Chapter Text
A menacing white orb, with a fleshy scar striking through its center. The vein of carnage traveled down, tearing into the beasts maw. Sharp ivory and darkened gums gleamed through the gaping hole. “See something you like, healer boy?” the creature suddenly spoke. Norton shifted in his seat and shook his head. “I'm not completely blind in this eye, you know.” Her torn visage bent up into a smile.
“Sorry, didn't mean to stare,” Norton replied cautiously. His eyes meandered over to the campfire in front of him.
It had been the second night of their trip. Norton, a freshly trained human medic had sought work with a couple of beast-men. Or in his case, beast-women. They weren't his first choice, though his status as a plain human made him an easy hire. Delicate hands without the prickly furs or hardened, bumpy scales, and the lack of sharp killing claws had set humans on a pedestal for servitude. Norton hadn't spent much time around the beast folk, but his first job was going well enough. It was easy, a simple courier delivery. Though he knew it was basically a test run and he was under serious scrutiny.
“Ms. Ava, how far until the next town?” Norton asked. He rubbed his hands together and presented them to the fire.
The scarred wolf smirked. “Don't you have anything else to ask, dear?” She shifted on the log she sat on, crossing a leg. “Most would ask, 'what are we delivering, Ms. Ava' or 'do you think this is worth the money'.”
“I've already agreed to it. That's pretty irrelevant now, isn't it?” He pulled his hands into his cloak. “Knowing what it is won't get the job done any faster.”
“A good choice of words. But a healthy sense of curiosity is to be desired too. I guess human men lose that.” Norton considered a humorous response, but quickly discarded it as he thought about the consequences. His eye caught a blur from the side and jerked back as something hit the ground in front of him, tossing a small plume of dirt into the air. It was a boar, and judging by the gash in its neck, it was fairly dead. “Lydia, please. You're scaring our apothecary,” Ava joked.
“Then he'd best leave now if a dead pig is enough to frighten him.” A white feline clad in shiny armor stepped into view with a clunk. Lydia grabbed onto the side of the beast and rolled it onto its back with one hand. With that, she went to work gutting it and slicing it to bits with a knife. Norton kept quiet and attempted to keep his composure.
“Did you have to do that here? You're bloodying the camp.”
“And where would you have preferred to butcher it?” Lydia kept her gaze on her kill.
“In the woods, Lydia.”
“My mistake. I'll merely load the meat into pleasant little pouches next time.” She glanced up at Ava. “For your convenience.” Her blade came down on the creature again, sending a spurt of blood into the fire with a sizzle.
“Good. We'll buy you a few once the job is over”—she looked over at Norton with a smile—“right?”
The man froze and he quickly changed the subject. “I've made our bedrolls for the night. So they're ready when we're finished eating.” He could hear a small giggle come from Ava.
“Quick and efficient.” Stab. “Good work.” Lydia ripped out a portion of the pig. A set of ribs, the man assumed, though it was hard to make out with the darkness. She held it up to him and dangled it about. “Your portion.” Norton stared at it for a moment before pulling out a small knife and taking up the slab of meat carefully. He slid his knife through it and wiped his hand off on the tree stump he sat on.
“Thank you.”
“You're welcome.” Lydia looked toward Ava. “And for you?”
“I'm old enough. I'll cut my own pork, dear.” Lydia tore out a chunk of unrecognizable flesh, then retreated to her own seat. Ava yanked the bloodied animal over to her side and began to size it up with a dagger. Norton took a few moments to examine his meal before extending it out over the fire to cook. Lydia merely tore into her choice of meat, letting a stream of viscera run down on her once shining armor while she blankly stared into the flames.
“I had forgotten”—Lydia gobbled another chunk—“humans need their food to be cooked. That may be an issue.”
“He makes do. See? They're very resilient creatures.” Ava chewed on an expertly cut portion of boar. Norton did his best to focus on his meal, though he couldn't help but wonder how her wounds affected her eating. Eventually he caught onto a vaguely appealing smell coming from the bit of meat and delicately chomped away at it. “I think that's already been done for an hour or two.”
“He lacks in olfactory abilities. Are you certain a human was the best option? The kobolds might have been cheaper.”
“Two kobolds to treat wounds?” Ava laughed. “I don't think you know how much of a pain that would be. We haven't even seen him work yet.”
Lydia stopped mid-shoveling of meat. “Are you suggesting we test him now?”
