As Orion had told her the previous night, clothes were laid out for her in the morning. Tala was perturbed by that. When had they been left? Who had come into her room? She threw the cream colored blanket from her body. Carefully she examined herself but found nothing out of place. At least she hadn't been touched. That eased some of the anxiety that had begun to bloom in her chest.

  She was slower to get out of bed. The mattress had been softer than what she was used to. While it had eased her into sleep, she had awoken a few times with pain in her back and hips. It made her miss the mattress in the barracks. That had the right level of stiffness she liked in her bed. Tala stretched her arms above her head. She grunted as her muscles tensed. If she was home, she would go see Tora for a massage. That wasn't even an option in this place.

  Tala finally stood. Staying on her tip toes, she walked over to the chair facing the bed that the clothes had been laid out on. It was a dark gray cotton material that looked to be billowy in the sleeves but tighter around the torso. The design was close to their training tops with a few differences. The pants were the same leather ones she was used to wearing. As she looked down, she noticed her boots were there as well. She knew they were hers specifically due to the way one of the laces was tied. A fresh set of undergarments were included in the pile.

  More than a few different thoughts were running through her mind as she got dressed. She had showered the day before and felt no need to do so again if they were simply going to the market. It would more than likely smell of animals and food anyway. Unless they were going to run into more Canids, she had little to worry about. Tala went to get the dress she had tossed onto the floor. She placed it onto the chair where her new clothes had been. It was nice to have a new bra to put on. This one seemed to compress her chest a bit more than the other had. She found it oddly comforting.

  As she pulled her hair up, there was a knock on the door. Tala finished wrapping the leather strip around her hair. She walked over to the door. Upon opening it she found Caelum standing there. He was dressed in a similar outfit though his shirt was creamed colored. It suited the undertones of his skin. Even as she looked him over, it was not lost on her how his eyes flicked up and down her body. Was he sizing her up? Or was it something else?

  "Let's go. I much prefer the market before the sun rises too high in the sky. It gets hot and rather smelly. I doubt your nose would be able to handle such things." A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth as he said that last part.

  Tala rolled her eyes as she stepped out past him. "If my nose can handle smelling you, it can handle the market at mid-day."

  Caelum scoffed. "I do not stink."

  "Says you." She left him standing next to the door looking offended.

  He shook off the insult to follow after her. Once he had caught up, he moved to walk in front of her. Caelum was the one showing her where to go. It would not be the other way around. While both were Astrals, and therefore equals to the outside, he was her superior on Betelgeuse and wherever else Rigel might send them.

  Caelum rolled his neck as he thought of the Luminary. Last night Rigel had stopped him outside of his quarters. A request had been made. It wasn't something Caelum wanted to do yet he had little choice in the matter. If he failed, Rigel would have no issue doling out a punishment. The Astral had enough marks hidden under the fabric of his clothing from failing.

  The pair exited the Grand Hall. Stairs were descended one at a time. There was no need to rush thanks to Orion keeping Rigel off their backs. They walked by a few other celestials that seemed to want to whisper about the two of them. She wasn't sure why they did things like that. It made no sense to her at all. Not when she could very easily hear them.

  "Apparently they believe that I am being shared between you and Rigel." Tala stated monotonously.

  Caelum inhaled in the wrong way and choked out a cough. His face flushed bright red as he tried to process what she had just said. "What do you mean they think you are being shared?" He asked while looking over at her.

  Tala raised an eyebrow. "Are you dense or just playing stupid? They think I am being shared as in you're both having se-"

  "No no. I knew what you meant please don't finish that sentence. There is no need." He was shaking his head. Nothing about their behavior had even indicated such a thing. At all. The two were simply walking next to one another as friends. How did others even come to such a conclusion? Or was it because of how Rigel paraded her around?

