Tamberlane, the experiment; part 1

An orange furred, fox would be playing music of a theatrical kind in a tavern, a calm demeanor currently on her face and sitting on a stool...

🎶 "-And dooooon't tryyyyyy to fight the Gorgon. Be-lieve me-i've tried." 🎶

Weaving a tale of herself having once tried to fight a monster, in the stance of her husband actually doing it.

The crowd follows her every word, the newcomers and children most fascinated.

When her song comes to a close, they clap and cheer over her performance.

"Thank you... thank you all so much. I really try." Traiya tries to stand up, a kick hitting her ribs. "Ooh! Haha. It seems my young one also likes the music!" She chuckles a bit more and tries to get up again, succeeding.

She finds herself a new seat by the counter to rest after all that, as she gets a blueberry fizz, the doors swing open as a new, yet familiar face comes in.

The bobcat stepped in with a walking stick, it was decorated almost as much as the bandolier of trinkets that ran across his shirt. This man waved to a few patrons with a friendly manner as he walked to the counter.

“Excuse me.” Garand says to the barkeep, “Ya still got any of the good bourbon?”

Traiya looks to see the bobcat coming in... My, she was always sweet to him, nice to the elderly. "My good sir, Garand, you hear for another night of calm and relaxation again...?"

Garand acts like he only saw her now, “Well, if it isn’t the silvery bard. Good to see you again, Traiya.” He takes his bottle and sips some. “I just got here, so I most likely put my feet up for a bit.” He looked to the vixen’s stomach, “looks like you’re in good company, did you find a partner since I was last here?

"Indeed I did. I found a wonderful mate. He is a blacksmith. And he is sweet with others..."

She looks around the tavern and then to Garand. "It's only one, but I don't think that matters..."

Garand shrugs to the tavern too, “does your husband need help around the forge then or should I look for work elsewhere?”

Traiya looks to him with a happy smile, tilting her head. "I suppose he could use some help tonight. He has nothing now, but there is an order coming in and he will need to overnight the swords he will need to make."

“Swords?” Garand looks back to Traiya baffled, “He’s gone from making cast irons and kitchen knives to that now?” He starts to laugh, “He planning something special at the festival this fall?” He then sighs, “I guess I could show him this technique from Lumien.”

As these two are talking, an old deer with a cracked horn walks in, he comes to the counter with a crate in his arms. After he sets the crate of fresh bread on the counter, Walter turns to Traiya and bows, “Good afternoon, Traiya.”

"Heh. He always wanted to be an adventurer, as swords are his next craft now." She turns to the door, seeing the deer come in. "Walter. A pleasure to see you again my friend, and a good afternoon to you too."

Walter gives the crate another push for the barkeep to take, "Listen, I had word from Ainsley there's something in the woods. Not sure how often you take your walks, but I would recommend staying away from there. It may have been nothing, given its Ainsley talking about it, but it would be better safe than sorry."

"What kind of thing did he see?" Garand asks.

Walter just chuckles before he goes to leave, "A ghost."

Traiya then looks to Walter and Garand. "A ghost? I'm puzzled. I'm not a big believer of ghosts.... Though I accept that spirits exist. Where in the forest itself did you see it?"

Garand shrugs as Walter already left, "You'd probably have to ask Ainsley themself. Looks down a bit, though whatever that is, so close to Silversage... Maybe it's worth looking into, just to make sure there's no problems coming too close..." He looks to Traiya, "Do you want to go looking for it?"

"Hmmm... Maybe if I weren't pregnant.... Could you be a dear and go check? I can keep the others entertained a bit here." Traiya says simply.

Garand smiles and nods, “as you wish.” The bobcat then gets up and walks out with his staff in hand.

A few hours pass, until a commotion outside starts with a simple claim. “Belfry’s Hurt!”

The wolf's ears perk up! "Belfry?! Where? Where is she?" Traiya asks panickedly, but not overly so.

Ainsley joins the forming crowd, “oh no, what now?”

“It was the ghost.” Briar explains.

