Chapter 10: Choose Wisely

Annita and Bren walked quickly over to the mess hall, crossing the yard of the outpost. Hall was a generous word. It was mostly a building that served as a kitchen and service, next to an open area with a series of wooden benches and long tables. The service area had a menu posted with chalk on a board. Today’s meal included baked potatoes, bread, pork chop, and a dish simply described as “greens”. Drinks were ale or water.

“Not much of a selection, huh?” Ann said to Bren as she grabbed a hammered metal tray.

“No, you will not see such luxuries out here. Once we are back in civilisation, it will be more standard to have options. For now, we take what we are given.”

“Hey, food is food. As long as it’s not bad, I could eat whatever right now,” Ann’s stomach growled in agreement.

“Ho there, you’re a bigun!” came a jovial cry from behind the counter as Ann got to the serving window. A portly man looked up at Ann with a cheerful smile. He was wearing a floppy chef’s hat and a grease stained apron that well suited his position. He had a beaming smile with perfect teeth under a well-trimmed moustache. Annita’s instant comparison was a pudgier Chef Boyardee. “Can’t say I’ve seen such a fine lady your size before. Gotta eat good to keep that figure, yes, you do! Double helping for you, and I won’t be hearin’ any backtalk.” He talked a mile a minute and seemed like he loved every second of it.

“Yessir!” Annita barked back. His enthusiasm was infectious, and the more he talked, the more she could feel a grin spreading across her face. He set her double portion on her tray, and she moved on to grab a drink.

“And for you, young man, you need some meat on those bones. You’re getting extra meat for the muscle. Don’t care if you’re one of those magic types, can’t ignore the body. It’s the foundation for the mind, after all! Strong body, strong mind, my ma always said. Here ya go.”

Bren joined Annita after grabbing his drink, wearing an amused grin. “If only we all could enjoy our work as much as he,” he chuckled. “Now, Kat should already be here somewhere.”

“Over there,” Annita pointed and led the way through the busy tables.

Kat waved as they neared. “Oi, over here!” she called.

After they were seated and had gotten some food in them, Kat handed Annita a backpack. “Here ye go. Got ye a full pack. Yer gonna need one if ye’ll be travelin with us. Got a couple changes of clothes in there too. Two kilts, green and brown, a few sets of small clothes, for men considering you, a few chest wraps to help keep things contained. The shirts are gonna be a bit late, though. Made a request that they be laced up the back. Gonna need some help gettin’ into ‘em, but figure it’ll be more comfortable with yer fur.”

“That's really thoughtful of you. Thank you, Kat.” Annita blushed as she looked through the bag. Everything in there was sturdy and ready for travel.

“Ah think nothin’ of it.” Kat scoffed as she took another big bite of meat.

Conversation lulled for a moment as they continued to chew their food.

Annita broke the silence. “So, I’ve been thinking. Bren, I want to move up us having the conversation about my Path. Would it be all right to talk about it tonight?” She played with a “green” with her fork nervously.

“Are you certain?” he asked, looking worried. “It seems like it will be an important discussion.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Annita sighed, meeting his gaze. “It’s going to be a thing now or later, and it’s better to just get it out of the way now.”

“Then I will happily hear what you have to say,” Bran said with his normal implacable calm.

“Gotcha. Tonight it is.”

“Got somethin’ I’d like tae say too. But, in the meantime, we’ve got some things for ya to do!” Kat said after swallowing the last of her meal. “Yer a fighter, and ye’ve got no weapons, an’ no armour. We’ve gotta fix that.”

“Agreed. The armoury is next, is it not?” Bren took a swig of his ale.

“Aye, then the trainin’ yard. Gotta test out what feels right.”

“Sounds good to me,” Annita said as she wolfed down the last of her double helping of food.

They stood, gathered their things, dropped off their trays, and headed off to another building that had guards posted at the door.

Flashing their badges, Kat and Bren got them in without incident.