  She was smirking a bit. Unlike Orionites, the Canids had no such qualms about sex or their sexuality. They were known to have multiple partners though she didn't partake of that. She preferred having one mate when she did have one. It had been a long time since her last one. He had long ago mated himself to someone else. Some thought perhaps she should mate with Sirius but that wasn't allowed given she was his Astral.

  "You're being a prude."

  "I am not. I don't like others speaking of you in such a way."

  That made her stop. He did as well when he noticed she wasn't moving anymore. Caelum raised an eyebrow while looking at her.

  "Why have you stopped?" He asked while taking a few steps back towards her.

  "Why do you care what other say about me?" She was slightly defensive. That was fishy to her. Why did he care? He had no reason to. They barely knew one another. The opinions of others shouldn't matter to him at all.

  Caelum straightened up a bit. "You are under my care. I do not wish to have others sullying your name in such a way. You aren't some pet. You're a Canid. Are you not a proud race?"

  Tala's ears swiveled a little. Her tail was still as he spoke. She felt her a twitch in her cheek as well. "Yes but we don't care for the thoughts of others when knowing who we truly are." They had long ago grown a thicker skin when Orion began to turn other races against them.

  He shifted his weight a bit. "Perhaps you're right. My apologies Tala. I meant nothing by it." Caelum wanted to earn her trust in some kind of way. He just didn't know how to yet. Her situation was going to make it difficult.

  "I accept your apology. Let us go please. I want to see the markets before they become too busy."

  The two of them didn't say anything else as they continued on their way.

  There was a tension between them that faded as they walked. They were soon descending another set of stairs into an open air market. Booths lined either side of the widened area. A few of the buildings there were packed with multiple store fronts. It seemed those were higher end that the ones that were outside. Even though it was early, the air smelled of spices and meats. Mixed among the aroma was something sweet as well.

  Tala's nose twitched as she caught the sweet scent. Without warning, she began to follow it. Caelum had been looking in the opposite direction as she walked off. He had no idea she was gone until he turned. "Tala?" His head swiveled as he tried to find her. "Constellations be damned." He quickly started pushing through the crowd to try to find her.

  Others paid little mind as she wandered amongst them. Most of the celestials here were Orionites. They cared not that she was Canid. Breathing in deep, she kept walking towards the sweetness. It was leading her deeper towards the west end of the street. She needed to know what it was. Something about it was so familiar, so nostalgic. She had to know what it was.

  The farther she went into the market, the stronger the smell got. It took her only a few more steps to stop in front of a booth that had beautiful handwoven blankets hanging from it. Her nostrils flared. The owner of the items stepped out from the shadows they had been in. Tala's tail immediately started wagging. Her ears perked up. It was another Canid.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  She was much older than Tala. There was gray in her hair and ears. Long had she been gone from Adhara. She no longer had the scent of the woods about her. The older Canid leaned in closer to Tala. She breathed in deep. "You smell of home young one." It made a smile cross her wrinkled face. "I haven't seen another of us in a long time."

  Tala now knew what that smell was. She leaned in as well. Her body bent in a respectful bow as she also inhaled the scent of the Canid before her. "Long have you been gone from home Elder. I am glad to see another of us here. May I ask what you are called?"

  "They called me Serena back home. Here I am called Hyran."

  That confused Tala. Her eyebrows drew together as she looked at Hyran. "They have changed your name?"

  "Yes, young one. Have they not changed yours?" Now it was her turn to look confused.

  "No. I am still Tala. My name has not been changed."

  Hyran walked out of her booth. She walked up to Tala. Pulling her in close, Hyran placed her nose against the pup's neck. She sniffed her down in a far deeper way.

  "You are not a pet."

  Tala shook her head. "I am not a pet. I have been brought here in a deal to serve Rigel." She watched Hyran's eyes go wide.

  "That is why you smell of the Grand Hall. Tell me, young Tala, why would they do such a thing?" Hyran motioned for Tala to come join her in the booth. She did so to sit and tell her story.

