Bonds of Silver, Bonds of Gold 09: Present (Part 2)

At the door to the baron’s suite, Mister Dion paused and turned me around, needlessly dusting the woolen high-collared cloak he’d hung on my shoulders. “He’s going to be so pleased with you,” the vole repeated for the third time. “Head down, ears back, that’s it.” His fingers stroked slickly over the top of my head, making a last few adjustments to my appearance. “And… good, good.” He stepped back, then leaned up against the door, pressing his ear to it carefully. After a few moments, he turned to me and smiled, “Ready?”

Without waiting for an answer, the envoy turned back to the door and knocked lightly, three quick taps in succession. A few seconds later, an older female voice called out from within. “Enter!”

Mister Dion grinned at me, then turned and pushed open the door, stepping into a large parlor, easily twice the size of the entry hall at the Blue Moon. The center of the windowless room held a large wooden table, surrounded by half a dozen carved chairs. Couches lined the walls, with end tables beside. In each corner, a witchlight stood on a low stand, filling the room with bright yellow light. Hung on the walls, a series of portraits in oil—all grey wolves wearing Deterikh livery—gazed down at the occupants of the chamber.

At present, that included an older grey-furred wolf with streaks of white, sitting with her legs crossed on one of the couches beneath the line of onlookers. Dressed in a natural blouse and a leather skirt, she loomed over the smaller black wolf sitting beside her in full regalia. The younger one, barely older than I, shifted uncomfortably as he flipped through a sheaf of papers. “—quite capable of conducting my own affairs, Aunt Datsia,” he said as Mister Dion brought me closer to the pair. “Yes, Dion, is there some news? And who is this?”

The vole stepped back and to the side, bowing his head. “Baron, I mentioned upon my return from Jazinsk that I acquired you a local gift, yes? It has finally arrived.”

Baron Deterikh set down the parchments and folded his arms. “And?”

Mister Dion smiled and put his paws on my shoulders, gripping the cape. “Baron, I’d like you to meet…” His fingers freed the brooch, and then with a flourish, he whipped back the cover, leaving me nude. The collar around my neck gleamed a bright silver, matched at wrist and ankles by smaller cuffs, all held in place with small locks that clattered softly as I moved. Chains connected each limb to my neck, all held in place by a larger ring that also bore an etching of the seal of House Deterikh. With my paws at my side, my changes were obvious, as was my sudden flush of embarrassment at the latest exposure. “Taneh, your new slave,” the envoy finished, grinning past me at the young wolf.

“Slave?” Baron Deterikh, rose from his seat and approached. “My slave?” His golden eyes were wide with surprise, his ears standing erected overhead. One paw lightly cupped my cheek, the other resting on my shoulder. Without meeting his gaze, I turned my head to nuzzle into his pads; he was sweating lightly, but his musk was faintly sweet. “You got em in Jazinsk, you said?”

I felt as much as saw Mister Dion’s grin in response. “Oh, indeed, indeed. Well, not entirely. Aura did some of eir training and conversion.”

“Aura?” The name came from both wolves at once. They turned to each other, eyes locking for a moment before Baron Deterikh turned his attention back to me. “After you, Aunt Datsia.”

“Thank you, Erik,” Miss Datsia replied, her voice cooling rapidly as she faced the envoy. “I didn’t know she was involved in this. How is she doing?”

The vole laughed tightly. “Oh, she’s still a bit bitter, I suspect, but she was more than willing to do a favor for her old ward.”

Baron Deterikh brought his attention back to me at that. He let me brush my muzzle against his fingers for a few moments more, then withdrew to the couch. “I have no need of a slave; I have the whole of the barony to consider.” The wolf’s voice went hard. “I don’t have the time to look after one person.” His words might have been meant for Mister Dion, but when he said them, they seemed aimed directly at me.

Miss Datsia sniffed. “If you can’t take care of one person, how well do you think you can take care of the barony?” The elder wolfess clucked her tongue quietly, shaking her head. “Really, Erik, if you’re going to do honor to the family and the title, you’ve got to start leading and not just talking about it. Just what is your plan to deal with Barony Jazinsk, hmm?”

