Hours later, Fritz took over from Ada. The tired, blonde wolfkin mumbled her thanks as she laid down on the raft. He took his position at the back, pole in hand. Dipping it into the water, he allowed the river to guide him towards civilization. His bleary tired eyes were on the lookout for any jutting rocks.

Poling the raft to avoid a shallow section, he took a moment to watch the gray tree's pass him by. The lingering scent of his SKUNK bomb still persisted on Ada. Beneath her inky black hair, Marcelle's nose twitched in annoyance next to Ada.

The gentle breeze of the forest lulled Fritz's sense of danger. Constant running, and an adrenaline fueled escape left him exhausted. Yet he continued on.

Looking up to the sun, Fritz hoped that they would reach the safety of civilization before nightfall. The three girls snored like a chorus of tempting sirens. Fritz watched them, as he yearned for a nice pillow and a soft bed. As he looked at them, he let his mind wander.

How had they survived so long? It was a miracle Fritz had killed the necromancer. Now there was a vampire pursuing him? When would it end? Would he be able to accomplish his mission even if he reached Fehrenn? How was he supposed to prevent a political conflict from erupting? Was the conflict inevitable? Why were the undead trying to kill him? They weren't part of this upcoming conflict. Would the undead benefit from the war? Was that why they were trying to kill him? Was he doing enough? Should he focus on his magic more? What were the limits of his powers? How was Ada so strong and fast? Could Fritz match her strength and speed? How many years of training would it take?

There were so many questions in his mind. Clearing his thoughts, he focused on keeping the boat steady. An hour later, Neva woke up. She groggily rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stood up. The raft rocked a bit, as Neva stretched her arms out. She rolled her injured shoulder as she assessed her damage. Her nose wrinkled as she looked back to Ada.

"She still stinks." Neva said blandly, turning to Fritz. "It's good you haven't run off yet."

"Won't lie, I was thinking about it." Fritz said. A sarcastic grin erupted over his face. "The dead probably smell better." Neva snorted at his answer.

"She just needs a bath. Let me take over." Neva said as she moved to the back of the raft. Fritz handed her the pole, and stepped past the two sleeping beastkin. Neva held the pole one handed. "What the hell was that stuff anyways?" Neva asked. Fritz looked down towards the sparkling blue water of the river. Memories seemed to float to the surface. Briefly he debated the merits of describing his old life. His own fatigue overruled any thought of consequences.

"The stink bomb was nicknamed project SKUNK at my last job. I was a chemical weapons researcher remember? Project SKUNK was intended to be one of the few less than lethal deterrents we produced. It was designed to make an area completely uninhabitable, to prevent civilians or insurgent threats from occupying an area for too long. The only real use we found was to force civilians from an area. Soldiers will stay put regardless of the stench. Civilians won't not unless there's a gun to their head."

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"Did you conjure it?" Neva asked.

"Back then, no. I didn't even develop it. I was just one of the few unfortunate newbies that had to test the damn thing out. Charles was the lead on that project. Poor bastard. The substance was so powerful, the research had to be done in a separate trailer. None of the researchers ever got a date working there."

"Hmmm. Whatever the case, don't create it again. I don't think my nose will ever be the same again." Neva said.

"Deal. Was a stupid idea anyway. The plan was a joke, I think the stink bomb scared her away all on it's own." Fritz said. A tugging on his shirt grabbed his attention. Ada's hand gripped into the hem of his shirt. Fritz reached back and scratched her behind the ear. Ada sleepily nuzzled into his hand.

"How long until Trira?" Fritz asked.

"Hard to say. I don't know how long I was out." Neva said. "We'll get there before nightfall." Fritz grunted in reply. "You'll need to keep your head down. The less attention you draw the better."

"Whatever gets me a bed." Fritz said wearily. The sleeping wolfkin let go of his shirt, as she re-adjusted on the floor of the raft.

"It's a tough town. Keep a low profile, and we'll be out of there in a day or two." Neva said.

Fritz let his tired eyes close, as he let the sun soak into his skin. The bobbing of the raft on the gentle river, rocked him into a dark dreamless sleep.

A shove on his shoulder woke him up some time later. The group had grounded the raft, and were preparing to disembark. Plumes of smoke drifted in the distance. Looking towards the sun, the day was almost over. Fritz rubbed the sleep from his eyes, as Neva handed him her spare cloak. The four travelers ventured back into the iron-gray forest. Ada and Marcelle grumbled as they trekked through the woods. Marcelle's nose scrunched each time a gentle breeze passed by Ada. Ada's long swift legs were determined to find a suitable bath. Neva stoically marched on. She kept a hand on her sword ready for anything.

Trira was completely encircled by a large gray wooden wall. Large lumber yards sat just outside of town, next to the slow moving river. Plumes of smoke drifted savory scents of spices and meats to Fritz's nose before mingling with the leftovers of project SKUNK. Fritz kept his head down, as they headed to the gate. The sun was setting as they arrived outside of the city. A pair of minotaur guards stood with two large war axes. They stood at least seven feet tall, and wore a mix of mail and leather armor.

"Who's there?" One of the guards asked. He hefted his axe letting it hit her shoulder with a satisfying slap.

"Travelers. It looks like." The other guard said.

"Yeah, but what are they doing here? Ain't got a lot of travelers. Only runaways."

Neva quickly moved to the front to stand beside Ada. As Ada got within arm's reach of the guard's Fritz watched their faces contort in disgust.

"I need a bath." Ada said with a voice full of repressed anger.

"Goddess. What the hell? Have you ever bathed in your life?" The guards asked as they held their noses. Fritz could feel the blonde wolfkin about to explode, as Marcelle snorted with laughter.

"Let me though." Ada said. Her knuckles clenched together.

"I'm not sure, I want you in town. You nasty bitch." The guard on the left replied.

"Please, let us through, our companion is in desperate need of a bath. We are weary hunters, our friend ran into a skunk. We need to get her cleaned up if we are to continue our hunt." Neva replied.

"We can tell." The guard on the right said. Marcelle let out another chuckle, as she shot smug looks at the blonde wolfgirl. Ada ground her teeth.

"It'll wash off, but we need to get her new clothes." Neva said.

"Goddess, let 'em be Mark. I don't want her standing out here all night. I'm gonna puke. Let the convicts deal with them."

Waving them through, the guard's held their nose as the party passed through. The town's muddy streets were filled with people. They all made way for Ada, as the blonde wolfkin made a beeline for the nearest bathhouse.