FSE

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Chapter Three

Aulus woke up well rested and warm. The sound of birds chirping or cawing around the woods was never missed.

'It's morning.' He felt an arm across his chest. The human looked down and stared at the white and grey furred limb. Akul was sleeping right behind him. They had traveled along a few rural roads and fields keeping contact with locals and travelers at a minimum. Aulus had decided that it would be better than having a lot of locals gawking at the sight of a naked she wolf. He rubbed an eye and looked ahead. A white furred hand was resting in front of his face on the ground, confirming that he was still entwined in the she wolf's embrace. The pair had slept together every night since their stay at the Kesselring inn. 'She's a lot warmer and comfortable than sleeping on the cold ground by myself.' Aulus traced over the larger canine hand. The fur was shorted than the rest of her body. He touched the warm center pad, and her bulky fingers gently closed around him. Aulus heard a soft chuckle behind him.

'Playful wolf.' He thought to himself. The sound of rustling nearby caught his attention. 'A squirrel?' He wanted to dismiss the idea until the sound of something smacking together raised his suspicion. "Akul, is that you?" He whispered, half expecting the noise to be her tail or a hungry stomach.

"Hmm? No." She lazily replied. A sharper clinking sound brought her ears to attention. Her eyes shot open. The pair jumped to their feet and peeked over a low bush. Three adolescent figures were scrounging through his pack of food, stuffing their faces greedily. An ocelot, skunk, and black domestic cat.

"Hey!" Aulus and Akul yelled and barked. The three jumped back with terrified looks on their faces. The smallest, the young female black feline, scrambled to a tree. She tried climbing only to lamely slide down the smooth bark. The eldest two were too shocked to move.

"What are you three doing?" Akul noticed that the to males were clearly adolescents.

"Stealing our food!" Aulus angrily answered and jumped the foliage. Akul stepped through the bush and approached. "What else did you steal?" He check the pack and thankfully felt his family gems tucked away safely at the bottom. Partially eaten food and other items were scattered on the ground. The human glared at them. Their clothes were disheveled and dirty, not to mention their fur. Neither had any shoes to wear.

"What should we do with them?" Akul folded her arms, feeling bad for their miserable appearance.

"Leave them." Aulus scowled at the three youths.

"How can you leave children out here?" She gasped at his decision. Soft crying caught their ears. To their left the youngest on the three was crying at the base of the tree. Akul walked over to the black cat. "Don't move." Aulus threatened the two adolescent males. The mottled grey she wolf knelt down and pulled the feline into her arms.

"Hush. It's okay." Akul cradled the young girl until she stopped crying. She carried the sniffling black cat to the others. "Don't worry. We won't hurt you." She angrily scolded Aulus for overreacting.

"What? They could've robbed us blind!"

"They're just little pups Aulus." She reasoned.

"We didn't know it belonged to you. Honest!" The skunk pleaded.

"Yeah! We thought someone abandoned it." The eldest agreed and helped collect the remaining littered items.

"What are you three doing way out here? Are you lost?" Akul knelt down before them and asked. The three looked at each other guiltily without a response. "Oh! I didn't even ask what your names are." The she wolf chuckled to herself. "Let's start by telling me your names." She kindly suggested.

"I'm Johann." The eldest ocelot stated.

"I'm Liseux." The skunk answered.

"Kayla." The little black cat mewled. "I am Johann's sister."

"It's nice to meet you three." She grinned. "My name is Akul. Now why are you all out here in the woods?" All three looked at each other guiltily again.

"We thought it would be fun." Liseux softly answered.

"You know, to run away and live in the wild." Johann explained further.

"Live in the wild?" Akul tilted her head curiously. "How long have you three been out here?"

"About a week."

"How old are you three?"

"I'm fifteen, Liseux is twelve, and Kayla is ten." The ocelot answered.

"Your mothers and fathers must be very worried about you three." Akul reassured them.

"Won't they be mad?" The eldest anxiously asked.

"For a second, but they will be happiest to see you again and know that you're safe."

"I miss my mom." The youngest whimpered. "And I'm hungry."

"Aulus, give them something to eat."

"What-" Her amber eyes silenced him. "Fine." He dug through the pack and offered their remaining loaf of bread. 'We don't have a lot of food left anyway.' The three graciously ate the bread with a hearty appetite.

"Thank you." All three managed to say with stuffed mouths. The she wolf's soft approach baffled the human, but it seemed to be working in everyone's favor.

"How far away is your home?" She asked when they finished.

"It's a short hike from the trail into the patch of woods that way." The eldest pointed across the little clearing.

"Is that on your map Aulus?" She turned to the human.

"It's east from here." He begrudgingly emphasized the phrase east, because it wasn't northward. Akul shot him a glare.

"We can walk them home Aulus." The wolfess insisted.

"Fine." He mumbled in agreement.

"Then it's settled." Akul stood up. "Let's go."

"Really?" The boys jumped to their bare feet.

"Of course." Akul helped the youngest feline up.

