Ray’s Bar used to be some form of secondary storage space for the main warehouse, judging by the still intact shutter attached to the top of the entrance. Now, well carved and fashioned wood was everywhere. Rustic tables were paired with mismatched, cushioned chairs that were scattered all over a room that was around fifteen metres deep. Along the walls were benches, also cushioned but at least more uniform in their construction with dark wooden frames. Adorning the walls was a collection of colourful photographs and faded sheets ranging from recruitment notices to movie posters that wouldn’t have been out of place in the 80’s and 90’s. He could even make out the odd landscape painting held up against the lightly coloured walls.

  The bar itself that filled an entire corner was calved out of solid dark wood, backed up with matching tall chairs. Cabinets mounted on the wall glistened with glassware and colourful bottles. The rear wall and the space above the bar were littered with more cosmetic touches: Old signs, a pair of antlers, crossed swords, simple trophies. Even an old kayak was mounted up high above the bar. But standing out amongst all that was a pair of flags, both unmarked and clean. The first possessed blue, white and green horizontal stripes while embroidered across the front was a single dark green, almost black stylised conifer.

  He had seen it flashed a few times on videos and photos back in Britain. The Flag of Cascadia.

  The other was something Audas didn’t recognise though. It used a similar array of colours, and the layout reminded him of the Canadian Flag. One white square, flanked by a green vertical stripe to the right and a blue stripe on the left that was so dark, it could have looked black at the right angle. But at the centre of the square, surrounded by a black outline, was the stylised form of a golden wolf head.

  Audas didn’t need to guess what that represented.

  But beyond that, the entire place didn’t look that much different from an old English pub.

  A handful of Nyúlfur were scattered around the tables, their voices briefly being overshadowed by the odd clink of glasses. Audas could make out the brown-furred Ray behind the bar, cleaning a used glass with a practiced hand.

  Dryston was sat at a round table just before the bar, sipping from a wooden cup. Next to him, holding onto a cup of her own was Alika.

  She must have got back up earlier. That… might make things easier. Or not. He let out a hesitant sigh. Only one way to find out.

  Audas slipped through the tables. He had alienated Dray for little reason beyond pure anger and frankly, he wouldn’t blame him if he wanted nothing more to do with him. But at this point, Dray and Alika were still his best bets at navigating this Nyúlfur world. The simple fact remained… he needed their help.

  As he pushed up towards their table, he glanced towards the bar to see Ray’s narrowed eyes fixed on him, even as he worked on another glass. Again, Audas couldn’t blame him for being wary.

  “I know he’s got a lot on his plate.” Dray said over the din of the bar, “But how can I try and help when he just pushes people away? Even Dorian doesn’t do that much.”

  Alika nodded slowly back, “The best thing we can do now is just give him some space, he and Kaine will come around.”

  Dray huffed, “We’re going to be waiting awhile on that. You know what Kaine’s like.”

  Audas stopped himself just a couple of metres short of them, taking a moment to straighten his back. Well… here goes nothing…

  He took a final, cautionary breath.

  “Hi.”

  The two Nyúlfur turned towards him. Dray stiffened and leaned back in his chair as he stared up at Audas. Alika’s eyes widened and her gaze flicked between the two men. “Audas.” She stuttered.

  “Alika.”

  “Hey.” Dray said.

  “Hey.”

  Audas stood staring at the two in silence like an awkward tree stump, whilst Alika still glanced between himself and Dray. As if she wasn’t exactly sure how to respond either.

  Come on Audas, you can do better than this…

  He waved a hand towards them. “Mind if I join you?”

  Alika turned properly towards him, “Sure. Dray?”

  The brown furred Nyúlfur’s head swivelled towards her, then back to Audas, scanning him over.

  Finally, Dray relaxed and nodded.

  Audas settled down into one of the chairs opposite them, sinking into the soft cushioning as Dray and Alika watched on. Every second felt like it added a sore itch at the base of his skull, and he desperate for some relief, he started to speak.

  “Look-“ “Look-“

  Audas blinked, mouth half open just as Dray’s jaw was left hanging, the words dying on their tongues.

  Groaning, Audas rested his head against his furred palm. Oh for crying out loud… He motioned a hand towards Dray, hoping he got the message to go first.

  He did.

  “Audas… I’m sorry.”

  Audas blinked again, “What?”

  Dray rested his hands onto the tabletop, “I should have thought twice before taking you to see Kaine and Dorian. I thought it would make for a decent icebreaker whilst we had the time but…” he frowned, “…you know what happened.”

  Lowering the hand, Audas leaned forward, “Dray, the whole thing wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t let Kaine drive me up the wall.”

