The sun goes down to rest, leaving Rephidim the last few golden rays of the afternoon. Wyn walks quickly up the street towards the Temple, accompanied by Arkold. The wind blows from behind them, towards the Temple as it comes into view.

Wyn says, "Almost there. Thank you for taking me all this way, Arkold."

From the temple gates emerges another figure. Red-furred, wearing an odd mix of Jupani trader's breeches and a light, belted vest, the figure passes quickly by the Zelak guards, ears flattened back, constantly looking over his shoulder. He keeps looking warily to all sides as he moves down the path, as if confused by something… and then stops, scenting the wind curiously.

Arkold smiles and nods, looking over to Wyn and saying quietly, "My pleasure Lady Wyn, I would not have dreamed letting you go alone."

Zephyr sniffs again, certain of the scent drifting to him on the wind… and then confirming it a moment later as his ears pick up her voice. o O {Wyn!! She's with someone… } He dodges off the path, moving into the shadows of dusk to approach her for a better vantage point.

Wyn walks next to Arkold towards the Temple, passing the hidden fox.

Zephyr moves silently closer, nose twitching as he identifies scents from the pair… o O {Another wolf… gunpowder? A guard?}

Arkold looks over his shoulder for a moment, then shrugs saying, "Its is a wonderful night, is it not Lady Wyn?"

Zephyr moves off a bit, keeping upwind… then slowly moves deliberately upwind, letting Wyn catch his scent while remaining out of view.

Zephyr thinks o O {_Lady_ Wyn? What happened?}

Wyn says, "It is, Arkold. I do love the sunset. I… "

Wyn stops. She snifs the air.

Arkold tilts his head, "Yes… ?" he asks.

Wyn swishes her tail happily. "Zephyr's been let out. Or moved."

Wyn snifsnifs the air, walking in a circle.

Wyn says, "It's too windy."

Zephyr stays upwind of the two, deliberately brushing at his fur a bit. o O {Let's see what he says to this… Thanks, Wyn, good clue.}

Arkold looks confused. He asks, "Zephyr?"

Wyn circles again and kneels. "I'm not certain in this light. In another hour, I'll know for sure. He's either out or he's been moved. He hasn't come back this way."

Arkold blinks even more confused, "Who or what is this, Zephyr?"

Zephyr takes a deep breath and smiles. o O {Doesn't know who I _am_. No worries about hostile. Good.} He moves a bit, then gives a clipped, muffled bark.

Wyn gets up and runs towards the Temple as the Zelaks move to close the doors. "Wait, wait," she calls. "I want in. No, wait… Where's the fox? Where did he go? Did he leave me a note? No, of course he wouldn't. He doesn't know I can read."

Arkold just stands there as Wyn runs off, still confused until he hears the bark… he reaches for his dagger and slowly follows Wyn.

Zephyr realizes suddenly that Wyn is speaking the language of this land now… But doesn't have time to think about that as he moves forward. He calls quietly, "Wyn!"

Wyn perks up her ears.

Arkold slowly catches up with Wyn. Paw on his dagger, he calls out, "Wyn… ? Where did you run off to?"

Wyn looks around and breaks into a wide grin. "Zephyr?"

Wyn says, "He's here, Arkold. He must be playing 'stalk and pounce.'"

Zephyr moves again, calling out half a short sentence from one place, then moving quickly to another. "He on… our side?"

Arkold finaly sees Wyn and walks up to her. He looks uneasy, paw still on his dagger as he asks once more, "Who IS… " he stops as it is made clear to him who shes talking about.

Wyn swishes her tail happily. "Of course. He walked me home," she wufs in a tongue only she and Zephyr share.

Arkold simply looks confused as he tries to follow the voices and make out what Wyn is saying.

Wyn says, "I told him you walked me home. He's being careful."

Zephyr, after a moment, pads quietly out of the path's shadows, his tail swishing softly, a smile on his muzzle, eyes sparkling. "You're okay!" he says, in the same tongue, then speaks in Rephidim common again. "Whoever you are, mind not handling the dagger? I don't fancy dodging a nervous throw, I've been through enough lately."

Arkold nods slowly, "Alright… " he turns as Zephyr fades into view. He takes his paw off the dagger but says nothing, still rather confused.

Wyn pads up to Zephyr and hugs him hello.

