gettin back in to writting a little bit

[kalan]

Its been awhile since i've done any writing and this is a short script from the past but im gonna do it from memory because im being too lazy to walk over to the computer and find it but it will give kalan a backstory somewhat

   A lone wolf sat on the edge of the river that wound north to south through the woodlands, it  began its path on the northwestern edge of the lands as it poured in from the great water and wound its way through the forest before turning into the east at the southern edge of the woods and continued into the kingdoms beyond. A small bird rested on a branch of a near by tree, normally he would have shared a chorus with it but this night his attention were on the small creature hiding in the underbrush to his right. A noise thing that drew far too much attention to itself by chrunching loudly on what was left of its meal. A morth he always found them interesting it small body was egg shaped standing atop legs barely visible below it self, a narrow silver stripe ran from the tip of its fluffy tail up to the top of its long narrow hairless nose breaking up the black of its body. He had learned at an early age to allow them there space with a mouth full razor sharp teeth and claws that were more than they appeared. He shifted his attention to the full moon that shined down upon the river on this cloudless night in the distance a coyote howl a lonesome howl of one looking for his mate. He dug a small hole in the dirt and placed a small seed in it before returning the dirt.

   The seranade of the forest was shattered as shouts permeated the night he turned to see Dreya storming from the oaken hall hand on the pommel of her sword. Silence returned as the door was closed behind her, a silence that it would seem would not last
"Will your father listen to no reason" she grumbled as she stormed up
He look back to the moon for a moment allowing the wolf in him to enjoy the moment of primal joy before he returned his attention to politics once again.
"Kalan are you listening to me" she yelled
"I am"
he stood looking at the elf for a moment, a pureblood she stood just above five feet and wore the ceremonial armor that was customary to there race during times of politics. Leather boots and leather pants embroidered with orante patterns of the forest with a polished armor plate over a leather vest, his differed from hers only in that a red cape hung from his shoulders and a gold band sat atop his head well she wore her rank ,a oak leave encompessed by a serpent to represent his second in command, on her right shoulder. Both had a sword hung at their waist, at hers hung an ornate thin blade embedded with magic to prevent it from breaking well at his hung ryegard the named blade a thick steel hand and a half blade with and maple tree etched on its silver pommel.
"Then do something" she screamed chaseing the morth from its hiding place and sending the bird into the night
"What would you have me do" he asked
"Go to your father bring him to reason with the wolves, a treaty is nesecary now more than ever an army stands at your border ready to invade your shores and take your lands"
"They are my father borders not mine should i live to see my election to the throne then they will be mine, until that day they are my kings" he spoke softly now
"Damn politics" she grumbled under breath
"Patience Dreya soon my father and i will need a warrior until let the old men speak"
His thoughts traveled to war and things beyond he quickly pushed such thoughts aside.
"We have a treaty already" he said
"But not one that will bring the armies together apart the wolves and the elves will be destroyed and this realm will burn" she began to calm herself
"Fire has threatened this land before it will threaten it again it was war that born me after all"
She bite her lip too prevent herself from saying something stupid but the warrior in her swelled none the less.
"It was that night in branfek forest when your mother and father's love became so powerful and to create a child with magic that tipped the two races to war to began with" she feared she would regret her words the moment she spoke them.
He remained calm for a moment before speaking "and when i was born a two legged i brought about the end of the war and a treaty between the races"
"Damn you, it was after the death of your father and the king taking in an elf woman and her bastard half blood that the treaty was founded"
  Her eyes widened and fear gripped at her as realized what she had said. She always had an attraction to the half blood but with him being the adopted son of the king and her no more than a warrior elf she knew that it would never be. She still remembered the day she first met him an akward young half elf in those days, she would often mach him during their sparing session to which their swordsmaster would caution her against but she never understood why till years later when they walked along the very same river they now stood next to in the north. She had asked him why the masters would never speak of his lineage to which he reluctantly responded with because they wish to protect the crowned prince so far from the capitol city. She never looked at him quite the same again but her attraction to him never faded. As their swordsmanship improved and he soon began to match her if not best her in combat they moved to training in the magic arts. An art he quickly surpassed her in it wasn't until they began studying the magic arts of combat that she began to set herself into the role that would put her as his second in command of the armies. The king had once tried to make her his personal guard but he refused saying that he need his guard at his side at all time she however had to be able to command the army from any where on the battlefield at anytime.
  He grasped her by the arm the primal wolf screaming in his head. he took a a stern expression with her as he realesed her arm
"The treaty has stood for hundred of years and i will not go in there waveing my blade about so as to destroy what my very first breath created" he held his hand above the spot where he had planted the seed "gresd" he watch as a young tree sprung up from the ground and stopped sort of a foot above the ground.
"With time and patience a mighty tree will stand along the river and even the wind with not fall it" he began to walk back to the hall stopping only a moment to turn around.
"Chose your words more carefully if you are to return to the meeting" with that he strode off.

