CHAPTER 11
A Closet Epiphany…
As Lhyra and Willow made their way to the armorer's shop, Lhyra ran her tongue over her teeth, tasting the strange herbal aftertaste of the tooth-powder Willow had had her brush with. Though she hadn't admitted it to Willow, she rather liked how clean her mouth felt. Of course, Lhyra still didn't like the fact Willow wanted her to brush her teeth three times a day. But she had grudgingly agreed since she had told Willow to teach her the way's of civilization.
Now the butt-sponge was downright weird to Lhyra's way of thinking, but once again Willow had stammeringly explained about how using the butt-sponge helped cut down on any offensive body odors and promoted good hygiene. Willow had to explain what hygiene had meant since she had to use the word from her own language (there wasn't anything equivalent in Gnoll). Though the human red head had hurriedly assured Lhyra she didn't smell at all bad, Lhyra could tell Willow was lying through her teeth. She hadn't called her on it, though.
Oddly enough, it did bother her slightly that Willow found her smell offensive.
"Are you going to have some armor made for you, too?" Willow interrupted her thoughts.
Shooting Willow a puzzled look, Lhyra replied, "I already have armor; why do you think I need another set?"
Looking slightly embarrassed Willow answered, "Well, I'm certainly not an expert on armor but judging from how the… leather armor?" Willow waited for Lhyra's nod before continuing. "The leather armor everyone else is wearing is different from yours. Um…yours isn't made very well. I mean it has gaps like this one." Willow stuck a finger into one of the aforementioned gaps to illustrate her point, inadvertently tickling Lhyra.
Lhyra's only reaction was a few flickers of her ears.
Removing her finger, Willow went on. "If you look around, everyone else's armor seems a bit more solidly made or … well, at least to me it is."
Looking around, Lhyra had to agree with Willow's assessment of the quality of her armor; she also felt a bit chagrined at not noticing the difference sooner. In the past, another thing that set her apart from her fellow gnolls was how well Lhyra (or, rather, the tribe's slaves) kept her personal equipment in good repair. Being such a loner within the tribe and hunting alone out in the wilds, Lhyra had quickly learned the disadvantage of letting her gear deteriorate like the other gnolls usually did. Instead of waiting for something to fall apart before replacing it, Lhyra would either have a slave fix it or make a replacement at the first signs of deterioration. If neither option was viable Lhyra simply went out to find something - or someone - with what she wanted and killed them for it. Even with that diligence, though, she was clearly out of place here. Vowing to change that immediately, Lhyra was grateful to have Willow with her. Having to pay for things was completely new to her, and Willow understood better what was going on - and she kept track of the money.
With Willow following closely behind, Lhyra entered the armor smith shop; the sign outside depicting pieces of a leather and plate-mail suit of armor bracketing a shield made it very clear what the shop sold. Her sensitive nose was assaulted by a myriad of smells: human sweat and hot metal and the strong, musky odor of the oil used to soften the leather which allowed it to be more easily worked. She laid her ears back slightly from the ringing of metal being hammered drifting in from the back of the shop.
Looking around, Lhyra saw the front of the shop had an assortment of helmets and shields, plus several different suits of armor on stands. From their clean and pristine appearance, Lhyra wondered if they were more for displaying the armorer's skill than for selling. There were also several shelves that held what Lhyra recognized as items used to repair and maintain armor. And in one corner there was a very small room, only big enough for one person to stand in, with a curtain partially covering the doorway.
A broadly built human male wearing boots and leather leggings with a stained leather apron over his bare chest emerged through the door at the rear of the shop. His steps faltered when he saw Lhyra and Willow, but he grimaced and walked toward them.
Before he could say anything, Willow stepped in front of Lhyra to say in her slightly accented voice, "Well met."
Lhyra guessed Willow must also have given him one of her large smiles because he stared at her for a moment before replying. "Well met." He then asked in a gruff voice, "What ya want?" Lhyra noticed he kept his eyes on them both, and that the sound of work was slowly dying in the back after several workers had glimpsed her through the doorway.
Knowing that Willow had exhausted her limited knowledge of Common, Lhyra answered, "The human and I need leather armor made."
After giving her an intense stare, the man turned and re-entered the back room as he rudely called over his shoulder, "Wait." Lhyra watched closely as he talked with three other workers, two humans and a half-elf while gesturing in her direction. From their postures and expressions, they weren't very happy with her presence. After several minutes, Lhyra decided she and Willow wouldn't be getting any armor made when the group broke apart. The human that had greeted them returned, followed by the half-elf, who was dressed only in legging and boots. Both of them had expressions of disgust and resentment on their faces.
"Listen," the human growled, "we'll make ya some blasted armor, only because we're espouse to sell to anyone they let in through the gate. Now Adonene here," the human motioned with his head toward the male half-elf, "is the Master Leather Smith and will take yer measurements while I keep an eye on ya to make sure nothing happens. Understand?"
"Yes," Lhyra replied with a slight snarl. Although she was used to the constant hostility that existed in a gnoll tribe, having to suffer it from what were, to her, slaves while being surrounded by them in an unfamiliar environment was beginning to get to her.
"Fine." He then turned to the half-elf. "Adonene, they're all yours." With that said, he went over to lean against the wall beside the doorway to the back, putting himself beside a rack holding several cudgels.
Switching her gaze to Adonene, Lhyra immediately noticed he was far more fearful than the human had been. This made her feel a bit more at ease.
After taking a deep breath, Adonene began to unroll a cord with markings on it. "Who's first?"
"Willow." Lhyra waited for the red head to turn and look up at her. "Let the half-elf measure you for your armor," Lhyra instructed, speaking in Gnoll.
"OK," Willow replied slightly nervously in Gnoll. Turning back around, she took a step forward and gave Adonene a big smile. In Common, she repeated her earlier greeting. "Well met."
Lhyra found it fascinating how the tension seemed to drain from Adonene as he gave Willow a smile of his own. Almost bashfully, he gestured at her deer hide coat. "If you just remove that, I'll get you done up in a jiffy."
Even before Willow turned her head to look at Lhyra for a translation, Lhyra repeated what he said in Gnoll. Willow's reaction took her by surprise. Blushing fiercely and clutching her deer hide tightly to her chest, Willow stammered, "I-I can't!" She lowered her voice. "I'm not wearing anything underneath this, and I can't get naked in front of two guys!"
Letting out a huff of irritation, Lhyra turned to Adonene. "The deer hide is the only clothing she has on, and she refuses to take it off."
