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Hidden Desires

Chapter 30

Evelyn told Aina that the new land they entered was known as Kingdom Curith, while the little wood they came to was known as Homyn Willow Wood. Aina thought it utterly beautiful. The trees there flowered white and shed bright orange leaves that cascaded over the wood in a constant colorful rain. Homyn Willow was spread by open fields of bright green, glittering lakes, and enormous trees covered in thick green moss. Birds were everywhere, in every size from tiny to unnervingly large. Indeed, some were large enough to ride. Long-legged cranes could be seen in the little creeks, extending thin necks to nip at dragonflies. Rabbits scurried in the underbrush, and Aina - a skilled huntress - impressed the dogs when she made a bow and nabbed three easily. Eldon was especially impressed and asked her to teach him, for a crossbow did heavy damage but was not nearly as quick.

On the third day, Aina tilted her head, trying to measure the height of Homyn Willow's gargantuan trees. Glee burst bright in her heart when she realized she could not. She heard Evelyn laughing behind her and the protesting shouts of the escort when she suddenly leapt forward and climbed up. But she ignored them. It had been so long since she'd climbed a tree, and something in her was aching to do it. She scrambled up like a spider, a smile on her lips, breasts heaving with her girlish and eager pants. She grabbed a branch to hoist herself higher, set her foot on another and pushed herself up, winding between their tangled glory like a snake. Birds screamed and fluttered to clear her way, flower petals spiraled down and tumbled in her eyes. She blew a petal off her nose and pushed her head at last through the leaves.

Behold. Homyn Wood. Spreading away like orange mist to the purple and pink hues of the twilight sky. White birds suddenly launched and soared away toward the golden underbellies of the clouds. The breeze picked up, beating back Aina's mane, and with heaving breasts, she smiled as she took in that sunset.

"Liiiiily!" came Evelyn's laughing voice far below. "Darling, come back! I hate it when I can't see you!"

Red mane slapping across her eyes in the breeze, Aina started to turn back, but the sight of smoke in the distance froze her. That smoke wasn't far away either. It rose from the west, near the great pillars of stone that towered over the wood.

"Liiiily!"

"Coming!" Aina called and made her way back down.

When Aina returned to the ground, the mastiffs were making camp. They had already got a fire going, and big Sampson was cooking supper.

Eldon paced the edge of the camp with a crossbow and a frown. Of the four mastiffs, he was the most easygoing, and Aina loved listening to his outlandish stories of card games gone wrong and prostitutes who had stole the very drawers off his back. Evelyn found him appalling but Aina found him completely fascinating.

Eldon loved drilling Aina with questions about fox culture. Aina would patiently answer his questions as they took breakfast in a tavern or else made a pit stop on the road. She liked his laugh. And his smile. He had a crooked way of smiling, and the tiny black splotch across his nose wrinkled up whenever he flirted. His deep brown eyes always looked at her softly, glowing with a quiet lust as he drank in her curves. She once told him he was cute for a dog and instantly regretted it. He looked at her with longing ever since, and Evelyn - having witnessed the friendly flirtation - had grown something just short of hatred for Eldon.

Lenard sat beside Sampson, frowning with thought as he looked over a tattered map. His compass was sitting on his knee and the arrow bobbed softly as it pointed north. Aina took a seat at his side and stared curiously at the compass. The first time she saw the thing, she asked Lenard what it is, and learning that it helped the dogs navigate amused her. Foxes needed no such devices. Foxes followed the stars, spoke to the trees, and let the earth guide their feet.

"There's a town east of here," Lenard said to no one in particular. His frown deepened as he studied the map, and Aina thought it made him look old.

Lenard was the oldest of the four, a dour veteran with a thick fluff of fur over his top lip that formed a mustache. There were gray flecks in his amber coat, though Aina believed they had come not from age but from worry. Lenard rarely if ever smiled, and like Evelyn, he thought Eldon's jokes were stupid and adolescent. He led the others with a firm paw and took gallantry and honor to such an extreme that Aina would not have been surprised to find him praying to some god of good manners at night. He kept his long amber mane pulled back in a dignified tail, and the gold buttons on his coat were always immaculately fastened. Beneath the coat was a small breastplate to protect his chest, and the badge of his rank was over his heart.

"Captain Lenard Hamilton," Aina read as she squinted at the badge. He grunted irritably when she dragged her finger over it.