[SilverSolstive]

I like the detail you put into the backstory. Have you been pondering on this for a long time?

Hit them with da bruh.

[kalan]

Yeah this is actually part of the story that gave birth to my fursona there is a little before but i thought it would be a good place to start just to give kalan a history

[kalan]

   The cool night air blew upon kalan's fur as he walked the summer had not yet fully arrived and the nights could still bring cold with them. One advantage he had over the pure bloods was his fur it kept him warm well the other suffered the sting of the cold. He relished in the calm of the cool night however as he walked he knew the tranquility would end when he entered the hall. He stopped for a moment to observe a deer that had wandered out of the forest to graze on the tender grass of the meadow lands. As he watched the deer began making its way to him grazing as it went. He reached out his hand, "may I" he asked? After the deer remained still he reached his hand to its ears and stratched.
"How can such things fall upon a realm of peace have our going ons here in the forest really caused such turmoil outside that a horde must attack our lands"?
The deer looked intently at him for a moment before lowering its head once again to the grass. I ask such questions of one hunt purely for the enjoyment of men he thought to himself. As the deer continued its hunt for good grass elsewhere he continued his journey to the hall, he paused for a moment at the door before proceeding.

  Inside he found the scene had not changed much since he had last been there a large wood table sat in the center of the room surronded by elves and wolves of varying ranks and ages sitting around it. At the two ends of the table were occupied by leaders of stark contrast. At the east end sat a large elf that stood over six feet with large broad shoulder that showed the years of war he had known as a young elf before the peace times. He wore leather boots and pants with gold inlaid and a gold armor plate atop his vest with iron and gold bands upon his thick muscular foreman well atop his head sat an ornate crown of gold and from his shoulders hung a gold cloak that would shimmer as it reflected the light. His face stood in stark contrast to the rest of his body his chin thin yet strong sat below a nose so small and delicate that from a distance one would assume he had none, his eyes were thin half hidden below his shoulder length black hair now pulled back under the crown. At the other end of the table sat or stood rather a wolf of many years at nearly five feet tall the grey in his muzzle had began to show that age. His body was strong and muscular yet trimmed his fur had once been black as a moonless night but flecks of grey and white had begun to creep in. On his left side he wore a scar that extended from his shoulder down to the right side of the bottom of his ribs. Try as he might he could know longer hide the injury in his front left paw when he walked, an injury he had absorbed during a fight between two of the wolf tribes. Above his right eye sat a scar cut into his flesh when he became high lord of the wolfs as was tradittion. The mark was a cresent moon with a tooth and claw crossed over one another in the center. His eyes showed signs of the wisdom years had bestowed upon them. The queens were not presents as it was traditional for the queens to over see the entertainment of the two races which was at the moments supervising the cook staff. They would rejoin the meeting after the feast.

   The hall was a thing of magnificence along the walls trees grew through holes in the floor built to accommodate them well the walls at first glance appeared to built of log but when one would look closer they would discover that they had been grown from the trees using magic. They extended up almost 70 feet to an open canopy that reaveled the sky above.     He rembered as a young boy asking his father why it never rained in the hall to which his father chuckled  and responded with someday you will understand the full wonders of magic but for now understand we elves have many tricks. He now knew that what he meant was that the canopy was protected by magic sustained by the trees in the walls there reward was immorality. At the east end of the hall sat two thrones atop a platform that sat roughly two feet above the wood floor. Along the walls lamps lit with magic provided a gentle glow, the flame it self was not magical but rather the fuel that burned with in them was sustained by magic. Above the table hung a chandelier almost half the size of the massive table light in the same manner as the lamps.

