Beyond Appearances By Glenn Sellers Private Xavier Thomas, a palace guard at the human city of Sansaville, paced along the palisade watching the distant forest line for potential problems. It was a rather warm day, even though less than 300 miles to the north was an ice sheet well over a mile thick. The air was dry; it hadn’t rained more than an hour at a time in over six months. Because of this, Pvt. Thomas’s sight was unhindered and he could see all the way to the forest line over half a mile away. As Pvt. Thomas started to look away, something caught his eye and he looked a second time. “Sergeant!” He called. “Come quickly!” A few seconds later, he was joined by another guard. “What is it, Thomas?” “Look there, Sergeant. Am I seeing things?” Sergeant Joseph Addams looked in the direction that Private Thomas was pointing. After about five seconds, Joseph’s eyes grew larger and he exclaimed, “Hyenas! That’s their standard marching formation and those are their banners. What are they doing here? We’ve been at peace with them for the last year.” “I don’t know, Sergeant. What should we do?” “I’m going to stay here and keep an eye on them while you go to King Jeremy and tell him.” “Yes, sir.” Private Thomas ran to the ladder, climbed down as fast as he could and raced to the stone palace that King Jeremy lived in. When he arrived at the door to the palace, he said, “I need to see King Jeremy.” The guard outside the door, Private Louis Johnson, said, “Oh, no you don’t, Thomas. You’re just here to see the Princess Caroline.” “Not this time, Louis. I saw a squad of hyena warriors approaching.” “Hyenas! Go right in . . . and make certain you go straight to see the king. I got into so much trouble the last time I let you in to see her. I thought the king was going to have me drawn and quartered; I’m not so sure he won’t decide to do it after all.” “Don’t worry, Louis. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” Private Thomas entered the palace, a relatively small stone building two stories high, 50 feet wide and 75 feet long, and went straight to the king’s receiving room. “Sire,” Private Thomas said, “there’s a squad of hyena warriors heading this way.” “Really? Great!” “Great, sire?” “Yes. I guess Queen Rebecca accepted my offer. Send an honor guard out to escort them here.” “Yes, sire.” Private Thomas left. King Jeremy turned to an aide and, in a somewhat exasperated voice, said, “Go, see if you can find my son, Daniel, and leave no stone unturned until you find him.” “Yes, sire.” ***** About twenty-five minutes later, a tall, muscular female spotted hyena of about 29 years of age wearing full battle regalia entered the receiving room. She was accompanied by ten female warriors similarly, although less ornately, attired, and two male servants dressed in drab clothing. Among the female warriors was a young female perhaps 14 years old. Her battle regalia was only slightly less ornate than the queen’s. This was Isabelle, the crown princess of the hyena queendom. Princess Isabelle glared at King Jeremy trying to intimidate him which caused Jeremy to smile. Queen Rebecca spoke, saying, “King Jeremy, where is your son?” Pausing, Jeremy said, “He’s on his way, Rebecca.” “I thought we were going to discuss the treaty today.” “We are, Rebecca. We’ll have to wait until my son’s here to discuss it. He’ll be here very shortly.” Whispering to himself, he added, “He better be here.” ***** The king’s aide searched all over the village in Daniel’s favorite haunts, all with an absolute lack of success. Finally, it hit him where Daniel would possibly be. He ran straight to the stream that Daniel loved to spend time at. Finally spying the 15-year-old prince, the aide called out, “Prince Daniel! Prince Daniel! Your father has demanded your presence at the receiving room!” Rolling his head in disgust, Daniel said, “Augh! What does my father want with me now?” “I don’t know, sire. I just know that a contingent of hyenas arrived a short while ago and the king wants you there.” Shaking his head wearily, Daniel said, “Oh, very well. Come on, let’s go back to the palace.” ***** A few minutes later, the two of them arrived and Daniel entered the receiving room. “Ah, Daniel. Nice of you to decide to join us.” King Jeremy said blatantly sarcastically. “I’m sorry, Father. I didn’t know we were expecting such august company today. Queen Rebecca, it is a pleasure to see you again. I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing you in a few years. I hope that you’ve been well.” “Yes, I have Prince Daniel. Thank you. You remember my daughter, Isabelle?” Daniel looked at Isabelle and saw her glaring at him. “Yes, your highness, I remember her but, she seems none too happy to see me. Of course, she could just be trying to intimidate me.” Rebecca turned to Isabelle and said, “Isabelle, remember, we are invited guests here.” Isabelle turned her head sullenly but said nothing but, she glanced back at Daniel with an apprising eye. Daniel turned to his father and said, “Father, why are we meeting with the hyenas?” “We are in final discussions on a treaty today, Daniel.” “Why do I have to be here for that?” “You have a very important part in this treaty. You and Isabelle are to be mated to seal the treaty.” “WHAT! Father, you know I don’t like anybody to make decisions for me! I refuse!” Isabelle walked up to Daniel and backhanded him across the mouth and said, “Don’t be insolent.” Turning to her mother, Isabelle said, “I refuse to mate with such a weak male. He’s even weaker than a hyena male.” Daniel wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth as he looked at Isabelle. “Your highness, normally, I don’t let anyone strike me without repercussions. However, you and your mother are guests of my father and I refuse to strike a female no matter what her species is. That said, I won’t allow you to strike me a second time without defending myself.” Offended at his words, Isabelle drew back and swung. However, before her swing could connect, Daniel caught her arm, threw her to the floor, climbed onto her back, and put her into a hammerlock. Isabelle started struggling, trying to get free. Daniel leaned close to Isabelle’s ear and whispered, “Princess Isabelle, you’re in a hammerlock. The only way you can get out is to dislocate your shoulder and, if you do that, you’ll be useless as a warrior. If you swear on your hyena honor to never try to strike me again, I’ll let you up.” During this altercation, Jeremy was aghast at his son’s actions. Rebecca, on the other hand, was smiling. She even laughed quietly. She said, “Prince Daniel, please let my daughter up. I promise you she won’t try to strike you. This I promise on my honor as the queen of the plains hyenas.” As Daniel sat on her, Isabelle’s face was looking away from everyone else. While Daniel sat on her back, her features started softening as she felt an emotion she’d never felt before, especially toward a male of any species. Attempting to hide her feelings through her tone of voice, she said, in a somewhat angry voice, “Mother, you don’t have promise that. Prince Daniel, I promise you are safe from any further attempts by me to harm you.” Daniel got off of Isabelle’s back and assisted her to get up. As she stood, Daniel noticed that she didn’t look so haughty and arrogant but, he passed it off as her feeling embarrassed for being bested by a male. Rebecca said, “King Jeremy, after watching this demonstration of your son’s fighting abilities, I believe that your son is too good for my daughter; therefore, I take him as my mate. I believe that, in no time at all, he’ll be the dominant male in my harem.” Once again, Daniel was angry. “WHAT! If I refused to be your daughter’s mate, what makes you think I’d consent to be your mate!? I absolutely refuse.” Isabelle smiled when Daniel said this. She thought, “Well, Mother, how are you going to react to that?” Jeremy turned to Daniel and, in a harsh voice, whispered, “We’ll talk about this later, young man.” Meanwhile, Isabelle was whispering to Rebecca, “Mother, you said that the human prince would be my mate.” Also whispering, Rebecca said, “I know, Isabelle, but, after seeing what he did to you, I believe he would make a good mate for me.” “No, Mother, I claim him.” “We’ll discuss this later, young lady.” Rebecca turned to Jeremy and said, “We aren’t supposed to sign the treaty for two more days. That’ll give us time to straighten things out with our children. We’ll camp outside your palisade tonight and continue discussions tomorrow.” “Yes, Rebecca. That sounds like a good idea.” ***** Later that evening, after dinner, Daniel and his father were in a small room talking about the events earlier in the day. “Daniel, you have to understand. We need this treaty if we are to continue to survive. The Hyena race are strong warriors and they are person for person more than a match for almost any other race. We need them more than they need us that’s why I had to agree to give you to her daughter as a mate. You understand, don’t you?” “No, dad, I don’t. You could have, at the very least, spoken with me and let me know what was happening so I could have decided if I was willing. Isabelle’s grown to be a violent hyena. She’s so much different from the cub I remember playing with 11 years ago. If she hadn’t been a female and a guest of yours, she would have picked herself up off the floor after that first backhand. You know that.” “I know, son. But, I need you to overlook that. She’s your future mate whether you like it or not.” Starting to seethe with anger, Daniel said, “I don’t like it and she isn’t going to be my mate without my approval and agreement. That, sir, is final!” Jeremy said, “I am your king as well as your father and I order you to go through with the ceremony. Do you understand me?” “I am your prince, Father, and I refuse to accept your order as final! I’m going to bed!” Leaving his father open-mouthed, Daniel turned and stalked out of the room. He turned left in the corridor but, at the first intersecting corridor, instead of turning left toward his room, he turned right and headed toward the front door. ***** Meanwhile, in the Royal Tent in the hyena encampment, the following conversation was going on. “Mother, I can’t believe that you just arbitrarily decided to take that human as your newest mate! He was supposed to be my mate!” Princess Isabelle was furious with her mother and she stalked back and forth in the large tent that she shared with her mother and their retainers on expeditions like this one. Sitting on her portable throne, Queen Rebecca watched Isabelle as she paced back and forth. After Isabelle paused for a second, Rebecca said, “Isabelle, you showed me that you aren’t much of a potential mate by letting Daniel take you down like that. I thought you were a hyena warrior.” “I am, Mother. You know as well as I do that no warrior in Hyenaton can best me in one-on-one battle.” “If that’s true, and the human bested you so easily, can you really complain that I decided to take him as my mate?” “Yes, I can, Mother. Because of you, and my warrior abilities, I have no suitable suitors. All the