The wind brushed against Old Badger’s face and brought tears to her eyes when she rode on His Savage Highness’s back through The Wyrding. Just like he had done when they had been adventuring together. The fox prince always made her feel like a great hero riding off to battle. He made her remember the time she had been called Wise Badger. He reminded her what it was like to be young.

But…

But the pain in her muscles soon told her that she had said goodbye to her youth decades ago. Before she lost her grip on his fur, she patted the back of His Savage Highness’s head.

“Enough, old friend.”

His Savage Highness slowed down his run to a leisurely walk and then lied down to make it easier for her to climb off his back. When she did, she almost lost her grip from the sudden pain in her chest. Bad enough to bring tears into her eyes. The fox prince’s blue eyes narrowed when he saw her tears.

“Why are you crying?”

“When you’re old, anything that reminds you of your youth makes you cry.” Old Badger lied.

His Savage Highness smiled.

“You’re still the same girl who approached me all those years ago and asked me to guard her tribe.”

“You were the size of a pony then.” Old Badger said before drying her eyes and rubbing her chest: “Come closer. Let’s have a look at you.”

Her eyes weren’t what they had once been, and she had to be close enough to touch him to get a good look at him. His Savage Highness’s black fur was as smooth and beautiful as she remembered. The tip of his tail had been dipped in milk. His fangs were snow white. His eyes were blue stars.

“It’s odd. It’s still you but at the same time… it’s not.” Old Badger said.

“Would you like to hear a story?” His Savage Highness said.

“I wouldn’t mind.” Old Badger said.

His Savage Highness stared into the distance towards the Wyrd Stones. Towards Garuccia.

“Once there lived a brave little boy who wanted to have an adventure, so he ignored his father’s warnings and crossed the stones to The Wyrding. There he came across the prince of all foxes caught in a trap. The brave little boy saved him and the two became friends. The best of friends.”

His Savage Highness let out a heartbroken sigh.

“Eventually the brave little boy’s bravery caught up with him. He climbed too high, he reached too far, he fell, and he broke. Even the fox prince could not save him so he did the only thing he could. He ate his friend. All of him. His flesh. Voice. Memories. Past. Present. Future. In all the ways that mattered, the fox prince became the brave little boy.”

The pain in her friend’s voice was enough to break her heart. She reached out and rubbed him under his jaw.

“I am sorry.” Old Badger said.

“Don’t be.”

“I am if it pleases me. What happened after that?”

“Taking someone’s place is… harder than I thought. Before I knew it, I was driven away from the circus and left to my own devices. Not long after that, Cassio hired me.” His Savage Highness said.

“You could have come back.”

His Savage Highness sighed.

“Badger… I have given up on immortality. I have decided to live as a mortal.”

Old Badger looked at him surprised. She had heard stories of skin-changers crossing over to Garuccia to live as humans but for the longest time she had thought those were only stories.

“That’s… a bold choice.”

“I’m not so sure. It feels like… I have lived more as a mortal than I ever did as an immortal.” His Savage Highness said.

Old Badger snorted at that.

“That’s because you’ve never suffered old age. None of us would put up with it if we had a choice.”

“There’s beauty in old age. What doesn’t age, doesn’t learn. What doesn’t learn, doesn’t change. What doesn’t change, doesn’t really live.” His Savage Highness said.

“That doesn’t make me feel much better for my sore back.” Old Badger said and scratched His Savage Highness neck: “But it’s good to know I can still turn heads in my old age, you flatterer.”

“There’s a lot in you to flatter.” His Savage Highness said before bowing his head: “I am sorry for not being here. I should have checked up on you sooner.”

“We have no idea if that would have saved Sparrow. Worst case scenario… it would have been you dragging that carriage instead of the bear prince. Who would have given us justice then?”

“Little Ant doesn’t seem to agree.”

“She’s young and needs someone to be angry at.” Old Badger said and sighed: “She reminds me of myself at that age.”

“Really? Not from where I am looking.” His Savage Highness said.

“She is restless. She doesn’t know it yet, but she is growing too big for our small tribe. Soon she will want to venture out. When she does, I hope you will guide her.”

“Me?”

“She could learn a thing or two from you. And you from her.”

His Savage Highness was quiet for a moment and Old Badger used the opportunity to take out her pipe. She stuffed it with sweet tobacco before lighting it with a match.

“You’ve become wise.” His Savage Highness said finally.

“I better have. I am my tribe’s wise woman.” Old Badger said while blowing out a smoke ring.

“Then maybe you could give me advice. Who could control a skin-changer like that?” His Savage Highness asked.

“Do you have any ideas?” Old Badger said.

“Could be a sorcerer. Someone from Scholomance or Domdaniel gone rogue.” His Savage Highness said.

“True but… tell me, old friend. What could control both storms and beasts?”

His Savage Highness stared at her intently when what she was suggesting dawned on him.

“You’re saying it was a vampire?”

“I’m saying its possible.” Old Badger said.

“That would take a master vampire and those haven’t been seen since House Stradheim was banished.”

“And yet there have been rumors that a master vampire has been seen all around The Wyrding.” Old Badger said.

“That is worrying.” His Savage Highness said.

“That it is.” Old Badger said and offered the fox prince her pipe: “Care for a smoke?”

His Savage Highness looked at the pipe and then sniffed the tobacco.

“I think I will.”

It was odd seeing His Savage Highness folding in on himself like that. He wasn’t transforming exactly. It was just like looking at those trick pictures that could be either a young woman or an old hag. When you looked at His Savage Highness from one angle, he was a fox prince but turn your head a bit and he became a young man with brown skin, short beard, and blue clothes.

“How do I look?” The fox prince said while stroking his beard.

His Savage Highness and Salvatore Torrini shared the same blue eyes and voice but… there was mischief in Sal’s gaze that hadn’t been in the fox prince. The voice was still sonorous but there was playfulness to it now.

“Like you can still turn the heads of old ladies.” Old Badger said.

“Be careful. I have a thing for older women.” The fox prince said and took the pipe from her.

He inhaled the sweet tobacco and then blew out a smoke ring.

“Not bad.” The fox prince said.

“If you like it, I can send you off with some tobacco.” Old Badger.

“Thanks, but no thanks. Smoking messes with the lungs and nose. I wouldn’t be able to run the way I usually do. I couldn’t smell my enemies coming.”

“Your loss.”

“One I will have to live with.”

When it came time to return to the tribe, the fox prince did not assume the guise of His Savage Highness, but he still carried her on his back.

“You’re stronger than you look.” Old Badger said.

“Don’t underestimate circus brats, old friend. I’ve got that farmer strength.”

Old Badger only smiled and rested her head against the fox prince’s back.

“Old friend?”

“Yes?”

“Come visit me again. I am old and I don’t want this to be the last time we see each other.”

The fox prince smiled.

“You have my word, old friend. Blessing of the Wild upon you.”

“And blessing of the Quiet upon you.”