The Fox General: Breach

Story by Fopfox on SoFurry

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#18 of The Fox General

The siege of Tunis is coming to an end soon and the assault is nigh. Marco's forces stand close to victory over the North African city and all its treasures within.

This is written in Erik2000's story setting that his Biography of a Human story takes place in, almost a century after the events of it. It's not required reading for this story, but if you like this, make sure to check it out:https://www.sofurry.com/view/1108545


Breach

A few months had passed. This was typical for a siege, as numerous sources told me, including Ekrem. What they did not describe was the routine, the goddamned routine. That was the true killer.

There really wasn't anything productive to do for the most part. Ekrem would present me a report on intended targets with the catapults and I would give the okay without really paying attention. A series of earth-shaking rattles would then follow for the rest of the day.

Then food, followed by marching through the camp, hearing what my, or rather Izil's, soldiers had to say; which was usually very little aside from speculation about plunder and talk about the quality of the local food. Finally, at the end of the day, I'd make love to Taj which was the only part that never grew tiresome. That fennec, Canis, the things she would do to me...

Ekrem had warned me that a standard siege could last nearly a year and the fact that a regular stream of merchant ships seemed to be slipping into the docks with worrying frequency led the wolf to believe that the enemy would not be surrendering from hunger anytime soon. We were at the mercy of the structural integrity of the walls.

Day in and day out, the same routine. The same Canis-damned routine!

But all of that would change!

It was early in the morning but the sun was already blazing hot. I was sitting by a dead campfire, sipping from my water-skin while desperately trying to will time to pass by just a little bit faster to no avail.

Taj approached, a net filled with shellfish was slung across her shoulder and she tossed it onto the ground next to me. Her chest was bare and I could see her rows of nipples as clear as day across her chest and stomach, thanks to her fur being soaking wet.

"What has the Tunisian coast offered us today?" I muttered wistfully as I helped her undo the net. I could smell nothing but salt.

"Oysters," Taj grabbed my crotch, squeezing it, "perhaps a few of those will do you some good tonight!"

Some of the fennecs nearby whistled and a few friendly jabs were thrown at us but it was all in good fun. We were both warriors as far as they were concerned and a bit of aggression was normal, regardless if we were fucking.

Not wanting to be beaten, I pressed my nose into her stomach and ran my tongue up along her pelt, feeling it bounce off her small teats. She tasted of sea water, covering up her rosy scent. I growled lustily, nipping at her tit and grinding my thighs up against her.

"Easy fox!" she lightly shoved her palm against my nose and pushed me back. Taj was laughing, having enjoyed my little bout of sexual aggression, as did some of the fennecs nearby who were hooting. "Unless you want me to show the clans how a real warrior mates with her paramour!"

A crowd was drawing around us, perhaps actually expecting us to fuck right then and there. It would have been something to break some of the tedium of the siege!

"No need! I shall sate my appetites elsewhere!" I flipped an oyster out of the net and into my palm. With a flash and a pop, I shucked it open with the tip of a knife and slurped up the flesh with my tongue, making the implication very clear. I tossed the shell into the firepit with a thump.

"Okay! The secrets out!" Taj announced to the crowd. "The greatest asset of a fox!"

Taj used her claws to rip open an oyster and shoved it straight into my snout. I couldn't help but lick and chew at it. It was delicious, but I realized pretty soon that I was playing into Taj's game.

"Warriors, notice the long, narrow snout!" Taj ran her claw along the bridge of my muzzle. I was still busy chewing the oyster and licking my lips. "Guaranteed to pleasure your mate! Beware who you take captive, warriors, for you might find their nose stuck in your mate's oyster!"

I had lost, but I didn't feel bad about it. The warriors were all laughing and a few patted me on the shoulder. There was no shame in losing to Taj in a battle of wits, none at all.

"You'll win next time, Marco! Don't worry!"

"You fought well!"

"So, you're not gonna fuck, are you?"

The ground quaked and we all hit the dirt. It felt like Ursus himself had stomped down upon the earth with his feet, hard enough to rend the world in half.

A cloud of dust slowly brushed over the camp, gritty sand clinging to my fur and finding its way up my nose.

The chaos abated and a cry rang out.

"BREACH!