  By the time Caelum found Tala, he was out of breath. He had run from one side of the market to the other trying to find her. How had she managed to get down here without him noticing? Why was she down here? He stood outside of the booth that Tala was sitting in. He looked over at her.

  "Why are you in there?" He walked over to put his arms on the wooden top of the booth.

  Hyran looked at Caelum. "You escaped his Astral? You are far more cunning than I thought." She smiled a toothy smile showing she was missing a few teeth.

  "No. He just wasn't paying attention to me carefully enough. When I smelled your Lumiris, I had to come find it." Lumiris was a treat on Adhara that was becoming a lost art. The older generations knew how to make it but few others did. She had only had it a few times in her life. It was a scent and taste that was not easily forgotten. As Tala had sat there with Hyran, they had indulged in a bit together. She needed to remember where this shop was to come back when she could.

  Caelum huffed a heavy breath from his nose. There was a flush to his face. It was hard to tell if it was from running or from embarrassment. Either way, Tala found herself looking at how it spread across his cheeks and nose.

  "It seems I do need to pay closer attention to you. Come now. I need to gather a few things. You wanted to see the market right? Come see it then." He looked between the two Canids. Caelum had forgotten that Hyran was here. He rarely paid her booth any mind. Now, though, he was worried that he might have to tell Rigel that Tala stopped here. He was worried that she had given a message to the other to send to Adhara. To Sirius. That was something he couldn't let happen.

  Tala stood. So did Hyran. The two of them touched foreheads gently. "May you stay safe young pup." The pair left Hyran to sell her wares.

  Caelum would take Tala to other vendors to find what they were looking for. Truthfully, they were looking for things that were insignificant. A few fruits here for the cooks. A few trinkets there. This was more to just keep them busy. If they were busy that kept Tala from either trying to run or worse. He was still worried that Hyran had been given a message. However, he wasn't going to go and try to find out. He wouldn't report it. Caelum still wanted to gain Tala's trust.

  Tala was intrigued by the bits and bobbles that they came across. Already she had purchased a few rings and a necklaces that fit tight around her throat. It had small spikes on it. She had bought it to use as protection from t hose who might try to grab her. Typically she didn't need to worry about such things. Yet in her short time here, it had happened more than once.

  "Are you enjoying yourself?" He finally asked as they moved towards the smell of meats and other savory things.

  Her stomach growled loudly. "I am. I haven't seen so many trinkets and things in so long. The markets at home are so unlike what is here." She did miss the simpler things in those markets at times. Though here, she found herself drawn to things that were far more shiny and far more expensive. Luckily for her, it seemed Caelum was given a hefty allowance for their purchases.

  He smirked a bit. "Seems you are hungry. Was your treat earlier not enough?"

  She shook her head. "Lumiris is not a meal. Besides, I didn't eat breakfast and dinner was far from as filling as it should have been." Tala had been sick to her stomach for most of that meal. Stress would do that to her.

  Caelum hummed softly. He had seen how nervous she had been. Whether she realized it or not, she did not hide her emotions well. If her face didn't give it away her ears and tail did. He was fascinated by them. Caelum would not admit that he wanted to touch them. Would they be soft? Surely it was. Canids were known to took good care of their hair and fur.

  The pair walked over to a counter that had meats sitting along it in shelves. Tala breathed in deep. A shiver ran down her spine. It was followed up with a shake and a hard swallow. The man behind the counter looked at both of them.

  "What can I get you two?" He motioned to the pit next to him where meats were hanging to cook slowly over the fire below them.

  She looked over at Caelum. He was already paying credits for whatever she wanted. Tala pointed at a skewer that held various chunks of meat. The man took two off to give one to her and one to Caelum. They both thanked him before moving out of the way to eat.

  Tala tore into the meat with a growl. She loved the flavor of smoked meats like this. "If you ever come to Adhara, I will have to make you something like this. Only ours is spiced differently." Her words were spoken only after she finished the bite in her mouth.

  He tilted his head slightly. "You would want me to come to Adhara?"

