Made for me by the excellent tempestryder
####
\subsection{Apprentices}
The light falling through the deep green colored silks forming the skylight of the hall gave the impression of standing in a peaceful forest.
Water dribbling from tiny lizard shaped gargoyles into bassins of polished stone provided cooling. Sugar ivy was growing from flowerbeds, up to the
ceiling where it was regularly cut back as not to interfere with the mechanics that could close the roof with wooden blinds.
Between the leafs, small lizards and bird-like things scurried around, hunting the insects that buzzed around the ivys flowers.
On the head end of the hall there were two thrones, one of metal and dark wood, the other of polished white wood and with silken cushions.
Between them a podest had been erected.
The children poked each other, whispering, pointing out the large pictures on the walls and the reliefs running around the halls walls.
The two large doors in the sides opened. Through the left came a greying amazone, in armor.
She stopped before the left throne and nodded curtly to the assembled children:
"I am the Stratega, the strong arm and strategic mind of the town. My word guards the walls, my honor defends our society.
I ensure survival."
Through the right came the princess in her robe of office, a long stole with stitcheries telling the story of Tehuioy and a broad belt carrying her
ceremonial sword. The children had met her on their first day, where she had worn her ornate armor.
She took place in front of the right throne:
"I am the Princess, the heart and smile of Tehuioy. My word guards the towns peace, my honor speaks justice.
I ensure happiness."
The two amazones sat down on their thrones and then looked at the podest between them.
A young amazone who stood guard at the right door caught the impatience of the princess and walked with clacking hooves to the second door on the right side.
She opened it and whispered to somebody behind the door, before she closed the door again.
Audible even through the closed door, an earthshaking belch sounded.
The strategas face looked like if cut from granite, whilst the princess ears flickered in amusement.
Then the door opened and an ancient fennekim in splendidly colored robes and wearing a huge turban came forth.
He was leaning heavily on a cane and a fenwas shoulder. The fenwa wore a cornflower blue robe matching her blue mane.
"Anuthapardee?" the fennekim grumbled well audible to his female attendant.
"No, honorable eldest, its a meeting to finally introduce our towns guests properly."
"Thaddanice! Wherearethey?" he asked whilst climbing on the podest with a lack of dignity, until the princess got up and lifted him up.
Up on the podest he turned around a few times before he sat down on a hughe pillow facing the wall.
"Behind you, honorable eldest," his attendant whispered into his ear so loud that even the people in the last row could hear her.
"I know I'mma stillspordive!" he guffawed proudly and patted her paw on his shoulder.
Muscles twitched along the strategas face. The attendant nodded and then took the eldest right paw:
"You want to see our guests now?"
"BringemIn, bringemin! Cantleddawaitem!"
"Sure, honorable eldest. Here, let me show them to you," and then she walked slowly around him, holding his right paw.
This way she made him slide around on the silken pillow on which he was seated.
"Reptileeggsandcactispikes! Thaddaloddasalesmen," he shouted amazed, seeing the forty human kids assembled in the hall.
The fenwa smiled angelically whilst the princes placed a hand over her own muzzle to hide a ladylike giggle.
The stratega exhaled and buried her muzzle between her hands, her shoulders twitching.
"These, honorable eldest, are our guests and new citizens."
"Ohhhh!" For a moment he sat silent, gazing at the children from under his turban, which slowly was sliding over his eyes until the fenwa
pulled it back again.
"Didaprepare a speech?"
"Yes, honorable eldest."
"I'm good at that." It sounded like a question.
"Yes, honorable eldest."
Then she leaned forward and whispered into his big ear and he nodded:
"Greetings gentle humans! Yeahdismeohyoumeanokay. Immadeeldest... I am the oldest fennekim offa Tehuioy," the cities name sounded like a sneeze
coming from him, "anamthus da Sheyk of the town, the - yes, exactly. Thaddammee! Oh!"
He looked around, pushed his turband out of his eyes as it slipped over his ears and eyes.
"Imma de afvisor in all questions offa justice toda luvvely princess. Imma da pillar of wisdom! Is my," he stopped, thinking hard,
"Imma da lord of de guilds, brodecdor of the fenwas honors, anna king ufda pardee."
He nodded and the fenwa stepped back from his side. Then he reached under his colorful robes, pulled forth a small blue bottle and chugged a good quarter
of its contents, put it away again and bowed to the princess to his left. The fenwa held his turband when he leaned forward so that it did not slide over his eyes.
The princess whinnied lightly and got up, standing beside the podest, bowing lightly to the seated eldest.
He returned the bow with a flourish which made his turband slide over his eyes down to his nose, only to have it pulled back by the fenwa as he sat up again.
"Dear children of earth," the princess began, "in the past hands of days you learned the basics of our language.
Now that we can speak with each other, we, the rulers of Tehuioy, want to introduce you to those good people that will happily welcome you in their homes
until you can found your own homesteads. Also, we want to let the workers of the town present their trades to you, so that you may choose a trade
with which to earn your livelihood."
She turned and bowed to the old fennekim, then stepped back and sat back down on her throne.
The blue maned fenwa leaned to the old fennekims ear and whispered into it. His head had sunk to his chest and jolted up when she started to whisper.
"Ah, surely! Yes, yes. Oh? Now? Ah, Wonderful!" After this babbling he stood up and looked at the children. The fenwa leaned over his shoulder
and whispered on.
"Dear guests of Tehuioy, it is my esteemed pleasure to announce to you the wonderful people that wish to show you Tehuioys greatness,
their own kindness and, ahh...," the fenwa whispered again into his ear, "Ah, yes. Exactly! So, I call in the good people of Tehuioy to offer their
hosibaba... holalla... their thing, yes exactly, to you. May you find many friends here and," he flailed his arms armound that the fenwa had to duck,
"And dadadifumshum. Yes!"
He sat down again, grinning happily from ear to ear. The princess smiled brightly and clapped her hands in applause as did the stratega, the latter
biting her lower lip firmly. The fennekim looked around, asking the fenwa:
"Was it a great speech?"
The two zebras as well as the fenwa answered unisono:
"It was a splendid speech, oh honorable eldest."
He nodded satisfied and then reached under his robes, pulled forth a small green glassvial, uncorked it and slurped half of the vials content.
In the adjacent rooms right and left of the great hall voices could be heard. Then the doors through which the stratega and the princess had come earlier
were opened by a pair of young zebras each.
In walked a lot of people. Fenwas ( in cowled robes, the cowls resting on their back ) and Fennekim ( in various gaudily colored clothes ).
Next came a number of zebras, some accompanied by fennekim. Then came in a figure that had many of the children flinch or shy back.
It was a sand colored giant, more than a head taller than the tallest amazone, with bulging muscles visible on his arms.
He wore a dark brown colored robe, his fangs standing out like a sabertooths.
Hermann mumbled to those around him:
"That is surely the biggest fighter of the town! Gosh, I'd love to learn from him!"
Beside and behind the leonine giant came a few smaller lions and tigers of both genders.
The fourty children stood there, more or less in neat rows and whispering amongst each other, pointing at the various people of the town.
As especially the fennekim cubs happily ignored language barriers, the children had met a lot of the people already.
Sometimes it had been fathers that helped taking happily yipping furpiles apart, looking for their cub to come home for supper.
And at the same time rescuing a laughing human child from merciless being-licked-in-the-ear.
Sometimes it had been mothers who, with their sisters, helped the human children getting an especially nosy cub out from their rooms or their cases.
And sometimes it had been fathers or mothers, delivering a cub by the neckruff from which's muzzle dangled a shoe, a sock or some other definitive human posession.
Then the parent stood waiting beside the cub until the cub had ceremonially handed the item back, making grand gestures and yipyapping something
about that it was an honor to bring back this misplaced item which surely the owner hadn't even known to be missing.
Which especially with shoes was usually not the case.
However missing a shoe since the last furpile would have been much more worrisome if not the weather and the
cityways encouraged walking barefoot anyway. And as school kept the kids busy all day, they had usually little time to, again,
look if the shoe was really just misplaced in the hotel, or if, again, some of the visiting cubs had taken a liking to the 'chewy' items.
