The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories by Kyell Gold Page B

dinner so soon. Gaff proved to be charming and witty, and his wife was pleasant as well. Jonas met the older of their two cubs, a precocious young vixen who was hushed by her parents for commenting that Jonas’s clothes were dirty.
    Mikka and Taypha returned frequently, but Mikka did not stay the night again. Benton returned only once in the month following the first dinner, again without his mate. Jonas didn’t have much of a chance to talk to him except for a brief conversation when Benton was showing off a wooden knife hilt he was working on.
    They went to Gaiaday services in a small chapel nearby that did very generic services and allowed each member of the congregation a moment of silence to say prayers to their own god. Alexan found the passage in the book for Cougar, but Jonas was unused to such a specific god and intoned the prayers he knew by heart for Felis. The services were similar enough that he felt he was still heard.
    Otherwise, Alexan didn’t include Jonas in many of his plans during the day. Only once did Jonas get to see the small booth he rented in the market, and then the excitement of the market overwhelmed his reaction to Alexan’s booth and wares, most of which he’d already seen. The fox was petulant after that, and no matter how much Jonas apologized, Alexan never invited him back to the market.
    Jonas did manage to surprise Alexan one night when he met him with a fully cooked fowl and a nice, smooth honey mead. Taypha had brought them by at Jonas’s request and he’d given Jonas a little bit of cooking help and advice. The bird was a little dry, but not bad, and the mead was wonderful. Alexan didn’t even realize until Jonas told him that it had been exactly one month since their arrival in Caril.
    “ An anniversary?” Alexan sounded amused.
    “ I thought it was worth a little extra.” Jonas sniffed the fowl. “Taypha helped me with the cooking. I’ve never done a whole bird before.”
    “ Your cooking’s getting better,” Alexan said, chewing. “I really don’t miss Julianna.”
    “ I do,” Jonas said. “Just ‘cause I’m doing all the work now.”
    Alexan laughed, and when dinner was over, they moved immediately to the bedroom. It was good; Alexan remembered to slide his paw underneath for Jonas, and they came almost at the same time. And afterwards, Alexan hugged him affectionately and said, “I’m glad you came with me.”
    The next week, Alexan came home with Mikka, unannounced. Alexan was wearing a beautiful white silk shirt with ruffles cut into it, and blue and turquoise patterned pants that Jonas didn’t recognize. Both he and Mikka were in high spirits. The grey fox actually greeted Jonas with a hug, the first time he’d done so, and Jonas hugged back tentatively. “I hope we have enough food.”
    “ I’m sure you’ll make do,” Alexan smiled as he and Mikka sat down. “I’ve been telling him about your cooking.”
    Flattered, but still flustered, Jonas retreated to the kitchen and hurriedly cut an extra piece of bread. He apportioned the meat three ways in his mind and stroked his whiskers. The portions would be a little small, but would do. But there were only two carrots. He decided he would do without.
    “ I don’t really like vegetables,” he explained to Mikka when he put the plates down.
    Mikka touched the carrots and smiled. “Well, I appreciate them. I’m sure this is delicious. Where’s the sauce?”
    “ He tends to burn the sauces,” Alexan said.
    “ Only twice!” Alexan had been angry the first time, but tolerant the second, either as a result of his mood that day or of just being used to it. The fact that he was joking about it was a good sign, Jonas thought.
    After dinner, Alexan opened a new bottle of wine, one of the nicer ones from his collection. Jonas accepted the proffered glass with a little surprise, and sipped from it while Alexan and Mikka took longer drinks of theirs. They made small talk for a few minutes, and then Mikka