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Morning broke to a loud trumpet in the distance, rallying the troops in the Keep for whatever morning exercises they had. Groaning, Annita rolled over. Dim light filtered through the cracks between the curtains that covered their large windows.

“Fuckin’ forgot about alarm clocks. Where’s the snooze button” Annita mumbled as she tried to muffle the noise with a pillow. After a minute or so, the music stopped, and she returned to blissful slumber for a short while.

The light entering the room was much brighter when she once more cracked her eyes open. She sat up slowly, her body slowly coming back under her control. She took a few minutes to just relax, stroking her tail as her brain slowly worked its way into functioning.

Looking over, she saw Kat in her bed. She’d tossed in her sleep, as usual. Her hair was a mess, and there was a line of drool glistening from the corner of her mouth as she snored. The sight brought a sappy grin to Annita’s face. Something about how hard the woman slept just felt right. She didn’t leave much to moderation, she wore her heart on her sleeve. It was refreshing.

Annita stretched, standing and walking over to the washroom. It was fairly modern for what she expected. The plumbing all worked like normal. The bath was a wooden tub elevated from the floor. Water flowed in from a slot in the wall after pulling a cord that hung nearby. Crystals set into the floor of the tub heated it to a comfortable temperature and kept it there. From the looks of it, there was another pull cord in the floor to drain the tub as well.

Annita shuffled off her boxers and slipped into the water, feeling it soothe her body. Her eyes closed and she sank further until all but her head was submerged. Her tail swished under the water, the feeling strange as its motions were restricted by the heavier fur being restricted by the water.

“Who knew I’d have a hot bath in a place like this,” she sighed. It was going to be a big day. A long one, if her plans had anything to say about it, but hopefully good.

She rested in the warm water, before reaching over to a bar of soap nearby and beginning to wash herself. She was unsurprisingly filthy after the days on the road. Blood and dirt washed out of her fur in surprising quantities, the water darkening quickly. She pulled the plug on the tub and resorted to cleaning herself under the running water before refilling the tub.

After a little bit, her ears twitched at the sound of movement in the other room. Soft footsteps approached and Kat quietly opened the door. She looked half dead, like she normally did when she woke up.

“Mrnin,” she mumbled as she stripped and moved toward the bath.

“Mornin. Sleep well?” Annita scooted to make room in the bath as Kat sleepily undid her braids. Once she did, her hair was left in long, intensely wavy locks.

“Like the dead. You?” Water splashed as Kat lowered herself opposite of Annita, a soft sigh escaping her as the warmth surrounded her.

“Really well, until the horns this morning.”

“Mmm, yeah. Bren complains about ‘em too. Never heard ‘em meself. Too early.” Kat yawned as she sunk deeper into the water, until just her nose and the points of her ears were above the surface.

Ann smiled and sat there in silence, watching the tired Alf slowly wake up in the water. Thankfully the tub was large enough for the two of them to mostly fit. Their legs crossed, but otherwise no touching was necessary.

After a few minutes, Kat stretched, her wet skin glistening as her muscles flexed. “A mornin’ bath is amazin’. Forgot how nice this was.”

“Yeah. Haven’t had anything but snow baths since I showed up here,” Annita sighed. “Warmth is such a good change of pace.”

“Mmm, aye. Wash me back? I’ll get yers after.”

“Sure.” Annita moved closer as Kat turned away, taking the soap and running it across the relaxed muscles before her. “Got everything planned for today?”

“Sure do. Lots o’ stuff tae do here. Lookin’ forward tae it. Ye got any ideas o’ yer own?”

“A few. Less specific to where we are, since I’m not familiar, but ideas all the same.”

“Well, good. Can’t have a good relationship without both o’ us puttin’ in the effort,” Kat sighed as Annita finished up. “Yer turn scruffy. Turn around.”

