Epilogue: The Road Goes Ever On

[Vera Silvertooth]

"I can't do this, Vera," Hylan whispered, leaning back against a tree, just out of sight of the house.

Vera sighed, "This is your family, Hylan. They love you." Yet she understood his reluctance. Half a season had passed since they'd returned to Mossflower, but Hylan was still thinner than he'd been before his capture by Blade, and no passage of time would remove the scars from his face or bring back his tail.

"I... I know..."

She pointed a claw at him. "Don't you go anywhere. I'm going talk to them. Let them know, gently, what happened."

He gnawed at his lip for a time, but stayed where he was in the shadow of the tree.

Vera headed up the path worn by the tread of seasons of paws. The late afternoon sun beat down on her back as she walked up to the familiar house and knocked on the door.

After a moment, a graying pine marten female opened the door. She peered at Vera through her spectacles, then blinked.

"Vera? Vera Silvertooth?"

Vera smiled politely. "Hello, Melva. How are you?"

"Oh, fine, dear. Fine. Never thought I'd see you on my doorstep again. Come in, come in."

Vera glanced over her shoulder, and spotted Hylan peeping around the tree. She followed the older marten into the house.

"Sit down. I'll get you some tea."

Vera set her pack down on the floor by the table. "Actually, I think it would be best if you sat for a minute, Melva. Is the rest of your family around?"

"Oh, Daric's out back puttering around in that garden of his." Melva continued busying herself with the teapot, filling it from a bucket in the corner. "Ietta and her husband are at the shop, along with all those grandbabies of mine. Terel is on the road, running shipments. Did you hear? Terel got married last season. Lovely young thing, his new bride."

Vera cleared her throat and took the teapot from Melva. "I need to talk to you and Daric. It's very important."

The pine marten looked intently at Vera for a moment. "Goodness, you always were the serious one. Fine. You pull out the tea things and I'll fetch my husband."

Melva's kitchen hadn't changed in the seasons since Vera had last stopped in, though maybe the old teacups had a few more chips in them than before. She had the table laid for tea for four when Hylan's father followed Melva back into the house.

"Surprised to see you here, Vera," Daric said as he shook her paw. "Heard odd rumors about you a couple seasons back."

Vera's ears perked forward. "Oh, really?"

"Well, everybeast 'round here seems to think you died in that awful fire at Fort Blackfur. 'Cept for that Captain. He claimed you started the fire to cover up that you stole from him."

"Rigal must have really thought highly of me," she said lightly and swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "I barely managed to escape with my own tail in that fire. I wasn't aware anybeast else had made it out."

"Rigal and maybe a score of the soldiers did."

Vera's stomach did a flip-flop, though she shrugged. "Well, I'm not here to talk about that. I've got something very important to tell you, but you both best sit down."

The marten couple glanced at each other but sat down in their seats. "Is it bad news, Vera?"

"No, I think you'll be pleased, but it's... complicated."

Daric poured himself a cup of tea and passed the teapot to his wife. "Get yakkin' then, vixen."

Melva began pouring tea as Vera cleared her throat. "I found out what happened to Hylan."

Melva and Daric both froze in place. Melva blinked, then put the teapot down before she overflowed her cup. "Dear, I know how close you were to my son, and it would be nice to know how he died, but I would hardly...."

"He's alive," she said quickly.

Melva made a soft noise and covered both her paws over her mouth.

Vera spoke quickly. "He's alive, but he was hurt. He's been a slave for a very long time. He's afraid of what you might think of him, if you saw him."

"Hylan's alive," Melva whispered. "Where is he?"

Daric reached across the table to clasp his wife's paw. "Easy, Mel. Vera's gettin' to that, I'm sure. How badly was he hurt?"

Vera closed her eyes, not wanting to see the looks on their faces. "They branded his face and cut off his tail." She cringed as she heard Melva's horrified gasp, followed by weeping. She opened her eyes and stared at the table while the Daric whispered to his wife and the sniffles slowed.

