Fraudulent Death, Draft 01, CH 20 (Patreon)

The scents, sounds, and sights were comforting. Sweat and exhaustion, bodies hitting the mats, grunts of efforts. People fighting in the rings. He nodded at the couple leaving as he entered, then searched the clipboard by the door for Marlot’s name. He wasn’t here yet. Trembor added their name to a ring.

“Well, I didn’t think I’d see you again,” a deep voice said. “Here to teach that wolf of yours a lesson for dropping you as a training partner?” The badger behind the counter grinned at him.

“Good to see you again, Grebor.” Trembor nodded his greeting, not getting too close. How sharp was the badger’s nose? “We’ve resolved our problems. No lessons needed other than me being the better fighter.” He indicated the locker room. “Going to change, don’t let anyone of them steal my wolf.”

“Like Marlot would let himself get stolen,” Grebor answered with a huff before returning to folding towels.

Chuckled, Trembor found a locker, his smile dropping as he remembered this was likely his last time here. Although he guessed saying goodbye to the place by sparring was the right way to do it. He placed his pack in the locker and undressed, pausing as he grabbed his underwear, sensing eyes on him.

“Don’t stop,” Marlot said, “that’s the best part.”

With a roll of the eyes, Trembor pushed them down. “Happy?”

The contented sigh was all the answer he needed. He turned and the sight of the black wolf chased his worries away.

“If you two start making out, a female said, I’m going to be sick.”

Trembor shook himself, ears burning. How long had he stood, staring at his wolf?

“You’ll find someone eventually,” Marlot told the jaguar.

“I hate you,” she replied without anger as she left.

“You know,” his wolf said as he opened the locker next to Trembor’s, “if you plan on sparring dressed like that, we might want to do it elsewhere.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Trembor took the shorts out of his pack.

“You, naked under me, all helpless and at my mercy.” Marlot looked thoughtful. “Yes, I would like that.” He gave Trembor a quick nuzzling before undressing.

The image of Trembor hidden in Marlot’s house for the rest of his days passed through his head, accompanied with a mix of emotions, and one memory of being curled up in a corner, and dark-furred lion looking down on him with the promise he’d never let him go.

He shook Gorrek’s memory out. The lion would never bother him again.

“Was I too forceful?” Marlot asked, concern in his tone.

“No, it’s fine.” Trembor smiled.

“I keep second-guessing myself.”

Trembor squeezed his wolf’s arm. “I’m glad you’re paying attention, but don’t overdo it. I know you were being playful.”

“You smell worried.”

Trembor fought the fear and grinned. “You need to stop leading with that nose of yours. Not everyone appreciates having their emotional states exposed. And it’s the trial that’s worrying me, nothing more. My lawyer called and there’s something happening with the prosecution. He doesn’t know what, and it’s got him concerned. If he’s concerned, I’m worried because I know lawyers always downplay things to their clients.” At least Barany’s called had provided him with a way to divert his wolf’s curiosity.

“So still no idea when it’s going to be over?” Marlot was pulling his shorts up and Trembor considered making a job about not giving him a show, but the tone stopped him.

“Now you sound worried.”

His wolf shook his head. “Just finances. If the trial isn’t resolved soon, I might have to move to another office, or let Hela’han go.”

“Can Jesdan support her if that happens?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

Marlot smiled. “A certain lion told me not to pry into her life.”

“And you listened to him?” Trembor replied in disbelief. “Since when do you listen to what that lion says?”

Marlot’s smile faltered and Trembor cursed himself for going there, even in jest, with Marlot working to—the smile was back.

“Since he’d way smarter than I am.”

Trembor smiled back, putting on the feet protectors and gloves. “Talk to her about it. She’s an adult too, she deserves to know what’s going on; she probably knows already, she isn’t stupid. As for the office, I’d say downgrade right now.” He caught the surprised expression before Marlot could hide it. “There’s no telling how long the trial will go on. The female prosecutor had a piece of bad meat caught in her teeth about it. It’s easier to get a larger officer afterward than you ruining yourself trying to keep this one.”

“There are so many memories in it.”

Trembor took his dressed wolf’s arm and let him out of the locker room. “The memories won’t vanish because you’re in another building. And you’ll be able to make other memories.” Without me, popped in his head, and he had to close his mouth so his voice wouldn’t reveal more than he wanted.