"Thank you." Kayla held onto her hand. All five walked across the little clearing and back into the woods after Aulus checked his belongings a second time. Akul and Kayla led the group along the trail, and talked to each other.

"What do you like to do for fun Kayla?"

"Play with my brother and my friends."

"What about hunting?"

"That's what boys do."

"Only males? Everyone hunts at some point in my village. I hunt and it's a lot of fun." The ocelot and skunk glanced up at the human but didn't dare make eye contact with him. They walked up to the more amiable wolf walking hand in hand with Kayla.

"Why are you naked Akul?" Liseux the skunk asked.

"I enjoy being naked." She ruffled his head fur, making him laugh.

"How? It's weird." The ocelot added.

"I don't think so. Everyone in my village is naked."

"They are?" All three stared at Akul in disbelief.

"Yes. We don't wear clothes."

"But what about when it's cold?"

"If it's really cold, then we have blankets." She informed them. Behind them, Aulus listened to their idle chat on and off.

'I am glad that no one found my gems.' He breathed an internal sigh of relief. Having something stolen in the woods would leave him with little options, except to return home empty handed. Albeit, he didn't like having food stolen either. "Hmm?" He noticed that the four were whispering and giggling. Akul looked over her shoulder at him only to turn away. "What are you four talking about?" He asked.

"Lady things." Akul stuck her tongue out at him and chuckled. He rolled his eyes and followed them down the winding path.

Aulus knocked on a door and stepped back. Akul stood confidently beside him. They were at the edge of a small rural village bordering the little patchy forest and expansive meadows.

"I hope this works..." Aulus mumbled. The wolfess elbowed his side playfully. A middle aged orange female tabby answered the door.

"Hello-Ah!" The feline raised her hackles at the sight of Akul before relaxing. "You-you scared me." She smoothed her hackles before instinctively wiping her flour stained apron.

"Sorry!" Akul's ears fell back briefly. "Are you Helen?"

"Yes. I am Helen. Is there anything that I can do for you two?" She looked at the naked she wolf. "Perhaps, get some clothes?"

"Oh no." Akul chuckled. "Aulus isn't looking for new clothes. We came to see you." The wolf perplexed the feline. "Come on out, it's ok." Akul cooed with a soft voice. The three youths emerged from around the house one by one. Helen's jaw dropped in shock.

"AH!" She shrieked joyously. "Rebecca! Arnold! Ulrich! Come quick!" The feline fell to her knees before the three and hugged them. A male Border Collie, skunk, and female raccoon appeared at the door and fell into a state of utter joy seeing their children returned.

"Why did you three run away!?" The mother raccoon sobbed tears of joy.

"We thought it would be fun." The eldest shamefully admitted.

"Someone could've done something to you! Who knows what could've happened!"

"Everyone in town has been looking." Helen added. Aulus watched the whole spectacle of the two families fully reunited once again. It gave him a warm feeling. He was glad that Akul wanted him to help.

"The naked wolf lady said that we should come back home. Running away isn't fun." The young Kayla explained.

"I'm glad that someone found you three." Ulrich the skunk hugged his son tightly.

"Uh... Why are you in your bare fur miss?" The border collie politely asked with a nervous grin.

"I was raised in my village without clothing." She simply answered. "I don't like wearing any either."

"Well, I suppose that's a better answer than I was expecting." He chuckled. "Please come in." Inside was a homely rustic cottage home of small size. A large hearth dominated the two main rooms that acted as a kitchen and dining room.

"It's like two big huts put together." The wolf's claws clacked quietly over the floor as she looked around the space. "But it smells stuffy." she wiggled her nose at the one thing that she did not like about houses. The reunited families came inside behind them.

"You three look starved!" Helen looked at their thin and scantily clad bodies.

"And very dirty." Ulrich helped brush debris off his son's ragged shirt.

"We were in the woods forever." Liseux tried to worm away and brush himself clean.

"Akul gave us bread to eat too!" Johann added.

"I'm still hungry." Kayla clutched her mother's side.

"We'll cook up something good to eat." Helen hugged her daughter again. "You must be hungry."

"Mmhm!"

"Aulus, Akul, do you need something to drink? We have some water from the well and ale."

"What is ale?" She asked Aulus.

"Uh. We'll both have water." He answered on her behalf.

"I'll get some from the well then." She hurried back outside.

"It's good to be back home." Johann sighed with relief. "Thanks for bringing us home Akul."

"You're welcome." She spotted his shoulder. "I told you your parents would be happy to see you again."

"We can't thank you enough." The border collie spoke on everyone's behalf.

"I'm glad that Aulus picked a route through the woods again. If he didn't then we wouldn't have met each other."

"Fate is pretty funny." He grinned sheepishly. Helen came back inside with a tin pail containing water. She poured two cups for the travelers.

"Thank you!" Akul brought the cup to her lips but lapped up the water. Ulrich looked away after his wife elbowed him.

"Is she your wife?" Arnold whispered.