males in the city fear you as their mother-in-law and me as their mate. Daniel seems to have no fear of either of us.” “I have made my mind up, Isabelle. I predict that within a week, Daniel will be the dominant male in my harem and we’ll be mating several times a day.” “I predict that he’ll tell you where to get off and be dead within a week.” Rebecca laughed as she said, “Either way, this city will be a part of our queendom within a year and you’ll be the Princess ruling it.” “I don’t want to rule this kingdom, Mother. I want what was promised to me.” “Why are you so determined to have him as your mate? You know what happens with you spoil your mate like you seem to be willing to do.” “Yes, Mother, they start trying to domineer you. I believe that Daniel and I would be a good team. We’re both equally good warriors; his prowess as a warrior is the talk of the hyena warriors of Hyenaton and I believe we could create strong cubs and warriors.” “You sound weak. I bet your father was that weakling, Simon.” “Well, as you tell it, it probably was. After all, you got drunk the night you overthrew the previous queen and mated with all the males in her harem to consolidate your control over Hyenaton and Simon was the first one that got you.” “Ugh! Don’t remind me. I don’t know why I didn’t have him killed after becoming queen. I was too drunk after my victory party to think about who mated me first. It’s a shame I didn’t test his mettle beforehand.” “I don’t care, Mother, I will have Daniel as my mate.” Rebecca arose from her throne, drew her dagger and said, “Are you willing to fight for him?” “No, Mother, I won’t fight you for him. I’ve seen you fight and you have no honor when you fight. But, I will have him before you ever even have a chance to take him yourself.” Turning her back on her mother, Isabelle added, “I’m going to bed, Mother. I’ll see you in the morning.” Rebecca glared at her daughter’s back as she walked away. She thought, “Hmm. Maybe I should let you have him after all. He may make a warrior out of you. He’s already started the job.” ***** When Daniel reached the end of the corridor he had turned into, he opened the door and started collecting items, an extra fur cloak, an extra set of fur pants, an extra steel knife, an extra sword, a bow, several arrows, a fire starter kit, and a knapsack to carry these items in. He turned around, looked about and, seeing nobody nor even hearing a sound, closed the door to the closet and returned to his original corridor and, after passing his room, continued to the next cross corridor and turned left. He reached the end of the corridor and pressed his ear against the wooden door there. After listening for several seconds, he was satisfied that no one was on the other side and he opened the door. Sticking his head through, he verified what his ears had told him. He slipped out the door and found himself looking at an unobstructed view of the palisade wall. Despite the torches that were visible all around, it was dark and shadowy in the courtyard of the city of Sansaville making it difficult at best for anyone to notice or even recognize him. He ran quickly to the wall and scaled it, coming to the walkway and crouching to avoid potentially being exposed by one of the many fires that surrounded the wall. After looking toward the closest fires and seeing no one near them nor even within view, Daniel took a furtive look over the palisade wall before diving back into the shadows. What Daniel had seen put a little fear in his heart. There directly ahead of the wall was the hyena encampment. Thinking quickly, he formulated a plan that made him smile. “That just might work long enough to allow me to escape cleanly.” He thought. After another quick look toward the fires, he jumped up, caught the top of one of the large sharpened wooden poles, pulled himself up and over, dropping to the ground ten feet away. After landing on the ground, Daniel crouched and looked directly toward the hyena camp. Seeing no one looking toward him, he ran quickly toward the camp, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. Because hyenas have excellent night vision and an even better sense of smell, he knew he had to be careful. Taking another quick look around him, he entered the camp and made his way straight through stopping for a few seconds at one of the open tents. Hearing no sound inside, he entered and, after quickly rummaging through some of the belongings and selecting a few, he stopped short. He heard a sound, not the sound of someone approaching, a quieter sound. The sound he heard was the sound of two people, two females. After listening for a few seconds, Daniel realized they didn’t want anyone to hear nor interrupt them. “How did you get off guard duty?” “I didn’t. I just couldn’t miss this opportunity to be with you tonight.” “Won’t the queen be angry if she finds out?” “I don’t intend to tell her. Do you?” The second female laughed quietly before saying, “What do you think?” The next sounds Daniel heard were quiet moans and heavy breathing. Daniel took time to quickly don the clothing he had stolen. He smiled broadly as he exited the tent and, once again keeping to the shadows, started back through the camp, stopping and crouching in the shadows every time he heard a hyena move nearby. Daniel was now wearing one of the fur cloaks, a pair of fur pants and sandals that had belonged to the hyena warrior whose tent he had pilfered. Smiling to himself, he knew that now he had much better than even odds to continue on his way unimpeded. He snuck out of the encampment and headed south toward Hyenaton. ***** The next morning, Jeremy arose from the bed he shared with his queen, Marisol. After stretching, he got dressed, kissed his wife and headed to the dining hall intending to stop at Daniel’s room, retrieve him and finish the discussion they had started last night. He reached Daniel’s room, knocked on the door and called his son. After receiving no answer, he called a second time, a little louder. After once again receiving no answer, Jeremy opened the door to Daniel’s room and looked in. He saw that Daniel’s bed hadn’t been slept in and immediately raised the alarm. When the sergeant of the guards arrived, Jeremy said, “Have you seen Prince Daniel since last night?” Senior Sergeant Alphonse Erickson said, “Isn’t he in his room, Sire?” More than a little miffed, Jeremy yelled, “Would I be standing outside of his room asking you if you’ve seen him, if he was in his room!?” “Uh, I guess not, Sire.” “You guess not. You guess not! I’m glad to know that you’re such a genius, Sergeant. Go get the rest of the guards. NOW! I want to question them, too!” A few minutes later, the guards arrived, some only partially dressed. Once again, Jeremy posed the question he’d asked Senior Sergeant Brighton. All the guards looked at one another before one of them, a man wearing the four slash stripes of an over sergeant said, “Sire, no one has seen him since the two of you were discussing his future after the hyenas left.” Jeremy yelled, loudly, “Search the entire palace! Search every, and I mean every room! Report back to me in the throne room any little detail that’s out of the ordinary!” All the guards said as one, “Yes, Sire!” They saluted and left. ***** Half an hour later, the guards arrived at the throne room and filtered in. King Jeremy looked them over and could tell that they hadn’t found Prince Daniel. “Well?” He said. The Senior Sergeant Erikson stepped forward and said, “Sire, we haven’t found the prince anywhere in the castle. However, in the castle’s armor closet we did find the following items missing: a fur cloak, a set of fur pants, a steel knife, a sword, a bow, quiver and several arrows, a fire starter kit, and a knapsack. All this seems to indicate that Prince Daniel has left the castle.” “Really?” King Jeremy said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Now, what about the things missing would give you that idea, Sergeant? “Now, I’ve got to go to Queen Rebecca and tell her that her intended mate has fled rather than be her mate. I need five of you to accompany me to the hyena encampment.” After thinking for a few seconds, he added, “However, they could have kidnapped Daniel and made it look like he’d decided to leave.” Looking at one of the privates, he said, “You! Go verify the hyenas are still encamped outside the walls.” “Yes, sire!” The private saluted smartly, did an about face, and practically ran to the palisade wall. A few minutes later, the private returned. “Well?” Jeremy asked. “Sire, I climbed up to the walkway to verify with my own eyes and saw that the hyenas are still encamped about half a mile away from the palisade walls.” “Very well. What’s your name, private?” “Terence Woolfe, sire.” “Private Woolfe, you, Senior Sergeant Erikson and three other warriors will accompany me to the hyena camp.” “Yes, sire!” ***** Jeremy, along with the five bodyguards, rode out to the hyena camp and to the royal tent. Jeremy wasn’t a happy king; he was also a fearful king. He was worried as to what the hyenas would do when they discovered that Prince Daniel had left without letting anyone know of his intentions. After a short ride, the entourage arrived at the hyena camp and approached the royal tent. Stopping outside, Jeremy spoke with one of the guards. “I need to speak with Queen Rebecca.” “May I ask to what it pertains, your highness?” “Yes. It pertains to my son, Prince Daniel.” “Yes, your highness. Please wait here while I inform the queen of your presence.” The guard entered the Royal tent and, five minutes later, she returned. She said, “The queen will see you, King Jeremy. She’s anxious to hear what news you have for her about her new mate.” “Thank you.” Jeremy, accompanied by his guards, entered the tent and was conducted to the queen’s audience chamber. Upon arriving at the audience chamber, Jeremy’s bodyguards were instructed to wait outside. Jeremy and the hyena guard entered and the guard said, “King Jeremy, Mistress.” “Thank you, Barbara. You may leave.” Barbara bowed from her waist, did a perfect about face and marched from the audience space. Rebecca watched her leave with a small smile on her face before she turned to Jeremy and, indicating a chair for Jeremy, said, “What did you wish to discuss about my next mate?” “Is my son here, Rebecca?” “What? What makes you think he’s here?” “You were eyeing him rather lustily after he took Isabelle down yesterday. This morning, he’s missing.” “Jeremy, do you truly believe I’d stay here if I had kidnapped the prince?” “I didn’t believe so; but, I had to ask.” Just at that moment, another warrior entered the audience space without permission eliciting a glare from Rebecca. “What do you want?” Rebecca said, somewhat angrily. “Your highness, I’ve been robbed.” Half rising from her throne, Rebecca said, “Robbed? What’s missing?” “One of my fur cloaks, a pair of my fur pants, a pair of my sandals, and a fur-lined helmet.” Rebecca laughed lustily, eliciting a questioning look from Jeremy. She said, “Your son is quite resourceful. He’s made it all but impossible for us to track him, especially if