"Yes, but that holds true no more, my lady," Lenard said, his eyes fixed on the map. "It is simply Lenard now. I doubt his majesty would recognize my rank should I return."

"He'd recognize it with the headman's axe," snorted Eldon from the edge of the camp.

Evelyn glanced at Eldon irritably, then frowned sadly at Lenard. "You really didn't have to do this. You've lost everything. And because of me."

Lenard frowned at his map. "I did. I had to do it."

Evelyn sighed. "Why? Lily is a fox - she has magic! She could have protected us. And she knows how to survive the wild."

"I bet Lily knows a lot of things," Eldon said with a smile. Aina could see the side of his face as he stood with his crossbow, gazing off through the trees.

Evelyn scowled. She was sitting across the fire from Lenard, her elbows on her knees. She turned her head slightly and said tensely over her shoulder, "Master Eldon, if you would please . . ."

Eldon laughed flatly. "You don't want to know what would please me, my lady."

Evelyn glared at him.

Lenard looked up from his map and frowned. "You are speaking to the Duchess Evelyn Lorraine Kingsley, soldier. You will address her with the respect that title demands."

Eldon laughed dryly. "Come now, Captain. You really think titles matter way the hell out here?" He waved a paw at the surrounding press of thick trees. "If a bear comes along and tries to fuck us, he's not going to give two figs if Evelyn's parents were cousins or not."

Lenard's nostrils flared. "Be that as it may," he began through his fangs.

"No," Evelyn said to the fire. "Eldon is right. I am nothing and no one now. And now because of me, neither are all of you. You should go back to Varimore, leave us here --"

"No!" Lenard practically barked. He blinked sadly as he looked at Evelyn. "It would lessen me to do so, my lady Kingsley."

Evelyn looked as if she was going to protest, but as if she had realized it was fruitless, she nodded and lowered her eyes to the fire. She was dressed in the clothes she'd had tailored a few towns back: a blue cropped riding coat, tight brown breeches, and knee high boots. Her curly white mane tumbled around her in a pretty fringe and was pulled behind her shoulders in a low tail.

"I will follow you to the ends of the earth," Lenard whispered to his map. Some small part of Aina believed he had something of a crush on Evelyn. But she felt no jealousy or anger. Only pity.

Aina thought Sampson wanted Evelyn as well, but he never spoke, so she could not say for certain. He also rarely if ever passed Evelyn the looks of longing that Lenard sometimes did. If anything, Sampson's face was for the most part expressionless. Even when killing those boys back at Loxney, his face had remained cold. It was chilling. And him being the largest of the four only made it more menacing. He poked at the soup that bubbled on the fire, pinching the slender ladle in huge fingers. His eyes dulled with content, and he gathered their bowls from his pack and started ladling them full.

"Ah, soup's on!" Eldon cried happily. He came to the fire at once and snatched the bowl Sampson had offered to Evelyn.

"Hey!" Evelyn cried.

Eldon wagged his brows at her and sat down to eat.

Lenard groaned and shook his head.

"About bloody time," complained Chauncey and sheathed his mace on his belt as he came to the fire. He sat and took a bowl, and without even waiting for a spoon, he tipped it to his lips. "Ouch!" he shouted when the soup burned him. "Son of bit --"

"Ahem," Evelyn silently scolded. She lifted her brows as she primly scooped soup in her spoon.

Chauncey flattened his ears. "Sorry, m'lady. But it stings like bit - I mean, it stings."

"Blow on it first, fool boy," Lenard said and accepted his own bowl. "Thank you, Sampson . . ."

Chauncey blew on his soup, and Aina thought he looked like a pouting pup. He was the hothead of the group. Like the others, he killed with a cool and calm certainty, but he was always overeager to kill, overeager to travel, overeager to rest. And what was more, he was never still. During their travels before Loxney, whenever they made camp, stopped at a tavern for the night, or even when they just stopped on the roadside to pee, he was always pacing, always cracking his knuckles, always complaining that they should get moving, they should reach their goal. He would roll his neck, swing his mace at the air, and do pushups against the trees, but still that blazing energy was there. His eyes were black and emotional, and the tip of his muzzle was black to match them. His long amber mane was always wild from running his paws through it.