From behind the assembled persons came a hearty snoring. The honorable eldest had fallen asleep. His attending fenwa leaned him slightly sidewards, and the
audible snoring stopped. The fenwa looked at the princess who nodded and stood up, walking in front of the podest, but stayed behind the people of the town.
"Dear children," she began, "Let me introduce you to your foster-parents and future housemates, as well as to your future teachers and," she tried to find
a suitable word, "employers."
The word she used described somebody educating and working with others, but this somebody filled in a fatherly or brotherly role.
"I present you Master Bakit ibn Nisra, Master of the carpenters guild, who offers his families hospitality to two young children."
A slightly, for fennekims, rotund fennekim in garish colored clothes stepped to the fore, accompanied by three cloaked fenwas.
All four bowed deeply to the children.
"My household is large and comfortable, but since my last cubs moved out, it has grown lonely. Thus, considering you humans size, my wifes and me
wish to offer two of the younger ones a homestead until they are able to stand on their own feet."
Again he bowed and then stepped back into the group with his wifes.
Hannelore leaned over to her older brother:
"Really? Wifes? Several? That is... bigamy! Why, these immoral..."
Hermann hushed her: "Sis, they are animals after all. Got no manners. Just ignore them."
A few steps away Peter leaned over to Manfred and whispered:
"That's a funny custom. We have something similar?"
Manfred nodded: "In many variations. There were many cultures in the past where there were several adults involved.
Just think of kings and their concoubines. That's our closest european example."
Peter couldn't suppress a giggle: "Even if not for such, they're not humans. It'd be a bit unfair to judge them by human standards."
Manfred nodded again whilst the next volunteer stepped forth and presented himself to the children.
"Especially as there are even today societies where that is absolutely acceptable. Just, I don't know if it is the women who decide
if they want to share their husband. Here, it is."
Anne squeezed from behind between the two boys and grinned:
"Chaman told me just yesterday: When a fennekim man wants to marry, he has to show off his skills, or whatever else he thinks might be impressive about himself.
And then the women decide who like him, and then," she stopped a moment, thought, "And then they discuss amongst each other how many women
can profit from working together with him closely. Like, he is good glassblower, one women is a chemist an can provide colors for his art, which will make him
more successful. And herself, too.
Another maybe is a prospector specialized in sands and limestone, a glassmakers raw materials. And a third one is perhaps a good bookkeeper.
So, together they can start their own business. Else, he'd just be an employed glassblower.
This way they share something in common to talk about. But each can do his or her work without standing on the others toes."
Whilst the next fennekim presented himself and boasted about his families virtues, Peter and Manfred looked at each other and then at Anne:
"That is...," Peter began, "Actually a well reasoned idea," Manfred finished.
Anne grinned up to the two older boys: "Don't you get any weird ideas. Just think of the amazones.
They keep their handful of males locked up in the central keep."
Peter gasped: "But that is..."
Anne grinned and giggled: "The most comfortable and safest place in the entire town. And the most spacious living quarters aside of the princess ones.
For a Zebra."
Peter scritched his head and now it was Manfreds part to grin when Peter finished his sentence: "... that is quite an unexpected thing, but... Well, when that
is their custom," he shrugged, "I'm fine with whatever they do for themselves. As long as we don't have to follow their customs onehundred percent."
"Nah, we don't have to when we don't like. And, there's the tigers," Anne pointed at the giant leonine figure, the 'Patriarch'.
"Lions you mean?" Peter looked puzzled at Anne, but Manfred shook his head: "Harun most likely didn't tell you as for him they are all cats. Leonine and
tiger like forms are both the same. They are variations, like our haircolors I think.
Tanaz tried to explain it to me, but we are lacking too many words as of yet."
Anne nodded eagerly: "There's a long story behind. I guess you can learn it when it interests you. But they have families like we do."
One of the other children prodded them from behind: "It's nice that you have your connections amongst the natives, but we don't.
I'd really love to hear them introduce themselves."
Anne rolled her eyes, whilst Manfred blushed and looked at his feet and Peter pouted. But they did shut up.
Another fennekim stepped to the fore, wearing rather subdued colors. Over his shoulder he carried a banjo which he swung to the fore and started playing.
It sounded like an avalanche crashing into a guitar shop. Behind him an amazone played what looked like an oboe.
Within seconds his music grew slower and more calm, and her play became more prominent.
Then they both played an accord on their instruments and bowed lightly each:
"We are the instrument builders guild of Tehuioy. Our guildhouse is roomy and well suited to house more than us. So, for those who also love to create music,
to play it and to build the instruments in cooperation with the honorable metalworkers and the famous woodworkers of Tehuioy, our guildhouse shall be open."
The amazone behind him flickered her ears and looked at the small, almost frail fennekim before her. Then she snorted:
"We have space for two of you humans. A third place we keep for the next apprentice or passing through journeyman."
He played a small ditto on his banjo. After she stepped back into the mass of people, he followed her, bowing deeply to everybody and nobody in particular.
Many of the fennekims that presented themselves were guildmasters. Some were traders, one even openly admitting that he hoped to get ideas for new
tradegoods from the humans. Next were the amazones. The towns public blacksmith, a muscular mare wearing a leather apron and a heavy hammer on her broad belt,
began introducing herself and her offer to house one strong boy or girl. Next was an amazone who introduced herself as the mistress of the masons guild.
That her seven fennekim assistants all wore red pointed caps produced a lot of glee amongst the children.
The waterworkers were represented by two small amazones. Small in this case meant that they were just as tall as a tall human and not two heads taller.
The children whispered amongst each other when they realized that the fennekim had, for a large part, been craftsmen of the arts, whilst the amazones
represented almost exclusively jobs the children understood as physical hard work.
One of two surprises were the gardeners:
Those were equally amazones and fennekims alike.
A loud snoring from the podest informed everybody that the honorable eldest was obviously busy with very important political decisionmaking.
He stopped only when his attendant rolled him onto his side.
Herrman growled:"I want to be a soldier. I'll be famous then! And you guys will all have to obey my orders!"
And he looked toward the giant leonine form of the patriarch: "That will be so cool with such a teacher! All those muscles and scars!"
Anne snickered and Manfred was about to walk the two steps to Herrman, but Peter placed his hand on the other boys shoulder and shook his head.
The princess bowed to her assembled sisters and then to the Patriarch, who bowed gracefully and then ushered a bubbly-curvy,
only 'as tall as a grown human', lioness forward. She wore a bolero jacket and a belt made from some shimmering leather, from which many small pouches dangled.
"Hello," she began, nearly hopping up and down. Her long brown mane was a smooth waterfall over her shoulders and back. And like a waterfall running over
stones, her hair bounced up and down, too, amplifying the effect. "I'm the mother in the place where cubs hide, waiting for their parents,"
Kindergarden nurse and teacher, "and I will need to learn about your kind, too. So, I would be glad to be entrusted with some of the youngest of your kind,
or with one who knows how to take care of your young as to teach me."
She hopped some more, until everything about her seemed to consider remaining in one place as utmost boring: "I am so happy! I will be the first to write a
book on the care of young from a new tribe!"
When a fennekim was funny to see with his boundless energy hopping around, it was somewhat cute. But seeing a likely hundred kilo heavy, two-meter feline,
whos fingerlong fangs showed whenever śhe was talking, bouncing up and down with almost the same speed and energy as a fennekim...?
That had a certain awe inspiring effect.
Still, there were a few relieved sighs from the older girls. Taking care of the five infants amongst the children
alongside learning a new language in a hot desert climate was a taxing job.
Hermann had, sometimes forcibly,ensured that the older girls - at least those younger and smaller than him - took care of the five infants.
Those five were at the moment in the rear, each sleeping curled-up in a basket laid out with a weave-pelt.
WA weave-pelt was a silken sheet into which shedded fur from fennekims, zebras and, so the color implied, also tigers and lions had been interwoven.
That produced a light, short furred fake fur which warmed at night yet did not overheat so much during the day.
Hermann was pumping his fists, mumbling. "I'll become a soldier, a great warrior! You'll see!" And he was gazing at the leonine giant.
A tigress, a zebra and three fennekim stepped forth. The zebra was grizzled and scarred, the feline was, by her appearance, just barely an adult. Both wore a light leather
cuirass and other light armor pieces made from reptilian leather, the tigress additionally wore a brown, long sleeved cowled robe.
