Chapter 3: Say My Name
(Loredas/12th of Last Seed/4E 201...10:49 p.m.)
"What the fuck?!" Zarcath looked like he was about to bolt out the door but instead he grabbed the side of the door and slammed it shut, bracing himself against it. "No gods damn way that was real, it was only a dream?!" His helmet started to dart around the room like he was trying to find an alternative way out.
I found myself somewhere between Shanna's confused stare and Zarcath's panicking jitteriness. There was no way she could have come out of the dream, she was just a wolf when it came to the real world.
"Who the hell was that?" Shanna stood up and walked over to door, Zarcath took his right foot and started kicking her back when she got close.
"We can't let it in, it'll kill us if gets the chance!" I went to try and stand up, but my ribs sent me right back down, well I was fucked if she got in. However, in my dream at least, she didn't ever hint to killing me in real life, what reason would she have anyways.
"Zarcath, who was that, why are they here to kill us!" Shanna kicked him in the shin when he tried to kick her back again, he retreated to a more defensive stance, but he still held the door. She clearly didn't see what was wrong with removing the only defense between us and a supposed killer but our deaths would be on her head if that women did intend to kill us.
"Ah, so that's your name," the muffled voice of the women on the other side of the door began," well than, come on and let me in Zarcath, we can finish our little game if you just let me in." As if he wasn't disturbed enough already, Zarcath now had his claws out in an attempt to grip the door harder than before, don't know why he tried, the damn thing was made of metal!
"Oh my god, your such a pussy!" Shanna, without warning, lunged at Zarcath and threw him to the ground. He hadn't even gone down fighting, he just accepted she had beat him and quickly limped over to the bedside and picked up the chair like he was gonna break it over someone's head. Why do wooden chairs always make for a convenient weapon?
"If we fucking die tonight, I want you guys to know...that...that…" he began to just stutter on that one word, like some singer that had lost all recollection of the words in the verse.
"Honestly, I think we'd be dead by now if she really wanted to kill us. Anyways, she wasn't that rude in my dreams." I quietly mumbled to myself, I even bothered to reflect on her little advances she made earlier.
"Let's find out who the killer is!" Shanna sarcastically yelled as she turned towards Zarcath and flung open the door. Honestly, between the abuse of the doors in the keep and the constant shouting from our room we were held up in, I was surprised no one had come running to check in on us.
"Ah, thank you my little darling, I've been just dying to get in!" In came the ecstatic woman, dog, bitch, whatever her claim to existence was. She instantly grabbed ahold of Shanna and drew her into a tight hug, but I must have been wrong about that armor. Shanna had almost been assimilated into the woman's breasts the sounds of her panic at the sudden assault muffled by the fabric and depth at which she was stuck. Finally she took notice of me and Zarcath, after taking a quick browse of the room, of course.
"Honey please put the chair down before you hurt yourself, I can't have you hurt when we start playing again." She flashed her teeth at him, two distinct canine teeth only exaggerating her deathly smile.
"I'll put the chair down when your rotting away in oblivion." He almost seemed to calm as he lowered the chair from above his head and now kept it out in front of him like a sword.
"You know you can't do that, you'll offset the whole mood of this place. I'll also need somewhere to sit, if you want I'll even let you sit on my lap or I can sit on yours." This was going down hill as fast as any conversation could, she even made it more awkward by taking the trapped Shanna and grinding against her leg.
"By the gods, please stop, I can't take it. Just let Shanna go so we can get on with life." I made sure to emphasize my distaste of the moment with a dramatic cover of my eyes. She let go of Shanna, and strode over to the left side of the bed and sat just midway of the bed's length. Shanna was coughing up a maelstrom, disgusting, dry, and almost over exaggerated breaths.
"Come on girls, you going soft on me already, I had so much planned for the time to come! We were going to go for runs through the forest, maybe some hunts while we're at it, and do some frolicking in the tall grasses if you catch my drift." As she talked her tail seemed to speed up, her own plans clearly exciting her.
"Who the fuck do you think you are lady!?" Shanna finished her last bit of coughing, closing the door before she came back to now take up a spot on the bed since Zarcath still found her chair to be his only defense against the woman across the bed from him.
"Really, no guesses, let's see if this'll help you remember." She leaned over the bed and grabbed Shanna's hand, tilting up her mask just to the point where her top lip was the highest point of her visible skin, Shanna didn't even bother jerking back, inserting Shanna's middle and index fingers into her mouth. Now, I wasn't the smartest kid in the class, ironic considering I was the only kid in said class or classes, but the words that the woman told me in my dream, "I'm your pet.", hadn't actually struck me till now. The sight of this woman/dog thingy sucking on Shanna's fingers and her tail swishing back and forth, and the fact she wore a mask of a wolf, finally connected the dots in my head, she was the dire wolf.
"How are you even human?" I didn't even mean to say anything, but I unconsciously let them slip.
"Ah," she said, the sound coming out slightly sloppy and wet ", this is good enough yeah?" She tilted her head up to Shanna.
"Um...yeah." She slowly pulled off of Shanna's fingers, a thin trail of saliva trailing between the two. She took one of her fingers and broke the line, slurping up the rest that connected with her finger.
Needless to say we were all a bit disturbed, Zarcath made fake hurling noises, or maybe they were real, Shanna sat in place like a statue, and I was disturbed by the fact that I was actually getting turned on. Then, as if just thinking about it caught her attention, the woman inclined her head and lifted the mask even higher than before, now her nose and cheeks were visible, a few wisps of white hair coming out from under the mask. She took a few quick whiffs of the air, turning her head ever so slightly in my direction, then her face was turned right on me. "I thought we were going to do it later tonight, you seem like your ready now." She leaned towards me but went down with with her head, getting closer to my crotch.
"Ok, no, stop, later later later, no one wants to see this!" I pushed her back with what little movements I could make before being launched into pain.
"Have it your way, but you still owe me." She leaned back and sat back with her hands supporting her from falling flat on the bed. Shanna wasn't to happy about that exchange seeing as her eyes were wide open and her mouth slightly ajar.
"So, how's your guy's night going so far, me personally, mines been fantastic!" She shook herself left and right like she was going to explode in joy if she hadn't, the result was one of the most beautiful sites of my life, need it be in one of the more disturbing situations however, I did have a couple other memories to top this one.
"Lady, we still don't know your name, and we've, well maybe just me considering both Ash and Zarcath here seem to have a pretty good idea of who you are, never met you before." Shanna just looked at the woman like a guard looked at a skooma addict, with distrust and nervousness.
"Your fucking kidding me, I just sucked you off," maybe I was crazy or it was genuinely funny but she had me bust out laughing with her choice of words," and you still don't remember!" I got a couple more chuckles out before the pain of my lungs against my ribs kicked me in the chest like horse.
