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It was sometime around noon when Dresnath and I arrived at our destination, a mid-sized town named Astol. At least, that's what Dresnath labelled it as; to me, it looked huge. It was likely just because I was so used to my tiny village. I felt slightly intimidated by the number of people there were, and those were just the ones that were out and about. I could only imagine how many there were total. Having Dresnath next to me was comforting, though. I knew that he wouldn't let anything happen to me if he could help it.

"First thing's first," Dresnath announced to me, "we need to find an inn." He looked around a bit; it seemed as if he was trying to gain his bearings. I thought that he might've perhaps been here before.

"We'll be spending the night here, then?" I asked as I started looking around curiously.

"Maybe," he replied, "but inns and taverns are great places to look for information or work. Hopefully it'll be something easy since you're still new at this."

I frowned a bit. I felt a bit guilty. I'd be holding him back from taking the riskier, and thus more profitable, jobs. His income would probably halve just from having me with him.

I felt a claw tap my shoulder. I looked over and saw Dresnath looking at me. It sort of felt as if he were trying to look into my mind. I knew that he couldn't; he didn't study that sort of magic. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

I shook my head and replied, "Nothing much." I didn't entirely know why I didn't just tell him at the time. I might've been worried that he would agree that it would be more profitable to go it alone and just leave me or something like that.

His eyes studied me some more. He must've suspected that I wasn't being entirely truthful, because he then asked me, "Are you sure?" I hesitated before simply nodding. He clearly didn't buy it, but didn't try to force me to answer. Instead, he offered in a kind tone, "Well, if there's anything you want to talk to me about, I'm always happy to listen." He flashed me a genuine smile. Gods, he was charismatic.

I nodded and thanked him, but decided against speaking up for the moment. Perhaps by the time we come across the kind of jobs that I wasn't yet able to handle, it'll have been long enough that I would've learned enough to actually be ready and rendering the point moot. At least, that was my thought. A hopeful and unlikely scenario, but until it actually became an issue, I didn't see the need to burden him with my guilt.

It wasn't much longer after that when Dresnath found us an inn to stay at until we left. It was a pretty large building with a wooden sign right above the door painted with the name of the establishment on it: "The Ferret's Folly." Inside, the place looked warm and cozy. The main area of the place seemed to be a sort of mix between a dining area and a sitting area. To the right there were a couple couches and cushioned chairs all situated around a fireplace that was currently unlit. To the left there were several circular tables and a wall of liquor behind a bar which had barstools all around it. On the far wall was a wrap-around counter and a bunch of hooks, some with keys on them, behind that, as well as a staircase leading up to the second floor and another staircase down to the basement. The place, while not packed, certainly had a fair number of patrons who were having lunch. I noticed that the staff, at least the three that I could currently see, were all sable ferrets, and by the resemblance of their markings I had a suspicion they were all related.

Dresnath walked straight up to the front desk. "Hello, Darryl," he starts in a friendly tone, I hadn't even noticed the name plate on the desk until I was trying to figure out how he knew the guy's name, "would you happen to have any rooms with a single large bed or, if not, two regular beds?" I felt my face become slightly heated. He had basically just outed that we were sleeping together.

The ferret looked back at the wall of key hooks before plucking a couple of them off of one of the hooks. "Here we are," Darryl said, "the room rates for this room is three silver a night and I'll need five more silver to hold onto in case of any damages. Should the room remain as it is, that will be refunded to you."

"Sounds reasonable," Dresnath stated, pulling out his coin purse and placing down the required number of coins.

The ferret made sure to count them before placing them under the counter and pulling out a ledger to record the transaction. He picked up a small, neatly cut piece of paper and handed it, along with the keys to the room, to Dresnath. "Here is the kitchen and bar schedule, but snacks such as raw fruit and vegetables can be bought at any time as well as water. We have a bathing area behind the door next to the stairs, fully equipped with self-filling, heated baths and showers. Any food and drinks will cost extra with the exception of water, which is of course free. Your room number is twenty-five which is two floors up and on your right." He said this all in a cheery tone despite most likely having gone over it thousands of times to guests. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yeah, you don't happen to know where the brewery is, do you?" Dresnath asked. "I've got a letter for them, pretty sure it's a delivery request."