Adonene's eyes widened as his cheeks redden a bit. "Oh… OK… Tell her to go through the curtain there, and she'll find some robes hanging on the wall. Have her put on the shortest that will still cover her decently. She also needs to remove her boots."
After Lhyra had passed along the information, Willow sighed in relief and hurried into the small room. After closing the curtain, it didn't take her long to reemerge wearing an off-white, short robe that fell just above her knees and was held closed with a thick but soft cord tied around her waist.
With Lhyra translating, a still madly blushing Willow submitted to being measured. Lhyra was fascinated at the way Adonene used the markings on the cord to take accurate measurements, which he wrote down on a piece of slate with a bit of chalk. While this was going on, he spoke with Lhyra about what style of leather armor she wanted for Willow and for herself. Lhyra asked if the new suits of armor could mimic what she now wore. Adonene replied that it wouldn't be a problem; though, he would be adding leg and arm guards that hers currently lacked. He also asked if Willow would be getting some boots made for her and when Lhyra said yes, he told her to tell the cobbler about Willow's leather leg guards. That way, the cobbler would know to make the boot shafts so they would accept the leg guard going on over them.
Lhyra rubbed her forehead as she felt the onset of a headache. It was becoming increasingly apparent that clothing her Willow was going to be more of a pain than she had previously thought.
Taking a deep breath and feeling very much more at ease being dressed – even if only in her deer hide coat and boots - Willow stepped out of the little booth. Willow had had her measurements taken in the past. That part of ordering armor hadn't really bothered her. It was the fact that she had been barely clothed and the half-elf guy had been half naked himself. That had been embarrassing!
Lhyra glanced down at her as Willow reached her side and said rather gruffly, "Here, hold my weapons." Willow accepted the weighty assortment without protest; she could tell Lhyra was upset. The reaction didn't surprise Willow, given how tense the atmosphere of the shop was.
Willow grew puzzled, though, when, instead of heading to the booth to change, Lhyra simply unfastened the few straps to loosen her armor. Then, without further ado, Lhyra pulled the suit of leather armor off over her head.
Of course, Lhyra wasn't wearing anything underneath.
Face flaming, Willow immediately looked away - but not before catching a glimpse of what Lhyra looked like under her leather armor
There was no fur covering Lhyra's chest and abdomen. The furless region was almost heart-shaped in appearance. Instead of the bottom pointing down, though, the light brown fur swept up to point at Lhyra's navel, mirroring the top where it swept down into a point between her breasts. Even with her brief glimpse, Willow saw that Lhyra's flesh was a slightly darker gray than the palm of her hands, and that her nipples were a very light pink. The contrast in color caused them to stand out in a tantalizing way from where they perched on Lhyra's large but flatter breasts.
Willow's mouth went dry and her pulse thundered in her ears, almost masking the agitated voices of the two men in the room with them. She felt mortified at her reaction to Lhyra's breasts. She had seen plenty naked girls in the shower after gym classes in Sunnydale. Why was this different?
Willow stood in a daze while her thoughts raced. Her very real physical reaction making her finally accept just what the ritual had shown her and… what it meant.
Comforts of Civilization…
The first thing Lhyra noticed after leaving the armor shop with Willow was that night had fallen. A light, misty rain had moved in as well, and the market seemed to have closed up. Something caught her eye as she scanned the area. There were lanterns with, if she judged things correctly, a continue flame spell burning within them, illuminating the darkness like a torch would - without burning out.
Turning away, Lhyra led Willow towardWaukeen's Rest main gate. As they walked, Lhyra again looked down at the piece of paper in her hand, shielding it with her head from the rain. "You are saying that this paper, this receipt," Lhyra used the Common tongue word, "says that we paid for the armor?"
Willow nodded her deer-hood covered head as she replied, "Yes, and it also says that for the week after we pick up the armor they will make any adjustments for free. We just need to have it with us when we go get the armor and if we go back for the adjustments."
Lhyra gave out a slight, "Harrumph." Before handing the receipt to Willow, she muttered, "You keep it then since you are keeping track of the money."
"OK," Willow replied. Taking the receipt, she quickly rolled up the stiff paper, tied it shut with a piece of twine, and stored it in one of the side pockets on her backpack. Lhyra saw that the pocket held similarly rolled pieces of paper. Willow noticed Lhyra watching. "I need to find something to keep the papers and stuff organized." She raised her eyes toward the sky. "And waterproof, too."
Rolling her eyes heavenward, Lhyra said with a hint of sarcasm, "It seems being organized requires one to have many weighty things to carry around."
Willow shot her a mildly affronted look. "Good order is the foundation of all things."
Lhyra gave her a fang fill grin. "Ohhh, you are not going start babbling again, are you? I think you scared the armor smiths more than I did with your babble attack back there." Lhyra jerked a thumb over her shoulder.
Willow immediately protested. "Hey, I said I was sorry." Waving her arms, Willow went on. "It's just…when you told me it would take a little over three weeks to make the armor, I kind of spazzed out."
"No," Lhyra interrupted, "you spazzed out when I explained that a week is ten days, not seven like it is where you are from."
Before Willow could reply, they reached the gates - only to find them closed up tightly with a small group of the town watch standing guard. The guard spread out as Lhyra and Willow drew close, with several actually raising and cocking their loaded crossbows. Although, the guardsmen didn't point them directly at them, the threat was clear to Lhyra.
One of the guards, who Lhyra presumed to be the leader since he wore the best armor, held a hand up, palm forward. "That's close enough, gnoll. The gate is closed for the night."
"We wish to leave." Speaking Common Lhyra kept her voice matter-of-fact.
Lhyra watched has a wave of anticipation rippled through the group of guards as their leader replied, "Well, you're going have to wait till morning because that gate…" The guardsman jerked his head in the direction of the gate behind him. "…and the other stays closed. My recommendation is to find someplace to bed down for the night." He gave Lhyra an unfriendly smirk before continuing. "By the way, Waukeen's Rest has a rule: if you aren't a resident or you can't provide proof that you are renting a room from one of the inns and are caught after sunset, you will be arrested and fined."
This time Lhyra didn't even try to keep the growl out of her voice as she flexed her clawed hands where they hovered close to her weapons. "I take it you are going to attempt to arrest me?"
Still smirking, the guardsman replied, "Not yet. First time visitors get one candle to find a room. Good luck with that. This is the busiest time of year, you know."
