The sun just barely peaked over the horizon. The faint echoing sound of a horn could be heard even from the city walls. The soldiers in the camp had their wake up call and within minutes they were expected to be in formation.
The loud sound of the horn startled her out of sleep, only to see the cavalry captain centaur, her prince charming on a white steed leaving the tent.
Her vision cleared as she slowly grasped her surroundings. An empty small barrel on a cupboard, an empty armour stand, a wide bed which still felt warm from her partner. Each of these objects helped her regain pieces of the last night.
Then the realization hit her with what she had just done.
"I forgot about Amy!" She shouted and grabbed her shirt.
Jenny rushed out of the tent and with the speed of lighting she galloped out of the camp, dodging soldier left and right. She heard as the angry obstacles shouted after her but she couldn't care less for them now.
She ran as fast she could, the wind ruffled her hair, her hooves dug deep into the soft dirt and tore chunks out with each step, while her breasts played the rhythm of a war drum.
The distance that took her an hour yesterday now she done it in mere minutes. The guards couldn't even respond to her morning greeting as she left them in the dust. In the city, she took a sharp left turn, jumped over Amy and continued to...
"Amy!" Jenny stepped on her breaks and slid a good 30 feet as she shaped the muddy road into a tsunami behind her. Fortunately, it was still early in the morning and the streets were empty... Fortunately...
Despite what she felt, Jenny turned around and for the sake of good manners and for the few clean spots on the house walls, she slowly walked down the street towards Amy who stood in front of a guardhouse. Amy was alive and she looked fine, the sweat relief put a smile on her face.
"You didn't come." Hearing these words erased her momentary happiness and guilt settled instead.
"Sorry."
Silence, the two watch each other until Jenny had to turn away.
"Are you mad at me?" Jenny asked.
"Of course, I am. Do you know how hard it was to find shelter? And I had to sleep without my fluffy blanket." Amy didn't want to tell her what happened, so she joked a little and put on a fake smile to ease Jenny's guilt. "And how was your night, miss responsibility?" Amy poked fun.
"You wouldn't believe it! After the last cart, I felt the ground shaking and when I turned, I saw them. A real cavalry! Soldier on horseback with plate armour and..."
"Alright, alright... I don't need another lecture on medieval times. But speaking of which, I see a mare that has no rider and I happened to be far, far away from the tavern."
Sigh. "Alright... I drop you off there." Amy hopped on her back and the two went to start their daily routine as the mud still oozed on the nearby buildings.
---- -----
Amy watched and waved as Jenny disappeared between the houses. The happy face that concealed her feeling faded.
She was about to open the door and enter the tavern when her hand stopped. She couldn't do it, the memories flashed before her eyes as that five drunk bastards grabbed her and dragged her into the alley. Her hand shook and her eyes filled with tears. She took a step back and watch in horror as the tavern morphed into a nightmare. Her nightmare. Even if she goes inside it wasn’t save, those were here yesterday.
She turned around and ran. Ran away from the tavern, the buildings, the people and eventually left behind the city. She ran to the only place which felt safe, home.
In the tent, she found solitude and peace. As she watched the carved stone, she meditated on what she just did. She couldn't understand what came over her, she had a job to do and goal to achieve and Jenny was working hard for it. Yet, she couldn't overcome it to return to the tavern.
Sigh. "The guys in the inn will not be happy." She picked up the stone and observed it. "Maybe if I get stronger..." She mimicked the merchant from yesterday. The so-called rune in one hand and she repeated the three basic. "Focus, let it draw, shape." She muttered the words and began to concentre on the stone in her palm.
The world shrank and darkened in her eyes as only the stone seemed constant. Every second she struggled against her instincts to stop what she was doing. As the stone drawn power from her, eventually she became too dizzy and dropped the stone as she fell on her knees, sweating. The casting failed, but she was determined. She had to get stronger.
She spent minutes staring at the stone. Trying over and over again while it drained her own power. The more she lost herself to it, the easier it became to let the rune take what it needed.