After Melva had been calmed some, Vera whispered. "Hylan's been through a lot. He was afraid to come back, to beasts who'd known him before."

"My son always was proud," Daric said, "but he should have known better. Where's he at, Vera?"

She nodded her head at the door. "Just outside, at the edge of the tree line."

Daric pushed himself to his feet. "I'll go have a word with my boy. You ladies wait here. I'll bring him in."

Vera sat as Daric exited the house. Melva dabbed at her eyes with a linen handkerchief she'd pulled from her apron pocket.

After a time, the door opened and Daric walked back in, with Hylan behind him. Hylan's head was bent, his face hidden by the brim of his huge pirate hat.

Melva moved fast for an older beast and she hugged her son so tight Vera heard him wheeze. Then she pulled the hat off Hylan's head and gently laid a paw on one of his cheek brands. "Oh, Hy. What did they do to you?"

"I'm fine, Mother," he muttered. "Really. It's..."

Melva started weeping again and hugged her son close.

Daric caught Vera's eye and jerked his head at the back door. Vera quietly got up and followed him out.

"Would you do me a favor, Vera?" the pine marten patriarch asked once they were outside. Vera nodded and he continued, "Go to the shop in the village. Let Ietta know. She'll want to see her brother."

"Of course," Vera said. "I was planning on staying at the inn tonight, so I'll stop in on my way."

"Now there's no need for that," Daric said hastily. "Our home is yours."

She placed a paw on his shoulder. "Thanks for the offer, Daric, but your son just came back from the dead. You all need to catch up and I'd only get in the way. I'll see Hylan later."

She slipped back inside and quietly grabbed her bag from where it sat against the table leg. Melva had Hylan in a chair and had both his paws in hers as they talked quietly, tears streaming down both their faces. Vera looked away and hurried out, slight jealousy aching in her stomach as she went.

She followed the path to the village and headed to the small store that Hylan's family had owned for years. In the shadow of the front of the building, a pair of pine marten kits played with a set of rocks and some small wooden figures. They didn't even glance at Vera as they made a pair of the figurines carried on a heated conversation.

A bell over the door tinkled as Vera opened it.

"Good afternoon, how may I help y... oh, Vera! It's you!"

She nodded to the pine marten who stood behind the counter with an infant on her hip. "It's me," she said dryly.

Ietta set her little one on the floor and he promptly pattered away on all fours. "It's wonderful to see you. I heard you were dead."

"Your father told me the same thing a bit ago."

"Oh, you've already stopped in to see them?"

Vera watched Hylan's nephew as he made his way over to a stack of metal bowls on a low shelf. "I did. Had to bring them some good news."

"Do share," Ietta laughed, "but do it fast before my kit gets the spoon. We won't be able to hear ourselves once he gets going."

Vera eyed the kit as he tottered to his footpaws and reached for a wooden spoon on the shelf above the bowls. "It's about your brother, Hylan." Ietta froze and sobered, but Vera continued, "He's alive. I just left him with your parents."

Hylan's typically chatty sister was speechless. She stood there, jaw gaping and eyes wide. The kit began beating on the pile of metal bowls with enthusiasm.

Vera cringed at the loud ringing and moved to cover her ears. "He's pretty beat up after all he's been through, but he's alive and he's home," she shouted over the racket.

Ietta blinked and her eyes filled with tears. She finally closed her mouth and suddenly turned and ran into the back room of the store. "Alph! Alph! You're not going to believe it!" she hollered out as the kit continued banging for a moment, before realizing his mother had left.

"Mama?" he said and returned to all fours, pattering after her, taking his spoon with him.

Ietta returned a few moments later with her husband in tow, scooping up the little one as she did. "I'll head to Mum and Dad's right away," she was saying to Alph. "Get the kits together and meet me there."

Vera had to grab Ietta by the arm to stop her from rushing past. "Just so you know, Hylan looks a lot different. It might be hard to see him." She saw the question in Ietta's eyes and said softly, "His captors branded him and cut off his tail."

