Battle of the Heart

Hey everyone! Hope you're enjoying the story so far, here's another chapter. Thanks to Raven for the review. I fear it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Ethereal

When Lamar approuched the two foxes he got a smile from Gabe and a gaurded look from Rias. Of course the older fox wasn't looking at him. He was looking at Candise who had just let out a squel of delight. "Oh that one's so cute Lamar! He's so tiny. What's he look like in full form, oh I bet he's adorable! Come on, Lamar let me see."

Gabe blinked looking at Lamar with questioning eyes. It was then that the human realised he hadn't seen either of the foxes in there full forms. Gabe was bound to be very small, about to size of a regular fox. It was likly he only had a couple of tails at this point too. As time passed he would grow substanually until he was far larger than any human. Lamar knew his father traveled by riding on the back of his foxes, and he wondered if Rias would let him do that. Somehow he doubted it.

"Would you be willing to show her your full form Gabe?" Lamar asked. He was curious too, he had never seen a young fox in full form, just heard about how small they were from people at the market.

"Sure master." The fox's from melted and shrunk and a few seconds later a small two-tailed kit stood before them looking up at them with Gabe's bright green eyes. He was adorably cute, with long silver fur and a lean wirey form. Candise seemed to think so too, because without warning she scooped Gabe up and wirled him around. "He's so adorable! You wouldn't want to sell him would you Lamar? If I put him to work in my store he'd draw customers to the stone like moths to the candles."

Rias growled stepping forward. Candise glared at him, her expression hardening. "I see what you mean Lamar. Lets deal with this first. Then we'll talk some. Come on, I think I have something in the shop that will help."

She turned and headed back towards the shop still carrying a squirming Gabe. "If you sell him I'll kill you Lamar, don't think I won't." Rias' voice sounded beside him full of rage. Lamar realized how angery Rias was, and it was amazing he hadn't turned his rage on either Candise or himself yet. Lamar sighed, he really wasn't looking forward to collaring Rias, but it was clear that he didn't have a choice. What would he do if Rias did hurt someone when he could have done something to prevent it? "Don't worry Rias, Gabe's staying with us. Come one, let's see what she wants, than we'll go."

Rias nodded stiffly and followed Lamar into the shop. Lamar could tell that he was nerous and that he sensed something was up, because his hair stood on end and his eyes shifted from side to side. Still, he missed the fox that slipped up behind him and grabbed him from behind. Rias cried out in suprise and imetatly started struggling against the fox that held him. Candise had gotten to her conter and put Gabe on it, who imetatly jumped down and ran to Lamar changing forms as he went. By the time he reached the human his cheeks were wet with tears. "Master what are you doing to Rias? Please master, please don't hurt him. He didn't do anything wrong. Please don't master." The desperation in the kit's voice tugged at Lamar's heart. That cuppled with Rias' desperate struggles filled him with remorse. The last time he saw that fear in Rias' eyes was when he had awoken the fox after he had been knocked out by his father's fox. He hadn't liked that look one bit then, and knowing that he was the cause of that same look now made it all the worse.

"I'm glade you came to me Lamar, this thing is compleatly out of control. He looked ready to ponce on me just for picking up your pup." Candise was looking at Rias with pityless eyes. The fox that was withstraining Rias was hers of course. This had been her plan all along.

"I should have killed you when you first laid a hand on Gabe, you fucking bitch!" Rias snarled at the woman, only to be clubbed over the head by the large fox behind him. He whimpered, his eyes dazed over.

"What a mouth that one has, you've got your work cut out for you Lamar. You still have the collar right?" Lamar turned back to Candise trying to steel himself to this situation, he just had to get out of here. He could always remove the collar latter if he decided it wasn't helping the situation.

"Collar? What the hell is she talking about Lamar?" Rias' voice had an edge of panic to it.

Candise singled to her fox who hit Rias over the head again. "You need to learn to only speek when spoken to fox." Her voice had a dangerous edge to it. Lamar couldn't beleive this was his childhood friend. He had never seen this side of her.

"Stop it Candise, I can disapline him myself." Lamar's voice was shacky as he approched Rias snapping the collar on his neck while he was still dazed from the hit. The collar glowed lightly, and Lamar felt the remote in his pokect warm slightly. Rias looked at him in hopeless rage before turning away from Lamar, his body going limp against the large fox.

