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                The

sign above the door said Golden Rod, but instead of the familiar yellow flower

there was an image of a rearing yellowish stallion with an engorged member. The

horse was standing there proudly, and was in fact the spitting image of the owner's

good friend. The equine was well known as a wrestler and fighter in the arena,

and here was the only place he allowed his name and image to be used. There was

a value to friendship, and he was returning it.

                The

owner of said inn was Carmak, a handsome and properly dressed wolf from parts

unknown. For those who frequented this establishment before it was taken over

by him, the story is well told and well worn after all of the passing years. He

came in one day, ordered a drink and then offered the previous owner more money

for it than it was worth.

                He

looked around, scratched his head and then shook paws with him. "She's all yours

mister. Good luck"

                From

that day on the fortunes of the inn's regular clientele went up. The name of

the place didn't change right away. The old sign, that of a gryphon with a

bloody beak, depicted the mythical battle of Herdos the gryphon against the Army

of Sleagh. It was a tale no one really cared about any more. But when the

gladiator Hordalius began frequenting the place, a new sign quickly followed.

The image was true to life, for the horny bastard often rented rooms by the

hour to show off his fine physique. Carmak even purchased a reinforced bed just

because he was such a good customer. Well, that and because it was cheaper than

replacing the lesser ones all the time.

                The

owner made friends with everyone with his quiet, easy going way. He became famous

for not having a bouncer, and even more strangely, never having the need for

one. While the place was frequented by all sorts of creatures, once you stepped

through the door you were a perfect gentleman, or gentle lady, as the case may

be.

                There

were only a few rules about the place. Pay for your drinks, don't drink more

than you can handle and leave when you were done. They were simple rules that

even the most moronic sot could understand. The owner didn't care who you were,

what you looked like, or even how you smelled. Follow those rules and you'd be

served as well as anyone else.

                It soon

became the gathering place. Athletes and warriors, scribes and historians, even

the religious clerics and fortune tellers would flock there. They soon established

set times when they would come, filling in niches during different parts of the

day. The Golden Rod became the most important place to be in town.

                One must

remember before I go any further; this tale is old, far older than your

grandfather or your grandfather's grandfather. It goes back to the days when

people believed in things like monsters and magic. Today, a wise wolf or equine

shakes his head at such nonsense. But because such things have left the world doesn't

mean they weren't once here.

                Remember

that.

                Carmak

was always busy, and he preferred it that way. Being busy meant he had less

time to dwell on those things in his life that had gone astray. Most people

would look at him and think he was the happiest person alive, what with all of

his jokes and his jovial ways. But it was all an act. He had left happiness

behind a few years ago, and many leagues away. Sometimes happiness was not to

be had for those who deserved it most.

                His

business grew. He was soon getting only a few hours of sleep every evening, for

he kept the place open from sunrise to past midnight. As much as he hated it,

he knew he had to hire someone to help him. The problem was; he had no desire

to bring on anyone as an employee. He wasn't cheap, just not desirous in

complicating things. As much as he liked his customers, he knew that they

needed a constant firm hand and a stern voice to keep them in line. Any employee

would need special oversight to give him or her that edge. If they didn't work

out then he had wasted his time and resources. Time he had plenty of, but

resources were purposely kept thin. He didn't need anyone catching on.

                One

afternoon, the time of day he tended to like best, a lone figure walked through

the door. It was said that the owner had a knack for determining the character of

a person when they entered, and that he could tell you things that you thought

were private. It kept the likes of senators and statesmen out of the place, and

that suited everyone else just fine.

                But

this newcomer; well, the moment they walked in he got the idea they were

something special. It wasn't the floor length white robe, shot through with

gold thread. It wasn't the face that lurked underneath that hood. The cowl did

well to hide all but the tip of the nose. No, it was the way they came in and

sat down and never gave of a clue to their identity. That meant someone sensed

his spell on the front door and had negated it.

                That meant

either an enemy, or a friend. A friend would have announced his presence, spell

or no spell. On the other hand an enemy would have attempted to twist the spell

to his own advantage, not avoid it. Avoiding it was as much a giveaway to their

presence as the spell itself.

                Carmak

walked over with a glass of fine brandy. "On the house. Anyone who can come in here

that I can't tell a single thing about them gets the best the house has to

offer."

                He was

eyeing the newcomer with mild suspicion.

                A

gloved paw came out from inside a sleeve. It was slender. The voice that came forth

from the hood was dulcet, sweet and sent a shiver down his spine. "Then I must

return it, for it is not the best thing under your roof. That I think would be

you."

