[Mkguild] Tails at the Mule

[Mark Ewing]

Here is my next story. It takes of right where I left off in the story In a
Dark Hall. As always comments are welcome.


Tails at the Mule



Oberon Snowcat



            I woke up in the morning and recalled what had taken place the
day before. I had neutralized eight vials of Narrelat with the help of Misha
Brightleaf, my comrade and commander. I looked over at the small cot in the
corner of the room and noticed that he was still snoring like he was never
going to stop. I pulled myself out of bed and slowly began my normal morning
routine.

Roughly ten minutes later as I was just finishing getting dressed there was
a knock on my door. I quickly opened the door to reveal Caroline standing
there with her hands on her waist.

She looked at me before she asked me. "Where is Misha? He never came home to
our apartment last night."

I grinned a little and pointed to where Misha was still dead to the world in
his robe on the cot that Kyia had provided for him. "I'm sorry but last
night we both drained most of our energy to destroy all of that narrelat."

"What did you two do last night? I thought YOU were the one who was going to
be casting the spells, not him."

I nodded my head before I pointed out. "I needed his help to cast that one
spell."

Caroline just glared at me for a moment. "I know what that means from
dealing with Rickkter. It means you were both in danger."

I laughed before I said, "Oh if you mean we were facing off against a dark
spell cast by a demon then yes we were in some danger."

"You put my Fianc=E9 at risk with demons?" She asked in a cold tone that was
marginally colder than the northern oceans of north of my homeland.

"Trust me I was in more danger than Misha was."

She grabbed me by the whiskers and pulled my head down to her level. "I do
not like you putting either of your lives at risk. I will NOT lose anyone
else I care for."

"OW, OW!" I complained at her grasp on the sensitive whiskers on either side
of my muzzle. "That really hurts Caroline." I groused.

She kissed me gently on the muzzle and released her grasp on my whiskers.
"No more risk taking for either of you."

I rubbed my muzzle before I replied, "I can't promise you the world
Caroline, but I will try. Now what are we going to do about your comatose
fianc=E9?"

She looked over at Misha and then walked over to where he was sleeping and
licked him softly on the muzzle.

Misha slowly opened his green eyes and looked up at Caroline before he
wrapped his arms around her body. "Good morning!"

I looked at the two of them before I asked, "How are you feeling this
morning Misha?"

"Still a little tired, but I'm feeling a lot better with you here."

I cocked my head a little. "Well right now my muzzle is a little sore.
Caroline has a good grip when she is annoyed." I commented still rubbing my
muzzle near the roots of my heavy whiskers.

Misha slowly sat up. "She is not someone that you should cross lightly. What
did you do to earn her ire?"

"I told her what we did yesterday."

"Oh," Misha answered in a quiet tone. "It wasn't supposed to be dangerous my
love. Things just got a little out of hand."

She glowered at him for a moment. "First it's Rickkter and now Oberon with
the dangerous magic."

"Is that any reason to try and pull all of the whiskers out of my poor
muzzle?"

Misha looked at me. "Well" Misha stuttered. "I did some wild and dangerous
things in my past and she is afraid that those days will return." He turned
and kissed Caroline lightly. "Those days are gone my love."

I chuckled at the sight of the two of them before I asked, "Now how about we
all go grab some breakfast before I collapse from hunger."

"That sound like a great idea!" Misha said as he stood up. He wrapped an arm
around Caroline and kisses her again.

"What is that thing you're wearing?" Caroline asked pointing to the robe
that Misha was still wearing.

"Oh I gave him that yesterday Caroline. I wanted him to be wearing it before
we started playing around with the demon. The runes that are embroidered on
it are meant to protect him from dark magic."

"Which we are don with now," and with those words Misha took off the robe
and dropped it onto the cot. "I've had enough of dark magic. Now let's go
eat breakfast."

"Keep it Misha. I made that for you a month ago in case we ran into an issue
like this."

Misha reluctantly picked up the robe and folded into a neat bundle. "All
right I just hope that we don't need it any more. I've had enough of evil
magic."

I nodded in agreement with my left ear dropping a little. "I don't like
dealing with magic either Misha. I prefer a nice sharp sword and an enemy
that I can see and killed with a bladed weapon."

"Now that I understand." Misha answered.

"I wish there was some other way to handle the lutins, besides killing
them." Caroline added.

"Have you ever had a chance to forge a peace with the bloody little things?"