The building was large. More of a warehouse, Annita thought as she looked around. There were racks of all sorts of weapons, from daggers to mauls, pistols to a cannon. Everything in there was polished and shone brightly in the lantern light.

“‘Ey, checkin’ in or out?” came a squeaky grunt from behind a counter. A short woman hopped up on a stool. She had long ears like Kat and dark brown skin. Her copper hair was done up in a wild bee’s nest of a bun with a file stuck through it. A small metal plate on the counter read “Quartermaster Pile”.

“Checking out,” Bren replied. “We have a newcomer who is unfamiliar with her speciality. We will need to have her try out a variety of weaponry, if that is permissible?”

“Who’s the newbie? You?” Pile stuck an oily finger at Annita.

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“Knew it. Look like a kid in a sweet shop. What types o’ weapons ya lookin’ fer?”

“Uh, light. My path says I’ve got proficiency with light weapons and small firearms,” Annita explained.

“Huh, woulda thunk someone big as you woulda been packin’ some bigger weapons.” Annita caught a barely contained snicker from Kat. “Oh well, Path’s a Path. Let’s see what we’ve got fer ya.”

Annita followed Pile as she walked around the armoury with a wooden cart, tossing weapon after weapon onto the wooden platform.

“All right, that’s a good enough selection to get you started. Nothin’ fancy, mind, but it’ll keep ya safe and your enemies dead. Go ahead, take the cart. Trainin’ field’s out back. Oh, and here’s some ammunition. Either of you two know how to handle a shooty?” Pile looked at Bren and Kat.

Bren shook his head, and Kat made a so-so gesture with her hand.

Pile sighed, eyes closed and ears drooping with the motion. “All right, quick run through. First rule, fucker is ALWAYS loaded. Shit’s not a toy, and you’ll get your friends killed if you treat it like one, or yourself. Point is, it’s dangerous. Second rule, only put yer finger on that trigger if you are ready to kill summat. Otherwise, that claw o’ yers better stay up and away. Third rule, goes with the first two, only point the damn thing at somethin’ ya wanna kill. Don’t point it anywhere else. Stops mistakes, keeps people unperforated. Last, these suckers,” she held up a bullet, “can go through whatever yer shootin’ at. Make fuckin’ sure that what it hits isn’t anythin’ you don’t want dead, too. There’d be more if you were the settled types, but not relevant to you adventurin’ folk. I want you to repeat all of that back to me before you get goin’.” Pile craned her neck to look directly into Annita’s eyes.

Despite her smaller stature, Annita felt significant pressure exuding from the woman as she repeated the instructions back, albeit in less colourful language.

“Good enough,” Pile grunted. “Now get out. Got more inventory to work on. Holler when ya finish up, and we’ll do all the boring paperwork.” The small woman turned and disappeared back into the warehouse.

“She’s fun,” Annita chuckled as they made their way back to the training yard.

“Aye, knows what she’s talkin’ about, too. Surprised someone as competent as she seems is all the way out ‘ere.” Kat said as she unloaded the weapons onto waiting tables. “Might be the attitude, though. She probably pissed off someone who couldn’t handle a bit o’ cursin’. All right, Annita. Here’s yer lot. Take yer pick and see what feels good.”

“Any advice?” Annita asked.

“I have none. I will simply be observing.” Bren said, finding a seat up against the building.

“Nah, not really. It’s a feel thing. Just try ‘em all, see what fits. With yer Path I’ve got a feelin’ ye’ll gravitate toward somethin’ specific.”

Annita took a look at the spread. There was an assortment of blades laid next to the firearms. There were various types of daggers, larger knives, a machete-like blade, smaller swords, a scimitar, a couple of handaxes, and even some clubs.

“I guess I’ll start with the melee ones first?” She said, picking up a dagger. It felt tiny in her hand, but she figured it was best to make sure. Walking over to a stuffed dummy that was set up next to several others, she took an experimental stab. It pierced the fabric easily and thunked into the post. “Eh, don’t feel like this is much better than my claws.”

