put him in danger. Maybe he’d be better off without me.”

“
Your decision.” Avery rolled up the paper. “So am I to understand that you want to go live in Farrian?” Volle nodded. “Then, if there’s nothing else you have to tell me, you have an appointment with the Steward and some papers to sign, and I have many other things to do.”

Volle rose from the chair, bowed, and extended his paw. The wolf half-stood and took Volle’s paw, clasping it tightly before releasing it. “Thank you,” Volle said, “for all your support.”

A surprised grin crossed the wolf’s muzzle. “I admit that I didn’t think you would last five years. Nor that you would do anything of this magnitude. So enjoy your retirement. Are you taking that guard who rescued you?”

“
If he’ll come,” Volle said. “I haven’t really asked him.”

“
You can’t let him go back to Tephos,” Avery said, his eyebrows lowering.

“
No. I guess I can’t.” Volle curled his tail around the legs of the chair. “Well, he’ll come with me, then. Whether he wants to or not.”

Some hours later, a sheaf of papers in one paw, Volle stepped down from the carriage in front of the Feathered Friend and trudged inside. The clerk acknowledged him with a nod as he climbed the stairs to his room. The day at the palace had proven every bit as fatiguing as a day of travel, and even though he was hungry, he wasn’t sure he’d have the energy to go out for dinner.

Voices were murmuring behind the door of his room. He paused automatically to catch the scents inside and had identified Seir and Streak before he realized it probably didn’t matter.

The white wolf bounded up from the bed and greeted Volle with a warm hug. “Hey, fox!” he said, tail wagging. “I found a great little place two streets over. They have the lamb pies you were talking about and some really nice honey mead that I tried a little of.”

Volle kissed him and returned the hug. The wolf’s energy was contagious; despite his fatigue, he found himself saying, “That sounds great!” He smiled at Seir, who was also getting up. “Are you joining us?”

“
I’d love to,” she said. “How did it go?”

Volle held up the papers. “I’m now the Count of Farrian.”

Streak nosed his muzzle. “So you
are
a Lord!”

“
I wasn’t this morning.” Volle laughed and nuzzled the wolf back. “And it’s not that impressive. It’s a farm with a little bit of land, that’s all.”

“
Still,” Seir said, “it’s land, and the King doesn’t hand that out lightly. Congratulations.”

Volle stepped back from the wolf to give her a hug, too. “Thank you. I wouldn’t have lasted a year without you.”

“
So are you ready to eat, or do you want to change?” Streak brushed a paw along the fox’s doublet.

“
I’m ready,” Volle said with a smile. “I own land now. I should dress the part.”

The little inn Streak led them to was managed by a large bear, who was impressed enough with Volle’s wardrobe to give them a secluded window seat with a view of the river, albeit over several rooftops and down a hill. On the other side of the river, the nobles’ quarter gleamed in the moon’s light, and the palace shone white behind it all.

“
So you’re going to live on this farm?” Seir said.

Volle nodded, though he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to call a farm home. “I just want to get away from it all.”

“
Is it a good income?”

“
Enough to live on. Not what I was getting, but…enough.”

Streak was still taking large spoonfuls of the vegetable stew that was their first course. “What do they farm?” he asked.

“
Um…I don’t know, actually,” Volle said. “I guess we’ll find out when we get there.”

The white wolf’s ears perked up. “We?” He glanced at Seir. “Are you going too?”

She shook her head. “No, I have to stay in the city. I don’t know what my next assignment will be. It’s just you two.”

Streak smiled at Volle, but the fox couldn’t help but recall his words to Avery:
whether he wants to or not
. What if the wolf grew tired of him? Did he realize he was being trapped into this life? He might want it now, but what about later? He was younger than Volle and had his whole life ahead of him, and they barely knew each other. “Are you excited about going to a farm?”

“
I do kind of miss it,” Streak said. “Will you like it there?”

“
If it’s quiet, it’ll be perfect,” Volle said.

The bear brought their lamb pies himself, setting them down and wringing his paws nervously. “I hope you like them,” he said. “Our cook grew up in the south and he says this is just how he remembers them. Are you from the south, sirs?”

Volle shook his head and smiled. “I remember these from Caril,” he said.

“
I hope they prove worthy of your memory,” the innkeeper said. He produced another small bowl. “With my
compliments. Some figs from the south. They go with the pies. That is, they can be eaten with the pies, if you like…”

“
Thank you,” Seir said. “The Count loves figs.”

“
Yes,” Streak chimed in. “Particularly black figs. They’re his favorite.”

The bear beamed at Volle. “My compliments,” he said again, and bowed, and backed away from the table.

Volle grinned across the table at the others. “You are enjoying this far too much,” he said, mostly to Seir.

“
I know what you went through,” she said as Streak picked up a lamb pie, shifting it quickly from one paw to the other before cramming a bite into his muzzle. His eyes widened; he gulped quickly and reached for the cup of water.

“
Hot!” he gasped, swallowing quickly.

“
They’re steaming, silly,” Volle said, laughing. “Didn’t you notice?”

The wolf’s ears canted back. “I was hungry!”

“
They’ll still be there in a few minutes.” Volle grinned. “How do you like them?”

“
They’re good! I think.”

“
You think?” Seir said, breaking apart her pie and sniffing the steam that arose from it.