"Me?" Caroline answered. "I've been killing them since I was fifteen years
old."

"Metamor has always been under attack," Misha explained. "For centuries."

"So this could be a perfect place for an old warrior like me. After all I
could possibly live for centuries."

"You'll get tired of fighting all of the time," Caroline answered. "A person
wants peace and quiet for a change ever so often."

"That is true Caroline. But none the less I will defend this place with
everything that I have to give."

"We both know that Oberon but it doesn't hurt to hope for some peace and
quiet."

I nodded my head and then opened the front door of my apartment and let both
Caroline and Misha into the hall. "Well what are we waiting for Misha?
Breakfast is waiting for us in the mess hall."

We all made our way to the mess hall where we had breakfast before we went
our separate ways for the day. I had some work to do in my forge, though I
would be taking it easy today because I still wasn't quite fully recovered
from the day before. I couldn't set runes on blades right now because I
needed more power in order to be able to do it. Instead I simply finished up
tempering the last four axes that Misha had contracted me to make.

Later on that evening I found myself making my way to the Deaf Mule. I
stepped into the Mule and looked around before a soft feminine voice rose up
over the other voices in the bar.

"Oberon!" came the female's voice. "Where have you been these last few
weeks?" she said as she walked towards me. "I've seen nothing of you."

I turned to face the beautiful snow leopard morph and replied, "I've been a
little busy recently with the Long Scouts Kristinai."

"Oh? I thought you were here at the Keep just last week," Caroline commented
trying to sound innocent.

"I uuhh=85" I lamely began

"What have you been doing for the last two weeks?" she asked, her soft voice
turning harsher with a slight growl in the tone.

"We've been keeping him pretty busy training lately." Misha added.

I turned my head and looked at Misha before I waggled my right ear at him.
"Yesterday Misha and I were=85"

"Oh? And you couldn't even stop by and ay hello! Not even one word?" She
asked, the growl in her voice more apparent this time.

I was completely flummoxed I couldn't get a word in edgewise without her
pouncing on it like a helpless rabbit. "My Lady=85"

"Well?" She asked interrupting me again. "Say something!"

"Kiss her you fool," George said before he gave me a good shove into
Kristinai's arms.

I had no alternative so I gave her a deep kiss on her muzzle and hugged her
smaller body to my chest.

She wrapped her arms around me and returned the kiss passionately her large
fangs grating against my own fangs.

"I never realized that you knew so much about women George." Finbar said in
a characteristic sarcastic tone of voice.

Kristinai broke away from the kiss for breath and I managed to ask her. "Can
you find it in your heart to forgive me Kristinai."

She looked me up and down for a few moments. "I forgive you," she said, her
soft purring voice returning once more. "But you owe me dinner Oberon, and
an evening together."

I nodded my head "Ok. But I am not really familiar with places where we can
get a good dinner."

"There is a great place down in Euper." Misha said. "Down in the main square
called the Bright Meadow. It's probably what you want since it is a fine
restaurant, one of the best in Euper."

"Ok if you can give me some directions Misha." I turned to Kristinai and
said, "That is where I will take you my Lady if you want to." Before I
extracted myself from her embrace and went over to the bar. "Donnie can you
please make me two catnip wine drinks diluted by eighty percent?"

He quickly produced the drinks and places them on the bar. "There you go
Oberon diluted by eighty percent."

I slapped a pair of silver pennies on the bar before I picked up the mugs
and headed over to a large empty table in the corner of the bar. Then I
invited my friends to come and join me before I handed the second drink to
Kristinai.

The whole group settled down around the table and began to take sips of
their various drinks.

"This bar here reminds me of a small bar in the Southlands."

Misha laughed, "Any one I particular or all of them?"

"It was a small village bar that I frequented while I was on the payroll of
some minor local nobleman."

"Where was it?" George asked. "I spent many years in the south."

"A small flea speck of a village called Han's Rest."

"That is located along the coast isn't it?" George asked. "A little nothing
of a town full of smelly fishermen."

"You can say that again George. Those fishermen smelled like they hadn't had
a bath in the past decade."

"I remember the place. The inn was called the Drunken Dolphin!"

"Yeah the only thing that was drunken about that bar was its name. The
'tender there watered his ale so much you might as well be drinking the
water."

George laughed. "The ale wasn't too bad."

"You couldn't drown your sorrows in it if you tried George. Believe me there
was more than one occasion when I tried."

"Sea water usually tasted better than the ale!" George conceded laughing.
"It was cheaper too!"