“Aye, ye probably want somethin’ bigger,” Kat called from the table.

Annita was turned away, but she could hear the grin in her voice. She walked back and picked up a shortsword. Swinging it through the air, she liked how it felt in her hand. Taking a few swings at the dummy felt good. The extra reach was nice, the weight felt good. She liked it. Stepping back to the table, she set it aside and ran her hand over the other weapons. Her hand eventually drifted over a sword of similar length to the shortsword, but with a slight curve. It had a single edge, a sharp point, and a cupped guard. Something about it pulled her to it. “What’s this one?”

“Tha’? Tha’s a falchion. Good fer slashin and stabbin. Single-edged, so ye can put yer weight behind it if ya want. Ye like it?”

“I’m not sure if like is the right word,” Annita mumbled as she lifted and examined the sword. “It just feels right?”

“Ah, think yer gettin’ some guidance there. Give ‘er a whirl.” Kat gave her a confident grin before Annita turned back to the dummy.

Annita swung, cutting through the fabric and padding easily. The impact of the sword on the wood hit her arm, but didn’t jar her at all. She took a few more swings, getting used to the weight, and then tried what Kat had suggested. She swung, then pushed on the back of the blade with her other forearm. Annita let out a shocked gasp as she heard the wood snap as the sword broke through the beam.

“Oh, ho ho! Yeah, I think ye’ve got yer weapon there, lass.” Kat cheered as Annita collected herself.

“Guess so,” Annita said, looking up at the sword. She walked back over and handed it to Kat.

“Now the guns.”

“Guns? Oh, the firearms. Yeah. Sorry, but I don’ have much experience with ‘em. This’ll be on you.”

“Should be fine. I think.” Annita said as she looked over the spread. There were a few flintlocks, wheel locks, and a couple of others she didn’t recognise. There was one that was pretty much a standard revolver, from what she could tell. She didn’t know guns that well, but figured she could use it well enough. Plucking it from the pile, she fumbled with the cylinder release until she figured it out and popped it open. Taking a couple of bullets from the box provided, she slotted them into the chambers and closed it back up. Making sure it was pointed down and she wasn’t touching the trigger, she walked over to an area that had a couple of other people practising with their own weapons.

“Oh man, better hearing is going to suck for this,” she groaned as she took aim at one of the free targets and squeezed the trigger. The kick went up her forearm, which bent at the elbow from the force of the shot, but didn’t travel further. Looking back at the target, she’d hit it. Not a great shot, but it made contact. Annita took three more shots, getting more used to the kick and aiming with each pull of the trigger. She shouldn’t be this good with the weapon already. She knew this. Ears ringing, she shouted back at Kat, “Hey, do skills help with weapons?”

“Aye, they don’t magically make ye a master, but they speed up the process. Ye’ll be shootin’ like a champ if ye keep it up,” she said back.

“What?” Annita called back, cupping an ear.

“Ah shit. We’re gonna need tae get that thing quieted fer ya,” Kat grumbled to herself and Bren. “Put ‘er down and c’mere!” she shouted.

Opening the cylinder and removing the shells, Annita walked over to them.

“I shoulda known the hearin’ woulda been a problem fer ya. There’re some enchantments that’ll make the thing quieter, but they’re a custom job. We’d have to get lucky and make it a rush order. ‘Ere, stuff some o’ this in yer ears for now, Bren an’ I’ll see what we can scrounge up.” Kat handed Annita some cotton, which she gratefully put in her ears. The fibres against the fur felt weird, but it was for the best. “Keep practicin’ both o’ yer weapons while we look. We’ll return the rest back tae the Quartermaster.”

Annita nodded and turned back to the firing range, deciding she needed the most time practising with the revolver.

