35. Whiskers
“You two have a lot of explaining to do.” Magli took off her overcoat to wrap around the little tiger girl sniffling in her lap. Safraxi’s armor had begun to slip off after shrinking down into the smaller form, and Tifse had just started taking it off and putting it away. The rest of Safraxi’s clothes probably wouldn’t fit her like this either. “But we need to get her somewhere cleaner first. Think you can get me out of this hole?”
“Yeah… yeah hold on. I think I’ve got an idea. Hold on.” The fox caressed Safraxi’s cheek and stood, reaching her mind out past the walls and out to the garden. “Idami, I need your help. Come back to the door outside.” She then stepped out of the cell and held the door open for Magli. “Come on, can you carry her up?”
Little Safraxi was completely drained after that encounter. She was drifting in and out of sleep in the moose’s lap, leaning against her shoulder. Tifse assumed she was in no state to walk herself out, and she didn’t want to have to try and explain all of this to her sister if someone else saw the tigress. Magli grunted in affirmation, wrapped her up more in her coat, and hefted the shapeshifted dragon up into her arms, with Safraxi’s chin resting on the moose’s shoulder. “Alright, lead the way.”
Tifse slunk up the stairs to the top and cracked the door open. “Let my sister know that the prisoner should be treated as an honored guest, and she’s with my dragon.”
“Yes, ma’am.” One of guards bowed his head and jogged off to find Sel’Ifis.
The other guard continued to stand there, though, watching the entrance to the dungeons.
“What are you doing here?” Tifse prodded. She needed them both gone before she could bring Safraxi out.
“I was assigned to guard the dungeons, ma’am.” The guard went rigid and slammed the wooden haft of his spear into the marble below him with a thunk. “I haven’t been reass-”
“I just told you. Magli is no longer a prisoner here. Get lost and find something productive to do!” She rarely actually got to tell the staff to do anything. Being the youngest child, and coldmarked, didn’t do much for her authority, but a dragon coming up behind her as she gave the order really did quite a lot for her. The man bowed and also marched off to find some other duty to fullfil.
“What’s going on, Tifse? Is everything okay?” Idami poked her head down the stairs, only getting a view of a strange moose carrying an unfamiliar tiger child.
“I’ll explain later, for now we need you to tuck Safraxi under your wing and get her back to my room.” Tifse’s stomach was squirming at the thought of going back to her bedroom, but she couldn’t think of anywhere else to take Safraxi that she wouldn’t have to worry about the dragon being seen like this. She waited until the guard was around the corner before signaling for Magli to carry Safraxi up.
Idami squinted down at the pair as they came up. “Where’s Safraxi?”
“That’s her, the tiger I mean. You haven’t seen that version of her yet I guess. I only got a small peak before myself.” Tifse stepped aside as Magli reached the top. “Hold her out for Idami to tuck her under her wing.”
“Okay, it’s making more and more sense to me why you asked me to come.” Idami opened her wing up and angled it so that Magli could slip the sleeping tigress between the fingers running along her membranes. “Lead the way.”
Tifse’s room was all the way at the far end of the palace. The east wing was almost entirely for staff, especially the guards, and other official functions required to run the estate, rather than the living spaces or gardens found in the rest of the building. Her room was on the third floor of the west wing, with its door overlooking one of the grand atriums. They’d have to pass through the garden, near the dining hall, and past Sel’Ifis’ room to get to it. She didn’t like her chance of making it all the way through without running into her sister.
Magli accompanying them drew a lot more attention. She stuck out more than even the dragon did at her size, and still stank enough to turn heads as well. She would have to see that Magli got new clothes and a bath. She almost wished she’d asked the moose to stay behind, but couldn’t do that to the woman. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
“So who is this, exactly?” Idami adjusted her wing as they walked. Cradling someone, even a child, under a wing at her size was an awkward and straining affair. “And how much further? I’m getting sore quickly.”
“I told you, that’s Safraxi. She’s just shapeshifted again. And we’re almost there, just gotta go up some stairs.” Tifse smiled and waved at one of her other sisters passing by. “Tani! Hey! Yeah, I’ll probably see you at dinner later, yeah!”
“No, the moose. You already told me this is Safraxi.” Idami also tried smiling at the strange fox before her, but it looked more like a grimace or a threat display.
Tifse’s other sister was now engaging her with conversation, whether she liked it or not. At least it wasn’t Sel’Ifis. “Tifse! You’re back! Is this your dragon? She’s beautiful!” To her credit she didn’t look scared of Idami’s teeth at all.
“Yeah, uh- this is my dragon’s aunt!” She was beginning to realize introducing the both of them as her dragon might have been a terrible idea. “This is Idami, my dragon is Safraxi, she’s just- um. Out, at the moment.”