Ietta stared at her with wide eyes. "By the seasons," she whispered. "What happened?" Then she shuddered and shook her head. "No, it doesn't matter. He's my brother. The important thing is that he's alive."

Vera watched as Ietta hurried out of the shop and down the street. I hope you realize how lucky you are, Hylan.

She made polite small talk with Alph before excusing herself and heading back outside. The sun had nearly reached the horizon and the buildings around her cast long shadows.

She stood on the street in indecision for a while, looking first towards The Staff and Flask at the end of the block, then at a tailor's shop at the other end. Hitching her bag up higher over her shoulder, she headed for the shop.

The village of Birchwood was primarily occupied by pine martens, with a smattering of other beasts who passed through on occasion, so she wasn't surprised to see another pine marten female sitting in a chair sewing a dress.

"Hello, Vilien."

She glanced up. "Oh, it's you. I guess the rumor's weren't true after all."

Vera rolled her eyes heavenward. "Good to see you, too, Vil. Forgive me for being blunt, but I've had a long day. Are you still single?"

Vilian snorted, "No, I won't forgive you for that, Vera. You always were so rude."

"I take that as a yes?"

"If you must."

Vera bit back a rude comment and smiled sweetly. "Good, that should really make Hylan's day."

Vilian glared at Vera, lowering the dress she was stitching. "How dare you! I thought you had more tact that to bring him up like that."

"Hylan's alive, Vil. I've left him at his parents house, getting reacquainted." She turned to go, having said her piece.

"Wait," Vilian said as Vera started to close the door behind her. "You're serious?"

Vera glanced back. "He won't come see you on his own. He's too ashamed, but I thought you'd want to know."

"Why would Hylan be ashamed? He was never ashamed of anything."

"He didn't even want to face his own parents," Vera snapped. "What makes you think he'd want to see you?" She looked down at the floor and then back up, adding in a softer tone, "He was a slave. They... hurt him."

Vil stood so quiet that Vera wondered if she had made a mistake and moved to go once more.

"How bad?" Vilian asked quietly.

"Would it matter?"

More silence, then the female shook her head. "No. No, it wouldn't matter. I love him still, no matter what."

Vera rested her paw on the handle of the door and closed her eyes for a moment. Part of her wanted Vilian to get that same horrible shock that Vera herself had when first seeing Hylan again. Yet she knew that revealing himself to her then had taken more courage than the marten had thought he had. He didn't deserve to face his lover with her unprepared.

"It's his face. They branded him three times," she said, ignoring the gasp of horror from Vilian. "And... they cut off his tail."

"How could anybeast do..." Vilian choked.

"You're lucky he's alive."

Vilian stared at her for a time, then set aside her sewing. "Thank you for telling me. That was very kind of you."

Vera nodded and left. I didn't do it for you.

***

The Staff and Flask was much as she remembered it. The decor hadn?t changed, and in the busy, early evening hours, neither had the patrons, it seemed. Several beasts glanced her direction and then back to their own dealings.

A hunchbacked old weasel suddenly looked back in disbelief. ?Vera? We thought you were dead!?

Then a number of familiar old faces turned around and Vera shrugged and said lightly,  ?Would I be standing here if I was??

Those who remembered her hustled to the door. ?We heard all about the horrid fire at Fort Blackfur,? a ferretmaid said. ?Rumor was you died in the blaze. Nobeast has heard from you since.?

Vera forced a laugh. ?I nearly did. I barely escaped with my tail intact, but I got lucky.?

?But where have you been??

She shrugged. ?I wanted to travel again, so I?ve been doing that.?

?Aye,? an old searat said from the bar, ?ye?ve got th? look of a beast wi? adventure behind ?er, now. Bet ye?ve some tales to tell.?

A few willing paws pushed her towards the bar. ?Oh, no, no, no. You all should remember I?m not the best of storytellers.?