At just nineteen years old, Chauncey was also the youngest of the mastiffs. He boasted constantly that he had graduated from the "academy" so early. Apparently, the king's elite endured special training that usually took twenty or more years to complete. By the time they graduated, they were middle-aged males and seasoned warriors, who had been deployed on various grueling missions in order to season them. Chauncey was so skilled with a mace that he had finished quite early and had won a place at the castle, guarding the sovereign night and day: most graduates were sent to guard some minor lord for a few years first.

When Aina first spoke to Chauncey, she thought he was cocky and arrogant, not unlike Ukudlala during what were supposed to be friendly competitions at tribe gatherings. The bragging sent a thrill of irritation through her, for he never took a hint and stopped. It was a long time before she realized he was trying desperately to impress her. She would catch him looking at her as she walked by - at her backside in her tight breeches and the way her red tail swayed with her hips - and she suddenly realized what it was he wanted. But it wasn't so surprising. It was what all males wanted.

Evelyn noticed Chauncey's interest as well, but unlike the disgust she bore for Eldon, she seemed to have nothing but pity and laughter for Chauncey's antics. Perhaps Eldon was the real threat whereas Chauncey was not: Aina and Eldon had actually become friends during the journey while Chauncey was little more than a companion she was slightly fond of and held at bay by the forehead.

"I saw smoke," Aina said as everyone tucked in.

Lenard's head snapped up. "Where?"

"Due west," Aina answered. "Near great stones."

"The stones?" repeated Chauncey. "That's far in the wood. Really far." He looked at Lenard. "Bandits, maybe?"

"Why must it be bandits?" Eldon muttered. "Why not a band of lost harlots?"

Evelyn's lip curled. "Only in your disgusting dreams, Eldon. Which I must insist you keep to your disgusting self."

Eldon only grinned at her.

Lenard cleared his throat. "We shall have to scout the area. . . . mm." He frowned and halted, staring at Evelyn as if he hadn't seen her before.

"What is it, Captain?" Chauncey said uncertainly. "You look as if you're going to be sick." Even as he was looking at Lenard, he shoveled more soup in his mouth and halted. His eyes turned to Aina . . . and he slowly smiled. "Blimey. I can see through your clothes, Lily. I . . . can see your pussy. All pretty and pink."

Lily froze. The others were taking on a dazed look. Sampson's head was rolling on his neck. The big mastiff clapped a meaty paw to his face and moaned. Eldon dragged his paw down his face, then shook his head as if shaking off water. His mane tossed everywhere as he wobbled on his seat. Chauncey was still looking at Aina. He slowly reached for his belt and started to unbuckle.

Aina gulped. ". . . Sampson? What did you put in the soup?"

Eldon frowned. "Chauncey and I gathered something for him. Caught some rabbit . . . then there were tomatoes . . ."

"And those mushrooms ya found," Chauncey said, though his hungry eyes were between Aina's legs.

Aina's heart about stopped. "Mushrooms? What did they look like?" Chauncey squeezed her breast through her shirt and she slapped him sharply. As he wobbled and blinked, she cried, "Tell me!"

"What does it matter?" Lenard whispered. Still looking at Evelyn, he licked his lips.

Evelyn didn't look well either. She looked hot. Breathless. Her eyes were hooded. She swayed on her seat, and as the males watched, she slowly peeled open her riding coat. "So . . . hot . . ." she whispered, lashes fluttering, cheeks blushing.

"Here . . ." Eldon said softly and frowned as he stared at her big breasts heaving. "Let me help you . . . must help you . . ." He reached over and started unbuttoning Evelyn's coat. She watched him in a daze.

Aina grabbed Chauncey by his jacket and shook him. "Tell me!"

Chauncey stared at her in amazement. "Alright, love. If it'll calm you down. They were pink mushrooms. I thought they looked kinda weird, but then everything in this wood is --"

"Oh god," Aina moaned. She scowled. "I told you to leave those mushrooms --! . . . alone?" She could feel arousal suddenly swell the lips of her sex. Her mind was clouded. It was getting hard to see, as if a fog had fallen over the camp. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she could hear Evelyn gasping and panting. When she looked over, Eldon was kissing her neck and pealing off her clothes. Already, one of her big breasts was exposed and his hungry paw squeezed and massaged it. Evelyn melted in his arms, gasping shrilly and helplessly as she was fondled and undressed. Lenard came up behind Evelyn, and looking at her with burning eyes, he unbuttoned his trousers.