“Wow! Her aunt is coming with you? Those two must be close” Tani wondered at them both. “I’m... really happy for you, Tifse.”
“Heh, yeah, thank you.” Tifse rubbed the back of her head. “Look, I need to get settled back in. It’s been a long trip back, you know? We can talk more later.”
“Oh! Oh...” Tani’s face fell some but she acquiesced. “Of course. Get some rest. I’ll come find you later.”
Tifse breathed a sigh of relief and guilt as she kept going. “Ugh she’s the only sister I have that doesn’t suck. I feel like such a bitch blowing her off like that. But... right, you wanted to know who the moose is. That’s… one of Safraxi’s old friends, I guess. I think Safraxi is better off introducing you when she’s awake. Her name’s Magli.”
“Oh. Well I guess I look forward to that. Hold on. Make sure that it’s clear, I need to switch wings.” Idami moved off to a cushioned bench tucked below a window overlooking the city and carefully started trying to set Safraxi down again.
“Hold on, hold on, I got it.” Magli came in and started to pull Safraxi out, grunting as she shifted the weight in her arms. “Kid’s heavy…”
“Move her to Idami’s other wing.” Tifse directed the moose over, trying to get the swap done as quickly as possible. She was getting antsy. She could hear footsteps coming down the hall, the kind of quick, sharp, rhythmic, and authoritative steps she associated with either her father or eldest sister. “Quick, someone’s coming!”
Idami barely tucked Safraxi into the opposite wing and turned that side to the back wall as Sel’Ifis stormed into the room. “Sister! How dare you release the prisoner without my sign off! I don’t care if he knows your dragon, that’s not your call!”
“Big fan of talking about people as if they aren’t there, aren’t you?” Magli deadpanned from Idami’s side. “And it’s she, not he.”
“Of course it is.” Sel’Ifis glared over her sister’s head at the moose. “Get cleaned up. Both of you. You’re filthy. Dinner will be ready shortly after sundown. Find something appropriate to wear or you’ll be turned away.”
“Right. I’ll just use some old clothes from my room.” Tifse grinned as amicably as she could. She had a feeling it looked more like a grimace though. “You’d probably look about as bad as I do after flying all the way out here in the summer. Heh.”
“Excuse me?” Sel’Ifis’s eyes narrowed.
“Look, don’t get all offended.” Magli stepped forward in an attempt to diffuse the situation. “Look, lady. We’re all road weary and a bit dirty. Let us try and get cleaned up some, and we’ll come to dinner. How does that sound?”
“Tifse,” The older fox’s ire remained on her younger sister. “you will get this friend of your dragon’s to watch their tone, or they will be returned to the dungeon, and I will have you confined to your quarters again. Do you understand me?”
Tifse’s blood ran cold at the threat. A lump formed in her throat, almost blocking her words from coming out. “I understand, sister. Come on, let’s go.”
The party made it to Tifse’s room without any other disturbances. Tifse couldn’t even bring herself to touch the doorknob as they approached. Her chest still felt tight after her sister’s threat. She wasn’t sure if she could cross the threshold without Safraxi’s help. “I-Idami, go ahead and get Safraxi comfortable in my bed. M-Magli, let’s get you a bath, ok? I can clean your clothes out with a spell too.”
The moose tilted her head at the suggestion. “Let me make sure Safraxi’s settled first. It looked like Idami had trouble setting her down before.”
Idami huffed in confirmation. “And I’m not sure I can squeeze through the doorway with Safraxi under my wing. I barely got through that last arch. Plus, no hands to open the door.”
“Right. Right…” Tifse took a few steps toward the room, but flinched back as her eyes settled onto the lock. “I- I-”
Magli seemed to follow her gaze, and examined the lock as well. “It locks from the outside.” It was a simple statement of fact, but her tone communicated that she understood entirely. “Give me a moment.” She reached into her coat and drew out a few small pieces of metal and jammed them in before giving them a good twist. “There, that door won’t even be able to latch now unless they call a locksmith out. Does that help?”
The fear washed away nearly instantly at the moose’s words. She let out a sigh of relief and nodded, only with a mild tremble. “Yeah… it. It does. Thanks.”
“No problem. Here, Idami, I’ll take Safraxi in first, you follow after.” Magli positioned herself to receive the sleeping tigress and transported her in once Safraxi was safely in her arms again.
Idami slipped in after the moose, leaving Tifse the only one in the hall. She hated the prospect of re-entering those walls, but… her dragon needed her. She needed her to be strong. She fortified her nerves and stomped through the door before she could let herself hesitate any longer.
