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A Night of Burns
A story of Elfhame
© 2026 by Walter Reimer
Blame assigned to
EOCostello
Thumbnail by
tegerio, color by 
Major Matt Mason
Two
It suddenly felt much colder under my kilt. “Me?” I quavered, pointing at my chest.
“Aye, or d’ye ken anyone higher’n th’ Master o’ Elfhame hereabouts?” the wolf said.
“Well . . . “ Even as I said it, I knew that MacGonagall had me there. My mate, Anastasia, is the former Princess of Licksburg, and the current [First-of-Eldest] of Elfhame; she far prefers the latter rank over the former. But the Vale of Elfhame stops at the [Stranger’s River], so her writ wouldn’t run in and around Glenallid, I didn’t think.
I might have to ask her, though.
“So that’s why you sent me this,” I said, indicating the kilt.
MacGonagall nodded. “We sent a swatch o’ t’plaid ta Crag o’ Dens already.” At my blank look he added, “Ta have it registered, all richt an’ proper, with th’ Heralds.”
“Excuse me? You sent this to the Grand Duchy, before asking me to take the position?”
“Aye. It’s what th’ lawyer types call a fay accompany, so I heard once.” I didn’t think that was the right word, but I let it pass. MacGonagall had a broad smile on his face and he gave me a wink. “An’ what His Majesty doon in th’ Tors doesna know won’t be botherin’ him, eh?”
I doubted that. King Adler was a master at scrying, and his gaze was often bent toward Elfhame. It was a pretty sure bet that he could see the growth of Glenallid, since he already knew about Windimere and my two draconic sons.
Chances were also good that he approved.
“I can’t just declare a village founded,” I said, “at least I don’t think so. This is a Statecraft matter, so I’m going to have to consult an expert.” I stuck out a paw. “But thank you for the honor, Sergeant. Even if it turns out to be just a ceremonial thing, I’ll do my best.”
“It’ll be in t’Alpha’s paws, aye,” the older wolf said equably. “There’d be the matter o’ th’ investiture o’ yerself as th’ laird.”
“Investiture?” I asked.
A quick nod. “Aye, but I shan’t get me cart afore me ant. Fairst things fairst.”
“The village. Right. Thank you again, Sergeant. Even if nothing comes from it, it’s still a great honor.”
“Thank ye, Master.” We shook paws, and MacGonagall swept off his hat and bowed to me before putting his hat back on and headed off in the direction of Glenallid. I stood watching him for a moment before walking back to the Master’s Lodge.
***
“A village?” Anastasia repeated as she set her teacup down. I had a FAFI mug of tea warming my paws, and my hooves were starting to feel warmer. “The wolves want to set up a village?”
“You heard right, [precious-mate],” I said before taking a sip of tea. It was fortified with a small measure of the [Tears of the Trees], and the persimmon brandy was working paw-in-paw with the fire in the hearth to warm me up. “There are enough wolves, both ex-Prisoners and Wanderers, living down there to warrant it. Problem is, I don’t know how to go about it.”
“Ah. I have misgivings about letting the Skunks know about anything that goes on up here.”
I nodded. “That can’t be helped, really; the King knows scrying. But you know more Statecraft than I do, and I could really use your help.”
My wife’s smile grew shifty. “Oh really? And what’s in it for me?”
I set my mug aside, stood up, and transmogrified into a tall, black-furred wolf with blue-gray eyes in a smoldering gaze, an image taken from a romance novel she’d read once. My voice now a deep bass, I asked, “How about this?”
“Mmmm . . . “ Anastasia squirmed a little in her seat. “A very tempting offer.” I shifted back to buck-form and sat down as she thought for a moment and said, “If I remember, a village is smaller than a town, so that makes things simpler.”
“Why?” I asked.
“A town has to have a temple in it,” she explained. “For a village, we just have to give a reason why it should be established, who’ll be in charge, and what taxes get paid.” She paused to refill her teacup before asking, “Does Glenallid have a temple?”