"Come," Lhyra barked to Willow in Gnoll as she spun and stalked away with her head swinging from side to side as she looked for pursuers. She expected they would be shadowing them, waiting for the right time to strike. Though she had never been to or even seen an inn, Lhyra understood what they were. More importantly, she understood what the guardsman was getting at by his last statement.
A small hand grabbing her arm caused her to look down into Willow's confused and worried face, reminding Lhyra that Willow hadn't mastered more than a handful of words of the Common tongue.
"Why won't they let us leave?" Willow asked in gnoll after listening to Lhyra's explanation. Brow furrowed in thought, she slowly and unconsciously stroked the fur on Lhyra's arm in a calming gesture.
After taking a deep breath, forcing herself to relax a little, Lhyra answered, "They close the gates at night and won't open them till dawn. I was told we have one candle to find a place to stay or we will be arrested and fined."
"OK." Willow brightened. "You know this might actually be an opportunity for you to get use to being in a town." She must have seen the look of disbelief Lhyra shot her because she hurried on to explain. "If I understand you correctly, when we leave the High Forest for good, we will be traveling through more and more civilized areas. You'll have to be comfortable with town then." Facing Lhyra, she said cajolingly, "Why don't we see how much it cost to rent a room and stay for as long as we can afford it while we wait for our armor to be made? That way, you can still train me out there," Willow gestured in the general direction of the main gate, "but come back here to spend the night. This way, we will be getting you exposure to what living in a town is like."
Lhyra stared at her a moment before letting out a snort of amusement. "You just want to sleep in a bed." Secretly, Lhyra thought Willow's idea was sound; she simply didn't want to seem too give in to easily.
Willow tried to look shocked at the accusation, failing miserably at the attempt (much to Lhyra's amusement). "Oh… ahh… well yeah, kind of, but it really is a good opportunity for you and well me, too, I guess." She flushed uncomfortably.
Waving her hand in the air in a brushing away gesture, Lhyra said, "Fine then. If you can find us a room, you can rent it for however long we have money for."
Willow's face immediately cleared at Lhyra's words. "Really? You mean that?"
"Yes, yes… now tell me what words of Common I will need to teach you and make it quick. We are running out of time," Lhyra replied.
"Oh thank you! I saw a place earlier that I'm sure is a good size inn. It caught my eye because the building looked Oriental and…" Willow stopped at the impatient expression on Lhyra's face. "Time limit. Right," she said sheepishly. "Well, I need to know…"
The House of Gentle Repose…
Standing up from her desk, Shu Fang let out a groan as she stretched her arms above her head and arched her back, causing a series of soft 'pops' to sound along her spine. She had been stuck at her desk all day long getting caught up with her inn's ledgers. Shu Fang smiled to herself as she fondly remembered the reason for her falling behind on her paper work.
His name was Wilamros, a strapping young lad of fifteen summers from the Tree Ghost tribe, one of many Uthgardt barbarians who had come to Waukeen's Rest when it first opened its gates several years ago to protect the giant magical oak called the Grandfather Tree within the High Forest.
Shu Fang's exotic looks, even by half-elven standards, had attracted the young barbarian's attention right from the start. Shu Fang's mother was from the far eastern kingdom of Shou Lung; her mother barely stood five feet tall and had the pale golden skin and coal black hair of her people. Shu Fang's father was a Wood Elf from Silverymoon, with copper skin and black hair. Shu Fang had inherited her parents' black hair (though with blue highlights) and their short stature (she stood an inch above five feet). Her eyes were a bright jade green and had a 'sleepy look' about them. And her skin was pale with a sight blush of copper, depending on the lighting.
For the last year, her barbarian had been officially courting her. Last month, he had reached the age of adulthood, thus allowing them to consummate their feelings for one another. Where he lacked in experience, he readily made up for it in enthusiasm and endurance. Lots and lots of endurance.
Still smiling, she straightened her robes, a mixture of Elven and Eastern design, and left her office. She passed the entrance to the kitchens, following the hallway to where it entered the large common room where people came to drink and eat. If they were lucky, they also got to listen to a bard sing a song or tell a tale as well.
As she made her way along the edge of the large room toward the archway leading to the inn's foyer, Shu Fang was pleased to see it had gotten quite crowded. Passing through the archway, Shu Fang saw that Allison, who acted as one of her main hostesses, manned the front desk. "Busy, I see."
Giving a tired sigh Allison replied, "Two trade barges from Daggerford arrived today. One came in so late it barely got the cargo unloaded before nightfall."
"Ahh… that would explain it. So tell me, any rooms left open?" Shu Fang asked. When they got such a large crew into town, her rooms usually filled up fast. Unlike the other inn that shared business in Waukeen's Rest, her rooms were above the standard one would expect to find in a frontier town. Something Shu Fang's mother had taught, offer a person a soft bed and clean sheets to sleep in, plus good food and a hot bath and they'll pay extra for such refinements on the edge of civilization.
"Just one of the single bedrooms and the Master suite." Allison gave her a weary grin. "I won't be surprise if the Captain there," Allison tilted her head slighting towards table in the far corner of the common room, "chooses to stay in the Master suite."
Allowing her gaze to casually slide in the direction indicated, Shu Fang had to agree with Allison's assessment. An attractive human male of about eighteen summers sat in the corner. His outfit was appalling. The man wore what would be describe as a bard's version of a sea captain's uniform in a rich blend of very fine cotton and silk dyed in various shades of blue. He even had a gold hoop earring dangling from one ear. Shu Fang could tell that his blond goatee and shoulder length hair were oiled to give it added luster.
She hoped he didn't get too close to an open flame.
Perched on the edge of a chair beside him, most of her lithe body draped against him, was a dark brown-haired half-elven woman, dress in idealized pirates clothing that matched the "Captain's". Though finely made, the clothes had rips and tears in places calculated to show tantalizing glimpses of smooth and silky flesh beneath them. Resting between her up thrust breasts and the miniscule leather jerkin she wore was a holy symbol of Sune.
Shifting her gaze back to Allison, Shu Fang asked, "Know the story there?"
Allison shrugged. "So far, all I've learn is he's the youngest son of one of the larger Waterdeep merchant families. He's been given the great honor," Allison said the last word with derision, "of Captaining a trading ship from Waterdeep to Daggerford. From there he oversaw the transport of the precious cargo to here - where he is going to take part for the next month or so in some very sensitive trade negations."