"N-no!" Aulus nearly choked on the water.

"I can tell she isn't from around here."

"We're traveling to Ambrosia together. She's from a village in the great forest to the southeast." The human explained.

"So you're going to get married in Ambrosia?" Ulrich grinned.

"No! We met on a road bordering the forest, and after a visit she wanted to travel with me." The male skunk didn't look completely convinced.

"Stop giving him such a hard time Ulrich." Rebecca chided her husband. "Why don't you help me and Helen cook Akul?" The raccoon noticed the she wolf exploring the house in fine detail.

"Sure!" Her tail wagged.

"Have you cooked before?"

"Yes. I help my mom, dad, and friends cook nearly every day. I like to go hunting in a group for a deer or turkey."

"You hunt?" Rebecca was surprised.

"I love hunting in the forest. I'll have my bow and arrows ready. I've probably quartered and gutted an entire herd of deer."

"Oh." The two mothers were less enthusiastic about the down and dirty details.

"Here." The feline handed her a potato and small knife. "You can peel and quarter a few while I ready the pot to boil them." Helen offered. "You two change into a fresh pair of clothes. Johann, give a spare set to Liseux" She told her son and daughter.

"Go on. Don't crowd the kitchen." Rebecca motioned to her son.

"Yes mom." The three went into a room. Aulus showed Arnold the border collie and Ulrich the skunk his map and where he traveled with Akul.

"You two really are from upriver."

"That's a long journey to make." Arnold added. "What plans do you have that far north?"

"Uh. We are... going to Ambrosia. I'll visit some family and show Akul around the city." He elaborated. 'I can't just tell them I have a fortune of gems in my backpack!' He eyed the item slouched against the wall. Luckily they seemed to believe him. The ladies made trips outside and to the roaring fire in the hearth while the food cooked. Johann, Liseux, and Kayla reappeared wearing fresh clothes.

"Now you don't look like beggars." Ulrich chuckled.

"You look much better." Rebecca cheerfully said only to wrinkle her nose. "But you'll need a bath tomorrow."

"I guess so..." Liseux lifted an arm. For once the raccoon didn't seem to mind the idea of taking a bath. "We'll be heading off now." Rebecca placed an arm around her husband and son.

"Aren't you three staying?"

"We have a pot of soup cooking at home, but we weren't expecting a miracle to happen." She approached Aulus. "Thank you so much for helping bring back our son." The mother raccoon hugged the human.

"Yes. We are indebted to you." Ulrich shook his hand next.

"You should thank Akul more than me. She's the one who helped the most." At first they were hesitant to hug Akul, but the tribal wolf's strong embrace made them indifferent. Liseux approached Aulus nervously.

"Sorry for stealing your food Aulus." The skunk quietly apologized.

"Don't worry about it." He patted the adolescent's back. "Stay out of trouble though."

"Bye Akul." The adolescent hugged her next.

"Take care, and listen to your parents." She hugged him and kissed the top of his head. The raccoon and skunk family left.

"It's getting late for us as well." Aulus held onto the backpack's straps.

"Please stay with us for the night." She offered. "We'll give as much food as you need for your journey.

"Well..." Aulus found the offer very tempting.

"At least stay for dinner." Arnold suggested.

"We'd love to!" Akul placed an arm around her human companion's shoulders.

"Good! Everything is almost ready." She graced over to the large hearth where the many delicious scents and aromas were located. In ten minutes the rugged table was set, and everyone was seated. Biscuits, slices of ham, potatoes, and a vegetable medley rested in the center. A jar of jam was brought out too.

"Let's eat." Helen smiled.

"It all smells delicious!" Akul held onto the chair as she sat down. Steam rose from the biscuit as she broke it in half. The wolf didn't even bother using any utensils provided, and used her hands to eat.

"So Akul, you're from a forest I hear." Arnold mentioned as everyone filled their plates.

"Mmhm!" She nodded. "I live in a little village far away from most towns."

"I bet you hear a lot of things at night."

"Usually crickets, but they're quiet from inside a hut."

"Better than when that owl kept us up the other night." Helen's ears splayed out. "It would hoot for the longest time."

"It was scary hearing so many things at night." Kayla spoke.

"That reminds me of a good tale." Akul grinned as she chewed through a bite of potato. The wolf lowered her head ominously. "The Ohohoku Owl!" She said in a low, awe inspired voice. Kayla and Johann were immediately drawn to the story.

"An owl?"

"A giant owl! He can see through trees, and hear even whispers from far away. Some even say that his feathers can absorb noise so that no sound may pass him.

"How could he do that?" Johann skeptically asked.

"I don't know. No one has been able to find out." Akul gave him a toothy grin. "One day there was a mottled grey wolf named Tokoyo who was walking with a friend to his favorite stream for a day of fishing."

"Were they naked?" Arnold couldn't help but ask. His wife gave him a stern look.

"Of course!" Akul smiled.