“They probably have an altar to the Great Alpha, and I’m not sure what the Wanderers would have.”
Anastasia nodded. “Then we don’t mention that.”
“Right.”
***
It took a day and a half to draft a petition, with some discussion back and forth between me, Anastasia, and Dennis Horne, my steward. With the three of us working on it, we managed to get it hammered into shape.
The gist of the petition pointed out that the settlement was large enough to be incorporated, and that it needed to use the [Stranger’s River] for its industries; i.e., weaving, dyeing, and cheesemaking. I had started getting a taste for the sheep’s milk cheese, and Anastasia expressed an interest in seeing how it was made.
Who would be in charge of the new village would fall to me, it appeared. I wasn’t very pleased with the idea, but Anastasia pointed out that her authority as [First-of-Eldest] only extended to the river, and Dennis added that since the Mastership included the defense of the region, it made sense that I’d be the legally constituted authority. I eventually relented.
The proposed tax burden was based on the largest village in Elfhame, Greytor, and I hoped that the Royal Skunks wouldn’t adjust either too far. Of course, King Adler came by the cognomen ‘the Prudent’ very honestly.
“Increases your workload, Dennis,” I remarked.
“Not as much as you’d think, Master,” the former Licksburg roebuck said. “I’m training my son to help me, and I’ve started training a cub from Glenallid.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Fellow named Witold. Great head for numbers and a good memory. With enough training, I can have him handling the books for Glenallid, with young Dennis working the rest of Elfhame.”
“While you sit behind your desk and smile?” Anastasia asked with a wry smile.
“’Supervising,’ [First-of-Eldest],” Dennis said with a chuckle.
<NEXT>
<PREVIOUS>
<FIRST>
A story of Elfhame
© 2026 by Walter Reimer
Blame assigned to
EOCostelloThumbnail by
tegerio, color by 
Major Matt MasonTwo
It suddenly felt much colder under my kilt. “Me?” I quavered, pointing at my chest.
“Aye, or d’ye ken anyone higher’n th’ Master o’ Elfhame hereabouts?” the wolf said.
“Well . . . “ Even as I said it, I knew that MacGonagall had me there. My mate, Anastasia, is the former Princess of Licksburg, and the current [First-of-Eldest] of Elfhame; she far prefers the latter rank over the former. But the Vale of Elfhame stops at the [Stranger’s River], so her writ wouldn’t run in and around Glenallid, I didn’t think.
I might have to ask her, though.
“So that’s why you sent me this,” I said, indicating the kilt.
MacGonagall nodded. “We sent a swatch o’ t’plaid ta Crag o’ Dens already.” At my blank look he added, “Ta have it registered, all richt an’ proper, with th’ Heralds.”
“Excuse me? You sent this to the Grand Duchy, before asking me to take the position?”
“Aye. It’s what th’ lawyer types call a fay accompany, so I heard once.” I didn’t think that was the right word, but I let it pass. MacGonagall had a broad smile on his face and he gave me a wink. “An’ what His Majesty doon in th’ Tors doesna know won’t be botherin’ him, eh?”
I doubted that. King Adler was a master at scrying, and his gaze was often bent toward Elfhame. It was a pretty sure bet that he could see the growth of Glenallid, since he already knew about Windimere and my two draconic sons.
Chances were also good that he approved.
“I can’t just declare a village founded,” I said, “at least I don’t think so. This is a Statecraft matter, so I’m going to have to consult an expert.” I stuck out a paw. “But thank you for the honor, Sergeant. Even if it turns out to be just a ceremonial thing, I’ll do my best.”
“It’ll be in t’Alpha’s paws, aye,” the older wolf said equably. “There’d be the matter o’ th’ investiture o’ yerself as th’ laird.”
“Investiture?” I asked.