Following her directions, Annita turned her back, feeling Kat’s fingers caress her skin and running through the strip of fur that ran down her spine. “You’re right, by the way. About the whole effort thing. I’m glad we agree on that. Have known a few people who didn’t see it like that. Their relationships didn’t last long.”

“Anyone close?” Kat asked as she lathered up Ann’s fur.

“No, not really. A couple family members dating, friends, that kind of thing. Though I guess that’s what ultimately ended my last relationship. She just wanted more from me than I could give while trying to do what I wanted, and we just grew apart because of it. It sucked when she finally ripped off the band-aid, but it needed to be done. Otherwise we’d both have been miserable.”

“Sorry, band-aid?”

“Bandage. We had little adhesive bandages with a cotton strip on them. They were nice for small cuts but the things stuck to your skin and hair like crazy. Tearing them off always hurt.”

“Can’t say I really understand, but alright. Sounds like ye were reluctant tae let that one end.”

“Yeah,” Annita slumped, ears folding forward. “I liked her a lot. I was hoping she’d wait and be there for me when I was ready to give her what she wanted. Had a plan and everything, but she just couldn’t. Small things add up, and it was just the right thing to do.”

“Aye. The right thing’s often hard. That’s enough dourness outta you though. C’mon, ye’re clean. An’ we’ve got a whole day tae us.”

“Yeah we do.” Ann sighed as she stood and turned around, accidentally giving Kat an eyeful of girlcock at face level.

“An’ I’ll be sayin a proper hello tae you tonight.” Kat giggled as she flicked Ann’s shaft.

“Tease. All right, let’s get dressed. Man, I should get some more clothes if we’re staying somewhere. I’ve got, what, two shirts and two kilts? Would be nice to have other options,” Ann said as she picked out her cleaner set of clothes.

“Tha’ was actually the first thing I wanted tae do with ye.” Kat said, pulling on her leather pants and loose linen shirt. “Can’t have a beauty like ye all dressed up in shambles. That an’ we really do need tae get ye some proper armor. Ye’re loosin’ a lot o’ blood in these fights an’ it’d help Bren out.”

“Not to mention getting hurt just sucks,” Ann laughed.

“Aye, but I wasn’t gonna judge. Ye seemed really inta that first fight, an’ ye got the shit kicked outta ye.” Kat retorted, lacing up her boots.

“Pretty sure that was all adrenaline. I couldn’t feel anything until Bren healed me. Help with my shirt?” Ann turned, pulling her hair out of the way of her back. Kat moved over and laced her up.

They headed downstairs and met Bren sitting at the table. Exchanging some small talk they had breakfast in the Association. Eggs and bread were the thing on the menu right now, so it was a pretty bare bones meal. Once they finished up, they headed to one of the booths with the clerks. Giving their identification they were provided with a satchel of coin each. Three gold, twenty silver, and forty-two copper, each.

“Wow, this pays well, doesn’t it?” Ann said as she marveled at the gold coin.

“We did eradicate a Guardian,” Bren said as he checked his money. “Remember why that is so beneficial to the kingdom.”

“Oh, yeah, the whole resources thing. Still, that’s a lot.”

“Ye best be gettin’ used to it, girl. If our plan holds true, we’re gonna be seein’ paydays like this pretty regular.” Kat grinned as she deposited her money into a pouch already on her hip, handing the bag back to the clerk. “Ye got anythin’ tae do today Bren? Gonna be lonely without us?”

“Hardly. I plan on visiting the healers stationed in the Keep. My supplies are low after our expedition prior to finding Annita. A restock is in order. After that, I will likely be visiting the records. Some things you have told me, Annita, I would like to see if I can find records of them somewhere..”

“Cool! Let me know what you find,” Annita said earnestly. “Anything that survived this long has to be interesting.”

“I will. You two have a good time today. If I do not see you tonight, then shall we meet at breakfast tomorrow?”

“That’ll do just fine,” Kat grinned. “Don’ stay up fer us, though. Have a feelin’ it’s gonna be a late night.”

