We traveled south for a few weeks before coming upon the Black Sea. It was a huge body of water as far as the eye could see. I thought this was finally the ocean that Lorelai had told me about. She told me it connected to the ocean, but not quite. Apparently, there was a difference between the sea and the ocean. Regardless, it was the largest, angriest body of water I had ever seen, I couldn't imagine anything being bigger.
We traveled along the coast, occasionally spotting fishing villages and small towns along the way. The journey had been a long one, nearly a month of travel. When we were almost to our destination, Lorelai spoke to us about the city we were about to enter.
"We will be in the city of Istanbul soon. We're going to have to play by their rules which are admittedly, very obnoxious." The sheep spoke the words while leading the three of us.
"Istanbul?" I asked curiously, my ears lifting.
"It's the former city of Constantinople. The Turks brought it down over fifty years ago and renamed it." Val spoke out to me in an answer to my question.
"Oh, I remember reading about that city in my history books. Wasn't it supposed to be impregnable with massive walls and fortifications?" I put my finger to my cheek in thought, recalling how a lot of cities used its design of defense in their own structure.
"Sure, but they didn't expect the Turks to bring black powder and cannons to the party," Lorelai calmly answered.
"Black powder? Oh, that's the stuff that catches fire and can make fireworks." I spoke the words then grinned at myself. I had been doing nothing but training and studying since I got with my family, it made me feel good to keep up with them in conversations like this.
"That's right, but it also can make powerful if not unwieldy weapons. Cannons are like a ballista only dozens of times more powerful. The walls of Constantinople were not ready for that." Val chimed in on the topic once more.
Elias cleared his throat, obviously not wanting to be left out. "Yes, they load great iron balls into the device and use the black powder to propel them forward. It takes less manpower or materials to make than traditional siege weapons and brings much more power."
"The mundane sure come up with some interesting things." My words came out with both fear and respect.
"It will change the world, of that there is no doubt." Lorelai nodded then lifted her ears. "More to the point... Sarnai, you ride behind Elias and I will ride behind Val. You do not look at anyone and if someone speaks to you, you do not address them unless Elias gives you permission."
I barked out and showed my teeth, "I most certainly will not!"
"You most certainly will!" The sheep snarled at me, her words coming out with authority. "Women are of a lower caste here. If this were a fully Turkish city we would be required to cover our faces and tails too."
A growl carried through my throat before I jerked my nose up. "Barbarians..."
"Just a different way of thinking. Those 'barbarians' currently sport some of the greatest technology the world over. We do not need to stay in this city, but it is where we will reside for a time." Lorelai gave me a hard glance. "You two are an established couple, just pretend you are wed and you have taken the role of a wife as you would have in your tribe."
The white fox folded his ears, his cheeks dark as he looked over at me. "You know I would never willingly disrespect you or think you lesser, Sarnai."
"I know that... mmm... fine.." I grumbled the words and thrashed my tail around in irritation.
"We won't be dealing with the populace all that much anyway. Don't let it wear too heavily upon you, my sister." Lorelai gave me a reassuring smile.
"I apologize for having to act in such a manner, my lady. Know if you did not order it, I would never dream of it." Val spoke the words politely to the sheep.
"I know that, my goat. Do not worry." She responded then shook her head. "I hope the others and the servants were able to avoid any problems..."
"They know where we are going, so we should see them start to trickle in behind us over the next week or two." Elias spoke out to us optimistically.
We arrived upon the city guards who looked us over suspiciously. However, between Val and Lorelai coaxing their will, the guards were happy to let us enter without any issues. A large portion of the architecture looked recent, no doubt having been rebuilt over the last few decades. I gazed in awe at the sprawling metropolis, my tail wagging slowly about.
"This is even bigger than our home city was." I huffed the words in awe.
"A few hundred thousand I would imagine." Lorelai shrugged. "It would have been much larger before the occupation."
I barked out in shock. "Gods! How are there so many in one location?"
The sheep grinned and shook her head. "It's easier to make more mundane than us, that's how. Regardless we are here, I regret not being able to give her sufficient warning of my arrival."
We came to a halt at a large three-story building. I had never seen the style before, all brick and mortar with peaked white roofs that looked like ivory. Lorelai sighed and climbed from her steed. The large double wooden doors looked heavy and sturdy. She grasped a large copper knocking ring and knocked upon the wood three times.
After a few moments, the door groaned as it opened and a servant answered it. The sheep ran her fingertips through her hair and sighed. "Please inform your mistress that Lorelai of house Silverpaw has come to call." The small female cat nodded and quickly slipped away.
We stood there for a handful of minutes before the door opened fully, the golden-haired dog from my evaluation standing there. She was dressed in a long flowing black dress that hugged her chest and hips, a stark comparison to the simple white robes I saw her in prior.
"Lorelai, what a pleasant surprise!" She clapped her hands together once, the motion making her heavy breasts bounce slightly in her dress. "What brings you he-" Her words cut off as she saw the three of us behind her. Her green eyes darted between us, Lorelai, and the horses as if cluing in on things.
The sheep sighed and folded her arms. "Diana, you're the closest house to mine. We... need asylum."
Her mouth gaped slightly before she gave a quick nod. "You have it, all of you have it. Come in, hospitium is given." Diana pulled the door wide open and the three of us followed behind the sheep.
"Take their steeds to the stables." The dog spoke the words to a few servants that had gathered. She then turned to look upon us. "You poor things, how long have you been on the roads?"
"Nearly a month." Lorelai nodded and then shook her head. "The church set fire to our home in the middle of the day. Thankfully the four of us and the servants were the only ones in the house. The others were spread out in the city, they will most likely come behind us in the days to pass."