                The

cloth dropped away revealing a pure white wolf, very much female, and very much

a pearl in a matrix of mud when one considered her surroundings. She lit up the

room like sunshine after a storm. Everyone in the tavern, without exception,

stopped what they were doing and stared. Every painted whore felt like a cheap painting

left out in the rain.

                Carmak

gulped. In a whisper he said one word, "Philimon."

                "Oh,

you remember my name do you?"

                His

voice was hushed. "That's not funny and you know it. What are you doing here?"

                "There

is a lot to discuss. Perhaps we can go somewhere more private?"

                "I don't

have anything to discuss with you. You know the rules and I intend to abide by

them. I don't know how you found me but go back home."

                She

smiled. "But I found you. I'm finally were I should be. What more could I call

home?"

                He

shook his head. "Look, you know what your father said. And he was right. I had

no business falling in..."

                She put

her fingers to his lips. "Shush! For one, father is dead."

                "What?

I'm so sorry Philimon, I had no idea."

                "Don't waste

your breath being sorry. He forgave you, and he forgave me. But being the fifth

princess of the kingdom means I either have to marry a prince or suffer exile.

You know the rules. No loose ends in the palace."

                "I see that

you do have much to tell me. Let me make some arrangements." He went off into a

corner and talked with one of the scribes. The otter put on an apron and went

about serving up drinks.

                "There.

Kellon is a bright fellow. I've thought about hiring him on."

                She

smiled. "Still using your magic sparingly I see."

                "You

used a counter spell on the door, didn't you?"

                "Of

course! I learned from the master."

                "I'm

not a mage any longer. I'm a respectable businessman."

                "Of

course you are. But I see spells strung around this place like spiderwebs."

                "Come on.

I don't need you giving me away. Not everyone likes magic."

                "Then

take me to a more suitable lace where we can talk. Oh, and don't forget the

brandy."

                He

downed the glass he had brought, went to the bar, grabbed a full bottle and two

glasses. He left word with his temporary replacement for them not to be disturbed

before escorting the lovely bitch to the upper floor. He lived in the building,

a wise choice, for it meant few thieves ever tried breaking in. Crime was

swiftly and silently dealt with here and the place had gained a reputation.

                He

showed her to a cushioned chair in his sitting room, while he pulled up a

wooden stool. "Why are you here Philimon? We promised never to see each other

again, for the good of the kingdom."

                "I told

you. Father is dead. The decree we signed has been made null and void."

                "But

you have left the kingdom. You're in exile now."

                "Yes I

am. I cannot go back, not unless I wish to have my head removed and displayed

in the public square."

                "You're

an idiot Philimon. I can give you nothing now."

                She

cracked her knuckles. "Nothing? Do you still love me?"

                "Of

course I do. You have no idea how hard leaving was for me."

                "Maybe

as much as it did watching you leave?"

                His

shoulders dropped. "Yeah, I guess so."

                "I don't

want things Carmak." She stood and undid her cloak, dropping it to the floor.

She pulled off her bracelets and let them fall. Her scarves and her dress fell

in a heap. She was standing there naked, a dream for any wolf, fox, wolverine,

equine or feline. She was beauty incarnate.

                "I want

what I always wanted, from when I was a small child. I want you."

                He was

at a loss for words. He wanted her too, and had forgone his lustful thoughts to

save her life and the stability of the kingdom. If the king had sanctioned their

love, they would have gotten married. But had something happened to the other

girls, then by default she had been in the line for the throne, then he, a

wizard and an outsider, would have been made king. It was something that would

have destroyed the realm even if the chances of it happening where wildly

remote.

                When he

sat there staring at her, she frowned. "Have I grown ugly in my passing years?"

                "No my

love, just the opposite. You are everything a poet needs to feed his rhyme for

a thousand years."

                "Then

prove it, and not with words. I have waited long; suffering the pain of waiting

for this day. If you love me, show me with action and not recitations of your

undying affection. We both know we will die; I want you to make living the most

wonderful foreplay ever for getting into the afterlife."

                Carmak

was still absorbing what was happening. She had the advantage of him. She knew

everything and he was only now coming to grips with it. That which could never

be was suddenly standing completely naked in his room. They had never consummated

their love in fear of her becoming with child. That would have meant death for

both of them. In the end the king had been so overwhelmed with their dedication

that he nearly wept when Carmak had left. But he couldn't break rules set down

four hundred years before. Nor could he have ever parted with his daughter,

lauded as the most beautiful princess to have been born in a millennia. When

all was said and done, he lost his favorite advisor and his best friend.

                "Philimon,

you are a princess. All I can give you now is what you see around you. I have

an inn, with a tavern, and I work every day to keep it running."

