Chapter 9: The Outpost

According to Kat and Bren, their going had been progressing fairly well. By the time they made camp, they were within another day’s walk to the outpost. Thankfully, it had just been the one pack of Twinwolves that day. However, Annita had heard several others in the woods. They were mostly steering clear for now.

Deep in the night, Annita woke herself and wandered away to handle her rising Libido. It was nice that it was almost a full day between having to release the pent-up tension, but still inconvenient, no matter how much she enjoyed the maintenance. There was something primal in her that just loved being outdoors, in these dark woods, and revelling in her own pleasure. Gods above, she would love to share that experience with someone.

Kat was interested; she had little doubt but was holding off for some sense of propriety. Annita thought she got a more relaxed feeling from the woman, especially around her sexuality, but she guessed there was more than she could sense.

Closing her eyes and sitting against a tree, she lost herself to the pleasures of the flesh. It was still as strong as it had been that first morning in the mansion, but she could control herself a little better and, with some effort, drew out the experience.

After what felt like a few minutes, the inevitable conclusion to Annita’s nightly ministrations concluded with a shower of pearly cum jetting across the snow in front of her pulsing cock. She was panting and slightly sweaty but felt incredibly relaxed. She took a few minutes to recover, feeling her hearing coming back from the roar of blood that usually filled them while she was masturbating.

Despite the darkness, the woods were alive and filled with sounds. Small rodents shuffling through the snow, nocturnal birds flapping here and there. It was a comforting feeling to be so relaxed in nature. Annita wasn’t quite sure if this feeling was from her new Lupine nature or just something she hadn’t had a chance to feel in her past life. Either way, she loved it.

Sighing, Annita retrieved her discarded skirt, buckled the belt, and returned to camp. Kat and Bren were where she left them, though Kat seemed to have shifted in her sleep while she was gone.

Annita smiled to herself. She was lucky it was these two who had found her. They were both good people, willing to help her, even if it was to help themselves as well. She’d made more of a connection with Kat after sparring with her and sharing her Path, but Bren was becoming endearing as well. He came off a bit awkward, but after a couple of days and seeing how Kat interacted with him, she was fairly sure that was just him getting used to a new person. She could understand that. He was an incredible source of information and did not mince words with magical knowledge.

Annita settled back onto her blanket, the cold that froze the other two a pleasant chill to her, and drifted back to sleep.

They broke camp early and headed out, just like the previous day. Kat seemed more tired than the day before. Annita worried she was stressing over keeping her safe. She really needed to get stronger for that reason alone.

Setting out, it was a fairly quiet morning. Nothing hostile showed itself, though Kat showed her tracks of the elk/bear hybrid she’d told her about.

It was almost midday when Annita heard the clanking of metal and human footsteps that weren’t their own. Two voices spoke back and forth, one gruff and baritone, while the other was a feminine voice, though similarly rough.

“People up ahead,” Annita said as she kept walking.

Stopping for a moment, Kat listened as well. Annita still loved watching her long ears twitch when she paid attention to them. They weren’t quite as agile as her wolf ears, but you could tell when she was listening intently.

“I don’t hear ‘em yet. Must be at the limit o’ yer hearin. What do they sound like?” She looked at Annita with an unusually intense stare, her icy eyes fixing the Lupine in place.

“Uh, rough? One man, one woman. I think I can hear boots? Some kind of metal, too. They’re not trying to be quiet, but I can’t hear what they’re saying yet.”

Annita watched Kat visibly relax. “Oh, tha’s good then. Prolly a patrol from the outpost. Let’s go meet up with ‘em. Which way?”

Annita pointed the way and followed as Kat and Bren led. About five minutes later, they came upon the pair patrolling the area. They had arrived behind the pair, so the initial impressions were from their backs.

One was a shorter humanoid covered in hair more than skin. They carried a double-headed axe over one shoulder and wore a leather-studded set of armour. The other was much taller, maybe on a level with Kat, and carried a longsword sheathed across their back. Their equipment was heavier, with a chain main doublet and what looked like a reinforced kilt.

“Greetings!” Bren called out.

The two turned immediately, weapons in hand and ready for a fight. Annita instinctively braced for an attack, but the patrol made no further moves.

“Identify yourselves,” the feminine voice she’d heard earlier called out. Turns out she was the shorter of the two. What Annita would probably be wrong in calling a Dwarf.

“I hail you as Bren Hedera. Scout of the King’s legions. My compatriot Katlyn is of the same designation. We are escorting our third who we found in the no-man’s-land. Kat and I have our badges to prove our claims.”

As he spoke, both Kat and Bren took badges from their clothing. They were simple metal discs, each emblazoned with a dead tree, its many branches spreading in an arc over a mountain below it.