"We," the tigress began and bowed, "are the beast doctors," the amazone proceeded.
"We take care of the mighty beasts of burden when they come to town through the desert," the tigress sung rather than talking.
"We mend the wounds of them when they get hurt working in the town," the amazone finished the explanation of their trade, before one of the
three fennekim climbed upon the shoulders of the other two, stating their offer:
"When one or two of you have no fear, but respect for our large reptilian assistants, when you don't mind doing hard work and when you enjoy getting the newest
gossip from the rest of the Alliance first, we would love to welcome one or two of you in our cozy flat!"
Then the three scurried over to the amazone and the tigress, one climbing up the amazone, two up the tigress, forming an arch.
The one fennekim held up in the air by his friends grinned at the children:
"Our door's open, yannow?"
The children clapped applause and laughed. Considering the serious way the tigress and amazone had started out, the fennekim had made an acrobatic
act from the introduction. The fennekim saltoed down from the females shoulders, bowed and scurried back with the two.
This were the vetenarians which, consisting out of all local species, where the second real surprise.
A tiger male, a tigress and a lioness stepped forth. They all wore long sleeved, wide, airy cowled robes of sandish color, and each carried a net over the shoulder.
The male knelt down on one knee and bowed his head:
"Be welcome strangers. Tehuioy welcomed us without hesitation. So we do the same now. We are the heads of the fisherwomen and fishermen.
We share a common house where there is still place. Lighten it with your laughter and song, as we desire to brighten your moods with song and stories of our own."
He stood up and stepped back, letting the lioness step to the fore.
She knelt on both knees, crossed her arms before her chest and bowed deeply before sitting upright again.
"What we can offer aside of housing, is training. Learning to knit nets, how to cast them, how to use a fishing rod. It is a good an important job.
And it ensures neither you nor those you care for have to ever go hungry." She bowed again,then stood up, and the tigress knelt down,
much in the same way as the lioness had.
"We work a lot with the waterworkers of the zebras, for we maintain saltwater tanks and a pool to raise special fish.
We work with the salt-workers guild, the alchemists, as well as several other guilds to ensure the fish and lobsters we raise in captivity are healthy.
Thus our work is rich in variety and needs patience. And we are willing and looking forward to teach this to you."
That said, she stood up, bowed and stepped back to her colleagues.
Hermann was almost perpetually grumbling now, anxious - or as he would have insisted upon: expectant - that the giant leonine, the Patriarch, introduced himself.
Two more tigers presented themselves. They were the heads of the hospital, the medical specialists.
Peter poked Manfred and Anne and pointed at Hermann: "I think he'll be in for a huge dissapointment in a moment. See how he gazes at the Patriarch?"
Anne nodded eagerly: "You think he still wants to become a soldier?"
"Yes. And I bet he looks toward the Patriarch because he's big and scary and muscular and thus a soldier."
Manfred rolled his eyes: "What is it with Hermann? Not only is he trying to commandeer us around, he enjoys threatening us. Like 'I'll make you eat honeyed mites!'"
Anne looked up to Manfred, puzzled: "But I saw you several times eating those when you were learning with Tanaz?"
"Yes, but he didn't. When he threatens me that way I seriously don't care. It's better than when..."
The other two looked at him: "You know that you only have to ask or call for a gate guard when you need help. They're there to serve as mediators or... to stop trouble."
"And you know that they are able to handle him. Even those that are just barely older than him."
Manfred shook his head: "Well, yes. but... Ah, the Patriarch speaks!"
The giant leonine had stepped forward and flexed his giant paws claws: "I am the patriarch, the oldest and strongest amongst the big clawed people of Tehuioy.
I greet you, my children. My household has space for one of you, if one so desires. And I have many things to teach!"
Here Hermann started to smile blissfully.
"I'm a storyteller and guardian of my peoples lore. And I am an expert cook for all things captured from the waters.
And also of some of the insects the small people find so delicious. I have trained and educated many of my small sons cooks.
Yes, I am proud saying that even a few of my striped daughters learned one or two tricks about the seasoning of vegetable meals from me."
Here Hermanns expression ran frontally into a wall, with the wall being the uncontested winner.
"Butbutbut... I want to be a soldier!" he shouted, interrupting the Patriarch. The mighty leonine flickered his ears and gazed first at Hermann,
then to the stratega on the left throne.
"Well, my eager son, there is no reason why you could not fulfil that desire of yours, or is there?"
The Patriarch bowed to the stratega: "Wise lady of steel and sword, did you stop hiring apprentices for the guards?"
She whinnied and denied this: "It just was not mentioned so far. We would surely love to evaluate the skills and endurance of our human guests.
But like with our feline citizens, they are few in numbers. So we shall not request assistance in matters involving life and death."
"Well, wise lady of steel and sword, here you find a volunteer I think. Test him, if he so desires. Test him hard and proper as your trade requires."
The stratega looked at Hermann. He pushed his chin forward and stood straight, inhaling as to appear more impressive.
""Willing he is, wise Patriarch. I shall permit it. Even though I doubt this ones wisdom. He seems most eager to join the ranks."
"The folly of the male, wise lady."
The stratega burst into hearty equine laugthers, baying: "Spoken true! Well, he shall receive the same training as any other protector."
Hermann, who lagged behind his language sessions a bit, hadn't understood all that was said.
But he had understood that he'd be allowed to join the military.
His smile reappeared and he looked at the other children around him:
"Told you so! I'll become a mighty warrior!"
Paul and Wilhelm Huber looked admiringly to Hermann: "You'll become a hero!"
Hermann basked in the admiration of what, for all relevant reasons, could be considered his two minions.
Anne however looked from where she stood with Peter and Manfred over to the oldest of the children and shook her head, mumbling:
"It's bad enough that he believes himself to be the infallible ruler because he's the oldest of us. But to think that my older brothers admire him for
being the lout and bouncer he is... Bleah."
She made a face to the backs of her brothers and Hermann.
Peter chuckled and shrugged:
"Well, you won't have to see much of them. As I heard you were invited to stay with the fenwas in their district?"
Anne nodded eagerly, just barely audible murmuring back: "The unmarried fenwas district, exactly. It's," she hesitated for a moment,
"It's like a huge garden above ground. Most of their houses are underground."
Manfred watched her and then nodded slowly, leaning close to the other two: "You are staying with the danceress guild? With Tanaz and Chaman?"
The girl nodded happily, then looked at her brothers for a moment, smirked, looked back to Peter and Manfred, whispering: "And you two?"
"I'm staying with Harun - rather, in Farzans ibn Ardachs household.
Aside of an ant walking by during the day or night, it is a very nice place. And the sawmill is directly
on the opposite side of the road. I applied there for my first year of apprenticeship and am already accepted," Peter proudly whispered back.
Anne smiled.
Manfred smiled, too:"Well, that's good to hear! The princess requested me to work in their library, to learn the languages of both the fennekim
and the amazones. And I am to teach the cities scribes our language. By the way, Peter, you have this microfiche library... Can I use that?
We have a bunch of books amongst us, but a lot of it are, well, childrens books. I would like to impress them with something more complex."
"Maybe you can teach them how to make photos and then copy it?" Peter chuckled in good humor.
"Well, as you mention it... that might actually be possible!" Manfreds expression brightened, whilst around them children and the people of Tehuioy mingled.
The children inquired about what they could expect in particular, their potential hosts most eager and happy to explain in detail.
Peter rolled his eyes:"What books would you need to help them make copies?"
Manfred counted on his fingers and bit his lip:"Chemistry and optics. That is physics. I'll come over to you this evening and will help you find a good book.
And something on mathematics."
Peter chuckled:"And weeks later every fennekim had a library..."
"Won't happen that fast. I think it'll be a year at the earliest before it is possible to make real copies."
Anne grinned brightly, looking around.
They had stood in the middle before, now they were the rearmost. The others were mingling with the townspeople.
Only Hannelore and Nina, Peters oldest sister, were behind them. They were showing the infants to the lioness.
The little ones gazed at the face of the lioness and giggled, grabbing her broad nose.
She purred in a very nasal way due to the small ones having a very tight grip.
Even when they grabbed her whiskers, which was most likely hurting a lot, the lioness didn't expose her claws.
She just wiggled her fingers into the little ones fists to relieve her tortured whiskers, and then used her tailtip to capture the attention of the infants.