Aina closed her eyes and moaned as the effects of the mushroom started to hit her. The mushrooms were called Te Sihle by her tribe. It meant Hot Love, for those males who consumed them were compelled without reason to take those they desired. Females, meanwhile, were forced to burning arousal and rendered helpless. The drug was sometimes used when a young vixen refused to marry. Her father would slip her the mushrooms, and in the night, her new husband would come and make love to her. Aina had always been exceedingly glad her father had never done such a thing to her.

Looking at Aina with fire in his gaze, Sampson slowly stood. He was rock hard, and the size of the tent his erection cast paralyzed her. She tried to protest as he came her way, but her mouth felt like mush. A glob of drool seeped over her lip instead, and she could only sway and watch as Chauncey unbuttoned her shirt. His sharp eyes stared at her breasts, waiting for the moment when they would stand exposed before him. With both paws, he caressed her open shirt back and sighed as he looked at her breasts. "Perfect," he whispered and leaned forward to suckle them.

Aina lifted her paw to stop Chauncey, but she saw it drop sluggishly, and then felt his hungry tongue caressing her nipple and sighed. Sampson's big paw clapped on her head, and after caressing her mane a moment, forced her head to the side. His enormous phallus, pulsing with veins, pried at her wet lips. She felt the hot drool gush again, and between her legs, her hungry sex flexed and gushed as well.

Chauncey was fumbling with her pants as he kissed her neck, her breasts. Suddenly impatient, he grabbed her pants and yanked. She heard them tear, felt her breasts flap with the strength of the violent motion. He grunted as he continued fighting his way to her sex. His careful fingers glided inside and he sighed in her ear, "So wet . . . so tight in there . . . and hot."

Aina's lip trembled as the drool spilled over again. Sampson tilted her head and carefully slid his erection against her tongue, slowly, pressing it inside in long strokes. She choked on the salty taste of him, and he was so large, her cheeks bunched in her eyes. Looking up at him, she could see his eyes narrow with serious satisfaction. His strong paw clamped tight to her mane as he slowly began to thrust against her face.

"Mm . . . mm . . ." Aina's helpless cries were muffled on his erection and no doubt sent a pleasant vibration over the shaft. She pricked her ears forward and could hear Evelyn's helpless cries. Given her shrill choking and sputtering, it sounded as if Lenard was feeding his erection into her mouth. Eldon was grunting and whispering, "Oh, yeah . . . so wet, darling . . . that's it . . ." Sucking. Slurping. Then Evelyn's shrill cries of ecstasy when Lenard withdrew his hard penis. Aina saw movement out of the corner of her eye and knew the males were both lifting Evelyn up.

Sampson slowly withdrew his erection, and it made a soft suck as it pulled free, then stood glossy with drool before the rippling strength of his muscular stomach. He made a gesture at Chauncey, and the two males lifted Aina between them. She felt helpless, trapped in the wall of their hard bodies. They grabbed her with big paws, clutching her buttocks in fistfuls, groping her breasts and sucking them. Her head fell back against Sampson, who was licking her neck and squeezing her breasts for Chauncey to suck. He held her thighs apart for Chauncey's entry.

Held suspended by Sampson, panting and weak, Aina looked at Chauncey and thought he looked handsome and dazed. His mane was mussed, his coat open and his pants undone. He wobbled and licked his lips as he fought to get his hard penis out. It was pink and fat, and his pants fell around his ankles as he drew near . . . and slowly sank it between the swollen lips of her dripping sex. She squirmed and sighed as he filled her, then slowly began to thrust. Sampson lifted her with a grunt . . . and brought her down on him. His shaft brushed hot against Chauncey's as the width of their erections stretched her sex taunt. Her lashes fluttered and she cried out, frowning with pleasure as they closed in around her . . . and made love to her, sensuous and slow.

"Mm . . . mm . . ."

"Ah . . . ah! Ah! Ah!" Aina twisted the deeper they pressed. She could hear Evelyn crying out shrilly as Eldon and Lenard bounced her, wildly and eagerly, between them. Her big breasts were flapping, and Eldon buried his face in them with a moan. Lenard licked and kissed her neck as her lashes fluttered; he sniffed her flying mane and reached down to caress her pulsing clitoris. Their muscular bodies flexed against her ample softness, crushing her as she bounced on their thick erections. Aina could see the juices that plastered their joined sexes, could see Evelyn's shapely leg kick when it was hoisted over Eldon's shoulder.

