Russet went all out over lunch, he made crackers with a variety of spreads, mixed up some tuna and mayonnaise baguettes, poured some jugs of fresh orange and apple juice and to finish he laid out some freshly cut slices of Honeydew Melon. Throughout this the snowkitten twins Eliki and Leana watched from the table on the veranda just outside the kitchen were Russet had left them with a couple of plates of crisps to keep them happy while he prepared lunch.

After about twenty minutes Leana was just about to go and see what had happened to their skunk host when the kitchen door swung upon and Russet backed onto the veranda with a large silver tray with several covered dishes on it. He manoeuvred the tray carefully onto the table before he took a seat and smiled at them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting so long but I couldn't find the mayonnaise." Russet said pouring everyone a drink.

Leana sniffed and smiled at him, "That's ok Russet, is that Tuna?"

Eliki chuckled and batted his sisters ears as he leant forwards sniffing and lifted the lid off of a tray to reveal three warm baguettes stuffed with Tuna mayonnaise. "Of course it is Leana, you can smell it just as well as I can." He turned to look at Russet his paw hovering over one of them, "You didn't have to go to all this trouble."

Russet smiled and picked up a cracker filled with peanut butter, "Of course I did you are my guests and besides I like making food and," he paused and helped himself to a baguette placing in on the plate before him, "I like Tuna, so help yourselves you two. You've earned it after being so kind to me today."

You're the one who's been kind Russet," Leana said as she bit into her baguette, "Inviting us in for lunch, showing us your home, and we only came to collect some stolen property."

Russet smiled warmly at Leana and blushed a little, "Its my pleasure, I get very few guests up here its nice to have someone visiting for a change." He said burying his muzzle into a slice of melon to hide his embarrassment.

Eliki giggled and baffed Russet's tail with his, "Don't be embarrassed I'm very glad to have met you, its more then worth the anguish of a car journey." He said with a smile, as he licked tuna flakes from his whiskers.

Russet meeped and jumped grasping his tail and holding it close, he seemed to freeze in place for a moment and both the snowkittens looked at him worriedly before he breathed out and released it letting it sway out and curl around Eliki's in a friendly hug. "I am very glad to have met you both as well." He said before he slowly let his tail unwind and flow back into its upright position behind him.

Leana leaned forwards and placed a paw on Russets as he picked up his slice of melon, "What was that about Russet, you froze then." She asked looking into the skunks blue eyes.

Russet blinked and fiddled with the silk scarf hanging around his neck, "Well I, I'm just not used to people touching my tail, it's a very special part of me, I was just caught of guard."

Eliki meeped softly and lowered his ears, "Sorry if I offended you,"

"Don't be silly," Russet said smiling, "I am very glad to have you as a friend, floof my tail as much as you like." He then carried on to blush to an extent that his ears tinged red for a moment. "Now eat up before I finish off all this melon."

Leana and Eliki smiled and picked up their pieces of Melon while Russet happily finished off his. Just as Russet was finishing the doorbell rang out through the lighthouse.

"Odd," Russet said looking into the house, "I am not expecting anyone." He stood up and smiled at his guests, "Sorry about this I'll go and see who it is."

"That's ok, We'll wait here," Leana said.

Russet wandered through the kitchen and out into the hallway, he turned to face the front door and grimaced at the site of a smartly dressed mouse peering through the window. Russet stormed forwards and yanked the front door open as the mouse's muzzle lit up in a smile.

"Duke Vardenai I'm so glad you are in, this time I have an offer you will not wish to refuse.." He got no further as Russet cut him off in a calm steely voice.

"Mister Vickel how dare you come here, how dare you enter my lands, does a court restraining order mean nothing to you, get off my land now." He said teeth clenched refusing to loose his temper with this irritating businessmouse.

"But Duke Vardenai, we are willing to offer you three times our last offer." the mouse tried again.

"I said no Mister Vickel and I mean no, you and your associates have been forbidden to enter my property or contact me, now leave before I call the police. I will not sell you my land so you can turn this lovely place into some tacky sea side resort, now leave and leave now and I do not want to hear from you or your associates again this matter is closed." Russet said pointing back down the drive to the mouse's waiting car.

"You will sell Vardenai sooner or later you will sell." The mouse grated as he turned and walked towards his car.

"Well the judge thought your reasons were flawed and just damn greedy Mister Vickel, I'd say a no to that ever happening so I would give up if I were you." Russet said in parting and closed the door smiling happily to himself as he saw the mouse glare at him then stomp back to his car.