"I should've known." He chuckled and Akul resumed the story. The long tribal tale soon had everyone's attention. The two wolves tried fishing at a creek but the Ohohoku Owl tried snatching them away with its mighty talons for stealing the fish from its river. A lengthy chase ensued but ended with the wolves returning to their village after outsmarting the crafty bird. By the end of the tall tale all of the food had been eaten.

"Wow! And they escaped?" Kayla asked. Akul nodded.

"I liked it." Aulus said.

"That was a neat story." Helen agreed.

"My father likes to tell it around a fire if there's a big meal. Oh! Thank you for the meal! It was delicious." Akul stood up and licked her lips.

"Mm. Yes, thank you." Aulus agreed.

"We should be thanking you two for bringing our family back together." Arnold started cleaning off the table.

"Can Akul sleep in our room?" Kayla asked.

"We're not having our guests sleep on the floor." Helen chuckled. Her daughter humphed in disappointment. "There's a guest room upstairs that you both can use." She pointed.

"Is there a bed in the room?" Akul's tail wagged.

"Yes there is." The orange tabby grinned sheepishly at the wolf's odd enthusiasm.

"What about us?" Johann asked.

"I will tuck you two into bed early." Helen kissed her children on the forehead and nudged them to their room. "You both could use some sleep and a good bath tomorrow." Her son yawned in agreement. Everyone exchanged goodnights. Upstairs, Aulus and Akul found a nice, yet small, room to themselves. A large willow tree blocked most of the window's view of the hilly woods to the west. The door behind them creaked as Aulus shut it. The wolf's claws clacked over the wooden floor.

"Why do they sleep in different beds in different rooms?" Akul asked.

"Unless they want to sleep like us they'd need a big bed for space. Besides, it's less comfortable cramped together."

"How are chairs comfortable to everyone then?"

"Usually they aren't." He admitted.

"Then why sit in them? I can't figure that out."

"Because no one wants to sit on the floor." He explained. Her nose wiggled in contemplation before approaching the bed.

"This is much better than staying at an inn." The tribal wolf sat down on the bed's edge.

"It is a lot more homely than one." He agreed and set his backpack safely aside to check its contents. All of Akul's items were safely stored in her animal skin bag.

"They have a funny soft blanket." He heard Akul and glanced over his shoulder.

"It's a quilt, not a blanket."

"The quilt is soft." She felt over the patchwork. Aulus was eager to sleep on a bed again and fished through the bottom of the backpack.

"I wish that we had kept everything with us."

"There's nothing that we could've done about that." Akul picked at her claws.

"True. No sense in crying over the past." Aulus checked over each gem before kicking his pants off. "Sleepy?" He watched Akul give an extensive yawn that showed off all of her white teeth.

"Mmhm." She finally replied. The wolf scooted back on the bed to give him some room. The human protested sleeping with the wolf on their first day together, but since Kesselring that barrier had long been overcome. Aulus climbed into bed and they laid down facing each other. Her arms wrapped around his back, and their legs became entangled under the covers. They contently listened to the sound of crickets chirping outside. "So... Are you glad that we helped Johann, Liseux, and Kayla?"

"Alright. I admit that you were right, and I was wrong about the kids." He smiled feeling a smooth tongue swipe over his cheek.

"Doing a kind act leads to returning kind act." She smartly answered. He quietly accepted her wisdom, and felt a hand start to lightly rub circles on his upper back. The warm pads relaxed him.

"Mm." He curled his fingers into her fur. His hand traced down her side where some of Akul's long grey hair spilled over her white front. The soft fur ruffled under his fingers as he reached under her arm before returning to the space above the wolf's hip.

"I thought you were going to touch my breasts." She softly spoke.

"No... Wouldn't that be inappropriate for someone in the forests?" Aulus had thought about it though. To his surprise the wolfess shook her head.

"It would be the same if I touched your chest."

'Hardly.' Aulus thought to himself. "Why? Do you want me to?"

"I wouldn't mind because it's you." She half shrugged. The human blinked and ran his hand up her side. His fingers ruffled through her fur as he reached the soft little mass on her chest. Her breast moved under his palm and the spout of flesh in the center poked against his skin. "Squishy, right?" Akul stuck her tongue out teasingly.

"Sometimes I can't understand you." Aulus chuckled and shook his head.

"Maybe getting some sleep will help." She patted his back. Without complaint, he nestled his cheek into the tuft of fur on her chest and closed his eyes.

"Thanks again for the hospitality." Aulus shook Arnold's hand. The backpack on his shoulders had a healthy weight to it again. "And the food."

"Anything for safely returning our children." The border collie smiled. They watched Akul play with Johann and Kayla around a tree in the yard.

"So what route are you taking north to Ambrosia?" Helen asked.

"Since we stopped by here, we'll just follow this road north and then go northwest as soon as we can."

"There is an apple orchard owned by a fox not too far up the road from here if you want some."

"Will this fox be okay with Akul?" Aulus quietly asked.