"The Baron of that village was as bad as the bartender. A complete skinflint
when it came to hiring people to serve him. Hell he was incensed when his
seneschal hired me."

"The seneschal's name was Armando, if I remember it right. He had far more
brains then the Baron."

"That is for sure, the mercenaries that the Baron hired were little more
than farm hands with swords."

George shook his head. "They weren't even that good. I did manage to whip
them into something resembling decent shape."

"Hey didn't I help you there?"

"You were there my friend!" George answered. "And you did help out a lot."

"I had more combat experience than all of those so called mercenaries put
together. The only other competent fighter there was you."

George nodded in agreement. "I was not upset to put that place behind me."

"At least you never had to fight with them. As soon as they saw an enemy
force they ran like children, leaving me alone on the field with the Baron's
fat lazy knights. At that point I decided that I had better things to do at
that point in time."

George laughed. "Meaning you ran for the hills. A smart move!"

"Well I had my money and my things with me. I don't believe in dying from
some idiot."

"There are causes and people worth dying for, but he was definitely not one
off them." George added.

"What about the Baron of Relnar? That man made his opponent look like pond
scum when it came to brains. The only thing that Lord Dunwall had a lot of
was money, and the willingness to spend it."

"The Baron was really was very good! It was a shame that Lord Dunwall had no
brains, but he had the coins to hire a general who did!"

"That was a very challenging campaign for me. The Baron was a most astute
opponent."

"Took you quite a while to defeat him, but you finally did it after more
than six months of hard fighting."

"Were you in the service of the Baron at the time George?"

"I was. I was commanding the Baron's raiders for most of that war."

"Your raiders drove me crazy during the early part of that conflict. I
managed to change that after I managed to get Lord Dunwall to hire some
light cavalry and skirmishers to deal with your raiders."

George took a swallow of his wine. "That was a smart move Oberon. Your
skirmishers and light cavalry spoiled our fun and made our jobs much more
difficult."

"Would you believe the Baron protested my hiring of those people? He wanted
me to spend that money on some fancy armour for his knights and their
horses."

George laughed. "Lucky for him you managed to talk him out of the armour.
Why is it that the biggest fools always have the most money?"

"I really don't know George. He was also big on crossbows. I had to actually
make a personal demonstration with my longbow in order to convince him to
hire a company of longbow men."

George shrugged. "Crossbows have their place on the battlefield but on an
open field they don't stand a chance against a trained force of men armed
with longbows."

I nodded and took a swig of my drink before I asked him if he knew of the
war between the Principality of Shalendra and the Duchy of Marenburg.

"I do." George answered. "I fought in that little war for more than a year."

"Do you remember what happened to the Duke of Marenburg?"

"Yup. Someone slipped him some soup with a deadly seasoning in it and he
dropped dead face down in the soup."

"It took me three weeks to get into his camp and I was about to make my own
move when someone else did. That really pissed me off, but I did manage to
get something done that influenced the end of the war."

George didn't answer but simply grinned revealing his sharp teeth. Then he
returned to sipping his wine.

Misha pointed his finger at the jackal. "Not a word more George. Not one."

"Misha?" I asked turning to look at the fox. "Were you responsible for that
one?"

            "Me?" Misha answered. "NO, well =85 Maybe."

            "He deserved killing Misha," George answered."

            "Are you meaning to tell me that all three of us were aimed at
the same despicable target?"

            "George wasn't, but he did help me a little." Misha said before
he looked at George. "You let me do all of the dirty work on that one."

            "If you had waited a few more days you could've saved your
poisons because the Duke would've come down with a bad case of dead. I had a
number of dessert scorpions in my kit that would've changed his outlook on
life rather permanently. As it was I put those critters in his emir's bed
the night after the Duke died."

            "The seasoning we used did the job just as well as your
scorpions would have. And besides that it let his cousin take the throne of
the Duchy. HE was a man with a lot more common sense."

            "Once the Emir turned up dead, he was almost as bad as the duke.
At least I managed to kill him and get some money out of that assignment."

            "We should have killed him too," George said in a nonchalant
tone, as if he was discussing what colour shirt he should wear the next day.

            I took another sip of my drink before I said; "Now the
Kingprince of Gaaltora was a real piece of work. I bet he was the kind of
person who tortured puppies when he was a kid."

            "His father was no better," George added. "He was even more
cruel then his son was. Both of them needed to be killed."