"I swear to Dibela, I have no idea of who you are." To me it was slightly understandable that she had no clue to who this woman was, after all, she probably didn't have a dream about the woman considering she gave no over exaggerated reaction like Zarcath when she saw the woman at the door only moments ago.
"Fine, then wolf form it is!" She stood up and went for the front door but stopped and searched the room again. "Is that a closet?" She pointed over to a door at the fireplace.
"Um...possibly, I've never been in this room before?" Maybe she considered my words or maybe she didn't, either way, she switched directions and approached the door, twisting the knob. Empty, and definitely a closet, in fact it was a pretty deep one considering it became pitch black after a few feet. She stepped in and closed the door behind herself, leaving us to ponder what her plans where.
"Anyone have any clue as to what she meant by wolf form?" Shanna, still deathly clueless as to what was happening, I myself had a decent idea, Zarcath probably knew all too well for he started fidgeting with his chair and gripping the sides, nails slightly penetrating the wood.
Yet, before either me or Zarcath could answer, sounds from the closet did our 'job' for us. Zarcath's bone breaking and joint dislocating from his spare with father had pretty much given us all a refresher course on what it sounded like when such things happened, and it seemed like that was what was exactly happening in the closet. The slow and painful popping noises led me to grab the pillow from under my head and bite it to help ease the disgusting and erie noises of the bones. Zarcath still held on to his chair, Shanna stared at the closet ready to bolt if some damn monster came popping out.
After a cruel and disturbing minute of popping, the door popped open and stayed slightly ajar. Even I was feeling my heart trying to beat out of my chest as we waited fo it to completely open. A black muzzle came creeping out through the ajared door, then white fur followed till the head of the creature appeared, maybe to Shanna's surprise, it was the dire wolf.
"How in oblivion is that," she pointed at the wolf,"even possible, can't be a wolf because she was just a human a second ago and she can't be a human because that's a wolf!" She huffed and puffed abit as she started to breath harder and faster. I myself didn't even know such things were possible, a wolf that could shapeshift to a human, infiltrate dreams, and use telepathy, best thought I had was this was some of Hircine's blessings at their finest, or maybe she was some sort of illusionist of great power?
The wolf woman, or maybe girl, wolf girl sounded better though, came out of the closet and gave a quick prance around the room, clearly trying to imitate that of a noble horse with their high and defined leg lifts that she had done earlier. Zarcath almost lost his shit, yet again, tensing up at every bounce and hop of the wolf girl. Shanna had finally stopped breathing as hard as a Horker, almost looked to accept the fact that a woman had just turned into a wolf, but she kept a awareness that offset any trust that she must have had for the wolf prior to knowing she was a person.
Finally, after her roundabout, she slipped right back into the closet and it began all over again, The popping and cracking had me biting my pillow yet again, but not as hard as the first time. It was over quickly, the door, still slightly ajar, flung open to reveal the woman panting lightly and holding her sides.
Strangely enough, she no longer wore her armor and weapons from earlier, now she wore a scandalously, lace tunic without sleeves and cut just inches above her stomach. A set of very baggy and loose fitting cloth pants swished with her as she made towards me and Shanna. One thing that hadn't changed was she still wore her mask, if I were her I would've chucked the thing off ages ago.
She came around the bed and slowly laid down next to me, but she didn't get under the covers, I moved over anyway, whether it was because I was being curtiuse or I generally didn't want this woman to touch me, I didn't bother choosing.
"I feel like someone took a hammer and beat all of my bones to a pulp." She moaned.
"Sounded worse than your description, but all the same." I couldn't help but poke her in her time of pain, she laugh moaned at the touch, scooching what little ways away from me she could without falling off the edge.
"Maybe it's just...a dream...yeah...that sounds about right?" I looked at Zarcath, he'd relaxed his grip on the chair and now stood up, limping towards the door. He seemed pretty calm as he reached the door, pulling it open and stepping out into the hall, but when I saw his eyes I could tell he was a bit off. They seemed much more glossy, much more reflective off the light, a mindless stare into nothingness as he quietly shut the door behind himself.
"What did you do to him?" Shanna shifted her body away from the door and to the two of us lying on the bed.
"Ugh, so you know how you dreams when you sleep?"
"Of course."
"Well if I can get close to someone while they sleep then I'm able to slip into their dreams." Ah, yeah, that would explain earlier.
"Now, I would say that your lying to me but after the whole transformation thing I'll say that I'm not surprised."
"Ah, yes, my plan is coming together. You're starting to overestimate my power; soon you will both bow before me and become my followers!" She said triumphantly whilst rubbing her hands together, this girl had serious problems.
"Honestly though, I used my little power to sneak into his mind and see if I could find out where we'd be going. It took me awhile, but I eventually found him hanging out in a shack with some girls. Guess he didn't have a good sense of decency because the windows were open and the disgusting little fuck had turned the inside into his own little house of whores; I will admit he had some nice looking girls though. But, I decided to ruin his fun by opening up the door and asking if he could use another. Skip a few minutes of screaming, and I'd herded him out of the house and was chasing his bare ass through the woods; guess he's still scared." At least she spared us the details. Oh shit, unless she can still hear me thought!
"Wow, Zarcath just can't catch a break can he." Shanna laughed to herself.
"Why, is he the troublemaker of your little group?" Maybe she couldn't hear my thoughts outside of my dream; at least I was safe here.
"Yeah, something like that."
"Maybe I'll have to give him another visit tomorrow, make him rethink his ways." Wolf girl smirked to herself.
"Maybe, but I think I'ma go turn in for the night, today's been pretty intense even for me." What the fuck, was she gonna ditch me with the wolf bitch!?
"Ok, hop on then, I'm ready to hit the hay as well." Wolf girl patted the small space between us. Looking at Shanna, it wouldn't be that hard to fit her in the middle but it'd still be tight.
"Awe, thanks for the invitation but I think I'll sleep in my own bed tonight." Shanna smiled nervously while she stepped back towards the door. Seriously, if she left me alone with her than I was sure to get rapped!
"Ookkk, your loss than, I guess that means more for me." What's that supposed to mean, I looked down at her to see her cheekily looking back at me.
"More what?" I wished Shanna wouldn't have asked because wolf girl curled up next to me and put her hand on my chest. Dragging it down the covers to my crotch before giving it a quick slap and retreating it back to herself.
"Could you not, seriously!?"I tried to slap her in the stomach but she pulled her arms and legs inward before I could make contact.
"Ok, nevermind, I think I'll stay for tonight!" Shanna fast walked over to wolf girl, grabbing her around the waist and dragging her off the bed. Quickly shuffling under the covers before wolf girl could get back into the bed.
"Yes, now the party starts, or at least when you guys go to sleep!" Wolf girl squealed as her head popped up over the side of the bed. The space on the bed really died when she got in and we'd been forced to press against Shanna to avoid rolling off the side of the bed.