"As long as you don't steal any apples." Helen spied an eye at her son playing with the wolfess. "Just be sure to tell him that the Holland family sent you." The orange tabby winked. The two young felines laughed as the tribal canine barked playfully.

"The owl got me!" Helen squealed as she was hoisted into the air.

"Okay Akul. We have to go." Aulus informed her.

"Aww!" The little feline being held upside down pouted as she was returned to her feet.

"She's very good with kids." Helen observed. Aulus nodded and could easily imagine the she wolf playing around like that in her village. "She will make a fine wife and a wonderful mother."

"Huh?" Aulus looked at the orange tabby only to feel a large hand slap his shoulder.

"Ready?" Akul asked.

"Sure." He stepped back as the wolf thanked them.

"Thank you for the bed and food!" Akul tightly hugged them both.

"Can we follow them to the hill up the road?" Johann readily asked.

"No." His mother objected. "You two need a bath." Their ears fell briefly.

"Goodbye Akul. Goodbye Aulus." Johann and Kayla said their final goodbyes.

"Thank you for all of your help. Goodbye and have a safe journey!" The family of four waved. Aulus and Akul followed a path through the short grass around a few houses and onto a wider path through the middle of the quaint village. Most of the homes were thatch with only a few made like a cabin. The morning air was a touch cool, but very refreshing and heavy with dew from nearby fields. Even though it was a little rural cottage village, its inhabitants were busy. The sounds of hammering sharply pierced the sweet air as a house was being built. A few older females were standing around a well in the center of the unorganized village, gossiping as they fetched water. The few kids too young to help were playing with pieces of scrap wood from the house in construction.

"It's a nice village." Akul likened it to her home.

"It probably isn't much bigger than yours."

"What's the difference between a village, town, and city?"

"Size. A village is small with only a few hundred people at the most. A city has many thousands of people, and a town is anywhere in between."

"Hmm. Many thousands..." Akul imagined an endless field of huts. The pair walked through by the houses. An old German shepherd covered her eyes at the sight of the naked she wolf. A blonde haired man passed them, clearly staring at Akul. "Hello." Akul quietly waved but the young human averted his gaze. "He must be shy." She reasoned. Aulus didn't say anything. A pair of kids ducked out of sight when they approached. Aulus could hear them whispering nearby.

"She's naked!"

"Don't look." Few people gave a brief hello if they crossed paths with the man and naked she wolf. The people of Kesselring at least knew about the tribal wolves and their nudity. However, the village they were in didn't seem as understanding. The she wolf looked over her shoulder and was surprised to see a few of the villagers staring at her.

"Why are they acting like that?" Akul asked.

"Surprised? That's because you're naked."

"But that's normal. I don't stare at them for wearing clothes."

"I know that you don't, but it's normal outside of the forests to wear clothes."

"Hmm." The she wolf frowned and wiggled her nose at the odd reversal.

"It's only going to get worse the further north we go." He added much to her disdain.

"Where are we going now?" She changed the subject.

"An apple orchard."

"That's where apples grow, right?"

"Right." Aulus nodded. "Have you eaten an apple before?"

"No." The wolf shook her head.

"You'll like them. They're juicy and sweet." Aulus and Akul passed the last house where the fields opened up in their sights. Only a few trees were clustered towards the western horizon. However, their right was still dominated by trees. The road ahead twisted around a few trees along the edge of the hilly fields. Sheep were grazing to their left, and a large potato farm rested to their right. Akul took a deep breath feeling the gentle breeze ruffle through her fur. She eyed the field full of sheep and suddenly took off running through the field. The human watched in surprise as the naked she wolf ran further out, hair flowing behind her like a banner.

'Is someone-?' He looked around but didn't see anyone or anything nearby that was a threat. "Akul!" Aulus yelled but she didn't stop. "Has she gone mad?" The human watched her bark and chase the sheep in the field, tapping their wooly bodies when she reached one. It was an odd spectacle to see an adult running around so freely, but it was also oddly enchanting to the human. After a couple of minutes Akul trotted back to the road where Aulus was standing dumbfounded.

"Thanks for waiting." She rejoined his side.

"What was that about?"

"I just wanted to run." She panted for a moment wearing a cute tongue-lolling smile.

"So there aren't any strange tribal rituals that involve running?" He was not angry with her at all, but it was definitely so etching Akul would do.

"What? Of course not." She giggled. "There's dancing during a full moon or a special occasion like what you did for my brother." Aulus felt an elbow lightly prod his side.

"What about a shaman?"

"Shamans make medicine, interpret dreams, and care for the sick. There aren't any strange rituals."

"Just warn me when you plan on doing something like that." He continued along the road with her once more. The wolf held back a laugh as she walked beside him. A rattling sound ahead alerted them to an approaching cart. Sure enough a tiger with a load full of hay being pulled by two horses passed by.

"Hello!" Akul cheerfully greeted the the feline. Aulus modestly waved.

"Hello." The tiger politely waved despite curiously staring at the naked she wolf.