Humming to himself Russet headed for the kitchen door but paused as he heard the sound of paws scampering over the tiled floor, chuckling he wandered back out the veranda and sat down. "You snowkittens sure are a curious bunch aren't you?" he said with a smile.

Eliki and Leana both blushed and shuffled on their chairs as the skunk laughed out loud, "Well you never told us you were a Duke you naughty skunk" Leana shot back with a malicious grin.

Russet choked on his drink and sat up frowning at Leana, 'Well you wouldn't have found out if you hadn't been eavesdropping." He shot back.

Eliki whistled suddenly and smiled as the other two turned to face him, "Now I know where I have heard the name Vardenai before. This is the Duchy of Vardenai, most of the land for 40 square miles is owned by the duke and the towns pay an arbitrary tax to the recluse Duke Vardenai. Who lives near the town of North Cliffs on the coast of the Duchy." He said turning to face Russet and flicking his tail at him.

Russet meeped and uncurled the tip of his tail hiding his muzzle behind it as it fell across his face, then he sighed and his shoulders slumped slightly, "I was so surprised when I realised you didn't know who I was I guess that's over now." He said and then sighed again.

Leana laughed and put her arms around the skunks shoulders hugging him, "Don't be silly Russet, we'll treat you no differently then before unless you want us too, I for one am not about to start calling you, 'your grace' every time I speak to you." She said squeezing him tighter.

Eliki nodded and smiled before speaking, "Its been a real pleasure to meet you Russet and me and Leana have both agreed that we would love to get to know you better if you let us."

Russet blinked his eyes to stop himself from crying, "You really mean it? That would be wonderful, I have to admit its been so nice meeting you both, my favourite artist and his sister, I never dreamed I would ever meet you Eliki." He said a smile shining on his muzzle, "It's been an honour and I'd love to get to know you better as well."

Leana smiled and stood up dragging the skunk back to his feet, "Then lets go back inside before it starts to rain again," she said pointing at the clouds rolling in off of the ocean.

Russet nodded and gathered up the tray and took his guests back inside, he emptied the tray into the dishwasher and turned it on before he led them out to the rotunda. "Let's go up to the lamp room, we can watch the storm from there."

"It is going to be a storm?" Leana asked as they followed the skunk up the spiral staircase, it looked like a normal rain cloud to me."

Russet smiled as he led them up the ladder and into the lamp room, "Trust me it's a storm I can feel if from here." The skunk said as he waved a paw in front of the glass case holding the lantern and it glowed softly and filled the room with a gentle light to break the gathering gloom as the storm front began to block out the sunlight.

"Oooooh that's wonderful Russet," Eliki said stopping to admire the lantern, "I wish I had one of those."

Russet chuckled and opened a small cabinet and switched the kettle kept within on. "I'm glad you like it, its been in my family for generations, every now and then one of us is born with powers like mine and is able to control it." He paused for a second and sighed, "But sadly after me the family of Vardenai will draw to a close." He shook himself and set about popping tea bags into a china teapot.

Leana looked at Eliki and smiled before murmuring to herself, "thought so."

Eliki frowned at Leana before wandering over to peer out of the window next to Russet as the first raindrops began to land on the glass. "Why is that Russet?" he asked carefully.

Russet hummed as he stuck his head under the cabinet and began to rummage around looking for the milk. "Oh I'm gay Eliki, that's why, Grandma was the only one who really accepted it, mother and farther were always slightly upset with me over it, god rest their souls and all.

He jerked and banged his head as Leana let go with a hysterical laugh shaking herself and hugging Russet as he stood up as she looked over at Eliki's stunned face.

Russet blushed slightly looking kind of shocked and frowned at Leana, "I'm never that open, he shook himself and smoothed his head fur, "I get the feeling miss snowkitten you've been playing with me."

Leana hugged him close again before stepping back, "Sorry, sorry I couldn't resist it, I thought so from the moment we met, Eliki didn't want to believe me."

Eliki blushed and backed away slightly looking at his twin sister as Russet peered over at him,

"Sorry if I shocked you Eliki, but if we are to be friends then you should know all About Us." Russet said as the kettle clicked off and he began to pour the water over the tea bags.

Eliki shook his head and smiled, "No that's ok, I'm bi myself," he said blushing furiously, "I guess I should tell you as well if we are to be friends."

Russet nodded and placed the teapot on a small silver tray with three cups, a milk jug and a sugar bowl and walked over to the doors, which he swung open and led them out onto the covered observation deck. "Well this has certainly been a great first meeting, I'm sorry that this storm has kind of ruined the day."

"That's ok Russet," Eliki said smiling as they took seats, "I like a good storm."