he’s traveling toward Hyenaton and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was.” “Why?” “Hyenas are some of the best trackers in this area; you know that. Our sense of smell, which evolved in our feral ancestors to help us find carrion, allows us to smell almost anything. Obviously, your son stole this warrior’s cloak, pants, sandals and helmet for the purpose of effectively masking his own scent making it all but impossible to follow him by scent because now he smells like one of our warriors. Understand?” “I’m afraid I don’t follow you, Rebecca. Couldn’t you just follow which way he went by the shape of the sandals?” “Jeremy, hyena sandals are rectangular in shape making it almost impossible just by looking at a track to know which way a hyena is walking. Hyena clothing covers almost 90% of our body. By wearing this warriors clothing, Daniel smells like a hyena, more importantly a female hyena, from Hyenaton, thereby masking his scent and making it almost impossible for our trackers from being able to tell whether or not they’re following a human or a hyena. I’ll put my best trackers on his trail. Maybe they’ll be able to follow but, like I said, because of the unique design of hyena sandals and the lack of human scent, we won’t be able to follow him easily. Your son had to know this; otherwise, he would have left the sandals alone.” Rebecca yelled loudly. “Barbara!” When Barbara arrived, Rebecca said, “Barbara, get our best trackers and try to follow Prince Daniel’s trail.” Isabelle turned to go get her tracking necessities. “Where do you think you’re going, Isabelle?” “Mother, I’m the best tracker in Hyenaton. You know this. I’m going to assist in finding Prince Daniel.” “No, you aren’t, Isabelle. You find him too attractive to allow you to go after him. If you were to join the trackers, you’d probably let him escape just to try to thwart my plans to take him as my mate. Therefore, you’re staying right here.” Isabelle glared at her mother, not because she was being denied the opportunity to track Daniel but because her mother was absolutely right. ***** After leaving the hyena encampment, Daniel headed south following the trail toward Hyenaton. He intended to use the clothing he had stolen and was now wearing, to cover his scent until he reached a stream that was about eight miles south of Sansaville. He intended to enter the stream and wade northeast as far as he could before removing and hiding the clothing. He’d heard rumors of a strange range of mountains that the stream flowed near. It was taboo to go anywhere near these mountains because people who visited them never returned. Supposedly, these mountains were populated with dragons, giants, griffins, and other mythological beasts that wouldn’t hesitate to make a meal out of an unwary traveler. Moving at a steady three miles an hour, Daniel reached the stream about three hours later and, after verifying that the coast was clear, he entered the stream and moved upstream. He stayed in the middle of the stream and waded through the knee to thigh deep water until he saw the first rays of sunrise six hours later. Because of the slow speed he was able to move at in the water and against the relatively fast-moving current, he’d only traversed about another eight miles by sunrise. However, he felt he was far enough upstream to step out of the stream, remove the hyena clothing, hide it, and partake of a quick breakfast of dried venison, dried fruit and drink from the stream. Even though he was sleepy, having not slept since the previous night, Daniel fought the urge to take a quick nap and forced himself to re-enter the stream and head further upstream. By the middle of the day, Daniel was another eight miles upstream and felt that he was far enough away from the trail to Hyenaton to exit the stream and head in the direction of the mountains he was seeking. Unlike the soft civilized humans of 10,000 years earlier, Daniel and other humans only had to eat twice a day, and even that often was unnecessary, so, after leaving the stream, he continued toward the mountains of legend. ***** ‘Mother, please let me assist the trackers.” “Isabelle, we’ve already had this discussion and I refuse to allow you to assist the trackers.” Isabelle let out a heavy sigh and said, “Fine, Mother. What would you prefer I do?” “I prefer that you go to your room and stay there until I finish the negotiations with King Jeremy.” “What about Prince Daniel, Mother. King Jeremy’s mind won’t be on the negotiations right now.” Smiling impishly, Rebecca said, “I know, Isabelle. I know.” “You would take advantage of King Jeremy’s concern for his son to have him agree to a treaty that might not be the one he agreed to?” “Of course, Isabelle. That’s just a matter of state. You always make the best deal possible for you, even if you have to take advantage of someone who’s mind might not be on the treaty at the time.” ***** Daniel left the stream and trekked to the northwest. If the stories he’d been told were true, it would be mid-morning before he reached the strange mountains. He’d heard that the mountains had many cliffs and caves. He’d also been told that the mountains were individual peaks rather than a range like most mountains that he’d seen. He moved as swiftly as was safely possible because he wanted to find a place to sleep before nightfall. As Daniel walked, he noted how thick the forest was on either side of the game trail he was following. He also listened to the sounds of the forest. He was listening to make certain the he didn’t accidentally walk upon a predator, especially one that was feeding. He knew that a feeding predator was, perhaps, more dangerous than a hunting one since the feeding predator would aggressively defend its kill from a scavenger. Several times, he thought he heard predators moving through the forest off the path. He slowed his pace to make sure that none of the predators could sneak up on him and catch him unawares. About mid-morning, he came to the edge of the forest and saw, about 200 yards away, the strange mountains that he’d been seeking. Now, he could see that the rumors he’d heard were true. The mountains did seem to be individual peaks separated by strangely straight valleys and there did seem to be a preponderance of cliffs. He could also see numerous caves in the sides of the mountains. As he looked, he smiled because he realized that he could make a good home in one of the caves, an easily defended home. All he had to do was verify that there were no other people living in the area. He looked to the east and west across the plains and saw that where he was standing was, perhaps, the shortest distance from the forest to the mountains. Everywhere else the forest was no closer than 500 yards. He also saw numerous prey animals and realized that he wouldn’t have to worry about hunger; he also saw several small streams flowing toward the larger stream he had recently exited. These small streams would provide him with water. As his eyes wandered, he also found telltale signs of wild vegetables and fruits which would provide him with flavoring for any stew or as a side dish for any meat that he might obtain while hunting. After a few minutes of observation, Daniel started walking toward the mountains and, hopefully, his new home. ***** Upon reaching Jeremy’s receiving room, Rebecca, Isabelle and Jeremy seated themselves as their guards stood nearby standing at attention. Rebecca spoke first. “Jeremy, according to the agreement for the treaty, you were supposed to provide a mate for my daughter. Your son, Daniel, proved to be recalcitrant and refused to accept his role in these negotiations. Not only that but, he has entered my camp without permission, stolen clothing belonging to one of my warriors and disappeared. Therefore, you have nothing to convince me to accept the treaty that you proposed. Can you give me a good reason to not return to my camp, decamp and return to Hyenaton?” Jeremy thought quickly and said, “Perhaps we could include a free trade agreement in the treaty?” “Free trade, Jeremy? That sounds fair but, it isn’t enough. What else are you willing to give me to convince me to accept the treaty?” Jeremy knew what Rebecca was implying. He had hoped that she wouldn’t want, nor expect, him to make the offer but, he had little choice. He needed the protection of the hyena queendom to help him in his border disputes with the lions, bears and wolves, that lived nearby. Finally, after a sigh, he said, “What would interest you?” “Our border is the stream eight miles south of here. How about decreasing the distance to the border by say, three miles?” Jeremy hung his head. The three mile wide strip of land that Rebecca wanted was one of the best hunting grounds in his kingdom. If he agreed to the border change, his hunters would have to pay Rebecca for the right to hunt on the land that they currently hunted for free. This galled Jeremy but, he was figuratively over a barrel. Finally, he said, “Very well. Now you have the best hunting lands on both sides of the stream.” Jeremy and Rebecca discussed the terms of the treaty the rest of the day and, reaching an agreement, Jeremy and Rebecca signed the treaty with the understanding that it would go into effect the next day at sunrise. One of the demands that Rebecca made of Jeremy was, since Daniel had disappeared, Jeremy must provide her with another son as her mate. Jeremy’s next oldest son was 14 year old, Alvin. After signing the treaty, Rebecca and Isabelle left to prepare for the return trip to Hyenaton. As she was leaving Jeremy’s conference room, Rebecca turned and said, “Remember Jeremy, if Daniel doesn’t return before Alvin turns 16, Alvin will be my mate in Daniel’s stead.” “I won’t forget, Rebecca.” After Rebecca and Isabelle left, Jeremy sent for Alvin and told him the news. Quite unexpectedly, Alvin was happy at the prospect of becoming Rebecca’s mate. Even though Jeremy reminded him of a male’s place in hyena society, Alvin wasn’t deterred. “Dad,” Alvin said, “you know that I visit the Sansaville Pleasure Palace regularly. The one woman that I spend the most time with is the one who calls herself ‘Princess Rose’. She’s a hyena and she has shown me the ways to pleasure a hyena woman. I believe I’ll be able to make Queen Rebecca quite happy.” ***** The next morning, Rebecca and Isabelle returned to Jeremy’s palace to visit while the warriors were breaking camp. Rebecca told Jeremy that she would visit her new ally on a regular basis to keep an eye on her next mate. Once again, Isabelle pressed her mother to allow her to go and search for Daniel and, once again, Rebecca refused. Shortly before noon, the camp was completely packed and, after a quick lunch, the entire hyena troop was making its way back toward Hyenaton, unknowingly following the very trail that Daniel had traversed less than 2 days earlier. ***** It was more than a month after the triumphant return of Queen Rebecca and her entourage to Hyenaton before Isabelle could walk through the city without fear of being watched by one of her mother’s spies. Rebecca understood that her daughter was one of her more