Price of Life: Chapter X
#13 of Price of Life
Price of Life: Chapter X
A Common Enemy
The house was filled with silence as Keith's tale ended and the present sank back in. Keith, in memorial, shed a single tear for his lost lover. But he soon disposed of it, not wishing to make a scene in front of his hosts. The whole room hung suspended in quiet. No one dared speak, too afraid to break the uneasy silence. Finally, Keith broke the bubble of tranquility.
"Rachel loved me with all her heart, so I am going to put my whole heart into this mission. I'm not doing this for just for the money, I'm doing it so no one else has to suffer like Rachel did."
"So, it would seem that we both have a score to settle with a certain colonel," sounded Dante, letting Keith know that he was not alone in his suffering. But no one had the intestinal fortitude to ask Dante what kind of vendetta he had with Virgil. That would only lead to more misery, something that was definitely not needed at the moment.
Keith turned to Raksha, "I'm sorry for staring at you earlier, it was very rude. But you just reminded me so much of Rachel. Same face, same hair, same smile. It felt good to remember her."
Raksha couldn't think of anything to say. An hour earlier, she had been furious with the human's arrival. Now, she couldn't be more sympathetic. A man who had lost all that was dear to him had sought solace in her and she had shunned and discounted him! Raksha felt awful.
"I had no idea you felt that way about people outside your own species. For you to disregard all differences for the sake of a loved one, you can't be all bad. I'd like to apologize, Keith, if you'll accept it."
Keith smiled warmly, "I do. But you don't need to be sorry. My arrival here was out of the blue yonder, so I didn't expect everyone to be totally fine with it. I was just thrown off. You look so much like her and I just couldn't bear the thought of her being angry with me."
The vixen took that to heart. It was nice to know that she resembled such a kind and loving woman. But, despite her smile, she decided to let that remain undisclosed. With that, the meal was adjourned for the afternoon. The story had tagged along for quite some time. However, it was well worth it.
Keith retired to his room to finish unpacking his things. Dante set to preparing the next meal, while Raksha and Selene took up the long-postponed task of brushing each other's hair. Selene, who took the liberty of brushing Raksha's lovely locks, took up a brush and began to temper the vixen's mane with great care.
"So," Selene began, shy yet curious, "are you still mad at Keith?"
Raksha gave a sigh and answered her wolf companion, "No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?"
Selene, who tried her best not to be critical of her vixen friend answered, "Well, you seemed really mad when he showed up today. I was wondering if his story made you change your mind."
"It did, I guess. He doesn't seem violent, just emotional. I guess Rachel was all he had."
"You think that he's in this for revenge?"
"That's an interesting question, Selene. I think that he wants to help people first, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was a secondary motive. Good observation."
"Thank you, Raksha."
Staring into her vanity mirror, Raksha focused on the wolfess combing her hair. She smiled as she peered at the reflection of such a beautiful young girl. Because Raksha had an interest in both men and women, the addition of the wolf tenant to the family was quite a delight.
"Selene, have you considered the proposition I made to you the other day?"
Selene, who had become lost in the task of combing the wild black hair, answered, "Which one was that, Raksha?"
Raksha, blushing beneath her luxurious fur, clarified, "The one about you and I spending some quality time together..."
Selene stopped combing, "Oh. That one."
"So, have you had enough time to consider it?"
Selene, very embarrassed, admitted, "Well, I suppose. I have performed with women before. But, Dante and I are lovers now. I'm not sure how he would react."
Raksha's heart sank. But then again, she had it coming. How could she expect this girl to fling herself headlong into lesbianism after sleeping on it for one night? The vixen admitted that she was getting desperate for some affection. Her tail drooped with sadness.
Selene, noticing her friend's distress, tried to make amends. "I suppose that you and I could spend some time together. I don't think Dante would mind."
Raksha smiled weakly at her friend's offer, "Selene, I'm sorry. I've forced you into an awkward situation. It's not a problem if you're not interested in me. You need Dante right now, and he needs you. I don't want to come between that."
Selene, seeking to console her broken-hearted companion, offered a bit of advice. "I may not be able to be your lover, but I think I know someone who would." She gave a sly wink to hint what she was getting at.
Raksha jumped to conclusions quickly. "You're not serious..."
Selene nodded, "Did you see the way Keith looked at you today? I bet he'd jump at the chance to be with you. I can tell he likes you. Trust me."
The vixen seemed destitute; "But, Selene! He's a human! He's not one of us! Sure, he may be a nicer guy than we expected, but he's still a mystery."
The wolfess looked at her vixen friend with a great deal of disappointment, "Shame on you, Raksha! After everything he just told us, you still don't get it!"
The vixen was taken aback, "Get what? That he killed one of his own men and then ran off?"
"No! You're missing the point. He loved Rachel. Rachel wasn't a human girl, she was a vixen. But that didn't stop him from loving her. He was proud to call her lover, it didn't matter what she looked like!"
Raksha had a counterpoint to make, however. "You're one to talk! He took part in making slaves like you suffer! He's no better than your owners!"
Selene had already reached a verdict on that topic. "But he didn't know things were so bad. He did what he was told, as a soldier should. Now that he knows the truth, he plans to make things right. I don't blame him for his career, so long as he knows that it was wrong and tries to atone for it."
Raksha began to cry; her heart was at a crossroads. Should she shun the man who had murdered another and fled like a coward into hiding? Or should she try and win his heart and try to better understand him?
The wolfess took the vixen in her arms, "Keith is a good man. I can sense it. He thinks the world of you. I think that if you humor him, you'll become fast friends."
The disconsolate vixen shook in Selene's embrace, "You think so?"
The wolfess' reply: "I know so."