Aza was certainly receptive to touch. She settled back into the water and his lap with a series of wriggles that suggested that, in regards to how provocative their new positions and lack of clothing were, she was either totally oblivious or knew precisely what she did. "Mm," she sighed blithely as his large hands traced her, affectionately stroking the sleek lines of her wet skin and hair. When he spoke, his executive tone was far more interesting than its content, and she tipped her head back to sort-of pay attention. "Freedom," she said dreamily, snuggling her round backside up against his abdomen as he drew the comb through her waist-length magenta locks. "Freedom is not comfortable. Always a struggle. Too stressful."<br/><br/>There hadn't been a crash or a bird-sound from below for a couple minutes by then, though Aza was too preoccupied with Dean's brushing to give that a thought. It was long after she was meant to be asleep, after all, and her day had been just as exciting as she'd wished it to be<em>before </em>she'd been accosted and hauled across a dirty city. It was time for pets and cuddling and sleep, and if took sex to get those things, that was fine too.<br/><br/>And then Donovan was cursing, and in a manner that sounded quite unlike his previous zestful declarations, followed by the scrape of the unbarred door. Donovan yelled to Dean -- Dean was a somewhat more sensible word for a name, in Aza's opinion -- and Aza saw her chances for a cuddlenap vanish yet again.<em>They</em>, Donovan said. Which<em>they</em>?<em>They </em>from the Spire?<br/><br/>She swiftly slid over the side of the tub to the floor, left small wet footprints to the window, and pushed open the shutter to look down at the street. The men forcing their way into the building a few away did indeed wear the colored sashes of the Spire's high guard, and when the woman astride the horse turned so that the lantern lit her stern face, Aza blinked. "The Vizier's pet commander," she said, glancing back. "Trouble has come for you,<em>Dean</em>..."<br/><br/>Trouble for the boys, but a rescue for her. Would the General recognize Aza as a human girl? During the many hours of military meetings and consultation, Aza had always been a bored little fox, and the fearsome Methuseld had sat far down the long table...<br/><br/>Aza's gaze flicked past Dean to the bejeweled collar just behind him. Might be time to grab it and go home.