Shu Fang couldn't help chuckling. "Let me, guess he told you all of that himself?" Receiving an eye roll and a nod from Allison, Shu Fang said, "I do believe… how do they say it in Daggerford… ahh yes… someone has dipped their wick in someone else's oil lamp."
Her remark earned a quiet laugh from Allison.
Once the laughter died away, Shu Fang said, "Why don't you take the rest of the night and tomorrow off? I really appreciate you covering for me the past few days."
Allison winked. "I bet you appreciated the time off. But seriously, it was my pleasure. Thanks, though. I'm gone." Putting her words to action, Allison gave a small nod of farewell and left to return to her small but comfortable room in the servants' quarters located in the very back of the inn.
Positioning herself behind the counter, Shu Fang ran her eyes over the foyer; she was pleased to see everything was clean and in order. She continued to examine the inn. Her inn.
The main entrance was both beautiful and functional. A heavy door made of duskwood, known for being both flame resistant and as hard as iron, guarded the foyer. HeHHThanks to a Lantanna gnome Artificer and his ingeniously made door-closer system, a mechanical hinged arm allowed the heavy door to swing easily open and then slowly close on its own.
Newcomers entering through the door would find themselves in a fair-sized room. On the left was the common room Shu Fang had just passed through. To their right was a door leading to a private dining room that customers could rent. Directly across from the front door, the newcomers were greeted by Shu Fang or one of her hostesses, standing behind the beautifully carved maplewood front desk.
The sound of musical chimes above the front door drew Shu Fang from her thoughts. Looking up, she blinked in surprise at the odd figure entering the inn. At first, Shu Fang thought it was a young woman from one of the Uthgardt tribes, but then the girl pulled back her deer head hood, letting loose a cascade of coppery red hair that surrounded a pale face with large green eyes.
Shu Fang felt her breath catch. There was only one race of humans that bore such striking features. A human from the island of Lantan. No wonder she gave both the door chime and the door-closer only a cursory glance; such things must be completely normal to her.
Stepping from behind the front desk, Shu Fang lightly touched her fingertips together and gave the young woman a small bow. Speaking in Common, she said, "Welcome to The House of Gentle Repose. My name is Shu Fang; how may we be of service?"
Her words garnered a mild look of incomprehension from the young woman. Before Shu Fang could try any of the other languages she knew, though, the red head returned her small bow and replied in stilted Common, "Name Willow. Need room for two."
Shu Fang kept the surprise from showing on her face with effort; the girl must only speak Lantanesse, which actually didn't surprise her that much. From what she had heard about the Lantana humans, they rarely left their island nation - and then only as traders on their ships. To see one this far inland was truly a mystery. Shu Fang wondered, with the girl's exotic looks and beauty, if perhaps she was an escaped captive or even slave. Though, making a closer examination of the girl's dirty, yet well fed, appearance and general expression of happiness, she doubted the latter idea.
Speaking slowly and using her hands in pantomime to help the girl understand, Shu Fang said, "We have one room for one person."
The girl Willow gave her small frown. "Go see?"
Gesturing for her to follow, Shu Fang said, "Please come with me."
Shu Fang led Willow upstairs to the single occupant room that was available. Unlocking the door with her master key, Shu Fang turned the knob on a Lantanesse lamp mounted on the wall by the door. Instead of a wick rising up, a small rod was uncovered that had a continue flame spell cast on it. Having continue flame replace the torches and lanterns throughout her inn was something Shu Lang had planned from the very start. She had witnessed several inns go up in flames thanks to a drunkard knocking over a lantern. A continue flame burned and looked like a normal torch flame, but it gave off no heat and wouldn't catch anything on fire. She was lucky enough that her Uncle, a very high ranking Wizard in Silverymoon, decided to gift her with multiple castings for free to help with starting the inn. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to afford the hundred and ten gold piece charged for casting each continue flame.
The magical flame revealed a small room with a single narrow bed and a tiny chest. Turning to Willow, Shu Fang said, "This cost twelve silver pieces a night. Meals," Shu Fang mimed eating, "are an extra two silver pieces, and a bath," again she mimed scrubbing herself, "is one silver piece." Unlike the large tub in the Master suite, the inn provided smaller portable tubs a person could sit down in; though, they wouldn't be able to stretch their legs out.
Willow appeared dismayed at the accommodations; pointing at the bed, Willow shook her head as she used a flurry of gestures to illustrate to Shu Fang that the second person was very tall.
Frowning to herself, Shu Fang let her eyes wander over Willow again. This time, she noticed that Willow's backpack was brand new and that it easily cost three times as much as a normal pack. Shu Fang carefully asked, "Willow, do you have five gold pieces?"
After receiving a nod, Shu Fang gestured for Willow to once again follow her. They trotted down the first set of steps and then up a second set of steps. Shu Fang opened the double set of doors and escorted Willow into the Master Suite. With pride Shu Fang showed Willow around. The suite filled the center front of the inn, with several tall and wide windows allowing a person to look over the bazaar. The main room was for rest and relaxation, with a small fireplace for added comfort. There was a master bedroom with a large king-size bed, a much smaller bedroom for a servant - and the renter's most favorite room, the master bath. The large circular wooden bathtub was something Shu Fang's mother had described to her. The large bath tub was built much like a section of a giant barrel. It was large enough for several people to fit comfortably within. Hand pumps brought heated water from the kitchen located directly below the bathroom.
All the furnishings within the suite, though soft and very comfortable, were also very sturdily built. Even though many high ranking members of the merchant houses and temples liked to rent the Master Suite, adventurers loaded with treasure from within the High Forest also liked to stay there, and some of them could be quite hefty in girth.
On entering Willow had immediately started making approving noises at the rooms and furniture, especially the king-sized bed. She did seem slightly sadden at the servant's bed, and Shu Fang guessed that was where she would be sleeping.
Willow actually let out a high pitch squeal of joy at the bathing facilities.
Shu Fang couldn't help smiling fondly at the sheer exuberance Willow displayed as she scampered around the tub, even going up the few steps that circled either side of the tub to peer inside.
Finally, Willow turned and held up one hand with her fingers and thumb spread wide. "Five gold pieces night?"
Nodding, Shu Fang replied, "Yes. That includes," once again she pantomimed as she talked, "bath, three meals for each of you, and laundry."