   The two men at the ends of the table sat in disgust at the poor way the younger men at the table were handleing the politics of the situation. The king sat with his forehead resting in his hand well the wolf stood with a snarl on his lips. Two young men stood at opposing side of the table yelling at one another.
"you would have elves camp in the wolf capitol how do we know you wont simply turn on us and take our city the minute this war has ended" the young wolf snarled.
"A city we gave you in the treaty" the young elf snapped back.
"A treaty nesecary when the elfs marched on us all those years ago" the wolf yelled back.
The treaty between the two races had always been turbulent at best and when word of an invading force had reached the inland cities many feared it would collapse and so now they sat at a meeting callef by the two leaders in order to avoid such a thing.
"I would remind the wolf that we were content to share the woods it was your hunting on our grounds that caused us to march" the elf smirked.
The king looked up at kalan and motioned for him to sit in the chair next him which he somewhat begrudgingly complied, he had had enough politics for the night but knew they were only beginning.
"We cannot all survive on berries and fruit as the you elves do" the wolf retorted.
The result was yelling that spanned the entire table. Food began to pour in to the hall followed shortly by barrels of mead.
"Enough" the king slammed his hand down on the table. Everyones attention was quickly drawn to him.
"We shall eat now and put aside such things until a time when are bellies are full and are thirsts quenched"
The smell of meat and fruits comingled in a scent that the two halves of kalan fought over, well one was sickened at the smell of meat one found disgust in the fruit before him. All though he was the only elf known to eat meat he still did so only on special occasions such as this. The temper within the room quickly vanished as the two sides began to talk back and forth to one another. Maybe not as old friends but they had stopped screaming for the moment. At one point during the meal his father had leaned over to him and whispered in his ear.
"After hall concludes this night come find me i have an assingment for you"
He wondered what it was but knew better than to attempt to pry words from his fathers mouth for now he would have to be patient



I'll edit later im sure there is more than one error in there but feed back would be appreciated

[kalan]

This next segment is gonna be short just gonna tie up this part

   Kalan spent the rest of the evening seated between hi father and dreya who had returned to the hall during the meal. He found the discussions of the night hard to follow as he had eaten his fill of berries and duck, he did however do his best to give the guest the attention they deserved. Full bellies had mellowed the moods of everyone at the table. Only once more was shouting heard in the hall when frig a young wolf commander said he would not allow an elf to command him or his company. A young elf started the shouting match by responding with the minds of a wolf are so battle ridden that no man of logic could command one anyways. Kalan failed to see why the two sides argued back and forth as they did, the question seemed all to simple in his mind do the two wish to be exterminated or will they join as one and defend the forest. He new however in the minds of the two armies a thousand questions burned the most present of which was who would command what portions of it and where troops would be allowed to be garisoned. Never the less the outburst was quickly handled when alkelden the wolf lord allowed a low growl to rumble throughout the hall.
"You may command them but they are still my troops young one" he said as he raised his head allowing a certain amount of stearness to set into his voice.

  He had admired the wolf ever since he had met him almost a century ago. He ruled with an air of command that few had exhibited before him. He once said that a good leader did not command but stood in front of the troops and inspired. Under his reign the tribes had enjoyed the longest period of peace any could remeber when a conflict errupted between the tribes he was there quickly to bring resolution to the matter. He thought back to the day when he first met the old wolf he was a young captian in those days. He was visiting the wolf coast city and he stopped to watch a sparing session between the newly appointed captian and some young recuits he was amazed that despite an obviously fresh wound on his side he could still hold his ground against six young wolves. Later he ran into him near a camp fire and began a conversation that would form a friendship to last a life time, despite the fact  that it began odd enough. "You're the elf that talks with wolfs are you not" to which kalan responded "and now you are the wolf that talks with elves". He would later stand beside the wolf twice as the tribes threatened war against one another. He had even been there during the fight that had left a permanent injury upon his paw. Later he would see the wolf rise to the throne, the wolf often times gave kalan more credit than he thought he deserved saying that had he not backed him in front of the tribes they never would have appointed him to the throne.

   The rest of the night in the hall droned as talks of troop placement and command ranks were discussed. As the night drew to a close the two kings stood and left first followed by there personal guards and queens and the hall slowly emptied off the others. Kalan exited the hall and turned toward the wolf camp near the river where he knew he would find his father.
"Kalan" a voice stopped him as he turned to see Dreya walking toward him "I wish to apologies for my words earlier" she said.
He smiled at her "you should know me well enough by now to know there is no need"
"Yes but i was out of line" she spoke "you were right the two armies can not be brought together by force its just that i stand here on the edge of battle knowing there is nothing i can could until the two armies are brought together and we stand together before the invading force, in the meantime my blades edge grows dull"
He laughed "i doubt your edge can be dulled but if you worry so than find the training feild in the morning i will excuse you from hall but now i must find my father".
A faint smile crossed her lips as she nodded her head and strode off.