The engraving in the stone slowly pulsed out light, then. *POP* The sound of a bursting bubble broke her focus and pulled her back to reality. The stone was a bit wet.
"That it! After all the hard work, this is all it can do!" Amy became furious seeing what the stone did. She left the tent and stared in the city's direction. "Once I'm back, you are done for lying bastard!" She shouted into the forest. Panted a little and headed back to the merchant.
----- -----------
The long walk she just did ease her anger, and all she wanted was a refund to the last coin. Amy reached the market, but the wagon was nowhere to be found. "No... Where is he?" She muttered. It was devastating. She spent most of their money they worked for so hard... on a piece of rock. Her ears flattened. "I have to tell Jenny." She made a mistake and she was ashamed by it, but she couldn't betray her.
The sad little fuzzy money spender with flattened ears reached the Forge, the heart and blood of Irontop. This beauty prov... *rattling paper* ... She stood at the edge of the facility and waited.
Time passed and she became unsure as she doubted herself, maybe Jenny won't forgive her. But she ran out of time, she just saw Jenny as she entered a warehouse while she dragged a large cart. Amy slowly walked toward the building but stopped at its doors and peeked. Jenny seemed overworked, a mere shadow of her former self, and the once empty cart behind her slowly became packed as the seemingly endless stream of heavy creates filled it.
"This is what she was doing the whole time?" Amy sniffed a little, seeing her friend like this tighten her heart. "And she earns less than me?"
The world is not fair, it never meant to be and Amy just learnt it, the harder way. Seeing someone you care for suffer under a burden and you know you just made it worse. Amy fought against her tears while she gripped the fur on her chest.
She just stood there, she couldn't do it. In her mind, it was not possible for her. She turned around and was about to leave when she heard over the rhythm of the hammers the distinctive sound of coins, and thus the idea born. Her ears popped up and like a radar, scanned for it.
"There." Amy found him. A black bearded dwarf with pouches on his side and scroll in one hand.
Due to her size, it was a piece of cake to follow one of Jenny's slave-driver as he entered a three-story height building farther away from the workshops. It was a piece of dwarven art which was carved into the side of the mountain. Two statues towered by the entrance of the building and reached to its second floor.
Amy hid behind the nearby crate pyramid and eyed the building. "Guards at the front door. and only this side is not inside the mountain." It looked hopeless to enter thru the door. And the windows in each floor were barred vertically, so a normal sized thief couldn't fit in.
Amy didn't need more, she carefully climbed the crates to get closer to the highest floor. She hoped over the few feet gap and landed on the statue's shoulder then she climbed on its head. She was just below one of the third floor's window. She pressed her ear against the wall and listened.
Clanking of coins, a pen scratching a paper, dwarf mumble, wood creaking, heavy steps on stone, closing door, lock. Silence. Amy grinned. She slowly peeked over the windows edge.
The room didn't offer much, a bed next to the wall, a chair and a table above it a picture of an old rich looking dwarf as he poured gold from his palm with a wide smile. Under the table on the stone floor a safe and left to it a sturdy looking iron door.
Amy grabbed the bars and pulled herself up to the window. "Huh, no going back." She muttered and slipped inside between the bars and entered the room. Her heart beaten faster than ever.
She hurried over the table and jumped on the chair, thanks to her lightweight and the thousand hammers in the neighbour, almost none of her actions were hearable.
The table was full of rolled up and sealed scrolls, feathers, ink pots, and at the back of it where they were, the pouches.
It was hard to choose and harder to take one, her moral codex fought against such an act. She hesitated and was about to take one of them when she heard it... Steps.
Amy went into a full panic mode, and like a good scared rabbit should do she hid under the bed.
The turning of the key gave her the chill, as the door opened she shivered and when the dwarf entered Amy was about to faint. The same dwarf she just followed sit down to the table and put his pouches on it.
"Should have thought about it early... Centaurs... They feed and take care of themselves on their own expenses and we can pay less for their work than for a carter." The dwarf's speech turned Amy's panic into hatred. The dwarf looks up at the painting. "See, father. I am doing it for you and for our people. I swear on my name I will reclaim our land under the mountain range and restore our families name." He made a cup lifting gesture towards the painting. "For the Iron clans." And then left the room.