  The Nyúlfur pulled a short smile, “Looks like we both made a few bad choices, didn’t we?”

  “Shit happens.” Audas chuckled, letting some warmth seep through. “I learned that a long time ago.”

  The smile grew even bigger.

  Phew. Okay, water under the bridge.

  “I told you it’d be fine Dray.” Alika said, a massive grin forming across her face.

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  Audas’ couldn’t hide the smirk, “Can’t help but ask though, how long did you reckon it would take?” he asked. “ You know, before we started talking again?”

  A little bit of satisfaction crept in as the two Nyúlfur seem to shrink a millimetre, clearly not thinking he’d heard their conversation. Dray replied first, “Five days?” he said, almost floating up as his tone came across as… almost a teasing one as he looked towards Alika.

  She glanced between the two of them, drumming her fingers gingerly across the surface. “I… wouldn’t say.” She replied with a slight nervous tick.

  “Alika…” Audas egged on, prying for information and allowing for a sly smirk to form.

  Leaning back, she tried to snap her eyes back towards Audas. As if she was begging for him to say something else. Smirk growing ever bigger, he merely tilted his head back.

  She rolled her eyes, fist landing on the wood with a gentle thump, “Alright, six days.” She replied, flicking a strand of hair back.

  He held his gaze on her for a moment, catching the flicker of Dray turning back towards him. He shrugged, “Right, makes sense.”

  Chuckles broke out. Audas grinned, sensing an airy sensation run through him as he sank deeper into the chair. For once, he didn’t see the need or the point in questioning what they had in mind for him. Right now, he was just glad to be able to crack a smile.

  “Looks like someone’s in better ‘ood.”

  Ray approached the table, holding a wooden mug in one hand. “You could say that.” Audas admitted. “Like what you’ve done with the place.”

  The amber-eyed wolf flashed a toothy grin, “Took a lil’ time to build it up, but you could say that with the rest of the town.” He placed the cup down onto the table in front of him. “And since you’re not causin’ any trouble. ‘ere’s one on the house.”

  Audas raised a brow at the cup, yellow fluid rolling inside. “Thanks. What is it?”

  The bartender huffed, “What am I, a waiter? Give ‘er a try!”

  Shrugging, he took the cup and raised it to his lips. A zingy, fresh flavour rolled down his throat, and yet it was a familiar taste.

  Orange Juice. He mused, lowering the cup and giving an approving nod back. “Thanks.”

  “Anytime.” Ray replied, “You’re going to need some cash for anything high end though, even if Kaine’s going to give you grief trying to get it.”

  Audas frowned, “I’d rather not get into another fight with him.”

  “Sorry.” Dray said, “But Ray’s right, Kaine’s not one to let this slide. Not for a while.”

  “Better than my brother though.” Alika stated, leaning back onto the table, eyes narrowed.

  Audas stared at her, “Your brother?”

  She returned his gaze, whilst Dray coughed somewhat inconspicuously. Audas flicked his gaze between the two, unable to spot any indicators of who they are meaning. “Is he someone I sh-“

  He fell silent. The realisation settled as a lump of coal in his gut. Who else had given him flak today?

  “No damn way.” He uttered.

  “Yes way.” Alika confessed, her voice blunt.

  “Dorian can’t be your brother!” he blurted out.

  “Don’t see the resemblance?”

  He scanned her over, the brown fur, the splash of grey with the same colour eyes… She’s got a point. Great, I’ve made an enemy of her brother without doing anything but showing up.

  Sighing, Audas took another sip of the juice, “And how difficult would it be to mend things?”

  “I wouldn’t Dorian at all.” Alika scoffed, “He’s not been the same for a while. Kaine… hard to say.”

  “And I would highly recommend avoid another fight…” Ray murmured. “’’Scuse me”

  The bartender stepped away from the table, making his way further up the bar room towards another cluster of Nyúlfur.

  Audas closed his eyes, he may have got the foot through the door again with Dray and Alika, but he was going to have to work more to get the other’s support. And Dorian might as well be impossible. Another fight would cause more harm than good and he would have to figure out who else he could get more of those bridges built with. Come to think of it…

  He looked towards Dray, “You saw how badly I fought right?”

  Dray stared blankly at him for a second, only to bite down on his lip. “I… you managed-“

  “Dray, be honest with me.” Audas urged firmly, wanting a straightforward answer. He had never liked anyone beating around the bush, not over simple matters. Even if this whole situation was anything but straightforward or simple.

  The Nyúlfur froze, hesitant. “Well… he did wipe the floor with you.”

  “From what I heard on the way back in it was more than that.” Alika confessed.

  Audas narrowed his eyes, “I did manage to surprise him though.”

