Damson felt the tug on his tail before the pain stung proper, the worst kind of arrangement because it gave him a fraction of a second to dread its sharp arrival. His indignant whinny had hardly formed before the lizard slid up to his side, and his reflexive kick had only struck air.
"Sorry, thought I saw a big hornet on your tail."
"Ah yes, madam. And I suppose you were just going to pull my tail right out from under the bug like a good tablecloth and wine glass circus trick, were you?" Damson replied dryly, resisting the urge to turn and assess the damage. His tail had just finished growing back to a fashionable length. Damson had had to endure wearing it short ever since Gloriana had cut as part of an attempt to disguise him as lowly pack animal during their escape from the High King's stables. As if a mere tail trim would have fooled anyone. Any peasant who had spent half a day around a horse would know that he was no cart horse, no matter the length his tail! But, Gloriana had thought it worth a shot, and so he had acquiesced.
And now this fire spitter insisted on cropping it back every chance she caught him with his flank turned! What an imp Echelon was! Still, he would be the bigger animal. As indeed, he was the bigger animal. Not like she had any hair to pull anyway.
Damson leaned down for a consolatory mouthful of clover before rising to speak again. "Where have you been, then? Stirring up more trouble to get my lady stuck pegging tents again?" he said in his deep voice, eyes returning to the distant figure of Gloriana swinging her sword. At least she was finally learning her footwork.