Amy crawled out and dusted herself. "For the Iron clans... My ass." She muttered, then jumped on the chair and without hesitation, she took the heavies looking pouch. Back to the window, down the statue and hopped back to the crates while she snuggled the pouch to muffle the coins inside.
Behind the crates, she loosened the leather strap and opened the small bag. Its content made her smile. 7 gold and a few silvers.
"One or two more trips and we can go home." She said it with ill intent as she looked back to the window.
Leaving the Forge was easy, people came and go, and nobody suspected anything. She hauled the loot home and hid it in the tree hole. "Huh, hard work and good payment." Saying these words reminded her of Jenny, how she still pulled that cart most likely. Even so, she wanted to ease her suffering she couldn't risk it to tell her, maybe Jenny would tell the dwarves because she is so fond of them, or maybe some overhear them.
She was on her second trip to the piggy bank when she saw Jenny arriving. With her newly gained confidence, thanks to their financial, she decided to tell Jenny she had plans for the night.
Jenny was on her way back to the warehouse when she felt a sudden weight on her back.
"Hey!" She turned around surprised, only to see Amy with a wide grin. "Amy!"
"Hey, Jenny! Working hard?" It was an oblivious question, Jenny was sweating heavily.
"Yep. But how come to pay a visit, aren't you suppose to work?"
"Heh-heh... The lunch wave just died down and I took a long break, to tell you... Wait for it... That I have plans for tonight!" Amy all excited jumped a little on Jenny back with arms in the air.
"That wonderful, but guess what. I have too." Jenny said and return a happy smile to Amy.
"You, do?"
"I know am not that type of a guy... girl... But remember how you always talked about what is like being a girl, the sensation and all that?" Amy raised an eyebrow and waited to see what was her point. "The cavalry I mentioned, have centaurs as well! And last night I had sex with one of them and he invited me for the night."
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"Alright..." Amy's enthusiasm died down, but Jenny just continued.
"You were so right about it. First, I was disgusted by the thought and seeing that arm long dong. But the feeling." Jenny bit her lips and closed her eyes. "As It slowly entered all of my doubt gone and it felt like there was no end to it. Then he started to move his..." Her explanations came short when she felt a sudden continuous shaking on her back. She saw the little rabbit pulling her ears down and shiver with closed eyes.
"Amy? Amy?!" Jenny shouted at her, worried. Amy slowly looked up.
"What’s wrong?" Jenny asked.
"I..." She couldn't talk about it, she looked around and saw the working dwarves outside. "The hammers are too loud for me. I think I go now." It was an oblivious lie, but Jenny was too worried to realize. Amy hopped down and left, she heard Jenny calling her name one last time, but she didn't turn back.
"Those assholes... Snip... It's all their fault." Amy needed a few moments to calm down, then she returned to her target.
The size of the bags mattered little to nothing. The second one Amy stole had no more than a few silvers and a bunch of copper. The first bag corrupted her because now she felt disappointed, all the waiting and risk and the reward was too little for her taste.
She was on her way back to the hideout, but at the market seeing and avoiding heavily geared dwarves and other adventures left and right struck her with an idea. "That's it! I need equipment." She stated and made a reasonable conclusion about how some pockets and a tight-fitting bag would help her with the hauling.
She was familiar in the market, she and Jenny usually shopped together. But she had to hurry because only a few hours left before dusk.
Amy arrived just in time to the leatherworker, but there was another problem. The door was closed and the handle was beyond her reach. But she knew better then ask someone for help. She hated to be small and she hated it more if she had to admit it, so she had her own ways to handle thing.
She jumped a little and grab the handle, she was heavy enough to pull it down. Then comes the tricky part. One paw on the door the other on the wall and jump just enough to open the door and have time to get off before it smashes her to the wall. It happened before...
Amy entered the shop with her newly found wealth to outfit herself. Inside a young woman in her mid-20s, started at the doorframe and shocked as the rabbit folk entered.