  “That’s the thing though.” Dray replied, “Surprise. If he wanted to kill you…”

  “I’d be a bloody corpse.” He finished for him. Audas hadn’t used anything bigger than a knife or a hatchet in his life. And that in the case of the former, that was for about ten minutes. In the case of hatchet, never in an actual fight. He didn’t have the foggiest idea about swords! He shuffled his feet under the table. The faceplants were humiliating enough.

  Dray frowned, tugging at his sleeve. “I didn’t want to ask then but… have you actually learned how to use a sword?”

  The air seemed to cool around Audas, chilling and stiffening him where he sat. This was one of those points he realised. When Everest said I had to start revealing a bit about myself.

  But what if he told the truth now? Would it backfire? Reveal his identity?

  Well… Audas glumly admitted, Only one way to find out. Here goes…

  With a breath, he steadied himself. “I… haven’t used anything bigger than a knife.”

  Alika’s ears straightened up, “Not at all? No training?”

  “Never.” Audas admitted, “Well, except once or twice in a pinch.”

  Both Nyúlfur stared at him not with hostility, at least, they didn’t look like they were about to lunge across the table and break his neck. If anything, the surprise on their faces was beyond evident. Alika seemed to hold it in better, quickly blinking. Dray on the other hand was almost comically gawping at him, “That’s… that’s unheard of!” Dray bleated, shaking his hands loose and leaning forward. “Every Nyúlfur I’ve known has spent years learning melee combat! How did you miss out?”

  “To be fair I was using a gun most of the time.” Audas stated. Another full truth. “Is… is that a problem?”

  “Not at all!” Dray swiftly replied, wafting one of his hands down in a reassuring gesture, “Still… I’ve never heard of any British Nyúlfur dropping melee weapons out. Especially being part of the Northern Council. Or… any Nyúlfur! It’s just not… something I expected.”

  Council again. Audas questioned the term in his mind, wondering what that would mean to the Nyúlfur.

  That was when he sensed opportunity. A way of testing the waters without actually revealing too much.

  “I… I didn’t have the easiest time back there.” He stated, trying to keep his voice from quivering.

  Alika frowned, “What do you mean?” she asked. Already he could tell she was beginning to slump, as if awaiting the inevitable bad news.

  He sighed, a shiver running up his throat. “I… I lost quite a few people over there… friends and family.”

  As the knot tightened in his chest, squeezing down on his heart, he watched as the two processed his words. Dray’s eyes widened again, his body going erect as his ears drooped. “Audas… I’m so sorry.”

  Alika on the other hand sighed softly, eyes flicking away for a moment before settling back to him, features softening the whole time. Something brushed over his hand, and glancing down he found her hand resting on his. Her fingers slipped round and gently squeezed, sending a faint pulse running up his arms.

  Any other time he would have snapped the hand back. Hostile to any contact as if he pulling his hand from a fire.

  Instead, with what felt like a lump of ice melting away under his ribs, he gingerly gripped onto hers and squeezed back.

  “You don’t need to say anything else.” She replied, voice soothing him as it seeped through his body.

  Head rocking, he nodded back. “T-Thanks.”

  Warmth filled him, And I mean it.

  His elbows touched the table top as he looked towards Dray, sensing another opportunity reveal itself. “Thinking about it… maybe you could teach me a few things?” He glanced at Alika, “Both of you?”

  “In melee?” Dray asked, looking a little bit dazed, “Neither of us really are teachers…”

  “You can still fight well enough.” Audas stressed, “I mean, it would help when the ammo runs out.” Which given the state of ammo back home, I can understand.

  Dray propped his head in hand, his fingers tapping against his muzzle. Seemingly debating whatever or not it was worth trying, or what approach he could take. For a brief moment, Audas almost wished the Nyúlfur could read minds.

  “It can’t hurt Dray.” Alika quietly said, her hand fading away. “It’s a skill after all.”

  Nodding, Dray patted the tabletop. “I suppose you’re right. We can at least get the ball rolling.”

  Perfect.

  “I’m a quick study.” Audas replied, gulping down the last of the juice. “We might as well give it a go now. Still got a few hours of daylight left.”

  Alika flashed a grin, “Eager, aren’t you?”

  “To learn? Aye.” Audas stated, voice dry despite the drink. Another truth. This time so he could strike whilst the iron was hot so to speak. Tactically speaking, he could ease any tensions and learn a bit more in the process.

  And… well, yeah. He had enough shitty bullets over the years to understand why someone would run around the wildness with a sword.

  “If you say so.” Dray replied, unable to hide his own smirk. “Come on then, we might as well work out a few basics.