"You try and do anything to us and I'll kill you on the spot." Shanna said angrily, wrapping her un-slinged hand in my right hand.
"Shanna my dear, you know you'll never be able to hurt me. I could have my way with both of you if I really wanted to." Her words had Shanna grabbing me even harder than before, felt like someone was rubbing leather against my bare skin. Wolf girl had decided it would be great to envelop all of us in my big hug. It was awkward, because I was on my back, Shanna was on her side but dangerously coming close to lying on my chest, and then Wolf girl was backed tight against Shanna, one leg stretching all the way over Shanna's and touching mine from the knee cap down, and one arm doing the same but only making it to my chest.
"Do you really have to sleep with us?" I asked
"Well of course, it's bonding time, and I want to talk to you guys some more." She was much more toned down but you could still hear the excitement in voice.
"Then why are we going to sleep?"
"If we do it in my dreams than we can all actually sleep here and talk there."
I waited for the moment the Wolf girl would start molesting Shanna and I but it never came, we laid in silence, the darkness becoming less of a monster, a childish thing to think, I know, and more of a fourth being that could not speak nor hear. Man, I wasn't the philosophical type, but if I kept up this kinda thought I might become one.
Shanna was definitely asleep, however she managed, because she was snoring to the heavens and back right into my ear. The Wolf girl, I was a bit iffy about, would every so often clench the covers of the bed and screw what little cover I had against the cold that had started to envelop the room since the fireplace went out.
All the while, there was the constant thoughts of what the fuck I was gonna do with a, what I had come to conclude, cursed shapeshifter since I was pretty sure if anyone else found out they'd want her head or they'd throw her in Cidhna mine, but I couldn't imagine the mine being able to hold her with the abilities she had.
A part of me said that she was a stranger, probably a child rapeist at that, and she had no place amongst us so I should tell father about her. The other part was more lenient, wait for her to start rapeing us, then tell father once it happened. Then there was that creepy third wheel part of me that said "life time sex toy right there!" I tried shrugging that feeling, needless to say, it only crept away, probably to return another time. But maybe there was a lot to gain from having a shapeshifter, after all, those abilities of hers would be nice to have on hand? Yet like the saying went, all good things came to an end, I wouldn't be surprised if this ended just like it would with the Shadow.
It took me however maybe a typical hour or two of more thinking before I had a rough sketched plan of how to handle our new 'friend'. First, play it off as if she was a wolf just like normal, normal for what the last couple hours had been, I think, easy? Second, get to know what she was and what that all meant, still easy. Third, supresses the horniess that she so oftenly flounted, probably impossible, scratch that, I mentally docked it from the list. Fourth, try to live out the rest of my life without somehow letting this woman fuck it up, yet again, probably impossible, oh god what a useless checklist. Wait, add five, find out her name, yeah that was better.
It had crossed my mind to get her thrown into the prison again, but how would I be able to expose her true form when Xaria never detected any magic off her and I couldn't force her to shapeshift.
It'd be interesting to see how fucked my life could get with this new addition to the 'family'. I was pretty sure it would overshadow in comparison to the effects of when Shanna and Zarcath had been brought in, but maybe it could just die out. The more I thought the drowsier I got, but it felt nice to wrap up this crazy ass birthday. I'd woken up to a disturbing dream, had a little accident before starting my birthday, had some laughs during said birthday, got some kick ass presents, that is if you could call a sex crazed wolf girl a kick ass present, watched a fight, got killed in an epic dream siege, watched my dad's mind break just like every other birthday, and was now about to go to sleep in a bed with my best friend and a wolf girl. I chuckled lightly at the thoughts, I must have been the only person in the world to ever deal with shit like this…...
I awoke to the sound of birds chirping and an ever so slight breeze working its way into my ear. I kept my eyes shut and rolled to my right, bad idea. I went shooting over the edge of my bed and right onto the floor, pain shot throughout my chest and I tried balling up to stop it. I laid on the floor moaning, pretty sure somebody would have heard me by now, but I received no help, where in oblivion was my handmaid! I threw the blanket off and placed my hands behind myself on the...dirt floor!? I cracked my eyes open, "What the…", I trailed as my eyes adjusted to what was probably morning light seeing as the light had creeped all the way to 'my' bed.
It looked like I was in a gods damned tent or something, a circular room with a pointed ceiling, even came with a small cot of animal skins, that I just fell off, and a bedside table that was more so a folding chair from the looks of it.
I pushed off the dirt floor and sat back up on the animal skin cot, my hands lathered in a layer of dirt. I tried seeing out past the light only to be blinded by the sun that was directly pointed into the tent, I covered my eyes.
Whoever thought it was a good idea to throw me in a tent after being stabbed was gonna get a kick in the gut for their incompetence. I pulled the shirt away from my chest and looked down into the shirt. No scar, I drew my hand into the shirt and across the skin above my heart. I hissed a breath when I pushed down and was met with a numb pain that encompassed where I'd been previously stabbed. Ah, at least my skin wasn't scarred, not that it couldn't use a scar or two, I pulled my hand back out.
I took the time to look myself over, I was decked in a almost peasant like garb. I had simple brown pants held to my waist by a string of twine and a thick cloth shirt covering the rest, I never wore this kind of stuff in the my dreams, something wasn't right, I needed to get outside. I searched the small hut for any type of footwear, even a few scraps of cloth would have done fine, but with just a quick sweep of the room I found nothing. It'd been awhile since I'd gone barefoot but I didn't think my 'girls' would mind a smudge or two along their almost porcelaine like surfaces.
Standing up, I took cautious steps as I approached the entranceway, being blinded by the light pretty much negated my attempts at caution though.
"Well...this isn't home?" I lowered my arm at the sight of the surrounding forest, tall trees amidst fall colors, bushes thick with leaves, birds of the lightest browns and darkest reds lined every couple branches, the sunlight streaking through both cracks in the leaves, and a whole trail that lead towards the sun. I looked around some more, a grindstone and tanning rack sat to the left and right of the tents entrance, turns out the whole thing was made of leathers and not a fabric light most, so primitive, and a splitting log off from the tent by a few paces, it's hatchet sunken into a tree. I took another gander at my surroundings, pure woods with the exception of the random ass trail leading into them, getting home was gonna be fun!
I started down the worn trail, the feeling of the dirt between my toes was actually welcoming as I strode onwards, reminding me of when I was just a kid strolling through the woods, minus the squad of heavily armoured guards father had used to send with me, good times. It'd been quite some time since I'd actually been out in the woods in real life, not just in my dreams, last time had probably been a month or two ago when Shanna, Zarcath, a couple dozen of kids from the court and from the mine, and myself all played a game of war. Everyone always wanted me to be a general, annoying when I liked to fight on the frontlines, but I'd only take that spot when I was feeling like crap. Zarcath and Shanna always played as my right and left hands, either helping the troops hold the line or sieging the small castles we built during the winter, they were always there.