The space was just as she left it. She never kept very much before leaving. She never felt safe keeping more than just the bare essentials, especially with how many of her sisters were seemingly unfamiliar with the concepts of ‘personal space’ and ‘boundaries’. Her old black stuffed dragon, modeled after the old resident, Ulovis, still sat snug between her pillows. Her wardrobe was stocked with her selection of fine gowns, and upon inspection the hidden compartment she’d created in the back to hide her old toy jewelry box was still in place.
There wasn’t much inside, just an old furbrush her grandmother had gifted her, after she had changed her name when she was 6 (it had her real name engraved on it), and an old silver and emerald ring she’d received on her sixteenth birthday from her cousin. Safraxi would probably get more enjoyment out of it than she ever had. Tifse never liked her cousin that much.
Magli placed Safraxi down on the bed and carefully tucked her in. The sleepy little shapeshifted dragon reached over and snagged the dragon, cuddling it tight, but not opening her eyes. “Alright… you mentioned a bath? Whiskers here will probably need one later, too. Sorry for getting your bed dirty.” Magli patted Safraxi’s head before moving back over to the other two.
“It’s fine. I never slept in that thing when I was here anyway.” The fox stuffed her hands in her pockets and stared out the window and the city beyond. “Idami, are you okay to keep an eye on her while Magli and I get washed off and… maybe go get her some new clothes, too?”
“No, go. I get it. I have it covered.” Idami wrapped her whole body around the sides of the bed and rested her head on the covers next to Safraxi. “Thanks for calling me. I know it… caused problems. But I think I’m better off here helping.”
“It’s… no problem. I’ll try not to take too long. Come on, Magli.” Tifse dug a few coins out of Safraxi’s bag, snagged one of her old gowns from her wardrobe, and made for the door.
Getting back into the hot springs after half a year really was what Tifse needed, huh? She and Magli had gotten washed off as quickly as possible to save themselves time before their dinner. Tifse hadn’t even used the various fur oils and ointments that her family loved to keep around in the baths.
Magli didn’t seem interested in them either, just scrubbing down every inch of herself and drying off as quickly as possible. Tifse insisted that the moose was welcome on the women’s side of the bath, but Magli politely turned her down on the invitation, and went to the men’s.
The fox supposed she understood on some level, maybe. She’d transitioned early, and never had the chance to be uncomfortable in her body, as she would have been if she got older before realizing. She could only assume it was because Magli lacked the same luck she did. The potion Tifse had been given as a child cost a gold. Not much for a noble family, or a dragon like Safraxi, but that was more money than many commoners made in a year.
Truthfully Tifse wasn’t sure if the potion was really what she wanted back then, but it was what it was. The only way she ever could have gotten it was through her parents, and they set the terms of her transition in return. It probably had solved more problems than it created in the long run, though.
The pair met up again, outside the baths, when they were clean again. Magli was wrapped in one of the bathrobes Tifse’s father liked to keep stocked on the men’s side, her old clothes tucked under one arm. “Think you could just… use that spell to clean these off so I don’t get dirty again?”
“Yeah, give them here.” She held her hands up to receive the garments. She was trying not to be cold to Magli, but couldn't help feeling that she might be coming across that way. She didn’t know the moose, ultimately. Clearly she and Safraxi were very close, once upon a time. She wasn’t sure she approved of the thievery, but she was beginning to understand the fact that it was necessary for their survival.
“You don’t have to pay for new clothes for me.” Magli thanked the fox as she began passing garments one by one, now magically cleansed of the grime and dirt that had built up for years or more. “I’ll just wear these. They almost look brand new, too.”
“I’m not going to be able to get away with sneaking you and Safraxi a plate of food, and my sister won’t let you in wearing… that.” She was trying very hard not to sound nasty but failing miserably. “Sorry, just- We’ll cover it. Safraxi won’t complain if I take a few of her coins.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Safraxi I know.” Magli chuckled and rubbed her head. “If you say I’ve got no other option then we can grab something really quick. Let me just get dressed again and I’ll be back.” She slipped back into the men’s side of the bathhouse. “So how did you and Safraxi meet? Are you both riders? Who’s dragon is Idami?” Her voice echoed out from inside.
“Uh-” Tifse wasn’t sure how to answer. Safraxi being a dragon wasn’t her secret to give away. “Idami’s nobody’s dragon.”
“Right, right, I don’t mean that you own her. I just mean who bonded with her. That’s the term, right?” Magli stepped back out a few moments later in her original clothes again. She actually looked almost presentable now, if Sel’Ifis weren’t making the call.
“She isn’t bonded with anyone. She and Safraxi are just… close.” She started walking out toward the front of the palace, hoping that Magli would just drop it.