  He found his father in alkelden's tent "You wished to speak with me my lord" he said bowing.
The two kings looked at one another before sharing a full hearted laugh.
"Have the politics of hall made you forget the gold band above your ears" the wolf chuckled.
"I would think it best to follow tradition here within listening distance of so many" he said
"Ah no need to worry of such things" his father said standing "my guards have placed magic about the tent so as to prevent eavesdropers"
Kalan allowed his shoulders to relax slightly as he sighed "forgive me father"
"Nothing to forgive i have raised you well, yes i wished to see you i have a special task for you" he said as he placed his hand on the young prince's shoulder "i need you to travel to our northern borders and visit with and old friend there, the mortal blood king ask that he would support us in our war to come"
"The mortal army but why"? kalan asked obvious confusion in his voice
The two kings before him grew somber as the wolf lord spoke "even if we can get the two armies to stand together roughly twenty thousand will stand against a force nearly twice that size scouts have recently returned and reported there numbers to be far larger than we had originally thought"
"We need all the help we can get" his father said
"And the mortal bloods will aid us" he asked
The king sighed "the king there is young but i knew his father and i can only pray to the spirits that he passed his wisdom on to his son, that is why i send you he has to see that we care enough for the life outside the forest  to send a member of the royal house to speak with him"
"I will also send one of my senior commander with you to represent our stake in this" the wolf lord added.
"When do i leave" kalan asked
"With the sunrise" the king said as he walked to a nearby table and poured a glass of wine " time is of great importance by the time the summer is fully upon us we could be at war"
He offered kalan a glass but he simply shook his head
"We will meet you at the northern edge of the city when the sunrises to see you off" the wolf said.
"For now get some rest we have but a few hours until then" the king said dismissing him
He turned to leave but stopped in the door of the tent "i have excused dreya from morning hall so she can go to the training feild tomorrow"
The king simply nodded as kalan exited.

[kalan]

This is a different story not related to the one above it. It moves kinda quick but I didnt wanna give to much away in the first five minutes

   