There were events that had me thinking of how unbearable they could have been without them, especially the Dibella ceremonies, oh gods how I'd rather crawl my way through a crab infested bog than sit and watch the court 'mingle'. It truly was like if we had all grown up like siblings, fighting ourselves one minute and helping each other from a greater threat the next.
"...and that's pretty much my story. Any more questions?" What the heck.
"What the heck?" I was right in front of a wooden door, no longer on the dirt path I had started not a minute ago. This never happened before, walking somewhere one second and unnoticeably thrown somewhere else the next. I turned around, time to see where the fuck I was now. Nearly shit myself in doing so, dozens of men, draped in fur skins and salvaged armor, scattered amongst what looked like some open dirt courtyard. We were still in the forest, but now in a big ass clearing, one and two story houses laid in a circle around the open yard.
I stared at them, they stared at me, so this was probably gonna be the end of me.
If I had to fight I only had my magic to spar against their baskets and pots? Some of them held baskets with what looked like apples and others filled to the brim with strains of wheat, only one guy held a pot and it looked like it had some sort of stew.
None of them had weapons, and none of them seemed alarmed enough to going running for some. They must have kidnapped me then, but why they'd kidnapped a dead body? Did they breach the walls or had wolf girl snuck them in? Wait, no, I couldn't have been dead if I'm here now? Unless, had they used necromancy to bring me back to life!? Was I to live the rest of this life as a mindless thrall to barbarians!?
I started panicking at the thoughts of why I might actually be here and whether or not I was still alive, my hands started to shake like that of old person. I pressed my back against the door and tried blind eyeing my hand to wherever the door knob was, or whatever the damn door had. Must have made me look even dumber looking than before, because all the men started to laugh at my jitteriness.
It must have been the overwhelming presences of the men but I began to take notice that there had also been women and children amongst the crowd, they to had found joy in my panic.
I only slightly calmed at the sight that none of them had come rushing to kill me, but it all came back worse than before when the door I had so dearly clung to had opened behind me. I was instantly dragged into the room screaming, watching as the door slammed shut. I went tumbling through the room till I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, catching me about half way from a makeout session with a stone floor.
"ASH, SHUT UP!" I shut up, quickly getting my bearings and dashing out of the arms of whoever caught me. My scream died as I turned to see who told me to shut up, had I actually bothered listening to the voice I would have known who it was. Right in the middle of the room, between a fireplace and the front door, stood an anxious Shanna, wearing the same exact clothes as me, and maybe spiked with a bit of anger judging by the way her eyebrows were positioned. I felt a wave of guilt flow over my body, even my muscles felt lax, it forced a a nervous giggle out of my mouth.
"Well look who came to finally join the party, what took you so long, it's been hours!?" I looked past Shanna to find our furry friend, in her human form, swaggering over just like before. This time she'd bothered to take off her mask, it was like seeing her for the first time all over again. I was left with that awe feeling
"I couldn't really sleep since I had to make sure I wasn't gonna get a knife in the back while I slept." I was kind of genuine in my statement, I still didn't know if this girl wanted to kill me, but her actions left me in limbo on her intent.
"You know, Shanna and I just had a lovely conversation about myself, how bout you ask her if I seem like the type to go around backstabbing people?" I flicked back to Shanna, so that's what they were talking about before I went and lost my head.
"Yeah, no, she's definitely not the backstabby type, honestly she's something worse if you ask for my opinion." Like the animal she was, the wolf girl swept up behind Shanna and threw her arms around her chest, while also swishing her face into the crook of Shanna's neck. Shanna had gone just as rigid as she had in bed earlier when the girl had embraced her in bed.
"Come on guys," she slowly moaned into Shanna's neck," why do you keep making me out to be the bad guy here. All I want to do is slide on down to the market with my two new favorite girls." She made her point of "sliding on down to the market" by brushing her fingers dangerously down from above Shanna's belly button down to just above her waist line. Shanna looked like she was ready to take her life, I almost laughed at her face, devoid of all emotions that weren't fear.
"Could you just stop please, I've told you multiple times, nobody likes your flirtatiousness. Honestly, have you even bothered looking at Shanna, you make people, and by that I mean us, extremely uncomfortable." I'd kept it calm, but now I could feel my agitation coming up. "Just look at Zarcath, he quite literally had a mental breakdown right after you showed up! Have you even considered what you've done in the past day or however long it's been!" Wow, talk about a turn around, I could already feel the guilt coming as the last word left my mouth.
She let go of Shanna, taking a few steps away, and locked eyes with me.
"Fine...maybe you're right, maybe I'm always to happy or to affectionate as of recent, but I've never been able to feel or even act this way." Her voice had taken a turn for the worse, quieter, more hitched, and just generally depressing. She had moved over to the fireplace, fixating her eyes on the flames of the fire, light accentuated her facial features as she stared on.
"I've already told Shanna and now that your here I'll tell you. I've spent all sixteen years of my life," oh great, I triggered a monologue," alone and displaced, focused purely on trying to make it to the next day. My own parents, wherever they may be, left me abandoned at birth for all I know, I don't even think they loved me. For those sixteen years I never found joy, I never found love, I never found purpose. I stuck it out, night after night and day after day, alone in a cave or under a tree in some gods forsaken forest, I'd never had a friend to keep me company or to offer me help, just me, myself, and I." A few tears started to dot her face as she went on with her story.
" I was just a street urchin in everyone's eyes."
"But you know what," she looked up from the fire to set her eyes on me," no more than a season ago, I had a dream. A dream where all of that would change, more so a vision now that it's happening. I saw that breeder that Zarcath had bought me from, I had seen the moment when he arrived to buy a wolf. I couldn't even make sense of it at the time, but I decided that if nobody would take me in as myself then I'd just have to play myself off as something I wasn't.
"So I traveled, dusk till dawn, aimlessly through the woods till I'd come upon taverns and outposts, asking about any wolf breeders that might exist. Everyone I'd talked to either blew me off or said I'd have better luck finding a dragon. Yet, I managed, finding someone who knew of a breeder, hadn't proven to hard and I eventually had my course set. I travelled for a whole week till I arrived at the breeder's cabin in the woods, only a few hours walk from a town called Riverwood."
"By luck, or by fortune, the breeder hadn't been in the cabin when I entered, but I did have to sneak pass a rather rough looking wolf hanging around the man's stables. Still, it was a nice place, I'll give him that, two stories tall, a room dedicated to shelves full of books, an armory filled with some of the most exotic weapons and armor you've ever seen, and a kitchen fit for a king's cook, not as big as your own though, but the man had himself well made for what I took as a simple breeder."