“You’re not a very good liar, you know that, right?” The moose chuckled from behind her. “I won’t push it.”
Tifse groaned. “Parts of the story aren’t mine to tell. We met when she nearly ran me over because she was too busy admiring a sapphire she stole to watch where she was going. She dropped it and I swiped it while she was looking for it because I was being a petty bitch. Then I bullied her in the rider academy until she got fed up and mauled me. Then she… found out about my coldmark, and we uh… found a sort of truce afterwards.”
“Oh, you’ve got a coldmark too? I used to, but, well, it got cut off.” She flashed her stump again with an awkward smile. “I have a clamp I attach to it sometimes, just a simple little bent piece of metal that I can pry open long enough to put something into if I need an extra hand. It just works by tension. Your sister’s men confiscated it though.”
“Shit… that fucking…” Tifse growled and rubbed the back of her head. “I’ll make sure I get that back for you later, along with whatever else you had. But… yeah. I’ve got a coldmark. I usually keep it covered up.” She pulled up her sleeve to show it.
“Ooh, snowflakes.” Magli had to bend down and crouch for a good look at it. “I always thought the snowflake coldmarks were the prettiest. You should leave it out around us. There’s no need to hide it among good company.”
“Snowflakes? It’s just the one...” She glanced down at her arm. She usually tried to avoid looking at it. She hated seeing it. But now there were four snowflakes, lined up into a rough hexagonal grid on her wrist. “There. There shouldn’t be more than one!”
“You’re saying it’s getting bigger? I’ve never heard of that happening to someone before.” Doubt crept into Magli’s voice.
“Yeah well I have!” Tifse yanked the sleeve back down to cover it, visibly shaken. Was it spreading? Would her entire arm be covered by snowflakes soon?
“Safraxi’s…” Magli’s eyes widened as she made the connections. “That’s why-”
“Yeah. We haven’t figured out why yet either.” Tifse picked up her pace out of the palace. Was this growing coldmark phenomenon infectious? Would Idami start seeing changes soon too? Would she be coated from head to foot in snowflakes soon too? There were too many questions, and she was still operating on too little knowledge.
Safraxi slept for a short span, but began to toss and turn after some time had passed. Idami lifted her head up and eyed the shapeshifted dragon before her with concern, until Safraxi’s eyes finally cracked open. “Auntie Idami?”
“Auntie?” The dragon seemed taken aback. Safraxi had never addressed her like that before. “Erm, yes. That’s me.”
“Auntie Idami, I’m hungry.” The little tigress squeezed the little stuffed dragon tight and yawned. “Where did everybody go?”
“They… went to get cleaned up, so they can go to… see Tifse’s sister.” Idami rested her head down in the sheets right up against the shapshifted dragon. “They’ll be back soon.”
“Oh, I’ll ask Miss Tifse then!” Safraxi eased herself up and stretched. Her elbow and knee still hurt where she’d fallen on them earlier, and hurt head felt bad too. She didn’t like it. “Miss Tifse, are you gonna be back soon?”
“Safraxi!” Came the swift reply. The fox was relieved to hear from her dragon again. “Are you still…?”
“Mhm.” The tigress nodded. “Fraxi and Raxi and are too sad and sleepy. Axe only comes out when she has too. I could ask Safi to come out though.”
“Safi? Raxi? Fraxi? Axe…?” Tifse went over the names one by one in her head. Were these all the different versions of Safraxi she’d been meeting? “Are they going to be okay?”
“Uh huh! They’ll be back soon, Miss Tifse! Is big sis with you?” She squeezed the stuffed dragon extra tight.
“Yeah. We’ll be back in a little while with food and your big sis. And… thanks. I don’t know how you knew that would work, but I think despite the yelling and shoving those two worked things out the best they could.” Tifse breathed another sigh of relief. The question now was whether or not ‘Raxi’ or ‘Fraxi’ would forgive her when they were back. Maybe little Whiskers would still be able to help though.
“I just had to let her remember. She forgets a lot of different things, but I remember.” The dragon’s tone turned sad. “Sometimes I have to remind her.”
“The gaps in her memory… you know what’s in them?” Tifse was curious. Actually getting to talk with ‘Whiskers’ was helping piece a lot of the puzzle together.
“Not all of them.” She answered. “Axe remembers some of them for us too. But the other two like to forget a lot. Will the food be soon? I’m really hungry!”
Tifse considered her options. She was worried about this version of Safraxi getting into trouble. She seemed sweet enough, but… less mature. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea exactly, but waiting to bring her food for too long might create new problems, and Tifse would have to sit through the entire meal before she could bring a plate back to her room. “Alright, you can join us for dinner, but only in your dragon form, okay?”