Annita improved significantly with the revolver and could reliably fire from both a single-handed stance and her hip. Being right-handed, she’d started with her right hand, but realised she couldn’t do so with her sword out as well. She’d taken the rest of her time to practice with the sword in her right hand and the unloaded gun in her left. Sweat was dripping down her face, and the sun was getting low when Bren and Kat returned. Wiping her brow, she caught an appreciative look from the Alfhindurn.

“Good news. We got lucky. There’s someone in town who can do the mufflin’ enchant fer ya. Bad news is it costs a good bit. Bren an’ I chipped in, but we had tae take a good bit o’ yer share from the wolves tae cover it. We’ve got food covered for all o’ us, so the rest o’ yer money’s likely going to buyin those.” Kat gestured to the falchion and revolver.

“Oh right, money. How does that work?” Ann asked as she pulled out the cotton she’d forgotten in her ears.

“We are a coin-based economy,” Bren explained. “It ranges from gold to copper, more expensive to less.” He flicked a coin to Ann. A Copper, it seemed. It was hexagonal and thin. On one side, it had the symbol of the kingdom, and on the other, a set of two crossed battle axes stamped into it. “They are the symbol of the kingdom, and the weapons of the current queen. It is a simple system. Ten Coppers to an Iron, ten Irons to a Silver, ten Silvers to a Gold. To give you a point of reference, a night at a standard inn would cost one iron. Food and drink would be around five coppers.”

“Uh huh.” Annita could at least figure out the system from role-playing games, but she’d need time to accustom herself to the scale.

“Well, let’s get ye sorted an’ get a couple o’ rooms,” Kat said, patting Annita on the shoulder.

Walking back inside, they greeted Quartermaster Pile.

“Oh, you lot again. So, how’re ya liking those two?” Pile leaned over the counter, barely clearing it to stare at Annita’s weapons of choice.

“They’re good. I like the falchion, nice, light, but sturdy too. Revolver is nice and easy to use.”

“Oh, yeah, it sure is. Bitch and a half to reload, but you’ll get used to it. Probably some Skill down the line for it too. Who the fuck knows? If you like ‘em, that’ll be an Iron each, and five coppers for thirty basic rounds. Advise keepin' some in a pocket if you have any. Just in case.”

“Sounds good. Thanks for the advice.” Ann said as Kat walked up and paid for the weapons. Pile took both from Ann, grabbed a sheath and holster, stowed the weapons, and handed them back to her.

“Don’t go dying out there. Take good care of your tools, and they’ll take good care of you. Now git. You’re holding up the line.” Pile huffed as she motioned them to the door.

Annita looked at her, bewildered, as they left the otherwise empty armoury.

Dinner was another filling, if not flavorful, meal. Meat Annita had no idea what animal it came from, some kind of root vegetable that was close to a carrot, more bread, and ale again.

Once they were all seated, they ate in relative quiet. Annita was nervous about the talk she promised Bren, and nervous about revealing who she was to Kat. She’d decided if the Path was coming out, and if both of them seemed committed to helping her out after learning of her quest, then she’d tell them the rest of the story.

Kat sidling up to her broke her concentration. “So, good lookin, not gonna buy me a drink ‘ere?”

“Wha, huh? Here? I thought we were only staying a day? I thought you wanted, like, a date?” Annita could feel her cheeks heating up as Kat’s smell wafted up to her from the proximity. She smelled like the earth, and a nice bit of natural body odour that sent a shiver up her spine. It drew her in as much as she tried to resist her instincts.

“I mean, aye, that’s the plan. Just teasin’. Yer too easy, lass,” Kat laughed, still leaning against her shoulder. “Ah, ye blush easier than ol’ Bren here when a lady fancies ‘im. Can’t figger out what to say with that giant vocabulary o’ his.”

“I can speak. I will have you know,” Bren retorted. “You’re just so forward that you’ve never had someone take you off guard.”

As he spoke, Annita spied a hint of a blush creep up his neck, confirming the lie to his words as surely as his verbal contractions did.