   It was a typical bar room the lights turned down low music played and a grumpy old tough woman stood behind the bar. On occasion a drunk idiot would make a pass at her, sometimes she let it go sometimes she told them where to go. He sat in the far corner his hood pulled up and watched the drunkin idiots. The only difference with this bar and most was the smoke. Smoking had been banned after the war so a bar like this didnt want alot of attention and thats why he liked it.
   Currently the bar keep was watching two men in the middle of the bar as was half the bar. A kangaroo and a human were shouting back and forth at one another. Tensions had always been high between the two sides but sice the war it had gotten even worse
"I outta knock your ass on the floor right now you freak" the man shouted
"How'd you like to loose a few teeth you inbred trash" the kangaroo sent back
The bar keep slid her hand below the bar, she wasnt in the mood for this crap tonight. One man stepped in and added his voice to the mix.
"If we had it our way everyone of you freak would be stuck in a lab gettin needles stuck in ya"
The man was obviously drunk but the kangaroo didnt care he swung first. He landed a hard blow to the first man jaws, the sound of bone breaking could be heard throughout the bar. The second man stood stunned as his buddy dropped to the floor clutching his jaw. The kangaroo wasted no time with him sending a kick into his gut toppeling him over. The bar keep slid a shotgun out from under the bar and leveled it on the kangaroo as 3 other men stood up. The click of the sawed off 12 gauge stopped everyone and all eyes turned to her. Angie was not one to take alot of crap and everyone knew that, everyone but the kangaroo.
"You gonna shoot me" he spread his arms out "then do it"
"You're gonna leave right now thats whats gonna happen" her voice echoed acrossed the silent bar cold and flat
"And if I dont then your gonna shoot me"
It became apparent to beryl that he was drunk, he stood up and made his way over to the bar
"Let me deal with him" he offered to the bar keep
She studied him for a moment before motioning with her head
"get him outta my bar or I will
   He stepped over the man on the ground clutching his jaw and howling in pain. He heard the other man behind him whimpering on the floor. He grabbed the kangaroo by the shoulder and spun him towards the door as he pushed him forward.
"Who the hell do think-"
He shoved him again "shutup and walk" his voice hard and gruff
He reluctantly follwed beryls orders as he stumbled to the front door. Beryl kept his hand close to the pistol under his duster the only noise in the bar was the men in pain over the sound of beryls boots clicking on the hardwood floor. He shoved the kangaroo again when they reached the door pushing him through it and into the dirt beyond.
  The roo stumbled back to his feet and took a swing at beryl. He stepped outta the way with ease and swung back knocking him back into the dirt.
"Stay down"
His warnings went unheeded as the roo stumbled his way back up.
"Who the hell do you think you are i was just havin a bit of sport jerk" he took another drunk swing
This time beryl caught his arm and twisted it around behind the roos back, he spun on his heels and threw  him head first into the wall.
"How the hell did you just level two people"
He laid on the ground cussing at beryl.
"I could kick your ass if I  wasnt drunk"
"I doubt it"
He grabbed the roo by the shirt and heaved him up off the ground. He swayed back and forth on his feet.
"Now are you done beatin me up?"
The roo thought for a moment and for a second it seemed as though he was gonna take another swing before lowering his gaze to the ground and nodding.
"So then where do I take you"
"Piss off thats where you take me"
Beryl shrugged and turn to walk to his truck. He made it about 30 feet before he heard the roo behind him.
"Wait"
He stopped and looked back over his shoulder.
"I-i havent got a place" the roo looked down at the ground "im a wanderer"
Beryl marveled at the way he said wanderer with a sense of excitement.  Great a stray he thought to himself.
"Alright get in" he motioned to the dusty old one ton truck sitting across the parkng lot.
   Dust covered the rust that had worked it horrors on the once beautiful blue paint and the rear door on the drivers side had a large dent in the middle of it from what he couldnt remember anymore. He didnt remember much before the war anymore. After the war was just a barren waste land, a hell from which there was no escape and the weak died. The inside of the truck was a mess he never saw much need to clean it. A hard hat and safety vest rested on the back seat under a lunchbox and the dust made its way into the cab covering everything. The radio sat silent.
Beryl climbed in the drivers seat and reached acrossed to the passengers door to open it.
"I might fix that one day but probably not"
   The roo stumbled his way into the passengers seat and sat silent for awhile. He watched as miles of desert wasteland passed by. This part of Utah had always been a barren wasteland but now sand dunes covered the expansive desert and occasional house dotted the scenery. They drove by children playing in a yard in front of a run down old house. Their mother hung the wash on the clothsline. This area was mostly furs. A few of the ramshackle houses were occupied by humans but not many. Some say it was the bombs that ripped the land apart other say it was treaty. Either way it didnt really matter the world was in ruin.
   Beryl slid his hood back revealing the head of a white siberian tiger. His face hard and his eyes cold. His fur was matted down in most places because he rarely went anywhere without his hood up. His fangs revealed themselves slightly below his upper lip. Small scars dotted his face, one more prominent one ran from the corner of his right temple to his ear. As the roo examined him closer he saw flex of grey in his fur.
"You got a name hoppy" beryl asked
"Huh, oh yeah dolin" he answered his voice shaky with a tinge of hesitation in it "listen its not that im ungrateful but where are we going"
"Home, my couch aint much but its a place to sober up and then we figure out what to do with you"
"Do with me" dolin sounded alarmed
"Relax you're safe but if they police find out you're a stray you wont be they dont really like strays around here"
"What do they do to them" he asked his eyes darting around the landscape
Beryl didnt answer he kept his gaze focused on the road. The rest of the drive was silent except for the hum of the tires on the small stretch of black top that still remained in this area and the whine of a wheel bearing as it begged for its relief.
   They pulled up to a house that was surprisingly in good shape for this area. As with everything dust had covered the outside but underneath it a white paint could be seen in places and the roof had recently been reshingled. A porch sat on the front with a porch swing on the far end. The door was a heavy wooden door mounted on solid hinges and the windows all looked relatively new. A single step rose from the ground to the porch. It was a simple place with a large picture window looking out from the living room with one small room upstairs and a small window looking out. The house sat against what was once a state park though the names of such place had been forgotten now. The beauty of the palce however still remained, in the distance several rock monoliths could be seen jutting up out of the ground and what was once a lake sat empty now. In the middle of it stood yet another monolith polished by time.
   The porch was solid under their feet as they walked into the house. The inside was of simple makings a couch sat along the wall with a small end table next to it and an empty bookself along the opposite wall. A coffee table sat in the middle of the room with a recliner in the corner. The hardwood floors appeared to make their way into the rest of the house. A small hallways connected the kitchen with the front room a bathroom door broke up the hallway in the middle. The kitchen contained a fridge, stove, and table. A sink sat in the middle of the counters. In the far corner stairs made their way up to the bedroom. Dolin imagimed it was as simple as the rest of the house more than likely a bed and that was about it.
"You can sleep there if you want" beryl motioned to the couch "I might have a blanket around here somewhere if you need it"
Dolin appeared shaky and he rubbed his paws over each other as he looked around "n-no thats fine ill be alright"
"Suit yourself" beryl mumbled and started to go upstairs
"Thank you" dolin said
"What"
"Thank you you could have let her kill me"
"but I didnt now if you'll excuse me im tired"
With that dolin made his way to the couch as beryl headed upstairs. The roo laid his head back on the couch and tried to sleep. He knew it was foolish but he was gonna try.

