The True Confessions of a Nine-Tailed Fox

Chapter 142: The Perfect Timing

Ah, what fun! What excitement! Lady Piri's servants really were something! Just when Sphaera thought the mage was done for, the horse charged in to help, and together they defeated the wolf. Imagine that – a human and a horse, taking down a wolf!

"A pound of flesh that the mage survives," she called at Steelfang.

The big wolf was loping along ten feet away, his tongue lolling out in a satisfied grin. Lady Piri's mage and horse had just eliminated one of his most rebellious pack members.

"Fresh flesh," he specified.

"Done."

Good thing he hadn't thought it necessary to specify what type of flesh they were betting, because Sphaera hadn't yet told the others that Lady Piri had forbidden them from eating humans. It was most vexing, and partially defeated the purpose of coming down from the mountains, but Lady Piri's representative had been firm on that point: No eating humans, not ever again.

"Look at that!" Sphaera pointed, giggling.

Another wolf had just tried to leap onto the platform, but one of Lady Piri's bears had grabbed his hind legs. Now the wolf was dangling from the edge of the platform by the claws of his front paws while the bear hauled on him from below. On the platform, the humans in the plain robes had fallen into a terrified heap.

"Steelfang! A pound of flesh on the bear!"

Steelfang grimaced, torn between hoping that another of his troublesome pack members would be eliminated, and defending the pride of his wolves.

"What's ssso funny?" hissed a voice right next to Sphaera.

Haughtily, she turned her head and looked down her nose at the interloper. She met the bulbous yellow eyes of a bright green snake. Oh. It was that bamboo viper, What's-Her-Name. One of Lady Piri's representative's servants. Still, it wouldn't do to disrespect any of Lady Piri's underservants.

"Steelfang thought of a hilarious way to get rid of some of his people he doesn't like. He sent them to attack you." Sphaera giggled again.

For some reason, though, the snake didn't join in. "And you think that's funny?"

Sphaera hastily cut off mid-laugh. "Only if it is pleasing to your honorable mistress," she assured the underservant.

"Pleasssing? Why would it be pleasssing to her?"

Sphaera was getting worried, and so, by the way Steelfang drifted closer to her litter, was the wolf. "Because...it's a clever way of getting rid of them...?"

"A 'clever way of getting rid of them'? You're not worried they'll hurt my friends?!"

"Oh...." The thought genuinely had not occurred to Sphaera or, presumably, Steelfang. "But they're – you're – all Lady Piri's vassals, aren't you? I thought – he thought – she would protect you...?"

"That's not a good excussse!"

"Oh.... Oh...." Helplessly, Sphaera waved at Steelfang. "Perhaps you should recall them?"

Evidently the wolf had drawn the same conclusion, because he flung back his head and howled into the sky. "AaaaaOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo!"

In the distance, the band of wolves hesitated, then kept attacking.

"You see what I have to deal with?" grumbled Steelfang, before he howled again.

This time, all but one of the wolves reluctantly disengaged, backing up to circle the platform. The last wolf, however, was too busy trying to bite off the horse's tail. The horse neighed and kicked with his hind legs.