The fox looks none the worse for the wear, no bandages, his fur neat and clean, no signs of struggle. Unusual, when it comes to him and the Temple.

Zephyr's smile widens as he hugs Wyn tightly, not wanting to let go, his tail swishing. "You're alright," he whispers again. "They let me go. I don't know why. Are you okay? They didn't do anything to you?"

Wyn says, "They wouldn't tell me where you were. I've been out since yesterday."

Wyn says, "They worked some sort of magic to teach me the language."

Arkold listens carefully from where he is standing, thinking to himself . o O (He must be a friend, boyfriend perhaps. Could he be another Exile?)

Zelak guards chitter to each other and close the heavy Temple doors for the night.

Zephyr glances at Arkol and hugs Wyn tightly once more, visibly relieved. "That's alright. That was some kind of, well… I used to call it 'virtual reality'. Just a machine that teaches you through your mind and eyes. But… Why'd they let us go? All they did was talk to me."

Wyn says, "Can we talk about this later? I made a new friend. I don't want to frighten him away, OKie?"

Zephyr nods quietly, looking at Wyn as if he never expected to see her again.

Arkold stands there watching the two.

Zephyr grins even wider. "We're safe, that's what counts. You look better. Not sick anymore? You look a lot more relaxed."

Zephyr glances up at Arkold as he notices him watching, giving him a friendly wave and a smile as he talks to Wyn. He whispers to her in their offworld tongue. "Who's this, now?"

Arkold returns that wave, looking confused and somewhat suspicious.

Wyn says, "No… I feel better. I started feeling better almost as soon as the ship lifted off to take us here."

Zephyr nods. "The magic. I figured that was it. Someone said magic doesn't work higher up. I guess this is higher up. They've been treating you well, though?"

Wyn walks over to Arkold. "His name is Arkold, Zephyr. We met last evening. He's been very pleasant," she wufs.

Wyn says, "Yes. They're a little scary, but they've treated me well."

Arkold nods to Zephyr in greeting, "Greetings?"

Zephyr follows, and smiles. He offers a black paw, ears forward and neutral. "Greetings. Thank you for escorting her, I know this place isn't safe. So, Arkold? What do you do here?"

Wyn's ears fall back partway. "I'm sorry for the awkwardness, Arkold. We've had reason to be a little nervous."

Zephyr nods quietly in agreement with Wyn's words. "That we have."

Arkold nods to Wyn, saying, "Yes this city amongst the clouds can be quite dangerous." He turns to Zephyr, "I am the son of a nobleman… and you?"

Zephyr blinks and his ears flick. "I don't have any claim such as that. But I've been into a bit of everything, you might say. Over time, in different places. "

Wyn looks from fox to wolf and back.

Arkold nods and says, "A man of many talents, I see."

Zephyr nods again. "When called for in different times and places, I adapt. There's a lot of worlds out there. Er… world."

Arkold tilts his head to the worlds comment.

Zephyr catches Wyn's glance, and looks at her curiously, trying to read her expression. His tail swishes softly, and he can't help a soft smile.

Zephyr winces inwardly as he sees that Arkold _did_ notice his slip. o O {Great. Hope that didn't mean anything to him. Noble from a place like this. I forgot how they think of 'Exiles'. Wonderful.}

Wyn says, "Zephyr, do you know someone named 'Envoy'? I met an 'Envoy' yesterday. I don't recognize her species."

Arkold thinks for a moment. o O (Worlds? He must be an Exile… another one. This is three in one night!)

Wyn says, "She thought well of Arkold. We had dinner together."

Wyn skritches one ear. "Speaking of which. Did they let you keep your money, Zephyr?"

Zephyr starts to say something else to Arkold, but is visibly startled by Wyn's question. He stares at her. "_Envoy_? She's here? I thought she couldn't exist without that Tower thing. Yes, I know her! She was on that… in that place you and I were before we came here."

Zephyr puzzles. o O {But Envoy is an android, or something. Biotechnology. She didn't have her own mind, did she?}

Arkold blinks and thinks. o O (Tower thing? Last place? Who are these people?"

Wyn says, "She was friendly. I'm glad she's OK."

Zephyr puzzles over the Envoy question as he absently answers. "Money? Yes. He shakes a small pouch tied to the front of his belt. "Almost thirty of the smallest kind. I think."

Arkold interrupts, "Pardon… but am I right to believe you too are an Exile?"

