Laura Jo Phillips Read Online Free PDF Page B

she had also seen the Lobos and the Katres in their alter-forms.  But those beasts resembled animals she was at least vaguely familiar with.  The gryphons, with their eagle heads, wings and forelegs, combined with leonine bodies at least ten foot tall at the shoulder with olive green fur around their necks, ankles and the tips of their tails, were like something out of a fairy tale.
    “Elder Vulpiran has requested that we stop at the Council Complex so that he can meet you,” Olaf said, turning in his seat to look at Aisling.  “Would you mind if we do that?”
    “Of course not,” Aisling replied, keeping her eyes down as she answered. 
    “May I ask you a question?” Karma said to Olaf.
    “You may ask what you like,” Olaf replied.
    “What is a vulpiran?  I know what a loboenca, bearenca and now a gryphon is, but vulpiran is not a word that is familiar to me.”
    Olaf frowned thoughtfully as he considered the question.  He knew that there were creatures on Earth, in either reality or myth, that resembled most of the Clan alter-forms, but he wasn’t certain what the Earth equivalent of a vulpiran was.
    “I do not know the Earth name,” he said.  “I can tell you that it is close in relationship to the lobo, in the same way that the dracon and the gryphon are close.  It is red furred, with a long, narrow head and a bushy tail, rather short legs for its body which is also long and somewhat narrow.  Does that help at all?”
    Karma and Aisling looked at each other in mutual confusion.  Suddenly Aisling got an idea. 
    “Do you mean to say that it’s canine?” she asked, forgetting to avoid looking directly at Olaf.  “Like a dog?”
    Olaf smiled and Aisling felt her heart skip a beat at the sight.  His eyes lit up, transforming his entire face from stern and forbidding, to kind, and even more striking than she’d thought before.
    “Yes, canine,” he said. 
    “It sounds like a fox to me,” Aisling said, shifting her gaze to Karma. 
    “Oh,” Karma said slowly, trying to imagine a giant fox, since all of the Clan animals seemed to be extraordinarily large.  “Could we ask one of them to show us?”
    “Perhaps,” Olaf replied doubtfully.  He knew that was not a request he was going to make of Elder Vulpiran himself, but perhaps these women could get away with it. 
    “Is it impolite to ask a Jasani to shift?” Karma asked, not missing his doubtful tone.
    “No, it is not,” Olaf replied.  “In truth, we are generally pleased when interest such as yours is shown in our alter-forms.  It is much better than the fearful reaction we often get.”
    “Then why do you think that Elder Vulpiran won’t like being asked?” Karma pressed.
    “Because he is Elder Vulpiran,” Olaf replied.  “It has nothing to do with him being a Clan Jasani, or an Elder, or even a Vulpiran.  It’s because of who he is.  But then, what he would not accept from us he probably won’t mind coming from one of you.”
    The ground-car slowed and Olaf turned back around to see that they had arrived at the Council Complex.  After Rudy parked the car, Olaf got out and opened the door for Aisling and Karma as Rand landed on the lawn behind them and transformed back to his humanoid form.
    “I would ask that you walk together, in between us, until we are inside the building,” Olaf said to Aisling and Karma.
    “Why?” Karma asked suspiciously.
    “So that we can more effectively guard you,” Olaf replied.  “The Bearens and Prince Garen have entrusted us with your care, and it is not a responsibility we take lightly.”
    “Is there some reason to think we would be in danger?” Aisling asked.  “I thought that we were safe here on Jasan.”
    Olaf hesitated.  He did not want to worry the women, but he also thought that they would be more careful of their own safety if they knew the truth.  “A woman was transported off-planet several weeks ago,” he admitted.  “We do not know how, or by whom.  She