"Wait, how do you know what the kitchen looks like?" May it be rude of me for interrupting her life's story, I stilled wanted to know how she knew. The Keep's kitchen was, as she said, fit for a king's cook, stocked with plethoras of spices, meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, pots and pans, fireplaces, chopping tables, knives, and all other forms of kitchen accessories.
"What do you think I was doing when you were having a nap out in the Hall?" She sheepishly grinned, but her crimson lined eyes were still laced with tears.
'Besides my little adventures around the Keep," she took a deep pull from the air, pulling all the crap in her nose right back up to wherever it came from," which I will say is quite the labyrinth, I need to finish my story, a piece by yours truly." She'd lifted her right hand of the top of the fireplace and gave it a twirl of the wrist, she slightly crunched her legs as if to bow down like a bard, but not much else to really give grace to her own renown, which was limited to only the two other people in the room.
"So, as I was, I went through the house and just did some general snooping. Other than just the earlier rooms, I had found a few bedrooms, a basement, which oddly enough had a whole forge within, and the room in which I found the so called "Wolf". The room had a set of double doors that was double that of what a normal pair of double doors looks like."
"She was a beast to reckon with, as Zarcath mentioned, she was really the size of a horse if not, but only slightly, bigger. First time I saw her I was in awe at her beauty. The fresh snow white fur , the crimson streaks around the eyes, and her strong and curvy body, with the exception of her round belly filled with pups. I had even gone as far as to change myself into a slight image of her after time went by. Before that, she was quite calm with my intrusion into her room. I've seen females try to kill anything that dared to linger near them during pregnancy so I found it hard to take a step in when she didn't make even the slightest of growls at seeing me."
"So I just closed the door on her, it wasn't like I needed to be in there, there wasn't any pups to hide myself amongst. That, of course, had left me a bit worried about my plans now. The vision had told me that I needed to blend in with the pups whenever they were born. Well seeing as the wolf was still pregnant, I'd have to wait, but where was I to go till the birth. I couldn't travel to far out to the point I couldn't easily get back to the house in a hurry, I couldn't sleep in a cave for that exact reason and that I didn't even know if there was a free cave around these parts."
"Then I got a smart idea," she tapped the side of her head with a finger," I'd just camp it out in the house. The place had food, shelter, and before I had entered, I had even seen a nice looking river right behind the house to supply myself with water, however, looking back behind the house had left me disturbed when I saw a skeleton lying out on a table, scorching in the sun, but overall it didn't faze me. Only problem was this breeder was obviously coming back home at some point and probably wouldn't want me living it out in his basement."
"I started going back through rooms looking for crevices and hidey holes to wait it out for however long till the birth. It was only after a few hours that I could tell that no part of the house either went unused or was good enough to hide in. So I started thinking up even more outrageous ideas, beining myself and asking for shelter, playing myself off as a orphan, saying I lost my parents to some bandits , or, the craziest of all, shifting into a baby wolf and seeing if he'd take me in. The last one stuck out because whoever this breeder guy was, he was still a breeder, maybe he'd take me in to either sell me, or if he wasn't a kind man, I assumed he'd try to using me for breeding later down the line, only he'd never get to see the end of it if I had anything to do about it."
"So I decided on shifting in the end, I'd only done it on a rare occasions, had there been a more assured way as to stay near the house in comfort I would have taken it. Seeing as I have whatever I have," she lifted her right arm up from her side and extended it up to about chest level. Right before our eyes her nails had become black and then they started to become bulkier and a curve began as they seemed to push off of her fingers. After a few seconds, her fingernails had turned into that of a dog's claws, they had a sharper point to their ends than a normal dogs, she retracted her arm to her side where she lazily swayed it back and forth.
She never finished what she was going to say. She just stood next to the fire and continued to look into what was now just a few flames that held onto their last bits of life.
I looked over to Shanna, she was actually closer to the girl, looked like she'd had balled her eye's out, her eyes ringed in red. Although, assuming she'd already heard this once, maybe her emotions still got the best of her. Hey, I'm not saying that mine aren't any different, I had found sympathy for her. The fa ct that she'd been abandoned by her parents, lived alone for sixteen years, and had probably never made a friend in her life. I could only sympathize with her on one of those.
Shanna shuffled over to the girl, wrapping her arms around her waist and leaning into her neck. The girl had stiffened in return at the sudden presence of Shanna's embrace. A minutes hold fixed that and she finally sank into Shanna. Oh how the tables had turned.
"So, as you were saying?"
"I...another time...it's almost time for you guys to head off anyways."
"How do you know what time it is?" I looked around for a window of sorts to see what it was like outside, nothing. I looked to the door, just barely making it through a crack between the door itself and the floor, a dim light lingered at the mouth of it.
"Do you not know how time works in your own dreams?" Whatever sadness that had lingered just moments ago was replaced by curiosity and eagerness.
"No, not really, I never bothered keeping track of time, it could have been day or night here and I'd still wake up."
"Well, just so you know, when it's night here it's morning in the real world, when it's day here its night there. "
"You learn something new everyday it'd seem. So how much time do we have?" Going off of what she said, we had what was probably a few hours till night, but then again I just got here minutes ago and it was already 'night' here.
"Let me check." she wiggled out of Shanna's arms, who made sure to slightly protest her escape, and went over to the door.
Shanna was so weird, even though she show'd how offset she was with wolf girl molesting her, she was able to forgive her after rehearing the girls story. Or maybe I was just rude, maybe I had striked to fast when I saw how scared she looked in the moment. Probably could have avoided Wolf girl's story had I held my tongue.
She grabbed the knob, twisted, and opened the the door, letting in the orange glow of the sun. Outside it was considerably dark, the sun was dipping down into the tree line, leaving the courtyard/ town center casted in shadows but dotted with braziers and torches to keep it alight. Yet, what houses that had been made as tall as the trees had their roofs bathed in the orange glow.
"Looks like we got about an hour or two left, and before you say anything. No, that's not enough time…" She closed the door, it looked like she was going to go back to Shanna but instead turned left after she passed Shanna's chair and went to flop down a bed as she closed the distance. She dropped down on it and allowed for the bed to make a dull creak as all her weight moved through the frame. Shanna had moved back into her chair and gave me a 'what now' stare, I wish I knew, I just returned a shrug of the shoulders. Looked like we'd get a whole two hours of silence then.
Maybe I could start my great walk home, wherever that was, because I was gonna need a damn good head start unless tomorrow I woke up in the castle. I bet the whole city is going mad now that their queen was missing without explanation.
"You never gave me a name you know." I had gone back to looking at the fire, but now I looked back to the bed. The girl had changed positions, she had her arms and head tucked into a pillow with her eyes just glancing over, and now here she was at the foot rest and not the head rest. Her voice hung in despair and what little of her face I saw looked just as lax.
