Everyone worked in silence, setting up tents, a campfire, and a pit to dispose of the bear corpses. It seems that everyone is willing to leave me alone for now. Maybe I was a bit of a mood killer with those last few questions. After I finished removing the hides from the two bears, I rolled the hides up and tied them up with some rope. After I cut some more meat off the bodies and handed it to Dinar, I then moved the corpses to the pit they had made and instructed them to burn the two bodies while I was gone. Their faces were amusing to watch as they watched me drag the bodies. I left them as I carried the hides back to town.

My inner wolf didn’t enjoy my decision to burn all the meat. The ache in my heart as I turned back and saw the smoke when I left the forest almost brought me to tears. So much food, wasted. But we can’t take it all with us. It’ll go bad before we use it all, and if we took the time to dry it out or pickle it, we’d be here for weeks. This is the best I could do to take as much as we can and dispose of it so scavengers don’t find a home in my territory while I’m gone.

I made it back to the city gates much faster on my own since I didn’t need to worry about others keeping up with me. I didn’t waste any time finding the tanner that I frequented. He reluctantly handed me the coins for the hides. One hide was worth more than the other since it didn’t have several cuts and arrow holes in it. I ran through the crowds and back to my home to deposit the coins in my room for safekeeping. Mom isn’t home. I wonder what she’s doing.

I dropped to all fours and sprinted towards the group. I stood back up before they could see me running like that. This might be a good opportunity to see what they are like without me around. I slowed down and stalked my way to them, making sure to stay low and quiet. They were huddled around the campfire, oblivious to everything going on around them.

“Do we really need her?” Penny said.

“I admit, she isn’t anything like she was when I lived with her at the orphanage, but she looks like she really knows what she’s doing.” Anna rotated the spit with the bear meat on it. “She’s always had a temper, it just seems like it’s gotten much worse.”

Silver sat down next to Anna. “She’s being fairly forthcoming with us.” He placed a finger on his chin before he continued. “Doesn’t it feel like she is forcing it, though?”

Dinar sat cross-legged on the other side of the fire, swaying gently from side to side. “I wish I had gone to the tournament and watched, but I got sick and couldn’t go. Her fighting style is odd.”

“Why are we talking about her like this? Isn’t it rude?“ Mark finished setting up the last of the four tents. “I'm sure she’ll be more talkative tomorrow when she gets back. We just need to avoid talking about the tournament.”

Daric sat on the ground and held a stick in his hand, drawing something in the dirt. “What happened at the tournament? Why does she keep avoiding that subject? My teacher told me I wasn’t ready to go and that it was too dangerous. It was like he knew something was going to happen.” He dropped the stick and hugged his knees to his chest. “Something happened that scared her emotionally.”

Anna turned to Daric. “She’s still a person. And from what I have heard about the tournament, it was a gruesome event. Demons were summoned and started killing people. Maybe she lost someone close to her.”

“Maybe it has to do with how my cousin lost her arm,” Daric said without looking up.

“It was a sin of gluttony.” I watched all of them jump as I made my presence known. “The demon bit her arm off as she tried to save a guy who the demon killed.” I sat as far away from the fire as I could, while still being close enough so that everyone could hear me. “After it took her arm, I had her brother, Aurtour, carry her off to safety while I killed it.”

Anna shook her head. “You killed a sin? And while you were, what, nine?”

“Ten,” I corrected.

“How old are you?” Mark lowered his voice slightly.

“Fifteen. Beastkin mature physically faster than humans, elves, dragoons, and dwarves.” I stared at the ground. “I have special permission to join a knight company. My mother agreeing was the biggest part.”

“Who is your mother?” Penny asked.

“Nora Stormleaf,” Anna answered for me. “What happened to her? How come she gave up on running the orphanage?” Her voice rose with each question.

I raised my hand and signaled for her to lower her volume. “She didn’t. She has just moved on once the orphanage was empty. If someone does show up now, Melody will take care of them until they find them a home. You know that her greatest wish was to start a family, right? Well, that hadn’t changed. It is just that she believed that to give us both what we needed and wanted, she had to adopt me.”

“And?” Dinar leaned forward as she asked. “Was it what you wanted?”