?Aye, that were that matey o? yers, eh?? The searat took a long draught from his ale. ?Always singin? an? storytellin? that one were.?

?Yes, he was.? Vera spotted a couple of Hylan?s old friends sitting at a table together, where they had often been in the days before. One of them lifted a mug to her. She considered telling the whole room about Hylan's return, but decided against it. She'd broken the ice for him as far as his family was concerned. He could manage his old friends and acquaintances on his own.

Vera dropped a paw to the pocket of the dress she wore. Her amulet and Fildering?s picture, still nestled in it?s protective shells, rested there, never far from her. The familiar ache of jealousy wormed through her as she thought of how terribly the hare's sister surely missed him.

She started as somebeast pressed a mug of cider into her paw. ?Come on, Vera. Give us a story!?

?No, really, I can't...?

The beasts cajoled her until she finally took a long swig of the cider to clear her throat. ?All right, all right. How about I tell you about the sinking of the Silver Maiden??

***

Vera sat by herself at the bar later, sipping a cup of hot tea. She'd put off the patrons who'd urged her for more stories of pirates by claiming her throat was sore.  So now she enjoyed just listening to the clamor and the chatter of The Staff and Flask as she waited.

As sometimes happens in taverns, there was a lull in the conversation. Because she?d been expecting it, Vera was the first to hear the strains of singing from somewhere outside.

?Say, Sesha,? she asked the owner, with a smile playing around her lips, ?can I borrow one of your cooking spoons for a moment??

?What do you need a...? the rat trailed off as she heard what Vera had. ?That can?t be...?

?A spoon, if you please.?

Things went quiet quickly, as Hylan?s singing voice rang clearly through the night air. A few of those who didn?t understand the significance tried to engage in conversation again, but they were quickly shushed.

Right on cue, the door swung open and Hylan stepped in, still wearing his hat, paw in paw with Vilian.

Vera loosed the spoon, sending it sailing across the room, end over end. Hylan didn?t see it, because he?d kept his head ducked slightly, keeping his scarred face in the shadow of his hat. He yelped as it clipped the brim of the hat and sent it off his head.

?Dang it, Vers!? He stooped to pick up the hat and the spoon. Then he looked up a little sheepishly at the silent, staring crowd of The Staff and Flask. ?What? Ain?t you all ever seen a beast come back from the dead before??

Vera just leaned back against the bar and grinned as Hylan?s old friends rushed him with laughter and hearty back slaps. She caught eyes with her friend and grinned. He returned the grin, looking more like his old self than he had in days.

Later, they all sat around the table together, enjoying good drinks and good food while Hylan entertained them all with stories of their adventures.

"So there I am," Hylan said, after a long drink of ale, "sticking pirates in the ribs with the stolen dagger, keepin' my head down the whole time. Then I hear this unholy shriek and a scream. I look up and here comes Vera with this bird hard on her tail. Fella was as green as emeralds and madder than a nest full of hornets. Vera goes right into the middle of the fight, screaming her head off about how the bird was gonna kill her." He draped himself back across the chair, paw to his brow as he said in a high falsetto that wasn't at all like Vera's voice, "Oh, help me. Save me! He's going to kill me."

Vera flicked a hunk of bread at him which bounced off his nose and everybeast laughed.

Hylan straightened with a grin. "Of course, she was acting just as much as I was. Anyway, she latches on to the fox in charge of them pirates and does a beautiful begging plea for him to save her life. Manages to get the bird and the pirate talking of course, which makes things easier for our friends on the ship." Hylan tipped his mug back and finished off the last of the ale. "Well, there was some sorta history between the bird and the pirate. I don't know if Vers knew that or we just got lucky, but next thing we know, the pirates are divided in two factions and fighting amongst themselves. Then I says to myself, 'Vera and me gotta get outta here.' I try to get her away from the fighting and she starts fighting with me, thinking I'm one of the pirates."