The storm clouds amassed along the coast of Aredria rolling in off the ocean, driven by winds, which tossed the seas against the cliffs and beeches of the country in white crested waves. The lightning struck in forks from the sky unto the ground or in rolling sheets across the clouds and each time the heavens where lit with a blinding flash the rumble of thunder shattered the monotone of the wind. The rain beat down in a staccato of force, first slowly but gradually building up in speed and force until it was a torrent collecting in streams and rivers swelling them to near overflowing. In puddles and depressions in the ground the rain fall gathered and in pools and niches on roofs, roofs where tiles had been lost in the ferocity of this storms sister the night before.

The three new friends, one skunk and his snowkitten guests were happily chatting amongst themselves on the observation deck watching the beauty of natures storm play out around them sheltered from the torrential rain by the overhang of the roof. A good three-quarter's of an hour passed with no sign of either the rain or the storm letting up and Russet had just returned with a fresh pot of tea when things took a rather interesting turn.

Russet leaned forward and poked at the inside of the sugar bowl where the sugar had been congealed together.

"Hey," the skunk muttered, "Who put a wet spoon back into the sugar bowl?"

Leana looked over and shook her head her, "Not me Russet, I hate when people do that."

Eliki was about to make a response when he was stopped by a large drop of water landing in the milk jug with a splash. "What the?" he asked sitting up and craning his neck back to stare at the roof, "Oh dear." he murmured staring at the rather unhealthy looking bulge in the plaster ceiling, "That doesn't look good."

Russet stood up hurriedly, "Uhm, I think we had better go down, I forgot the roof tiles are more or less non existent, I don't think the roof will hold this much.." He got no further as with a wet squelching sound the plaster gave way dumping a torrent of water on top of the three friends. Amid much yelping and holding of paws above heads the three ran inside the lamp room only to have more water pouring down from the ceiling drench them as well. Hurriedly grabbing the coronet off of its stand Russet hurried his two guests down the ladder and closed the trap door sealing the lamp room off from the rest of the house.

Russet turned water running from his fur in all directions and dripping on the floor. Tail a bedraggled soggy lump trailing along behind him, he faced his guests who were in no better shape. Fur and clothes plastered to their skin and water dripping off of them in all directions. Russet lowered his ears in a pose of apology before speaking.

"I'm so sorry you two, I should have known that the missing roof tiles would cause the lamp room to get wet like that, your soaked we had best get dry before we catch a chill of something."

Leana chuckled and shook herself sending a spray of droplets over them both, "It was about time for Eliki's yearly bath any way, you know how us felines like to avoid water."

"Hey Leana," Eliki exclaimed glowering at his sister as he wrung water out of his tail, "That's untrue, I have a bath or shower at least once a day sometimes twice." He said but his sister just chuckled and scrtiched his ears lightly.

"Any way we must dry off, follow me," Russet said and he led the snowkittens down to the first floor of the lighthouse and into the bathroom.

"Oh my, now this is a bathroom," Eliki said taking in the sunken floor level circular bathtub, the enclosed shower system, blue tiles on the walls and floors set with small glowing balls of glass. There was what appeared to be a sauna of some kind and all the other specifics one expects to find in a bathroom.

Russet chuckled and wandered over to a door set in the wall and opened it revealing an airing cupboard. He pulled out a couple of large blue bath towels and some smaller paw towels. "Did you bring any other clothes with you?" he asked as he handed them around, "If not there are bath robes in the cupboard as well."

Leana looked over at Russet as she began to wrap her head fur up in a towel, "Yes we brought a bag each, there in the boot of the car. Just in case we decided to stay over night somewhere on the way back, it's a long drive back to Phoenixbrook."

Russet nodded, "Well you two dry off and wrap your self up in a bathrobe, I'll wander out and get them, I'm already wet, I won't get any worse," he turned and walked to the door but he paused before he left. "Feel free to make use of the Fur dryer as well, you can set the shower to blow hot air as well, the controls there," he pointed at a flat silver panel next to the shower, "I won't be long."

Russet wandered down to the hall, popped the coronet into the cabinet with his grandmother's brooch and took Leana's car keys out of her bag; he opened the front door and stood peering out into the torrential rain sheeting down across the paved driveway. It was only a few yards to where Leana had parked her car upon her return from town and Russet sprinted out, opened the boot, picked up the two bags shut the boot and sprinted back inside slamming the door behind him. Shaking himself Russet made his way back up to the bathroom where he found Leana sitting on a stool in front of a mirror untangling her fur band from her head fur. Eliki was standing under a torrent of steaming water in the shower with only his head showing above the door.

