Where The Sky Is Lead And The Earth Is Stone

[Keane]

Keane hated waiting.  It was a helpless, sickening fear of losing control that embedded itself in his stomach ? or maybe that was just hunger.  Either way, it was horribly uncomfortable.  To add to his unease, he was still irritable over being roused at an unearthly hour and forced to pursue a lot of miserable slaves, only to be trapped in the caves.  If you wanted to get right down to it, the last week had been horrid in general, what with being forced out of town, tricked onto a ship, half-drowned, and then stranded at the oasis. 

He was beginning to be annoyed. 

It wasn't even his surroundings and situation that he found the most galling; it was simply the fact that he had no control over anything. 

Matukhana seemed to share the cat's irritation, Keane reflected, watching the fox pace back and forth as the group sat and waited for the scouts to return.  At last, the vulpine ceased his circuit and swung about to face the majority of the beasts collected. 

?There's no sense sitting idle,? he declared.  ?Resume the digging until they return.  If the passage leads nowhere, at least we'll have made some progress.? 

Keane sat still as other beasts struggled to their footpaws around him.  His tail flicked defiantly.  If they wanted him to dig, then by hellgates, they were going to have to make him! 

?You... you should help!? 

Keane looked up to see the skinny stoat who had started this whole mess and frowned.  ?That's a matter of opinion.? 

The stoat didn't look entirely surprised by his refusal.  ?Yes, well, it's my opinion, and I'm a captain.  So there!? 

The cat snorted.  ?Honestly, I don't care what you think you are.  Now, run along and have fun playing at being in charge.? 

Venril stared at him for a moment, opening and closing his mouth.  At a loss for words, the stoat spun around and hurried away to ?oversee? things and parrot all of Matukhana's orders.  Keane watched his retreat thoughtfully; Venril wouldn't be such a terrible leader if only he had a bit more self confidence.  The cat thought of the contents of his coat pockets and smiled to himself; he just might have a new customer. 

It wasn't long before the noise of rocks being moved began to grate at his ears, and the cat slunk away from the group in search of a quieter spot.  Having traveled a sufficient distance that the din had faded to a mild annoyance, he curled up against the wall of the cavern, yawning.  There was a closeness in the caves that reminded Keane of being in a closet.  The cat closed his eyes, savoring the feeling.  Small spaces were safe and comfortable; they gave him an unexplainable feeling of invincibility. 

Keane curled into a tighter ball, slowing his breathing.  As long as his eyes were closed, he could imagine himself to be in his favorite hiding place as a kitten, crouched in the back of his parents' closet.  After the last few days, it seemed like the most desirable place in the world, and he sighed, wishing himself back in the spot, hanging clothes dangling in front of his face. 

~

He had fallen asleep there, alone and secure in his hiding place.  The kitten blinked and stretched, wondering what had roused him from his slumber.  His ears pricked.  Was that... crying? 

The kitten crawled to the front of the closet, cracking the door gingerly.  He peeked out, eyes widening when he recognized the sobbing form sprawled across the bed as his mother. 

?Mum?? he pushed the door open and struggled to his footpaws, venturing into the room.  ?What's wrong?? 

The female wept on, deaf to his queries.  Keane crept closer, bewildered.  ?Mum??  He reached out to touch her shoulder. 

The female started, whipping her head around to see him.  ?Keane, dear,? she sniffled, ?Run along and play.?  She attempted a smile, but it was a crooked, wobbly display. 

Keane didn't budge.  ?What's wrong?? he repeated, more insistently.  She didn't answer; her face crumpled and she sobbed harder into the bedspread. 

?Can I help?? he tried again. 

Abruptly, she quieted, raising her head slowly and staring at him with red-rimmed eyes.  ?Help?? she repeated, and swallowed.  ?I... I think maybe you could.? 

She'd sent him out to the streets with instructions to find a beast in a long black coat and a hat over his eyes, lurking in an alleyway.  He was to give the beast money and bring back what he was given in return. 

He was not to tell his father where he'd been.  ?It's bad enough that he won't let me out of the house,? she'd remarked sullenly. 