observant warriors and would notice when someone was following her but, she also hoped that by being obvious about it, it would prevent Isabelle from doing something that Rebecca considered stupid. That being leaving the city and searching for Daniel. What Rebecca failed to take into consideration was that Isabelle had, in her ancestry, obtained that human gene for patience and Isabelle had the patience of a cat. It was almost five weeks after their return from Sansaville before Isabelle got her chance but, when it came, Isabelle was quick to react. The king of the mountain wolves, King Albert, was visiting Rebecca and, after a brief introduction, Isabelle left the audience chamber, went to her room, collected a few necessities, and walked toward the main gate of the city knowing that her mother would be too busy negotiating with King Albert to pay close attention to what Isabelle did. It had been snowing almost daily for the last three weeks; however, Isabelle didn’t want anyone to realize what she was planning so, she didn’t bring any cold weather clothing. She was hoping that she could find Daniel before the weather turned too bad for her to continue while wearing her normal clothing. Isabelle’s plan revolved around its boldness. If she boldly, but calmly, approached the gate and simply walked through without so much as a second glance at the gate guards, she just might be able to leave the city, pursue her plans to find Daniel and tell him that he could return home. Unfortunately, as the ancient saying goes, “The best laid plans . . .” “Halt!” The gate guard commanded. (The gate guards are the only warriors who can command the queen to stop.) Isabelle breathed a swear and halted. “Yes, Sergeant?” “Princess Isabelle. Where are you going?” Upon closer examination, Isabelle recognized the Sergeant. “I’m going hunting, Sergeant Singleton. How’s your girlfriend?” Sergeant Singleton paused in shock. “My, uh, girlfriend?” “Yes, Sergeant. I remember seeing you and Major Andrews in a very intimate booth at a restaurant a couple of months ago. You two definitely weren’t talking platonically. In fact, I don’t believe you were talking at all as close as you two were.” Sergeant Singleton stammered for a few seconds before replying, “She’s, uh, she’s fine, your highness.” “Is her husband doing well, too?” Sergeant Singleton’s stammers became more pronounced but, she couldn’t say anything and her nervousness became noticeable to all but the most unobservant of people. “I guess he’s doing well, your highness.” Leaning close, Isabelle whispered, “Your secret is safe with me, Sergeant, unless . . .” “Yes, ma’am. I didn’t see a thing.” Smiling benignly, Isabelle turned and strode out of the gate with Sergeant Singleton looking the other way. If she didn’t actually see the princess leave, she could always claim that if Queen Rebecca questioned her. ***** Daniel had been living in the Mysterious Mountains for over a month and had been regularly making a kill for his meat. The plains in front of the cave he had chosen to live in was absolutely teeming with game and they seemed to have little to no fear of him, making it easy for him to make a necessary kill. He didn’t even have to venture very far afield to make his kill. At night, all he had to do to deter any feral carnivores was to pile a few large rocks in front of the opening to the cave. He could hear their sniffs at the small openings between the rocks but, none ever even attempted to pull the rocks away. It had been snowing regularly, though not heavily, for the last three weeks and, on this particular day, Daniel was sitting in a tree watching a game trail. It had been a couple of days since the last time he’d made a kill and his food reserves were starting to become depleted. Daniel heard an animal walking through the forest towards him so, he stood up on the limb that he had been squatting on and drew the string on his bow. Just as he got the string pulled fully back, a 10-point buck rounded a curve in the game trail directly below Daniel’s tree. Daniel waited for the buck to move another 10 yards down the trail and slightly away from him before he released the string. The arrow flew true and entered the middle of the buck’s side. Immediately after the arrow entered the buck’s side, it ran straight forward crashing through the forest undergrowth. Daniel listened until he heard the buck stop running. He waited a short while longer to make sure the buck was dead before he descended the tree and started trailing the buck. After a few minutes, he found the buck and, to make certain it was dead, dispatched it with a quick draw of his razor sharp flint knife across its throat. Even though he had brought a steel knife with him, he only used it for skinning his game. Daniel looked around quickly to verify that no dangerous scavengers were in the vicinity. As he looked around, he noticed a lump in the snow. After another quick glance, he approached the lump. When he arrived, he saw that it was a person, a hyena to be exact. He rolled the hyena over and gasped, “Isabelle!” He knew that a wet body in the snow tended to cool quickly and that it was possible to freeze to death simply by being wet and cold. Daniel was a bit torn as to what to do. He needed the meat but, he also needed to help Isabelle. Finally, he ignored what had happened between them the last time they had seen each other, made a sling to drag the buck while carrying Isabelle on his back. When he arrived at his cave, Daniel put more wood on the embers of the fire that he kept burning to keep the cave warm to, hopefully, warm Isabelle up in the process. He placed her as close to the fire as he thought was safe; he also covered her with several furs that he’d tanned shortly after arriving in the Mysterious Mountains in the hope of keeping her body warmth inside. Despite the fact that Isabelle seemed to dislike him, Daniel believed that he should help anybody in need of help, no matter what their attitude toward him was. That night, Isabelle was still asleep and still cool to the touch, although he could feel her heart beating. Daniel had removed her clothing to hang them close to the fire to dry them out. He was beginning to fear that he’d gotten to her too late but, he also could feel her breath and her pulse, although both were weak. When he decided to sleep, the fact that he’d placed all of his furs on Isabelle made him make the only decision he could make. He removed all of his clothing and climbed under the furs next to Isabelle, snuggled up to her and wrapped his arms around her to add his body warmth to the fire’s and the furs’. The next morning, Isabelle was still cool, although she was slightly warmer than she had been the previous night. Daniel crawled out from under the furs, got dressed and prepared something for him to eat. As he ate, an idea crossed his mind and, even though he wasn’t sure it would work, he decided to follow through with it. He heated up some of the stew that he was eating and, after dipping a bit into a stone bowl, mashed it up and brought it to where Isabelle lay. He cooled the mixture enough that it wouldn’t burn Isabelle’s mouth and, using a wooden spoon, placed a bit on her tongue. Even though she was in a coma and half-frozen to death, instinct took over and Isabelle swallowed the food. She didn’t take much sustenance but, she did take several spoons full. ***** For ten days, Daniel took care of Isabelle, sleeping with her to keep her warm, feeding her and giving her small amounts of water every day. Finally, after ten days, Daniel awoke to feel a hand around his throat and a knife’s blade above the hand. In shock, Daniel looked into the eyes of Isabelle as she glared at him malevolently. “Who are you and what have you done to me?” She asked. Pointing to his throat, Daniel tried to get her to understand that he couldn’t speak with her hand around his throat. She eased the pressure and repeated her question. “Daniel.” He answered hoarsely. “I saved your life.” “Daniel?” She looked closely at him and, in a surprised voice, said, “Why would you save my life? I thought you hated me.” “Because you needed help and I help anybody I can. Just because you and I got off on the wrong foot at my father’s palace doesn’t mean I can’t ignore that and help you. “Now, do you mind removing that knife from my throat?” “Where are my clothes?” “They’re right there.” He pointed behind her. “I had to take them off of you so I could dry them and you wouldn’t freeze to death.” Isabelle removed the knife from Daniel’s throat and stepped over to her clothes as Daniel arose. As she started getting dressed, Isabelle asked him, “Do you have anything to eat here? I’m very hungry. I feel like I haven’t eaten in days.” “Yes I do and you haven’t. I managed to get a few spoons full of mashed up stew into your mouth but, you haven’t had a real meal in at least 10 days. If you don’t mind, I’ve got some stew in a pot near the fire. I’d be more than a little happy to share it with you.” Isabelle nodded and Daniel dipped a bowlful and handed it to her. She looked at him questioningly until he dipped himself a bowlful and, after handing her a spoon, ate a bite and looked at her. Isabelle dipped a spoonful, sniffed it and, tentatively, took a taste. She smiled and ate the whole bowlful without another word. “You’re probably very hungry, Isabelle. Would you like another bowl of stew?” “Yes, please.” Daniel took her bowl, refilled it and returned it to her. “Thank you.” She said. Isabelle ate two more bowls of stew before she was satisfied. She leaned back using her hands and arms as props and stared at Daniel. Isabelle’s knees weren’t touching nor even close to each other; fortunately for Daniel, the front of loincloth fell between her legs covering her sex. Daniel was staring back. The stares were anything but hateful. Daniel was curious as to why Isabelle had been outside wearing nothing but the loincloth he found her in and said so. Isabelle said, “When I left Hyenaton, I had to make everyone think that I was only going to be gone a short while. Therefore, I decided to wear my normal hunting clothing. I know I should have worn warmer clothing but, my mother, and our gate guards, would have been suspicious if I had worn warmer clothing.” “So, why did you decide to try to track me down?” “On the morning after you left your father’s palace, your father and my mother continued their discussions about the treaty. My mother still expected a mate to seal the treaty. You father offered Prince Alvin.” “But, Alvin is a year younger than me.” “Yes, mother’s willing to wait two years until he’s 16. So, you shouldn’t go back home for two years.” “I don’t intend to go home, ever. My father and I had a bit of a falling out because of my reaction to his decision concerning my future.” “I understand. I may not be able to return to Hyenaton because of my disobeying my mother’s wishes, too. “Anyway, after we discovered that you’d robbed one of our warriors, my mother was impressed with your decision to cover your scent with that of the warrior. She sent trackers to try to find where you went. She refused to let me