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Tam sighs and shakes his head. "It's a hell of a lot harder than it sounds when I give that advice to others..."

Tam sighs and shakes his head. "Still wish I wasn't here..." he mutters testily.

Tam yelps and rubs his head. "Hey... that hurts.... I said I didn't want to be here... but I am, aren't I?" He grumbles testily.

"Yes you are, dulcha." says Bez gently. "And so am I... we're going to work this out... now... once and for all... seriously."

Tam nods slowly. "And if it doesn't work out.... what then?"

Bez sighs. "It won't stop me from caring for ye, if that's what ye mean.... nor will it stop ye from caring fer me. I know that pretty much for a fact... so I guess we could be friends... good friends, iffin that's what ye want. If not, I'll step out of yer life and that's that. Just try not to kill yerself without warning me, okay?"

Tam cringes slightly and nods slightly. "Friends... I... I think I can deal with that.... I'm not sure I ready for anything deeper just now... it hurts too much.... yer never there... I'm always alone..."

Bez snorts softly through his nose. "I could say pretty much the same about ye... ye're always chasing me away... never letting me near..."

Tam hangs his head. "Ye know why...."

Hopian hops down from the bed and nudges the other two out of the room. "Me thinks these two need their privacy. Would ye like hanging yer dirty laundry out fer the world to see, Pyropian... if so, I've got a few tales about a cettain pair of cubs I could share with everyone."

Honorian gives what sounds like a gruff bark of laughter and nods. "I agree... it will be easier on them to talk on this in private... and about those tales, Hopian... be they good tales?"

Hopian nods. "All my tales are good tales... now there was this cub....

"Hey! No fair... ye two are ganging up on me..." are the last words the two injured cats hear before the door closes to the clinic and they are left on their own.

"Poor kid... he's in fer a good ribbing I fear..." chuckles Bez nuzzling Tam fur.

"He's stronger than he looks... and wiser... he can handle it... far better than I am, I'm afraid." says Tam quietly.

"Ai, I meant what I said the other night... I am truly sorry... for everything... even that... that episode that started all this... Will ye ever find it in yer heart to forgive me?" murmurs Bez hopefully.

Tam sighs and slowly shakes his head. "I... I don't know... It's been so long and right now... I'm so numb inside.... I... I want to... I waited eons to hear you say those words..... but now...." he sighs and begins crying once again. "Somehow it doesn't mean what it would have had ye done it earlier. I loved ye... loved ye fer so long... and yet... somehow... compared to everything else I feel it just doesn't seem enough somehow..."

"Ai..." breathes Bez sadly. "Trust me... I know... I kind of know how ye feel, I've been feeling it right along side of ye in a way.... iffin it helps ye to know it... I'm kind of numb inside as well. I never thought.... I never suspected ye were really hurting that bad.... ye always hid it so well. It was leaking through a bit, and I never knew just how bad it was... but I knew some of it. And well, I can't free ye... not truly, we'll always be bound, but I can set ye free iffin ye want... all ye have to do is say the word and I'll back off... all I ask is that ye give me a chance to court ye along with anyone else ye might find interesting.... I'm not going to run away anymore.. I'm not going to hide... I'm going to be there where ye can see me... and, maybe... just maybe, iffin ye want me a little closer than that we'll go there too, but not unless ye want to. I won't say I'll be happy iffin ye do find another to take me place... but I will accept what ever happens."

"Really?" whispers Tam slowly, swallowing hard. "You really are setting me free."

"Really and truly.... iffin ye want me around, I'll be there so damn quick my heels will be a burning.... yer going to need a fire extinguisher to cool them down.... but unless ye want me there... I'll be only a breath away... down the street or in the square or wherever I can find a spot that will accept me. I won't intrude... but I sure ain't going to let anyone else hurt ye either... got that?"

Tam flashes him a tired smile. "I'd rather ye didn't interfere... it might be I deserve to be hurt from time to time... ye know... like Honorian bopping me on the head."

"That's different as ye know it..." growls the panther softly, shaking his head. He winces slightly and drops it to his paws, his nose just inches from Tam's.

"Does it hurt over much?" asks Tam worriedly.

"Some... it actually feels better since that little healer workedon me, but the stitches pull when I move..." sighs Bez fitfully.

"I... I could try healing it a bit fer ye..." offers Tam hesitantly.

Bez cracks one eyes and licks his nose. "Yer not much better off than me... from what I heard... ye were pretending to be a popsicle...."

Tam sighs and inches a little closer. Now their noses are touching and he is closing his eyes as well. "Soooo tired... soooo c.c.c.cold..." he grumbles under his breath.

Bez reaches out with one of his great paws and pulls him up next to his body. "Brrr... yer still chilled through... sleep here... I'll keep ye warm... and keep the nosies out of yer hair as well... We can talk some more later. You need to get some rest....."

**LOL... ye did it again... I was editting my post... oh well... as before all I did was elaborate.... so yer post won't matter...**

Shar returns to the clinic a short time later from her morning prayers, to find the two lions out cold and everyone else standing in an alcove down the hall.

"Heaven above, what are all of ye doing out here and who are these people, Master Hopian. She peers at Honorian and does a double take. "You... weren't ye here before... when Master Talesian was ill... it was some years ago, I believe... It has been bothering me al night, but I think that panther was here too... he didn't stay long though...."

"Well these halls are chilly, why not come into the clinic... I need to check on the panther's injuries anyway... what was it Master Talesian called him... Bez... a much nicer sounding name that his full one. Is he truly one of the fallen?" says the healer with a tired smile urging them all back towards the clinic.

Hopian sighs. "In truth... he is... though he doesn't seemed to have so much as fallen as he's stumbled... hard.... he's a coarse one, but for all his faults, he doesn't seem so much a bad sort... at least now a days he doesn't.... but I certainly wouldn't want to meet up with him in a dark alley alone if he thought me an enemy... He's not so much the opposite of Tam as he's the fulfillment... and a damn good fighter at that... what was his element, do ye know?"

"Faith..." comes Mica's voice from behind them. "And a right honest pairing at that. Love without faith is folly and faith without love... false." He looks at their faces and sighs. "I've been doing some research. And he's not truly listed amongst the fallen... more like he seen as misguided and a tad bit stubborn."