Anne poked the two older boys:
"And I also have a trade to learn!"
The two boys looked at her:"Really? So far you hung out only... with Chaman...," Peter thought aloud before offering:
"Chaman is a guild mistress?"
Manfred patted his own forehead with his palm:"Surely! She is the danceress guild mistress! She's one of the three most famous dancers of the town!"
"Exactly! And I'll be one of her apprentices aside of Tanaz and Lal."
"And that's something you like? Dancing? You've been roughing up the boys your age at times. And now dancing?"
"Pshaww! I can still do that if I feel the need to!"
In the rear a subdued mewl of pain sounded. The lioness asked one of the older human girls perplexed:"And they don't have teeth yet?"
One of the infants had grabbed her tailtip and chewed on it.
All three looked back at where the older girls acquainted the lioness with the infants.
Then Peter patted Annes shoulder:"You never striked me as a ballerina, but when you like it and they are your friends already, then it's great!"
The girl nodded happily:"Only Lal is nasty. She is strong and fast and more skilled than Tanaz, true. But she is so self-centered! Thinks she is special
because her father is the town eldest."
All three looked at the eldest on his podest. He had rolled on his back again by now, his hindpaws kicked air.
And he was snoring so loudly that there was a wide empty circle around him where no people stood as to understand their own words.
His attendant fenwa, his 'maid of honor', had given up moving him to positions where he stopped snoring.
"Ahh... yes." "Very Obvious." The boys looked at each other and giggled, Anne joining them.
"But now, Manfred, where will you stay?" That you got a job already is great, but where will you sleep?"
"Well, there is a former colleague of the princess, a legionaire of the caravan guards. She retired and is now living and working in the fennekims sector.
She shares a flat with a few young fennekims. They seem to be a nice bunch.
And one of them is actually from one of the neighbouring fennekim sietch, one of their desert cavetowns. So I have a chance to learn also about them."
"Do you ever think about not-learning?"
"When I am sleeping. And when Tanaz goes over the various edible things they sell at the market stands and lets me test them. Though that is work, too. We're
working together on a list of foodstuffs we can eat and that actually taste good."
Peter and Anne made faces, imagining terrible things.
"The honey baked apples were particularly good, but the grilled cherries... they still had their stones inside. Amazones consider them crunchy."
"Honey baked apples?" Annes eyes grew big and she looked over her shoulder toward where the town plaza and the market stands were.
"Wait till the ceremony is over," Manfred calmed her, "They make them fresh daily in a sun-powered oven."
The princess presided from one of the water troughs over the meeting, sealing both apprenticeship- as well as guardianship-contracts.
Sometimes she had to explain some details, making the constellations change subtly.
A few fennekims arrived through the halls main gates, stopping at the infants, talking quietly with the lioness and the two human girls.
One by one, the children left with their new adoptive families. The childrens property was to be fetched from the hotels and relocated to their new homes.
Each little group was accompanied by Decana, an amazone squadleader, who served as scribes on such occasions.
They'd take notes what the children would need in their new homes and also take their measures to have, where needed, a first set of clothes made for them.
Hannelore, Nina, the lioness and the group of fennekim picked up the five infants and carried them toward the princess.
From the group, Tanaz waved to Manfred and Anne, who both waved back.
"Why, that's the Ardach family!" Peter noticed, "Seems like they'll also adopt some of the infants."
The three stood there and watched how the lioness underwent a kind of ceremony with each of the two infants she adopted.
"Why is that so different than with the others?" Peter wondered, "There the ceremony was like a handshake and that was it."
"They are babies," Anne offered, "and for all of the people here, taking care of a cub from another species is something very important.
She basically has to swear that she'll defend the lil ones with her life.
And that she warrant with her life should the small ones come to harm whilst under her guardianship."
"Gosh, that sounds... heavy!"
"It has to be. Just think that a fennekim cub is barely a handful for a lioness, or that a zebra fillies legs are barely thicker than your thumb in the first year.
You want to impress heavily on a onehundred kilo predator that she has to be very carefuly with the children of potential prey species before you even think
about actually letting your children into her reach," Manfred offered.
Peter bit his lip:"It's that bad?"
Anne smiled:"Naw. Chaman couldn't name a single occurrence where a cub had come to harm from a cat in the town. But several where a big feline had protected cubs."
"Else the fennekim would not trust the lions and tigers at all near their offspring, I guess."
"The fenwas would," Anne hesitated, "not allow it, I am sure."
In the meanwhile the lioness had left with Hannelore, each carrying a infant, eagerly chatting.
The infant with the lioness held on to her tail, which she conveniently had trapped under her arm to allow him playing with the tuft.
Hannelore had found the bubbly feline to not only be fun, but also smart and curious. Offered, she had agreed to become her assistant in the kindergarden.
Whilst Hannelore was upset with some of the mores of the people of Tehuioy, the lioness seemed to be one of the less troublesome persons.
Maybe it was also because Hannelore liked cats.
Tanaz came over to the three children:"May the sun shine in your hearts," she greeted them with a curtsy.
They all replied in kind, the boys bowing, Anne returning the curtsy.
Anne pointed at the fennekim family that, together with Nina, knelt before the princess:
"Your family adopting the remaining three infants?"
The young fenwa nodded:"Yes. Fathers household had up to sixteen children at peak. So there is a lot of space in the house."
At the princess, two fenwas, one with remarkably small ears, and an amazone each lifted a infant out of their baskets and held them, murmuring
the same formula to the princess that the lioness had done. The greymuzzled fennekim in his colorful dress was shaking hands with Nina.
"And father offers the girl a job in his business. He makes jewellry and small metal works. And as she's wearing earrings, well, I recommended her."
"Will she also live in the household?" "Yes. That way father and my mothers can learn proper caretaking of human cubs. It's expected to become an
important skill considering there are more of your kind in the town now than of the felines."
"An important skill?" Manfred stared at Tanaz who wiggled her big ears and then yipped in glee:
"Well, the gateguards will all have to learn how to handle human cubs. So, most amazones will have to learn how to fetch and carry a human cub.
And most fenwas will want to learn that, too, in case cubs are quarreling amongst each other."
"Calling babies 'cubs' sounds weird," Peter uttered.
"Well, little ones, fillies, cubs, kittens, kits, egglings,... It's just a word,"
Tanaz murred and slipped to Annes side:"Do we want to fetch your posessions from the 'Dancing Lizard' now?"
Anne nodded and hooked her arm into Tanaz' offered one:
"Good bye you two," she waved to the boys.
Together, the two girls left, Tanaz tail swishing happily through the air.
"And you?" Peter looked at Manfred.
"The princess will guide me personally to my new place. How about you?"
The Ardach family passed by, Nina eagerly talking with the two fenwas who each held a infant in their arms, whilst Harun ibn Ardach - Senior -
marched ahead of the little procession, the rear being brought up by the amazone who wore the same style of clothes as the two fenwas in front of her.
"Harun and Tiz are waiting outside the palaces gate to pick me up. I'm living with them since we arrived, so I would find my way even alone."
Manfred smiled, then offered his hand to Peter:
"Whilst I'm worried where our parents are, seriously, I love it here. Take good care of yourself!"
They shook hands.
"You too. I have a feeling Hermann has an eye upon you because the princess has hers on you. Seriously, that jerk already made a lot of trouble back home.
Heeard he is proud that he spied on some people hiding a child in their attic. He gave them away. The kid and the family got picked up by the Gestapo he says.
So, stay away from him."
They eyed Hermann as he walked past them, between the patriarch and one of the amazone squires.
He was trying to follow the chitchat of the two that towered over him. But understanding was not something that was granted by muscles.
"He is proud of that? If I can, I will gladly avoid him!" Manfred had blanched and shook his head in disbelief.
Then the two departed, Manfred to the waiting princess, Peter out of the halls main gate through which all the others that had left.
Already out on the courtyard he could see not only Harun and Tiz, but also his other three big eared friends.
They were busy impressing the gate guards with their acrobatics.
Peter chuckled:"Strange places, strange times, strange friends. Well, I like it here, too."
Then he hurried toward the gate, calling and waving to his friends.
That they were upright walking fennecs?
He couldn't have cared less.
They were his friends.
