Taking the dog for a walk

Oh good lord he needed a nap. A nap and a good meal. It had been quite some time since he had seen any bamboo so Armando had been forced to live off of junk food. And that was where his struggles began. He’d been in denial for so long but now, wheezing as though the end was nigh, but Armando could kid himself no longer. He was fat.

The woman addressed them and somehow Armando managed to pull himself together even though he felt like a puddle of jello.

He stifled a wheeze and cleared his throat as he sat up. His now worn paw pads smoothed the fur on his chest as he wrapped his tail around his paws so that it wouldn’t hang down and tempt the giant to jump. “Such a well put together woman must be the Queen,” he said with a reverent bow. “My Lady, my name is Tobias, I am a trader from Nia, a land beyond Boreas. This girl here, Adelaide,” Armando motioned to Motif, who he hoped would play along. The last thing they needed was for these wolves to know who she was and figure how much she was really worth. “Belonged to me before those um,” He purses his lips before saying in a low voice, “Those ill-bred heathens stole her from me.” He sniffed and waved a paw in disgust before turning to a normal volume. “So unreasonable those dirty fiends! Anyway, I would very much like her back. I can’t begin to tell you how lucky we are that lovely, reasonable woman such as yourself got her.”

All this talk was winding him again, but he pressed on. “I know your man here paid a great deal for her so you have a lot invested, believe me, so do I, and asking for her back free of charge is unthinkable! I know this. So! Name your price, My Lady. The girl and I can craft just about anything you might want and I am not afraid to work off a debt.”

Balsam’s outburst caused Armando to side eye him distastefully. Bravado was great and all for even matches or large animals, but not when the animal you challenged was easily twice your size. That was just foolish. Tentatively he added, “I don’t know this rude fellow, My Lady, and we are certainly not with him...”