Willow pointed at the tub and mimed pouring something in the palm of her hand then scrubbing her hair. Shu Fang instantly knew what Willow was asking. Going to a large cabinet, she opened the twin doors to reveal jars of body oils and soaps, plus large bath towels for drying. She quickly explained their uses to Willow, who, with an embarrassed expression on her face, waved at the jars and then acted out itching and then plucking a flea and killing it. With a smile of understanding, Shu Fang showed Willow what jar held the special soap for such use. Raising an eyebrow in question, Shu Fang asked, "Do you want the room?"
With a huge smile on her face, Willow said, "Yes."
Returning the smile, Shu Fang asked, "Will you be staying just one night?"
Shu Fang watched in amusement as Willow seemed to have an internal argument with herself, making small hand gestures while she stared intently at the floor and mumbled to herself. "Thirty nights," she announced after a few minutes.
This time, Shu Fang felt both eyebrows rise up in surprise. Rubbing her index finger and thumb together in anticipation of the gold, she wondered if the young girl truly understood the cost of the room.
Before she could say anything, though, Willow said, "One five zero gold." She then patted the backpack that she wore.
Willow wasn't confused. Shu Fang smiled and showed Willow how to alert the servants downstairs to start warming the bath water by pulling on a rope by the tub and how to read the small hourglass that would let her know how long before the water was ready. A second rope by the entrance summoned a servant to take any dirty laundry.
When Shu Fang noticed Willow growing agitated she asked what was wrong, and Willow replied, "One candle then…" She crossed her wrist in front of her.
Instantly understanding, Shu Fang said, "You should have said something. Please follow me."
She took Willow to the front desk. While Willow counted out the gold, Shu Fang filled out two permits showing that Willow and Lhyra (she had to ask Willow for her friend's name), were staying at the inn and for how long. After blowing on the ink to dry it, Shu Fang dripped a small splash of sky blue wax onto each piece and pressed the inn's seal into the wax.
"There you go. Here are two keys, one for you and one for your friend." Shu Fang handed over the items after verifying the fifteen neat stacks of ten gold pieces Willow had laid out in a small grouping on the front desk.
Snatching the paper and keys, Willow spun and hurried toward the door just as a group of townspeople came through. One of them politely held the door open for Willow, who touched the hand clutching the keys to her chest. "May the whore Goddess grant you great sex!" she called out as she exited the inn.
Shu Fang and the gentleman shared a laugh at the odd parting. What was that about? Shu Fang had just finished putting the gold away when the front door slowly opened. Over the musical chiming of the bell, Shu Fang heard high pitched barks and whines. Looking up, she first saw Willow backing through the partially open door. Shu Fang could tell that the girl was leading someone by the hand, but Shu Fang couldn't understand why Willow made dog noises.
Then, to her horror, the reason became very clear.
The large gnoll trailing Willow had to bend its head to clear the top of the doorway. Then it stood to its full height as it looked around with a cool - and yet menacing - casualness. Shu Fang heard the conversation in the common room fall suddenly silent and the sounds of a few chairs being pushed back came to her.
The gnoll simply looked into the common room and gave a husky laugh filled with derision before turning its gaze onto her. The sinister, slitted yellow eyes made Shu Fang's legs quiver with fear. She had to press her hands onto the countertop to keep herself from collapsing from lightheadedness as the implications of to what she had rented her best rooms sunk in.
Willow gave Shu Fang a nervous grin (more a grimace, really) before tugging on the gnoll's hand. The gnoll growled something in reply that, to Shu Fang's ears, sounded ominous. However, it quietly allowed Willow to lead it up the steps leading to the Master Suite.
As several of her patrons peered in from the common room, Shu Fang tried to give them a reassuring smile. Inside, though, she was desperately praying to her god, Hsing Yong, the god of fortune and prosperity, for divine help.
Dining with Thieves…
From where she sat at the table, Willow nervously fidgeted under the heated looks Lhyra and she got as they waited for their dinner to be served in the common room. Glancing up at her gnoll companion, Willow once again marveled at how unaffected Lhyra was by the atmosphere of hostility surrounding them.
Even Buffy, who routinely faced down vampires and demons, had gotten uncomfortable at times with the strange looks and unfriendly mutterings of the school crowd. Not Lhyra. With a casual and yet somehow menacing air, the large gnoll stared down anyone who dared to give them a dirty look. Lhyra was able to look over the entire room because she had chosen a table next to the wall directly opposite from the entryway. Luckily for Lhyra, there was a mixture of chairs and single person benches scattered around the tables, allowing her to sit without squishing her tail.
It did make Willow happy that Lhyra appeared to like the apartment she had rented for them. While showing the apartment to Lhyra, she had once again been reminded of the differences between them - and the world she was currently residing in. It had come out during the tour of their rooms that Lhyra had never slept in an actual bed before. Willow suppressed a giggle remembering Lhyra's awed reaction to the large bed with its soft mattress and pillows along with the warm blankets piled on it. It had been less amusing to learn that Lhyra had never taken a bath and had seemed dismayed at the idea of one. Even now, thinking about that made Willow's skin crawl. With how dirty and icky she was feeling after only a few days without a bath or shower, she couldn't imagine never taking a bath in all of her life!
Though Lhyra hadn't outwardly been overly impressed with the rooms (aside from the bed), Willow had caught her tail beginning to wag several times during the tour. Willow had found it quite cute and adoring, even funny, that once Lhyra had noticed the direction of Willow's gaze, she would stop her tail immediately.
Willow's eyes were drawn to a couple of waitresses headed their way carrying trays loaded with food. She felt a bad for them because she could easily tell they were very nervous serving Lhyra and her; though, she suspected it was mostly Lhyra causing them the wiggens.
Then all thoughts about the waitresses' uneasiness flew from her head as the trays were set on the table top. She didn't even register the way the two young women fled after leaving the food. Willow's mouth watered from the smell and her eyes hungrily took in the feast that had been brought to them.
There were several round loaves of freshly baked bread with a small jar of jam nestled between them as well as a platter piled with thick slices of what Willow thought was beef covered in some kind of sauce. Also, in a large pot, a thick fish stew (judging by the smell) steamed. There was even a small wheel of pale white cheese.
Lhyra's voice drew her attention away from the food. "Take as much as you can eat, and I will finish the rest."
Willow blinked in surprise. "You really think you can eat all of this?" There was a lot of food!
Lhyra gave out a loud hyena-like chuckle, which caused a wave of silence to wash across the room momentarily. "Willow, I could eat thrice this amount, but if what you say is true about us being fed three times a day, I have no need to stuff myself like I normally would out in the wild."