Vera pushed back from the table quietly and went to the bar as Hylan's story continued. Sesha, the owner, leaned against the section of the bar closest to Hylan's table, listening to the story as well.

"Another round, Sesha," Vera said. "He's not done yet."

The rat turned away reluctantly to fill more mugs. "You really do all that, Vera? The poisoning, and the pirates, and all?"

Vera shrugged. "Yes, though Hylan makes it sound so much more exciting than it really was."

"Sure doesn't sound dull."

"I've never been more terrified in my entire life."

"By the by," Sesha set a pair of mugs on a tray and leaned forward to speak in a whisper. "You should know that Captain Rigal was here about a fortnight ago. He's been looking for you. Blames you for the burning of his fort. I don't know who's telling the truth about that, but if Rigal sees you, I'll wager that he's going to kill you."

Vera's stomach tied itself in a knot. "Do you know where he went?"

"He's been keeping an eye on the coastline towns, but he drifts back in every so often." Sesha turned back to fill another pair of mugs from the big barrel behind her. "If I were you, I'd make myself scarce sooner rather than later."

"Thanks for the warning, Sesha."

The rat smiled. "Well, my kitchen hasn't been the same since you left, and half my patrons still miss your cooking. If you get things ironed out with Rigal at any point, I've still got room for you here."

Vera nodded and took the tray of mugs back to the table, right about the time Hylan finished up his story. She took one of the mugs and sat, rolling the pewter between her paws and not drinking a drop.

****

"And what do you think you're doing, vixen?"

Vera jumped and whirled around. She'd been in the process of packing her bag, taking advantage of the quiet morning hours while everyone was sleeping off the drink and the late night.

Hylan stood in the doorway of her room, hat dangling from one paw, his clothes rumpled from being slept in. "You ain't leaving already?"

She sighed and turned back to her bag, where she was putting a change of clothes. "Sesha told me last night that Rigal's been looking for me."

Hylan blinked owlishly, then rubbed at his snout. "Blasted rat," he grumbled and Vera wasn't sure if he was referring to Rigal or Sesha. "And blasted you, too. I still can't believe you tried to kill a whole fort of soldiers. What were you thinking?"

She'd told Hylan the whole story of Rigal and getting her amulet back. Yes, she'd acted stupidly. She admitted that now. "I don't know, but I can't stay here."

"So you're running away, again?"

She rested her paws on her pack and sighed. "What else can I do, Hylan? Rigal will kill me if he catches me."

"I'll go with you then."

"No," she barked, then lowered her voice. "Hylan, you need to be home. You need to stay here. It wouldn't be fair to your family and Vilian if you took off again the day after coming back."

He scrubbed a paw through his headfur. "I don't like the idea of you traveling on your own. What if Rigal catches up with you?"

"I spent many seasons traveling on my own before I ever met you. Besides, this time, I won't have to work my way from town to town." She had a small fortune in coin securely hidden in the bottom of her bag, her share of the treasure Chak had found when he dove after the Zephyr.

"That still doesn't answer the question of what you'll do if Rigal catches you."

She turned to face him. "I'll be fine, Hylan. If he finds me, I'll figure something out."

The pine marten raised an eyebrow, his doubt not eased by her words. "Where will you go?"

"Home."

His other eyebrow joined the first as his eyes widened. "Really? Finally going to face your family?"

She shrugged. "I'm going to try. They probably all think I'm dead too, just like everyone here did."

"That should surprise them," he snorted with half a chuckle. "Well, write me, Vera, so I know you're safe. I won't sleep a wink if I know the captain is looking for you." He yawned, widely and leaned his head back. "I should get back to bed. I'm going to have a doozy of a headache when that sun comes up."

"Take care of yourself, Hylan."

He gave her a lazy, lopsided grin. "Same to you, Vera. See you soon, eh?"

She gave him a brief hug. "Yeah. Let me know if there's a wedding I need to attend anytime soon."

He half-choked, half-laughed. "Cripes, Vera. Vil and I have nearly nine seasons of catchin' up to do. We're not going to be speeding things along that fast."