They stepped into the ring and stretched. “How’s your investigation going?” he asked to turn the conversation away from him.

“Stalled,” Marlot replied, and launched himself at Trembor before the lion could say anything else. Trembor caught the arm and redirected his wolf in the ropes, only for Marlot to use them to launch himself at him again, this time dropping under Trembor’s arm and colliding with his legs, dropping them both to the mat. Trembor barrel rolled to get back up while Marlot rolled to his side, then stood.

“Stalled how?” Trembor raised his arms to protect his chest and face as he stepped sideways, watching his wolf for cues as to what he’d do.

“I told you Mixcoat was killed years ago according to the system, right?” Marlot moved to mirror Trembor, bobbing left and right as they moved, trying to confuse Trembor as to what his intentions were. “I found the male who paid his tax back then, but he doesn’t remember anything about it.” 

Marlot came at him low, but his eyes were on Trembor’s chest, so he batted the arm when his wolf straightened at the last minute, and he spun, slamming his leg in Marlot’s side, sending him down. Trembor pushed his advantage but had to jump back as Marlot tried to scissor his legs out from under him.

“What do you know about his present death?”

“Broken neck.” Marlot got to his feet. “No indications he fought back. No trace of activities since that first death. A handful of sightings in the area where he died, which tells me he either went there regularly or had had business there in the days before he died. I have a general area where he might live, but it’s all apartment complex.”

Trembor went at Marlot with a series of kicks. “Sounds to me like you’re going to have to walk around and show the people in those building the picture.”

Marlot dodged, using his speed to his advantage. “I was hoping you’d do that for me.”

“What?” the surprise caused him to turn too slowly and he caught the foot in the side. Marlot didn’t have his strength, but there was enough there to unbalance him and Trembor had to catch himself in the ropes.

“You’re much better at dealing with people than I am.” Marlot stepped back instead of pressing his advantage.

“You know I can’t. My license is suspended.”

“Come on, who’s going to know?”

“Marl.”

“Trem.” His wolf smiled, then rushed him.

This time Trembor expected him. He moved to the side, caught his chest and stopped his momentum, putting his leg behind the wolf’s ensuring he ended up on his back, and then sat on him, legs on each side of his hips.

“It’s just you walking around, talking to people,” Marlot said, “it’ll give you something else to think about.”

“And if someone asked me why I’m doing it?”

His wolf shrugged. “Just tell them you’re helping out a friend, that’s not a lie.”

Trembor stood and offered Marlot his hand to pull him up. “I have the trial to deal with.” And other things. Like how to make sure those criminals couldn’t hurt my family after my death.

“And that’s stressing you. I’m not even trying and I can smell it, Trem.” Marlot dusted himself. “You can’t stop living just because of it. It’s going to pass, no matter how final it might seem now. You’ll get your license back.”

Trembor rubbed his face and moved to the opposite end of the ring. He needed distance while he put himself together. “If the prosecutor even finds the hint of a scent I’m doing something I shouldn’t, it’s going to make things worse. I’m sorry, Marl, you’re on your own for this one. Or rather, I can’t help you. There are other RIs out there. Reach out to one of them.”

Marlot leaned against the corner. “You know how territorial we all are. It worked for us because of our relationship. None of them like me like you do.”

“I love you, Marl, not like, love.” It hurt to say it, knowing his plans.

“Exactly.” Marlot smiled. “None of them love me. A few actively hate me after Nikal.”

“Alright. So the other RIs are out. Have you talked with the department? They have technicians who have to be almost as good as you. If the system thinks he died six years ago, there has to be a report. Someone has to have noted the glitch.”

“No, it’s too long ago. The ID’s been filed away, the card destroyed.”

“Okay, then maybe it’s happened again.”

“What are the odds?”

“I don’t know, but if you don’t ask, you can’t know, can you?” Trembor stepped away from the ropes, feeling more confident about his emotional state and keeping the conversation on Marlot’s investigation. “Remember, there’s a system in place to help you. You don’t have to do this alone, even if I’m not there with you.” Trembor grinned as the realization registered on his wolf’s face, and he launched a series of kicks.