Zephyr gives Wyn a questioning look before answering.

Wyn says, "Envoy told him things. I don't think half of them were true."

Wyn shrugs.

Zephyr relaxes, and nods, then turns to Arkold. "Yes, I am."

Zephyr says, "Since Wyn trusts you… " He points to her. "She and I were from the same place. She's lost her memory, but we were… " He trails off, then looks up again. "Anyway, we were both from somewhere else before that. I was from several other somewheres, and spent a lot of time… " He points up to the stars just coming out for the evening. "Up there." "

Arkold nods and smiles, saying, "How interesting… You two must be masters of the stars then? Three Exiles in one day… "

Wyn says, "Masters of getting into trouble, is more like."

Wyn grins and swishes her tail.

Zephyr chuckles, and grins too, his tail swishing happily. He reaches up to affectionately scritch Wyn's ears. "Definitely. Stars, no. I just ran cargo, made a living. Getting into trouble… We're both champions of that."

Arkold chuckles at Wyn's comment, "I feel at a loss for words, beings that travel amongst the stars… Two no less, and free to speak!"

Zephyr shrugs and smiles. "Don't be awed. It's no stranger than… " He points to the silhouette of an airship in the distance, deck lanterns glowing. "… those things. Every world has its own ways, and the people there live ordinary lives with them."

Arkold still looks amazed, "Even so, you must know I do not meet Exiles so freely."

Wyn says, "I'm not a star traveler. I got here by accident."

Zephyr nods to Wyn. "We both did. Big accident, we were lucky. Magic, or something." He blinks at Arkold's comment, ears swiveling curiously. "Don't meet with… That's something. What exactly happens to most Exiles?"

Zephyr smiles at Wyn. His eyes sparkle a little. o O {She looks like herself again, from before our troubles.}

Arkold seems reluctant to respond and hesitates before responding, "I am not of the Temple, so I am unsure. Most I meet are slaves. Some work for the Temple though that is perhaps the same thing as being a slave."

Zephyr's ears flick back. "That's what I thought."

Zephyr smiles wider as he's struck by a thought. "Wyn. You can read Common now, can't you, if you can speak it?"

Wyn nodnods.

Zephyr's tail swishes happily. "Well then. First thing in the morning, I'm going to find a bookstore, and see if there's anything like romance novels in this world. You need to start a new collection."

Wyn says, "Romance novels?"

Arkold shakes his head and says, "I am sorry our world is so hostile to Exiles. For the life of me I do not understand why."

Arkold perks his ears, romance novels?

Wyn puzzles.

Wyn thinks . o O { How could anyfur get romantic feelings fur a book? }

Zephyr turns back to Arkold, nodding softly, and then looks at Wyn again, grinning. "You'll understand when you start reading one. Trust me. Arkold? Are there such things?"

Arkold smiles and nod, replying, "Indeed there are. I hope they are to your tastes… "

Wyn looks at the wolf and the fox.

Wyn says, "Right."

Arkold tilts his head and flicks his ears.

Wyn says, "In the meantime, I could develop real warm feelings for something edible right now."

Zephyr's eyes sparkle. "Good." He gives Wyn another warm smile. o O {I hope the 'business' finds a way for me to get more money. First thing when I get down to the shops, she gets some books, she gets some hair ribbons, and I'll raid every herbalist if I have to to find something that tastes and smells like spiced orange tea. She's _happy_ again.}

Arkold laughs softly. "Would you two like something to eat perhaps?" he asks.

Wyn says, "Yes."

Zephyr's ears flick too, and he grins, nodding. "That sounds good to me. I have some coin, if you know of a good place.}

Arkold smiles and shakes his head saying, "Coins? Oh I could not allow you to pay… Let me show you some of use are not as bad as those Temple fiends… "

Zephyr looks up at the stars, his fur ruffling gently in the cool night breeze, then lowers his gaze to Wyn, his expression softening. "Thank you, then, Arkold. That's very kind of you." He turns to smile at the Jupani, then looks at Wyn again, a happy grin on his muzzle. "Someplace with hot drinks?"

Arkold hmms, "Perhaps the Three Thieves?" he asks.

Wyn says, "If it's close, it's great by me."

Zephyr's tail swishes. "Sounds good to me." He moves alongside Wyn, looking at her sideways, smiling.

Arkold smiles and nods while leading the other two off…