Sword and Claw

Book Two: Chapter 21

After the sky turned dark above the trees, the thieves set a large pile of wood on fire and danced around it. Many drank bottles of ale and laughed while singing at the moon.

Sora sat at a round table with her friends. Batista danced with the ladies and two hunters cooked a fat lizard creature over a fireplace.

"So is it true you were a man?" Nancy asked.

Sora nodded and sipped her ginger ale. She didn't mind telling Nancy about her condition. Heck, if anyone knew, they wouldn't miss with her.

"How? What is it like being a girl?" Nancy asked, smiling mischievously.

Sora took another sip and told Nancy what she remembered.

After raiding a dungeon, Sora celebrated at a tavern with her friends. After her friends left, she met a strange vixen who seduced her to stay longer in the town with her. Without warning, Sora woke up in the vixen's body while sitting inside a slave cart. She met Maxor who got captured by the lizard men too. They went to the lizards' small continent where they fought in an arena. Sora also met Garan who helped them escape from their slave master. Back on the animal kingdom continent, Sora learned where her male was at and started a quest to reclaim it. And so far their journey brought them to the Thieves' Guild for her.

"Wow, that sounded scary!" Nancy exclaimed. "Meeting a hot chick and waking up as a woman. At least you're hot too."

Sora blushed with a grin. "Thank you."

"She was body switched," Garan corrected, "if she was transformed, she wouldn't be a fox."

"What were you before you changed?" Nancy asked.

Sora drank her ale. "I was a white wolf. A knight wolf who was charming as a gentleman."

Nancy laughed. "You don't act like one now."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Because I am a woman now?"

"Becoming someone different can change you. If I became a boy, I would be more ruthless than ever!"

Sora laughed at that thought. If Nancy was a boy, people would still mistake her as a girl without a top on. "You should be grateful for what you are. You only get one chance as yourself in life."

Nancy grinned. "I know. I'm proud to be a fox girl like you."

Garan dipped his trunk into his mug and brought some ale into his mouth. "How old are you, Nancy?"

"Twelve. Don't you dare say I'm too too too young to be a thief! I am highly experienced."

Sora rested her fist on her chin. "How did you become a thief, Nancy?"

Nancy sipped her mug. "I was raised in the wild by creatures. I don't remember who my real parents were. I assumed they died."

Maxor pointed his finger at her. "I found her snooping in a town, stealing food without getting caught."

Nancy pointed her mug at him. "Hey! Let the little girl tell her own story, wanker!"

Maxor held up his hands, grinning. "My bad! I thought my point of view will add more details."

Nancy growled ferociously until Maxor sat down with his hands on the table.

"Okay, you may continue your way," he said.

Nancy placed her mug down. "As he said, I was stealing food to survive. But one day, two guards caught me. They were going to cut off my tail for stealing just one melon." She glanced at the wolf. "But Maxor appeared and took care of them for me. Since he rescued my life, I joined the guild because he said I have potential. So I became a thief and never got hungry ever again."

Garan sniffed and wiped his trunk. "Better than living in the wild I suppose."

"Yup! By the way, where did you come from?" Nancy blinked her cute eyes at the mammoth.

Garan pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Yeah yeah yeah!"

Garan sipped his mug. "I am from Northon. My tribe is the Ice Tusk Clan, living somewhere in the cold mountains. I can't say where because I took an oath. I cannot reveal their location or danger will find them."

"We understand," said Sora.

"Why are you way out here?" Nancy asked.

Garan scratched his round ear. "I just wanted to explore the world. It all started when I was young. I met a traveling merchant outside my village, carrying books to a town. The ice storm caught him and nearly froze him to death. I found him and brought him to my home. After he warmed up, he told me about the world and taught me how to read. He gave me half of his book stocks before he left my village. I read the books which drove me into the desire of exploring the entire world. When I have grown older, my people allowed me to leave so they could learn what is new. I have been gone ever since."

"Then you met Sora and Maxor at the arena," Nancy added.

Garan nodded. "Correct."

"How did you become a slave there?"

"Sometimes too much curiosity can lead you into trouble. I learned that the hard way."

"Oh."

Maxor drank his entire ale. "Auuuuuhhh! I feel like dancing now." He smiled at Sora while his face turned red. "Would you mind dancing with me?"

Sora shook her head. "No, thank you."

"Come on! It's not nice for a lady to refuse a dance."

"You're drunk, Maxor," Nancy giggled, "and Sora isn't a lady."

Maxor glared at her. "So! Dancing like a woman will not hurt her. It might be the only experience she will ever have."

Sora could dance, but not around drunken people. Who knew what would happen if the men got the chance to grab her ass.

Maxor smiled widely at Sora. "Pllllllleassssse!?"

Sora sighed. "Alright, but let me finish this."

She opened her mouth and poured the entire ale down her throat. If she was going to please Maxor, turning off her brain should help her ignore her fear.

Her eyes turned blurry as her head spun like flying inside a twister. She got up and held out her hand to Maxor. "Now show me how to dance like a woman!"

Maxor smiled and took Sora's hand. "My pleasure."

After burping, the wolf escorted her into the dancing crowd where they moved their feet together. They danced all night as Sora's mind blurred through her drunkenness.