Zuer stood silently in the hallway outside Whitefire’s door, keeping watch. When people passed him, they didn’t try to speak to him, knowing he wouldn’t answer. A few younger animals passed, but paused in front of him, giggling.
A young squirrel then walked up to the otter while the others watched, their quiet laughing echoing slightly through the hallway. The squirrel boldy spoke to Zuer. “Do you have to stand there all day?”
The golden otter didn’t answer, or even look down at him.
The other animals gained a little courage and came up to him, poking him and asking questions.
“What’s in the room?”
“Is he a statue for real?”
“Why can’t he talk?”
The squirrel jumped on him and climbed up onto his shoulders, pulling his ears. The otter gritted his teeth, finally moving. He grabbed the young squirrel and set him down, growling at all of them.
They squealed and laughed, running down the hallway and disappearing around the corner.
Zuer shook his head, smiling, then went back to his silent vigil. The hall became quiet again, and the otter sighed, beginning to listen for any noises. By the time he heard anything, his ears had started ringing from the lack of sound.
There was the quiet padding of pawsteps, but it stopped, and no one came around the corner.
Zuer’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t move from his position.
Tap. Taptap.
The otter looked quickly to the side, but no one was there. He started to become uneasy. Something wasn't right. His hand went to his gun, but a quiet click of someone cocking theirs made him tense. With his gaze intent on the corner down the hallway, he listened carefully, the quiet click of his own gun returning that of the stranger’s.
The sound of pawsteps returned again, stopped, and then a tall silver tabby sped around the corner, aimed, pulled the trigger.
Zuer moved just in time to avoid being shot in the chest, but the bullet skimmed his shoulder. He grunted in pain, but aimed and fired back at the cat, missing.
The silver tabby hissed, irritated that he hadn’t killed the otter. He took a few steps closer and fired again. Zuer dodged the bullet, cocking and pulling the trigger of his own gun once more.
The bullet hit the silver tabby’s lower arm and lodged itself there. The cat hissed in pain, but dodged the otter’s next bullet. This has gone too far...No wonder Tarilamor wants him dead. He’s good.
The silver tabby threw his gun to the side when he ran out of bullets, launching himself at the otter with a snarl.
Zuer shoved his gun into its holster, meeting the cat head on. The cat shoved Zuer into the wall and the otter’s head hit hard against the stone. Zuer growled and kicked the silver tabby in the stomach, but his vision was blurred and he was trying not to black out.
The cat grunted, holding his stomach for a moment before pulling out a dagger from his belt and lunging toward the weakened otter.
Zuer looked up with blurred vision to see a quick flash as the silver tabby plunged the dagger into his side. Zuer’s mouthed opened in a silent cry of pain as the cat stood up, leaving the otter lying on the stone floor.
The silver tabby’s blue eyes flashed. “Usually,” he wiped blood from his mouth. “I kill quickly. But this time I think I’ll let you suffer a little before you die.” He turned away from the bloodstained otter and slowly disappeared down the hallway, gritting his teeth as he held his injured arm. “I’ll let you suffer.”