  "Why not? Are you not allowed to travel from this place?" Surely he was not stuck here. That wouldn't make much sense with him being an Astral. They were not confined to planets.

  Caelum looked at her. His eyes were soft yet sad. "Tala… Do you think you're going home?"

  She stopped eating. "What do you mean? Of course I'm going home. I'm being trained here to help keep my people safe." Tala stared hard at him. The sadness in his eyes read more as pity to her. Her eyes searched his frantically. "What do you mean Caelum? Why would you say that?"

  He reached out to her with his free hand. She looked at it but didn't reach back out to him. "Please give me your hand." His voice was too soft. It was all pity. All of it. She shook her head.

  "No. No… I don't want your hand." She slapped it away as she spoke. Tala stepped back from him. She kept shaking her head.

  Taking his hand back, he stepped towards her. "Wait, let me explain." He could tell she was about to run. Her entire body was tense. This was how she had looked last night when Rigel had stalked her.

  Tala snarled at him. "There is nothing to explain. I was told I would go back home one day." It made no sense to her. She had no reason to stay here beyond her training. She took a step back with her left foot. It angled her in a way to where all she had to to was push off and she would be lost in the crowd still moving through the street in front of them.

  "Please just listen to me. If you run, I can't help you. I can't help either of us. Please Tala." He pleaded with her while holding his hand out to her again. Caelum didn't want Rigel coming down on either of them. While he held in his fear of the Luminary better than most, it was still there deep in his chest. It lived there all of the time.

  Her ears twitched hearing the change in his tone. She stared him down. There were times she wished she was taller like Cor or Sirius so she looked far more intimidating than she did. She readjusted so she was no long poised to run. "Talk."

  Caelum reached out. He gently took her free hand in his. Looking around he made sure that no one was paying them any attention before he pulled her farther away from the crowds. Beyond the buildings was a spot with trees and grass that was obviously used to sit and enjoy the food that was bought in the stalls behind them. When they were amongst the trees, he let her go so they could speak.

  He looked away from her. His body screamed how uncomfortable he was to talk about this. He hadn't meant to say anything all but couldn't stop himself when she spoke of going home. If Rigel ever found out about this, he would more than likely kill Caelum to make an example of him. It wouldn't be the first time Rigel had done so to his Astral.

  Tala sat on the grass. Despite the turbulent emotions she felt in her chest, she finished eating the meat from her skewer. It would more than likely be the last decent meal she had for the day. It was better to not let it go to waste. She rolled her neck to try to make it pop. It didn't which made her growl in frustration.

  "Would you speak already?" Tala didn't look at him as she asked. Her eyes were focused on the ground in front of her.

  "Okay." He moved to sit in front of her. His legs were crossed. He also stared at the ground between them. "Rigel doesn't want you to go home. He wants to keep you here with him. At his side to prove that Canids can be trained in the way Orion wants without needing to cull you all. He wants to save your kind but I think he is going about it the wrong way." Caelum rubbed his fingers together.

  She slowly looked up at him. Tala couldn't help the way she started laughing loudly. It was as if what he said was the most hilarious thing she had heard in years. The sudden noise shocked Caelum. Scared him even as he had jumped when she started. He wore a look of utter confusion.

  "Why are you laughing?"

  Tala slowly brought herself back to a state where she could speak. She wiped tears from her eyes. Her stomach muscles hurt from how hard she had laughed. "Oh your Luminary has no idea what he has gotten himself into." She was all grins where moments ago she had looked as if she was going to cry.

  Caelum had no idea what she was talking about. "What do you mean?" It was his turn to ask that.

  She just grinned at him. It was a toothy grin that looked menacing. Tala looked up at the sky. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I was given my name for a reason Caelum. I am not some dog to be tamed. I am a wolf."

  He met her gaze as she tilted her head down to look at him. Caelum didn't know what she meant by that but he understood that look in her eyes; she was going to defy Rigel.

  I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reminder that things are pretty unedited.