"Sure, whatever you say. Get yourself to bed."

He nodded, and covered a yawn again with a paw. "Safe travels, my friend. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

She snorted back a laugh and did up the straps on her bag before hoisting it over her shoulder. Nothing else remained in the room to reveal that it had been hers. She quietly made her way down the halls and out the back door. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. She headed straight to the trees, avoiding the road and any eyes that may eventually pass on word to a certain rat captain.

***

Vera made her way northeast quickly, never staying more than a night in any one place and giving false names every place she stopped. She'd skirted past Redwall Abbey a couple days before and had spent the noon hour at Galbraith Hall, where she'd been given directions by a reluctant badger marm.

Finally, she found what she was looking for. A house in the forest, not far from the Hall.

She dug into a pack on her back and pulled out the letter she?d written earlier. Tucked inside the paper was the little charcoal drawing that survived the voyage over the sea, the island, Dead Rock, and the return trip. She hesitated, then approached the door and knocked quickly.

After a moment, the door opened, revealing an older female hare. She gave a start at seeing a vixen standing on her stoop and her eyes narrowed dangerously. ?What do you want??

?Sorry to bother you, ma?am,? Vera said. ?You wouldn?t happen to be Mrs. Dillwither?s, would you??

?I am.?

Vera held out her letter with a shaky paw. ?This is for you, then. I?m very sorry.?

?What?s this?? the hare questioned, but took the letter just the same.

Vera immediately turned and followed her trail back into the woods, knowing what the hare would see when she opened the letter.

To Mr. and Mrs. Dillwithers,

I hope by now you have heard from those at Salamandastron concerning your son, Fildering. I hope my news doesn?t come as a complete shock. If it does, I?m truly, very sorry.

My name is Vera, and I?m sorry to say, but I was the last beast that saw Fildering alive. I was at his side when he died. He was murdered by pirates.

I spent a little time with Fildering. We had been stranded on an island when pirates attacked our vessels and a strange twist of fate landed us together. I know it may be of little comfort, but he was very brave. I watched him facing off against pirates on a burning ship and later he saved my life when I was attacked by a serpent on the island.

I wish I could have returned the favor.

This little picture was in his pocket and it was the only thing I was able to salvage before he was buried. He mentioned his sister with fondness and I just hope that she knows what a brave brother she had. She should be very proud of him and I hope that her memories of him are all happy ones.

I think he wanted nothing more than to come home and see you all again. I wish I didn?t have to bear this hard news, but because of what Fildering did for me, I felt it was only right.

Know that he lived and died bravely and that his murderer is dead.

Sincerely,

Vera Silvertooth

***

It was still early autumn, but this far north it wasn't uncommon for freak snowstorms. Vera tried to hunch her head down deeper in the scarf she'd bought at the village that morning. It didn't really help and she shivered as she continued walking over the new snow, following the memory of a path.

Half her lifetime had passed since she last walked it. The trees stood bigger than she remembered and a few times she wondered if maybe she was going the wrong way.

She smelled woodsmoke and reached the edge of the treeline, where she looked down on the little hollow, nestled against a steep hillside. The den was there, about the same as always. She spotted doors to other dens in the hill that Vera didn't remember being there before.

In the clearing in front of the dens, a half dozen fox kits of varying ages were having a snowball fight. Most of them were red-furred, though she spotted two gray ones in the mix.

She watched them from the top of the rise and blinked back a tear. Then one of the kits looked her way and spotted her. He gave a sharp whistle and all play stopped and the young foxes scattered like snowflakes, heading into her old den. Moments later, a big male fox exited with a short spear in paw.

She lingered there on the rise as he approached her. ?What do you want?? he snarled.

Vera snorted and pulled the scarf down from her face. ?Really, Bryht? This is how you welcome your sister back??

Her eldest brother blinked, then frowned. His spear lowered. ?By Vulpez... Vera? You?re alive? It?s been seasons since we heard from you! We thought for sure you were dead.?