            "Now he was a challenge for me because he wasn't just sadistic,
he was also deeply paranoid."

            "So you were the one who got him in the end?" George asked me.

            "His neighbours banded together and paid me four thousand
garrets to do the job. It took me six months to get into his castle but I
eventually managed to toss a knife into the back of his skull from fifteen
feet away and get away with it."

            "That is an impressive kill for just a knife." Finbar said,
speaking up for the first time in the evening.

            "I couldn't use poison because he had a taster test all of his
food before he ate it. I believe that he lost thirteen tasters that way.
Tasting food for him was a very high risk job, and the pay probably wasn't
all that good either."

            "The taster didn't have much choice. Either they taste the food
or their families would die." Misha added.

            "Could we PLEASE change the subject?" Caroline asked. "I really
don't want to spend the whole night talking about death."

            "What? Misha, George, and I are just talking about old times."

            "I do not want to hear three old mercenaries talking shop,"
Kristinai said forcefully.

            "What should we talk about? How wonderfully delightful your fur
looks tonight."

            "Anything but killing and poisoning!" Caroline responded.

             I reached over to my left and ran a gentle caress down
Kristinai's shoulder. "Sorry my dear but there isn't a whole lot of other
things that I have any experience with."

            She looked up into my eyes. "All you've ever done with your life
is kill things? No poetry or even writing?"

            "I am a warrior my dear. I began my training when I was five
years old. The only thing that I have any amount of training at is beating
hot metal into the shape of a weapon with a hammer. And discussing that
hardly makes for scintillating conversation."

            "You must do something with your time?" Caroline asked. "Even
Misha writes stories. He even wrote a book once!"

            "When I am not on patrol I spend time reading old books on
philosophy. There area times when I will write a few of the more pertinent
lines and stamp them down on a piece of sheet metal at a later time."

            "Sheet Metal?" Caroline asked. "Why stamp them?"

            "Mainly for decorative purposes, but also to identify my home
for my Soul Guide. Every Kelmar Warrior had a sheet of metal stamped with
his personal motto for that purpose."

            "I didn't see anything like that in your place Oberon. Why?"
Misha asked me in a puzzled tone of voice.

            "I don't really need it any more Misha. I don't have a Soul
Guide any more. I lost him when I came here to the Keep."

            "You don't?" Caroline asked, "What happened?"

            "In a way I didn't really lose him so much as he became part of
who and what I am now."

            "You merged with your spirit animal?" Kristinai asked in
disbelief.

            "Yup. That is probably why I took the form of a Snow Tiger
instead of one of the other aspects of the curse. That is also why I am so
comfortable with my animal form, as Misha already knows."

            "So you became your own spirit animal?" George asked. "That's an
interesting idea."

            "How does the curse normally work George? Is it completely
random, or is there some sort of weird order to what you will become?"

            "It is supposed to be random," George answered. "But it does
seem to have a weird sense of humour at times."

            "Would you say that your form is an example of that George?"

            "I would," Misha answered. "A jackal is a tough survivor, just
like George."

            "What about you Misha? Would you say that the form that the
curse gave suits you?"

            "I love it!" the fox announced. "It fits me perfectly."

            Caroline kissed Misha. "I like your body too!" she said softly.

            "Kristinai do you like your lovely form, as much as they seem to
enjoy their forms?"

            "I think that it's regal-ness, grace, and beauty fit me
perfectly." She explained. "I don't know what I would have done if the curse
had turned me into a man."

            I grinned like a fool before I leaned over and gave her a gentle
kiss on the cheek.

            She turned her head and eagerly returned my kiss square on my
lips, stoking the side of my face with here right hand.

            "Personally I love the form that the Keep gave you my dear."

            "I like your form too. So sleek and powerful." She said softly
with her right hand still stroking the side of my face.

            I leaned into her caress and finally managed to ask Finbar.
"Finbar do you think that your form suits you now."

            "Yes!" the ferret answered. "It matches me perfectly. I'm a lot
better able to sneak around as a ferret then if I was a horse!"

            I laughed slowly before Kristinai distracted me again with her
gentle stroking on my thick neck ruff.

            "I think that we are what we are meant tot be. I couldn't see
Duke Thomas as a woman or even a lion. He is meant to be a horse and he
enjoys it."

            I nodded my head before I asked, "Could you imagine me as a
rabbit or a mouse?"