Candise was smiling behind Lamar's back as she came up to Gabe, stroking his hair and causing him to jump and run to Lamar's side, his whole body shaking. He looked up at Lamar, his eyes filled with confusion and terror. His lower lip quivered when he spook, "please master, don't sell me to her. Let me stay with you and Rias, I swear I won't be a burden. I can help keep our camps in order, and I'll even try to hunt if you want. You, you can do whatever you want with me just please, let me stay." Gabe lowered his head, his eyes on the ground. Candise frowned looking down at the boy. "Lamar be resonable, you can't keep a kit on the road with you. He'll be much better off managing the store. I'll give you that collar and 40 pensives. You wouldn't even get a deal like that on the big one."

Lamar shook his head. "I appreseate your offer Candise, but I'm keeping them both. Now I'm sorry but we have to go. We've got to get a camp set up by nightfall. I'll pay you back for the collar as soon as I can." Without another word Lamar turned an headed towards the door. He was thankful when the large fox released Rias without a scene, and even more thankful when Rias simply followed him out without a word of complaint. It wasn't until they were halfway through the market square that Candise emerged from her shop and called out to him. "Bye Lamar, let me know if you change your mind. Good luck!" Lamar turned and waved his heart falling when he saw the dead look in Rias' eyes. He felt a renching pain flow through him, and decided that he would talk to Rias once they were away from the settlement. Maybe he could still make things right between them.

~~**~~

"I'm going to go get us something to eat." Those were the first and only words Rias said after the events that transpired in the shop. He had gone off into the woods some time ago, and Lamar was conserned he may have run off. After what had happened that day Lamar wouldn't have blamed the fox. Gabe had left almost right after Rias, saying he was going to get some wood. While his stone glowed Gabe would not be able to run away, but Lamar wasn't worried he would. The young fox had been quite and obedeant, the model pet, and it was driving him crazy. Gabe had returned shortly afterwards with his arms filled with wood. He immediately started making up a fire and getting the two blankets made into a bed for Lamar. After he could find nothing eles to do he sat down by the fire, his body shaking slightly and his eyes turned towards the ground. The human grabed one of the two blankets he'd bought and drapped it over the kit's sholders before siting down next to him. He did not miss the way Gabe shrank away from him, or the slight whimper the fox emitted. Lamar sighed in frustration, "What's wrong Gabe? I know that whole thing at the market scared you but it's in the past now. You should have known I won't let that woman have you. In fact I can promise you that I'm not going to sell you to anyone okay? So what's bothering you?"

Gabe kept his eyes on the fire and was silent for so long that Lamar was beinging to wonder if he would speak at all. When at last he did say something his words were so soft that Lamar hand to lean his head down to hear. "Why did you do that to Rias? He was being good. He even listened to you when that woman grabbed me and carried me off. I-I thought you were different from the others. That you acually cared about us. I mean you didn't sell me, and you've never made me do anything bad. I think even Rias was starting to like you, so why did you hurt him so badly?"

"I-I didn't hurt him! I had to put that thing on him. What if he did get out of control and killed me, or worse some other human? I couldn't have lived with that guilt, especially if I knew I could have done something to prevent it." Lamar's words were said as much for the pupose of convicing himself as for convicing the kit. Had Rias really started to like him? He had held his ground when Candise had grabed Gabe. Lamar remembered the pain in Rias' eyes, and he well remembered the threat that Rias had given him. 'If you sell him I'll kill you Lamar, don't think I won't.' As tame as Rias had been acting he was still out of control, and if ever a time came when he got Lamar far enough away from Gabe he would kill him. Lamar would be a fool to think otherwise. Still Gabe was right about some things, if Rias had really started to trust him then he had betrayed that trust, and he was going to have to work hard to repair it. "I'm sorry Gabe but I had to put that collar on him. I promise I won't use it unless he tries to do something really bad though, okey?"

Gabe turned away, aparently not convinsed. "I'm really tired, can I get some sleep master?" Lamar winced at the scorn he heard in the youth's voice. "Aren't you hungery? Rias should be back any time with the meat."

"The meat's gonna take time to cook. Rias will wake me up when it's ready."