join them. After three weeks, they returned with no idea as to where you went. A week before you found me, I snuck out of Hyenaton and returned to where we camped outside of Sansaville. Using the information we already had, I started tracking you. “When I returned to the stream, I realized that you had entered the stream but didn’t leave it. I had two choices as to which way you went. I knew the Mysterious Mountains were upstream and I also knew the superstitions concerning them so, I chose to go downstream. “After going downstream for a day, I didn’t see any indications that you had left the stream. Consequently, after eating a meal of dried venison and dried vegetables, I spent the night in one of the trees near the stream. After recovering the day I lost going downstream, I slept in another tree and, the next morning, went upstream. After struggling against the current for almost six hours, I found where you had hidden the hyena clothing. I spent 2 hours searching both sides of the stream for evidence that you had left there. It was getting late so I climbed another tree, ate my dinner and went to sleep. “The next morning, I re-entered the stream and started upstream again. Once again, I struggled against the stream, this time for most of the day. When night fell, I left the stream on the wrong side and spent the night in a tree close to the stream. The next morning, I searched the stream bank and, once again, found no evidence that you’d left the stream there. I believed that you wouldn’t wade upstream for more than a day, especially against that current, so, I crossed the stream and started searching on this side of the stream. I worked my way downstream and found where you’d left. It wasn’t easy because it had started snowing, steadily. “I followed your trail as far as I could in the snow and eventually lost my way. The last thing I remembered before I passed out in that snowbank was that I was walking in the general direction of the Mysterious Mountains.” “Well, you found me.” “Uh-uh, Daniel, you found me. If you hadn’t happened upon where I was lying, I would be dead now.” Somewhat bashfully, she added, “Thank you.” Daniel smiled and said, “That’s something I never thought I’d hear you say.” A little miffed, Isabelle said, “We hyenas can be grateful, Daniel. We just don’t show it very often.” ***** Two days after Isabelle had awakened from her coma, she was still rather weak. Daniel was going hunting almost every day to provide enough protein for her to recuperate properly. One day, Isabelle asked Daniel, “Why do you live here in the Mysterious Mountains, Daniel?” “Several reasons, Isabelle. One, nobody comes here. The myths and superstitions about these mountains keeps most people away. Another good reason is that it’s easy to defend this, and every other, cave because there are almost vertical cliffs beneath almost all of the caves here.” Daniel stood and offered Isabelle his hand. “What are you going to do?” She asked. “Just come with me for the last and most important reason.” Isabelle took his hand and he led her to the mouth of his cave. When they got there, Daniel put his arm around her waist to support her and pointed to the plains below the mountain cave where they were living. “See that? See all those game animals out there?” “Yes.” “That is the biggest reason. I don’t have to go far to find meat. The animals here haven’t realized that I’m a threat to them. So, I can walk to within 10 yards of any of them and throw my spear into one and he’ll stand there and let me do it.” “But, you were hunting in a tree when you found me. Right?” “Yes, I don’t want the game down there to start to feel unsafe with me around so I go to the forest to hunt two out of three times I hunt. One deer will feed the two of us for three days, especially if I make stew. Also, the stream is just a short walk from here and I can catch fish to supplement the red meat.” “I see.” “There is another reason I like to live here. I can take rocks and block the entrance to the cave and no predator will attempt to come inside. I’ve even put a flimsy barrier up and they still don’t try to come in. Perhaps they’re scared; perhaps they don’t realize that they could break down the flimsy barrier. Whatever the reason, they stay outside all night long.” Isabelle sat down due to being tired and Daniel joined her, his arm still around her waist. She leaned into him and continued to look out across the plains. Daniel said, “So, you see, Isabelle, living here is possibly the best place I could live. “Are you hungry? I know that you’re still recovering from your coma and, as a result, you need to eat more than I do.” “Well, now that you mention it, I am feeling a bit hungry.” “All right,” he stood and offered her his hand. “Let’s go back inside and I’ll heat some of the stew for you. The next time I go hunting, I’ll make sure to cook a whole ham just for you.” Smiling, Isabelle said, “Thank you but, I couldn’t eat an entire ham. My mother on the other hand . . .” She laughed lustily. Daniel joined her and said, “Now, Isabelle. You shouldn’t talk like that about your mother.” “Oh, Daniel, you haven’t seen her eat. I feel sorry for your brother when he’s a part of her first state dinner.” “And you don’t know my brother. My father once said that he believed that Alvin could out-eat a hyena. That’s a dinner I don’t know if I’d like to see or am glad that I won’t see it.” ***** Five days after awakening, Isabelle’s strength was starting to return due to Daniel’s hunting and cooking skills. He made sure that she ate regularly, six times a day to be exact. Because of her, to her, excessive eating and inactivity, Isabelle started putting on weight, indicated by her starting to put on a bit of a pudgy belly. Needless to say, she started complaining about this to Daniel. “Daniel, look at me. I’m starting to get fat.” Daniel smiled as he said, “I wouldn’t call you fat, Isabelle, at least, not if I want to remain healthy.” Isabelle stuck her tongue out at him. “Very funny, Daniel. I wouldn’t harm you for that, especially after the way you took me down in your father’s throne room.” “How do you feel when you walk? Still wobbly?” “No. My strength seems to be back completely. I believe you can stop overfeeding me now.” “All right. Since you can walk all right now, I have an idea.” “What’s that?” “I need someone to practice with me. Since you’re a trained warrior, if you’re interested, we can train together. How about it?” “How will we train?” “I’ve got some swords we can use. We can also practice fighting.” “Swords!? Daniel, is it safe to practice with swords?” “It’s safe to practice with these swords. Come with me.” Daniel took Isabelle’s hand and helped her to her feet. He led her to another room in the cave in which he lived. When they arrived, Daniel walked over to a couple of bamboo sticks that were about an inch in diameter. One end of the sticks was wrapped with leather thongs. “What are those?” “Swords, Isabelle.” “Swords? They look like bamboo sticks to me.” Daniel laughed and said, “They are. I heard stories when I was younger that a long time ago, in another part of the world, a society trained their warriors in the art of sword fighting by using bamboo sticks. The sticks would be wielded in the same manner as a real sword but, they didn’t cause significant injuries other than welts.” “And we’re going to train using these. What if we break them?” “That’s the wonderful thing about bamboo swords, they literally grow anywhere. So, pick your sword and let’s have at it.” Isabelle picked up one of the bamboo swords and swung it tentatively. She smiled as she felt how easy it was to swing the stick. After swinging the stick a few times, she looked at the end opposite the handle. She noticed that there was a leather cup on the end and her curiosity was piqued. “Daniel, what’s the leather cup on the end for?” “Oh, that’s the prevent the bamboo from cutting one of us should we decide to stab with it rather than slice.” Isabelle turned away from Daniel as she said, “Interesting and smart. Well, I’m ready whenever . . . yee-ouch!” Daniel had swatted her backside with his sword. “Never, ever, turn your back on a potential enemy.” Hurt, both physically and emotionally, Isabelle said, “Daniel, you’re not my enemy.” “When we train, I’m not your friend, Isabelle. Treat me like you would if I was trying to do you physical harm rather than practice.” With a slight frown, Isabelle said, “Very well, Daniel. Prepare to defend yourself.” With that phrase, Isabelle launched herself into her attack on Daniel. Daniel parried her attack and the two of them fought, Isabelle frowning as she had been taught to do and Daniel with a slight smile on his face as he had taught himself to do. They exchanged attacks and defenses; they circled each other looking for an opening; they swung hard at each other’s head, arms, legs, and body. They fought like their lives depended on it, which in all likelihood it could any day now. They fought until they were exhausted and they fought on. They were so tired they could barely swing their sword but, they continued; neither wanted to concede to the other which made the sound of their practice battle awe inspiring. The sounds of bamboo striking bamboo could be heard throughout the whole of the cave. Finally, Daniel closed on Isabelle until she couldn’t swing her sword any longer and could only hold it in front of her as Daniel blocked her from swinging. When he got so close to her that she could do absolutely nothing, Daniel looked her in the eye and said, “I’m exhausted. What about you?” “Yes. Me, too.” “Good. I believe that’s enough practice for today. You did quite well for someone who’s, as you put it, getting fat.” Isabelle growled and said, “I am getting fat but, if we do this every day, I’m bound to lose the fat and put on some muscle.” Daniel stepped back and said, “Well, I’m going to take a bath. I know I stink to high heaven.” “Bath? Where do you bathe?” “Follow me.” Daniel led Isabelle to another room in the cavern. There in the middle of the cavern was a pool of water with small wisps of steam arising off of it. Isabelle was stunned. She’d seen many pools of water in her life but, she’d never seen one that was almost perfectly rectangular in shape. At the far end of the cavern, she saw a waterfall and a small stream leading from the waterfall to the pool of water. At the end of the pool opposite where the stream entered, another stream left the pool and meandered toward a small opening in the far wall. “This is where I bathe, Isabelle.” Daniel said as he stood at the side of the pool. After removing his loincloth, he jumped into the pool. Daniel turned around and saw Isabelle standing on the side of the pool still fully clothed. “What are you waiting for, Isabelle? The water is nice and warm. It’ll feel good after the workout we just had.” “Daniel! In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a female; you’re a male.” “So! What’s that got to do with it?” “If I take my clothing off, you’ll see me naked.” Daniel laughed and said, “Isabelle, in case you’ve forgotten, I saw you naked every night for the ten