####
\subsection{Apprentices}
The light falling through the deep green colored silks forming the skylight of the hall gave the impression of standing in a peaceful forest.
Water dribbling from tiny lizard shaped gargoyles into bassins of polished stone provided cooling. Sugar ivy was growing from flowerbeds, up to the
ceiling where it was regularly cut back as not to interfere with the mechanics that could close the roof with wooden blinds.
Between the leafs, small lizards and bird-like things scurried around, hunting the insects that buzzed around the ivys flowers.
On the head end of the hall there were two thrones, one of metal and dark wood, the other of polished white wood and with silken cushions.
Between them a podest had been erected.
The children poked each other, whispering, pointing out the large pictures on the walls and the reliefs running around the halls walls.
The two large doors in the sides opened. Through the left came a greying amazone, in armor.
She stopped before the left throne and nodded curtly to the assembled children:
"I am the Stratega, the strong arm and strategic mind of the town. My word guards the walls, my honor defends our society.
I ensure survival."
Through the right came the princess in her robe of office, a long stole with stitcheries telling the story of Tehuioy and a broad belt carrying her
ceremonial sword. The children had met her on their first day, where she had worn her ornate armor.
She took place in front of the right throne:
"I am the Princess, the heart and smile of Tehuioy. My word guards the towns peace, my honor speaks justice.
I ensure happiness."
The two amazones sat down on their thrones and then looked at the podest between them.
A young amazone who stood guard at the right door caught the impatience of the princess and walked with clacking hooves to the second door on the right side.
She opened it and whispered to somebody behind the door, before she closed the door again.
Audible even through the closed door, an earthshaking belch sounded.
The strategas face looked like if cut from granite, whilst the princess ears flickered in amusement.
Then the door opened and an ancient fennekim in splendidly colored robes and wearing a huge turban came forth.
He was leaning heavily on a cane and a fenwas shoulder. The fenwa wore a cornflower blue robe matching her blue mane.
"Anuthapardee?" the fennekim grumbled well audible to his female attendant.
"No, honorable eldest, its a meeting to finally introduce our towns guests properly."
"Thaddanice! Wherearethey?" he asked whilst climbing on the podest with a lack of dignity, until the princess got up and lifted him up.
Up on the podest he turned around a few times before he sat down on a hughe pillow facing the wall.
"Behind you, honorable eldest," his attendant whispered into his ear so loud that even the people in the last row could hear her.
"I know I'mma stillspordive!" he guffawed proudly and patted her paw on his shoulder.
Muscles twitched along the strategas face. The attendant nodded and then took the eldest right paw:
"You want to see our guests now?"
"BringemIn, bringemin! Cantleddawaitem!"
"Sure, honorable eldest. Here, let me show them to you," and then she walked slowly around him, holding his right paw.
This way she made him slide around on the silken pillow on which he was seated.
"Reptileeggsandcactispikes! Thaddaloddasalesmen," he shouted amazed, seeing the forty human kids assembled in the hall.
The fenwa smiled angelically whilst the princes placed a hand over her own muzzle to hide a ladylike giggle.
The stratega exhaled and buried her muzzle between her hands, her shoulders twitching.
"These, honorable eldest, are our guests and new citizens."
"Ohhhh!" For a moment he sat silent, gazing at the children from under his turban, which slowly was sliding over his eyes until the fenwa
pulled it back again.
"Didaprepare a speech?"
"Yes, honorable eldest."
"I'm good at that." It sounded like a question.
"Yes, honorable eldest."
Then she leaned forward and whispered into his big ear and he nodded:
"Greetings gentle humans! Yeahdismeohyoumeanokay. Immadeeldest... I am the oldest fennekim offa Tehuioy," the cities name sounded like a sneeze
coming from him, "anamthus da Sheyk of the town, the - yes, exactly. Thaddammee! Oh!"
He looked around, pushed his turband out of his eyes as it slipped over his ears and eyes.
"Imma de afvisor in all questions offa justice toda luvvely princess. Imma da pillar of wisdom! Is my," he stopped, thinking hard,
"Imma da lord of de guilds, brodecdor of the fenwas honors, anna king ufda pardee."
He nodded and the fenwa stepped back from his side. Then he reached under his colorful robes, pulled forth a small blue bottle and chugged a good quarter
of its contents, put it away again and bowed to the princess to his left. The fenwa held his turband when he leaned forward so that it did not slide over his eyes.
The princess whinnied lightly and got up, standing beside the podest, bowing lightly to the seated eldest.
He returned the bow with a flourish which made his turband slide over his eyes down to his nose, only to have it pulled back by the fenwa as he sat up again.
"Dear children of earth," the princess began, "in the past hands of days you learned the basics of our language.
Now that we can speak with each other, we, the rulers of Tehuioy, want to introduce you to those good people that will happily welcome you in their homes
until you can found your own homesteads. Also, we want to let the workers of the town present their trades to you, so that you may choose a trade
with which to earn your livelihood."
She turned and bowed to the old fennekim, then stepped back and sat back down on her throne.
The blue maned fenwa leaned to the old fennekims ear and whispered into it. His head had sunk to his chest and jolted up when she started to whisper.
"Ah, surely! Yes, yes. Oh? Now? Ah, Wonderful!" After this babbling he stood up and looked at the children. The fenwa leaned over his shoulder
and whispered on.
"Dear guests of Tehuioy, it is my esteemed pleasure to announce to you the wonderful people that wish to show you Tehuioys greatness,
their own kindness and, ahh...," the fenwa whispered again into his ear, "Ah, yes. Exactly! So, I call in the good people of Tehuioy to offer their
hosibaba... holalla... their thing, yes exactly, to you. May you find many friends here and," he flailed his arms armound that the fenwa had to duck,
"And dadadifumshum. Yes!"
He sat down again, grinning happily from ear to ear. The princess smiled brightly and clapped her hands in applause as did the stratega, the latter
biting her lower lip firmly. The fennekim looked around, asking the fenwa:
"Was it a great speech?"
The two zebras as well as the fenwa answered unisono:
"It was a splendid speech, oh honorable eldest."
He nodded satisfied and then reached under his robes, pulled forth a small green glassvial, uncorked it and slurped half of the vials content.
In the adjacent rooms right and left of the great hall voices could be heard. Then the doors through which the stratega and the princess had come earlier
were opened by a pair of young zebras each.
In walked a lot of people. Fenwas ( in cowled robes, the cowls resting on their back ) and Fennekim ( in various gaudily colored clothes ).
Next came a number of zebras, some accompanied by fennekim. Then came in a figure that had many of the children flinch or shy back.
It was a sand colored giant, more than a head taller than the tallest amazone, with bulging muscles visible on his arms.
He wore a dark brown colored robe, his fangs standing out like a sabertooths.
Hermann mumbled to those around him:
"That is surely the biggest fighter of the town! Gosh, I'd love to learn from him!"
Beside and behind the leonine giant came a few smaller lions and tigers of both genders.
The fourty children stood there, more or less in neat rows and whispering amongst each other, pointing at the various people of the town.
As especially the fennekim cubs happily ignored language barriers, the children had met a lot of the people already.
Sometimes it had been fathers that helped taking happily yipping furpiles apart, looking for their cub to come home for supper.
And at the same time rescuing a laughing human child from merciless being-licked-in-the-ear.
Sometimes it had been mothers who, with their sisters, helped the human children getting an especially nosy cub out from their rooms or their cases.
And sometimes it had been fathers or mothers, delivering a cub by the neckruff from which's muzzle dangled a shoe, a sock or some other definitive human posession.
Then the parent stood waiting beside the cub until the cub had ceremonially handed the item back, making grand gestures and yipyapping something
about that it was an honor to bring back this misplaced item which surely the owner hadn't even known to be missing.
Which especially with shoes was usually not the case.
However missing a shoe since the last furpile would have been much more worrisome if not the weather and the
cityways encouraged walking barefoot anyway. And as school kept the kids busy all day, they had usually little time to, again,
look if the shoe was really just misplaced in the hotel, or if, again, some of the visiting cubs had taken a liking to the 'chewy' items.
From behind the assembled persons came a hearty snoring. The honorable eldest had fallen asleep. His attending fenwa leaned him slightly sidewards, and the
audible snoring stopped. The fenwa looked at the princess who nodded and stood up, walking in front of the podest, but stayed behind the people of the town.