Kat took things a step forward and wrapped her arm around Annita’s waist. “Oh aye, can’t be taken off guard if yer the one on the offensive. That’s just logic.”

“Hey, I’m still here,” Annita laughed as she pushed Kat away. “Though she’s right, Bren. Easiest way to be on solid footing is to take the advantage. Like so.”

She suddenly wrapped an arm around Kat and easily lifted the woman into her lap.

“How’s that?” Annita grinned roguishly down at Kat, whose eyes had flown wide at the sudden movement.

“I, uh, yeah, uh huh. Like that.” Kat was flustered! Annita felt a rush course through her as she realised the reaction she’d provoked. She absolutely loved how it was the tips of her ears that colored first. “I uh, I think I made my point,” Annita said as she quickly shifted Kat back beside her and off of the growing erection she was desperately trying to hide. Saying an inner prayer that Kat hadn’t felt anything, she took a huge bite of bread to stop herself from saying anything else.

Bren looked at them both with a gaze that radiated smugness, but kept his silence as he finished his meal.

Kat did similarly to Annita, but Annita could feel her gaze darting in her direction frequently.

Finishing their meal, they took a brief stop to clean themselves from the grime of having travelled for a few days, got changed, checked in at the local mercenary lodging, and gathered in the girls’ room.

“So, uh, I guess I’ll start then?” Annita said, rocking on the bed anxiously and hugging her furry knees. “Kat already knows all of this, so yeah. Would it be easier to tell you, or do you want me to show you my sheet?”

“To be honest,” Bren said from his cross-legged seat on the floor, “I’d prefer you tell me. Sharing something by showing is generally seen as an intimate gesture, and, no offence, I do not feel that way toward you.”

“No, no. No offence taken,” Annita sighed, looked to Kat, who was seated on the other bed, and steeled herself. “All right, well, my Path is called ‘Warrior of Orenous’. It seems to be a rogue-based Path from what Kat and I have been able to figure out. Big single hits that cost one of my resources. One of them uses Mind, like what I gather normal magic uses, but the others use apparently unique resources, Libido and Desire.”

Bren’s eyes widened as he stared at her incredulously. Wordlessly, he turned to Kat, who nodded affirmation. “That’s inconceivable. How? Who are you?”

“So, there’s a bit of a story to that, but I’d like to talk about the whole Orenous thing first. It’ll help make the rest of it make sense. Maybe. I fucking hope.” Annita sighed again as she tightened her hold on her knees. “Before I met you two, I met her.”

“No fuckin’ way. You met Orenous? You met a goddess?” Kat blurted.

“Shhh, I don’t want to announce this to the world, ok? There’s kinda a reason I didn’t tell you two from the start, and I promise that I’ll get to it.”

“Ok, sorry. Just, hell of a bombshell to drop on us, girlie.” Kat sat back again.

“Well, probably not the only one tonight. Anyway. Yeah, I met her. We talked for a while about the world and, more specifically, the Seeds. She told me they were corrupted, cut off from the Gods’ influences, and that something was fucking with anything in or near them. None of the Gods could investigate since they were cut off, so she decided to task me with figuring out what was going on and fix it if possible.”

Annita paused, looking at her companions for their reactions. Bren had recovered slightly from his shock and wore a stern face of contemplation. Kat, on the other hand, had stood and was pacing between the beds.

“Holy balls, ‘at’s a big job to ask o’ someone,” Kat said, breaking the silence. “Humanity’s been pokin’ around the Seeds for a damn long time, and none of the stories I’ve read hinted at any progress on a source o’ the Warped.”

“Neither have any of the histories I have read,” Bren concurred. “A divine mission to try to unravel what millennia of men have tried and failed at. There have been numerous theories on the subject. That the Gods themselves were to blame, that an ancient curse was put upon Their creations, that there was a traitor God taking their domains. None could be confirmed. Knowing that you have spoken to one of them is something momentous. Clerics and priests of every temple have received guidance and blessings from their respective Gods. However, the guidance was vague at best and unintelligible at worst.”

