I changed my clothes in the bathroom, getting into a light blue shirt and some blue-gray shorts. When I came out, Zuer led me out of the room and down the hallway. “Are you hungry?”
I shook my head no.
“Me neither.” He said with a laugh. “Come on. Just because you have to stay in the castle doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun while you’re here.”
Suddenly stopping, I gave him a smile. “Fun? My kind of fun is probably much different than what you have in mind.”
He gave me a weird look. “What does that mean?”
“Come get me.” I said with a laugh, running down the hallway. It actually wasn’t much of a joke. I didn’t want to stay here.
The big otter barked. “Hey, get back here!” He started running after me as I sped through random rooms, trying to find an exit. My heart started to race once more as I evaded the otter, who was much quicker than I had expected. I went through another door, expecting just another empty room, but early morning sunlight hit my eyes, blinding me for a moment. I had found the battlements. My heart soared, I was outside!
I began running again as Zuer crashed through the exit after me, growling to himself. “Oh man...” I squeaked. He was much scarier than I had thought him to be. He had taken his jacket off as he ran so he could run more easily, and his well built muscles rippled as he came to a stop to face me.
“Don’t you dare.” He said, watching me edge my way to the wall, peeking over the side to look below. It was a dizzying drop, and this side of the castle was far from any trees that I could jump into. I ran some more. I wasn’t about to let this scary otter catch me just yet.
I heard him give an exasperated growl and began to follow me once more. Keeping up a fast pace, I ran completely around the battlements, twice, but couldn’t find any trees close enough to the wall. As I got tired, I slowed down slightly, breathing hard. Over my breathing I could hear Zuer, his claws still clicking strongly across the stone. Does he ever tire? It didn’t even sound like his breathing was strained in the least bit.
I gulped, suddenly worried, and dashed back inside the castle, trying to lose him. After a few twists and turns down the hallway, I came to a stop in front of a huge oak door. Ahah! This must be the way out! I shoved the door open, excited, only to gasp in horror as Mauriz stood in the room I had just barged into. His green eyes flashed a questioning look to me as I scrambled out of the room, my tail tip soon flicking out of sight.
Zuer raced past the open door and Mauriz’s eyes widened, snarling as the sudden realization of what was happening hit him.
Very quickly, I had an otter and an angry wolf racing after me. Shoving my way through a small bunch of different animals who had been walking peacefully down the hallway, I turned down a passageway that quickly darkened, and I came to a dead end faster than I thought possible. Snarling to myself, I thrashed my tail violently in frustration. How was I to get out of this mess?
I turned around as two dark silhouettes walked toward me, and I pressed myself against the wall, wishing I could disappear. This was too embarrassing. I was still breathing hard from the long run I had led Zuer on, but as he came up to me, pressing his gun to my neck, his breathing was steady and regular. How? He was like a crazy....something. Maybe just crazy.
“If you try something like that again,” he growled. “You’ll find a bullet in that pretty little heart of yours. Understood?” From his voice I could tell that my little ‘game’ hadn’t been very amusing.
“Yes...” I answered reluctantly. Mauriz stood quietly beside the Zuer, his teeth bared. It looked like he was trying not to snap my neck.
“Whitefire.” The wolf said tightly. “You realize, don’t you, that the only way I’ll be setting you free is if you show me that being a model citizen is on the top of your list.”