She sighed and shrugged. "Yeah, that rumor's been going around, it seems."

He thumped the butt of his spear in the snow. "You got a lot of nerve, showing back up now."

Welcome home... "Yes, I know. I've got something for Mother. Is she inside?"

He snorted. "You really think bringing a present for her will make her forgive you for what you did?"

"No."

The two foxes stared at one another for several long moments. "Fine," Bryht finally said. "Let's go."

She followed him down to the old den, noting the faces of the fox kits peering from the windows. Those faces continued to watch her as she walked in through the door after her brother.

"It's Vera," Bryht said as she closed the door behind her and took a good look around.

The cozy cave had been remodeled from the last time she'd been home as a young fox maid. The wall between the main living area and the old bedrooms had been removed and she saw a newer door against what used to be the back wall of her room.

The room was filled with fox kits, more than had been outside. A gray vixen, probably the mother of the gray kits she'd seen, stood over by the kitchen stove where a pot of soup simmered.

More importantly, there stood a older vixen, her orange fur graying around her muzzle. Her brown eyes glared daggers at Vera as she stood there with arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face.

Vera slowly lowered her pack to the floor and stepped closer. "Afternoon, Mother. It's good to see you."

She wasn't really surprised when her mother slapped her hard. The kits all gasped, then two started giggling, until Bryht cleared his throat.

Vera drew a deep breath, blinked quickly, and looked back up. "I suppose I deserved that."

"Darn right you did," her mother snapped. "Six seasons since we've heard from you! Six! And how many countless ones since you last walked in that door? You think you'd be received back with hugs and kisses!" Her mother's paw twitched as if she had the urge to slap Vera again.

Vera took a step back, just in case. "I'm sorry. I couldn't write."

"You couldn't?" her mother sneered. "You forget how? My only daughter, gadding off to who knows where for seasons on end. Barely a letter a season anyway, and then you just 'couldn't write'."

"Mother..." she said, trying to get a word in edgewise.

"No, you're not going to sweet talk me this time. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. All the worry you've put us through. Why, if your father were here, he'd have a thing or two to say to you."

Vera's world suddenly narrowed down to a small distant tunnel. She felt almost lightheaded. "Father's... gone? He's dead?"

"Yes, last spring. Illness. We all got sick with it, but it hit him the worst. Had you'd written, maybe you would have known." Her scowl wavered for a moment, and she hurriedly dashed a paw across her eyes.

Vera stared at the floor, words failing her. She'd always gotten along better with her father than her mother, at least since Sarn had died. He'd been the one she'd really looked forward to seeing.

"I'm sorry," she finally whispered, finding her voice at last.

"Like Hellgates you are. Why bother coming back now, after all this time? Fall on hard times and come here looking for charity?"

Vera shook her head. "Of course not. I'd never..."

"Well, this certainly isn't a social call," her mother interrupted. "You must want something from me!"

Bryht interrupted calmly. "Vera said she had something for you, Mother."

The elder fox sneered. "Oh, really? Do you think a gift would get you back in my good graces? You have another thing coming, my girl, if you think some pitiful trinket from some far off land would make any difference at all."

"It's not like that," Vera said, sticking a paw in the pocket of her skirt, where the ruby amulet sat. "If you'd let me explain a few things..."

"Explain? You think some lies and excuses and made up tales will butter me up?"

"Will you just shut up and listen to me!" Vera finally snapped. She pulled the amulet out of her pocket and thrust it at her mother. "This is why I couldn't write. I spent four seasons hiding who I was and where I'd come from so I'd have a chance to get that stupid thing back for you. Then I ended up on a leaky tub of a pirate ship when I tried to get away from the soldiers who were coming after me. I nearly lost that thing to a pirate king and just about died more than once for it!"

She released the chain, letting the amulet fall to the wood floor. "Sorry I couldn't write. I was protecting myself and protecting all of you." She took a step back and blinked back tears that began welling up in her eyes. "Sorry to have darkened your door, but at least you have that back now."