The older ferret nods, "Yes, of course. You'll want to take the road to the south of here and find the corner with the bookstore on it. That's a green building with the open-book sign, so it should be pretty easy to spot. Turn to the East on that road and follow it for several blocks. You'll be able to smell it pretty easily, so it shouldn't be too difficult to locate. There's actually a public map in the market center, which is to the West of the bookstore, that should give you a better idea if you need it."

Dresnath nodded with a kind smile. "Thank you very much."

Darryl returned the smile. "You're quite welcome, sir. If there's anything else I can help you with, I'd be more than happy to oblige."

Dresnath chuckled a bit, "Please, Dresnath is fine, and my shy companion here is Erebus. And if I do need something else, I'll be sure to come see you."

Darryl nodded and wished us to have a pleasant stay before Dresnath and I were climbing the stairs to our room. The room was pretty small, consisting mainly of a small dresser to the side and a nightstand on either side of the large bed. Dresnath tossed his bag on the bed, opening it up and looking through it. It was so weird thinking that just about everything he owned was inside that. I couldn't even imagine how much the enchantment for expanding the space inside it cost. It couldn't have been cheap.

I put down my bag next to the other side of the bed. I pulled out my coin purse and fished out my half of the room fee. I then grabbed a handful more and put it into my pocket in case I saw anything that I'd need to buy. I turned to Dresnath and extended my hand. "Here's my half of the room fee," I offered.

He smiled and took it, "Thank you." He slipped the coins into his pocket. "What do you think of the room?"

I couldn't tell whether that was meant as simple small talk or if he wanted my honest opinion, so I chose to assume the latter. "It's fine. Not big, but it's not like we'll be in here much outside of sleeping."

Dresnath nodded in agreement. "Hope you don't mind that I assumed that you'd wanna share a bed with me, but since you didn't object, I guess you're fine with it?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, blushing lightly, "I'm fine with sleeping in the same bed with you." I fiddled with the scabbard of my sword that was attached to my belt. "So, think maybe we'll be able to check out the bookstore while we're here?" Dresnath gave me a look with curiosity. "I was hoping to see if they might have tomes for the school of magic I want to study."

"Oh?" Dresnath asked with a bit of excitement. I thought I saw his spike-like earfins twitch slightly. "What have you decided on?"

I had been reading through the tome that Dresnath had loaned to me. It had beginner spells that I had tried out to see how they felt. Out of all the ones I had the opportunity to try out, I felt the strongest pull towards illusion magic. "Illusion," I said. "I think illusion magic is for me."

Dresnath simply nodded. "Alright, we'll look for some books about illusion magic in the shop after we make the delivery. We can ask about the ouroboros symbol as well." I see him pull a sword and a dagger out of his bag as he places his bow in it. He fastens the sword to his belt while he hides the dagger under his pant-leg, strapping it around his ankle.

"Not gonna keep your bow with you?" I asked out of curiosity.

Dresnath shook his head. "Bows are for hunting a known prey. A sword or dagger is better for defense if you aren't expecting expecting to be in a fight. And knives are great for surprising someone who thinks they have you beat."

He certainly seemed to know what he was talking about. I had the sneaking suspicion that he learned it the hard way, possibly the cause of all those scars on his back. Regardless, I took the explanation with a nod. "I suppose I should buy myself a dagger as a backup weapon, huh?"

Dresnath smiled and replied, "Yeah, that'd probably be smart, and shouldn't cost more than a few silvers. I'll help you pick one out later today." He put his bag back on before placing a hand on my shoulder, and then asked in a teasing and good-natured tone, "You ready to go, my shy otter?"