A quick nod. “Aye, but I shan’t get me cart afore me ant. Fairst things fairst.”
“The village. Right. Thank you again, Sergeant. Even if nothing comes from it, it’s still a great honor.”
“Thank ye, Master.” We shook paws, and MacGonagall swept off his hat and bowed to me before putting his hat back on and headed off in the direction of Glenallid. I stood watching him for a moment before walking back to the Master’s Lodge.
***
“A village?” Anastasia repeated as she set her teacup down. I had a FAFI mug of tea warming my paws, and my hooves were starting to feel warmer. “The wolves want to set up a village?”
“You heard right, [precious-mate],” I said before taking a sip of tea. It was fortified with a small measure of the [Tears of the Trees], and the persimmon brandy was working paw-in-paw with the fire in the hearth to warm me up. “There are enough wolves, both ex-Prisoners and Wanderers, living down there to warrant it. Problem is, I don’t know how to go about it.”
“Ah. I have misgivings about letting the Skunks know about anything that goes on up here.”
I nodded. “That can’t be helped, really; the King knows scrying. But you know more Statecraft than I do, and I could really use your help.”
My wife’s smile grew shifty. “Oh really? And what’s in it for me?”
I set my mug aside, stood up, and transmogrified into a tall, black-furred wolf with blue-gray eyes in a smoldering gaze, an image taken from a romance novel she’d read once. My voice now a deep bass, I asked, “How about this?”
“Mmmm . . . “ Anastasia squirmed a little in her seat. “A very tempting offer.” I shifted back to buck-form and sat down as she thought for a moment and said, “If I remember, a village is smaller than a town, so that makes things simpler.”
“Why?” I asked.
“A town has to have a temple in it,” she explained. “For a village, we just have to give a reason why it should be established, who’ll be in charge, and what taxes get paid.” She paused to refill her teacup before asking, “Does Glenallid have a temple?”
“They probably have an altar to the Great Alpha, and I’m not sure what the Wanderers would have.”
Anastasia nodded. “Then we don’t mention that.”
“Right.”
***
It took a day and a half to draft a petition, with some discussion back and forth between me, Anastasia, and Dennis Horne, my steward. With the three of us working on it, we managed to get it hammered into shape.
The gist of the petition pointed out that the settlement was large enough to be incorporated, and that it needed to use the [Stranger’s River] for its industries; i.e., weaving, dyeing, and cheesemaking. I had started getting a taste for the sheep’s milk cheese, and Anastasia expressed an interest in seeing how it was made.
Who would be in charge of the new village would fall to me, it appeared. I wasn’t very pleased with the idea, but Anastasia pointed out that her authority as [First-of-Eldest] only extended to the river, and Dennis added that since the Mastership included the defense of the region, it made sense that I’d be the legally constituted authority. I eventually relented.
The proposed tax burden was based on the largest village in Elfhame, Greytor, and I hoped that the Royal Skunks wouldn’t adjust either too far. Of course, King Adler came by the cognomen ‘the Prudent’ very honestly.
“Increases your workload, Dennis,” I remarked.
“Not as much as you’d think, Master,” the former Licksburg roebuck said. “I’m training my son to help me, and I’ve started training a cub from Glenallid.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Fellow named Witold. Great head for numbers and a good memory. With enough training, I can have him handling the books for Glenallid, with young Dennis working the rest of Elfhame.”
“While you sit behind your desk and smile?” Anastasia asked with a wry smile.
“’Supervising,’ [First-of-Eldest],” Dennis said with a chuckle.
<NEXT>
<PREVIOUS>
<FIRST>
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Deer
Size 120 x 106px
File Size 62.7 kB
Listed in Folders
I think we had this conversation way back when I was writing Rajjan Tor. The imperial periphery tends to have the more vigorous members of society, and thus have more kids. And Fuma's a fertility goddess, so like Adler She might have a soft spot in Her heart for certain areas of the Shining Land.
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