nights you were in your coma. I even saw you naked the morning you awoke from your coma. I’ve seen it all before. Plus, I wasn’t exactly overdressed when you awoke.” Isabelle thought for several seconds before saying, “All right, but, I want you to turn around while I disrobe.” Daniel smiled at her modesty and turned around. “If you turn around before I get into the water, I’ll beat you senseless. Do you understand?” “Yes, your Highness.” Daniel listened until he heard Isabelle enter the water. Daniel forgot to tell her that the pool sloped from about three feet deep to twelve feet right about where Isabelle entered the water. Because she wasn’t expecting it to be so deep, she slipped and went under, quickly. Daniel, seeing her distress, swam over to where she went under and dove down. He saw her, grabbed her hand and dragged her to the shallow end of the pool. He was afraid that she had drowned until he heard her spitting and sputtering and cursing like a sailor. The cursing caused him to smile broadly. “I’m glad to see that you’re all right.” “I should beat you senseless for that. Why didn’t you tell me that it was deep there?” She said between coughing fits. “I’m sorry, Isabelle, I really am. I forgot about it. I also forgot that hyenas aren’t good at swimming.” “I don’t know where you heard that, Daniel, but it isn’t true. We can swim and quite well. I just wasn’t expecting to go so deep so suddenly.” “Well, I’m glad that you’re okay.” He swam to the side of the pool and picked something up. He walked over to where Isabelle was standing while rubbing his arms and chest. Naturally, Isabelle’s curiosity was aroused as she watched him. “What is that?” “Soap. My mother taught me how to make it. It does wonders for cleaning dirt and sweat off of your body. Here. Try it.” Isabelle took the soap and mimicked Daniel’s actions. She was surprised to see how clean her fur became as she used it. “Here, let me have the soap and turn around.” “Why?” “So I can wash your back, silly.” Isabelle handed Daniel the soap and turned around as he had instructed. He worked the lather into her back fur. He worked his hands lower and lower until he was washing her back just above her buttocks. As he massaged her back, Isabelle found herself enjoying his ministrations and leaned back against him, until his hand slipped and he caressed her buttock. She jumped in shock and turned on him like a tigress protecting her cubs. “What do you think you’re doing!?” “Nothing. I swear. It was an accident.” “Look, you can wash my back now.” He handed her the soap and turned around. After he turned around, Isabelle reached her hand to the buttock that Daniel had accidentally caressed and rubbed it. She smiled slightly in pleasure at the thought of how it felt when Daniel had touched her there. Then, she started rubbing the soap on Daniel’s back and worked her way down as Daniel had done to her. Like her, Daniel closed his eyes at the pleasure he was experiencing from her massaging his back. Like Daniel’s, Isabelle’s hands worked their way down his back to the same place that Daniel’s hands had gone. However, unlike Daniel, Isabelle deliberately grabbed Daniel’s buttocks and squeezed, hard. Daniel let out a yelp and turned on her. However, unlike Isabelle, Daniel was smiling mischievously. “So, you want to play games do you?” Isabelle laughed and tried to run from Daniel. However, Daniel caught her and pulled her backwards into the water. When Isabelle rose up from the water, she started chasing Daniel. For the next hour, the two of them played in the water like a couple of children, laughing and generally enjoying each other’s company. Finally, Isabelle swam to the side of the pool and started to pull herself out. Daniel was right behind her and, just as she got her entire body out of the water, he caught her by the waist and pulled her back in and the chase was on again. Finally, after another hour, Daniel said, “All right, Isabelle, maybe we should get out of the water and dry off.” “You get out first. I don’t trust you to not pull me back in.” Daniel laughed and said, “All right.” He pulled himself out of the water and walked several feet away. Isabelle followed him out and, without thinking about her nudity, walked over to him. “That was fun. Let’s do that again some time soon.” Daniel, being a typical 15-year-old boy, unconsciously appraised Isabelle’s nude body as she approached. As he watched her, he felt a strange feeling come over him. It scared and shocked him. He didn’t know what was happening to him but, he both loved the feeling and feared it. As Isabelle walked to where, Daniel was standing, she noticed that he was looking at her with a strange look on his face. She also found herself appraising his nude body as well. The same feelings that Daniel was experiencing concerning her, she was feeling concerning him. “What is this feeling I’m feeling as I look at him. I’m both appalled at the feeling yet, I also enjoy it as well.” She thought. “Oh, come over here, Isabelle. I want to show you something strange.” Daniel led Isabelle over to the waterfall. “Put your hands into the water.” Isabelle did and pulled them away quickly. “That’s cold water. How is it cold here but warm there.” She said as she pointed to the pool. “I don’t know. I just know the pool always stays warm and the waterfall is cool. The waterfall is where I get my drinking and cooking water. “Come on.” Daniel said, as he caught her hand. Unlike previous times when a male tried to hold her hand, Isabelle accepted Daniel’s in hers. She felt her heart start beating faster and, despite the fear it engendered, she found that she also enjoyed how it felt. She wanted to feel this feeling all the time. Daniel reached down and picked up their clothes and offered Isabelle hers. Daniel was starting to put his on when he noticed that she had chosen to remain nude. “Aren’t you going to get dressed?” “No, I think I’ll stay naked for a while. I hope you don’t mind.” Daniel smiled and said, “No, I don’t mind at all. In fact, I think I’ll join you, if you don’t mind.” “I don’t mind at all.” They walked back to the main cavern and Isabelle sat down on a pile of furs. Daniel had started heating up some of his stew before they started their sword training and it was nice and hot now. He dipped out two bowls and handed one to Isabelle. Daniel couldn’t understand why, all of a sudden, Isabelle wasn’t bothered by him seeing her naked. As she ate, Isabelle asked, “Daniel, why are you so nice to me now. I thought you hated me.” “I don’t hate you, Isabelle. I’ve never hated you as long as I’ve known you.” “Daniel, that’s only a little over a month.” Daniel smiled and said, “You don’t remember eleven years ago, do you?” Isabelle thought and said, “No, I don’t. Why?” “We met eleven years ago. Your mother had invited our family to visit Hyenaton on a state visit. I have never liked being a prince; all I ever wanted to be was a boy, even when I was four years old. My father told me, in no uncertain terms, that I was to be on my best behavior and to treat the queen with respect. “We arrived, my father, mother, my baby brother, and me, and were ushered into Queen Rebecca’s audience chamber. I was awe-struck by your mother. She was so imposing in her queenly robes, crown and very pregnant belly. But, what really got my attention was this little brown-eyed, spotted, gray face with a black muzzle that peered out from behind Queen Rebecca’s robes. Forgetting protocol, I escaped my mother’s hand and raced to your mother before her bodyguards could even react. In fact, I had stopped and started talking to you before they even flinched. “I said, ‘Hi. I’m Daniel. What’s your name?’ “You looked at me like I was evil incarnate; then, you looked at your mother. She nodded and you said, ‘Isabelle.’ “I said, ‘Wanna play?’ “Once again, you looked at your mother who said, ‘Angelica, since you’re so good at protecting me from a little boy, I want you to take the two of them outside and let them play.’ “Angelica stepped over to us and I heard you mother whisper, ‘And Angelica, protect both of them like you life depends on it, which it does.’ “Angelica gave your mother a quick nod, took us both by our hands and led us outside. We played chase and tag. We wrestled on the dirt, in puddles, in the mud. The whole time Angelica watched us, smiling. Finally, after a little while, I walked over to you and whispered, ‘Let’s get Angelica.’ You glanced at her, smiled and nodded. We splashed mud on Angelica thinking she’d get mad at us. However, all she did was jump in the mud puddle and played with us. “Later that night, after we finished playing, my mother took one look at me and groaned while my dad laughed. She grabbed my arm and practically drug me to a bathtub to clean me up, complaining the whole time.” Isabelle smiled at the memories that Daniel revived. “That’s right. I had forgotten until you reminded me. All I remembered was that I had had a fun day playing while my mother was busy with a visitor.” ***** After they finished eating, Isabelle and Daniel sat next to the fire as naked as the day they were born. Neither was even the slightest bit self-conscious about their nudity. As they sat next to the fire, they talked. Isabelle asked Daniel why he had been so adamant about not becoming her mate. Daniel explained that it wasn’t that he was opposed to it; he was opposed to the fact that he hadn’t been consulted about it. As they talked, Isabelle leaned against Daniel; Daniel put his arm around Isabelle’s shoulder and Isabelle lay her head on Daniel’s shoulder with a happy smile on her face. Soon, Daniel and Isabelle started yawning. Daniel said, “Perhaps we should go to sleep, Isabelle. I can see that we’re both tired.” “All right, Daniel. It has been a rather busy day.” Isabelle walked over to her pile of furs as Daniel walked to his. Daniel covered himself in his furs and, in a few minutes, he was fast asleep. Isabelle, on the other hand, lay under her furs and stared a Daniel. She was trying to work up the courage to do something that she’d been planning to do for several days. Finally, about half an hour after going to bed, she arose and walked over to Daniel’s bed. She knelt down and touched his cheek. Daniel opened his eyes and looked at her. “Isabelle? What’s the matter?” “Daniel, may I sleep with you tonight?” Daniel pulled back the edge of his furs and said, “Sure. Come on.” Isabelle happily crawled under the furs and snuggled against Daniel. As she lay there, Daniel put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. Unexpectedly, to David at least, Isabelle started kissing him on the neck. She kissed, gently nipped his skin and caressed him. Occasionally, she would kiss an area of Daniel’s body that caused him to moan slightly. After several minutes of Isabelle’s ministrations, Daniel took her by her shoulders and rolled her over onto her back. He started kissing, gently nipping and caressing her in the same manner that she had done to him. As when she kissed him, Isabelle would occasionally moan when David kissed certain areas of her body. Finally, Isabelle said, “Daniel, make love to