Bren rolled his eyes, a bit of colour touching his cheeks at the implication, before bidding them farewell and leaving the building.

As they stood and made for the door a figure bolted upright from a distant chair and made their way quickly to the pair.

“Greetin’s,” the woman said in a somewhat British accent. “I’ve been assigned to your guard detail. Abeline Crannog. Master Sergeant Abeline Crannog.” She was hardly inconspicuous. A Thrundol like General Polaris, she had a good head of height on Annita. A pale green tint colored her skin with thick reddish hair done up in dreadlocks that ran down her back. Her tusks, while there, were small, barely pushing out of her lower lip. She wore the standard uniform of the military, though, and would not stand out otherwise. “Know I’m supposed to be keeping my distance, but felt it proper to introduce myself. Feels a mite strange to be watching over you without you knowing who I am.”

“Good tae meet ye, Master Sergeant. Now, if ye’ll excuse me, we’ve got a busy day ahead o’ us.”

“Of course. I’ll make myself scarce. You’ll barely notice me. Oh, and Annita, here’s your badge back.” With a nervous chuckle, Abeline handed Annita the wooden disk, then backed off and left them alone.

“Well, at least our babysitter isn’t that bad,” Annita sighed. “Kinda awkward, but she seems all right.”

“Aye. We’ll see if she can keep tae her word o’ stayin’ out o’ the way, though. Anyway, clothes are first. Let’s get movin’.” Kat grinned as she lead Annita out the door.

They made their way through the city, taking main roads toward the shopping district. It was snowing lightly, and the city felt quieter. As they got closer, the more banal residential buildings changed into more varied architecture. Shops were apparently exempt from the cubic building standards of the homes. Wood joined the black stone more frequently. Peaked roofs began to appear, with shingles and eaves. Balconies on second floors stretched over the road, some going so far as to bridge the two sides of the road.

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Signs hung off several buildings, symbols painted and carved into wooden placards advertising the services provided. They passed a bakery with steaming bread displayed behind a window, a couple of butchers, cobblers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and several other craftsmen.

The people were also out in full force. They’d felt the crush of the attention of the city the day before, but now, without announcement as to who Kat was, they passed through the crowds unbothered. Indol ran underfoot while Bultrong barreled past. Humans and Alfhindur mingled with Thrundol. Once Ann felt the ground shake as a towering Mulsfar passed by, the crowds giving the giant a wide berth.

After asking around, they found a shop that specialized in Vulhardrin clothing. It was on the main thoroughfare, near a large fountain, with a female figure holding a sickle as the centerpiece. A bell rang overhead as Annita opened the door.

“Be with you in a moment!” came a call from the back of the building. The entrance was small. Not much was on display. What items were visible were mostly textile patterns. It was nothing like what Annita expected when she thought “clothes store”. A shuffling from the back proceeded the shopkeeper before he glided into the room through a curtain behind the counter.

He was a Reptilia, Annita recognized. The thick trunk of his tail allowing him a particular grace as he made his way to the center of the area. As he looked up to the pair, she saw his eyes were also slitted, like any other snake’s.

“Greetings, greetings. Welcome to Nolton’s textiles. I am Nolton, himself. We specialize in Vulhardrin clothing and work with custom orders, obviously. Might I presume that you are the one looking for a new wardrobe, my lady?” Nolton spoke with a nervous energy and his hands were never still while he spoke.

“Yup, that’s me. I’m kinda new here, so I’ll be in your hands for all of this,” Annita said with a kind smile.

Nolton rose on his tail until he matched her height. “Of course, of course. No need to worry. We will have you outfitted in the finest clothing before the day is out, my dear. A beauty like you deserves the best, I must say. What do you have in mind?”

“Honestly, I feel like simple is better, at least for me. Something that will stand up to the road would be good.”