There were yips and yowls of triumph, followed by excited rattling of sabers. I got to my feet and pushed my way past the crowd and the tents, until the walls came into view, or at least what was left of them. A pile of rubble was lying in a section about ten feet wide just to the right of a corner turret and the nearby soldiers were staring at the disaster in awe.

"Hah! I knew it! I fucking knew it!" Ekrem yelled as he ran over. The white wolf towered over the fennecs surrounding him. "This was an Orliani job, the most prolific foxen engineer from the Old Alphate period! His substandard walls are a true monument to inadequacy!"

Ekrem grabbed a nearby fennec and affectionately nipped him on the muzzle. The fennec looked like he was about to clock him, but hesitated at the last minute, figuring the wolf was just overeager.

"Gods, Marco, I could make sweet love to Orliani if he were still alive!" Ekrem's tongue lolled out happily. "I'd know exactly where to breach him from behind! The sweet, old fool!"

"I'll be sure to commission extensive defense upgrades when I take power," I wrinkled my nose, "and make sure to leave you out of the planning!"

"Bah! A good fox always leaves his defenses wide open, you just have to know where to look!"

I felt a rumbling in the earth once again, soon followed by the pounding of hooves. I turned my gaze to the left and caught sight of a small company of about fifteen fennecs about to roll towards the crumbled wall.

"HOLD! STAND DOWN! STAND DOWN!" I barked, cupping my paws around my mouth and charging behind them.

"CANIS DAMN YOU, STAND DOWN OR YOU'RE GOING TO GET KILLED!"

Izil, wearing rows of lamellar over his robes and atop his horse, suddenly breezed past me before I could stop him.

I thought about just how long I would last among the fennecs without him. Sure, they were friendly now, but no doubt they only tolerated me because Izil put in a good word. Perhaps even Taj would abandon me if Izil were to die?

Thankfully, Izil slowed his horse's stride just short of the company and let loose a sharp yowl, followed by a series of clicks. Just over half of the fennecs broke ranks, turning around and retreating back to their Chief.

Sadly, five of them were too dumb to listen. They got to the pile of rubble and hesitated, perhaps realizing that their assault was a little hasty but couldn't turn back now. They dismounted, slapped their horses into a gallop back to camp, and began climbing the pile.

They didn't get more than a few feet over the rubble before four of them caught bolts in the chest, slapping them to the ground like a ragdoll. The sole survivor unsheathed his blade and thrust it through his throat.

Any morale that the defenders might have lost in the shattering of their walls was now replaced with hysterical jubilation. They threw out taunts and curses, daring us to attack once again. It was almost enough to provoke another rowdy crowd of fennecs to charge but Izil blocked the path with his horse and I browbeat others into remaining still.

There was a time and place to be quick but this was not it. If the walls had broken cleanly and the rubble vanished into thin air, then sure, I'd be leading the charge into the city. But reality didn't work that way and we'd need time to rally our forces so that we could perform an organized assault.

Lest we end up like the five killed that day.

Patience had paid off. At around sundown, we had gotten another lucky strike right on the rubble, sending debris flying everywhere and clearing a narrow path. A good breeze carried down from the walls to us, spreading the rotten scent of fear from the defenders. They were afraid.

Beyond the fact that we were facing a rough assault earlier, the enemy's panic at losing their walls was short-lived after they killed five of our own. They were energetic and more than willing to fight to the end and kill as many as they could.

But now the adrenaline had worn off and they had a whole day to think about all the things that were going wrong. They were trapped in the city with their worries, fears, doubts.

And that recent strike that scattered the debris was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The militia was holding firm, but you could see silhouettes of sharp muzzles looking from side-to-side as if they were lost. The hulking figures, the lions most like, were fewer in numbers now, suggesting desertion.

I was beginning to like siege warfare now. Most of it was dull, but watching your enemy's morale finally falter and realize they're animals caught in a trap.

Out of goodwill, we sent an emissary to demand their unconditional surrender. They replied to this gesture by unleashing a volley of bolts at him, which he was lucky enough to escape.

This wasn't very polite but it worked out wonderfully for us. Shooting at an emissary waving a flag of peace was an excellent way to morally justify just about any form of retribution. Robbery? Rape? Murder? It's all fine because they tried to kill our emissary!

The officials of the city were now shitting themselves at what some rogue officer had ordered. I had hoped they'd send someone rushing out, groveling before us, begging that we forgive their transgressions.

Sadly, that never happened. I gave them an hour, which was plenty sufficient and at great cost to our own initiative, and they did not take us up on our silent offer.