Giving her friend an awed look, Willow said, "Wow… OK. Can you please slide that tray closer? Thanks." Willow quickly filled a plate and bowl with a huge, for her, helping of food. Willow smiled to herself as she then watched Lhyra ignore the plates and bowls and simply eat the food off the trays they had been delivered on. That internal smile faded, though, after seeing how messily Lhyra was eating. Willow made a mental note to add table etiquette and using utensils to the list of things to teach Lhyra.
Willow frowned when she noticed there wasn't anything to drink. Looking up, she caught sight of a different waitress approaching their table with a tray that held a huge mug of ale and a small glass red wine. Willow had chosen wine since that was something her parents had allowed her to drink at special meals. Remembering what the history books said about how unsanitary medieval water had been, she had decided not to risk a glass of water. She hadn't felt comfortable drinking ale or beer, though, since she was still underage.
Judging by the slowly progressive shaking of the tray, Willow realized that, the closer the girl came to their table, the more nervous and afraid she was becoming. Willow hurriedly slid out of her chair and rushed over to take the tray from the girl, offering her a polite smile. "Here, I'll take that."
Her act of kindness earned her a look of pure gratitude from the young waitress as she passed Willow the tray. It also earned her a gruff reprimand from Lhyra about letting the servers serve. That was what they were there for. Willow accepted the mild rebuke without comment; she was too busy stuffing herself with the delicious food.
Despite her focus on eating, Willow did catch a half elf woman, dressed in a skimpy pirate costume, eyeing her Sune holy symbol so intently that Willow finally tucked it under her deer hide coat. The woman seemed to lose interest after that, and Willow soon put the incident out of her mind.
Later, in Lhyra's and Willow's Suite…
A giggling Willow entered their rooms ahead of Lhyra. Turning to her large companion, she shook a finger in mock anger. "I can't believe you did that!"
Lhyra threw her head back to let out a full throated laugh. "I will admit it was fun rubbing the guards' faces in the fact they could not arrest us."
Going over to the fireplace, Willow added some wood to the fire. To her California senses, the room had a bit of a chill to it. She also wanted to get out of her damp deer hide coat; it had been raining outside when Lhyra had decided to go for a walk. At first, Willow had been surprised that Lhyra hadn't wanted to return to their rooms, but she immediately understood her friend's intentions when she spotted several groups of arms guards waiting outside of the inn.
Willow had been afraid they were going to get arrested even with the passes that Shu Fang had given them. She had nervously followed Lhyra as the gnoll boldly walked up the head guard. Before the heavily armed guard could say anything Lhyra, held out her pass. "I am looking forward to all of the wonderful meals I shall be eating here for the next month."
Her comment had caused a ripple of shock to travel through the nearby guards. The head guard angrily snatched the pass from Lhyra. He gave it an intense perusal and then rudely shoved it back at Lhyra - with a warning they would be keeping a careful eye on her.
Lhyra had snidely replied that she felt safer already.
After the confrontation, Lhyra took Willow on a quiet walk through the small town despite the rain. During the walk Lhyra had translated what had been said between her and the guard since Willow hadn't been able to follow the conversation. Willow caught Lhyra occasionally scraping her claws on a nearby wooden surface as they walked by, leaving four parallel grooves. At first, she had been puzzled by this, but then she recognized a pattern in the marks. It dawned on Willow that the surfaces Lhyra marked formed a rough circle around the inn they were staying at. With that realization, Willow had to fight down a case of giggles. At least her friend wasn't marking her territory like dogs did.
Once Willow had the fire burning to her satisfaction, she got up and hurried to her room to retrieve a spare blanket from the small closet. After undressing completely she wrapped the blanket around her to both cover her nudity and keep out the chill. Returning to what she had dubbed the living room, Willow dropped the wet deer skin coat and boots into the clothes basket where it sat by the entryway doors.
Turning, Willow called over to Lhyra who was poking around the large room, apparently looking over the different furnishing and such. "Lhyra, did you want to put your leather armor with the dirty clothes? I don't know if they clean armor or not, but it wouldn't hurt to ask."
After a moment of contemplation, Lhyra shrug and began to unfasten the buckles of her armor. Willow watched the process until she figured out what was coming. Then she ran toward Lhyra's bedroom. Carefully keeping her eyes averted to avoid glimpsing the now-naked gnoll, Willow called over her shoulder, "Let me get you a blanket… Oh… I'll grab your cloak so they can clean it, too."
"No!" Lhyra roughly barked, causing Willow to twist around in surprise. Lhyra's very bare body was lit by the flames from the fireplace and for a second the room suddenly felt warmer to Willow.
Desperately turning her head away, Willow hesitantly asked, "Was that 'no' to the blanket or the cloak?" Her body's reactions were really playing havoc with her emotional equilibrium.
"No, to both. I'm warm enough and letting anyone see the cloak would undoubtfully cause problems. As far as I know, I am the only gnoll in the area that wears a camouflaged cloak and since I was very active in capturing slaves for the tribe and leading ambushes…" Lhyra let the sentence hang unfinished, but the implications were very clear to Willow.
"Oh," Willow said in a subdued voice, Lhyra's personal history once again taking her aback. Deciding a change in subject was in order, Willow managed a chipper tone that sounded only slightly force. "In that, case I'll ring for one of the laundry staff and start filling the bathtub. I figure by now the water should be finished heating." Before they had left for the walk Willow had alerted the inn staff to start heating the bath water.
Hurrying into the bathroom, Willow was happy to see the sand in the small hourglass had run itself out. After securing the blanket firmly around her, Willow began pumping the water into the large tub. The hot and cold water pumps were similar in design to the hand pumps that she had seen pictures of on farms. Willow felt pleasantly surprised at the ease the pumps handles moved; the cylinder pistons attached to the handles were probably helping. Even so, her arms began to ache quickly.
The tub was about a third full when a shriek came from the living room. Uttering a breathless, "What now?" Willow rushed out of the bathing room. Lhyra, still naked, stood in front of the open apartment door. A maid cowered in the hallway. Willow quickly picked up the clothes basket, absently noting that Lhyra had dumped her leather armor in it, and smoothly stepped in front of Lhyra to hand the basket to the maid. The young girl snatched the basket from Willow's hands, and, before Willow had a chance to ask about armor cleaning, the maid ran down the steps.
Pursing her lips in bemusement, Willow shrugged and reentered the apartment. As she passed Lhyra, she said, "I guess we'll find out if they clean armor or not when they return the stuff."