I blushed lightly, not enough for it to show through my fur, but enough to make me feel a little hot. "Y-yeah, sure." Checking to make sure that my sword was secure and that my coins were safely tucked away in my pocket, I started to walk out with him. The directions we were given were enough for us to easily find ourselves near the brewery's location. As the kind ferret had said, the scent was enough for us to find the exact building. It was a large wooden building, much bigger than I'd ever seen before.

Dresnath took the letter out from his bag and handed it to me. I was a bit confused which he seemed to gather from my expression. "This will be easy, just go in, find someone and ask them where you can find Emile Stratorth. Once you find him, give him the letter. The payment's already been handled, so no need to try to get money from him. I'm gonna go have a little look around, but I should be back before you're done, okay?"

I was a bit surprised that he was having me go alone since he had walked all this way anyway, but if it gave him time to get a look around, then it was the least I could do. I gave a grin and a joking salute, "You got it, boss!"

That little display earned a laugh from my dragon companion. He gave a bright smile and rubbed my head, something that actually felt really good for some reason. "You're really cute when you're being silly, you know that?" he asked.

My blush returned a bit brighter and I gave a sheepish smile as I scratched the back of my head. "I'm glad you think so," I mumbled with just an odd mix of pride and embarrassment in my voice.

"I do," he said, his rubbing hand gave a quick stroke down the back of my head and a portion of my upper back, his claws lightly dragging through my fur and sending pleasant prickling sensation along my hide. "Now, be a good boy and do as you boss says." He emphasizes it with a lightly pat on my rump. I let out an instinctive eep as I jumped forward a bit and started walking towards the brewery. I couldn't help but look back and saw that Dresnath was watching me as I walked away, a look of desire in his eyes.

I could feel my heart beat a bit faster as I returned my gaze forwards and headed inside the building. That look of desire was something that I was not used to getting by people I didn't know too well, but I knew it well enough from my brother. The fact that Dresnath was that into me... well, it made me both excited and nervous.

I probably would've spent some more time thinking about how it made me feel, but I did have a job to do. So I strutted inside with the letter in hand. The place felt much bigger inside, but considering how I've never been in a building that large, it was no surprise. The first room seemed to be some kind of waiting room or perhaps a room for the employees to relax in during their breaks; I wasn't sure. There were a couple chairs and couches, and a coffee table in front of one of the couches. There was no one nearby, so I went to the next door and called out, asking if there was anybody here. No answer. So, I went deeper into the building. With it still being pretty early in the day, there ought to be at least one person here who could tell me where Emile was.

The place was really quiet. There were a lot of barrels which must've been where they were aging the alcohol; they certainly smelled of alcohol. I must've been walking around for at least ten minutes before I felt a hand on my shoulder. I let out a loud yelp as I jumped in surprise. I turned around to see a large, male antelope with a disapproving look on his face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in here, kid?" the man demanded. I was more startled than I would've liked to admit, but the guy came out of nowhere and scared the hell out of me.

"I- I just- I have a," I fumbled for a response before pulling out a sealed letter. "I have a letter f-for Emile."

The antelope looked me over before sighing. "Alright, follow me." He started walking back the way I came. I muttered a few embarrassed apologies and thanks as he guided me to a small office with an old canine with a greying muzzle. "Boss, visitor."

The canine, which was one of the breeds I wasn't familiar with, looked at me before standing up and extending a hand. "Emile Stratorth," he introduced himself. "What can I do for you?"

I grasped his hand with a firm shake, which he returned with a tight grip before releasing me. "Erebus Steele," I replied. "I just came to deliver a letter." I handed him the sealed envelope.

The dog took it and unsealed it, reading the contents quickly. "Ah, good," he said quietly. "Thank you for this. Are you going back that way?" I shook my head and informed him that I didn't plan on returning there for a long while. "No trouble, I suppose. This was paid for on the other end, correct?" I nodded. I was a bit surprised when he pulled out a few coppers. "Here's a tip. A young lad like yourself probably could use a bit extra, yes?"

