About half an hour later, in the Study of the Lord's quarters, Landen and Katarina Forest Cat sat facing each other.
Katarina, the dowager queen of the Forest Cat Tribe, had come in person. Though she had caught Landen somewhat off guard, her reason was perfectly lofty: she represented the Forest Cat Tribe's three cities and more than twenty Retainers in peace negotiations with Landen.
In Katarina's words, these negotiations were meant to ensure that the understanding reached between the gods and Landen could be broken down into enforceable terms, to be made public when formal negotiations took place in the future.
At that moment, Landen and Big Cat sat on opposite sides of a desk. Even after the Magic Pattern Tiger and Honnier had taken turns speaking well of her, Landen's eyes still burned with suppressed fury. He had been in this world for quite some time now; from Barbarian chieftains to the Goblin God, he had fought them all. Yet he had been deceived by a woman who looked like a cat.
"Your god has already finished talking with me," Landen said irritably. "What are you running over here to negotiate for? Hurry back to your tribe!"
"Oh, Landen, don't be so heartless. You were the one who carried this little lady back in the first place. Have you forgotten?"
With a smile, Katarina leaped onto the desk and sprawled herself across it, using her fluffy tail to tickle Landen beneath the chin. She looked exactly like a miniature Magic-Patterned Tiger.
"If I were you, I'd be a little less intimate with me from now on. The moment you can speak human language, plenty of people in this castle will take a dislike to you."
"How could that be? Those little girls can't even get jealous over Honnier