"Oh, okey, go ahead and get some sleep then." Gabe nodded and shifted into full form before curlling up into a ball, his tails covering his face. Lamar found himself envious of the foxes fur, it had to be so soft and warm. For a moment he imagined Rias streaching out beside him in full form, covering him with his tails and alowing him the snuggle into his fur for warmth. Lamar shook his head to clear it, what the hell was happening to him? He couldn't stop thinking about his fox. His heart leapt whenever Rias smiled and it died whenever the fox looked at him with hate or fear. It was dieing now, because Lamar knew Rias hated him even more then he had before. He knew he was atracted to the fox, but could it be more then that? "Could it be I'm falling for him?" Lamar wondered out loud. Lamar snorted as he threw a branch into the fire, watching sparks fly up when it hit. Even if that were true he could never act on it, or even admit it to himself. Rias was going to have to fight for him, and he couldn't let personal feelings get in the way of those battles.

~~**~~

Rias knew that he had taken longer than he needed while hunting. He had spent a bit of time just wandering around, and even more time lazly stacking prey that he had no intetion of trying to take down. A part of him just wanted to run, and screw the consequinses, but he couldn't leave Gabe. Rias did finally catch and kill a small buck and then he headed back towards camp. He still couldn't beleive that Lamar had done that. It was logical, and should be expected of any human, but Rias had thought that Lamar wouldn't be like that. He realized what a fool he was. Of course Lamar would want control of him, and he wouldn't care what it took to get it. Rias felt the collar around his throat as memories washed back to him of another time and place.

^^FLASHBACK^^

Rias knelt before his master, his body shaking in both pain and fear. The man reeked of achohal as always, and he was clearly angery. Rias had lost another fight, and this time he was not certain he would servive the beating that was likly to follow. It had gotten to the point that he couldn't win a fight, his body was simply too run down from ingury, fatiuge, and famon for him to do well in battle. Rias cried out as a boot found his gut and he crumpled to the ground as a spasm of coughs overtook him. "You little piece of shit! Do you know how much money I lost on that fight? You fucking worthless little slave, I should just kill you now and cut my loses!"

Rias coughed, curling into a ball to protect his already aching stomic, "I'm sorry master-" The boot kicked him hard in the small of his back cutting him off. "Don't speek without my permission mutt." The man knelt down and Rias tensed even more. His ear was grabbed and yanked hard forsing him to tip his head back and bare his neck. His master lowered his head to his ear and whispered, "I'm going to make you pay for what you did, and then I'm going to sell your worthless ass to my friend. He said he wanted you, and he'll make me look like a saint." Rias' master snapped a collar on the fox's neck, and then pushed a small button on a little divice in his hand. Rias screamed as pain coursed through his body. The world around him ciesed to exist leaving nothing but the agony that filled his entire body with agony. He did not know how long he lay there but when the pain suddenly stopped as quickly as it had started the sun was just starting to rise, his throat was raw from screaming, and his body was twitching uncontrolably. "Clean yourself up mut, I'm taking you to my friend today. You'll be ready to leave by the time camps put up, or I'll give you another dose from the collar."

Rias climed to his feet, his body still shaking. "Yes Master." He went to the river and washed off the sweat, dirt, and blood covering his body, thankful that the cold water hid his tears. The collar remanded around his neck, and latter after he was resold his next master would use it as well, though in short time bursts. It was this master that Rias had latter escaped from, killing the bastard in the prosess.

^^END FLASHBACK^^

Rias sighed as he came into camp carrying the buck over his sholders. He knew he had blood on his face as he had been in full form when he caught the creature, and he had been tempted to stay that way the rest of the night and screw the consequenses. Still, he knew that he would have to face Lamar sometime, and sooner was better than latter. Lamar was gazing into the fire, his front hidden from view. He was wrapped in a blanket and for a moment Rias thought he was asleep. This thought was quikly dismissed when Rias moved around to sit on the other side on the fire and began using one of the knives to skin the buck. Lamar looked up at him with hunted eyes, and it was at this time that Rias realized the human was as bothered by all of this as he was. 'Don't you dare start feeling pity for him you idiot!' A part of him cried, 'he's the one who put the collar on you.

'Yes but you did threaten to kill him,' a second part reasoned, 'and it's unlikly he even knows just what that collar does.'

"Umm, Rias?"

Rias' gaze snapped up and he glared at the human, "What?"