"You spoilt . . . lazy bitch," Eldon sneered breathlessly. "Think you're too good for me? I'll tame you, bitch! I'll tame you with the hardest thing you've ever had!"

Evelyn's only reply was helpless gasping. Her breasts were practically flapping in her face. Lenard grabbed one and rolled the nipple in his fingers, his hot and eager kisses never ceasing. "I love you!" he breathed in a frenzy. "Oh, my lady - I want to fill you with my seed . . . I want your hot pussy to take it . . . feel my desire! God, its clenching on me! I dreamt of nothing else since the first day laid eyes on you. I want to taste your sweet pussy . . . I want . . ."

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Evelyn wailed.

Aina closed her eyes. The drug also made one express what was in their heart. Chauncey kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "I want you to suck my dick. Suck it . . . and finger my ass . . ."

Aina moved her mouth, tried to answer. She couldn't. Chauncey kissed her tenderly and whispered against her lips, "You're so pretty. I'm ashamed. You're a pelt. You should be on a wall, but I want to fuck you . . . until you melt. Until you tremble in my arms like the sweet, soft thing you are . . ." His kisses traveled down her neck to her breasts as he and Sampson slowly humped to get in.

Aina closed her eyes and let herself melt between them. She could feel their erections rubbing, and it was as if they were fighting to get deeper. The steady stroking slowly rocked her in a ceaseless rhythm. Her breasts rode with every thrust, her head swayed. She opened her mouth in another attempt to speak and was surprised when Sampson began to whisper in her ear.

"You look like a fox I killed," Sampson whispered sadly. "I wanted to fuck her too. My bother made me kill her . . . I want . . . you to sit on my face. I want to eat your pussy . . . and your little pink ass . . . I want to spread your ass cheeks and lick and kiss . . . until you scream."

"I-I. . ." Aina was startled to hear her own voice. The drug was wearing off. Thank god.

It was wearing off for the males too. They slowly sank to their knees, grunting and moaning as they continued to rock against her. Chauncey sank over on his back and hugged Aina tight to his chest, and Sampson humped on top of them, his muscular back flexing as darkness swept over the wood.

Aina gulped and her eyes flew open wide as Sampson rode her with his big paw on her neck. She looked down to find Chauncey watching her. "Do you like it?" he whispered. "You're dripping . . ."

Aina's lip trembled as she tried to speak. "I-I . . . Ah! Ahhhhhh!" she cried out as Sampson's hot seed suddenly rushed to fill her. Her body froze as her sex clenched up, struggling not to receive it. She realized with a jolt that she now had control of her body again. She scrambled to get away and choked when Sampson caught her by the tail. She could feel his seed dripping from her sex in a trail that led to the head of his penis. Glancing back, she saw he was still hard, that his eyes were still glazed from the drug. He licked his lips, and clutching her tail, he sank himself slowly into the wet warmth of her sex. She had managed to crawl so far that her breasts were now in Chauncey's face, and he suckled them at once, squeezing and caressing as his tongue flicked between nipples.

Aina's head fell back and her backside twisted, pointing at the air as she sought to escape. Chauncey grabbed her wrists and held her still, suckling her nipples hungrily as Sampson humped her.

"Please . . . fight the mushrooms," Aina whispered. "F-Fight it!" She whimpered against the pleasure when Chauncey licked her neck, kissed her cheek, and ignored her.

On paws and knees, Aina rocked helplessly as Sampson grunted to get deeper. She looked over and saw Evelyn lying on her side, gasping as Eldon stabbed himself in from behind. Eldon was groping her big breasts and kissing her neck. Aina could see the effects of the drug had worn off for Evelyn as well: her blue eyes were horrified and alert as the males pressed in on her. She tried to pry Eldon's paw off her breast but he held on tighter and bit her neck. She cried out, blushing with pleasure as Lenard moved in closer and licked her breasts. His tongue trailed from her breasts, over her heaving belly, to her clitoris, which was swollen and pulsing against the thrusts of Eldon's erection. With a grunt, Lenard buried his face in their joined sexes and his head moved wildly as he licked them. Evelyn began to cry out, though Lenard seemed to be focusing more on applying his hungry tongue to Eldon's thrusting penis and heavy scrotum.