[kalan]

Alright heres the next installment, feed back would be greatly appreciated

   The sun peaked over the horizon when Dolin finally decided to get up. He'd slept 30 minutes at best but he knew that would happen, he'd been laying on the couch for nearly an hour now listening to Beryl in the kitchen. The smell of breakfast had made its way into the front room and his stomach had gotten the better of him. He wandered his way down the hallway into the kitchen where he found the tiger at the stove a pan sizzling on the stove. He sat down quietly at the table and stared out at the ladscape beyond the window. He marveled at the rock monolith that stood in the middle of the now dry lake bed. Time had polished smooth revealing white lines below the hard surface it swept upward from a rotund base at the bottom to a delicate rouded point at the top. How he wondered, how in this barren waste land could such beauty still stand.
"Morning" Beryl finally spoke as he reached up and grabbed the coffe pot off the stove and poured a cup "howd ya sleep" he hand the cup to Dolin who gladly took it
"Fine I suppose" Dolin watched Beryl over the rim of the cup
"Fine huh" Beryl turned back to the pan on the stove "you hungry"
"Starving"
"I figured you probably were, you eat bacon and eggs right"
Dolins ears perked up "I eat anything ecspecially when its fryed in grease"
Beryl gave the eggs a stir and sat down at the table acrossed from Dolin.
"Id offer you a change of clothes but I dont think anything I have would fit ya"
   Beryl was a large man at around 6' 4" and 250 pound his shoulder stood wide and broad his muscular portion followed there way down his body to his arms chest and waist. He sometimes felt he had let himsef go since the war. Work kept him in good enough shape though. His left had was missing its pinkie finger and a scar ran from the base of where it had once been to the top of his wrist. He was missing the tip of his right ear, a detail the roo had missed the last night.
  The kangaroo that sat opposite him well muscular was much smaller than Beryl. He stood around 5' 11" and weighed in at no more than 180 pounds. His fur was a bright tan faded slightly around his neck. His eyes were sunk in a bit and fatigued lined his face. His fur well vibrant was matted an unkept. His hands shook as he sipped the coffee watching Beryl the whole. The two exchanged glances but neither one spoke until Beryl stood up to stir the eggs again.
"Why did you save me last night?" Dolin fidgeted as he spoke "as I said its not that im ungrateful infact im very grateful but why"
Beryl looked back over his shoulder "that mark in your ear thats not a birthmark"
Dolin looked down at the table as he tried to decide if he could relax or if his should try to flee.
"N-no its not"
  He wrapped his paws around the cup and set them on the table staring down at them. He lifted his eyes back up to Beryl well his head remained focused on the cup. He made a quick study of the room. The tiger was quite a bit larger than him he new that would be his toughest obstacle. There was a back door he was relieved to see that he just wished Beryl wasnt standing between him and it. The front door was a more viable ecscape route but that pistol on Beryl side had a clear line of fire at him for miles that direction. No he needed the rocks to hide behind.
Beryl smiled "if I was gonna turn you in I would have done it already"
Dolins head snapped up and he met Beryls gaze "what, I-I mean I, were you too"
"No" Beryl set two plates down on the table and slid one over to Dolin "and I feel nothing but pity for the one who tries to put one of those tattoos on me"
The roo took a bite of eggs and he suddenly realized just how hungry he was. He dug into the plate with vigor finishings every last bite. Beryl watched him entertained.
"Been awhile since you ate?"
"Yeah I dont remember the last time I had a hot meal actually thank you"
He chuckled lightly as he reached acrossed and grab the empty plate "dont thank me until you're done eatin" he said as he refilled the plate.
"I dont wanna eat all your food" the roo tried to protest but Beryl sat back down and slide the plate over to him again
"You wont now eat" he motioned to the plate
The two finished there breakfast in silence. Beryl offered Dolin another plate but he put his hands on his stomach and refused saying he couldn't eat another bite. The coffee cups were refilled and Beryl showed Dolin were everything was in the bathroom.
"I'll be outside when your finished, oh yeah the hot water gets a bit touchy I recommend you turn it up a little bit at a time" Beryl said as he left the roo to shower and made his way out to the shed behind the house.
  Beryl slid the shed door open to reveal a collection of tools and gadgets hung neatly along the wall and arranged on a bench. He entered the shed and took a look around to ensure that everything was in its place. His attention turned to the center piece of the shed, a harley wideglide kept in pristine condition. The tank and fenders were covered in a high gloss blue paint and two skulls adorned the tank, the frame was painted matte black and a short chrome exhaust swept back from the 1800cc engine. Beryl grabbed a wrench from the wall and slide a pan under the bike as he set about the processes of changing the oil. He was about finished when Dolin made his way out. He still wore his same old dusty clothes but his fur was no longer matted and dirty. His nervous manner had some what disapeared and he let arms hang at his side.