And so, I was atop my horse with Taj at my side and Izil taking command behind us. A company of a hundred fennecs atop horseback were before us, standing formation in a loose, staggered square.

"If you capture anyone cute, make sure to share them with me!" Taj whispered with a mischievous smirk. She was wearing a steel cap with a rounded top that she had found in Sfox.

"Wouldn't dream of keeping them to myself!"

Torches danced between the shattered walls. I narrowed my eye and could see the glistening tips of spears pointed towards us. They were going to attempt to hold the breach with a tight spear-wall. I broke rank and trotted up beside Izil, whose tall ear twitched at the sound of my approach.

"They're afraid," Izil's little nose wrinkled as their fear washed over us again, "yet they're still holding firm. Cornered foxes are always the most dangerous."

"And desperate!" I snorted. "When push comes to shove, I guarantee you that half of them will be desperate to beg for their lives once we've got steel inches away from their necks."

"While the others will fight to the last claw," Izil squinted, "I can see spears over there. I assume they also have crossbows in their ranks?"

"Standard fox defensive tactics. Inflexible, uncreative, unambitious-"

"But capable under these circumstances," Izil pointed at the center of the formation and then motioned towards our own mass of infantry: volunteers and 'volunteers' from among the citizenry of Tunisia, especially Sfox. A gaggle of poorly trained and equipped peasants, mostly foxes, fennecs, and cheetahs. "We've never had trouble breaking this strategy out in the open but here..."

"Our plan will work."

"It had better," Izil waved me away.

I rode back into formation, besides Taj. All around me, fennecs were atop their horses and getting pumped for the fight. They bragged and blustered about what wonderful feats of heroicism they were about to perform, showed off tricks with their blades, and anxiously waited for Izil's order.

Finally, Izil raised his muzzle to the darkened sky and released a long, eerie whine.

A moment of silence was soon followed by thousands of drumbeats. I hadn't noticed I had ordered my own horse to a gallop along with the fennecs until I noticed the city walls were growing closer and closer.

My eye was locked on Izil once again. He was leading the charge and any half-blind fox could tell that he was a perfect target for a sharpshooter. I had told him how long the range of most foxen crossbows were and the ideal range for our skirmishers, I was just waiting for him to call it.

A bolt whizzed past my head, an almost lucky shot. Izil kept pushing on and the enemy grew closer.

_Give the order! We're getting too close!_I thought but didn't speak for fear of insubordination. One warrior that was two horses over got hit in the chest, falling backwards off his horse.

Finally, right when we could make out the glow of the enemy's eyes, Izil yelped and we put our plan into action. I lead my company of fennecs forward, just a bit closer so that we could unleash our arrows and javelins into the wall of spears and shields, before veering to the right and then back. Another group of fennecs would then pepper the enemy, creating an unbroken valley of missiles while we increased our changes of dodging arrows by galloping in a circle..

Izil's company did the same thing. It was hard on the horses and dangerous, as one fennec demonstrated when his horse tripped over another fallen horse, sending the rider flying into the dirt. Before the rider could even attempt to right himself up, he was pierced with three bolts.

But for any loss we received, the enemy was subject to far more. As disciplined as they were, for a city militia, they had a nasty habit of dropping their shields when shaken by even one arrow. Along with that, they had trouble effectively moving new troops up to replace fallen ones at the front line, often leaving the reinforcements vulnerable while they inched forward. Still, the glistening tips of the spears kept as at a distance.

All of this was meant as a way to wear down the enemy in preparation for the infantry, who were slowly advancing towards the breach in loose formations, lead by a fennec sergeant drawn from lower-ranked clan relatives. It was a miracle they were able to command any respect at all, being a fennec without a horse to call their own, but they managed to corral the massed infantry into something resembling a professional army.

Eventually, the enemy's bolts stopped firing in our direction and a horn was sounded. The foxen spear-wall tightened their ranks in anticipation of the oncoming infantry.

"Now!" I barked and lead the cavalry forward. We blew the spear-wall one last kiss goodbye, myself having thrown a javelin straight between the visor of a fox's helmet, before swerving to the left and retreating to a safe distance from the walls.