“A traveler! Very well. It must be robust as well as fashionable. I insist on the fashionable. Any special considerations? Mutations from the Warp to consider, besides your obvious tail, paws, and ears?” He made the comment so casually, Annita had to assume this was a standard question for him.

“Uh, no tight pants? I’m… uh… male, down there.” Ann said with a blush.

“Understood, understood. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable. However, due to the uniqueness of everyone in this world, I must ask the troublesome questions. Will you follow me to the back? I will need to take your measurements. Not often I get a Vulhardrin with your anatomical specificities. Quite unique, I dare say. Oh, you have fur down your back? Does that trace the entirety of your spine? Oh, and your friend may join if it will make you feel more comfortable.”

Ann laughed as she and Kat were led back to the fitting room.

“Now, please remove your clothing. You may keep your undergarments on. However, if you are using a binding, I will ask you to remove it as well. Accurate measurements are the key to comfortable clothing, after all.” Nolton said as he slithered over to a set of drawers in a large cabinet, opening several, grabbing a measuring tape and a notepad.

Kat laughed to herself as she took a seat on a nearby stool and watched as Ann was fussed over by the Reptilia. He took extensive measurements of every part of Ann’s body, including her breasts, inner thighs, groin, and even the distance between and the size of her ears. Every time Annita was forced to contort herself slightly for his measurements, Kat gave her a supremely amused grin.

“Are you thinking of hats?” Ann asked him.

“Possibly. Are you? Having the measurements in case you are is useful. I will, of course, provide these for your further use as you travel.”

“Not at the moment, no,” Annita replied. “Hats never really went with anything I’ve worn.”

“A shame. I believe you would look absolutely dashing with a wide-brimmed hat. Cut-outs for your ears to the sides of the crown, to allow comfort. Yes, it would fit your intense features as well. If it is not in your taste, however, I will not push. Do consider it if you ever need formal wear.” Nolton said in a rapid fire manner that almost made Ann’s head spin. “Now, for your current needs. Would you prefer to remain in a kilt or would you like to mix things up? I assume pants would be the norm for someone on the road. Your friend here being a good example. Hers hug her form wonderfully, allow a free range of movement should you require exertion, appear to be a steady leather to resist damage when in combat. You all are used to violence, are you not? Regardless, yes, something tough. For the top, I’m thinking several tunics, patterns of snow in bright colors with dark greys to accentuate your hair and fur. We will also provide you with proper underwear, complementary as a binding will affect the fit. Yes, yes. This will work wonderfully. Any questions?”

Annita took a second to parse everything that had just been said while the man had wormed his way around her form, studying every inch of her. “I think I like the kilts, yeah. It keeps anatomical things simple. Two pairs of pants would also be good for variety, I guess? The tunics sound nice, but could we figure out something that doesn’t crush my fur, and also doesn’t need another person to put on?”

“Absolutely. An easy enough request. I believe that your clothes, well fitting enough, should mitigate any necessary adjustments. I’ll make sure it feels like a second skin. Now, colours. Any preferences? I do insist on the dark grey as the base. It would look wonderful on you.”

“Um, how about some earthier colors to go along with it? Greens and browns?” Annita suggested.

“Yes yes.” Nolton muttered, scribbling notes. “Anything more colourful? Not always that you need to be subdued.”

Ann laughed. “Not for now. Though if I do need something, I’ll let you know.”

“Fantastic! Well, I’ve got my work cut out for me. For a set of clothes and underwear to last you several days, with regular changes, taking into account you will be getting dirtier than the normal person that’ll be six of each coming to five silver up front, five again on completion. Is that agreeable?”

Annita glanced at Kat, who nodded her approval. The woman’s face was still split in a massive grin, watching Ann get fussed over. “Yeah, sounds good. Here.” She shuffled in her coin pouch and retrieved the coin. Nolton quickly took it from her outstretched hand, depositing it into his own coin purse.