"Hello? Did I come at the wrong time?" Amy was not sure what to think about the woman's expression. So, she just stood there.
"A rabbit folk!" The woman stood up and ran over to Amy. Amy took a cautious step. "May I?" Asked her.
"Y-Yes?" Amy was not sure what she meant, but she found out quickly. The leatherworker picked her up and gave her a hug.
"Ohhh. You are so adorable!" Amy usually avoided this kind of contact. But this was different, the person who picked her up, was not a drunk dwarf, but a gentle young beautiful woman. And now she was between her breasts, but all good things came to an end and she put her down. Amy was still in the pillowy heaven in mind.
"I-I don't know what came over me. I... Sorry." She blushed a little.
Amy shook her head and seizing this opportunity she asked. "Discount?"
"Well, my father may not ap..."
"And you may pet... hug me without guilt." Amy already experiences this scenario, but now she was on the other end.
"I don't know..."
"Alright, I sit on your lap while you work."
"Deal!"
'Easy' thought Amy and with that, the work began.
---- ----
Her outfit was done with hours, could have been less, but the fluffiness got in the way of the leatherworker's attention. Three customised belts sewed together into a harness with two leather patches, one back and one front which had a few tight pockets. The belt that Amy wore on her waist had a few slots for smaller vials. Amy didn't need that, but the girl was relentless. And she also got a backpack with two belts on it to tighten it if needed.
"Aww... I wish I had a cloak with two holes on the top for you" Despite the fact that Amy got pampered, the act to be adorable started to annoy her.
"Yeh, It would be so good." Amy replied as she flattened her ears down with her hand then let them snap back up. "But you already did a lot for me." Amy went closer and handed over the 2 silvers they agreed on.
"Will you came back sometime?" Asked the girl, with a wistful look.
"I might." And with that Amy left the shop.
Sigh. "Finally..." Amy shook her head. "And I wished to be popular among them." She pocketed a few coins from the bag and headed on her way.
After a quick snack and a trip back home to get rid of the last pouch, the night already fell and the full moon was up in the sky when she reached the now silent Forge.
The number of guards became troublesome and she had to spend more time getting around then she wanted. It wasn't far from the first workshops where she headed but the constant waiting for the dwarves to stop talking about booze and other less important topic felt like an eternity.
She was just one corner away from ‘her first step towards home’ when her dreams shattered as she peeked around the corner. The crates are gone, every single one of them been hauled away.
She hid in a dark corner and waited. It was so close, she only had to do one or two trips to get the money, but she got greedy. And instead, she got herself a gear, which was useless now.
It took her a few minutes, she needed it. And now, since Jenny was away, she couldn't just go home and sleep through the night. She had to find an inn if she wanted no to freeze during sleep. An inn without drunk dwarves and soldiers.
She left the Forge and walked in the dark moonlighted streets. As she passed one noisy tavern after the other she saw them, the soldiers from yesterday. They were heading towards the west gate, most likely back to the camp. Amy's instincts screamed for revenge. She followed them thru the night back to their camp.
She hid in the tall grass till the moment was right. She was next to the camp and the noises slowly died down and she could tell only a few guards patrolled from the moving light. It didn't matter to her who or how got punished, she hated all of them. She observed the camp a little from afar. And eventually, her eyes got caught on a big tent. A wicked smile formed on her face, the bigger the better she thought.
The guards around the camp were much clumsier than the dwarves, it was painfully easy to reach the tent. No light came out from the inside, but it had a large entrance without guards at least. Amy went in and looked around.
A big table on the middle and two chests by the sided. 'A horse could fit in here, why they need all the space' Amy thought and tiptoed closer to the table's end, climbed on it with the help of one of the chests. On it, she found nothing less but a map with a few odd-looking arrows on it, but it still seemed readable. She pushed aside the stones in the corner and let the Amy sized map roll up. She folded the map twice and was about to put it into her bag when she heard steps approaching while the light of a torch brightened the side of the tent.
She jumped down and lied down behind the chest. The guard passed by the tent's entrance, but fortunately, he didn't stop. Amy with flattened ears peeked over the chest and calmed down when she saw no one. She put away the map and went on with her search.