“Well, that’s going to suck for getting more information then.” Annita sighed, leaning back.

“So, what was she like?” Kat asked suddenly.

“Huh?” Annita looked up at her stupidly.

“Orenous! Ye met the goddess of love, beauty, connections, fuckin’. What was she like?” Kat huffed, exasperated, and sat down again.

“Oh, uh, well, she was gorgeous, of course. She had this wavy platinum blonde hair. I’d describe her face as more cute and comely than drop dead gorgeous? Lots of freckles, cute chin, nice soft features, though for some reason I can’t remember her eyes? I think they were green, but something keeps me from remembering.”

“Eyes are said to be the window to the soul. That is probably for your benefit,” Bren guessed.

“Yeah, ok, her face is nice, what ‘bout the rest of ‘er? How was her ass?”

“Kat!” Bren exclaimed. “That is nearing blasphemy!”

“As if that Goddess out of all of ‘em is gonna care if someone talks about her bits,” Kat retorted.

“Ok, so that part was drop dead gorgeous. Like, perfection. Perfect pale skin, perfect breasts, wide and full hips. She was sitting the whole time, so I can’t really say much about her butt,” Kat threw her hands up in frustration, “but she was absolutely a Goddess of beauty. She may have had to grab my attention a few times when she caught me staring and not listening.”

“Some people get all the luck,” Kat grumbled. “Well, shit. I expected this tae be a big reveal o’ some sort, but that takes the cake. Shit, my secret seems like fuckin’ nothin. Ya ready fer it?” She asked Annita.

She nodded back, waiting.

“I’m a fuckin’ princess.”

“Bullshit.”

“Nae. Swear to the Gods. Should I swear to Orenous now? Things I never thought I’d ask. Fuck! I need a drink. I need several. Bren, d’ya think they’ll let us snag a bottle o’ wine? I’m checking. Be right back.” She left quickly, stomping down the stairs to the main floor. It wasn’t even a minute before she was back with a bottle. She wrenched the cork free with her teeth and poured into their camp cups that Bren had retrieved from the packs.

“Ok, sorry, princess?” Annita resumed her question.

“Aye, middle kid o’ the Farragher royal family. Mum’s the Queen, da’s the King. Grew up in the big ol’ Palace Under the Mountain.”

“Bren, she’s telling the truth, right?” Annita turned to hopefully the one she could count on to be the voice of truth.

“She is telling the truth, yes,” he responded matter-of-factly. “Third child of the Farragher household. Princess of the Korvas Kingdom. You may have inferred, but my family and hers are rather close. Our parents met at a ball by chance, and they made fast friends over their discussions on magic theory. Father tells the tale frequently. Kat and I have been like siblings despite our age difference.’

“But, where’s the courtly decorum? The propriety? The gowns and all that?” Annita asked, completely bewildered.

“Ye won’t catch me dead in one o’ those stuffy things again. I’ll fight ye if ya even try,” Kat growled as she drained her cup and poured another. “Da and I always fought o’er that. Ma cares as little as I do. Eventually, we just came to an agreement that it didn’t suit me and tha’ was tha’.”

“I pulled a fucking princess into my lap at dinner,” Annita groaned as she drained her own cup. It was a sweet wine, one she could drink copious amounts of easily. Dangerous.

“Aye, sure fuckin’ did. Did ye hear ‘er complain, either?” Kat grinned mischievously back. “Title don’t change who I am. Don’t ye be one of ‘em that lets it change who I am to you. Ya ken?”

“I, sure. Fine. Holy shit.” Annita took a moment to collect herself. Bren drank his wine, but in far less quantity than Kat and Annita did. “So, Bren, back to the Path thing. I do want you to know that my two unique resources are explicitly sexual in nature. Desire requires ‘relations’ with a trusting partner.”

“I will stop you there. I have no interest in you.” Bren said sternly.