Norton nibbled at his meal, feeling somewhat out of place as his employers openly spoke about him. He could barely taste his food, too focused on the conversation at hand. The prospect of a test was a worrying one, especially at this hour. And the fact that they would have to make something to test him on.
“Healer, dear.” Dammit.
“Yes, Ms. Ava?” He turned to look at her again.
“Show me your best smile.” Norton furrowed his brow and gave an awkward smile. “Well, that's all the testing I need. Carry on.” She wolfed down another chunk of pig. “A very polite young man. You wouldn't get that out of a kobold.” Norton cautiously looked over at Lydia. She stared straight into him. Streaks of red ran down her chin, unnerving him to no end.
“We'll see when the time comes.”
The group continued their meal in silence, giving Norton some time to reflect on his thoughts. One problem scratched at the back of his head. Usually groups like this were larger, at least from what he had seen. Four to five people making a proper adventuring group, but these were only two women. His eyes flicked back and forth between the two. They seemed capable enough, though he hadn't ever heard of such a small band. He certainly wasn't going to help swell up their numbers and was nearly useless in a close fight.
“Yes?” Lydia asked, the moment his eyes met hers.
“It's nothing.” He snapped back to the fire.
“Then let it remain nothing.” She swallowed the last bits of meat and tossed whatever remained over her shoulder.
Ava tossed a bone into the fire. “Taking a fancy to our knight in shining armor? What shy lovebirds.” Norton grumbled and tore into his meal, finishing it soon after. It hit his stomach fairly harshly, with a barely audible gurgle. All things considered, it was probably a good first for freshly hunted hog. “Everyone's had their fill then?”
“Yes,” Lydia replied flatly. Norton nodded and watched the cat woman drag the carcass off, letting it rot just outside of their tiny camp.
“Time for bed then, wouldn't you say?” Ava blurted out.
Lydia eyed her for a moment. “I'll prepare my po-”
“That won't be necessary, Lydia. I'll have first watch.” She stood up and sheathed her blade. “You'll need all the sleep you can get, hunter.”
Lydia let out a low growl and walked off to the bedrolls. “Good luck,” the feline said.
Norton perked up. “I could keep watch if you nee-”
“We don't need our precious pink thing getting hurt. You settle in, dear. I'll take care of the fire.” Ava shooed him away and began kicking dirt onto the flames with what seemed like frantic speed. Norton stood up and took a long stretch. It felt like he had sat on that log forever. His joints let out a few worrying cracks. “So precious indeed.”
“Well, good night.” Norton gave a wave and followed in Lydia's steps.
“Good night.”
_
Norton awoke to a thud. His knapsack had dropped next to his head. Lydia towered over him, peering over the bag. Her armor was near blinding at this angle. “It's morning. We're moving. Now.”
“Right.” He rubbed an eye and wiggled out of his bedroll. He patted down his person, making sure nothing had shifted out of place. An odd wet spot was located squarely on his chest, but he quickly dismissed it and stood up, ready to take on the day. At least he hoped so. The rest of the camp had already been packed up. The only trace of their existence was an arrangement of curious logs.
“Good morning.” A harsh smack came down on the man's back, causing him to cough. “Hope you had a great rest! We're on the final stretch today, no scheduled stops.” Ava hefted the package over her shoulder. It was an oddly bulbous bag that looked like it held a large pumpkin. Curiosity had begun to get the better of him, but he shrugged it off and trudged alongside his new compatriots. The dark, muddy road ahead of them seemed to stretch out forever. No use in complaining.
The walk was long and arduous. The uneven nature of the road, having been battered by different hooves and wheels, made it a pain to walk on. He had fallen behind a small amount as a result. The two beast-women seemed to have no problem traversing it, though whether it was due to their animal-like anatomy or their musculature, he couldn't tell. Maybe a mixture of both. Their gently waving tails poking out were surprisingly cutesy. He resolved to stop staring and strode up alongside them. “How far out are we now?”
“Still on that, are we?” Ava replied. “We'll be there by this afternoon”—another firm pat came down on Norton's shoulder—“if you can keep up.” He gave a sheepish nod and silently winced at his more than likely bruised shoulder.
“If you don't make it, you won't be paid,” Lydia spoke up. She had silently walked along without a peep. One hand firmly wrapped around the hilt of her sword.
“Do you have a shield to go with that?” Norton suddenly asked. He immediately regretted the dumb question.
“No.”
“Oh.”