“Now, out you two. Much work to do and you will find no entertainment in it. I will see you in six day’s time. I’ll send a runner if my work progresses quicker than expected, or any delays are met. Farewell!”

With that, they were almost pushed out the door before Ann could get her clothes back on. Taking a moment to collect themselves from the whirlwind of a man that was Nolton, they shared a laugh.

“I like him,” Ann said as they began to walk through the market.

“Aye, so do I. Real nice o’ him tae consider all he did. Though, I guess specializin’ lets ya do that.”

“Surprising that a specialist can be a thing for people as varied as Vulhardrin are.”

“I’m sure there’re more common types around here. Frankly, I’m surprised a Reptilia is this far north. Their kind likes tae live further south, where it’s warmer.”

“Guess he doesn’t have cold blood like normal lizards, then.” Annita pondered as she looked through a nearby food stall. “Didn’t notice the place being any warmer than normal.” She waved to the human vendor, who smiled back politely.

“Lucky sod. But if he’s as good as he seems to think o’ himself, then we’re lucky he’s here.”

They spent a couple more hours exploring the market. There was everything Annita could think of that made sense in the semi medieval society. Vendors were shouting, hawking their wares to passersby. Children were running amok between the legs of the larger individuals, shouting at each other as they played freely. Every few stalls, there was a guard posted to keep watch on the busy area, their helmets disguising their gaze as it swept the masses.

The buildings were interesting too. To accommodate for the variance in size the people that frequented them possessed, their doors were generally large. Large enough that a Thrundol could get through without issue. Since this contributed to heavy doors, smaller doors were set within the larger ones for the Indol and Bultrong customers. Humans and Alfhindur generally made do with the larger portion. Ann couldn’t guess how a Mulsfar would deal with things.

Unlike the rest of the town, most shops had two stories. The lower was for business, Kat explained, and the upper floors were for either residence or storage. It usually wound up being a mix of both except for the better off shopkeepers.

A growl sounded from Kat’s stomach, causing her to stop, a blush rising to her cheeks. “I guess I’m hungry. Wanna grab a bite?”

“Please. I’m starving too,” Ann said to the brunette. She’d been so absorbed in the shops and the culture she’d not noticed her stomach grumbling its own protest.

They wandered around until they found a cafe a couple of blocks away from the main road. It was a quiet place, with only three customers sitting at tables, sipping drinks and eating some light meals. A supremely bored looking waitress took their order at the counter.

Kat ordered a black coffee with a scoop of sugar, and a chicken salad. Ann ordered the same for food, but took a lighter roast with cream and sugar. They settled down at a table to wait for their food, looking out the window beside them at the few passersby.

“Honestly, this is pretty similar to how things were back in my time,” Ann said quietly, trying to stay under hearing volume of the other guests.

“That so?”

“Yeah. Coffee house, nice food, a quiet place to escape to. It was the type of place I escaped to. Get away from the pressures of the world and all that.”

“I can see tha’,” Kat smiled as the waitress delivered their coffee and left without a word. “Probably coulda’ used somethin’ like it meself when I was younger.”

“Speaking of,” Ann interjected. “We’ve talked all about me, or at least a lot. I keep finding out stuff about your childhood. Mind sharing a bit?”

“Aye, though I’ll keep it vague considerin’,” she gestured to the room. “Anywhere you wanna start?”

“Start early I guess? Something from a young young you,” Ann suggested.

“Gotcha. Hmmm.” Kat paused in thought, taking a sip of her drink. “Early story. I was twelve I think? It was the first time I held a weapon.”

Ann watched as Kat’s normally intense eyes lost focus while she took herself back into the memory.

“Me Ma was havin’ some big meetin’. Not unusual fer her, as ye can imagine. Little me was bored tae tears. She’d made me attend cause it’d be good fer me. Somethin’ about seein’ how the world worked. I was more interested in stories o’ fights with the Warped. Massive monsters, dragons, the like. Anyway, I was fidgeting in me chair, bein’ me usual restless self when one o’ the generals in the room noticed. He asked me Ma if he could take me aside fer a few. Grunbeld, I think ‘is name was. She let him, an’ he took me off tae a side room off the main room.”