“Emblem o’ the Kingdom,” Kat explained quietly as she held hers aloft.

After taking a moment to view the presented credentials, the two soldiers lowered their weapons and approached. The taller man removed his helmet, and Annita was surprised to see blue skin over a bald head. He was a handsome guy, but a grisly scar that ran diagonally across his face slightly marred it, along with the missing chunk of his nose from the same wound.

“Guards Alvaro and Hazel, patrolling these parts. Guessin’ you three are headed back to the outpost, yeah?” Alvaro greeted them gruffly.

“Aye, we were a sledge team, three o’ us. Ran into a right nasty Warped what saw fit to relieve us o’ the transportation an’ the life of our mate.”

At the news, Alvaro’s eyes fell. “Sorry to hear that. We’ve been getting some reports here and there of more dangerous monsters, but not from credible enough sources to lead a hunt. You finish the thing off?”

“Nae. At least not that I can confirm. Fucker went off a cliff with the sledge wrapped ‘round it. Heard it hit rocks, but it got me leg on the way past. Ol’ Bren patched me up, though.” She patted Bren’s shoulder appreciatively, which he shrugged off.

Not one for praise, Annita observed.

“Well, we’ll keep our eyes out,” Hazel said. “Any specific tracks to look for on it?”

“A variety. It had several legs, some of which were human hands, others paws, others hooves. If you find what appears to be a herd of different animals moving too close together, that is likely it.” Bren reported.

“Gotcha. Well, you all best be getting to the outpost. It’s not far. ‘Bout an hour more west of here. Should make it in time for lunch if you keep a good pace.” Hazel said as she stood back. “Captain Gwidon’s in charge of this location. You’ll all be in good hands. Oh, and welcome to the Kingdom, newcomer.” With a wave to Annita, Hazel and Alvaro turned and continued their patrol.

They apparently made excellent time. In about three-quarters of an hour, as best Annita could guess, the wooden walls of the outpost came into view.

“All right. There she is.” Kat huffed. “Yer new to everythin’ so let us do the talkin’ for this first bit. Once we’ve got ye at least informally registered as a citizen, ye’ll be more free to move around.”

“You don’t think there’ll be any problems, right?” Annita asked nervously. “You’ve seen what my race is listed as.”

“Eh, it’ll raise some eyebrows fer sure. I think we can smooth it over, though. Yer clearly of sound mind, ye’ve fought the monsters alongside us. We’ll vouch fer ye.” Kat squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

“Yes, it would not sit right with me for you to be cast out after seeing you in action. I still do have questions as well.” Bren offered. It was a colder response, but Annita figured he meant well.

As they neared the gate, Bren and Kat went through a similar exchange they’d had with the patrol. They offered their badges and identification, exchanged words, and the patrol shortly ushered them through the gate. Annita kept her head on a swivel as they walked into the encampment. It seemed to be able to house a good amount of people, and there were soldiers everywhere she looked, going about their tasks. Up on the walls, bowmen stood, keeping an eye on the fields and forest around them. She thought she spotted what might have been a mage as well. The woman had long robes and no visible weapon.

Their group was escorted to the Captain’s quarters directly. It was a small, square building with a sloping roof and two small windows on the front. It bore no embellishment besides the Kingdom’s emblem above the door.

Knocking, the guard escorting them announced himself and entered. Annita heard a muffled exchange through the door before they were bade enter by a deep voice.

The inside of the room was as bare as the exterior. Wood panelling the walls, floor, and ceiling. In the centre of the room was a large table with a map of what Annita assumed was the Kingdom placed upon it. Towards the back, a large desk stood, covered in papers and books. To their left and right were several cabinets of more papers and items Annita could only guess at.

Captain Gwindon was a grizzled man in his later years. Human, from the looks of it, with short grey hair and a mess of stubble covering his face. He looked every bit the old war veteran Annita had seen in a dozen movies. He wore what she thought might be a dress uniform. It was black with silver trimming and buttons down the front. On the shoulders were epaulettes with several patterns she had no idea the meaning of.

“Welcome back, soldiers,” he greeted them. “Report.”

Annita stood awkwardly as Kat went through the events of the past few days. She learned a bit more about their fallen comrade, Artyom, and the chase they’d gone through before meeting her.

No wonder they were so touchy in the mansion, Annita thought. That was literally an hour before.

Kat mercifully omitted the lewder portion of their meeting, but kept enough that the Captain understood that she was a relatively unknown entity.

“Understood. Thank you, Katlyn, Bren,” the old man grunted as he stood. He turned and rummaged through a cabinet and pulled out a metal rod. Turning, he approached Annita.

“You, Annita, are an unknown. I don’t like unknowns in my fort. You will submit to an identification, or you will be removed from this location.” There was no room for disagreement in his voice.

