We left Ratern through the same gate we had entered. I was very glad to leave the stench of the city behind. And to my further delight, we soon left the tarmac valley road and turned onto a winding path up and along the first vineyards and around the village that owned them.

Above the village, we followed a faint trail heading north and uphill along the last of the vineyards. The sun was beating down from a cloudless sky: Today would be another hot day down in the valley. But here, in the shade of the first trees, it was still pleasant. The trail became steeper and narrower. I had to use my hands too. Freya was worried: "Should I get down?"

Actually, I enjoyed the climb. "Ha! No challenge for a squirrel cat," I panted and turned to Freya. She was clinging tightly to my lower shoulder, my hip if I were human, and hanging with her toes under the belt of the saddlebag, knees bent. Clearly not ok.

"Put your arms over my shoulder and stand with your feet on my lower shoulders," I whispered in Earth.

Slowly she climbed onto my upper back, her arms around my neck. My lower shoulders were wide enough to give her feet enough support, despite the fur. But her head was now higher than mine, so her breath was blowing on my ear tufts. Huh, quite a distraction.

"That's so much better," she grinned.

But the climbing needed my full attention. The trail got still steeper, I had to use my claws. The dry clay provided a good grip, despite our weight. And the steeper it got, the more squirrel enjoyed it, even though it was clay and stone and not wood. After half an hour of hard climbing, the barely visible trail levelled out on a small plateau overlooking the Ratern Valley. Far, far away in the early summer mist, one could even make out the confluence of the Ratern and Kren Valleys.

The trail was now winding around a rock pillar only climbing a little. There was a nearly vertical drop to our left, over the red cliffs, all the way down to the town of Ratern. To the right was rose the red rock, leaving barely enough space for me. I kept going on all six, even though Freya suddenly felt much heavier lying on my upper torso. Finally, the trail and curved back east into the forest and widened. I stood relieved and I straightened up. Freya was still holding me across my chest.

"Uh, you can sit normally again."

"I don't want to," she said in an almost tearful voice, echoing it well in mindspeak. Her hangover should be gone by now.

I turned. "What is bothering you?", of course in Earth?

"This way we reach Krenburg a day earlier."

"Less walking for me. I mean, you did a really good job with the healing, so thank you for a shorter route. That is good news."

"But I will lose you!" She was crying. Oh no.

"What, how, why?" I was confused. "Am I going to jail?"

"No, no. Not that. But I am only an apprentice. A real healer will take care of you, for sure, and there will be clerics to look at your souls."

"But that doesn't mean we can't meet again."

"No, I mean I don't ever want to leave you."

I was at a loss for words.

"I know it's foolish," she continued, "you're female, well, and not even human, and," her face fell on my shoulder. "I love you," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. And then some more words, no longer with mindspeak.

I was completely torn. Freya was cute and pretty, yes. But much younger than me, although I was not sure how old my current body really was. And I had never been into women. But. "Let's take a break."

"Please hug me face to face!"

I sat on my forepaws so that we were face to face. She hugged me, sniffing tears on my shoulder. I stroked her hair, thinking hard about how to console her. "In my world, a woman can marry another woman."

"What?" She looked at me pleadingly.

"It happens. Most marriages were still between man and woman, tough. I never did fall in love with a woman." Yes, and I was not sure what to make of Freya. She was sweet, interesting, mature beyond her years and easygoing. Best friend material, for sure. But love? Unlike her, I hadn't given it a thought.

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"So in your world, you could marry me?"

"Yes, I could. At least as a human."

Tears flowed again.

It was hard to look at her. "Honestly, I find you nice, cute too, but I am not in love with you in a way that would connect our lives for eternity. I am sorry."

"You know, I know. It's so unfair, you're the nicest, kindest, sweetest creature I've ever met.

I was at a loss for words. Her face was so serious and she looked at me pleadingly, the strange combination of animal and woman. If ever it should have been the other way round, the beast fell in love with beauty.

"Let's get up again."

She was still hugging me.

"You can hug me at every break, I promise."

She reluctantly let go and climbed demonstratively slowly onto my lower back. I walked on, deeper into the forest, still totally confused by her confession of love. She had become dear to me, by far the best friend in this world. Her childish open-mindedness and her drive to have things her own way were both big points for her. But love? The last time I had a big crush was almost fifteen years ago, not much older than her. Confused, I swerved a lot from the faint path, scratching more undergrowth than necessary.

* * *

We travelled in deep thought for quite a while.