He hadn't really understood, that first time.  All he'd known then was that everything changed that day.  His mum treated him differently than his brothers; she was kind to a fault.  And she trusted him.  He was her favorite ? she told him so, many times.  His brothers hated him for the attention he received, but Keane didn't care, because at last, he understood that Balm was power.  With it, he could control his mother ? manipulate her, force her to give him anything he wanted.  Not just his mother, though. 

He could control everybeast.

~

?Matukhana sent me to bring you back.? 

Keane breathed in sharply, jolted from his memories.  He looked up to find Eliza standing over him and glaring daggers. 

?Is everything all right?? he asked, a bit miffed by her unprovoked resentment. 

The marten sighed dramatically.  ?I don't know; do you consider being trapped in a filthy cave with a lot of uneducated slobs 'all right'??  She arched one eyebrow.  ?If you mean, 'has the situation changed any,' then the answer is no.  The captain simply insisted that everyone help out, not just sneak off by themselves.?  With that, she turned on her heel and flounced away. 

Keane made a face at her retreating back.  Wench.

?Hoi!  They're back!?  The cry resounded through the cave. 

Stiffly, the cat got to his footpaws and arched his back in a stretch before striding back to the group.  The scouts had returned, but a quick headcount revealed that two were missing.

Matukhana was quick to meet Rath, giving him a curt nod of greeting.  ?Did you find an exit?? 

The ferret ? looking a bit ruffled, Keane observed ? shook his head.  ?No.  But we met... other beasts.? 

There was a moment of silence.  ?What manner of beasts?  What did they want?? 

The ferret shrugged, a tad irritably.  "They were balmy, if you ask me. Hissed a lot 'n ran off.? 

Matukhana considered this.  ?Did they seem hostile?? 

"No, just hungry. Tried to make off with the bird."

?Well.  Not much we can do but wait, I suppose,? the fox mused, sounding displeased.  ?No need to let them take us by surprise, though.?  He paused and then asked, ?What happened to the other two?? 

The mouse-like creature that had gone with the scouts stepped forward, frowning.  ?Revel and Birch?  We thought they'd come back here.? 

?We haven't seen them since you left,? Venril spoke up.  ?Maybe we should send somebeast after them...?

Matukhana waved for the stoat to be quiet.  ?It's better we stay together,? he declared.  ?There are more important things to worry about.?  With that, he went about organizing the group into a defensive formation to meet the mysterious beasts when they should arrive. 

Keane sighed, ears drooping.  To him, it all came down to more waiting, and he felt certain that he'd done enough of that for one day.  Grumpily, he complied when instructed to stand in a certain place and accepted a knife when it was handed to him. 

The cat tested the blade curiously and raised a brow in surprise when he cut his paw.  He hadn't expected it to be that sharp.  He stuck his paw in his mouth, glancing about surreptitiously to see if anybeast had noticed, only to discover Rath standing next to him and watching with an expression of amusement. 

?You don't know how to use that,? the ferret stated, not bothering to make it into a question. 

Keane shrugged and withdrew his paw from his mouth, licking the last traces of blood from the cut.  ?Try telling that to the madbeast in charge,? he muttered. 

The ferret didn't reply.  Keane glanced down at the pouch hanging from the ferret's belt; it was even smaller than when he'd given it to the beast. 

?What'd you think of the Balm?? he asked casually, voice pitched low. 

Rath hesitated.  ?It was... strange.? 

Keane smiled slightly and opened his mouth to respond when a hush fell upon those assembled and his eyes turned to the passage, tensing as pawsteps sounded, drawing near.  His grip on the hilt of the knife tightened as a voice wailed in protest, and then resolved into words. 

"For th'last time, lemme go!"

Keane blinked as he recognized the voice as Revel's, just before a group of beasts spilled from the passage into the main cavern, dragging the two missing scouts with them. 

The cat stared at the newcomers, hardly noticing as Matukhana stepped forward to greet them and Revel and Birch were released. 

The strangers were vermin and woodlander, and that was odd enough in itself.  Most of them wore little to no clothing.  Keane would have found this in itself odd, but it was the last detail that  transfixed the cat with horror. 

None of them had eyes.