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14. Confined to Quarters

Whisp tried her best to ignore Percilla's curious gaze as she methodically cleared the table of dinnerware. It was yet another simple task made complicated by the cub growing in her belly. Mercifully, her master Gordian didn't seem to mind. The broad-snouted cobalt bat sat opposite the lilac bandicoot, murmuring to the swarthy hyena lurking at his side.

They were in the poky side-room where Gordian preferred to dine, away from the longhouse's communal area. Whisp had been summoned away from her laundry duties to wait upon her master and his guest. From listening to them talk, she'd gleaned the bandicoot was not a welcome guest.

Indeed, Gordian had spent much of the discussion finding different ways to tell Percilla just how unwelcome she and her warriors were. The bandicoot didn't seem to care how he felt. This was Queen Rouge's land, she had said, and she would garrison the farm until Queen Rouge said otherwise.

Whisp had stopped listening after that, lost in her own thoughts about what the stubborn bandicoot's words meant for her and Gao. No one seemed able to tell her how much longer she had to wait to become a mother, but she was already bracing herself for the moment she would return to that hillside shack with her cub in arms. She would save her tears for tonight.

"There," said Percilla, moving an empty pitcher to where Whisp could reach it.

The golden wolf blinked. "Th-thank you, my lady."

"This is no 'lady', child," scoffed Gordian.

"Yes, master," mumbled Whisp, adding the pitcher to her tray of dirty dishes on the floor.

She crouched down to lift the tray, then made her unsteady way towards the closed door.

"Tenebris, if you would," murmured Gordian.

The swarthy hyena grunted an acknowledgement and went ahead of Whisp to unbolt the door. She jumped back as it flew open, kicked from the outside.

Whisp froze.

An armored hedgehog filled the doorway, gripping an iron-headed war-hammer in both hands. The intimidating sight was only slightly undermined by a small white face peeping out from the folds of the warrior's cloak.

"Lady Amaranth?"

"Hello, Gordian," said the cerise hedgehog, raising her helmet's visor.

The bat frowned.

"If you're here," he said, casting a questioning glance at Percilla, "Why am I wasting my time talking to this bandit? I can respect a commander's right to delegate but—"

"This is Percilla's command," said Amaranth flatly.

Gordian's eyes darted back to the hedgehog. "You are…quite serious?"

"Could I be any plainer?"

"I suppose not," breathed the bat, "How the mighty do fall."

Amaranth narrowed her eyes.

"If you're quite finished, my son is tired and I have forty restless warriors out there eager to know where they can make camp."

Gordian met the question with stony silence. Percilla rolled her eyes.

"There's a stream at the eastern edge of the plain," interjected Tenebris, the swarthy hyena, "That spot ought to be adequate."

Amaranth looked to the mercenary, nodded her thanks, and turned to leave.

"I hope your son's proud to see his mother taking orders from a brigand," Gordian called after her, "Did Shadow finally tire of carting you around with him?"

Whisp's ears pricked at the mention of the warriors said to have overseen her parents' deaths. Biting her lip, she hurried out of the room, suddenly unsure she could hold back her tears long enough to reach the kitchen.

жЖж

Shadow awoke with a grunt. He felt something tugging on his chest fur. He lifted his head off the straw. He found the dingo pup Lenca trying to pull herself up onto his torso.

"Can I help you?"

The pup froze, emitting a muffled squeak of alarm. It was the closest thing to speech she could manage. According to Tikal, the child was as good as mute.

"What's the matter?" murmured Shadow, "Your own hut not good enough?"

The mudbrick hut they were in was one of seven in the compound in which Knuxahuatl's aunt Ayahuasca dwelt. By order of King Iximche, neither Shadow nor Blaze were permitted to leave the compound until they were summoned to the Royal Enclosure.

The interdict had thwarted Tikal's plans to show Blaze around Laputa, but sympathetic as he was, Shadow didn't share the echidna's disappointment. Having slept in a tent in full armor beside Blaze for six of the previous seven nights, he was content to lie here and rest indefinitely, if only a certain pup would let him.

Lenca resumed trying to climb onto him. He tentatively picked her up by the scruff of her neck.

"Are you quite finished?"

He wasn't sure she could understand what he was saying. Tikal had shown him the basics of their own private sign language, but the pup mostly seemed to communicate with her tail. Right now, it was swishing hopefully. Out in the courtyard, Tikal could be heard chattering away to Blaze as breathlessly as she had last night.

"Is that what you're hiding from?"

He deposited the dangling Lenca on his sternum.

"I can't say I blame you."

Watching the pup nestle down amid his white chest fur, Shadow smiled. Once upon a time, that had been Silver's napping spot of choice. Leaning his head back on the straw, he closed his eyes.

жЖж

The thin shafts of sunlight piercing the hut's thatched roof above Xhade blurred in and out of focus as Knuxahuatl labored away. Barely stifling another moan, the vermilion glanced nervously at the woven mat covering the hut's entrance. Not that she was especially worried about being discovered. She just didn't want him to stop. Not just yet. Those bursts of sleep had been enough of an interruption.

She covered her mouth with the back of her hand, chewing her fur as Knuxahuatl peaked. Once again, in spite of his exertions, he controlled his exhalations in a way she could only envy.

She laid back on the bed of straw, legs still splayed as Knuxahuatl sat back on his haunches. Wiping his sodden brow, he noticed Xhade peering up at him in the gloom.

"Hungry yet?" he murmured.

She shook her head. "Are you?"

The scarlet echidna paused to push before court?" Knuxahuatl wondered aloud.

"Only when her father wasn't around," said Xhade, "Don't take it personally."

"I won't. I'm not you."

Xhade scowled at his sly grin. Rising on up on her elbows, she kicked him onto his backside.

"You knew exactly how long my patrol was meant to last. Couldn't you have waited one more day to leave?"

"You know my aunt set it all up behind my back, and you know how much choice a Guardian has when the king tells them to do something."

"Actually, I wouldn't know," muttered Xhade.

Guardians were the king's personal protectors, responsible for guarding him and the Royal Enclosure in general. Knuxahuatl had become one instead of joining the Reavers. She had forfeited her chance to become one by begging for Tikal's life.

"But enough about that," said Knuxahuatl, crawling across the straw.

"Easy for you to say," scoffed Xhade, "One way or another, you get to ride away from all this."

Did she truly resent that fact? A little, perhaps. Would she have dared to bring him in here last night and unknot his sarong's sash if he wasn't destined to depart? Almost certainly not.

"No, you're right…enough's enou—mmph!"

Knuxahuatl cut her off with a kiss. Xhade didn't push him away.