Michi glared down at 'Lima Bean'. The mouse had the nerve to come up to him and ask him something. After she had rejected the gift of being Named by him, the Great Fox of the Falcon Plains? Was she crazy?

He snapped at her: 'Why aren't you with Bo?'

The Leaper Mouse shifted, not quite willing to look him in the eyes. 'He wants a break.'

Michi snorted. 'So?'

'...So can you let him, I dunno, run around for ten minutes?'

He leaned forward and gave her a threatening look. Gripping his staff, he hit it roughly on the ground with each word: 'He's on punishment, mouse.'

Her shoulders tensed under his piercing gaze but she raised her head and met his eyes. 'He's a baby, fox. He needs to-to let out all that energy. You can't keep him cooped up in the burrow!'

'I have, I can, and I will.'

'But-'

'He'll be fine. Just go back and continue teaching him. By the time his punishment is over, I want his [Math: Basic] proficiency to be at least 15%. Otherwise, his sentence might be...extended.'

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

The fox watched her grimace and a slow, satisfied smirk spread over his face. He didn't like her; the only reason she was here was that she was good at keeping Bo calm and took the burden of teaching the baby hare math. That last part was forced but she did a pretty good job anyway.

So Michi waved a dismissive hand in her direction and went back to working on his skill book.

To his annoyance, the mouse refused to give up and scuttled up dangerously close to him.

With an intense frown, she said: 'Look, I get that you don't think it's a big deal, but you aren't the one stuck in the burrow with him every day! He complains constantly about not being let out and-'

'Not my problem, mouse.'

'It is your problem! You took him in for whatever reason so you should take responsibility for him!'

Michi growled down at the mouse, his eyes flashing. 'Who are you to tell me what I should and shouldn't do? Do you think killing a Lesser Griffin makes you tough? You're nothing but a level 30 Leaper Mouse. I've been guarding these plains for a century and a half! What've you done, huh?'

Lima Bean stayed quiet, but she wrapping her tail tightly against her leg to refrain from snapping out against the fox. Why did her elders always think levels mattered for every little thing? Just because she wasn't overly strong didn't mean her opinion was worthless!

'Get back in the burrow and resume teaching Bo.'

Without another word, she slowly stood up and stalked back to the hole. She feigned the act of being defeated, but in her mind, a plan was already forming in her head.