“Ann, it’s fine. He’s just gonna take a look tae make sure yer not some beastie in disguise, or some foreign saboteur. Just hold still.”

Annita looked from Kat to the rod in Gwindon’s hand. Bracing herself, she stood to her full height and nodded down to the man to continue. “Go ahead.”

Raising his arm, he flicked a section of the rod into movement. It spun with a blue glow that spread up its length.

“Oh, and there’ll be another flash," Kat warned her too late, as Annita’s vision went white for a split second before returning.

“Please, please, let me know if that’s going to happen again,” Annita whined as she rubbed her eyes.

“Huh.” Gwindon lowered the identification rod, but did not relax at all. “Annita, you will explain your situation to me here and now. Warped being appended to your Race could mean several things, but I want to hear it from you first.”

Annita looked to Kat, then Bren nervously, her ears lowering and tail drooping with nerves. “Uh, ok. The unfortunate thing is, I don’t know much about my situation. First thing I remember was waking up in the snowdrift as Katlyn explained. Everything since has been a new discovery for me. No memories of where I came from, who I was, or how I got there.”

“Strange, very strange,” the Captain grunted. He turned and retook his seat at the desk. “A few more questions before I dismiss you three. First of all, you two vouch for her, I assume?” He leaned forward on an elbow, gesturing to Kat and Bren with a quill.

“Aye, we do.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, a point in her favour. Now you,” Gwindon turned the feather on Annita, “any feelings of unexplained anger? Urge to commit violence? Dark thoughts you can’t explain?”

“Not that I can think of? Only thing that came close was adrenaline after fighting the Twinwolves. It was a rush, uh, sir.” Annita moved to stand between Kat and Bren as the interrogation continued.

“Good, usually the first sign of someone turning. Any noticeable unexplained pain in any of your limbs or body?”

“No, sir. I feel normal as I can be,” Annita declared.

“Understood. I’ll still need you to visit the medical building for an examination to rule out anything you three may have missed. Once that is complete, you will be provided a citizen’s badge, allowing you free movement within the Kingdom. This will not grant you access to restricted areas or any military facilities. If you wish to be granted access, you will either need to sign up as a conscript or as an affiliated mercenary.” Gwindon leaned back in his chair, a tired look falling over him. “My recommendation would be to enlist; however, I am a military man, and your path is yours to choose. Katlyn, you and your team are dismissed. See the quartermaster for your payment on the Twinwolf kills.”

Katlyn performed a surprisingly proper salute and led them from the building.

“Well, that went well. Feelin’ all right, Ann?”

“Yeah, as I can be. He seems all right, just cautious,” Ann said with a long sigh of relief.

“Most men in his position will be of the same attitude. Shall we? The medical facilities will be this way.” Bren gestured to a larger square building.

Taking a wider, less hurried look around, Annita realised all the buildings were made like this. Function over form ruled the small place.

“You two head out an’ get that handled. I’ll go collect our pay,” Kat said, turning to head in another direction. She stopped and turned after a couple of steps. “Oh, yeah, Ann. Pants or kilt?”

“Wha’?”

A wide grin spread over Kat’s face as she watched Annita fumble her words. “Clothes, ya dafty. Unless yer good with me shoddy craftsmanship?”

“Oh! Right! Um,” Annita scratched behind her ear, thinking for a moment. “I guess the kilt feels fine for now, and a shirt, please. Something a little more covering.”

“Aye, I can work with that. I’ll see you two at the mess hall?”

“That sounds appropriate,” Bren responded, waving as he ushered Annita over to the medic.

The process took longer than she’d have liked and was a bit more invasive than she expected. It was what she’d call a full physical back in her time. The female medic blushed furiously when Annita dropped her skirt, and the poor woman came eye to eye with the flaccid five inches of girlcock. She had to give the woman credit, Annita supposed, for despite the rose-red cheeks and fluster, she maintained her professionalism and completed the examination without comment.

“All right, hon, you’re good to go. Captain sent over a citizen’s badge to give ya once the exam was done. You’re free to go and meet your friends. Stay safe out there.” She handed a polished wooden medallion like Kat and Bren’s. Carved into one side were the same tree and mountain, but the other side was blank. “If you ever go about making yourself a family crest, that’s what goes there. Take good care of it. Until the registration paperwork gets back to the capital, it’s the only thing declaring you a citizen.”

“Thanks. I definitely will.” Annita awkwardly dressed herself again and walked out to meet up with Bren. She found him talking to another healer, but he broke off the conversation as she approached.

“So, lunch?” Annita asked, as her stomach growled loudly.

Much to her surprise, Bren chuckled at the sound. “Yes, I do believe that is overdue. This way.”