Ava let out a chortle. “She lost it. Along with her helmet.” She leaned forward to peer at Lydia. “Told you about those kobolds. Always asking for more.”
“No such thing happened.” Lydia's grip visibly tightened. Norton straightened up and held his breath. He began to wonder if the wilderness was more dangerous, or his own group.
“What's the town we're headed to called, then?” He had to pick his topics more carefully.
“Good choice,” Ava whispered to the apothecary. She dug her elbow into his side, dangerously close to a set of fragile vials. “Lerwick. Not what I would have named it, but not everyone is blessed with creativity. What would you have named it, Lydia?”
“Dead.”
“Well. Clearly you've been blessed.”
Norton looked over to the wolfess. “Not very populated?”
“A seedy little town. Not on any trade routes and isn't near the ocean. You've got some shady business to go there.”
“Right, right. I see.” He hefted his backpack and gripped its leather straps tightly.
“Not dangerous. But it is indeed pathetic,” Lydia spat.
Norton looked over to the grizzled knight. “Are you... familiar with it?”
“More than I care to be. I pray this will be the last I will ever have to see it.”
Ava spoke up again, “I'd say maybe we could get you a nice girl there, but, they're certainly used goods.” She let out a huff of air. “We drop this off, have a drink, and spend the night.”
“We're going to stay there?” Norton gulped. “In the seedy town?”
“Hey, that's normal for adventuring.” Ava tossed up her free arm. “Living on the edge of danger!”
“Speaking of danger,” Lydia said. She pointed above the treeline. A dark billow of smoke wormed out into the sky. The last thing Norton wanted, but an inevitability.
“Another set of adventurers?” the medic asked hopefully.
“Even still, healer boy, do you think other adventurers play kindly?” He began to wonder just how naive he had been about this job.
“Our cargo isn't of any interest, but I doubt they'll listen to reason. Assuming they aren't mindless bandits. Then it's merely a small roadblock.”
Ava grabbed at Norton and yanked him toward her. “Stay close. We'll do the rest.” He gave a nervous nod. They continued on in an awkward gait as Ava kept her death grip on his arm. Eventually the road bent left at a large boulder, revealing the source of the smoke in the distance.
A set of men, three or four, from what Norton could see, languidly stood around a messy flame. They all perked up on the small band's approach. Norton's heart quickened and he pulled on the strap of his knapsack. One of the men walked into the road, waiting patiently for their arrival.
“I will do the speaking,” Lydia said. Not the best choice, Norton quietly added. “Watch the human.”
“With pleasure.” The two lagged behind Lydia while she walked on ahead to meet the stranger. A few moments later she held up her hand, bringing Ava, and by extension Norton, to a stop. “As long as he doesn't say anything stupid, we should be fine.” That could be anything.
Norton could only just barely make out their conversation. One of the first words he could he uttered was “cat“. He silently prayed he misheard that and clenched his fist. Lydia remained stoic, almost appearing like a statue during the exchange. Whoever she spoke to was wildly gesticulating, even loudly yelling at certain points.
Lydia held up her arm again. Norton looked to Ava for an explanation. Her face was plagued with worry, her jaws tightly clenched. The man could only watch in confusion as the cat woman undid one of her armored gauntlets, letting it drop to the ground. It didn't seem to faze whomever she was talking to.
“Lydia, please.”
“Wh-what's she doing?” Norton struggled under Ava's grasp, trying to get a better view.
“Something stupid.” She sighed. “Lydia!”
In a flash, Lydia's gripped the man's face. A muffled cry rang out. The rest of the crew froze, seemingly in shock. It was a tense few seconds of silence. Suddenly she threw him to the ground in a cloud of dust. Just as soon as she did that, she retrieved her gauntlet and returned to her previous position as if nothing happened.
“Damnit all.” Ava let go of Norton and the sack, then sped off to Lydia's side. The apothecary scrambled to pick up the package and shuffled closer. He felt exposed without either of the beast-women by his side. His free hand felt for the wimpy knife strapped to his side.
Norton could see the human figure writhe on the ground. He grit his teeth and sneaked closer. Spatters of crimson dripped from Lydia's hand. Something had definitely gone awry. Ava exchanged heated words with Lydia, who still hadn't budged. The others appeared to snap out of their shock and charged at the pair. Norton let out a shaky, “Watch out!” Though the two had already prepared their weaponry in a flash. Norton didn't know what to do, his body locked up. All he could do was watch.