            Misha broke out into gales of laughter. "NEVER!" He said between
chuckles. "It just wouldn't work. The curse would never be that cruel."

            I nodded and smiled before finally said, "I really doubt that
any Kelmar Warrior who came here would ever turn into a woman, a child, or a
passive herbivore. Our aggressive warrior nature simply wouldn't allow
that."

            Caroline shook her head. "I don't know. Sometimes the curse has
a weird sense of humour. And the toughest person I know is a rat! Our friend
and comrade Charles Matthias."

            I nodded my head before the soft voice of Kristinai purred.
"Caroline you must tell me how you met Misha."

            "We met through my father, Will. Misha and Will make clocks
together and that is how we met." She licked the fox on the muzzle. "Then he
asked me to be a Long Scout. I think that he just wanted to be near me at
the time."

            "So it was nothing like how I met this big lug here?" Kristinai
asked with her arm on my shoulder possessively.

            Caroline laughed. "Our first date was three day out in the woods
hunting." She turned to Misha. "You always take me tot the finest places."

            "I took you out for dinner AFTER we got back!" the fox answered.

            "Well this lug here hasn't taken me out hunting yet. Should we
do something about that?"

            "What an elegant group we are! Our idea of a great date is
hunting!" Misha joked.

            "I enjoy being a cat Misha." Kristinai told him.

            "So we all see!" he answered. "A cat is almost as good as a fox
or an otter!"

            "That is why I want to try out my full form some day. Hopefully
I can do it with this handsome tiger by my side." She said before kissing me
again on the muzzle passionately.

            Caroline smiled. "That really sounds=85 Wild."

            I laughed "She really like to do that to me." While I ran a
gentle hand over her head and ears. "Misha is it always like this?"

            Misha just shrugged. "I am not going to answer that." He licked
the otter on the muzzle.

            Kristinai leaned over and gave me a kiss.

            George just shook his head "I'm just glad that I am still
single."

            "And what about you and Terry?" Misha asked. "You two have been
pretty close lately."

            I raised my left eyebrow and wiggled the same ear at George.
"George is Misha trying to tell us that you, a confirmed bachelor, are
actually seeing a FEMALE?!"

            "Can you see him dating a man?" Misha joked.

            "We're just friends at the moment," George answered.

            "George, ever since I first met you fifteen years ago I never
knew you to be a ladies man. Normally if you wanted female companionship you
would go find the nearest barmaid."

            "People change Oberon," George says calmly. "I never expected to
be settled in this place for life when I was younger."

            "What did you expect George? To spend your entire life wandering
the continent earning money by selling your sword?"

            George shrugged. "I didn't expect anything. I just lived for the
moment."

            I smiled and asked rhetorically. "I wonder how many old barmaids
have children because of you?"

            "And what of you Oberon?" George countered. "Back then you
enjoyed life too."

            "That's true George. But neither of us collected barmaids the
way old Sampson Gillmorre did. That guy was a barmaid magnet."

            George shook his head. "He did more barmaids then he did
fighting. He was always on top of some barmaid somewhere."

            "What about that monster of a sword that he carried? I swear
that none of the other guys in Banderson's Buccaneers used a weapon that
big."

            "I've never seen anyone carry one bigger." George answered me

            "He would brag about the size of both of his weapons and the
conquests that he had made with them."

            "Yeah, but it was a barmaid that come the closest to killing
him. She stuck a six inch long dagger in his back."

            "I think that she was a little miffed at him for doing her
sister. If he is still alive I could see him still trying to divest some
barmaid of her virginity."

            "Or running from her father who has a spear aimed at his chest."
George added.

            I laughed before I pointed out. "There were a fair number of
places where you seem to attract booty at the end of a battle. Remember the
missing jewel encrusted Chalice of Transelna? Do you still have that fancy
wine Goblet?"

            George shook his head. "Why would I keep such a worthless
bauble? I sold it and lived well off the money for months."

            "Do you still have any of your little treasurers that you picked
up out when you were on campaign as a mercenary?"

            "A few," George answered and held up his right hand, which had
several gold rings on its fingers.

            I looked at the rings and then exclaimed, "Isn't that third ring
the old signet ring of the Lord of Mentalin City?"

            George laughed. "So? Not like that fool was ever going to need
it ever again."

            "No. I think that we left him in too many pieces for him to need
it again." I finished off my drink and looked over into Kristinai's eyes. I
noticed that her eyelids were drooping and here eyes were unfocused. "It
looks as if Kristinai doesn't have my level of tolerance to Donnie's catnip
concoction."