"Dear children," she began, "Let me introduce you to your foster-parents and future housemates, as well as to your future teachers and," she tried to find
a suitable word, "employers."
The word she used described somebody educating and working with others, but this somebody filled in a fatherly or brotherly role.
"I present you Master Bakit ibn Nisra, Master of the carpenters guild, who offers his families hospitality to two young children."
A slightly, for fennekims, rotund fennekim in garish colored clothes stepped to the fore, accompanied by three cloaked fenwas.
All four bowed deeply to the children.
"My household is large and comfortable, but since my last cubs moved out, it has grown lonely. Thus, considering you humans size, my wifes and me
wish to offer two of the younger ones a homestead until they are able to stand on their own feet."
Again he bowed and then stepped back into the group with his wifes.
Hannelore leaned over to her older brother:
"Really? Wifes? Several? That is... bigamy! Why, these immoral..."
Hermann hushed her: "Sis, they are animals after all. Got no manners. Just ignore them."
A few steps away Peter leaned over to Manfred and whispered:
"That's a funny custom. We have something similar?"
Manfred nodded: "In many variations. There were many cultures in the past where there were several adults involved.
Just think of kings and their concoubines. That's our closest european example."
Peter couldn't suppress a giggle: "Even if not for such, they're not humans. It'd be a bit unfair to judge them by human standards."
Manfred nodded again whilst the next volunteer stepped forth and presented himself to the children.
"Especially as there are even today societies where that is absolutely acceptable. Just, I don't know if it is the women who decide
if they want to share their husband. Here, it is."
Anne squeezed from behind between the two boys and grinned:
"Chaman told me just yesterday: When a fennekim man wants to marry, he has to show off his skills, or whatever else he thinks might be impressive about himself.
And then the women decide who like him, and then," she stopped a moment, thought, "And then they discuss amongst each other how many women
can profit from working together with him closely. Like, he is good glassblower, one women is a chemist an can provide colors for his art, which will make him
more successful. And herself, too.
Another maybe is a prospector specialized in sands and limestone, a glassmakers raw materials. And a third one is perhaps a good bookkeeper.
So, together they can start their own business. Else, he'd just be an employed glassblower.
This way they share something in common to talk about. But each can do his or her work without standing on the others toes."
Whilst the next fennekim presented himself and boasted about his families virtues, Peter and Manfred looked at each other and then at Anne:
"That is...," Peter began, "Actually a well reasoned idea," Manfred finished.
Anne grinned up to the two older boys: "Don't you get any weird ideas. Just think of the amazones.
They keep their handful of males locked up in the central keep."
Peter gasped: "But that is..."
Anne grinned and giggled: "The most comfortable and safest place in the entire town. And the most spacious living quarters aside of the princess ones.
For a Zebra."
Peter scritched his head and now it was Manfreds part to grin when Peter finished his sentence: "... that is quite an unexpected thing, but... Well, when that
is their custom," he shrugged, "I'm fine with whatever they do for themselves. As long as we don't have to follow their customs onehundred percent."
"Nah, we don't have to when we don't like. And, there's the tigers," Anne pointed at the giant leonine figure, the 'Patriarch'.
"Lions you mean?" Peter looked puzzled at Anne, but Manfred shook his head: "Harun most likely didn't tell you as for him they are all cats. Leonine and
tiger like forms are both the same. They are variations, like our haircolors I think.
Tanaz tried to explain it to me, but we are lacking too many words as of yet."
Anne nodded eagerly: "There's a long story behind. I guess you can learn it when it interests you. But they have families like we do."
One of the other children prodded them from behind: "It's nice that you have your connections amongst the natives, but we don't.
I'd really love to hear them introduce themselves."
Anne rolled her eyes, whilst Manfred blushed and looked at his feet and Peter pouted. But they did shut up.
Another fennekim stepped to the fore, wearing rather subdued colors. Over his shoulder he carried a banjo which he swung to the fore and started playing.
It sounded like an avalanche crashing into a guitar shop. Behind him an amazone played what looked like an oboe.
Within seconds his music grew slower and more calm, and her play became more prominent.
Then they both played an accord on their instruments and bowed lightly each:
"We are the instrument builders guild of Tehuioy. Our guildhouse is roomy and well suited to house more than us. So, for those who also love to create music,
to play it and to build the instruments in cooperation with the honorable metalworkers and the famous woodworkers of Tehuioy, our guildhouse shall be open."
The amazone behind him flickered her ears and looked at the small, almost frail fennekim before her. Then she snorted:
"We have space for two of you humans. A third place we keep for the next apprentice or passing through journeyman."
He played a small ditto on his banjo. After she stepped back into the mass of people, he followed her, bowing deeply to everybody and nobody in particular.
Many of the fennekims that presented themselves were guildmasters. Some were traders, one even openly admitting that he hoped to get ideas for new
tradegoods from the humans. Next were the amazones. The towns public blacksmith, a muscular mare wearing a leather apron and a heavy hammer on her broad belt,
began introducing herself and her offer to house one strong boy or girl. Next was an amazone who introduced herself as the mistress of the masons guild.
That her seven fennekim assistants all wore red pointed caps produced a lot of glee amongst the children.
The waterworkers were represented by two small amazones. Small in this case meant that they were just as tall as a tall human and not two heads taller.
The children whispered amongst each other when they realized that the fennekim had, for a large part, been craftsmen of the arts, whilst the amazones
represented almost exclusively jobs the children understood as physical hard work.
One of two surprises were the gardeners:
Those were equally amazones and fennekims alike.
A loud snoring from the podest informed everybody that the honorable eldest was obviously busy with very important political decisionmaking.
He stopped only when his attendant rolled him onto his side.
Herrman growled:"I want to be a soldier. I'll be famous then! And you guys will all have to obey my orders!"
And he looked toward the giant leonine form of the patriarch: "That will be so cool with such a teacher! All those muscles and scars!"
Anne snickered and Manfred was about to walk the two steps to Herrman, but Peter placed his hand on the other boys shoulder and shook his head.
The princess bowed to her assembled sisters and then to the Patriarch, who bowed gracefully and then ushered a bubbly-curvy,
only 'as tall as a grown human', lioness forward. She wore a bolero jacket and a belt made from some shimmering leather, from which many small pouches dangled.
"Hello," she began, nearly hopping up and down. Her long brown mane was a smooth waterfall over her shoulders and back. And like a waterfall running over
stones, her hair bounced up and down, too, amplifying the effect. "I'm the mother in the place where cubs hide, waiting for their parents,"
Kindergarden nurse and teacher, "and I will need to learn about your kind, too. So, I would be glad to be entrusted with some of the youngest of your kind,
or with one who knows how to take care of your young as to teach me."
She hopped some more, until everything about her seemed to consider remaining in one place as utmost boring: "I am so happy! I will be the first to write a
book on the care of young from a new tribe!"
When a fennekim was funny to see with his boundless energy hopping around, it was somewhat cute. But seeing a likely hundred kilo heavy, two-meter feline,
whos fingerlong fangs showed whenever śhe was talking, bouncing up and down with almost the same speed and energy as a fennekim...?
That had a certain awe inspiring effect.
Still, there were a few relieved sighs from the older girls. Taking care of the five infants amongst the children
alongside learning a new language in a hot desert climate was a taxing job.
Hermann had, sometimes forcibly,ensured that the older girls - at least those younger and smaller than him - took care of the five infants.
Those five were at the moment in the rear, each sleeping curled-up in a basket laid out with a weave-pelt.
WA weave-pelt was a silken sheet into which shedded fur from fennekims, zebras and, so the color implied, also tigers and lions had been interwoven.
That produced a light, short furred fake fur which warmed at night yet did not overheat so much during the day.
Hermann was pumping his fists, mumbling. "I'll become a soldier, a great warrior! You'll see!" And he was gazing at the leonine giant.
A tigress, a zebra and three fennekim stepped forth. The zebra was grizzled and scarred, the feline was, by her appearance, just barely an adult. Both wore a light leather
cuirass and other light armor pieces made from reptilian leather, the tigress additionally wore a brown, long sleeved cowled robe.
"We," the tigress began and bowed, "are the beast doctors," the amazone proceeded.