A bloodcurdling scream rang out and I smelled burning fur. One of my company's fennecs had kept one of the dragon's blood bombs and in a spectacular display of initiative, had set the Captain ablaze with flames that stretched from his red tabard to the tip of his tail. The Captain tackled his own men to the side so he could dive to the dirt and attempt to roll the flames out.

Just in time for our infantry to meet theirs.

Canis! What a display of righteous wrath! While the first group of the soldiers were mostly unlucky, with most of them receiving either a bolt or a spearhead lodged somewhere in them, the second line didn't have time to realize how many of their friends had just been mortally wounded before they slammed into the wall with the force of a runaway carriage.

Observing the combat, I happened to noticed four cheetahs who had somehow managed to steal heavy shields from the militia and forced their way into the gap created by the burning Captain. They shoved the enemy aside with the shields, forming an armored spearhead into the formation, while three foxes slipped behind the larger felines and poked spears past them, catching a few of the militia unawares of the smaller canines.

I try to think of these seven soldiers whenever I find myself at a loss. Without any orders, perhaps without even talking about it, they created a stratagem that utilized their personal advantages to great effect.

I only wish that I had a chance to reward each of them personally. They have provided me decades worth of inspiration.

Sure enough, the seven solder's spearhead cracked the defenses and they began swarming around the two separated ends of the spear-wall. The militia dropped their spears and began pulling out their arming swords and clubs.

But a disturbing noise boomed out from beyond the wall. Heavy thumps that somehow managed to overpower the beats of our horse's hooves. Hulking shadows emerged from down a road just off to the side of the breach, far bigger than a fox, even a cheetah.

Lions. Armed with massive, steel maces that looked like they could crush a horse's spine. They thumped their maces into their paws while singing a low mercenary's song.

"Charge!" I barked, partly wishing to save the brave soldiers from a loathsome death and partly because their defenses were absolutely shattered and a charge was ideal.

Izil cast me a short, indignant look but went along with his fennecs towards the wall. The world blurred as my horse galloped, arrows whistling in the wind towards the hulking lions. I was going so fast that I didn't dare toss a javelin for fear of it flying back in my face, so instead I unsheathed my saber and raised it. My horse darted right past a gap in the defenses and towards a lion. The lion bared his fangs and lifted his mace.

The saber sliced through his skull like a watermelon. The feeling of my blade thumping through bone and brain matter was almost orgasmic. I don't think I've ever killed something that large with such force before. I was almost entranced, watching the mangled feline fall to the ground as the fennecs crashed into his comrades.

Unfortunately, my horse was getting a bit panicked about all the death and being in a crowded alleyway. He charged down the alleyway, occasionally stopping to buck wildly and I struggled to fight for control.

Something struck me in the chest and I was launched off my horse, crashing to the ground. My ingrate of a horse proceeded to gallop away, leaving me alone on the streets.

My back was screaming with pain but I pretended to be dead for a moment so I could assess my injuries. A bolt was tangled up in the folds of my robes, awkward but leaving nothing more than a bruise on my chest, which is exactly why the fennecs wore such large things.

"Did we get him?" a nearby voice whispered. I resisted the urge to flick my ear in their direction.

"Go and check," another whispered back. Both were foxes, but this one was older, more grizzled. "Make sure to get his tail and head for Philippe."

"Will I be inducted?" the younger fox gasped, a little anxious.

"Only if you get his tail and head for Philippe," the older one grunted, "for the Republic."

I gulped. At least one member of the Senatorial Guard was here, the best of the Republic's best. There was no telling how many others had crept their way into the city via ship or were already here.

I slowed my breathing as I heard light boot-steps approach. As slow as my breaths were, I was still able to scent-track the fox as he drew closer, his scent had a small trace of cherry to it but that was overwhelmed by rotten eggs. He was terrified, not even slightly Senatorial Guard material. He must have been related to someone important if the Guard was even bothering to keep him around.

Leather creaked as the fox bent over. I heard a knife slip out of a sheathe and felt a finger brush against the fur of my tail.

I sprung up and lashed out violently, catching the edge of my scimitar against the fox's wrist. His dagger clattered to the ground as I leaped forward, spun him around and held him close to my chest by the shoulder. I pressed my blade up against his throat.

"Don't move or I'll give your pal a dirt nap," I growled.

"Oh, Canis! Nicolo! Felidae! Ursus! Please! Gods, no! Please!" the younger fox struggled to break free of my grip. His red fur was puffed up and the sulfurous smell was so strong that I could barely stand it. "I'll do anything! Please! I'll suck your cock, I'll lift my tail, anything!"