I grinned. “I wouldn’t exchange it for the world.”

Anna tapped Silver on the shoulder and pointed to the meat still cooking. “Daric said that you were reincarnated.” He told them. Fantastic. Now I’ll have to hurt him. “Doesn’t that mean that you have lived a life already? Why would you want a mother?” She stood up and walked towards me, giving Silver room to work.

“It wasn’t that I wanted a mother, more like I wanted a place to belong.” I flattened my ears. “But yes, I had a life before this one. But it was cut short as I was painfully killed.”

Daric perked up. “How did you die? I was killed by a virus that was killing a lot of people around the world.” He stood up too, brushing the dirt off his pants as he did.

“A tornado tore me apart.” I watched everyone wince as I answered. “How much do you remember of your old life?”

“A lot. Most of it I don’t use, but something is going to come in handy and save the day, eventually.” Daric grinned. “After all, I'm the hero.”

I shook my head. “Stop with the hero thing. It is annoying. What world did you come from, and were you human when you died?”

“Earth, and of course I was human.” Daric tilted his head to one side. “Are you from a different world? Were you a beastkin before too?”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Does it really matter?” I'm going to keep the gender to myself. It doesn’t matter at this point. I have lived this long as a woman. It won’t change anything if people don’t know it.

“So, your amnesia was just an act?” Anna asked as she held up her hand.

“Yes, and no. Unlike Daric over there, my memories were shredded before coming here. My guess is that The Voice did not give him the personal treatment like it did me. He was just a rush job to fill in the mistake.” I shrugged my shoulders. “So I have been learning most everything as I go. Even things I should know about beastkins.”

“So, what is it like being a beastkin? Is it cool?“ Daric’s eyes grew wide.

I'm going to hurt this kid one of these days. “What is it like to be a human?” I raised my eyebrows. “I have lived the last ten years as a beastkin, and I don’t remember what it was like to be human. What you think is cool and weird is natural for me. From being covered in fur and walking on digitigrade feet to shedding and going into heat.” I clapped my hands over my mouth as I finished talking.

Anna blushed as Daric stepped even closer. “So, when do you go into heat?” Daric asked with a shaky voice.

I growled and held up my claws as I flexed them. “Get any ideas, and I will castrate you.”

Golditress, who hadn’t said a word since I got here, stood up and walked in between Daric and me. “Since it is getting late and very cold, we should get ready for bed.”

“Go ahead. I will make sure nothing sneaks up on you while you sleep.“ As I moved to find a hiding spot downwind, I waved my hand. “I don’t need much sleep, anyway.”

“You traveled three times as far as we did. How are you not tired?” Dinar stepped towards me.

“She has the recovery aptitude. I know how effective it is,” Daric said as he placed a hand on Dinar’s shoulder. “Go ahead and get some sleep.” He led the elf to a tent that Penny had entered just before her.

I watched Daric walk to the tent, which Mark had already entered. He stood at the entrance and looked back at me. He slowly entered the tent after I gave him a nod. I grabbed my pack and found a suitable spot to keep an eye on everything without leaving myself exposed. With nothing better to do, I ate a small snack and watched Silver. He took the cooked meat and wrapped it in some large, fuzzy leaves before placing it in a spare sack.

I never knew you could do that with those leaves. Does it keep the meat from soaking the sack? I'm going to need to remember that one. I watched Silver be the last one to go to bed. As I sat alone in the darkness, I looked up at the canopy and saw the moonlight struggling to pierce through the evergreen branches.

It is nice to see Anna again. A familiar face is comforting. I don’t think Daric is really in charge. Penny acts like she runs everything in the group. I took a deep breath and felt the air stir around me. Silver and Golditress are nice people with more common sense than Daric, the wannabe hero. Does he think this is a story, and he is the main character? Does he really think that no matter what he does, that it’ll all work out in the end?

I enjoyed the quiet night as I watched the campfire shrink to half its size. Then I looked over to the charred remains of the two bears. I wish we didn’t need to do that to the bodies, but I'm afraid of what leaving the bodies will invite into my territory. Daric exited his tent with a few extra layers of clothes. He wandered and looked around, probably looking for me. I grinned and stayed perfectly still. Let’s see how long it takes him to find me, if he can find me at all.