"We take care of the mighty beasts of burden when they come to town through the desert," the tigress sung rather than talking.
"We mend the wounds of them when they get hurt working in the town," the amazone finished the explanation of their trade, before one of the
three fennekim climbed upon the shoulders of the other two, stating their offer:
"When one or two of you have no fear, but respect for our large reptilian assistants, when you don't mind doing hard work and when you enjoy getting the newest
gossip from the rest of the Alliance first, we would love to welcome one or two of you in our cozy flat!"
Then the three scurried over to the amazone and the tigress, one climbing up the amazone, two up the tigress, forming an arch.
The one fennekim held up in the air by his friends grinned at the children:
"Our door's open, yannow?"
The children clapped applause and laughed. Considering the serious way the tigress and amazone had started out, the fennekim had made an acrobatic
act from the introduction. The fennekim saltoed down from the females shoulders, bowed and scurried back with the two.
This were the vetenarians which, consisting out of all local species, where the second real surprise.
A tiger male, a tigress and a lioness stepped forth. They all wore long sleeved, wide, airy cowled robes of sandish color, and each carried a net over the shoulder.
The male knelt down on one knee and bowed his head:
"Be welcome strangers. Tehuioy welcomed us without hesitation. So we do the same now. We are the heads of the fisherwomen and fishermen.
We share a common house where there is still place. Lighten it with your laughter and song, as we desire to brighten your moods with song and stories of our own."
He stood up and stepped back, letting the lioness step to the fore.
She knelt on both knees, crossed her arms before her chest and bowed deeply before sitting upright again.
"What we can offer aside of housing, is training. Learning to knit nets, how to cast them, how to use a fishing rod. It is a good an important job.
And it ensures neither you nor those you care for have to ever go hungry." She bowed again,then stood up, and the tigress knelt down,
much in the same way as the lioness had.
"We work a lot with the waterworkers of the zebras, for we maintain saltwater tanks and a pool to raise special fish.
We work with the salt-workers guild, the alchemists, as well as several other guilds to ensure the fish and lobsters we raise in captivity are healthy.
Thus our work is rich in variety and needs patience. And we are willing and looking forward to teach this to you."
That said, she stood up, bowed and stepped back to her colleagues.
Hermann was almost perpetually grumbling now, anxious - or as he would have insisted upon: expectant - that the giant leonine, the Patriarch, introduced himself.
Two more tigers presented themselves. They were the heads of the hospital, the medical specialists.
Peter poked Manfred and Anne and pointed at Hermann: "I think he'll be in for a huge dissapointment in a moment. See how he gazes at the Patriarch?"
Anne nodded eagerly: "You think he still wants to become a soldier?"
"Yes. And I bet he looks toward the Patriarch because he's big and scary and muscular and thus a soldier."
Manfred rolled his eyes: "What is it with Hermann? Not only is he trying to commandeer us around, he enjoys threatening us. Like 'I'll make you eat honeyed mites!'"
Anne looked up to Manfred, puzzled: "But I saw you several times eating those when you were learning with Tanaz?"
"Yes, but he didn't. When he threatens me that way I seriously don't care. It's better than when..."
The other two looked at him: "You know that you only have to ask or call for a gate guard when you need help. They're there to serve as mediators or... to stop trouble."
"And you know that they are able to handle him. Even those that are just barely older than him."
Manfred shook his head: "Well, yes. but... Ah, the Patriarch speaks!"
The giant leonine had stepped forward and flexed his giant paws claws: "I am the patriarch, the oldest and strongest amongst the big clawed people of Tehuioy.
I greet you, my children. My household has space for one of you, if one so desires. And I have many things to teach!"
Here Hermann started to smile blissfully.
"I'm a storyteller and guardian of my peoples lore. And I am an expert cook for all things captured from the waters.
And also of some of the insects the small people find so delicious. I have trained and educated many of my small sons cooks.
Yes, I am proud saying that even a few of my striped daughters learned one or two tricks about the seasoning of vegetable meals from me."
Here Hermanns expression ran frontally into a wall, with the wall being the uncontested winner.
"Butbutbut... I want to be a soldier!" he shouted, interrupting the Patriarch. The mighty leonine flickered his ears and gazed first at Hermann,
then to the stratega on the left throne.
"Well, my eager son, there is no reason why you could not fulfil that desire of yours, or is there?"
The Patriarch bowed to the stratega: "Wise lady of steel and sword, did you stop hiring apprentices for the guards?"
She whinnied and denied this: "It just was not mentioned so far. We would surely love to evaluate the skills and endurance of our human guests.
But like with our feline citizens, they are few in numbers. So we shall not request assistance in matters involving life and death."
"Well, wise lady of steel and sword, here you find a volunteer I think. Test him, if he so desires. Test him hard and proper as your trade requires."
The stratega looked at Hermann. He pushed his chin forward and stood straight, inhaling as to appear more impressive.
""Willing he is, wise Patriarch. I shall permit it. Even though I doubt this ones wisdom. He seems most eager to join the ranks."
"The folly of the male, wise lady."
The stratega burst into hearty equine laugthers, baying: "Spoken true! Well, he shall receive the same training as any other protector."
Hermann, who lagged behind his language sessions a bit, hadn't understood all that was said.
But he had understood that he'd be allowed to join the military.
His smile reappeared and he looked at the other children around him:
"Told you so! I'll become a mighty warrior!"
Paul and Wilhelm Huber looked admiringly to Hermann: "You'll become a hero!"
Hermann basked in the admiration of what, for all relevant reasons, could be considered his two minions.
Anne however looked from where she stood with Peter and Manfred over to the oldest of the children and shook her head, mumbling:
"It's bad enough that he believes himself to be the infallible ruler because he's the oldest of us. But to think that my older brothers admire him for
being the lout and bouncer he is... Bleah."
She made a face to the backs of her brothers and Hermann.
Peter chuckled and shrugged:
"Well, you won't have to see much of them. As I heard you were invited to stay with the fenwas in their district?"
Anne nodded eagerly, just barely audible murmuring back: "The unmarried fenwas district, exactly. It's," she hesitated for a moment,
"It's like a huge garden above ground. Most of their houses are underground."
Manfred watched her and then nodded slowly, leaning close to the other two: "You are staying with the danceress guild? With Tanaz and Chaman?"
The girl nodded happily, then looked at her brothers for a moment, smirked, looked back to Peter and Manfred, whispering: "And you two?"
"I'm staying with Harun - rather, in Farzans ibn Ardachs household.
Aside of an ant walking by during the day or night, it is a very nice place. And the sawmill is directly
on the opposite side of the road. I applied there for my first year of apprenticeship and am already accepted," Peter proudly whispered back.
Anne smiled.
Manfred smiled, too:"Well, that's good to hear! The princess requested me to work in their library, to learn the languages of both the fennekim
and the amazones. And I am to teach the cities scribes our language. By the way, Peter, you have this microfiche library... Can I use that?
We have a bunch of books amongst us, but a lot of it are, well, childrens books. I would like to impress them with something more complex."
"Maybe you can teach them how to make photos and then copy it?" Peter chuckled in good humor.
"Well, as you mention it... that might actually be possible!" Manfreds expression brightened, whilst around them children and the people of Tehuioy mingled.
The children inquired about what they could expect in particular, their potential hosts most eager and happy to explain in detail.
Peter rolled his eyes:"What books would you need to help them make copies?"
Manfred counted on his fingers and bit his lip:"Chemistry and optics. That is physics. I'll come over to you this evening and will help you find a good book.
And something on mathematics."
Peter chuckled:"And weeks later every fennekim had a library..."
"Won't happen that fast. I think it'll be a year at the earliest before it is possible to make real copies."
Anne grinned brightly, looking around.
They had stood in the middle before, now they were the rearmost. The others were mingling with the townspeople.
Only Hannelore and Nina, Peters oldest sister, were behind them. They were showing the infants to the lioness.
The little ones gazed at the face of the lioness and giggled, grabbing her broad nose.
She purred in a very nasal way due to the small ones having a very tight grip.
Even when they grabbed her whiskers, which was most likely hurting a lot, the lioness didn't expose her claws.
She just wiggled her fingers into the little ones fists to relieve her tortured whiskers, and then used her tailtip to capture the attention of the infants.