"Wow you dont see too many bikes that around here" he said
Beryl looked up at him as he poured oil back in the bike "how so"
"Well its just most bikes I see around here are dirty and beat up"
"Yeah I try to keep it nice its kinda my baby" Beryl said as he finished putting the oil in and screwing the fill cap down
He stood up and wiped the wrench of before putting it back in its place on the wall. Every tool in the shed was clean and organized he always prided himsef on his collection of tools and he meant to keep them in working order.
"So what now?" Dolin asked
First we head into town and get you some clean clothes-"
"Ill be fine" Dolin interupted "besides I dont exactly have any cash"
Beryl looked at Dolin with a flat gaze "let me finish, after we get you some clothes im gonna get you a spot on my work crew"
Dolin looked shocked it was quickly becoming apparent that this guy hadn't been shown much in the way of kindness "what kinda work do you you?" He asked
"Construction"
"And your sure your boss will hire me?"
"He should I do own the company after all" Beryl wiped his paws clean and threw the rag in the trash
"What if I dont want to work, its not that I dont want it its just I'd rather be moving on" Dolin looked around as he spoke
"And when the cops find you what then you dont wanna get caught around here as a stray"
Dolin brought his paw together again and rubbed them over one another "you never did answer my question last night"
"Thats cause know one knows really" Beryls expression changed from flat to hard as he spoke "they have a facility somewhere around here but nobody knows for sure where. The rumors vary but most say they do expirements on the strays they capture. What is known is they take them and there never seen again"
Dolins unease returned, he fidget and stared at the ground "they couldnt do that could they I mean its not like before"
"They can and you know full well they still do" Beryl slid the door shut on the shed and made his way to the truck "lets head into town"
They made a quick stop in the house so Beryl could grab his hoodie and duster before making their way to the truck.
   After a 40 minute drive they arrived in town. It was a quite little town a strip of black top ran through main street ending on either side of town. Several dirt side street allowed access to the rest of the town. The main street was made up of small buisnesses and a few bars. Beryl never made into these bars he didn't like them, too much attention for his taste. A small church sat on the edge of town but no one went in there anymore, not since the war. The edges of the town consisted of houses and a mechanics garage. The houses were occupied mostly by humans, a few of the houses on the very edge of town had furs in them but not many.
   They pulled up next to a run down old building on the main street. It was a raggedy old building with the door half hanging off the hinges. The inside of the store was kept up better than the outside. Racks of clothes lined the walls and two more ran down the center. They made a quick run through the store filing through the racks in search of something that would fit the roo. Afterwards they made a trip across the street to a dinner. It was the last of its kind in the area most town now had become dotted with mcdonalds and subways. This town had however managed to keep the corporations out for the time being. As they ate a patrol car pulled up and a rotund sheriff stepped out and made his way into the dinner. He spoke with the waitress before making his way over to the two.
"Sheriff" Beryl said lifting his cup
"Beryl" the sheriff said nodding his head "whos your friend"
Beryl turned in his chair to face the fat man "this is Dolin he's my nephew from outta town"
"Your nephew" he said eyeing the roo "I dont see the family resemblance,  what I do see is someone who matches the description of a kangaroo that started some trouble over at the backburner last night"
"Eh damn kids now days cant handle their liquor" Beryl said with a smile
The sheriff studied Dolin for a long time before speaking again "there hasn't been a formal complaint against him and knowing that place there won't be but know this he starts any trouble in my town hes gonna anwser to me"
Beryl smiled again "hes gonna be working me for awhile ill keep him so tired he wont have the energy for trouble"
"He better not" the sheriff warned before trundling back out to his car
Beryl looked over at Dolin as he stared down at the table his nervous manner fully returned fear lined his face
"I wouldnt worry too much about him his fat ass would have to pull his hands out some pockets inorder to do anything"