                "My

dear stupid lover. Have you forgotten so readily? I am no longer a princess. I

swore to my eldest sister that I would never seek the crown. I of all of my

sisters have a chance at happiness, for I left looking for my love. She knows

well my feelings for you, and she trusts me more so than she does the others.

Tell me I didn't waste my time in looking for you."

                "You

would give up your kingdom to be with me?"

                "I

would give up the world if it were mine just to be with you. If you were

confined to a bed in a hovel I would stay by your side."

                He

stood and undressed. "Then we shall find a cleric right after a pledge of vows

before a magistrate. I will not have you under my roof unless you are my wife."

                She

pulled him down onto the bed. "Now we're talking the same language!"

                Several

hours later a very tired wolf made his way down to the tavern. The crowd had changed,

but Kellon was still there. Carmak paid him a few silver coins and a small

bottle of liquor and sent him on his way.  That night, after the bar closed, his love

told him her idea. "You know, I could help you here. You're obviously very busy

and could use an extra set of paws."

                Her

paws were rather talented, as he was finding out.

                "Being

a barmaid is hardly a fitting occupation for one of your rank!" he protested.

                "You

forget so easily that I have no rank. I am just a woman now looking for a good

man."

                "All

right. We can try it out. But I have misgivings about you doing this."

                She

slid her hand between his legs."Do you have misgivings about me doing this?"

                When he

didn't voice any, she carried on right through the night. The place opened late

the next morning, but the customers hushed when they saw the new employee.

There had been word about the lovely lass who had been seen in the place the

day before, but no one had considered it a possibility that she was going to be

working there.

                And it didn't

work out well.

                She was

competent, so that wasn't a problem. She was nice, and everyone loved her.

That was a problem.

                The

number of customers increased until the place was overflowing. Lines extended

into the street, blocking the thoroughfare and getting him harassed by the militia.

Other bar owns complained that he was taking their business, which he was but

not on purpose. The local whore's guild complained because all of the males wanted

to attract Philimon's attention, and were therefore foregoing relations with

the hookers. One female disrupted an entire segment of the city's livelihood.

                Fights

broke out over her. The once peaceful bar became a house of brawls. When Forny

the weasel got a little too familiar with her, something she was more than

capable of handling, Jackser the fox kicked him squarely in the "boys" and sent

him spraying across the floor. It got to be so bad that Carmak finally close

the place up.

                He had

a talk with Philimon. "We can't stay here anymore. You're too beautiful a sight

for any male, and I know I don't deserve you."

                "Shut

up, will you? Listen to yourself. You're a wizard for the sake of the Gods. Can't

you do something?"

                "Yes. I

can sell this place and we can move somewhere else."

                "No.

You love this place, and you really need help with it. It seems to me that I'm

the one that needs to go."

                "You

come back into my life only to turn around and tell me that you need to leave

me?"

                "Yes. I

think for the benefit of your customers, and therefore to your benefit and that

of this city, I must leave, never to return."

                The

argument was cut short when she kissed him and pulled him down on the bed. Later,

as she ran her nails through his furry chest, she told him, "The only way for

peace to return to here is for me to go. You know it as well as I do. If you

love me, you'll accept it. I will not stay as long as I am causing so much

trouble."

                So they

agreed. When The Golden Rod reopened, it was to another long line. As customers

pushed and shoved to get inside, they were quickly disappointed by the lack of

a stark beauty roaming the spaces between the tables. In her place was a wart

hog, ugly of countenance and bristling with curses. Her tongue was brazenly sharp

and her tusks equally so. Within a day the customer base had dwindled down to

what it had once been.

                When

not harassed, this new barmaid could be found to be friendly enough, and quite

capable of kind words. She was quick with getting drinks and food, and better

still, no one ever made a pass at her. Peace came back to the Golden Rod and to

all who dallied under its roof.

                At

night, the barmaid closed up shop and stomped up the stairs to the room she

kept with the owner. It wasn't an ideal arrangement, seeing as they never did

get their marriage officiated. But she would strip off her ratty clothing and

he would say the spell that brought her back to her normal appearance. It was

the difference between a stormy night and a sunshiny day. Then Philimon and

Carmak, the once official High Wizard of the Tormla Kingdom would come together

and do things even the richest men in town could only ever imagine. And by the

next morning, there was an ugly, warty barmaid in the bed, looking forward to completing

her day of work just so that she could have her night time with her love.

                While it

was hardly ideal, love is not all about beauty; it is about two hearts coming together,

often compromising, often sacrificing but in the end overcoming the obstacles

and having a life together no matter what.