Giving out a gravely chuckle, Lhyra asked, "When will they return our clothing?"
"In the morning." Willow reentered the bathroom. Stretching her aching arms over her head, almost losing her bedsheet robe in the process. "Would you mind pumping the water for a while? My arms are feel like they're about to fall off."
Lhyra, who had followed Willow into the bathing room, ordered, "Hold your arms out in front of you as steady as you can."
Blinking in puzzlement, Willow complied, inwardly pleased that her arms trembled only slightly.
After a moment of scrutiny, Lhyra said, "Keep pumping."
"But…" Willow exclaimed in dismay. There was still a lot of water to pump!
Shooting Willow a sharp look, Lhyra said, "Enough."
Ducking her head, Willow mumbled a quiet, "Sorry," and went back to pumping the water.
For a while, the only sound was the splashing of the water filling the tub and Willow's grunts of effort. Then Lhyra move to stand behind Willow, close enough that Willow could feel the heat from Lhyra's large body,
In a much softer voice than before, Lhyra said, "What you are doing now will help build your muscles." Willow felt Lhyra move even closer, abruptly pulling the bed sheet wrapped around her body open, exposing one whole leg and hip.
Willow stiffened, her hands freezing on the pump handle.
Lhyra slowly ran one large hand from just above her knee to her hips in a slow caress. "Your legs, however, are quite muscular." Her fingers dragged over Willow's naked hip, their length lightly brushing across Willow's stomach. When she reach Willow's ribs, those same fingers trailed across her ribs, progressing toward her back, their claw tips barely avoiding the side of one of Willow's now-heaving (and bare) breast.
The bed sheet slipped further. Now almost all of Willow's back and butt were more fully exposed to the heat radiating from the gnoll's body. Lhyra finished her exploration of Willow's body, touching Willow's shoulder blades as she spoke in a hoarse voice, "It is only your upper body that appears underdeveloped."
By this time, Willow marveled that the pump handle was still in one, undamaged piece. Her knuckles were white from the force of her grip and she rested her weight on one of the handles as well. Her legs had become shaky. The air felt heavy and oddly charged. Closing her eyes, Willow pushed her back against Lhyra's fingers to intensify the contact.
For a moment, Lhyra laid her hand flat against Willow's back, returning the pressure.
Willow swore a woman's voice crooned softly, as if from far away.
Abruptly Lhyra pulled away and resettled the bed sheet so that it covered most of Willow's nakedness; though, her leg and hip were left bare. In a gruff voice she said, "I'll take over; tell me which handle to pump."
"OK." Willow let go of the handles and staggered away on legs that felt like wet noodles. "Use…use the one on the left."
To allow herself time to get her body and the corresponding teenage hormones back under control, Willow took her time in getting the shampoos, both the flea killing and normal, plus several large sponges. She had notice earlier that, although there were towels for drying, there weren't any wash cloths. The intensity of her encounter with Lhyra had left Willow very flushed and short of breath. Once she felt more in control, she set the bathing supplies on one of several small shelves fitted to the outer edge of the bathtub.
Soon, Willow judged the tub filled and told Lhyra to stop pumping. Having guessed that Lhyra would be using the bathwater first, it suddenly came to Willow just how filthy the bathwater would be after washing off the fourteen years of grime on Lhyra's body. Willow really wished she had arranged a second bath of her own. With a quiet sign of regret Willow went on to explained (feeling a tad embarrassed) how to use the flea shampoo and how long to wait before rinsing the lather from her fur. Once again, Willow was forcibly reminded of the vast differences in their upbringing when Lhyra gave her a puzzled look and asked, "How do you make it lather and…" Lhyra paused a moment before going on in a strangely - for Lhyra, at least - hesitant tone. "How will I get the lather on my back?"
Willow felt her eyes widen as the implications sank. Making a quick and difficult decision, she looked Lhyra square in the eyes. "I… I guess, if it's OK with you, I can umm… do your back for you and show you how to…" Willow made vague gesture with her hands. "You know, bathe and all."
Lhyra's ears twitch rapidly and she ducked her head in an almost shy manner. "That would be fine with me. If you want, I can do your back in return. I pro… promise to be gentle."
It suddenly dawned on Willow that Lhyra was also very nervous at the bathing situation. In some odd way, it helped her to relax. It was nice to know she wasn't the only one suffering a bit of anxiety; although, a part of Willow wondered if the source of Lhyra's anxiety was the same as hers. And Willow truthfully didn't know how she would feel if it was the same.
Giving Lhyra a reassuring smile, Willow replied, "That sounds fine and… I trust you not to hurt me." Willow really meant what she said. Even with everything she had learned about Lhyra's past, she trusted Lhyra completely.
Willow knew Lhyra considered her the expert in this situation. It was up to her to take the first step. Willow bashfully removed her blanket, very aware of Lhyra's eyes on her. After hanging the blanket on a convenient wall peg, Willow went up one of the steps that partly circled the tub. Once she reached the wooden landing, she slowly entered the sinfully hot water and explained to Lhyra how to get into the tub without slipping.
Once fully in the water, Willow scooted across to the other side to seat herself on the underwater ledge. She watched with a small smile on her face as Lhyra made her way up the steps, which made some alarming creaking noises but held Lhyra's weight.
Her smile became chuckles at the almost puppy-like expression of apprehension of Lhyra's face as she slowly dipped one large paw into the hot water. Lhyra must have like how it felt, though, because, before Willow could ask if the water was too hot, Lhyra crouched down, braced herself with her hands, and slid slowly into the steaming water with a look of pure bliss on her furry face.
Once in the water, Lhyra moved to the center of the tub and sank down until only her head was above the steaming surface. Willow knew she had an "Ahh" look on her own face, for she found the heavy-lidded look of pleasure on Lhyra's face very adorable.
Unfortunately for Willow, the mixture of gnoll and hot water created a pungent odor similar to wet dog. It caused her eyes to water, and her sinuses reacted to the invasive scent with a violent sneeze.
"Achoo!"
Her outburst startled Lhyra so that she jerked slightly, causing some water to slosh over the sides of the tub.
"Sorry." Breathing through her partly open mouth, Willow reached for the flea shampoo. "Can you duck your head under the water? We need to get your fur wet before we can begin lathering it."
"No problem," Lhyra answered before pinching her nose shut and ducking her head entirely under the warm water. Once she resurfaced, she shook her head enough to clear her large ears of water, leaving the rest of her head fur wet.