"Here they are," Russet said placing the bags on the floor, he paused and frowned at Eliki as he rubbed shampoo into his head fur, "Weren't you wet enough?" the skunk asked dripping water on the floor.

Eliki just grinned and carried on washing himself, Russet turned to look at Leana who smiled at him, "Felines are notorious for their cleanliness, Eliki wanted to warm up and he claimed the tea pot went over him as well when the roof dumped all that water on us."

Russet chuckled and shook himself, "Now that is a contradiction to what you said earlier. Well feel free to make use of anything you need, I'll just go up to my room and dry up and change then I will see you back downstairs in the living room." The snowkittens nodded to the skunk in response and he headed out of the bathroom and up the stairs to his own floor. After taking a quick shower himself in his en suite bathroom he dressed in a soft green turtle neck jumper and a pair of matching warm tracksuit bottoms as well and then he looped a pale green silk scarf around his neck as well. Bare pawed and dry once more Russet padded down to the living room and stuck his head around the door to find Eliki in front of the fire lighting the logs laid out in the hearth. Eliki was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a rather mind boggling yellow and orange T-shirt.

"Where is Leana?" Russet asked pushing the door open.

Eliki smiled over at the skunk and said, "She's taking a shower herself and then she'll probably spend some time doing her hair so she will be awhile, I hope you don't mind that I started the fire?"

"Not at all Eliki," Russet said, "Make yourself comfortable, I'll go and make us some hot chocolate to warm up with," he peered out the windows and shivered. "It is really going for it out there, well I'll be back soon."

Eliki watched the door swing shut behind Russet as he left and the snowkitten turned back to stoke the fire into life. He looked up above the fireplace where a portrait hung, In the middle was a smiling Russet Vardenai surrounded by what Eliki guessed must have been some of his friends. There was a hedgehog, a couple of foxes, a rat, some felines, an otter or two and a wolf and mouse. Below this on the mantle shelf, were two picture frames. One of them held a picture of an elderly grey furred skunk. 'Louisa ti Nostor ei Vardenai' the small bronze inscription read. The other held a picture of two skunks a male and a female.

"Julie and Michael ti Nostor ei Vardenai," Eliki read out loud slowly, "I guess they were his parents, I wonder what happened to them." Eliki sighed and held up his right paw and closing his eyes began to focus upon searching out feelings within the lighthouse, the feelings and emotions tied to these pictures. He held the image for a moment longer and then let it flow out through his bracelet. He smiled to himself as he felt the feelings of love and happiness flowing around the pictures before him. There was also sadness and loss and a sense of sudden unexpected grief that brought tears to his eyes. Eliki let dropped his arm and let go of his power and scrubbed the tears from his eyes sniffing softly. He jumped slightly as he felt two arms encircle his shoulders and hug him close and then the familiar scent of his sister assailed his nose, Eliki sighed and leaned back into his sister letting go of his power completely.

"Now what would our host say if he knew you had been snooping around his emotional past dear, it's most impolite." Leana said nipping her brother's ear softly.

Eliki stood up and stretched languorously and shook himself to clear his head of the final lingering effects of his power, "He'd probably role his eyes and say felines, little miss lets wander into a room our host obviously wants to keep private."" He said with a smile before dropping onto a bean filled cushion of some kind next to the fire and stretching out.

Leana huffed and sat herself down in an armchair next to him her sky blue dress swishing around her legs, "As you say, anyway we really should think about setting off soon before it gets too much later or we will never make any time."

"I won't hear of it," Russet said wandering in through the door and setting a tray of steaming hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows down on the coffee table. "I could not permit you to drive in such weather, its dangerous, you must stay here for the night, I insist."

"We really wouldn't want to be an inconvenience Russet, I mean it would be rude of us to impose upon you." Eliki said rolling over and propping himself up on one paw to look up at the skunk.

"Nonsense, I have a lighthouse full of empty bedrooms, you and your sister might as well make use of them no." he said handing Leana a cup, "It is down right dangerous out there, It looks like it is shaping up to follow last night." Russet paused and looked out the window and shook his head, "At least all the damage has been done now it can't get any worse, I'll call the cleaning staff and gardeners tomorrow and tell them what has happened and get them in to sort it out."

"Cleaning Staff!" Eliki breathed softly shaking his head slowly, "Lucky you, I wish we could just pick up the phone and call in someone to clean up our mess."

Russet chuckled and sprawled on the beanbag opposite, "I can hardly look after this place on my own now can I they only come twice a week anyway, the rest of the time I do most of the small tasks myself."

