Part 1

... he was fleeing for his life, galloping broken-gaited over open moorland, stumbling over his hooves, dragging himself upright, exhausted, hurting, each sobbing breath a burning torment in his lungs, but too terrified to stop running, the black shadow behind him getting closer with every racing heartbeat...

"Shhhh. It's OK." A hand stroked his forelock back from his brow. A large, strong, very familiar hand. "I'm here."
      Doyaal allowed his legs to relax, slumping back down against his partner, flanks quivering, panting.
      "Shit....."
      Beauday pulled him close, twisting his torso to accommodate the smaller body trembling in his arms, stroking down the leanly muscled golden back.
      "Nightmare again?"
      "Yeah." It came out as a quivering sigh as the slight body leaned into Beauday's solid strength. The heavy shook his head, running his fingers through the curling tangled mane.
      "Wish I could make it go away."
      Doyaal chuckled wryly. "Yeah. Me too." The hunter was tense and silent for a moment, then a brief ripple ran through him.
      "Sorry."
      Unseen by Doyaal, Beauday grimaced silently, remembering - then hugged his partner closer, hand rubbing gently across his shoulders, careful of the still-healing scars.
      "Forget it. Want to go back to sleep?"
      Doyaal extricated himself from his partner's grasp, levered himself gracefully upright, and shook his head.
      "Need a run. By myself." he added, as Beauday opened his mouth to speak.
      The heavy inclined his head, frowning slightly, then nodded, a little reluctantly. "OK. Call if you need me." He shifted his hindquarters, plumping up the bedding a little, then sprawled back, lamplight playing silk and shadows across the milky white expanse of his broad chest. "Don't wake me up when you get back, OK?"
      Doyaal snorted. "You gotta be kiddin'! Thermonuclear explosion might wake you - maybe. I sure as hell can't!"
      Beauday smirked. "Wages of being sweet, pure and innocent. Sleeping the sleep of the justified."
      Doyaal gaped, speechless - if only for a moment. Beauday smiled slightly from beneath lowered lids and yawned from behind his hand.
      "You? Sweet? Pure? Innocent? You......."
      Beauday raised an eyebrow. "Just go for your run, will you?"
      Doyaal scowled, then left at a fast trot.
      Beauday gave him five minutes, then followed....

For a big beast, Beauday could move as quietly as a Fawan when necessary. He'd learned the skill early, courtesy of a spell on Thyarlyan when he was little more than a colt. It was a useful talent, and had come in particularly handy over the last two orbital periods. Since the Okula case...

Koorlee had looked up at them from under lowering horns, face serious.
      "Normally I'd not send in 'taurs - the operation really needs someone with more finesse and less obvious presence. But by the same token, if I send in humans or pirenans it's more than likely they'd be seen through damn near immediately. And while you're the best, I have my reservations..."
      Beauday frowned. "What's the op?"
      "It's nasty. You familiar with him?" Koorlee gestured and a holopic appeared, hovering above his desk. The being on it was sleek and golden, and oozed sensuality even through the artificial medium. Beauday's eyes widened. So did his smirk.
      "Very nice! Who is it?"
      Doyaal flashed him an exasperated look.
      "Forget it, mate - he's not your type." The hunter turned his attention back to the controller. "The Aethan Okula, right?"
      The heavy head nodded. "He's been kidnapped. We think by a slaver ring."
      Both operatives looked up sharply, and Beauday suppressed a shudder. Doyaal spared him a quick glance before frowning at the controller.
      "We know which?"
      Koorlee spoke reluctantly, watching the heavy through lowered lashes. "Bedemnos."
      Beauday closed his eyes, not bothering to suppress his shudder this time. Doyaal grasped his shoulder reassuringly. Koorlee sighed.
      "You don't have to take the assignment."
      "But you thought you'd offer it anyway."
      "You have first refusal."
      "Big of you..."
      "We'll take it."
      Doyaal and Koorlee both turned to stare at the heavy.
      "Beauday..."
      "No, Doyaal. I want Bedemnos." He smiled, humourlessly, and amplified, "I want him dead."
      "Understandable." Koorlee's tone was dry. "Perhaps you ought to consider the operation thoroughly first, though. Bedemnos is a slippery customer - we've had no success capturing him from without, and we've lost some fine agents in the attempts. His father wants the Aethan back, in one piece and preferably unharmed." He raised a hand as Doyaal made to interrupt. "I know, I know. The Aethan was - stupidly, but then, the young are well known for being idiots - travelling incognito on a student 'dare', and he was taken four local days ago, so 'unharmed' is vanishingly unlikely. But even so, this presents us with a unique opportunity, to rescue the heir to the Jalingl Empire while at the same time taking down one of the worst villains in this part of the galaxy."
      He paused for a moment. The partners were watching him intently, expressions uncompromising. "If we're going to close Bedemnos down for good, we need to infiltrate. Which means one of you going undercover, allowing yourself to be captured. And you both know his particular fondness for 'taurs. It's risky."
      Doyaal snorted. "Risky?! It's bloody insane. You know what he did..."
      Beauday's hand on his flank silenced him.
      "When and where?"
      Koorlee leaned forward in his seat. "Now just one moment, Beauday. You'll listen to what I have to say before you both make up your minds. You won't be going in."
      Beauday's jaw dropped. "What? But..."
      "Bedemnos knows you. He's not likely to have forgotten his prize stallion, now, is he?"
      "Sir, it was years ago..."
      "And you still carry his brand. Or did you do as I ordered and have it excised?"
      Beauday lowered his eyes, his left hind leg twitching almost imperceptibly. Koorlee nodded, his face grim.
      "Aye, I thought not." He sighed quietly and swung his gaze to Doyaal. "There's no dishonour in saying no."
      Before his partner could answer, Beauday shook his head violently, his mane tumbling about his shoulders, and slammed both fists down on the controller's desk. His entire body quivered, sending ripples of light across his glossy black pelt.
      "No." Despite the anger his voice was low. "Not Doyaal."
      "You gonna stop me?"
      Beauday twisted his head to stare into the bright green eyes. "If I have to."
      Doyaal glowered, fully prepared to argue - then, recognising the anguish and fear deep down in the midnight blue eyes, turned to the controller.
      "We need to discuss this, sir. Can you give us a couple of hours?"
      "Of course. But one last thing before you go." He regarded them both gravely. "Bedemnos is a suspicious son of a sandslug. We will provide backup - but it'll have to be discreet. I can't expect you, Beauday, to stay out of the picture, but at the same time you're hardly inconspicuous. If Doyaal takes the assignment, you will be discreet. I'll second you to the crew of a special services ship, which will shadow Bedemnos's own cruiser - but you'll be under the command of the captain. You will obey his orders, d'you understand? I'll not have you jeopardise Doyaal, yourself or anyone else by your own precipitate actions. Are you quite clear about that?"
      Beauday nodded grimly. "Yes sir. Without question."