The younger wolf turned at that. “I’m dealing with Barony Jazinsk as I see fit,” he snapped. “I think Father would’ve preferred that to pointing a spear at them.”

That caught the older wolf off-guard, and for a moment, her eyes narrowed. “Wilik was a good man, Erik,” Miss Datsia replied carefully, patting the wolf’s paw. “He raised you as best as he could under the circumstances, and he’s to be commended for that. You’re right; he would have tried to talk with them first. However, he’d have built up his reserves while he talked, in case that failed. I know you don’t like it, but losing your temper over it isn’t going to make it any less necessary. We have to—”

“I’m not losing my temper!” the young baron barked, his golden eyes flashing. “I’m just… frustrated beyond measure that we can’t talk sense into them!” He rose suddenly from the couch and began to pace. “I’ve called up three more squads; that’s almost a score who’ll be spending their harvest and hunting seasons drilling instead of feeding their families. Isn’t that enough?”

Mister Dion and Miss Datsia exchanged glances at that, and then the envoy stepped forward. “Baron, if you think it would help them, I’d be willing to go make another attempt to talk sense into them. I’m not sure what good it will do, but I’d be quite glad to see if they’ll at least give us a list of grievances or demands. Perhaps if we give them a chance to cry herald, they’ll be willing to listen to reason.”

The baron shook his head and tugged at his embroidered tunic, pulling it down and squaring it against his chest. “No, no. I’m not sending anyone; I’ll go myself. I’m tired of negotiating through seconds. Baron Jazinsk knew my father personally. He’ll speak with me.”

Miss Datsia was quick to face the baron at the suggestion. “I admire your courage and idealism, Erik, but that’s foolish.” She walked over to the younger wolf and lay a paw on his shoulder. “You’re needed here in case something happens.” She shook her head sharply. “It’s too great a risk to send you out, even with an escort. Not in these times.”

“Are you saying that the captain of Barony Deterikh’s military can’t keep her baron safe?” The younger wolf said with a grin.

“I’m saying that the captain of Barony Deterikh’s military is keeping her baron safe by keeping him from foolishly risking his neck,” Miss Datsia replied archly, her tail jutting out behind her.

Baron and captain locked eyes for a few moments at that, before the younger wolf turned his head and dropped heavily back against his couch. “Fine, then. Yes, Dion, go. See if you can try to talk some sense into the Jazinskis. Extend Baron Jazinsk a personal invitation and ask him to send his envoy here again; perhaps we can talk some sense into him.”

“Of course, Baron,” Mister Dion said with a bow and flourish. “And… what shall I do with your gift? Shall I take em back with me?” The vole turned to me with a wide grin, making me stiffen. “It seems a waste after all the coin we spent, and you do sound horribly tense.” He tapped me on the shoulder, then, and motioned me to duck my head. I did so, and he whispered in my ear, “go sit in front of the baron and attend to his hinds; they’re likely sore from pacing.”

I nodded and approached, then knelt with a soft whisper of chains in front of the younger wolf. As I took one of his hinds in between my paws and began rippling my pads against it, he wiggled his toes and leaned back on the couch. “What’s ey doing?”

Mister Dion chuckled in response. “Oh, oh, baron. Ey’s massaging your hinds; what does it look like? And I have it on good authority that ey’s skilled in many ways of relieving tension. If things do escalate, it would be good to have someone taking care of you, wouldn’t it?”

The baron groaned softly and shifted hinds in my paws. “It would, yes. What did you say eir name was?”

“Taneh, sir,” I murmured softly, not raising my eyes from his hinds. “It’s Taneh.”

Three pairs of eyes turned to me at that, making me duck my head, my ears back against my head. “Do you enjoy your position, Taneh?” the baron asked.

I blushed and lifted one of the baron’s hinds to my muzzle. “I live to serve, sir,” I said before placing a kiss on the top of his hind.

Everyone was quiet for a few moments, before the baron waved me back and stood, catching one of my chains in his paw. “Dion, go and attend to your duties. Take your fastest horse and whatever supplies you’ll need. I want you on the road by daybreak. Datsia, start preparing a contingency plan in case he fails. We have raw drafts that we need to turn into soldiers as quickly as possible. Be ready with a first report by supper. In the meantime, I’m going to give my new slave a closer inspection.”