"Give you a name, don't you already have one?" What type of person didn't already have a name?
"Remember, never met my parents, even if they gave me one I can't remember it."
"You've gone sixteen years without a name, an identity, not even a mark of who you are?" Shanna turned in her chair to join the conversation.
"Not exactly, I've gone by many names, street urchin, whore, monster, thief….murderer. I've got my collection of titles, just not an actual name. Seeing as I finally found myself new friends and masters, I thought maybe you guys could give me a name." A monster, a thief, a murderer, a collection of titles that could only be earned through the actions they entitle.
"Not once have you considered giving yourself a name, I'm sure you've heard enough to pick from?"
"Nope, and your right, I've heard so many different names and yet when I rolled the sound of them across my tongue, none felt special or unique. So maybe you could come up with something?" She finally pulled her face out of the pillow and propped herself up by her elbows.
Something unique, if she really wanted something unique it was probably gonna turn out to be some crazy ass name like my own. However mother and father coming up with that must have involved a shit ton of drinking.
Wait, we could actually do that? It'd probably be a longshot but it'd be better than spending more time scribbling down random bits of words till they sounded like a name.
I cracked a smile, it'd been only a day or two since I last got wasted. Thankfully getting wasted here didn't leave me with an insane hangover back outside the dreams.
"Well than, if we're going to be picking out a name for you, we're going to need a lot of ale, maybe some wine if anyone else is in the mood! Oh, and we're going to need the strongest stuff you got!" I let my enthusiasm show as I gave a mischievous grin and got up to go looking for cups. Since the house was literally one room, it wasn't that hard to spot a stack of mugs piled on top the nearby dining table.
"Oh gods," she gave a exaggerated huff from the bed," I think we might have a few kegs left from the raid and I have a bottle of wine from a previous journey into someone else's dream. Shanna, if you could, go outside, go over to the store house and see if Grandes is willing to part with...how many we gonna need, one, two, three kegs?"
"Three, definitely." I hurryingly stepped over to the table, maintaining the excitement in my voice.
"Yeah, so just ask for three, if he doesn't part with them then just tell him he'll get double, what he gives us, on the next raid." I took the top three mugs off the stack and set them out on the table, now I just needed a smaller table.
"I don't even drink though, even Ash doesn't, so why so many?!" Shanna had opened the door and already had one foot out as she asked. I turned away from her so she couldn't see any part of my face; my smile grew wider, I bit down on my left hand to keep from laughing. The fact that I'd suggested getting wasted and that hadn't tipped her off was going to kill me. All I had to do was act like it was my first time drinking when we started and then I'd be clear.
"Well, then tonight's the night that you both started drinking!" Wolf girl popped up off her bed and started pushing her bed off to the side, Shanna didn't even bother closing the door as she shambled out. My own joy must have been rubbing off on Wolf girl. Her pace like that of mine, her own joyus grin, and what looked like determination to make due on her statement seemed to show.
I grabbed a stool that had been off to the side of the fireplace, about as tall as the bed and it looked big enough for the mugs to set on, perfect. I set it where the bed's footrest had originally been, in case we moved the bed back, and repositioned my chair on the side with the fire at my back and Shanna's with her back to the door, Wolf girl could continue to use her bed to sit on.
"You need any help with whatever it is that your doing?" I flopped onto the bed and peered over the side, she was wedging away at a crack in the floorboards with a dagger she had produced from nothingness. Unless she kept one under her dress or maybe between her boobs, like I said, she had'em big.
"Ah, not really, I should have it pried off in a sec." Yet, a second turned into a minute and a minute turned into minutes. Shanna must have been fighting whoever Grandes was since she still hadn't made it back. Actually, how did Shanna even know where to go to find the guy? Unless Wolf girl gave out a tour before I arrived, I was pretty sure we'd be waiting quite sometime before Shanna returned.
"Ya know, I don't think I ever got an apology for getting stabbed in the chest?" Was it wrong to start trouble? Probably.
"And I don't think that we've had sex yet, but you don't hear me complaining." Oh gods, why did I even agree to that.
"Hey," I gave a anxious laugh," so you wanna make a deal. So, maybe, in return for me possibly forgetting that you stabbed me to death, we could totally forget about everything that happened last time. I honestly don't think we could have met on any worse terms."
"I could think of dozens of worse terms we could have met on, I could've of thought of some particularly fun ones to. Like meeting in a tavern, fighting a bunch of trolls, slaying a dragon, maybe some spontaneous sex in Diabella's temple while roleplaying as her priestesses." She looked up from the boards and gave a scandalous lick of the lips before returning to continue her prying of the boards.
"Believe me, getting wasted in a tavern would have been preferable. Fighting trolls, slaying a dragon, and what I'd assume to be your own little fantasy, doesn't sound like a good first time encounter."
"Really, you wouldn't want to go do any of that stuff, not even a bit of roleplaying!?" Her questionable excitement must have worked its way into her hands as the board finally popped up and out of place. Wolf girl dropped the dagger as the leverage disappeared and I pulled up the covers to defend myself as the board went flying towards the ceiling. I gave a shriek of fear, I didn't want to get hit in the head with a piece of wood! The plank hit the ceiling and came shooting right back down from where it popped out.
"Oh shit!" Wolf girl threw herself over the top of the hole, taking the plank right on the back with a loud, THHNNKK! She let out a moan into the hole, that had incited laughter to rise up from me again.
"Jeez, you ok?" I threw the cover off my head and leaned over to watch as she lifted her head out of the hole.
"Perfectly,"she rolled onto her side and rubbed at her back with her right hand," but the wine wouldn't have been if not for myself."
"And so the wine is more valuable than your own life?"
"Well of course not...actually….yeah, nevermind, it kind of is, I didn't even tell you the pain in the arse I went through to get this." She finally reached into her stash, which was almost a stash fit for a pirate, a particularly small time pirate, probably more so a bandit. Besides the long necked bottle she was drawing out; there were dozens of small sacks of golden coins, necklaces and amulets of amber, jade, azule, a dagger that looked as black as the night itself, a couple of wooden jars with their lids still on, and a leather bound book, filled the stash to its brim.
"Your gonna have to kill me before you can touch any of my stash." She slammed the floorboard back into place, breaking my line of sight with her loot.
"You know, you said that Shanna and I were your new masters. I could always just order you to let me take your booty."
"Don't worry Ash, you don't have to order me to let you take my booty, I'll give it to you anytime you want." Yeah, that didn't sound right, and it was my mistake for ever reading books about pirates like Haknir Death-Brand. She got on her elbows and knees and pivoted so her ass was facing me, a turn of the head and a cheeky smile accompanied it. Thank the gods she had been wearing loose clothes, only an outline of the top of her butt was actually clear.