"I don't want you going."
      Doyaal frowned. Beauday had twisted his body and was unconsciously scratching at Bedemnos's brand, burned deeply into the sensitive skin of his inner left hind thigh, close to his heavy genitals. Too close...
      His injuries had been severe. Doyaal remembered long anguished nights by his side, talking to him quietly and holding tightly to his hands when, in the throes of fever, he'd tried to rip the dressings from his body. It had taken the better part of a quarteryear for the heavy to regain his health, even with his extraordinary stamina. Outwardly he'd made a full recovery - but the scars were still there, under his pelt and buried in his psyche. The hunter sighed.
      "I know that. But this would be different. You were ambushed, kidnapped - we didn't know where you were. It'd be different for me. I'd be going into this with my eyes open - and you wouldn't be far away."
      "Far enough that I couldn't protect you." He gazed into his partner's eyes, and Doyaal was startled by the pain he saw there. "You really don't know what he's capable of."
      "Got some idea. I was the one that found you, remember?"
      "You saw the results. You don't know how he obtained them."
      "That's 'cause you won't tell me! But I can guess."
      Beauday shook his head. "I'd rather you didn't try. I don't want you to go through that."
      Doyaal began to pace a few short steps backwards and forwards, keeping his torso turned towards his partner, his eyes never leaving the pale face.
      "Look, he's responsible for - how many deaths? Rapes? Mutilations? How many free people has he sold into slavery? How many ILEA agents has he killed? Remember what happened when you tried to bring him to Book?"
      Beauday nodded, eyes closed, wincing. Interstellar law was abominably tortuous: Bedemnos had walked free on a legal technicality and the evidence of a perjured witness - who was later found dead of 'natural causes'...
      "You want that to go on happening? You want others to go through what you suffered?"
      "Of course not!"
      "Then let me do this. For both of us."
      Beauday turned away, slumping. Doyaal gripped his shoulders and swung him back, staring into his tortured eyes.
      "Please."
      Beauday threw off his hands. "Why bother asking me? You've made up your bloody mind already."
      "I need your blessing."
      "You want my approval to go off and get yourself killed?"
      Wordlessly, Doyaal pulled him into a hug. For a moment Beauday resisted, and Doyaal held his breath: his partner was bigger and far stronger than himself, and could simply walk away if he was so minded. Then he felt Beauday relax, and breathed a silent sigh of relief as the hug was returned.
      "OK. I can't stop you. Most I can do is be as close as possible when you need me."
      "If I need you."
      Beauday shook his head. "No. No, it'll be when..."