Finally, Freya's curiosity won out: "Tell me, woman and woman, how do they, er, have fun?"

"Marriage is not just about that." That was a cheap evasion. "I mean, it doesn't happen here?"

"Not that I know of. I mean, there are enough men around, and as a healer, I will not get pregnant if I do not want to. So I know with men, even if, er, I am still a virgin. But with a woman, how?"

"Well, I only did it once when I was maybe younger than you, at a girl scout camp. Um." I blushed like a teenager. Oh Freya, you are entering dangerous territory here.

"So you can show me."

Of course, I had dug this hole myself. I blushed even more if that was possible. "No idea how well it will work with this body. We used tongues."

Freya squirmed. When I thought of that monster in my mouth, I understood her enthusiasm.

"Please, please, just once!"

I sighed.

Obviously, that implied my consent because Freya jumped off me and was out of her dress in seconds, rinsing her privates from the waterskin. Then she pushed the twigs out of a small clearing ahead, where the path widened a little. Feverishly she kicked away old pinecones and laid down her clothes.

My buttons and the saddlebag took longer.

First, we hugged and kissed, getting wild like teenagers. We explored our bodies for the first time, even me again. I caressed her aureoles with the blunt side of my claw. When she grabbed my ear, I moaned. So Freya nibbled it. Oh my God, I was moaning and purring. We kissed even harder.

"Pin me down!" Freya commanded.

I obeyed, pushing her legs apart with my front legs, still stroking her breasts with my hands. And then I licked her, going deep with my long tongue. She soon came, screaming in ecstasy.

I was also highly aroused. I put her hand on my breasts and she kneaded them a little while we kissed again. Then she put her hand on my earlobes as she sucked on my breast. I screamed and moaned at the same time.

I was afraid of crushing her, so with last efforts I rolled over to her right, legs in the air, next to her, half off the clothes, panting.

So Freya went to my left side and I roared again. I lifted her up to my face. Now she lay on top of me. We kissed gently and hugged each other tightly.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Freya just mumbled something and we enjoyed the afterglow in the warm sun in the small clearing.

"Are you pregnant? Augh"

I pulled back the claws she had me drawn out with that remark. "Sorry. I, how?"

"Because you have a lot of milk. Sweet milk. There's even a drop on your left nipple now."

Well, indeed.

"Shall I suck it empty?" Freya beamed at me.

I smiled back. "Don't forget the ears."

* * *

I must have fainted and then slept for a while, judging by how far the sun had moved. I was still lying on my back, my arms by my side, my front paws stretched out in front of me and my hind paws parallel to my tail.

Freya was lying on her back on my lower body, on her bed of fur, playing with the white belly fur. "I don't think I can ever live without you again."

"I had fun too," which was quite an understatement. And that was just the stroking. My growling stomach reminded me of more worldly things. "Let's have a quick lunch and continue."

Freya smiled even more. "Thank you, but I am full or my stomach will slosh around." She patted her stomach and pushed it out.

Uh, my breast had indeed shrunk a bit. "But I can't be pregnant, can I?"

"I was just teasing, it wasn't that much," Freya said more seriously.

"Was any of the centaurs pregnant?"

Freya turned to face me. "I don't think so. Some centaurs had sex, horse style, and one got pregnant. That was less than two months ago. So I have no idea how far it will go."

"Can't you check as a healer?"

"Sorry, I am stupid. Just a moment." She got down and put her hand on my hip. Then she closed her eyes.

This time I felt her probing my insides. She was quick.

"You have a womb, but it is empty."

I was relieved. "I don't think I was ready for squirrel kittens."

Freya's face said she thought the same. "Thank you again, whatever happens next, I will never forget you." But then she added as an afterthought: "I could use a beer now."

Oh, Freya, beer, no! Something sweet, maybe, but beer, ugh. Well, people are different. "Ok, then we need civilisation for that. Or the bottle of wine. Your choice?" But I didn't wait for an answer, I put on the saddlebag. Now my shirt was quite loose, almost sagging, and no longer supported my breasts. Every small movement brought a protest from the sore nipples.

Freya waved my hands away. "Arms up!" she commanded. Then she adjusted the straps at the sides, which I had forgotten about, thinking of them as a fashion statement. She tightened them, and although it was no sports bra, the support was back.

I thanked her with another passionate kiss. Then my stomach growled for almost ten seconds.

We laughed, Freya climbed on and we got this show back on the road, while I munched on a cabbage head and bread from the saddlebag.