I smiled at the groundhog. It was my very best smile. The one I reserve for suckers. The Big Oonch played big, but he was no match for my charm. He’d follow me across the Irascible Sea and back. I’d settle for him watching my back.

I knew what I was planning was crazy. Those wolves were no pushovers. If they caught us, we’d be in serious trouble.

I peeked through the window one last time. Funny, furs putting windows in a building underground. I guess they like looking out into pitch darkness.

The wolves were deep in their cups. It was time to move.

“Just act natural,” I told my new partner as I pulled my cloak up to hide my face. Oonch followed suit.

We walked into the inn and made our way to the stairs leading up to the rooms acting as though we were just another couple heading to our room for the night. The common room was busy enough with patrons and staff that we didn’t immediately seem out of place. The wolves didn’t pay any attention to us at least.

Once upstairs, I shed my cloak and pawed it over to Oonch. “You stay back over there in the shadows,” I told him before repeating the plan. “If anybody comes up, I’ll need you to have my back. Think you can handle that?” The groundhog nodded, but he didn’t look any happier about it than he had when I first told him what I had in mind. It wasn’t much of a plan. We were counting on nobody coming up while I was working, which admittedly was asking for a lot.

The rooms weren’t locked. They never are in inns like these. Quietly I slipped into the first room. A cursory look was all it took to figure out this wasn’t the right one. The clothes strewn about indicated a fur had been using this room for at least a couple of days.

The next room was luckier. I recognized the lead wolf’s cloak hanging on the post. I hurriedly started my search. The sooner I found the scroll, the sooner we could get out of here. Fortunately, the wolves weren’t carrying much on them. I was able to rummage through their rucksacks quickly. Problem was, no scroll!

“Looking for this?” The raspy voice surprised me. I spun around to see the wolves standing there. And standing in front of his pack, the lead wolf had the scroll in his paw! Where was the Big Oonch?

“Yoink!” That’s when things went crazy.

I liked the dark. It was soothing to my eyes. The other animals could fear the dark, with all its uncertainty, but I wasn’t the type to get scared. The Burroughs are dark. A city built inside a mountain would have to be. So yeah, it was my city. I kept watch over it. Predators from the wild would try to get in, but when the Big Oonch was on guard, they knew they’d always get turned away.

It was a cold night in the third month of harvest, the kind that makes you glad you for the fur on your back. The rain had been falling for weeks and I was so wet I could have drawn a bath with the water soaking my cloak. I cursed myself for making the deal that put me there that night. That free meal at the Three Goose Inn was small protection against the rain. It wasn’t the first time thinking with my stomach had gotten me into an uncomfortable position and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

It must have been near midnight when I first saw her. The dame was trouble from the moment I set eyes on her, but trouble never looked so good.

She was a tall drink of water, a full head taller than me. Even with her heavy cloak on, you could tell she was lean and fierce, but every bit the lady where she needed to be. My eyes caught a glint of steel up her sleeve. Wrist sheathes…she wore her daggers openly. This cat wasn’t afraid of a fight.

I tugged on my cap to greet her as she sauntered her way up to me. “We don’t want any trouble here…” I drawled.

“That’s good, cuz I’m fresh out…” Her voice was smooth as silk. “I just want to get out of the rain for a spell and get warm. You know where a cat can get warm, right?” She was trying to put the moves on me from the start. I smiled. The Big Oonch was always popular with the ladies.

“The Three Goose Inn is always open for strays, sweetheart,” I answered.

We danced the dance for a while longer until finally I laid my cards on the table, “I’m off in an hour. If you need to keep warm, the Big Oonch is happy to oblige.”

She smiled and opened her mouth to reply. What those words would have been I never got to find out. In a flash, the smile was gone and her daggers were out.

“I thought you were fresh out of trouble…” I told her, as I pulled out my sword. The dame may have gotten the drop on me, but I wasn’t going to go down without a fight!

She shook her head, “I am…but those guys are another story.” She pointed to where a trio of wolves had gathered. Even in the dark, the patch on their cloaks was unmistakeable. Coven! “You roll with some bad furs, sweetheart.”

“Who says they’re after me?” she quipped. Even with her back against the wall, her voice was smooth. This cat was definitely a cool customer.

“It don’t gotta be this way, Sass…” the middle wolf called out.

“I think that answers your question, doll…” I whispered to her. She didn’t say anything. She knew the game.
The wolf continued, “Just give us the scroll and everything is square.”

Sass called back out to her followers, “What makes you think I haven’t unloaded it already?”

It was a purely amateur move. She was just testing them. Unfortunately, they passed. “You know we got eyes everywhere, Sass. If you’d unloaded it already, we wouldn’t be here tailing you.”

It was my turn to step in, “Gentlefurs, we don’t like any trouble here in the Burroughs. I’m sure this can be resolved amicably.” I turned to Sass, “Give them the scroll, doll.” It may have been a chicken move, but I didn’t like the odds. They had us on size and in numbers. Best to lay down now and live to fight another day. I hoped Sass would understand.

She didn‘t. “Whose side are you on?” she hissed at me.

“Listen to the groundhog, Sass. You don’t have a chance against the three of us.”

Sass seemed to mull it over in her head. She gave me a quick once over and then looked back at the wolves. She sighed and reached under her cloak. When she pulled her paw back out, she was holding a scroll. She tossed it at the wolves, “Here…now take it and go!”

The lead wolf caught the scroll in mid-air. He smiled a crooked smile full of fangs, “In this rain? Nah…I think we’ll check out this Three Goose Inn your boyfriend was talking about. C‘mon boys!” He led his buddies past us and into the city.

I could tell Sass was seething as they passed her by. She was still clutching her daggers in her paws, her knuckles white under her fur. I just hoped she wasn’t thinking of doing anything stupid.

When at last they were gone, she whirled on me, “Do you know what you just did?” The silky voice was gone now. Her angry voice was much hissier.

“Keeping you alive, doll.” I answered calmly, “Us two against those three was a bad hand. Better to wait for some new cards.”

She seemed surprised at that. “Us two?”

I nodded, “The Big Oonch never lets the ladies down.”

“We’ll see about that.” she said with a sniff. “Where’s this Three Goose Inn? I’ve got to get that scroll back.”

“What’s so important about the scroll?” I asked her.

“Never you mind about that,” The silky voice was back. “I want it back and you’re going to help me get it.” She flashed me a smile and fluttered those pretty little eyelashes, “And maybe then the Big Oonch can help keep a girl warm.”

She had me. The girls all loved the Big Oonch, but the Big Oonch loved all the girls right back. This was going to be a long night…