"And here I was thinking you were going to stop after I specifically said to stop being so 'outgoing'." I schootched backwards till my feet dangled off the side of the bed, planting my feet the on the floor before getting off.
"Well, I'm pretty sure you didn't say that, and like I said when we first met, I know you like it. I'll try to tone it down when were in public, but seeing as, unless we leave the castle, I'll be stuck as a wolf most of the time, it shouldn't be a problem." She took the wine bottle and threw it onto the bed before grabbing the bed by its post and dragging it back across the floor to where it originally sat.
"Who's to say that you'll have to stay as a wolf in the castle. It's not like we could just tell my father that you really are just some shape shifter or Illusionists and that your in need of a home. Zarcath joined our court that way, well, minus the illusionist and shape shifter stuff. He'd been an orphan, from what my father says, and father had adopted him as his own. I don't see why we couldn't just pull something like that." I walked back to my chair and sat down, the hardness of the wood suddenly having a profound effect on my butt. "Hey, throw me one of your pillows, would you?"
She crawled up onto the bed and grabbed one of the pillows at the headrest, throwing it hard enough to make me tip the chair back by a bit on impact.
Coming back to the footrest, she propped herself up on her elbows, "I'm sure that'll work perfectly fine! Dearest father, my pet wolf turns out to be a very volupscious woman, can she join our court! Yeah, no, I may not be finely educated, but I've been through enough knowledgeable minds that I can understand why your father wouldn't accept me. I'd assume he'd take me for a spy or maybe a werewolf version of a hagraven!" Her ears spasmed while her tail wiped wildly around, she bared her teeth and flashed her clawed hands at me.
I leaned forward with a grin, "For a person who claims to be "knowledgeable", you spin a pretty crazy sounding tale of a monster."
"You just stick to thinking of me as the crazy dog lady who's horney all the time. I want to be able to see the surprise on your face when I do something crazy smart or crazy awesome!" She threw out her finger in a jabing motion at me trying to exaggerate her speech.
"Well, then how bout we just bring you in as an orphan? Not to be rude, but your already one so it's not like we'd be lying and it wouldn't be that hard to just take you out of the castle as a wolf and then come back in, you wearing some torn up clothes, back in your human form, and just present you to father. I don't think it'd be that hard to persuade him to let you join the court. Like I said, almost like Zarcath."
"And what if I don't want to be apart of his court to begin with, what if I want to be loyal to just you and Shanna?"
"I really don't see any other way for you to be allowed to live in the keep then. You either need to be apart of the court or someone with a pretty hefty title that father's willing to let stay, if you do want to wander around as a yourself."
The cogs in her mind must have started to turn as she gained a distant stare and a frown across her brow. "The dream killer, the wolven goddess, the jarl of dreams, the mistress of the wilds…" her lips mouthing the rest of the titles I couldn't hear.
"No, no, no, father's not going to fall for something as stupid as that, it's not like anyone's ever heard of those titles anyways."
"And just like that, your really helping me prove my point you know, just another idea shot down. Also," she reached her hand to her butt and brought it back up with a very dog like tail," how do you plan to explain this?"
"Fine, so we'll just stick to keeping you in your wolf form, but maybe we could work something out in the future. Also, going back to what you said,what do you mean by, "...loyal to just you and Shanna." I'm having troubles understanding how, with all that's happened in the past day, you feel entitled to be throwing yourself at our feet?
She sat up on the bed, legs criss crossed, a pillow in her lap, "Well, I can tell you something, your completely wrong about me throwing myself at your feet. That must be how my kindness looks to you, but I really don't take kind to the whole hierarchy thingy. But, when I say loyalty, I mean I'll serve you in a….friendly capacity. I've got no blooded family left and you guys are the closests things to friends I've ever had. So, if it means playing submissive in the bed for awhile just to keep you guys, I'll do that."
"Ok, maybe not friends, it's been a few hours, right? At least to me I don't really see you as a friend. I see the other kids in the keep as friends, but even that's a strain to call them that. You and me, I'll go as far as to say we're acquaintances."
"After all I've done for you, and your turning me down." She huffed into the pillow.
"Name one positive thing you've done for me since we've met!?"
"I've offered you my body, isn't that enough!"
"I don't want your body! And what makes you think that giving me your body is a positive thing!?"
"I'm probably one of the hottest girls you've ever met! You can't tell me that having some fun with me wouldn't be a positive thing!"
"Just because your sexy doesn't mean I want to have sex with you!"
"Got you!" She yelled at me with a grin on her face.
"What do you mean you got me! You didn't even name a positive thing you've done!"
"Now I know that you think I'm sexy, it's only a matter of time before I have you begging for me!" She started to maniacally laugh.
"I will never come begging for your body and you can be damn well sure of that."
"Like I said, it's only a matter of time."
"Whatever." So she was going to try and get to my heart through my sex, what a great way to start a friendship! Shanna hadn't even tried to use her body to be my friend, it was only after her parents were kicked out and years had pass did we make any major connection.
I started to intensely stare at wolf girl, just sat and stared at her cheek bones, her dashing red streaks, and bone white hair, all framed by the light of the fireplace.
"Ash….whatcha got cookin in that mind of yours?" I kept still.
"No, no answer, ok, well I guess you won't mind if…", she cupped her hands around her mouth "I STRIP OFF MY CLOTHES!"
"DID SOMEBODY SAY STRIP!" I wiped my head to the door, surprisingly, the voice outside breaking me from Wolf girl's face.
A rush of footfalls, accompanied by a familiar string of laughter, came rushing at the door. THUNK, the door flew open, and a troll of a figure stepped into the room.
"Where's the naked women at!"
"Sorry to disappoint you Grandes, but no boys allowed in my club." Wolf girl said, I looked upon the now illuminated Grandes.
For starters, he was a friging ork, although, he didn't look anything like Moth. Where Moth had short stubes for tusks, Grandes had tusks that almost reached his eyes. Grandes also let his hair grow long and loose, some strands laiden with beads. He was defiantly ripped, wearing only a simple set of brown trousers and leaving anything above the waist to the sight of others. Well, there was a slight similarity he and Moth shared, their light green skin.
"Ah, come on mistress, it has been months since we've had any true fun, just let me join on for the drinking, you won't even know I'm here!" He covered his eyes with his hand and slightly parted his fingers with a smile; two kegs hit the floor with a clatter.
"That's the exact reason I don't want you here tonight. I won't be able to enjoy myself knowing that I'll have to protect our guests from you all night. And please don't damage the goods, we're definitely going to need those tonight."
"Wooohhh!" Shanna slid off Grande's back as the ork leaned over and set the kegs up right. She spun around a few times towards the bed, the trim of her white shirt twirled up an inch to reveal the skin of her stomach. "Oh crap!" She came to her final twirl and started falling towards me and like fast, really fast. Before I could even thrust my hands out to stop her: her face was smashed into my chest.