“We got tae talkin’. He told me all these stories of the battles ‘e’s been in. Fights against both Warped an’ man. He’d gotten me hooked almost immediately. It was like I was there, fightin’ alongside heroes an’ warriors. I couldn’t sit still, an’ was runnin’ around the room while he spun the yarn. I remember his laugh as he watched, deep as thunder it was. He called me over after one of ‘em and took ‘is sword from ‘is hip.”

“This is a sword.” ‘E said. “This is a weapon to kill and to cause pain. But it’s also a tool that can protect everyone you hold dear. You seem to have a heart for this, young Katlyn. Here, hold it.”

Kat was interrupted briefly as their food arrived. Served in polished wooden bowls was a pile of lettuce topped with some seed based dressing that glistened gold, and strips of chicken. Their stomachs growled, and both took a few minutes to devour their meals. The dressing turned out to be honey based, and paired lovely with the spicy seasoning on the chicken. Before they knew it, their meal was gone, and Kat continued her story.

“’E offered me the sword. It was heavy in me hands. Bigger than anythin’ I could hold at the time. Felt like I was holdin’ the world. The smooth, worn leather o’ its grip. I still remember it well. I stared at the thing as it’s weight drug me arms down. It was beautiful.”

“’Twas the next day I asked Ma tae get me lessons with a sword. Da was against it, as he always is when I’m not actin’ the lady, but saw the benefit o’ me learnin’ tae defend meself. After a couple o’ years with, uh, distinguished mentors, I got ahold o’ Candalaria. Knew ‘er fer decades after tha’. She was me main mentor an’ the one who suggested I take up the shield as well. Even when she was off on a campaign or somethin’ she left me lessons tae work on.”

“Tha’s at least the interestin’ parts o’ me life. Went an’ got meself registered as a Merc as soon as I could, an’ me parents would allow. Ye know the rest, pretty much. Travelin’ all o’er the place, fightin’ Warped, savin’ people. It was kinda rough at the beginnin’, but Bren an’ I made it work. Had various parties here an’ there, no one really stuck though.”

“Wow, that’s a lot. No wonder you’re so good with that sword,” Ann said. “Sounds like a story out of a book. A warrior princess traveling the lands, defeating evil, being incredibly sexy while doing so.”

“An’ now yer part o’ the story. Hell ye mighta taken the main character spot,” Kat laughed. “Not that I mind. I’ve always hated bein’ the center o’ attention.”

“Well, if we get involved, I’m going to be dragging you into the spotlight, like it or not.” Ann felt a twinge of guilt as she spoke. She didn’t like that her existence was forcing Kat to do something she didn’t want to.

“Aw, pish.” Kat waved her concerns off with a dismissive gesture. “Ye’re not so bad. Tae the public ye’ll be an oddity, but not recognizable by everyone. That’s the part that fucks wit’ me. I can mostly handle the rest o’ the higher ups. Kinda had tae get used to it, bein’ who I am.”

“Still feel kinda bad about it.” Ann said grumpily, leaning on her hand.

“Betcha I know what’ll make ye less grumpy, fuzzbutt.” Kat grinned at her mischievously.

“Wha—” Ann let out a squeak that was instantly cut off as Kat grabbed the arm she was leaning on, pulled her across the table, and kissed her deep on the lips. True to Kat’s word, the uneasiness evaporated in the softness of her lips. They stayed like that for a few breathless moments, before they sat back slightly short of breath.

“Yeah, that definitely worked.” Ann laughed, her cheeks flushed as she looked over at Kat and her own slight fluster.

“Told ya,” the gorgeous Alf laughed back. “Let’s go, though. Got some more I wanna do today.”

“You and me both.” Ann smiled as they stood and left the cafe.