The table has been cleared, but now comes the juicy part. Amy stepped in front of the chest and tried to open it, but that stubborn lid wouldn't budge. She lied down in front of it as close as she could and put her paws against the edge of the lid. And with a powerful kick, the lid gave up and banged onto the table. The sound was well audible in the silent night.
"Shit." She whispered as more and more light sources illuminated the sides of the tent.
------ ------
Jenny's legs gave in and she collapsed on the ground, while her lover slowly pulled out his tool, dripping.
"It's already late. Will you spend the..." His proposal for the night got cut short by the sound of a horn. He stepped away from Jenny and reached toward his gear. He couldn't put on a single piece of it when a soldier rushed into the tent.
"Captain!...“ There was a short pause. Jenny lied on her stomach while she lifted up her behind and the captain’s Jenny slayer still twitched a little time to time. ”An…An intruder, a [Spy] rabbit from the beast folk's on the loose." He looked back up and tried to focus on the top of the tent in front of him.
"Alert the [Scouts] and the [Rangers]. I want the spy before dawn!" The captain responded.
"Yes, sir!" The soldier saluted then ran, to fulfil his orders and to escape that scene.
Jenny slowly got up while the captain was about to leave.
"Stay here. I will be back shortly."
Jenny found herself alone and satisfied, yet she was worried. It couldn't be Amy, she said she had plans for the night... Jenny walked up and down it the relatively small tent. She couldn't contain herself and the more the noise grow outside so did her patient faded.
"That it! I must find Amy." She snapped and left the tent. The chaos ruled over the camp, people with torches search every viable spot they could find. Barrels, crates, night houses. It was the opposite of what Jenny admired about the medieval times.
There were too many people running up and down, she had to walk to get out of the camp, but the moment she saw the opening, she seized it. She dashed and left behind everything.
----- ----
The moon was halfway on its routine when Jenny was near to their hideout. She didn't go closer, she knew Amy was in trouble. Angry shouts and bright lights filled the surrounding. The soldiers searched the place for the rabbit as their home was in ruins.
Jenny waited in the shade of the trees, she didn't fear what could be there alongside with her. She also had a hunch where the so-called rabbit be. The soldiers eventually gave up on this area and went on their way. She stepped out of the shades and called for her.
"Amy?" Jenny asked in a soft voice, she feared that the soldiers might come back, but she didn't get an answer. "Amy?!" She raised her voice a little.
Silence. Jenny relieved, she wasn't here, but when she was about to leave, she heard a pouch of coin hitting the ground. She turned back and approached the source of the sound. Each step she took became heavier and heavier, she knew which tree was ahead of her. She was in front of the bag, but she didn't pick it up instead she looked up with tears in her eyes and called for Amy again.
A there she was. An outline of a rabbit as she slowly emerged from the tree hole. Jenny pressed her horse side to the tree. "Amy, jump." It sounded more like a begging.
Something was not right, it didn't look like Amy jumped from Jenny's perspective. But never the less the little rabbit landed on her back... and slide down on her side, leaving a cold wet feeling on her.
"Amy!" Jenny stepped back a few times and picked her up. "Amy, you are all wet." She was on the verge of crying, as she held her Amy's limp body, the stench of blood hit her. "It's not water." A single statement, yet it held more emotions than it should have. Jenny was crying.
Jenny leaned ahead and grabbed their pouch then Amy's wool blanket and warped her in it. She didn't bother with anything else, she galloped toward the first place they visited in this world. A tavern, just few miles from the city. It was closer to them, and Jenny knew the people there. They helped the odd duo out until they got their job at Irontop.
--- ---
A lonely 2 story height building in the middle of the plains next to a crossroad. A sweet old dwarven couple owned it. It was not a busy place but occasionally adventures and travellers visited it if they just passed by Irontop.
It was late in the night and they were about to close for the day when they heard the galloping of a horse.
"A messenger this late?" Asked a low male voice.
"Nah, a horse this light wouldn't last the nearest city." Said his wife.