Willow had to fight down another spate of giggles. Lhyra's wet fur lay flat against her head. When she got control of her mirth, she realized the display illustrated something she hadn't anticipated. Lhyra's head wasn't as wide as she'd originally thought. Instead of being twice as wide as her own, it was only half again as wide.
Moving closer to Lhyra with the flea shampoo in hand, Willow said, "Give me one of your arms so I can show you how to work the lather into your fur. After that, you can do your front while I work on your back." Willow paused a moment when a memory of washing a dog that Jessie had own when they were younger came to her. "You'll want to lather your head first so any fleas escaping the water will get caught in the shampoo."
Lhyra silently nodded her head as she offered Willow one of her fur covered arms.
Pouring some of the shampoo onto Lhyra's arm, Willow began to massage it in - and then felt the stitching the fur had hidden from her sight. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot about your wound from the Tall Mouther." Lhyra had only gotten the gash yesterday. It was too soon to get the area wet…
Willow's internal ramble ground to a halt as her fingers brushed aside the fur to reveal healthy scars instead of scab covered lacerations. "Wow, you heal as fast as Buffy."
Lhyra tilted her arm in the lighting from the magical lamp flames and studied her arm. "It shouldn't have healed this much." Her eyes swung to meet Willow's. "I am the fastest healer within the tribe, but even for me, this should have taken three or four days to heal to this point. Especially considering we've been moving all of this time."
Willow gently parted the wet fur more and peered at her neat and orderly stitching; the wound had healed evenly. "Do you have any idea why your arm healed so fast this time?"
"Perhaps," Lhyra replied. Taking Willow by surprise, she pulled her arm away and grabbed Willow under her arms. Lhyra hoisted Willow out of the water and deposited the startled red head onto the tub's platform.
Before Willow could ask what was going on, Lhyra pulled Willow's legs apart. "Hey!" she shouted indignantly, covering her suddenly exposed privates with both hands.
But Willow's anger and embarrassment were quickly chased away by Lhyra's words. "Your legs are healed as well."
Willow stopped protecting her modesty and stared at the now unmarked flesh of her inner thighs. She could hardly believe that just yesterday she had been picking pieces of bark out of the very nasty scrapes in the same area. Willow reached down so she could prod and pull at the now completely unblemished skin.
Willow said, "My legs shouldn't have healed so quickly. I mean, there isn't any scaring or well… any evidence to show that I had the abrasions that I did. They were really nasty, you know." A hint of accusation entered her voice. "You think it was the blood-nettle you used to treat our wounds?"
"No, I think it may have been this." Lhyra tapped the Sune Holy Symbol Willow wore with a clawed finger.
Willow glanced down in surprise; she truly hadn't noticed that she still wore the holy symbol. Normally, she would have removed any jewelry before taking a bath. Pulling the holy symbol away from her wet flesh, Willow gave it an inquisitive glance. "You really think this is causing us to heal faster?"
Lhyra nodded. "Yes, I have heard of magical amulets and even rings that speed up the healing process. Some even guard against diseases. But I was led to believe the wearer was the only one affected by the magic."
Her brow furrowed in thought, Willow suddenly had an idea. "Maybe since it showed you to me during the ahh…" Willow felt herself blushing at the memories. "…ritual there is some kind of connection between it and you? Though nothing I could find on the amulet said anything about healing properties or teleporting." Feeling a little overwhelmed - and a lot frightened –Willow spoke without thinking. "All it was supposed to do was show me my true love!"
When she realized what she'd admitted, Willow paled.
She paled even further when Lhyra leaned in close and growl out in a no nonsense tone, "True love?"
Elsewhere in the House of Gentle Repose…
Her name was Daeae, and her lithe and voluptuous half-elven body was currently caught in the throes of passion as it bounced along the length of a human male's cock. At least, that what she wanted Steven Harrowhoth of the Harrowhoth Merchant Company to believe, and judging by the look on his face and what her womanly muscles grasped… he firmly believed.
He also believed she was a follower of Sune, hence the reason she so enjoyed the depraved sexual acts he wanted to perform. Actually, Daeae was a follower of Mask, the God of Thieves, and a member of Xanathar's Thieves' Guild out of Waterdeep. Instead of being some flighty Sunite, Daeae was a rogue with not too shabby skills; she also had a bit of training in the arcane arts. Thanks to a father who had been a bard and part of an acting troupe, she rounded out her unique skills with a true bent for acting.
All of this made her the perfect spy for the Guild. After hooking up with someone like Steven, who was far more interested in partying than learning his family's business, Daeae tagged along to highbrow parties (orgies, really) and scoped the place out. Her roguish skills allowed her to spot hidden compartments and any traps on them. A magical ring on loan to her from the Guild, gave her the ability to use Arcane Sight; though unlike the actual spell her eyes didn't glow blue while the ring was activated. The Sight showed Daeae the magical auras and the corresponding strength of items and people who had magical abilities. The ring and her arcane training helped her to can discern and identify magical alarms, too. Everything she learned she passed along to her superiors for later burglaries.
One of the things she liked doing with the ring of Arcane Sight was to look over crowds to see just what kind of magical items they possessed. Today, this habit led to the biggest shock in Daeae's life. While eating dinner downstairs and pretending to listening to Steven rage about not getting the best room in the inn, she noticed an odd couple enter the common room. The gnoll was one hell of a surprise, and, judging by the reactions of the patrons sharing the room with it, not a pleasant one. For Daeae, though, the real surprise came in the form of the young human woman sharing the gnoll's table. Or, more precisely, what she was wearing.
For when Daeae looked directly at the red headed human and the Sune holy symbol she wore, Daeae was nearly blinded by the power the amulet radiated. She had actually choked badly enough on her wine for it to squirt from her nose. Much to Steven's delight.
Though Daeae had never personally seen anything with such a powerful aura, her Guild training had covered how to read the magical auras. And there was only one kind of magical item that glowed with such power, and those were known as Artifacts.
Artifacts were magical relics of immense power, created only by the most powerful wizards or priests. Although, the deities themselves had been known to create them at times.
With that one glance, Daeae's allegiances to the Thieves' Guild went into the chamber pot, and her mission went from spying to setting herself up for a life of comfort in some faraway place. Daeae silently vowed to get that Sune holy symbol any way she could. And, glancing down at Steven's passion enflamed face, she got the perfect idea on how to fulfilling that vow.
To be continued…
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