“Yeah, that’s fine. I don’t really have any interest in you either, at least in that way. Uh, no offence.”

“None was taken,” Bren said, relaxing a little.

“I just want you to understand that it seems like this is going to be a theme for my Path, and want to make sure that’s not a deal-breaker for you if we continue to travel together.” Annita took another long drink from her cup, handing it to Kat for a refill.

“That is fine. It is certainly an unconventional Path; however, unique can mean powerful. As long as you do not try to involve me in any lascivious activities, I will continue to journey with you. I assume you are already on board with all of this, Katlyn?”

Kat sputtered in her cup when she heard her full name. “Oh, aye. I am. Honestly? Ready to get more involved than ye are, but I’ve laid me guidelines out on how I want this relationship to start.”

“Definitely,” Annita agreed. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders as they talked. She didn’t realise she was dreading this conversation as much as she had been. Bren was a good man, and it’d be a shame to run him off with something she couldn’t control. “So, you two all right with me tagging along with you?”

“You taggin’ with us? Lass, we gonna be taggin’ along with you soon enough. But yeah, I’m in. Bren said ‘e’s in and ‘e don’ change his min’ once ‘e makes his mind up.” Kat’s words were starting to slur a little, and Annita grabbed the cup from her.

“I think that’s enough for now,” she said, handing the cup to Bren. “With that settled, I have one more secret here. This is a big one. Probably more unique than the Orenous thing.”

Kat flopped back on the bed and groaned. “Fine, wha’ever ye’ve got. Lay it on me.”

“So I’m not an amnesiac whatsoever. I remember everything about my life. It’s just that I’m from the past. Like before the Gods, past. I think Orenous said it was about five thousand years ago or so. And this?” Annita raised her hands and wiggled her fluffy ears. “This isn’t my original body. I used to be human, as you can be. I was stuck in a coma. Kinda like being dead, but still being alive. I was in a hospital when the Gods came back, and everything apparently went to shit. Orenous happened to plop her Seed down in the area and kept an eye on me. Said she felt something about me. When the Warping thing started, she did her best to protect me from it. Couldn’t stop all of it, so now I look like this.” She spread her arms wide to emphasise her Lupine features. “It’s probably why my race is listed as Lupine (Warped). Still really not sure what that’s about. Another mystery of my existence. Then at the end of the talk, she said she’d made my body walk to the mansion you found me in, and you guys know the rest.”

Once she was done with the abridged version of her story, Annita flopped back on her own bed. “Questions?” she asked the ceiling.

“What the fuck?” she heard Kat say from the other side of the room.

“Oh, yeah, agreed. What the fuck. I don’t even know what the fuck, is how fucked it is.”

Annita giggled, then laughed, and kept laughing. Soon, she heard Kat joining in the laughter. Even Bren had a few chuckles.

“We’ve got a lot of walking to do tomorrow. How about we talk about it more on the road?” Annita suggested.

“Aye, sounds good tae me.” Kat said, her voice trailing off as the alcohol dragged her down.

“Yes, that is acceptable. Now, if you will excuse me, I will take this and bid you a good night.” Bren grabbed the bottle and closed the door gently behind him.

After a few minutes of silence, Kat sat up on her elbows. “Ye need tae handle yerself again, don’t cha?”

“I, yeah, I do. Don’t want to run into whatever happens when I cap out on Libido.” Annita sighed.

“Gods, why the fuck did I have to want to do this right?” Kat moaned, flopping back down. “I’d help ya otherwise.”

“You would?” Annita asked, a little surprised.

“Aye, yer good lookin’. More than that.” As she spoke, her voice got quieter and quieter. “Gods know I like ye.”

Her last words were a whisper before Annita heard the soft, steady rhythm of the Alfhindur sleeping.

“Gods, she’s cute when she’s drunk, and tired, and everything,” Annita said to herself. “All right, let’s deal with this and get some sleep.”

She stood and quietly left the room, heading to a lavatory to sate her ever-growing libido.