"FFFUUCCCKK!" My chest flared up in pain; god's damned knife. But instead of pushing Shanna off I clutched her head tighter to my chest thinking the pressure would dull the pain.
"ASH, LET GO!" Shanna's muffled scream sounded, but I still didn't let go. Surprisingly, the pressure was helping but her squirming was annoying.
"Well Grandes, I think it's about time you go." I looked over at Wolf girl who was standing up and moving towards the ork, and then I looked at the ork and knew why she was ushering him out. The man was intimately licking his lips and making some very lewd gestures with his hands.
"NO, PLEASE MISTRESS, JUST FOR TONIGHT!" Wolf girl was actually grappling the ork out of the room, one hand lodged behind his back and the other being forced up into the air.
"NO, NO, AND IF YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME THE FIRST TIME! NNNNOOOO!" She dropped both of his hands and kicked him right in the back and out the open door. The orks exit was followed with the sound of tumbling, the door slamming shut, and a dozen locks locking into place. Wolf girl placed both hands on the door, took in one of the loudest breaths I've ever heard and pushed off.
"OK, so now that the pervs gone, let's get started! Also, you should probably let Shanna go." I looked down, Shanna was completely still in my grasp. Dammit, I let go and her head sat lax against my breast. By the time wolf girl got to her bed Shanna's head started to tilt up.
"Hey Ash," her mismatched eyes became visible,"am I just a toy for women." Her voice came out flat and deathly. I actually laughed, and I wasn't the only one, both Shanna and Wolf girl cracked up. In no time all three of us were wheezing and gasping for air.
"No Shanna, your not just a toy."
"Thanks for the assurance." She got up and moved to her chair, the remnants of joy sprawled across her face.
"Ok, so we only just wasted a crap ton of time, so can we start like right now!" Before I knew it I had a mug thrusted into my hands and a very excited Wolf threatening to kill me if I didn't drink. But after the past day, you didn't need to threaten me to get drunk.
"Do I have to drink, because I'm not really the drinking type?" Wolf girl was mid pour on her own mug when she looked over at Shanna.
"You know this is a dream?"
"So?"
"Soooo if your worried your gonna get a hangover, you can stop your worries now." Oh no, here we go.
"No, it's just that I don't like to drink. I've had both wine and ale before but no matter what the type they've never caught my attention. Don't you have something like water or some juices….something for kids?" I slightly gripped my mug harder and sipped at wine, it tasted just like Moonlight's Shadow, but I was ready for the tension that was about to explode.
Wolf girl had slowly set down her mug and the bottle of wine onto the small stool between us. She looked up at Shanna, an almost painful looking smile plastered on her face. Shanna took to the the defensive and pulled her legs to her chest as she cowered in Wolf girl's stare.
"Well I can assure you that this wine will suit your fancy."
"Please, I'll just take a water." Shanna was squeezed so hard into the chair it looked like it was gonna going flying backwards if she put the rest of her body into it.
"No really, I insist, as your host I strongly suggest that you drink the wine I so graciously provided you with." She finished with a giggle, who the fuck laughs about forcing some to drink.
"Shanna just drink the wine." I said, be it out of the fact wolf girl was probably going to murder us or I was just creeped out, I'd prefer to go back to having a good time.
"Ash you don't even drink!" I broke a slight smile from behind my mug and cut eye contact with her, she was gonna find out sooner or later.
"Wow, how long have you been keeping that from me!"
"Honestly, it isn't that big of a deal, it's not like I'm drinking all the time, it's just on special occasions."
"What do you mean it's not a big deal, you've been lying to me for however gods damn long! If you'd told me you drank than I would have been ok with that, but now I know you were lying to me when I'd ask if you drank!" Oh god, how the tables had turned.
"Ok, I'm sorry I never told you the truth but that's only because I thought this would happen. I didn't want to end up fighting with you on something as stupid as whether or not I drank an ale or two." Shanna continued to stare me down, whatever danger wolf girl was posing wasn't as great as my lie to her.
"So lovebirds, I know you'd really love to keep fighting but we really need to knock this out before it's time to wake up!"
"Are you serious right now, do you really have to be an ass like that." Looks like I was wrong, Wolf girl still managed to make herself the threat.
"If it'll get you to drink yourself loose."
"Honestly, fuck both of you." Shanna picked up the mug and took a long pull, her face turning sour when she finished her pull. Wolf girl, clearly pleased, picked back up her own mug and started drinking.
What followed was what felt like an hour of silence and trying to get shit faced. That entire time, instead of thinking of names, I just kept thinking of how bad I fucked up. It was like my own heart decided to go and stab itself. What I thought had just been a minor lie had turned out to be a major one, I wish I would've told her the truth before she started asking.
If I could get this wasted then there was no way I wasn't going to have a hangover. I couldn't even remember before now and after we drank.
"A-LI-CI-A!"
"NO, IT'S TO LLLOOONNNGG!" I snapped back to the girls, Shanna half bent over the bed and Wolf girl laying down on the bed with a keg clasped to her chest.
I looked down into my mug, empty, where the heck was the other keg? I grabbed the edge of the bed and attempted to stand up, but my legs gave out right after I took my first step. The floor came rushing at me but I threw my hands at it before it could slam into my face. Ok, a bit to drunk, I looked around the floor for the other keg.
"Hoow bout CASSEY!?"
"NO, TO MANY S'S!"
No, to much yelling, I peered over to the fire place where a scatter of small wooden boards laid. Was that the keg, I don't remember anyone destroying it!? I grabbed the edge of the bed and pulled myself up onto it, clawing at the covers to pull my lower half onto it. Fricken legs just shook and gave out anytime I tried pushing up.
"Hear me out, hoow bout, LYDIA!?"
"NO, I MET A LYDIA BEFORE, SHE WAS REALLY NICE!"
After a few strained kicks of my legs I was able to get my whole body onto the bed. I crawled towards wolf girl till I was laying right next to her. I slung a arm over the keg, falling on top of her twined hands.
"CAN I HELP YOU!" She shouted right into my ear.
"I need some more." My voice started to fade, and I could finally feel myself starting to hit my low.
"GIVE ME A NAME AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE KEG!" Just shut up and I'll gladly give you a name. Gods, now I wished I had thought about a name, something not long, doesn't have to many s's, and someone she's never met…..
"Akila." I gripped my fingernails into the cracks of the barrel and started to pull, but she kept her grip on the barrel.
"A-ki-la…" I retracted my hand and let it collapse to my side, she wasn't gonna give up the barrel. In no time I'd already forgotten about the ale and was ready to sleep. Maybe everything will blow over by the morning.