Lamar took a deep breath, "I wanted to apolagize for what happened today. My father, Candise, the collar, all of it. I promise things will get better."

Rias didn't take his eyes off his work, "whatever you say master."

Lamar frowned, "Why are you calling me that? You've never called me that before."

"You've never collared before either." Rias said in a scornful tone. He had really hoped that Gabe was right and that this master would be different. "You said you'd let Gabe go once you had me under control right?"

"Well yes I did, but I can't do that until your stone is working."

"Yeah, yeah I know." Rias took the hide and streached it out, and then started on the meat. "I just wanted to make sure you would still free him. What, what are you going to do know? I mean what's going to happen to us?"

Lamar had gone over to help Rias get the meat ready, but when he heard that tenative question he aproched the fox and gently placed his fingers under Rias' chin, lifting it so the fox would meet his eyes. He felt his heart race at the feeling of soft skin beneath his fingers, and was shocked that Rias hadn't pulled away. Lamar would have been so thankful for this sign of trust, if he beleived it was truly trust and not due entirely to fear of the collar. "Rias I know you don't trust me but I want you to know that I won't hurt you or Gabe. I promise I'll only use the collar if you put my life or someone elses life in danger."

Rias finnaly did pull away, looking down at the meat in his hands. "You sure do like making promises. I don't see how you plan on keeping them all. You say you won't hurt me, but you're going to have me fight, and you've got this damn collar on me."

Lamar was quite as they laid the meat on rocks alongside the fire. So quite that Rias was begining to wonder if he would answer at all. "If you really hate fighting I won't make you. I can't do anything about the collar though, I can't take the chance that you might kill someone. But I'm not going to force you to fight if you're so against it. I don't know how we're going to survive though, we hardly have any money now." His voice sounded defeated and far away.

Rias stared at Lamar in disbeleif, "you can't be serious. How do you expect me to beleave you? You're going to give up your dream just like that, just cause I don't want to fight?" Lamar couldn't beleive he was doing it himself. He supposed his father was right after all, he would amont to nothing.

"Yes Rias I'm serious. I won't forse you to fight your own kind. Not when your so against it."

Rias knelt down beside the fire flipping the meat over and stairing into the flames. He seemed deep in thought. Finally he turned to the human, his eyes hardened with resolve. "I'll fight for you Lamar, but I have some conditions."

Lamar blinked in suprise, a smile on his face, "Thank you Rias, you don't know what this means to me."

"Yes, I do. Which is why I have certain condisions. I choose who I fight, I won't beat up some innocent weakling. I also want half of all the money we make."

Lamar nodded, "fair enough, but why do you want half the money? I thought foxes didn't need money."

"I'm going to buy other foxes."

Lamar raised an eyebrow, "Oh, I can't say I saw that one coming."

Rias growled, but his eyes twinkled with humor, "I'm going to free them you idiot. What did you think I was going to go into business or something?"

"No, of course that's what you're doing." Lamar smiled, "you've got a deal Rias, thank you for everything."

Rias chuckled shacking his head. "Never thought I'd go into business with a human. I mean really I didn't see that coming. I want you to free Gabe too. If he wants to stay he can, but he shouldn't be forsed to. If I've got to wear this fucking collar than you have no right to hold him. It's not like I can do anything with it on."

"Rias what exactly does that collar do?"

The fox blinked in surprise, before exploding into a fit of bitter laughter. "I should have know. You would have used that thing without even knowing what it does, wouldn't you have?"

Lamar closed his eyes, fighting off feelings of guilt. "Candise said it would keep you under control. She seems to know what she's doing."

"That woman is a monster." Rias snapped, "That collar will stop me yeah, by filling my body with so much pain that I won't be able to keep track on where I am or what's going on. I would rather you dosed me in whiskey and set me aflame every time I disobeyed you than to have to deal with that pain again."

"Again?" Lamar asked in a quiet voice, hoping Rias would open up to him. He would have no such luck, however. "You want to wake up Gabe, I'll get the meat off the fire."

Lamar sighed and nodded, he knew things could be much worse, but he wished there wasn't so much distance between him. 'I can't blame you if you never trust me Rias. But I hope one day you might.'

Well that's it for now! Please review! Next chapter the group gets into their first fight, and then they find themselves in the grip of free foxes.