I graciously took the coins, "Thank you, sir, your generosity is very much appreciated." I placed the coins in my pocket.

"Do you need some help finding your way out, Erebus?" Emile asked.

I thought for a moment, and after running through the place in my mind, I decided that I remembered the place well enough to find the exit. "No thank you, sir. I remember the way."

"May Hali strengthen your resolve in the duties of your job," he recited one of the more common blessings of followers of Hali, the goddess of labor and artisans, tend to give.

I grinned and replied, "And may she give your brewers inspiration for an even better tasting and better selling brew."

Emile chuckled a bit and waved me off. I had a feeling it was my quick adaptation of a blessing for his particular business that he found amusing. I gave the antelope one last thanks for showing me the way before heading through the brewery and out. I managed to backtrack easily enough and I found the exit within just a couple of minutes.

Looking around outside, I caught sight of Dresnath heading back towards me in the slightly crowded streets. He was pretty easy to spot with his bright green scales and the spikes that almost gave him the appearance of hair. I wave to him as I start walking towards him, and he waves back as he sees me.

Once he was close enough to me, he asked, "How'd it go?" He'd turned back around and placed an arm around my shoulder, leading me back the way we had come.

"I got a little lost in there for awhile, but a worker found me and showed me to Emile," I said honestly.

"Yeah, those places can be a bit of a maze if you don't know the way," he replied nonchalantly. "Sounds like you did fine, though."

I nodded as I walked next to him, getting slightly closer to his body as he kept his arm draped around me. "He actually gave me a tip, too. Is that common?"

Dresnath gave a bit of a shrug as he answered, "Sometimes. The rich types are more likely to do it than those just scraping by, but it really just boils down to whether or not they are feeling generous at the moment. Don't expect or ask for one, but always accept them with thanks."

"Right," I say to acknowledge that I understood. "Thanks for helping me with all this. I must seem like a pup still learning to swim."

Dresnath rubbed my side. "Maybe a bit," he teased, "but I'm more than happy to help you learn."

I smiled happily and leaned against him a bit. "I hope you know how much I appreciate all that you're doing for me," I said.

He gave a naughty look as he replied, "I'm not sure that I do, maybe you oughta show me later tonight."

I blushed lightly under my fur. "Maybe I will," I retorted, hitting his tail with my own. I didn't expect for him to retaliate, so when I felt a sharp sting of his scaly, spaded tail against my ass, I let out a soft yelp of surprise.

Dresnath chuckled at my reaction. "Careful what you start with me," he warned in a friendly tone. "I don't lose in these sorts of games."

Still feeling the sting but am honestly enjoying it a bit. I replied, "Clearly. But then again, games are about having fun, not necessarily winning." My tail was not nearly as flexible or dexterous as dragons' tend to be, but I emphasized my response with my tail swatting his ass as best I could. I doubt it was as effective as his, but the grin that it brought to Dresnath's was definitely worth the effort.

The dragon let out a low, playful growl. "Oh, you're gonna get it later, pup," he emphasized the last word in a way that made my spine tingle and my sheath stir. "But first, we've got a few things to do. I found us a job posted on the notice board. Apparently there's a mine just outside of the town and someone's been skimming the ore. It's a promised two gold for proof of the thief and half of the worth of all the ore we return."

Two gold for a single job. I didn't know how long it usually takes to catch a thief for this profession, but it would probably be faster than earning that much from the jobs I could've gotten back home. And then add the finder's fee for the materials and it could add up to quite a nice payday, even after splitting it up between the two of us.

"That sounds like a good job," I said. "How long does something like that usually take?"

"Well," Dresnath replied, "it depends on whether or not the thief is still in town. Based on the notice, which said that some has gone missing incrementally over the last few months, I'd say that the person is staying here and hiding in plain sight. It'll take a little investigating, but we should be able to figure it out within the week should we get a good lead."

I nodded, two gold and more for less than a week's worth of work seemed like a pretty great job to me. "So, is that where we're going right now?" I asked. "To talk to the mine owner?"