Daric walked around aimlessly until it looked like he heard me, because I couldn’t hold back the fit of laughter I was having. “What’s so funny?” He said as he approached me.

I continued giggling. “Watching you look for me. You are so oblivious.”

“I found you, didn’t I?” Daric pulled his cloak tighter around himself. “How are you not cold? Does your hair really keep you that warm?”

I stopped laughing and glared at him. “One, it is fur, not hair. Two, yes. Three, I told you where I was. If I wanted to, I could have killed you and you wouldn’t have made a sound.”

Daric stood up straight. “I think you'll find my skin harder to cut than you expect.”

I grinned, exposing my teeth. “And what would you do with my jaws clamped down on your throat?” Daric’s face had lost all color. “This world is dangerous. I'm dangerous, but I'm not the most dangerous thing in this world either.”

Daric slumped his shoulders and walked to lean next to a tree. “Midas kept telling me the same thing.” He waved his hands. “Demons are not to be underestimated. They do not attack just your body, but your mind and soul too,” he said with an imitation of Mida’s expressionless tone.

“He’s right.” I lowered my voice. Daric raised his eyebrows and ceased his performance. “The sin of gluttony wanted me to eat my friend, your cousin. He said that if I did, he would grant me power. I couldn’t do it. But during the fight, I lost control of myself and had to stop and eat a rabbit because of his influence.” I injected a slight growl into my voice as I continued. “You’re not above sin, and one slip is all it takes, and they will take advantage of it.”

“You really know how to kill a mood, don’t you?” Daric sighed. “Did you bring a tent? What are you going to sleep in?”

I tilted my head. “You know, you aren’t so bad. Maybe if you didn’t say stupid things and ambush people with marriage proposals, you might find a girl who is willing to marry you. You really need to work on your first impressions.”

“Sorry. But once I heard about beastkins in this world, I really wanted to see one.” Daric scratched the back of his head as he turned away from me slightly. “It is kind of a dream come true for me to see a furry. And since you’re gorgeous, I couldn’t help myself but try.”

I shuddered. “No, just no. Not going to happen.”

“Don’t you think I'm handsome?” Daric turned around and looked on the verge of tears.

“Kinda. And half of me is really annoyed with the other half that wants as little as possible to do with you.” I rubbed my temples. “But before you get full of yourself, that part of me only cares about one thing. It wants a male capable of reproduction because my instincts are adamant that I have kids.”

Daric went from ballooning with pride to deflating in seconds. “So, there is no chance, is there?”

“No.” I stood up and moved away from the distraught kid. “As for the tent, I make mine every night.”

I stood in a slightly open space and started channeling magic to create a long and narrow igloo. “Wait, you can use magic too?” Daric shrieked in an unmanly tone.

“Shh.” I paused my magic to place a finger on my lips as I turned to Daric. “Quiet. You are going to wake the others. But yes, I can use ice magic. Although at an extremely limited range.”

“How far?” Daric whispered.

“As long as I stay within arm’s reach.” I resumed creating my temporary shelter for the night. “It requires a fair bit of concentration, so please let me focus.” Actually, I just want you to shut up and leave me alone for the rest of the night.

I finished making my little shelter and even made a decent layer of soft snow to sleep on too. I turned and grabbed Daric’s shoulders and smiled. He looked confused until I pulled him towards me and lifted my knee into his crotch.

Before he could scream I covered his mouth. “Shh.” I placed a finger on my lips as a whimper from the man’s mouth slipped through my fingers. “We don’t want to wake the others. And that’s for tell them that I’m reincarnated.”

I left Daric to his pain and headed to sleep. I didn’t like the way Daric’s eyes were glued to my butt as I crawled into my igloo. Was I not clear enough to get through his thick skull? No means no! Listening to Daric pace around the camp, I didn’t let myself fall asleep right away. I half expected him to try something. I almost wished that he had. It would have given me a reason to hurt him, again. Please tell me he isn’t a masicist. But eventually, even I needed to get some sleep. I closed my eyes and ended my first day on my first mission as a knight. There are so many more left to go.