Viper's eye blinked. "Furs, my King?"
"Furs."
Viper looked at the ceiling while he counted. "Thirty-two, my King."
"Have them packed."
The rest of Viper came around the wall, his spear still pointed at the hearth. "Packed for where, my King?"
"North."
The spear tip dipped. It came back up.
Viper cleared his throat. "And the guards, my King?"
"The guards stay. I told her what would happen to them on that mountain."
Viper looked at his spear for a while. "And me, my King?"
Syris turned his head. He looked at Viper for a long moment.
"You are afraid of eagles."
"Yes, my King."
"Pack two furs for yourself."
Viper's jaw worked. "Yes, my King."
He backed out of the archway, and his scales scraped away down the corridor, fast.
Kael shifted Oreo higher on his arm. "You said no."
"I said no to my guards."
"You said they would be slow as mud."
"My guards," Syris said.