Eldon blinked when he felt the hot licks. "Captain? What are you --" The words choked in his mouth when Lenard suddenly lost his senses, and grabbing Eldon by the mane, he forced him over. Evelyn was crushed beneath Eldon as Lenard climbed the shocked young male's back.

"Captain - what the f-fuck? Ah!" Eldon sputtered as the captain punched his erection under his tail without a pause. His eyes flew open wide as Lenard began to hump, fast and eager, his hard organ feeding quick between the younger male's tight buttocks. Eldon's tail flashed and he fought to get away, but the captain grabbed him by the neck and held him easily in place. Eldon's face went red and his eyes hooded with pleasure as the captain continue his assault, humping hard, deep, and fast.

"Wanted . . . to fuck your . . . tight little ass . . ." Lenard grunted, "since . . . you first opened your fucking mouth to me. Embarrassing me . . . in front of everyone . . . in the field . . . ah . . . so fucking tight, aren't you? How does that feel? When Daddy fucks you? That's what you need. A male to fuck the backtalk out of you!"

"C-Captain . . .!" Eldon choked, then closed his eyes and whispered helplessly, "Oh god . . . Captain."

Lenard didn't stop riding, and with every thrust of his vengeful passion, Eldon's hard penis was in turn forced inside Evelyn, who lay pinned beneath them both, wide-eyed and gasping. Eldon cupped her huge breasts in fistfuls and kissed her neck, grunting and gasping each time the captain stabbed harder.

"You thought you were so damn cute," the captain hissed at Eldon. "Strutting around the barracks with your shirt off, touching yourself as you showered . . ."

Eldon blushed.

"That's right," the captain growled. "I watched you. I watched and I touched myself. I thought of your young body at night, my mouth on your fat little cock. Sucking it. . . . making you beg for more . . . Mmph!"

Eldon choked out a cry, and when his eyes went wide, Aina knew what he was feeling: the captain's hot seed as it burned, churning up inside him.

"Shit," Sampson whispered and suddenly yanked himself from Aina's sex.

Chauncey looked at Aina in horror. "What the fuck are we doing?" he whispered. "I'm so s-sorry . . ." He let her go with shaking paws.

Aina scrambled back and hugged herself. She watched as the others did much the same. As the effects of the mushrooms finally wore off, everyone backed to their own corner, shuffling away from each other as if they had the plague. Lenard and Eldon couldn't look at each other, and Evelyn fumbled at her clothes with trembling paws, licks of white curls falling in her eyes. Aina went to her and helped her dress. Evelyn's lashes fluttered, and as if she had finally shaken her shame, she began to help Aina dress as well.

An awkward silence fell over the camp as crickets chirruped and the stars winked overhead.

Lenard coughed into the silence. "My lady . . ."

"Don't say anything," Evelyn said wearily.

"But can we pretend this didn't happen?" Eldon muttered. With trembling paws, he buttoned up his trousers. The others were doing the same. He glanced sideways at Lenard and swallowed hard. He still looked shaken and shocked.

"God help me, I hope so," Lenard said heavily. Eldon stared at him with a longing that seemed to embarrass him. He yanked his pants shut so that the bulge in them jerked and avoided Eldon's eye as he buckled his belt. "Eldon, the things I said . . ."

"Fucking turned me on," Eldon said breathlessly, and without warning, grabbed Lenard's face and kissed him.

"El-Eldon," Lenard said unhappily.

"Captain," Eldon whispered happily and kissed him again.

Lenard kissed him back uncertainly, and Aina thought he looked ashamed. "Eldon, no . . ." he whispered and shook his head, pushing the younger male away by the shoulder.

Eldon frowned. "Yes!" He leaned in for another kiss, but Lenard held him at bay. He frowned sadly. "Captain . . ."

"I said no," Lenard said firmly, and avoiding Eldon's eye, he got to his feet and buckled his scabbard back on. "We must keep our wits about us. We are in the middle of no where, with possible bandits nearby, who have probably already snuck up on the camp by now --"

"Indeed," said a voice.

Aina looked up and her heart stopped: foxes materialized out of the darkness. Red foxes carrying spears and bows, daggers and slings. They surrounded the camp, grim and silent. The one in the lead stepped into the firelight, and Aina froze.

It was Nhlahla.