Instantly one went down, seemingly for no reason, collapsing to the ground with an audible thud and a gush of blood. Lydia expertly side-stepped another man, kicking him to the ground and driving her sword through his back. One more aggressor charged into her, slamming her to the ground. He brought down his short blade against her, causing a loud clang. Ava quickly pulled him back onto his fallen partner and stabbed directly into his chest.
What felt like hours was over in seconds. Norton blinked, feeling his senses return to him. “Are you alright?” he asked. Ava gave him a quick smile and pulled Lydia up. They walked back to Norton casually, as if nothing happened.
“Of course I'm alright. I wouldn't get my fine looks if that was a challenge.” She glanced at Lydia, who had a visible splotch of red near her collarbone. “Lydia, on the other hand, has a small scratch.”
“I am fine.”
“Even if you are, isn't the test you wanted? There you go.” Ava knocked on the feline's armor. “One wound for the apothecary.” Lydia's eyes narrowed but she made no protest.
“Right, uh, got it. Let me just...” He handed the sack back to Ava with a nod. “Let's get off the road.” Norton motioned over to the side, away from all the corpses. He quietly wondered if they were dead but quickly dismissed the notion, both out of fear and disgust.
At a comfortable distance away from the mess, Norton began to examine Lydia's wound. She blankly stared at him, which didn't help his mood. A clear piercing in the armor oozed a trickle of red. “Could you remove your chestpiece? I don't think I'll be able to work from here.”
“As you wish.” Lydia nodded and began to do the leather straps that held her armor in place.
Ava chuckled. “Good luck.” She patted his shoulder harshly.
As the last of the straps came loose, Lydia let the rear piece fall to the ground while she held onto the front. Carefully she pulled it away and set it down. Norton swallowed as her chest came into view, his already panicked heart pumped faster. She was completely bare, barring the natural fur. Pink nubs were somewhat visible through the soft white. He was somewhat surprised to find she only had the one pair of breasts before quickly discarding the thought.
The medic cleared his throat and reached for a small pouch at his waist, producing a fluff of cotton. Carefully he dabbed it against her small wound. His eyes practically burned into his hands as he worked, forcing them into position, trying to ignore the modest orbs just below. “Doesn't seem serious,” he croaked. Tossing the cotton to the side, Norton pulled out a vial with a small clump of moss inside. Delicately, he pulled some of it free and pushed it onto the wound. “I don't know much about beast folk anatomy, but this should work.”
“Doing well!” Ava cheered.
Lydia continued to quietly stare, unfazed by the experience. “Could you hold this for a moment?” The cat woman obediently placed her hand over the plant while Norton fiddled with more vials. His eyes gently glazed over her breasts and down at his belt. He reached for a viscous green fluid and glanced back up. Lifting the flask over the moss, he poured some of the liquid and placed the tube back in its spot. The small plant began to slightly glow before dimming and rotting into a dead brown. “You can let go now.” Lydia let the waste drop to the ground, revealing a clean pinkish spot. “There we go. The fur should grow back normally.” He scratched his chin robotically. “I think.”
The knight rubbed the new skin and nodded. “That's fine work,” she said.
“You're welcome.” He immediately took the opportunity to look away while Lydia fiddled with her armor.
“See? I told you he was a good choice. Completely professional.” Ava leaned closer to him. “For the most part.” Her hot breath brushed against his ear, causing him to wince. Once Lydia had made herself presentable, they walked back onto the road. “Oh, one second.” Ava trotted over to one of the corpses and pried a throwing knife loose from its throat. Norton heaved as the crimson blade shimmered in the sunlight. The wolf smiled and flicked the weapon about on her way back to the pair.
Norton tried not to think about how suddenly they had run into a slaughter, but it eventually got the better of him. “Did you need to kill them?” he asked.
“He wanted money. We didn't have money. They attacked. We defended.” Lydia ran her hand over her sword, smearing the blood across it. The man hoped she was trying to clean it. Though it was incredibly ineffectual.
“I could have given him something.”
“He would not have settled for one of your treatments. It was also an opportune moment to test your skills. Simple.” Those words didn't settle well with him. It was almost as though he was being held responsible. Though, chances were they would have died either way.
“We're going to need all of your supplies, dear. I wouldn't have let you gone through with a deal like that.” Ava shook his shoulder. “Where would we be without that special leaf?”
“Right.” Norton pursed his lips. He was not entirely satisfied with that answer.
Lydia continued to scrub away at her blade and sighed. “Do you have a rag to spare?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.”