"Well if we will not cause you undue problems Russet we would be delighted to stay the night in this wonderful atmospheric house of yours." Leana said lapping the whipped cream off of her drink.

"Atmospheric is right.." Russet muttered peering out of the window at the storm, "If you will just excuse me, I want to go and make sure the house is locked up for the night." He looked at the clock which said seven o'clock and chuckled, "Boy time flies when your being drenched by falling roofs, I'll pop a couple of things in the oven as well while I'm out, please feel free to make use of anything." He gestured at the television, stereo and bookcases before leaving the room again shutting the door behind him.

"So," Leana said turning to face her brother who had his whiskers buried in the cream floating on top of his hot chocolate, he looked up licking his whiskers clean and smiled, "What do you think of his grace the grand duke of Vardenai, Russet then?"

Eliki laughed, "That he'd probably make you sleep in the car if you called him that, but he is a really nice furson I'm very glad to have met him." The snowkitten said with a smile going back to his drink.

"Well you both seem to have got over your initial nervousness which is good, he just seems to have that aura around him which makes him likeable, " Leana said sipping her chocolate now all the cream was gone.

Eliki sighs and rolls onto his back after placing his mug on the hearth, "And some of the stuff in this place is amazing, they must have been collecting for years."

Leana nodded and smiled, "I know did you see it, the brooch of Iverlese? I have no idea where they could have found that, I thought it was lost for good." She sighed sadly and shook her head, "But I guess it still is, there is little hope of him returning it to the snowkittens is there, I mean its his grandmothers heirloom."

Eliki sighed sadly and shook his head, "Yes but then we can hardly ask for it back can we its been lost for centuries, at least we know it is in good hands." He leaned his head back and smiled at his twin from where he was lying, "I'd sure love to see Jarret and Ailee's faces if he turned up in Phoenixbrook wearing it."

Leana looked at him a smile playing over her muzzle and she let loose a short laugh, then she looked down at her grinning brother and soon they were both laughing loudly at the idea.

"Well you two seem to be having fun," Russet said as he walked back into the room with a tray of steaming garlic Kiev's and potatoes that he set on the table.

Eliki rolled over onto his stomach and smiled up at Russet as he flopped down onto his beanbag again, "That was quick?" he said sniffing at the food.

Russet shuffled on his beanbag a bit to get comfortable and smiled at the two felines, "I put them in earlier on, I thought you might be hungry, so help yourselves."

The two snowkittens thanked the skunk and happily dug into the meal with him, chatting idly as the fire crackled, filling the room with a warm cheerful glow. Outside the storm carried on sending down its rain and hail, lighting the sky with the lights of heaven and the drums of the gods as some might call it. The night wore on as they are wont to do and eventually long after the food had been consumed the conversation turned once more to Russet and his home.

"You know Russet, I was wondering how you do it?" Leana asked suddenly as Russet finished putting a new log upon the fire.

Russet looked up and shook his head, "Pardon Leana, what do you mean?"

"I mean here you are a 19 year old skunk, who is grand duke of most of south west Aredria, how do you cope with it? I'd never be able to do it." Leana said

Russet sighed and shook his head, "Ever since my parents died when their plane crashed I was with grandma and she helped me to get ready for it. Then when grandma died earlier this year I was on my own but I have great friends who have helped me and now I have met two great kitties from up north. As long as I have friends I can carry on." He said smiling at the two.

Eliki smiled and reached out to scratch Russet's ears, "That is a very sound philosophy Russet, I'm just amazed to tell you the truth."

Russet chirred softly and flicked an ear at the scratching, "Well my power does help a bit and its always nice to know I have friends I can talk to when all the politics and crazy business furs starts to get to me." He let off with a yawn and looked up and the clock and blinked. "Good lords it is nearly half past eleven."

Leana and Eliki looked over at the clock mounted on the wall and shook themselves in surprise. "Well what ever happened to the time, it was seven thirty last time I looked," Eliki said

Russet laughed and shook his head, "I guess we just lost track of time, come I will show you, your rooms I for one am rather worn out."

Leana and Eliki agreed and Russet led them out switching off the lights as they went. They climbed up to the third floor of the lighthouse where Russet showed them both to large airy bedrooms with double beds and after seeing that they were both settled in he wandered up the stairs to his room on the fourth floor. He slipped out of his tracksuit bottoms and jumper then clambered into bed and switched the light off. With a soft smile on his face Russet drifted off to sleep to the sound of the rain and the faint rumble of thunder as the storm passed its way inland over Aredria.