"Shut the fuck up!" I dug in the blade, a tiny red line forming on his white-furred neck as blood seeped down.

"Let him go Marco," the older fox stepped out of the shadows from behind a narrow stone building. His fur was graying and he was decked out in black leather armor. A crossbow was pressed up against his shoulder, aimed directly at me. "No reason for anyone to get hurt."

"Senatorial Guard, huh?" I kicked my hostages legs out from under him and dragged him along, matching the Guard's movements as he slowly tried to flank me.

"Good eye," he said sardonically with a wink.

"So, what are you doing here then?"

"Taking care of threats to the Republic."

"And the wimp?" I growled in the ear of the younger fox, who whimpered helplessly.

"Not your concern."

"Considering you haven't shot him to get to me yet, yeah, he is my concern."

The Guard shook his head slowly, never taking his eye off the bolt loaded into his bow.

"Senator's kit, hm? Some merchant's brat?" I smirked. "Perhaps some distant kin to Philippe himself?"

"Tell you what, Marco," the Guard stretched his neck, "how about you drop your weapon, let the kit go, and we'll take you back to Philippe in one piece. Sound fair?"

"Fair deal," I said slowly but not lowering my blade for a second. With a smirk, I continued, "I'd rather delay things a tad longer so that my army can take care of you."

"This won't take long," the older fox said plainly.

"You're right."

Taj leaped out from behind the alleyway and swung her blade, catching it on the fox's shoulder. His crossbow fired lamely into the distance as he dropped it and pulled out an arming sword, staggering to his feet. Taj parried his blow just in time, sparks flying as their blades scraped against each other.

I tossed my hostage to the ground and sprinted forward, slicing through the fox's leather armor. It wasn't enough to slow him down though and he leaped back with a quick swing that I barely dodged, followed up by another series of strikes. When Taj attempted to catch him from behind, he blindly deflected the blow.

"You're a monster, Marco, and I'm going to put you dow-"

An arrow suddenly stuck out of the Guard's chest, fired by a distant fennec. It mattered not to the Guard, he was bleeding from two places already and a third meant very little.

He suddenly reached into his pocket and tossed out a cloud of sand. I was able to close my eye just in time, but it shot up my nose. When I opened my eye, I saw the fox about to deliver a killing blow.

Another arrow struck him, this time in the neck. It was enough to give the Guard pause for once, his eyes going blank for a second as he contemplated his choices in life. I didn't give him time to come to a conclusion and aimed a strike at his paw.

His sword clattered on the cobblestone with his paw still firmly attached.

The Guard suddenly leaped forward, tackling me to the ground. Blood was pouring over me from his neck wound as he bared his fangs and snapped at my throat. I shoved my fist into the back of his throat, finally causing him to yelp in pain for once. His fangs shallowly pierced my skin, but not nearly as bad as he had hoped. The Guard drew his last weapon, his left claws and made to swipe at my face.

Blood gushed out like a geyser, covering my world in red. I moved my right paw, finding a heavy weight attached to it, and wiped the blood away with a strange, furry object. When I was finally able to open my eye, I found the Guard's head hanging off my arm, fangs still buried into my pelt.

Taj stood above me with a triumphant look on her face as she wiped her blade clean. I pried the Guard's jaws open and tossed his head aside.

My former hostage was curled up in a ball, hiding beneath a fruit stand, praying to various, increasingly obscure deities. I grabbed him by the scruff and yanked him out from his hiding spot. He begged and promised all sorts of favors, sexual or otherwise, in exchange for his life. Really, I had no intention of harming him, but I also wanted to give a reward for a job well done.

I let him fall onto the ground before Taj's feet and he looked up at the tall fennec with fear in his eyes.

"Your captive, my love," I nuzzled the side of Taj's muzzle, "don't damage him too much, I think he's worth something."

The captive was sadly, worth nothing more than a good time after a long battle. He was a distant relative of the Guard, a second cousin or somesuch, close enough for him to take advantage of his connections to get his foot in the doorway for the Guard but not enough for him to cease his begging for his life and mourn the loss of his relative for one second. A local relative was offering to pay his ransom which was enough to have us release him but not enough that we'd return him without having a bit of fun first.