me. Please!” “Isabelle, are you sure? If we cross that line, we can never go back.” “Daniel, I want you to be my mate and I want to be yours. If we become mates and you make me pregnant, my mother will have no hold over you. We hyenas respect the bindings of being mated to someone.” Isabelle thought for a few seconds before adding, “Well, most of us anyway. But, I do know my mother would never attempt to steal another woman’s mate.” After hearing her say that, Daniel made love to Isabelle as she had asked him to do. It was the first of three couplings they enjoyed that night. After making love the first time, they fell asleep in each other’s arms. A couple of hours later, Daniel awoke somewhat disoriented. He felt a furry body lying next to and partially on him. He looked down and, in the soft glow of the dying embers of the fire, saw Isabelle lying next to him with her head in the crook of his neck. He smiled as he thought of how she had reacted as they made love. He started caressing the mane that ran down the middle of her back and ending just where her ancestral tail would have exited her body. As Daniel caressed her, Isabelle moaned softly, pulled herself closer to him, smiled and kissed his neck. She also made a sound that could have passed for a purr, except that it was deeper in her chest. It was a happy sound, the kind of sound that someone makes when they’re sleeping with the person that they love and never want to leave. Soon, she was caressing Daniel’s body softly and insistently. Daniel complied with her wishes and they made love again. They made love a total of three times that night and every night for the next 14 days, they made love, at least three times each night. ***** About 6 weeks after their first coupling, Isabelle started awakening feeling queasy. She’d jump out of their shared bed, run to the room that had a small stream where Daniel and she would relieve themselves and throw up. By the time she returned, Daniel was up and preparing their breakfast. Most mornings, she just nibbled on a piece of fried meat. She couldn’t understand what was wrong. “Isabelle, I noticed that you seem to be feeling sick in the mornings lately. Are you all right?” “I don’t know, Daniel. I just wake up feeling queasy and need to throw up but, in the early morning, I don’t have anything to throw up. I wonder why this suddenly started.” “Hmm. I seem to remember something that happened to my mother when she was preg . . . Oh, no!” Isabelle became somewhat scared and asked, “What?” “Isabelle, you’re pregnant!” “Daniel, I can’t be pregnant. I’m only 14.” “Isabelle, believe me. You’re suffering from morning sickness which means, you, are, pregnant.” “Daniel, if I’m pregnant, what are we going to do?” “Didn’t you say you hoped you’d get pregnant?” “Well, yes.” “Why?” “I wanted to keep my mother from taking you from me.” “Well, sweetheart, you got your wish.” Isabelle laughed sardonically as she said, “I didn’t mean this soon.” “We’ve got to start planning.” “Planning? Planning what?” “How long does a humanimal pregnancy last?” “About 224 days. It may be longer since the baby is half-human.” “We’ve got to plan for the baby and we’ve got to plan on taking a trip to Sansaville.” “Why?” “I believe my parents would love to know that they’re going to be grandparents.” “Oh. Yes, I guess my mother would like to know she’s going to be a grandmother, too.” ***** About 210 days after realizing that Isabelle was pregnant, Daniel would disappear shortly after returning from hunting. Isabelle wasn’t too concerned because she knew that whatever he was doing, Daniel was doing it for them, although she was a bit curious. All she knew was that the first day that he disappeared, she could hear chopping sounds coming from the forest in the general direction of the creek that she had followed to find him eleven months earlier. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her and she walked toward the creek. She found Daniel working on a large tree trunk, hollowing it out. “Daniel, what are you doing?” Because Isabelle had walked so quietly, her unexpected words startled Daniel until he almost fell into the creek. He slapped a hand across his chest above his heart and felt it beating strongly. “Damn it, Isabelle, don’t walk so quietly. You startled me.” “I’m sorry, Daniel. I guess I instinctively fell back on my warrior training. “What are you doing?” “I’m working on a boat, a canoe actually. It’s called a dugout.” “Dugout?” “Yes, after I cut the tree down, I removed the top and all the limbs. I shaped it into a canoe shape, removed about ¼ of the trunk and started carving out the interior so we could have a place to sit while I paddle us toward Sansaville.” “Am I supposed to sit in the bottom? It doesn’t look very comfortable.” Daniel smiled and said, “I’ll put some seats in it so we’ll be comfortable. It’s a long way from here to the trail to Sansaville.” “Is there anything I can do to help?” “Well, you could cut some limbs about an inch in diameter; collect some of the leather I’ve tanned and gather some of the leather thongs in the cave.” “All right, Daniel.” Isabelle returned to the cave, gathered the leather and returned. After she returned, she picked up the flint ax that Daniel had used to cut down the tree and started cutting some limbs like Daniel had asked her to do. She chose to cut the limbs off of the trunk so she could help Daniel by delimbing the trunk and collecting the necessary limbs to make the seats for the dugout. Meanwhile, Daniel was scraping the inside of the dugout to try to make them as smooth as possible. ***** 220 days after becoming pregnant, the dugout was completed. Daniel and Isabelle got into it and he pushed it into the creek. Even though the creek was never more than 4 feet deep, the water was very cold, averaging around 60 degrees in the summer and 33 in the winter. This was because it was made from water from the glacier 300 miles to the north. The landscape prevented the creek from growing much wider than 30 yards for that 300 miles even though it was fed by several small streams all along its length. The coldness of the water was the reason that Daniel had decided to build the canoe. He didn’t want Isabelle to wade the cool water for almost 12 hours. He was afraid that the baby that Isabelle carried might possibly be harmed if her body temperature dropped very low. Riding with the current, and being unimpeded by it, the trip to the ford south of Sansaville only took them 5 hours. Since they had left when it was light enough to see both banks, they had arrived before midday. Daniel pulled the canoe up onto the bank and hid it underneath some bushes. The three hour walk that Daniel had experienced when he had left home took four hours because he didn’t want to over-exert Isabelle despite her continued grousing about him walking so slowly. He would have carried her if he thought he could have gotten her to agree. Finally, late in the afternoon, they arrived outside the gate to Sansaville. Daniel was challenged by Private Thomas, the guard. “Who goes there?” “Daniel, son of King Jeremy, prince of the plains humans and his mate.” Was his reply. Daniel and Isabelle had decided to cover her head until they could speak with his father just in case Jeremy wasn’t too keen on him taking a mate without Jeremy’s approval. Private Thomas looked at Daniel incredulously. Turning to another guard, he said, “Go! Tell King Jeremy that Prince Daniel has returned!” Daniel and Isabelle waited about five minutes before the gates opened and, before they could take one step toward the city, they saw Jeremy and an honor guard striding toward them. Daniel wasn’t certain how his father would receive him since he’d left Sansaville in less than happy terms almost a year earlier. Daniel’s uncertainty was relieved when he saw the big smile on his father’s face and his wide open arms. “Daniel, my son. It’s great to see you again. Where have you been?” “I’d rather not say, Father. Depending on how you take my news, I may wish to return sooner rather than later.” “News? What news?” Turning to Isabelle and uncovering her head, Daniel said, “I have a mate, Father.” Jeremy stood there stunned for a few seconds. He turned to one of his bodyguards and said, “Go. Bring Queen Marisol and send someone to the hyenas in Hyenaton. Send a message with him telling Rebecca to come here, quickly.” The bodyguard nodded and left. A few minutes later, Daniel’s mother appeared. When she saw Daniel, she ran to him, grabbed him and gave him a hug. Then, she turned to Isabelle and said, “Princess Isabelle. It’s good to see . . .” She stared at Isabelle’s face for several seconds before turning to Daniel and saying, “Daniel! When were you going to tell us that Isabelle is pregnant?” “As soon as Queen Rebecca arrived, Mother.” ***** The next day, Queen Rebecca arrived at Sansaville. Upon being recognized by the guard, she and her entourage were allowed to enter the gate. She was ushered into King Jeremy’s palace and into his throne room. When she entered, she noticed that there were three thrones upon a dais and she was escorted to the one leftmost one. Soon, King Jeremy and Queen Marisol arrived and took their thrones. Turning to Jeremy, Rebecca asked, “Jeremy, why did you send for me and why am I sitting on this human throne?” “There is some interesting news for you and I thought that the person bringing it should be the one to give it to you.” Addressing the door guard, he continued, “Allow him to enter.” The doors to the throne room opened and Daniel entered. He strode boldly toward the thrones and stopped three paces from the bottom of the dais and bowed his head slightly. Rebecca eyed him lustily and smiled a hyena smile. “I see you found my next mate, Jeremy. Thank you. The mating ceremony can begin immediately.” Daniel interrupted, “Your Highness, Queen Rebecca, I see you still intend to have me as your mate. However, I believe you would be violating hyena protocol.” “In what way, Daniel? You are supposed to be my mate to seal the treaty between Sansaville and Hyenaton.” “I know. I also don’t agree to it.” “That is of little import, young prince. Your father agreed to it.” “No, your Highness. My father agreed to me being the mate of your daughter, if you will recall.” “I also decided that, since you bested her in a fair fight, you were too good for her.” “Ah, true, you did. However, can you explain to me the hyena protocol about taking someone as your mate who already has one?” “It is illegal, unless all three parties agree to it.” “Then, you can’t take me as your mate. I already have one.” “Then, you have sealed her death warrant, Daniel.” Daniel turned to the door guard and said, “Please allow my mate to enter.” The doors opened and an obviously pregnant Princess Isabelle entered. “Queen Rebecca, allow me to introduce you to my mate, Princess Isabelle.” Rebecca went almost apoplectic. “What is the meaning of this! Isabelle, why did you violate my orders and go find him? He’s supposed to be my mate.” She turned to her bodyguard and said, “Bring her to me. She’ll pay for this insolence with her life!” Daniel stepped between Isabelle and Rebecca and said, “Queen Rebecca, do you remember the night that I left Sansaville rather than be your mate?” “Yes. I thought it was funny how you managed to steal some of our clothing to make good your escape.” “Did the hyena in the tent tell you that I had entered and stolen the clothing?” “She said that some of her clothes were stolen, yes.” “No, did she tell you that I had stolen them.” “What are you saying? How could she know that? She was on guard duty.” “I’m saying, your Highness, that the hyena whose clothing I stole was in her tent entertaining someone. She never knew I was there and I was less than 5 feet from her. I only knew she was there when I heard the moans from both her and her girlfriend.” “What! She merely said she was robbed. I’ll have her head for this!” “No, you won’t, your Highness, and you won’t harm Isabelle either. Why, you may ask? Because, if you harm either of them, I will kill you with my own hands and nobody will ever know I was there. The proof that I could do that is how I stole the clothing of a hyena warrior when I was less than 5 feet away from her. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Rebecca slumped back in her throne. She knew how well hyena warriors were trained. They were trained to always, always be on their guard even if they were in the middle of sexual relations. If Daniel could sneak by a hyena guard into her tent while she was in the tent, steal from her and get away, then, it would be no problem for him to sneak into Rebecca’s palace and kill her without anybody knowing about it until it was too late. “I’m supposed to have a mate to seal the treaty between you humans and the hyenas, Prince Daniel.” “You’re supposed to wait on my younger brother to turn 16, aren’t you?” “Yes.” “Then, wait two years. I’m sure he’ll be happy to wait and I’m equally sure you’ll be happy to wait. He spends all of his spare time at the Sansaville Pleasure Palace with the hyena there. I understand she’s teaching him quite a bit about satisfying hyena women.” Rebecca looked at Isabelle and said, “Isabelle, are you sure this is what you want? You seemed to dislike Daniel when you met him the last time we were here.” “Mother, I didn’t dislike him. He showed me that he was worthy of me, unlike hyena males who cower whenever they see a hyena female. He stood up to me; he bested me in a fair fight. That’s why I wanted to search for him. I wanted to offer myself to him as his equal partner. When he found me, I was nearly frozen to death. He revived me and took care of me. He supplied me with his food. When I was ready to mate with him, he was concerned that maybe I would regret the decision. I didn’t then and I don’t now. We are, and will always be, mates.” Sighing, Rebecca said, “Very well, Isabelle, I will honor your decision. Besides, I think I deserve to meet my grandchild. Where will you live?” “We’ll be living where we currently live, the Mysterious Mountains. Nobody claims that land and I claim it for myself. We will create a new kingdom and I’ll be the king with Isabelle as my queen. We will rule the land as equal partners and will welcome anyone, human or humanimal, that wishes to live there and accept us as the leaders. The first will be the hyena guard whose clothing I stole and whomsoever she decides to bring with her.” Rebecca sat in thought for several seconds before saying, “Very well, Daniel. It shall be as you say.” Turning to Isabelle, she said, “Isabelle, how long before you give birth?” “It should be any day now, Mother. It has been over 220 days since I got pregnant.” “Then, I’ll stay here until after the birth of my grandchild. I have some ideas as to what to name the baby.” “Mother, Daniel and I have already made that decision. If the pup is a girl, we’ll name her Danielle Amani Andrews; if the pup is a girl, we’ll name him Daniel Uxolo Andrews.” “So, you will give the pup a name from the old languages of our ancestors. You honor me and them greatly. I agree with your decision. “However, before you give birth, we need to have an official mating ceremony. We can’t have any out-of-wedlock pups in our family. We haven’t had that in close to seven thousand years.” Rebecca turned to one of her guards and said, “Go to Hyenaton as quickly as possible. Bring the priestess. Tell her she has a duty of performing a mating ceremony for Isabelle.” “Yes, my queen.” The guard left quickly, found her horse and rode to Hyenaton as quickly as the horse could carry her. After the guard left, Rebecca took Isabelle’s hand and said, “Come with me, Isabelle. We have plenty of catching up to do.” As she was leaving, Rebecca turned to Jeremy and said, “Jeremy, I’ll stay here until after Isabelle gives birth so we can have an official naming ceremony. I do hope that’s acceptable to you.” “Of course, Rebecca.” ***** Three days later, not long before sunrise, Isabelle was awakened when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. It was sharp enough to awaken her with a start and a rather loud grunt. Daniel, who had been sleeping with his arms around her, came awake quickly. “What’s wrong, Love?” “I’m not sure, Daniel. I believe I’m about to give birth.” Daniel experienced a mild panic attack as he tried to think of what to do. The only thing he could think of was to awaken his parents and tell them what was happening. Marisol jumped out of bed, pulled on a cloak and rushed to Daniel’s room. When she saw Isabelle, she put a cloak around her and said, “Isabelle, you are in labor. How far apart are the contractions?” “I don’t know, Queen Marisol. I had one that woke me up and maybe two since.” “That close. Come with me. We have a birthing chamber here in the castle. You can give birth there. I’ll call our physician and she’ll help you.” “Thank you, your Highness.” For six hours, Daniel paced outside the birthing chamber.; he stopped pacing only long enough to eat when his mother insisted that he eat. Even though he was worried, he refused to show it. He knew that Isabelle would be all right because Rebecca had sent for her personal physician, the physician who had assisted in the birth of all of her pups; even so, he also knew that complications could occur that could harm Isabelle and/or their pup. Finally, after six hours of labor, the cries of a newborn could be heard. Daniel, who had been on the verge of falling asleep because of his nervousness, suddenly was wide awake. Marisol opened the door to the birthing chamber and motioned to Daniel. He arose and walked over to his mother. “Daniel, it’s a girl.” Daniel was ecstatic. “How is Isabelle? Is she all right?” “She’s fine, son. She’s nursing the baby right now and bonding with her. You’ll be allowed to see Isabelle in a few minutes. She’s going to want to get cleaned up a bit before she sees you and we’re going to clean up Danielle before you see her, too.” “Thank you, Mother. I’m glad that everything’s all right.” About 30 minutes later, Daniel was allowed into the birthing chamber. He walked straight to Isabelle, took her hand and said, “Are you all right, Sweetheart?” Isabelle smiled and shook her head. “Daniel, Sweetheart? Really?” Daniel smiled back and replied, “Of course. Whether you like it or not, even though you’re a hyena warrior, you’re as sweet to me as a human girl could ever hope to be.” He leaned down and kissed her gently. While Daniel was kissing Isabelle, Rebecca walked in carrying their baby. “Daniel, meet your daughter.” She handed Danielle to Daniel who held her like she was made of the finest porcelain and he was afraid of breaking her. “She’s absolutely beautiful, your Highness.” “Daniel, when do you want to hold the naming ceremony?” “Whenever you’re ready, your Highness.” “Good. Hyena tradition is to hold the ceremony at midday the day after the birth.” “That’s fine with me.” ***** Even though Daniel kept trying to keep her from walking, Isabelle insisted that she was going to stand during the naming ceremony, even though she did occasionally lean against him for physical support. On a makeshift altar, Danielle was quietly laying in a cane bassinet. After a few minutes, the priestess entered the room wearing the robes of her office. She was covered from her neck down in a wraparound dress that, as strange as it may sound, was tight enough to show off her feminine curves yet loose enough to allow her to walk freely. On her head was a crown of ostrich feathers. Hanging from the front of the crown was a mask that was limestone white with with black spots evenly placed all over it and eye holes large enough for her to see through unimpeded. On her arms were glossy black gloves that reached from her shoulders to her finger tips. She was wearing glossy black boots that reached from her upper thighs to her toes. The priestess approached the altar and the bassinet lying on it. When Danielle saw the priestess, she whimpered a little but, otherwise, didn’t make a sound. The priestess put a hand on Danielle’s chest and drew a knife. When Daniel saw the knife, he became nervous until Isabelle put a reassuring hand on his arm and smiled at him. Isabelle whispered, “Don’t worry, Daniel. It’s part of the ceremony. The priestess uses the knife to scare evil spirits away so Danielle will live a happy, danger-free life.” Daniel nodded. The priestess drew her arm back as far as she could and suddenly plunged the knife toward Danielle. Danielle watched the knife but, otherwise, didn’t respond. The knife embedded in the wood of the altar less than an inch from Danielle’s neck. Danielle smiled at the priestess who nodded in acknowledgment of Danielle’s bravery. The priestess picked Danielle up, held her at arms length toward the ceiling of the chamber and muttered a few incoherent words before turning toward the gathered crowd. The priestess said, “This child, the daughter of Princess Isabelle of the plains hyenas of Hyenaton and Prince Daniel Andrews has proven her bravery at one day of age and is rightfully a daughter of the hyena race. Her smile at the sight of danger shows that her parents are worthy warriors of the hyena and human races. I, therefore, declare her right to live for as long as she so desires. Isabelle and Daniel chose to name her Peace in the ancient tongue of Africa, the land of our ancestors. This will also give her long life because they chose to honor our hyena ancestry. I give you Danielle Amani Andrews.” After this short speech, the priestess handed Danielle to Isabelle who then handed her to Daniel as was the hyena custom. Isabelle and Daniel made a small alteration to the custom when Isabelle stepped closer to Daniel and also held Danielle. When Isabelle did this, the priestess smiled, nodded slightly and quietly backed out of the room. After the priestess left the room, everyone gathered around the parents and gave them their congratulations. ***** Three days after the naming ceremony, Daniel, Isabelle, Danielle, Tamara, the guard whose clothing Daniel had stolen, and, Vanessa, Tamara’s girlfriend, left Sansaville. They walked to the stream that led to the Mysterious Mountains and, with Daniel, Isabelle and Danielle in the canoe, headed upstream toward their home.