At the mention, Ainsley jumps, “G-Ghost?! Oh no, how bad is it?” He starts backing away…

"Has Garand said anything? What kind of ghost is it?" She asks, standing up and moving closer to the crowd.

"One of you go get Henry!" The large badger shouts to the crowd.

"But you can't arrest ghosts..." Ainsley said, as he started to back up, "Or can you...?"

Briar looks to the bystanders, "Please, we need help!"

Ainsley already has run off, someone still has to get officer Henry Sawyer.

Hearing all of this... Traiya straightens up her shirt, an orange shirt with a white stripe around it horizontally. "I can go get him. Where is he now?"

“Over with Doctor Nora, I assume.” Tess said, “I’ll go with you.”

Rallying a group and heading into the woods, night draws near with a heavy rainfall. Wandering the woods through the dark, the lantern’s light then shines off something that isn’t wet. Small sparkles come from a tall person looking over the ravine. “Here, she’s over here!” Garand shouted, waving his arm.

Traiya then, following behind Garand and Henry, looks into the ravine, but not too far to risk falling over with her pregnancy... "Anyone there?!"

Tess runs closer to the edge, “Belfry! Are you okay!”

A loud squeak is heard back, “We’re fine!”

Garand looks down there, “Wait, we? I thought it was just you down there.”

“It’s me and this Tamberlane down here.” Belfry calls back up, “I mean- the ghost.”

Garand looks back to the others. “What is this ghost? Is it really a ghost?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Belfry calls, “I think it’s an abandoned kit.”

"An abandoned..." Taiyra places a hand in her stomach... "...." Looking out into the crevice more, she notices the bat... And a... What WAS that? It looks like a baby, but...?

Tess looks to the vixen, “Taiyra, it’s probably just a wild animal.”

“It’s not a wild animal!” Belfry calls up, “it’s cold, and scared, and hungry, and abandoned!”

Garand looks between the two up top with him, then looks down the ravine, “Are you sure the thing is abandoned…?”

Belfry is quiet for a bit, seems to pull it closer. “I’m not leaving it out where its parents won’t care or help it!”

She ponders the fact... "....I don't think... I don't know where the parents are... What will you do with it?" Asking Belfry what will be done with the animal in question...

“I think that depends on if we can pull the two out...” Garand said, “And I think we may wanna hurry, what with the rain...”

Tess finally groans “FINE, you can take it home with you...”

“I don’t need your permission!” Belfry calls up.

“This rope says you do!”

Pulling up Belfry with the rope, this animal she was talking about seemed… unlike what anyone has seen. There was no fur on it at all, just hair on their head. And the face, that muzzle was so flat...

Taiyra had stifled a giggle as Tess argued with the bat.... Knowing full well that that would be herself in some months... Or even just 'A' month.

Seeing the child... The furless creature... It enraptured the fox... Maybe... If belfry needed help...

Garand looks to this in shock and backs up.

Tess sees this thing and becomes worried, “What?..”

Henry gets closer to the two. “What is it?”

Belfry pulls the thing closer to her, “my Tamberlane!”

“Oh stars, oh stars, oh stars…” Tess finally tries to speak, “Bel, you can’t keep that.”

“I can and I will!”

“But belfry, it’s... it’s deformed...”

“It’s my kit now!”

“It has no fur, it’s going to freeze in the winter, can it even breathe with a muzzle that flat?”

"...You would abandon a child because it could not care for itself? Because it's deformed? Have you no heart?" Traiya speaks aloud to Tess, not getting closer or in her face, but making it known that the expecting one was talking now.

"Bel, Taiyra, neither of you understand."

"Oh, I understand perfectly, stop treating me like a child!" Belfry shouts, "Stop treating me like a child, I'm 19!"

"Bel, the care this thing needs, we don't have the facilities for it here, in TreeHollow," Tess said, seeming more stressed, "You'd have to go... ... ... Abroad"

"I don't care." Bel says, "Nothing you say will make me put it back."

"Don't care.." the Tamberlane says.