"That's right," Dresnath chimed. "The notice said for us to speak to him at the building just outside the mine before we get started so that we can talk and get a contract written out."

"We need a contract for this?" I asked. I had never dealt with contracts before. The places I'd worked for never required one. All I knew about them was that it was like a written promise.

Dresnath nodded, "You always want to have a contract when dealing with private requests. Without one, the more unsavory people will try to cheat you out of your pay or withhold some claiming that you didn't complete the entire job. Anything they can do to save a few coppers. It's the kind of mistake that you only make once. And since you've been warned, you have no excuse to make it." He continued walking outside the city walls and down a trail towards the mountain. I followed closely.

"Sounds like you have experience with that mistake," I replied. I immediately regretted saying it. I doubted he liked thinking about a mistake that cost him coin like that.

Lucky for me, he didn't seem bothered by it. "Yeah," he replied casually, "I made that mistake early on. The asshole tried to cheat me out of five gold for the repossession of a family amulet. Claimed that he shouldn't have to pay for his own property. Don't let them try to pull that shit, either. They're paying for the work you put in for retrieving the item, not the item itself."

"Damn," I mumbled, "that's a lot of money to lose." I couldn't imagine what I'd have done if I had been cheated out of that much money.

Dresnath smirked, "You think I lost it?" He chuckled a bit, which had me a tad confused. "I snuck into his house later and took the gold that I had earned and left without a trace."

"You stole the money?" I asked surprised. I had never taken him for someone to do something so shady.

"Stole?" he asked with a slightly incredulous tone. "He was the thief, stealing my hard-earned money. I simply took back what was owed to me, nothing more, nothing less. Don't ever let anyone take advantage of you like that, alright? No one deserves for that to happen to them. Especially not someone as kind and genuine as you." While his tone was stern, he clearly was just being protective of me, something that I've grown to quite enjoy about him.

I nodded in understanding. "I'll be sure to remember that, oh wise teacher," I replied in a playful tone.

"You better, my bright student," he played along with a chuckle as he gave my head a caring rub. I couldn't help but purr softly at the touch. Such a simple act, yet it always brought a happy purr from my throat. Dresnath smirked as he heard my purr. "Does my little otter like that?" he asked with self-satisfied grin.

"He does," I purred as I softly nuzzled into his scaly hand. "Always feels nice getting some good pettings." I suddenly blushed as I realized that I was doing it out in public. I'd never said or done anything like that outside of the privacy of my own home, and occasionally in the dead of night on the beach or in the ocean.

Dresnath simply smiled as he continued to stroke and scratch my behind the ears, forcing those pleasured purrs from me despite my sudden shyness. "If you enjoyed getting pettings, then I'm more than happy to provide," Dresnath said smoothly. "I've been told I'm great with pets."

I couldn't help but blush a bit brighter. The idea of more pettings from that strong dragon was definitely appealing, though. "I might just have to take you up on that offer some time," I replied. I did my best to sound just as smooth, but I'm sure it sounded much better in my head.

After a few more minutes of pleasant head scritches, Dresnath removed his clawed fingers from my head. For a moment, I was upset at the lack of attention, but then I saw why. The mine was now in sight, and we'd be at the owner's door shortly.

As we stepped up to the small building just outside of the mine, Dresnath knocked. A gruff voice from inside called out. "Come in." So we did. The place was cramped with cabinets and the large desk that a tiger sits behind. He put something away as we entered the small office. He seemed mildly surprised by our visit. And why wouldn't he as he had not been expecting us or even knew who we were. "Can I help you two with anything?" The muscular tiger asked.

Dresnath gave a charming smile and replied, "No, but we were hoping to help you out with your thief problem. Darryl directed us here."

The look of confusion in the tiger's face turned to relief. "Fantastic," he boomed. He stood up and reached over the desk to shake Dresnath's hand, which Dresnath politely accepted. "Name's Christopher; I'm the owner of Striped Iron, and let me tell you, this thief's been bleeding me dry. Guards here are doing a piss-poor job with finding the bastard, too."