In the stunned silence that followed, she turned on her heel, picked up her pack, and left, slamming the door as hard as she could as she did so.

She got halfway back up the rise before she heard the paws running through the snow behind her. "Vera, wait," Bryht said.

She kept walking. "Why? I'm not welcome here. I knew I wouldn't be."

"Look, I'm sorry. You caught us all by surprise. The last few seasons have been hard, what with the illnesses and Father dying. Mother really has been worried about you."

"Sure, she has," Vera snorted. "Full of loving concern."

Bryht grabbed her arm and jerked her to a stop. "You know what? You're as bad as she is! Knock it off, get your nose out of the air and come back inside."

Vera didn't look at her brother as she took several long slow breaths, watching as the air misted in front of her with each exhale. "No, I'm not staying here."

"Give her a chance to cool down."

"No." She tried to pull away.

He tightened his grip. "If you walk away now, you'll regret it the rest of your life. You know you will." Vera sighed and Bryht continued, "Look, there's an inn just west of here, in the old Brownpaw house. It's called The Two Tails. Stay there for a few days. Let Mother think it over. She will want to talk to you more after she's gotten over the shock."

Vera hung her head in defeat. "She's not going to want to talk to me."

"You'd be surprised, Vera. Please. You can't go without seeing Thall and Kear, anyway.  And I know your nephews will be clamoring to hear more about these pirates."

Bryht finally released her and she crossed her arms over her chest, still not looking at him, or back at the house where she'd grown up.

"Stay. Just for a little while longer."

Vera stared the trail of pawtracks she'd left in the snow. She knew Bryht was right. She couldn't just leave without seeing the rest of her family, even if their reception wouldn't be much better.

"Fine. I'll stay at the inn. If anybeast wants to see me, they can come there."

***

Vera pushed open the big main door to The Two Tails. The common room sat vacant, but clean. Tables and chairs sat scattered about with unlit candles resting on the tops. The room smelled of pine, homebrewed ale, and faintly, something burning.

"Hello?" she called, and there was a clatter from somewhere else in the building. After a moment, a door swung open, letting out a gray fox covered in white flour. A swirl of smoke followed him out.

"So sorry!" he said, brushing off his paws on his apron, which did nothing to clean them, but rather got them even whiter. "May I help you?"

"Yes," she said. "I was hoping for a room."

"Of course. We're mostly empty right now, so you can have your pick of the rooms." He noticed the state of his paws and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about the mess. My help left me a few days ago. Been a bit of a struggle getting on without him."

She peered past him, to the kitchen, which seemed to be creating more smoke. Though she'd told Bryht that she'd only stay for a little while, the bedraggled look on the gray fox's face had her amending her plans. "Would you be interested in taking labor as payment? I'm a cook and..."

"Yes!" the fox interrupted. "If you can cook, you can have whatever room you want in exchange for your help. My sister helps me when she can, but she's got family and kits of her own and she's busy."

Vera let her pack slide down from her shoulder. "I'm not sure how long I'll be staying," she admitted, "but I'd be happy to work for my room and board."

The gray fox started to hold out his floured paw, hesitated, but Vera reached out and took it in a firm grip anyway. He grinned. "My friends call me Ash."

"Vera," she said.

"Welcome to The Two Tails, Vera." Ash said. Behind him in the kitchen, something began sizzling and hissing loudly.

Vera shouldered past him. "Why don't I take care of that while you tell me what you'd like me to serve for supper?"

Ash followed her into the kitchen where Vera quickly dealt with the pot that was boiling over and the burning bread. Disasters averted, she set her pack in an out of the way corner and pulled out a yellow apron folded neatly inside. She slipped the string over her head, tied the back, and then smoothed down the front. She gave a brief start.

Of course there's nothing in the pocket, she chided herself. Fildering's picture and her mother's amulet were back where they belonged.

And so was she.