"Jenny?"
"Most likely."
"Haha, she must be back to hear the end of the story about my army days."
"Here we go again." She rolled her eyes and headed towards the kitchen, she knew him too well.
"Vanny, put some water up..."
"I know, you want tea."
"What a thoughtful fine woman." He watched with a wide smile as his love slowly disappeared behind the walls.
"Can't you just drink mead like the rest?"
"Was." He corrected himself and looked back out the tavern's doors.
Jenny could already see the old dwarf standing in the door. She was out of breath, but she forced a shout. "Amy is dying!"
His smile faded. "Vanny forget the tea. And bring me some strong spirit!" He shouted toward the kitchen. He took a few steps towards the nearest table and grabbed the edge of it, and lifted it up. All the chairs on top of it fall.
"Are you starting a barfight alone?" He heard Vanny asked him from the kitchen.
"Not now, and get me a few rags! Jenny said Amy is dying."
Jenny reached the tavern and handed over Amy to the dwarf. She just ran a few miles twice this night, her legs were shaking. She sat down outside, leaned to the doorframe and watched since she couldn't do more for her.
Amy was put on top of the table and he unwrapped the blood-soaked blanket. Her body was not in a good shape. Deep cut on her side where there was no leather, bruises and a broken leg. Vanny started to clean her body while her husband prepared a potion. Once she was done she poured a little spirit on the wound, then he stepped closer. Turned Amy on her side and pour a little from the vial on the cuts, then he pressed the edges of the cuts together. This was not the best way to use the potion, but the fastest to mend the flesh. He repeated the process with the other four wounds as well.
But there was one last thing. "It is for the better that she is not awake for this." Said the dwarf and pulled out a knife. He poured a little spirit on it and pressed the tip of the blade into Amy's broken leg. Once the blade reached the bone, he grabbed the vial again and poured a little onto it. The blade guided the healing potion to the broken bone. He pulled out the blade, straightened Amy's leg on last time and with only one hand he fixed the leg with his strong grip.
He spent a minute or so before he released Amy's leg. He stepped away, his work was done. He walked toward Jenny while he wiped his bloody hands. "If she has a will to live, then she can continue to annoy you thru the decades." He put on a smile to ease Jenny pain, but it didn’t stop her crying.
----- -----
Did I die, these were Amy's first thought. She was in an unfamiliar room and she lied on a comfortable bed. She watched the wooden ceiling for a while and out of boredom she reached toward it. Her arm got her attention as it entered a vision, and saw a bandage on it.
The slight turn of her head was just enough to get a reason why she wanted to leave the bed. Jenny laid next to her. Her head was top on the bed with her hand crossed underneath it and snoozed. She had to take is slow, the lack of strength made her feel dizzy. She used her arms to turn on her side and reached toward her.
"Jenny." Amy called for her and patted Jenny’s head. The last night was too much for Amy, she wanted to talk to her, to tell what she did, to tell what they did, to tell what happened. She needed it, to speak about it. She needed her friend’s company, she felt alone too long without her. She needed her because she knew she took care of her. She needed her, to say.
"Thank you." These were the words Jenny heard when she woke up. The little all patched up rabbit looked at her with a bittersweet smile.
She reached toward her and brought her closer to herself. They shed a few tears in the moment of relief, but Amy had to break the moment, she didn't felt like she deserved that.
"Jenny, you going to suffocate me these close to your bre... heath." She said it in a muffled tone. Jenny chuckled a little and give Amy a last strong hug, then let her go.
Amy lied back to her side and watched as Jenny got up.
"The old grumpy said, you need to eat to replenish all the blood you lost." She pointed at the cut marks on Amy's side. "But once I'm back we need to talk about that." She gestured toward a coin pouch on the table in front of the window.
She was about to leave the room when Amy called after her.
"Jenny, if anyone asks about, how I got these scars, just say I fought an iron-clawed bear." Amy said with a painful smile.
"Sure, you little hero."
"Jenny."
"Yes." Said Jenny and stopped before the doorframe and turned toward her.
"Thank you."