Anne poked the two older boys:
"And I also have a trade to learn!"
The two boys looked at her:"Really? So far you hung out only... with Chaman...," Peter thought aloud before offering:
"Chaman is a guild mistress?"
Manfred patted his own forehead with his palm:"Surely! She is the danceress guild mistress! She's one of the three most famous dancers of the town!"
"Exactly! And I'll be one of her apprentices aside of Tanaz and Lal."
"And that's something you like? Dancing? You've been roughing up the boys your age at times. And now dancing?"
"Pshaww! I can still do that if I feel the need to!"
In the rear a subdued mewl of pain sounded. The lioness asked one of the older human girls perplexed:"And they don't have teeth yet?"
One of the infants had grabbed her tailtip and chewed on it.
All three looked back at where the older girls acquainted the lioness with the infants.
Then Peter patted Annes shoulder:"You never striked me as a ballerina, but when you like it and they are your friends already, then it's great!"
The girl nodded happily:"Only Lal is nasty. She is strong and fast and more skilled than Tanaz, true. But she is so self-centered! Thinks she is special
because her father is the town eldest."
All three looked at the eldest on his podest. He had rolled on his back again by now, his hindpaws kicked air.
And he was snoring so loudly that there was a wide empty circle around him where no people stood as to understand their own words.
His attendant fenwa, his 'maid of honor', had given up moving him to positions where he stopped snoring.
"Ahh... yes." "Very Obvious." The boys looked at each other and giggled, Anne joining them.
"But now, Manfred, where will you stay?" That you got a job already is great, but where will you sleep?"
"Well, there is a former colleague of the princess, a legionaire of the caravan guards. She retired and is now living and working in the fennekims sector.
She shares a flat with a few young fennekims. They seem to be a nice bunch.
And one of them is actually from one of the neighbouring fennekim sietch, one of their desert cavetowns. So I have a chance to learn also about them."
"Do you ever think about not-learning?"
"When I am sleeping. And when Tanaz goes over the various edible things they sell at the market stands and lets me test them. Though that is work, too. We're
working together on a list of foodstuffs we can eat and that actually taste good."
Peter and Anne made faces, imagining terrible things.
"The honey baked apples were particularly good, but the grilled cherries... they still had their stones inside. Amazones consider them crunchy."
"Honey baked apples?" Annes eyes grew big and she looked over her shoulder toward where the town plaza and the market stands were.
"Wait till the ceremony is over," Manfred calmed her, "They make them fresh daily in a sun-powered oven."
The princess presided from one of the water troughs over the meeting, sealing both apprenticeship- as well as guardianship-contracts.
Sometimes she had to explain some details, making the constellations change subtly.
A few fennekims arrived through the halls main gates, stopping at the infants, talking quietly with the lioness and the two human girls.
One by one, the children left with their new adoptive families. The childrens property was to be fetched from the hotels and relocated to their new homes.
Each little group was accompanied by Decana, an amazone squadleader, who served as scribes on such occasions.
They'd take notes what the children would need in their new homes and also take their measures to have, where needed, a first set of clothes made for them.
Hannelore, Nina, the lioness and the group of fennekim picked up the five infants and carried them toward the princess.
From the group, Tanaz waved to Manfred and Anne, who both waved back.
"Why, that's the Ardach family!" Peter noticed, "Seems like they'll also adopt some of the infants."
The three stood there and watched how the lioness underwent a kind of ceremony with each of the two infants she adopted.
"Why is that so different than with the others?" Peter wondered, "There the ceremony was like a handshake and that was it."
"They are babies," Anne offered, "and for all of the people here, taking care of a cub from another species is something very important.
She basically has to swear that she'll defend the lil ones with her life.
And that she warrant with her life should the small ones come to harm whilst under her guardianship."
"Gosh, that sounds... heavy!"
"It has to be. Just think that a fennekim cub is barely a handful for a lioness, or that a zebra fillies legs are barely thicker than your thumb in the first year.
You want to impress heavily on a onehundred kilo predator that she has to be very carefuly with the children of potential prey species before you even think
about actually letting your children into her reach," Manfred offered.
Peter bit his lip:"It's that bad?"
Anne smiled:"Naw. Chaman couldn't name a single occurrence where a cub had come to harm from a cat in the town. But several where a big feline had protected cubs."
"Else the fennekim would not trust the lions and tigers at all near their offspring, I guess."
"The fenwas would," Anne hesitated, "not allow it, I am sure."
In the meanwhile the lioness had left with Hannelore, each carrying a infant, eagerly chatting.
The infant with the lioness held on to her tail, which she conveniently had trapped under her arm to allow him playing with the tuft.
Hannelore had found the bubbly feline to not only be fun, but also smart and curious. Offered, she had agreed to become her assistant in the kindergarden.
Whilst Hannelore was upset with some of the mores of the people of Tehuioy, the lioness seemed to be one of the less troublesome persons.
Maybe it was also because Hannelore liked cats.
Tanaz came over to the three children:"May the sun shine in your hearts," she greeted them with a curtsy.
They all replied in kind, the boys bowing, Anne returning the curtsy.
Anne pointed at the fennekim family that, together with Nina, knelt before the princess:
"Your family adopting the remaining three infants?"
The young fenwa nodded:"Yes. Fathers household had up to sixteen children at peak. So there is a lot of space in the house."
At the princess, two fenwas, one with remarkably small ears, and an amazone each lifted a infant out of their baskets and held them, murmuring
the same formula to the princess that the lioness had done. The greymuzzled fennekim in his colorful dress was shaking hands with Nina.
"And father offers the girl a job in his business. He makes jewellry and small metal works. And as she's wearing earrings, well, I recommended her."
"Will she also live in the household?" "Yes. That way father and my mothers can learn proper caretaking of human cubs. It's expected to become an
important skill considering there are more of your kind in the town now than of the felines."
"An important skill?" Manfred stared at Tanaz who wiggled her big ears and then yipped in glee:
"Well, the gateguards will all have to learn how to handle human cubs. So, most amazones will have to learn how to fetch and carry a human cub.
And most fenwas will want to learn that, too, in case cubs are quarreling amongst each other."
"Calling babies 'cubs' sounds weird," Peter uttered.
"Well, little ones, fillies, cubs, kittens, kits, egglings,... It's just a word,"
Tanaz murred and slipped to Annes side:"Do we want to fetch your posessions from the 'Dancing Lizard' now?"
Anne nodded and hooked her arm into Tanaz' offered one:
"Good bye you two," she waved to the boys.
Together, the two girls left, Tanaz tail swishing happily through the air.
"And you?" Peter looked at Manfred.
"The princess will guide me personally to my new place. How about you?"
The Ardach family passed by, Nina eagerly talking with the two fenwas who each held a infant in their arms, whilst Harun ibn Ardach - Senior -
marched ahead of the little procession, the rear being brought up by the amazone who wore the same style of clothes as the two fenwas in front of her.
"Harun and Tiz are waiting outside the palaces gate to pick me up. I'm living with them since we arrived, so I would find my way even alone."
Manfred smiled, then offered his hand to Peter:
"Whilst I'm worried where our parents are, seriously, I love it here. Take good care of yourself!"
They shook hands.
"You too. I have a feeling Hermann has an eye upon you because the princess has hers on you. Seriously, that jerk already made a lot of trouble back home.
Heeard he is proud that he spied on some people hiding a child in their attic. He gave them away. The kid and the family got picked up by the Gestapo he says.
So, stay away from him."
They eyed Hermann as he walked past them, between the patriarch and one of the amazone squires.
He was trying to follow the chitchat of the two that towered over him. But understanding was not something that was granted by muscles.
"He is proud of that? If I can, I will gladly avoid him!" Manfred had blanched and shook his head in disbelief.
Then the two departed, Manfred to the waiting princess, Peter out of the halls main gate through which all the others that had left.
Already out on the courtyard he could see not only Harun and Tiz, but also his other three big eared friends.
They were busy impressing the gate guards with their acrobatics.
Peter chuckled:"Strange places, strange times, strange friends. Well, I like it here, too."
Then he hurried toward the gate, calling and waving to his friends.
That they were upright walking fennecs?
He couldn't have cared less.
They were his friends.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Scenery
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Female
Size 1100 x 1100px
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