Gift of the Fox

Chapter 19: Reunion

Tamie groaned and opened her eyes. She was in her tent. Her manly chest was still bandaged, as well as her hands. She spotted Shao sitting on a pillow near her bedding, with his eye closed.

He... has been tending to my wounds all this time? But I guess, it's already night so he doesn't need to go to battle now. 

She glanced at the exit of the tent, whence the starry sky could be seen. 

Still, he cares about his servant so much... He attracts me more and more. But then, I hope Nick is alright...

"You woke up?"

Tao started and looked into the prince's eye.

"Your Highness, how... how's Nick?"

"His wounds have been tended to. He's resting in his tent. But I still keep him in check. More important is - how are you?"

"That's not important at all... I'll be fine - I am the 4th prince's servant. As I've said, wolves never abandon their comrades, so you do not. Nick, on the other hand, is a captive of his enemies."

"You've already said that he's not our enemy. I would never wish to harm your brother. I will let you see him and talk with him. Maybe you can get him on our side."

"You would allow me such a thing?"

"It will make everything easier for me too." Shao shrugged. "I would not have to hurt the young man in vain if he was to disclose the information to me on his own."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Tao touched the prince's hand with his bandaged palm and squeezed it. Shao chuckled and shook his head.

"Take a rest. You won't battle at dawn in your condition, so you'll have time to see your brother."

In the morning, when the armies went to battle, Tao stood up, leaned on a wooden mace, and trotted out of his tent to his brother's one. Once the guards saw him, they let him in. They had probably already been warned by the Wolf Prince to let only Xin Tao to the prisoner. Since everyone knew Wolf Prince Wang Shao to be a ruthless general and lord, no one dared defy his orders.

Tao entered the tent. He felt his heart sting - Nick sat on bedding, all bandaged, true, but still with such a depressed and cold expression as if he had nothing to lose anymore... Tamie gulped back her tears. Sorrow befell her heart. 

Nick felt the foreign presence and looked up. His tired eyes flashed with rage as he saw the enemy enter (he couldn't recognize his sister, of course - she was turned into a Wanglongian boy!).

"Cho tebe tut? (What do you want here?)"  

Nick spoke in Sorovian with an unwelcoming glare. He knew the leaders of the Wanglongian army could speak Sorovian - their enemy language - so he used it to communicate with the man he deemed a Wanglongian general. But so great was his surprise when he received a response in his native language, Qartlandian:

(NOTE: Sorovian is a made-up language based on Russian).

"Nick, Tamie var (Nick, I'm Tamie)."

(NOTE: Qartlandian is a made-up language based on Georgian).

Nick widened his eyes - how could a Wanglongian man speak Qartlandian? And he claimed he was Tamie, his very sister?! How did he know about Tamie? Had they captured her and made her their slave after she was kidnapped so many years ago? He switched to Qartlandian:

"How can you claim to be my sister when you are clearly a filthy Wanglongian man? Untie me and I'll cut your throat, you rat! I have enough sorrow as is, for you to add more insulting jokes!"

Tamie's heart sank - her manly view had confused even her brother... Tears gathered in her eyes.

"But I really am Tamie..." 

She touched her fox tattoo and made a wish in her heart: 

Please... Please make Nick recognize me, at least him!

Nick turned stupefied - the boy before him morphed into a beautiful nineteen-year-old middle-sized maiden with long brown hair and wise, expressive brown eyes which so greatly resembled his own! His heart filled with love, tenderness, and bitter joy:

"Tamie..? How can it be? Am I... dreaming?"

Tamie brightened - he had recognized her! Her wish was granted! Oh, thank God! She looked at herself and guessed that she had turned back into a girl. She rushed up to Nick and squeezed him in her arms:

"It is me, Nick! You're not dreaming! It is truly me!"

She retold him everything, of how she arrived in Wanglong as a slave, saved a fox, morphed into a boy, and became the 4th prince's private servant. Nick listened to her in a stupor, and when she finished her story, muttered:

"That is truly so weird and fascinating... I could never prove such a complete metamorphosis was possible, yet here you are - the proof."

Tamie laughed:

"So you haven't given up on philosophy, huh?"

"Of course not, it is what I truly love! It's just that, the Sorovs have taken over Tibiru, so I was asked to enroll in their army if I wanted our parents to stay safe. Father has long resigned since he's already in his fifties, so I was the only one left to go."

"Oh, it is truly unfortunate... But don't you worry! Together, we will defeat the Sorovs - you, the prince and I!"

"But how will you manage it? You look like a girl again."

"Oh, my, you're right!" 

Tamie got worked-up for a moment, but then Nick noticed how she morphed back into a man.

"Oh, never mind..."

"Huh? Why? What happen_" Tamie noticed her voice had turned deep and manly. When she looked at her body, she got assured she looked like Xin Tao again. He laughed. "Oh, yeah, you're right."

"I think you have some sort of a mission to accomplish, and only after you make it, you will regain your true face. At least, that is how Wanglongian philosophy explains the fox magic."

"Yeah, I think so too. I'm just glad that it has let you recognize me."

"Yeah, me too. I've missed you so much, Tamie! We all have..."

"I've missed you too." Tao hugged him. "But yeah, anyway... call me Xin Tao from now on, since I'm a boy."

"Oh, that name you made up back in Qartland? Okay, Tao. You can be my brother for a while, even though I preferred you as a sister."

"Haha! Yeah, everyone says that... I preferred myself as a girl too, to be honest, but I cannot make changes in this stupid empire of Wanglong if I'm not a man."

"Yes, that's true. Well then, since you are truly my little sister, I'll do everything to help you."

Tao untied him and the siblings embraced each other. Tamie was happy to have finally reunited with her brother. She now believed that her dreams would definitely come true someday.