"My name's Dresnath," Dresnath returned before dropping the handshake. He placed a hand on my back and pulled me a bit closer to the desk. "And this here is my apprentice, Erebus."

"Hello," I managed to squeak out. I had never been too good with new people, and this guy was fairly intimidating with his large stature and built form. I shook his hand as well, trying my best to reflect well on Dresnath. "It's nice to meet you." The feline's grip was surprisingly tight and actually caused one of my knuckles to crack.

"Polite youngster," Christopher remarked. He released the death grip on my hand. "So, you're aware of the terms of the agreement?"

"Two gold upon completion of the job and half the value of the ore retrieved," Dresnath replied. "There is the ambiguity of what is considered evidence towards the culprits guilt, though. Did you have anything specific in mind? Also, do you contracts for this job? People have tried to screw me over before for not having a contract."

"Aren't you direct?" The tiger rumbled. He seemed more amused than upset by the forwardness of the remark. He grabs a couple of rolled up sheets of parchment. I could see that most of it had already been filled out as he fills in a few blanks. "Proof of guilt can be a confession by the guilty or locating the stolen ore. You're welcome to search through the houses of my employees."

It gave me a weird feeling being told to go through someone's home by someone other than the homeowner. "Are you sure we're allowed to do that?" The question slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

The tiger gave me a scrutinizing look. He seemed to be studying my expression, which right now, was likely one of embarrassment. I wouldn't have been surprised if he could see the blush through my fur. A smile broke through his previously stony expression. "I like you, kid, you're honest. I could use a few more of you under my employment. You don't need to worry about the legality of it. It's in their contract that if they're under suspicion for stealing from my mine, I am allowed to have a third party search their houses."

Dresnath seemed pleased with this. "Does that mean that we'll be receiving keys to gain access to their houses?"

Christopher paused before replying carefully, "I would much prefer to keep this quiet and avoid any of my suspicions becoming public knowledge to my crew."

"I see," Dresnath replied, "so we'll have the right to search through the house, but we'll still need to break in. Am I to understand that we won't be allowed to interrogate any of your crew for that matter as well? Without being able to question them, it'll make the job twice as hard. A job twice as hard should be paid twice as much."

I was a bit surprised at this. A gold each for this kind of job already seemed pretty generous, and now Dresnath was trying to get our pay doubled. I wasn't sure whether I should have been impressed with his ballsy attitude trying to price-gouge this man, or ashamed for working with someone who would take advantage of someone who was simply trying to maintain the peace of his workers.

It was clear that Christopher was doing mental calculations, trying to determine if he could afford that price. He sighed and replied, "You may speak with them, but I would highly appreciate it if you treated them as if they are presumed innocent rather than them being suspects in the theft. I can't do anything about getting keys, though."

Dresnath nodded slightly, seeming pleased with the outcome. "Picking a few locks will be no problem. Aside from the miners, are there any other people you might suspect?"

"There's a smith in town, a doberman by the name of Sly," the tiger informed us. "He's a regular client of mine and lately his orders have been lower than usual. He's the only one that I know of that has the equipment to smelt the ore into anything usable. It's that he's either getting freebies for himself or is buying the stolen ore."

"There's also the possibility that he's just had less order and needed less iron," Dresnath reasoned, "but we'll definitely be paying him a visit in case that's not the case." He looked down at the two sheets of identical parchment. "These the final contracts?" When Christopher nodded, Dresnath continued. "Mind if I give them a quick read through. Just want to make sure that everything's as we agreed."

"I can assure you they are," the tiger replied, "but if you insist, I have no problem with it."

Dresnath took one of them and began to scan the document. After he finished, he seemed pleased with the content and began to sign both of them with an offered quill. He then handed the quill to me and I signed under his name. One of the contracts was taken by Dresnath, while the other one was carefully stored away by Christopher.

"Don't worry," Dresnath said, "we'll be sure to bring this thief of yours to justice."