            "Few people DO have it," Caroline answered. "She isn't as large
as you are, and even you needed a few times to get used to it. I think you
had best take your fine lady home."

            I nodded my head and put my hand on Kristinai's shoulder to
guide her to a standing position. But she had other ideas and shifted her
form to that of her full animal form.

            "Wow!" Misha exclaimed. "It seems as if she has other ideas."

            "Do you mind giving me a hand with her clothes before she shreds
her clothes with her claws?"

            Caroline stepped forward. "I'll help you." She said before she
moved towards the two of us.

            I gently undid Kristinai's dress and gently picked her up,
pulling her out of her clothes. As far as I could tell she was one very
sleepy snow leopard.

            "As I am currently engaged," Misha commented. "I will stay away
from the, now, naked snow leopard lady."

            As soon as her clothes were off Kristinai wiggled out of my arms
and padded under the table. There she curled up with her long fluffy tail
covering her face. "Misha even you have to admit that she makes a very
pretty cat." I said just as my nose began to pick up a decidedly enticing
aroma."

            "We need to get her home and into bed," Caroline said.

            "Yes." I agreed dreamily as the scent pricked my sense of smell.
For some reason this enticing scent was really throwing me for a loop."

            Caroline motioned to Misha who came to help us try to extract
Kristinai from under the table. "I'll help Oberon." She turned to me before
she said. "You'd best sit down. That nip is really beginning to get to you."

            "I don't think that it's the nip Caroline. For some reason
Kristinai smells absolutely heavenly right now."

            "Misha chuckled. "That nip is nasty stuff. Now Oberon you will
sit down." And with those words he picked Kristinai up by her front paws and
managed to sling her over his back.

            "Misha why are you taking her away from me now?" I asked with a
slight growl in my voice.

            "So that the catnip and her scent don't make you do something
you will later regret. I know what THAT scent means my friend and its
effects on you."

            I began to rise to my feet, but Caroline already had an idea in
mind to get the smell of Kristinai out of my nose. She flung some pepper at
my nose, causing me to sneeze explosively.

            George placed his hands on my shoulders and said, "Sit and
simmer down."

            I remained standing for a second before I sat down with
streaming eyes and continued to sneeze.

            "You are more animal then human Oberon. You need to respect that
fact." George said calmly.

            Finally I managed to clear my eyes nose before I said, "Sorry
about that George. I don't really know what came over me."

            The jackal sat down. "No problem. We all live and learn." While
George said that Misha and Caroline carried Kristinai out of the Mule.

            "You ever have issues with the fact that you're a jackal
George?"

            George shrugged "A few, but I don't let those things get to me.
I've been through too much to get excited easily."

            "I guess that you aren't as much of an animal on the inside as I
am." I looked around the room before I finally said, "We were talking about
what we had managed to get away with while we were mercenaries."

            "What little bits of swag have you managed to hold onto?" George
asked.

            "Oh I have a few items, the Coronet of the Duke of Halentor, the
Diamond of Krendora, and a few other little baubles."

            "A few?" Finbar asked. "Those sound like a kings ransom."

            "Oh I kept only the most valuable items that I managed to get
away with. I have a total of thirty-five items in my collection."

            "Only thirty-five?" George answered. "You have twice that many
weapons. So why not more loot?"

            "I only kept the most valuable items. I sold the other pieces
for the money."

            "Gold, silver, and jewels are just baubles," George commented.
"After a while they mean little compared to having a place one can call
home."

            "I know what you mean George." I was beginning to feel tired so
I said, "Well I should head in unless you want me to fall asleep under this
table."

            "It wouldn't be the first time that happened to you!" Finbar
joked.

            I stood up and placed my hand the table to steady myself. "I
think that this drink was a little stronger than eighty percent dilution."

            "Do you need help getting home? George asked.

            After considering his offer for a few seconds. "I might take you
up on that offer George."  I replied as I let go of the table and swayed on
my feet."

            George stood up and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Well let's
get you home and to bed."

            We made our way to Long House where the guards let us through
without any problems. Tcukendra met us at the door and sniffed George before
he whined and followed the two of us to my room.

Finally we reached my door and I turned to George. "Thanks for the help
George."

"Now you go get to bed and sleep off that catnip." George ordered.

I nodded and closed the door and quickly undressed before I collapsed into
bed with Tcukendra right beside the bed.
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