A/n:Whats that boy, a ruff fell in the well?!

Howling Thunder Ch21: Playful Morning

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“Ouch Stop pinching my ear! What the hell?!”

Shooting up in my bed I glance right to find Patra angrily glaring at me. A headache and exhaustion crashes down on me like waves, it doesn’t feel like I’ve slept at all.

I collapse back onto my pillows, harshly rubbing my eyes, praying for the pain to stop, “Patra what on Terra is that look for?”

She leans forward with her hands on her hips, “As your Beta, I’d like to know who the other woman in your bed is and why she happens to have the same fur as those bastard Nico tribesmen.”

Peeking out my other eye, the girl from last night….Lupa, is sitting up in the bed with arms crossed as if none of this has anything to do with her.

“A perfectly good question Patra. Miss why are you in my bed, I’m a bit hazy but I’m fairly certain I told you to sleep on the couch over there..”

If looks could kill, “Well my Lord, after you one sidedly dragged me away from dinner claiming me as your own, if some random servant came in and saw me sleeping on the couch, what would that do for my reputation?”

I turn back to Patra, “I guess that's our answer for why, as for the who, this fine woman is my third wife, concubine, whatever, and your new business partner.”

The jackal girl seems at a slight loss as my words take a moment to register, “What on earth do I need one of those for? And I know I said I don’t care about the wives thing but come on she's from That tribe!”

“You sound like my grandmother…Lupa your new life of freedom hinges on a job interview here and now, get to it...or dress first, either way.”

She sits up and does take her time properly putting on her clothes, the same dress from last night.

Figuring I’d help her out a bit, “Did you make the outfit yourself? I heard your family raised tailors.”

Lupa pauses, her shoulders droop in seeming resignation, “Yes actually, I did. Miss, my feelings towards my tribe could be considered to match your own, so please don’t throw me in with that bunch of trash. They would bathe in the piss of the Fenrir daily if they thought it would raise their annual profit and public standing.”

“Perhaps I should go prep a sack of shit and lovely letter for your father now?”

Her permanent scowl almost cracks for an instant before she takes a stance in front of Patra.

“I have been taught by the best tailors in our clan since I was old enough to work a needle and thread. I actually know who you are Miss Patra, I was honestly filled with jealousy when I saw your new shop in the craft square. My family would never spend money on property for someone they considered breeding stock… anyway It’s a lovely shop and I would be willing to work there if the Young Lord Alpha demands it.”

Hmm, she’s not exactly prostrating herself and begging for a job is she?

Patra seems pacified listening to someone else bad mouth her family's rival tribe, a small grin, “Since Nox requested this for you I won’t object, but I won’t have employees running around serving you like a little princess. You need to work your fair share under stood? I’m excited to see the looks on your clan tailor’s faces when they see your stitching in my shop windows!”

Sighing I sit up out of bed and look down, “Patra where are my pants...I won’t have getting ideas, I definitely had them when I went to sleep.”

Lupa slightly coughs, “There were holes… I can’t have a husband who walks around with holes in his trousers…”

She points, my pants are neatly hanging on the back of a nearby chair. They’re neatly repaired with no trace of the work in sight. Somehow I feel like this sudden change in life means more to her than she’s letting on.

Standing up, naked, I walk to the door and call out, “Ulfa?”

Patra, “Ah, she left a bit ago saying she was going to speak with Madam Inari. She said it wouldn’t be long, you slept past breakfast by the way.”

Works for me, “Alright, you two do as you like then, I’m sure you have plans to make for your shop.”

Lupa leads the way out and waits for Patra who stops and glares at me before hurrying over and whispering in my ear, “You really didn’t play with this girl? I mean look at those massive melons on her chest! I totally would have.”

“I know right?! No though, I can’t break in the third wife before I’ve even seen Asta.”

Patra laughs as she slaps my bare ass and prances out into the hall, “Later Fuzzy, we’ve got a shop to remodel!”

After they’re out of sight, “Now then, let's check out this tower of mine.”

The main room here is large, almost taking up the whole floor. The round walls have a fair amount of enormous windows that stretch from a small, knee high mantle until the ceiling.

The room has a vaulted ceiling that seems to be the top of the tower, large wooden beams support the roof, from the center hangs a grand antler chandelier, larger than even the one from the den main hall. the candles are simply impaled onto it’s prongs… hold on..

“There must be over a hundred prongs, don’t tell me this is made from the alce that Aka and I hunted!”

The room has several bookshelves spaced between the windows, only one of them has anything. As I inspect the titles I find them to be all my favorite books from the den!”

“Very nice, looks like I have another eleven bookshelves to fill as well. I’ll have to go shopping at some point, especially considering the rest of the room is a bit sparse.”

As I’m mumbling to myself next to the couch in front of the fireplace, Ulfa returns.

“Pup… why are you talking to yourself naked? Did that girl hit you too hard upside the head?”

Ah right, pants.

Ulfa gives me a scrutinizing look as I dress.

I can't help but ask, “What, see something you like?”

She rolls her eyes, “Hah! No, I'm trying to figure out if you have something to do with why the mistress is in such a good mood this morning.”

“How could I? And even if it was something I did, I wouldn't know.”

Ulfa steps back out the door, “let's go, the library is just downstairs, you can browse a bit before your siblings join us.”

It really only takes a few moments before we arrive at the large doors next to an archway leading out into a large garden filled with exotic and foreign plants. The garden is covered with glass walls and roof. Probably Hevel’s garden, I'll have to check it out sometime.

Instead we enter the double doors to the mid sized tower. Bookshelves spiral out from the center of the room and stretch far overhead. Small lanterns dimly light the cavernous collection so as to not let the various books receive sun damage.

In the central area sits a massive, circular desk, seemingly unoccupied… But I can smell someone, it's a familiar scent too.

I remember a certain annoying teacher who called my whole family cursed.

Perking up my ears I can hear panicked breathing.

I signal Ulfa with my finger to my lips. I slam the door shut with a boom that echoes out. Then stretching out my hand, the lights in the room start to go out one by one.

Every third lamp flickers then relights with a haunting white candlelight. As the room darkens I send black fog rolling out from under me towards the desk.

It churns and billows, slowly taking a cloudy shape. A massive black wolf head, small white flames flicker to life in its eyes.

Red sparks arc splash down from its mouth like blood as it gives a nicely fanged smile to person quivering under the desk.

Through the magic eyes I see Instructor Ragna, her white knuckles clenching the simple wooden chair, grey tail between her legs. She must have known I was coming this morning.

“Boo!”

She shrieks, flailing her way out from the desk she jumps over the counter and runs towards the exit.

Booming laughter chills the sweat on her back as she runs like her life depends on it.

The magic quickly disperses in her wake, disappearing completely just as she reaches me.

“Good morning Instructor, long time no see!”

I say with a smile as she skids to a halt in front of me before her panicked eyes roll back in their sockets. She lightly collapses onto the cold stone floor unconscious like puppet with it's strings cut.

Ulfa chuckles, “I say, I hope you didn't give her a heart attack…well, that's a lie.”

A rather awful smell comes from Ragna's sad form.

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A/n nice mid week quickie, ill try and get another out sunday. It's the Animus Storm website