"I feel better after running." She stuck the tip of her tongue at Aulus wearing a silly grin.

"You've never been in a glum mood." He smartly remarked. Akul thought for a moment.

"You should run a little bit." She hopped off a foot and bumped into him. "It'll get your mind off those rocks you're carrying."

"Hush! I don't want anyone to know that!" He clenched his teeth.

"No one is here. C'mon and give me the pack." She pried the straps off his shoulders.

"Hey, give it back! I'm not running around." He tried to get it back to no avail. The playful wolf trotted ahead a few paces and turned around to face him.

"You'll have to run after me." The canine challenged. Aulus folded his arms but Akul wagged her tail before jogging up the road. He couldn't help but shake his head and grin, then chase after her. The wolf barked back at him and veered through the field, criss-crossing back to the road.

"Slow down!" The human always remained a few steps behind.

"You'll have to run faster!" She glided over the ground with each step. Aulus chased the elusive wolfess through the field and road only to tire out after a couple of minutes.

"I give up." The human tiredly said.

"That was fun." Akul cheerfully replied and returned his backpack.

"Thanks." He huffed.

"Ready to keep going?" She wasn't tired in the slightest.

"Okay... Let me catch my breath." He leaned against a large oak tree draped with Spanish moss. She leaned on the tree beside him for a few minutes.

"That tired you out pretty soon."

"I don't run every day through a forest like a wolf." He adjusted a shoe before continuing along the path.

"You will when you visit my village again." She promised. "If you're not running with me then plenty of pups will want to play with you."

"I don't think I will be able to keep up with them." He made Akul laugh.

"Pups can definitely be a handful." She agreed. "Johann, Liseux, and Kayla were no different."

"Weren't you playing a game with the kids before we left?"

"We made up a game where I was the Ohohoku owl trying to snatch them up!" She held her arms out as if they were wings.

"Just like the story?" He looked away and chuckled to himself. 'How would Akul appear as an owl?' Aulus imagined the wolf's head on the bird's body.

"Yes! Then I would pick them up!" Her hands seized the human's shoulders causing him to jump.

"Ok. I get the idea." He settled down.

"Were you jealous?" She teased and stuck the tip of her tongue out.

"A little..." He quietly admitted.

"What? Really?" Akul was surprised. "We just walked them home to their parents." The human didn't say anything but chose to shrug. The mottled grey wolf found his demeanor odd. "Well..." She placed an arm around his shoulder. "We're the only two traveling together in our pack right now." Her toothy smile was contagious.

"That's true, and we helped them out."

"Are we visiting your family as soon as we reach Ambrosia?"

"My family? What are you talking about?"

"You mentioned that we were going to Ambrosia so that you could visit family and show me the city."

"When?"

"At the hut."

"Oh! The Holland's house. I just said that so Arnold and Ulrich wouldn't know that I had a lot of valuable items with me."

"So you lied about having family in Ambrosia?"

"Yeah." He brushed it off to the wolf's annoyance.

"You shouldn't lie Aulus." She sternly looked down at him.

"I need to keep the gems safe! It's never a good idea to just tell someone how much wealth you have or what you're doing."

"Lying always leads to bad things. There are a few tales in my village that teach about it."

"My gems are not a story. They're the whole reason why I set out to go north."

"But you still lied."

"It's just a little lie. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Aulus-! What is that?" Akul stopped and pointed at a tall structure, cutting their argument short.

"Oh. That's a windmill." Aulus didn't take so much as a second glance at the slow spinning blades fed by the breeze. "The wind moves the blades which can be attached to a mill to grind grain. It's a neat way of saving labor costs." He nodded and looked past the windmill. "It looks like we made it to the orchard." He noticed the neat rows of apple trees before them. They walked along the edge of a few trees.

"How many are there?" Akul asked.

"I don't know... Maybe one hundred. There's eight rows here that I can see from here."

"That's a lot." Akul whispered. "It's like a mini forest."

"Hello!" A corsac fox greeted them. "I own and tend to this apple orchard. What can I do for... you two." His gaze was easily drawn to the naked female wolf standing in front of him.

"What?" Akul placed her hands on her hips.

"N-nothing!" The fox nervously grinned.

"The Holland's said that you owned an apple orchard." Aulus stated.

"You know the Holland family? I am a good friend of theirs." He nodded.

"What do you do with all these trees?" Akul curiously smelled the air and looked around.

"Grow apples of course." He grinned. "But I also make apple butter, and sweet cider from what I don't sell."

"Are they sweet?" Akul's tail wagged.

"They should be. Help yourself to a few and relax for the morning. I have several ladders if you want to use one." He pointed before walking away. "If you need anything else I'll be mending a fence by the house."

"Thanks." They appreciated the offer.

"What's a ladder Aulus?"

"This." He went over and grabbed the tall wooden poles fixed together with rungs. "You step on each rung to climb higher so you don't have to climb a tree."

"Can I try it?" Her tail wagged excitedly.

