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When the dust finally settles and you’ve made sure everyone is all right, you turn to see the bear sitting a safe distance away, watching the battle. Whoever trained it—or maybe just tamed it—clearly forgot the lesson on helping attack the Shadow Dragons because it seems perfectly satisfied to wait and see what you do next.
Tarquin spins, eyes wide, to face Ashur. “I’m keeping it.”
Ashur draws in a breath to reply but, before he can, Mae says, “Absolutely not.”
“Viper,” says Tarquin, “the Shadow Dragons need a bear.”
Eyeing Maevaris, Ashur says, “You can keep the bear if you can get it to do as you say.”
Tarquin walks straight up to the bear like it hasn’t got six-inch claws and teeth nearly as long. “How d’you feel about joining the Shadow Dragons?” he asks it.
The bear gets to its feet and nudges his shoulder.
Mae glares at all three of them—and you as well for good measure. “Where,” she asks with infinite patience, “are we going to keep a bear in Minrathous?”
Neve grins. “I just want to see Tarquin’s face when he finds out who’s cleaning up after it.”