Dolin said nothing just stared down at his plate. The two finished their lunch and headed back out to the truck. The drive to the job site was a quick one about 7 miles back towards Beryls house. They spent the rest of the day reshingling a house. It was a slow day with the tiger having to teach Dolin a great many things and then reteaching him on the few times where the roo would make mistakes. He was greatful at least that Dolin appeared to be a fast study and picked up most things fairly quickly. The sheriff was seen driving by several times. Dolin was set on edge every time the car drove past becoming fidgety and uneasy. It was during these times that mistakes were made. The homeowner came out several times to talk bringing out homemade lemondade on one occasion. She was a kind elderly woman, one of the few humans that didnt hate furs around the area. Beryl frequently worked for her since her husband had died three years earlier.
   By the time the sun had begun to set on the horizon the two had nearly finished the roof. The sun painted a picture of beauty across the barren landscape. Hues of pink and orange illuminated the sky and ground coloring the desert. Beryls clothes were covered in filth and Dolins were even filthier than they already were. By the time they got back to Beryls house Dolin was completely wore out and half asleep. After a shower and a change into his new pajamas he made his way to the couch where he fell asleep almost imediatley. He remaind nervous and on edge but fatigue wouldnt let him stay up at least not tonight.
   The following morning Dolin was awakened by the familiar smell of bacon and eggs drifting there way into the front room. The morning conversation was a slow one as Dolin was still sore from the day before and had little energy for conversation. He asked Beryl how he was able to work all day like that and still have any strength. The tiger just chuckled and said years of practice it'll get easier. After breakfast they head back to the roof where they finished it before noon. The sheriffs car made another appearance. Beryls blood boiled when he saw the car. He wondered if he was gonna have trouble with him but quickly pushed it out of his mind. If a problem arose he would deal with it than. The rest of the week past with several jobs around the area. As the weekend approached they made a trip back into town to pick up building materials from the lumber store. Dolin was shocked when they got back to the house and Beryl pulled around to the back.
"Lets get this unloaded" Beryl said as he climbed out of the truck
Dolin jumped out of the truck and looked across the bed at him "were unloading it here?"
"Yeah" Beryl made his way to the back of the truck and began unloading cinder blocks
"But wont we have to reload them again?"
"Nope" Beryl smiled "we're putting an addition on the house, dont tell me you like sleeping on a couch"
Dolin stood in silence for several minutes. "Th-this is for me"
"Yep now you gonna help me unload it or am I doing all the work myself"
"N-no" Dolin scampered to the back of the truck and helped unload the rest of the block and lumber from the truck.
   By the time sunday evening had rolled around the two had managed to get walls up and a roof on. As the day drew to an end the two found themselves on the roof finishing the last of the shingles.
"The facility here I-is it like the one I was in" Dolin asked without looking up from his work
"Dont know, dont know what one you were in" Beryl spoke looking at the roo
"It was north of here somewhere in Montana I think, I-I dont really know once I was out I ran. I didnt even look back"
Beryl rubbed his chin "the only one I know of in montana was the nether but its been shut down for years"
Dolin dropped his hammer at the mention of the nether and his head shot up to meet Beryls gaze
"I-I h-heard the guard mentioned that name more than once" his voice wavered as he spoke
"Thats impossible I was there when we leveled that place" Beryls eyes drifted off as he spoke "thats interesting. Howd did you escape?"
"Im still not sure I was being moved up to the room, I was hoping they would just kill me this time when the guards dropped dead the next thing I know there were furs in body armor with guns all over the place. I ran during the fire fight that followed. I thought I was gonna die once, turned a corner and ran straight into a guards gun he told me to return to my cell and squeezed the trigger. I closed my eyes and heard the crack of a gun. I stood there waiting for the pain waiting for the release from that hell but it never came. The next thing I know a jackal was standing next to me yelling at me telling me to move, I looked down at the guard laying there motionless. I just ran down one hall then another. Next thing I knew I was outside" Dolin had settled back onto the roof shaking by the time he was done speaking.
Beryl stood and stretched "thats probably good for today I think we can call it a night"
He made his way over to the ladder "tomorrow we can finnish the shingles and head into to find a bed in town"
As they made their way down off the roof neither had any idea what was coming. Inside Dolin made his way to the couch and Beryl headed up stairs to his room and still neither had any idea what was coming.