“
I can’t really taste it any more. I think I burned my mouth.”

Volle broke his own pie apart and held up a piece, sniffing. “You should always be careful before you just put something in your muzzle.”

“
I usually am,” Streak said, looking pointedly at him, and Seir rolled her eyes.

“
You two,” she said.

Streak took another bite, blowing on it before biting down, and nodded. “Mmm. I like those spices. So when do we leave for the farm?”

Volle met the wolf’s eyes, and felt the weight on him lighten somewhat. “Tomorrow. Maybe the next day. There’s no reason for me to stay here, except the water baths at the Feathered Friend.”

“
How far from the city is it?” Seir asked.

“
Not far. A day’s ride.”

“
Good. I’ll come visit.”

Volle smiled at her. “You’d better.”

She left them after dinner, returning to her friend’s house for the night. Upstairs in their room at the inn, Streak locked the door and grinned at the fox. “Now,” he said, “why don’t I see if I’m better at getting you out of those clothes than getting you in?”

By way of answer, Volle spread his arms. The wolf’s fingers picked at the knots and tugged at the fabric until the clothes fell away, leaving the fox standing naked in the center of the room.

“
Now you,” Volle said softly, raising his paws up to the wolf’s tunic as Streak caressed slowly down his sides. He lifted the tunic off, then rubbed his muzzle against the broad, strong chest as his paws unfastened the wolf’s trousers and slid them down the hips.

Streak’s paws cupped his rump while Volle’s black paw traced the black line across the wolf’s hip and then rose up his back. Pressed together, they kissed, and as the wolf’s tongue slid against his, Volle felt his sheath stir and harden, pressed against Streak’s, which was also definitely fuller than it had been a moment ago. Fatigue fell away from him, and he arched his tail.

Streak slid his paw under it, teasing a claw at the fox’s tail hole. “I’ve got a surprise for you,” he whispered, his breath teasing the soft fur inside Volle’s ear.

“
Oh?” Volle sighed and pressed back into the finger. “What’s that?”

“
Seir got us a little present.”

“
She’s so nice,” Volle murmured. “What did she get us?”

“
I’ll have to go get it. Promise you won’t go anywhere?”

Volle kissed him. “You don’t have to chain me up,” he said with a smile.

“
I wouldn’t.” Streak held him for another moment and then let go, backing away to the chest of drawers. From the top of it, he took a small jar that Volle didn’t recognize, but he knew what it was when Streak dipped a finger into it.

“
She thinks of everything,” he chuckled.

“
Well,” Streak said, flicking his ears, “I did kind of ask.”

Volle grinned, and turned around, keeping his tail up. When he didn’t feel a slick finger under his tail, he turned his head. Streak was grinning bashfully back at him as he worked his finger under his own tail. Volle raised his eyebrows.

“
If you wouldn’t mind…since I’ve had you and all.” Streak’s tail wagged as he looked at the fox.

“
I think that sounds just fine,” Volle said, feeling his sheath harden further at the thought.

“
Only fine?” Streak grinned and reached around the fox’s hips, his paw closing around Volle’s maleness. “Feels like you think it’s a little more than fine.”

“
Really fine?” Volle closed his eyes and shivered as the gentle paw stroked, pulling him further out of his sheath. The wolf’s pads slid up and down his member until he was fully erect and dripping. “How about wonderfully fine?” he panted,
his tail flagging.

“
That’s better.” Streak grinned.

Volle turned around and cupped his paw under Streak’s sac. “How about you? Are you ready?”

The wolf looked down at his sheath, his pink member only partially protruding. “Maybe I need a little help.”

Volle smiled and dropped to his knees, curling his tongue around the sac and dragging it slowly up the wolf’s warm sheath. When he closed his eyes, he could let everything else go: the worries, the regrets, the lingering aches in his muscles. He curled his tongue around the tip of the hardening shaft, tasting wolf, and the taste awoke memories in him, reminding him of their meetings in prison, the wolf a ray of light in the hopeless darkness of his imprisonment. He closed his lips around Streak and explored his shape with a soft tongue, sucking softly and enjoying the feel of the wolf’s arousal growing at his attentions. It had been so long since he’d been able to enjoy another’s company in leisure. The last one had been…he couldn’t remember. Then the months in prison, and several anxiety-filled encounters with Streak, and then freedom.

“
Fox,” Streak gasped, holding his shoulder, and he realized that the musky taste had grown stronger, that the wolf was probably close. He lifted his muzzle, caressed the hard wolfhood with a paw, and stood.

“
Sorry,” he said, grinning. “I got distracted.”

“
I don’t mind,” Streak said. “I just didn’t want to finish before you do.”

“
You’d better get up on the bed, then,” Volle said, groping below the wolf’s tail and feeling his slickened passage. He took some slickness and some of his own saliva and rubbed it over his shaft while Streak clambered up onto the bed and got on all fours. He situated himself and lifted his tail, looking back at Volle with his tongue lolling out just enough to melt the fox’s heart. “All right,” he said, “I’m coming.”

He knelt up behind Streak and positioned his shaft between the shapely curves of the wolf’s rump. Pushing against the minimal resistance, he slid easily in, gasping in unison with Streak and placing his paws on the wolf’s sides. He could feel the muscles ripple below the fur as Streak pressed back, taking more of his shaft until Volle’s growing knot slid just inside the wolf.