"Sure." He propped it up against the apple tree. The adventurous wolf immediately started climbing up to the fruit beating branches. Aulus watched from below.

"That fox is a very nice person." Akul mentioned as she rose.

"Are villages always nice and hospitable?"

"Yes, unless there is a conflict or disagreement between two villages but that's very rare." She tried explaining. "My dad can explain it better when we visit my village again." The wolf reached the first level of branches and her amber eyes lit up. Plenty of ripe apples dangled around her like nectar for a hummingbird. "There are so many up here Aulus!" She called down.

"I can see them." He reassured her. The wolf leaned over and reached for one of the dangling fruits. The shift in weight caused the ladder to teeter as well. Akul yipped and clutched the tree as the ladder settled back.

"What's wrong?"

"It's unsteady!" She barked.

"Don't lean too far away." He warned. The wolf looked around the branches and cautiously extended an arm again. She was heavier than most and the top heavy ladder wouldn't hold so much moving weight. Her hand gripped the red and yellow orb before giving a freeing tug.

"I got one!" Akul excitedly barked.

"Great! Drop it." He called from below. Akul let go and picked another, and then another.

"Do you want a second one Aulus?"

"Sure." He held the other three in his shirt. The wolf eyed another close orb of fruit and reached out.

"Almost..." She stretched to her limit and grasped the apple. The wolf growled as she plucked it free, but the shirt in body weight tilted the precarious ladder too far. "Aulus!" Akul dropped the apple and grabbed a limb as the ladder fell. Aulus quickly set the apples aside and ducked away from the wolf's flailing legs. "Help! I don't want to fall." Her claws dug into the bark.

"I'll catch you." He tugged her dangling legs by their ankles.

"Okay. I'm letting go..." She lowered her arms and let her hands slip free. The adult canine dropped with enough force to bring the human down too.

"Oof!" He fell to the ground with the wolf sitting on his chest.

"Are you alright?" She quickly rolled off and helped him sit up.

"Yeah." He coughed. "You ok?"

"Mmhm." She nodded. "Thanks for catching me." Aulus looked at the wolf beside him with plenty of debris in her fur.

"Something tells me that you would prefer hunting over foraging." He teased and picked a leaf out of her hair.

"I don't mind foraging, but I am not good at climbing trees." The wolfess smoothed her disheveled fur.

"It looks like you have been in one all day." He helped smooth her fur.

"Thanks." Akul picked up one of her hard earned fruits. Aulus held back a laugh when she started licking it. "Huh? It isn't sweet at all." She frowned.

"Don't lick it. Bite it." He recommended. The wolf sunk her teeth into the skin and bit off a large piece.

"Mm! Sweet!" She hummed and chewed. "A fruit that has no taste unless you bite it." The wolf devoured it to the core in a few bites.

"What do you like to do in your village?" Aulus picked up one apple as Akul ate another.

"Hunting for one." Akul grinned. "I love listening to elders tell stories around a fire, helping pups learn how to use a bow, playing games, and exploring the forest." The she wolf summed up her favorite activities. "What about you?" She turned and asked him. The human took another bite of his apple.

"Well, I'm pretty boring compared to your active life." He shrugged. "When I was little I liked staring into the great forest and imagining giant monsters that lived deep inside, and I still tend to do that occasionally."

"I can imagine that." Akul chuckled.

"I like drawing maps now, but it's tedious. Earning money is important to me as well. After all, that's why we're traveling." He paused and looked up at the partly cloudy sky. The great blue was a picturesque backdrop to the lazily floating puffball clouds. "Although, when I was little I also liked to stare at the night sky when it was clear." He admitted.

"It's hard to do that in a big forest. I like being able to see the stars most nights."

"Yeah. That's about all that I do for fun. Pretty boring, right?"

"No. I'm sure that your mother and father were proud either way."

"I wouldn't know. They died when I was four years old." He tossed the apple core into the grass ahead. Akul's ears and tail drooped.

"I'm sorry-I didn't know..."

"It's fine. My grandfather raised me well, and I turned out alright." He half grinned. Akul craned her neck and licked his face. "Hey! What was that for?" Aulus wiped his skin. Her canine ears folded back shyly for only a moment before perking back to their usual attentive position. She placed an arm around his shoulders and leaned on him. Aulus found himself grinning with their cheeks nestled together, staring across the orchard.

Chapter Four

The high noon sun shined brightly in the pristine clear blue sky. The late spring air was calm without a single breeze and warm, perfect weather to travel. Aulus and Akul had been traveling for a few weeks now, and Ambrosia wasn't a distant dot on the map anymore. The subtle signs that they were up north were becoming apparent. The forests were smaller, pastures were fairly common, the terrain had many hills, and there were more people. Even the rural roads had better upkeep than the ones in the south.

'Seven or eight days if there isn't any rain.' Aulus thought to himself about an unlikely delay.

"It's so strange how there aren't any trees out here." Akul looked around the grassy hills. "We haven't seen any for two days, but there are plenty of flowers." The multi-colored fields around them were teeming with little flowers.