"Well, if it's all the same to everyone." An old coyote comes walking up, "I'd like to get out of this rain. Officer Sawyer, I assume Doctor Nora is sleeping at home?"

"Oakwood?" The dog steps back surprised, "W-well, she said she would be up soon, but the new puppy has made it harder for her to sleep as is, so..."

"I could... Help out sometimes. I don't have anything for warmth, but I pray tell, believe that I could give the little one a sibling?" Taiyra adds, "Belfry. Taking care of a child is difficult, especially with your.... Mixing and matching problem, but I can help you."

"You would?" Belfry asks

"Well, glad to hear that's offered," Oakwood says, "She can stop by the library for tonight."

"The... Library?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Oakwood explained, "I'm starting a new research project, they'll be staying with me."

"We are?" Belfry was still very much bewildered by the unfolding events.

"YOU?" Tess seemed like she was ready to blow a fuse.

"You made it abundantly clear you're not interested." Oakwood prodded the big badger's chest, "Can't have it both ways, Badger britches."

Tess sneers about ready to break something.

The fox covers her maw! Doing her best to not laugh, snicker, OR sneer!

Looking around, she realizes two things.

1: she has much to tell her husband.

2: she will have lots on her plate in the future, given everything that happened here tonight.

"That's not... I was..." Tess let's out a frustrated growl, "FINE! I wash my claws of this! Do what you want, what do I care about your emotional well-being, I'm only your MOTHER!"

Henry watches her stomp off into the woods, and then realizes he was still holding the light, "Tess, you'll get lost without the lantern!" he goes running after her. "Wait up!" z

After that, the rest of the group starts to follow.

Walter Picks up the creature and Belfry, "Never you mind Tess, My Belfry."

Belfry looks up at her father with concern.

"I will not take it away from you." Walter says as he walks, "Growing up is something we have to do. Sometimes we make mistakes to learn. I will not take away your mistake..."

Belfry looks to the little creature in her arms, "You're not a mistake. No... you're my Tamberlane."

Tamberlane... A good name for a boy... Lengthy, but still good. Taiyra would still want to get home and speak with her husband tonight.... And especially with Tess.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"This could be a good thing for the town, especially Belfry." The orange furred fox persists as she catches up, passing Henry, who was holding the lantern.

Tess huffs, "And what if it isn't? Do you know what that thing is? Does anyone know?"

"You would have actually left it to the elements? You aren't this callous... I know you better, Tess." She retorts.

Tess looks back to her, "Would you have kept it then? Would you have if it meant you couldn't stay in Tree Hollow? Would leaving all of Silver Sage be worth it just for some THING you don't even know is...?

"Leaving Silver Sage? Why would I have to leave Silver Safe? What does that have to do with-"

Henry leans close to Taiyra and whispers, "Abroad.."

The mention of that name gives shivers down the vixen's spine... the idea of going there... that may be what Tess is talking about."

".... .. . .. . Still. It's just not in my heart to leave a baby behind. A kit, underling, or whatever... It's not right..."

Tess doesn't answer, she just keeps walking back to the bakery.

"I share your sympathy, Taiyra." Henry says, "Hmmm... I might talk something through with Nora when I get back home. something to help Belfry out tomorrow."

"About that... I will also help raise the furless one. For a number of reasons.

"One, I want early practice with raising a baby. But I won't absolve Belfry of ALL the care of raising Tamberlane. Promise.

Two, I would like to give Tamberlane a sibling... My soon to be kit of my own, of course. Every other day, except emergencies, I will try to make time for Tamberlane.

And three, this will also help Belfry... I think she still mixes things up at the shop, right?"

Henry looks away at that, "I mean... she can be a bit clumsy at times, but she truly does care for others... A lot... It's starting to make sense why she would keep that... Is it a Tamberlane? What are those things anyway?"

"No clue. But are we going to help raise it, Henry?" Taiyra asks gently, but certainly.

"I would like to think so." Henry says, "At least help Belfry to raise it."

"I will help, but I will leave majority of the care to the bat, Belfry." She states.