We were in a small bedchamber inside Tunis Castle. Taj had the captive stripped and he was bent over her, gently licking and nipping at her vagina, which I couldn't help but think of the oyster incident when seeing. The room was reeking of cherries and roses as their scents intermingled, which was causing arousal to build up between my loins. She had her claws around the scruff of his neck, digging into his pelt and she unleashed a volley of degrading words.

"You cute little bitch," she purred, licking her lips, "this is what you were born for, you slut!"

The fox peered up from the target of his affections, "Yes mistress," he meekly whispered. Despite the circumstances, I caught his tail wagging carelessly. Perhaps he felt he was getting off easy, normally one had to pay big coin back in Vulpezzia at an exclusive club to be demeaned and abused by a fennec.

Beneath the narrow porthole of the bedroom, I saw the city beneath me. The battle had been long and the sun was just starting to rise, but there were still countless torches darting through the streets and alleys. A few fires were broken out but the looting was nowhere near as serious as we had allowed in Sfox. Looting was still happening though, mind you, but I did catch a few fennec Sergeants disciplining their soldiers and stopping them from going too far.

All of Tunisia was now under the fennec yoke. Any invasion Philippe could attempt would either have to land at one of the other colonies or attempt a sea landing on hostile territory, which I doubted he could attempt.

A blockade would come, that much was sure. We'd have to discuss the matter in the morning and make a plan about where to go from here: Algers? Ceuta?

Not to mention claiming my hostage from the hyenas so that they might hold up their end of the bargain. Hopefully he would be a little more entertaining than our current captive.

"Love, get over here!" Taj growled, tightening her grip on the fox's scruff. "Get over here and show this bitch his place!"

The fox's tail tucked in between his legs, covering up his rear.

Sighing, I let my robes fall to the ground. The fox stared back at my erect member in shock, quivering slightly as I rubbed it down with olive oil.

"I thought you said you'd lift your tail for me," I climbed up on the bed and wrapped my arms under the fox's shoulders. I pressed my nose up against his neck and licked him, whispering in his ear, "don't worry, this will be a load of fun."

The fox slowly raised his tail with some hesitation.

He yelped as I entered him, thrusting as deep as I could without any mercy. A little harsh for his first time, but then I remembered this fox did try and kill me hours before, so I pushed any bad thoughts out of my mind.

As the fox gasped, frozen with his jaw agape, Taj growled and shoved his snout back into her cunt, "Did I say stop!? Get back to work or I'll have the whole clan gangfuck you!"

"Canis! Oh Canis!" his cried were muffled as he was forced to orally please Taj.

"I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you? You're a needy little whore who is begging for cock, aren't you?"

The fox lifted his muzzle slowly, wincing as I pounded his rear, "Anything for you, mistress."

I snapped my jaws around his neck, just enough to make him freeze. I let go and whispered, "Don't forget me. You know who I am?"

The fox nodded.

"Who am I?"

"M-Marco of-"

I clenched my teeth against his throat again and a small whimper escaped his throat.

"I'm the future Dictator. You should consider yourself lucky, walking away with nothing more than a sore rear."

"T-thank you, your grace!"

"Good kit," I rubbed my paw on his head, scuffing up his fur.

My knot was starting to twitch and I shoved my cock inside, just in time for it to swell, sealing us together.

I came very quickly after that and the fox moaned with shameful pleasure as he felt my cum enter him. In my defense, the thrill of the battle had gotten me very excited and close to climaxing before I came anywhere near a naked fox.

Sighing, I pulled the fox onto his side and spooned him from behind, rubbing my paws along his chest, feeling the tiny nipples dotting his short, summer coat. He moaned when I flicked and prodded at them, perhaps he was enjoying this more than he cared to admit, or perhaps he realized resistance was hopeless and there was no escaping my massive knot.

"Good little fox," I hushed, licking him gently on the side of the face.

Taj slid up beside him, reaching over him and hugging me, forcing his nose to press up against her chest. She whispered, "Don't you owe somebody any apology?"

"I-I'm sorry, your grace, for trying to k-k-k-ki..."

I laughed and nipped at the tip of his ear, a low whine escaping his throat.

"Apology accepted," I whispered. The fox really wasn't a threat to anyone, especially with his relative now taking a dirt nap. "But if you do it again, we won't be so merciful."

I closed my eyes with my arms and knot still tied firmly around the fox and drifted off to sleep to the sounds of gentle carnage outside.