"It's a good thing that it hasn't rained." The human spoke.

"We'd get soaked!" Akul laughed. "Unless you want to hide under a flower."

"That would take a lot of daisies." Aulus mused and kicked at a few on the edge of the road.

"Those aren't daisies. They're poppies." She pointed.

"Oh. What are those?" He pointed at a group of yellow flowers.

"Goldfields." She replied. "And those are blanket flowers, and that's Larkspur." The wolf identified each one.

"I had no idea that you knew the names of so many flowers."

"I learned most of them when I was little, and a strong nose helps me identify them." She grinned.

'If only you had a strong sense of modesty.' Aulus thought to himself. The wolf's ears perked up. A crow cawed as it flew overheard.

"We're near some trees!" She pointed ahead towards the hill that the road crossed over.

"How do you know?" Aulus picked up his pace and followed her.

"Hurry up!" She called back. He reached the top of the hill and gazed down the smaller hills before them. Less than half a mile downhill were a bunch of trees, possibly enough for a small forest. "Mm. Pine." Akul took a deep breath.

"You and your nose." Aulus grinned.

"Let's go!" She tugged him along the road. Aulus found himself running to keep up with her.

"They're just trees!" Aulus was out of breath when they reached the first one.

"I haven't been outside of a forest for more than a moment." She joked while her human companion caught his breath. Akul reached up and raked her claws along the pine tree's bark causing bits to fall to the ground. "Ah. I missed this feeling." She sighed.

"You're crazy." Aulus shook his head. The wolf playfully stuck her tongue out at him. Her ears suddenly perked up and head snapped around. "What?"

"There's a lot of people coming this way." Her intrigued voice wondered why. They had crossed paths with a few others during the morning, mostly those with a cart. Around the corner, a group appeared walking in two lines. "Who are they?" Akul pointed at the marching column approaching them from ahead.

"Probably part of a local militia to patrol a town and the surrounding area." He guessed. "They're not uncommon to see." They stepped aside on the road to let the column pass. The various species were lightly armored with little more than matching shields, jerkins, and helmets. They watched the column of militiamen uniformly march by. One human soldier wearing a helmet lifted his eyebrows at the sight of the naked she wolf. His head turned to see her despite marching ahead. A barking order from the badger captain snapped the lowly soldier's gaze to the front. Aulus and Akul resumed walking up the road.

"I can't imagine having to wear all that armor." Akul rubbed her arms.

"You would be pretty intimidating with a suit of armor." Aulus laughed.

"Maybe intimidating, but not pretty." She scratched her chin contemplating the idea. "Does their chief have trouble with other tribes?"

"Not every town and village has a chief."

"What? They don't? How how are all of these villages, towns, and what you call them managed?"

"Some larger ones look over smaller ones..." He thought about how the whole lands governed while they stepped over some sticks.

"So they have elders make decisions without a chief?"

"Eh. Not really. There are nobles, dukes, and elected officials but political situation is fairly complex. I don't even understand how it functions." Aulus admitted. And explaining it wouldn't be easy. "All I know is that the tax laws can get really hairy in large towns if you own a business. How does everything work in your village?"

"You don't do anything that is wrong or bad." She summed everything into one sentence.

"Do all wolves follow that rule?"

"Almost." She stated. "I remember last winter one adolescent stole something from an elder."

"What happens when someone in the village does something like that?" Aulus remembered the humans who stole a necklace and were hunted down before being let off with a warning.

"He had to help the elder with any task until she believed that he repaid for his wrongdoing. This applies to anyone no matter the age. We never had a problem with this until those three stole a necklace from us and ran away."

"I see. That's very lenient compared to most places. Usually for small crimes you're thrown into jail or banished. For something like murder or arson you can be hanged."

"Jail and hanged? What are those?" She curiously asked.

"Jail is a place where you are forced to stay for a long time, sometimes the rest of your life. Being hanged is a painful way to kill someone."

"That's scary!" She shivered and folded her arms.

"It is..." He admitted and stared around the trees. "What about things like becoming chief?" He changed the subject.

"The elders agree on who would be a good chief. That person usually remains chief unless they are very incapable. Sometimes we encounter traders from outside the forests, but that's uncommon... Something smells." She wrinkled her nose. "Like something is rotting."

"That's probably the pyrite."

"What is pyrite?" Akul held her nose until the trace smell was gone.

"Pyrite is used to help a weapon work," he did not want to explain what a firearm was to someone who grew up with bows, hatchets, and spears, "but it is strange because its value is very volatile."

"What does volatile mean?" Her head tilted.

"It's value changes easily, and often on a whim of speculation. Sometimes it isn't even worth digging up a chest full of the stuff if their value has dropped."

"How does something's value change?" Akul asked. "It's still the same thing, right?"

"Yes, technically it is still pyrite but demand may change."

"Demand? They want it, don't they?"

"Hmm." Aulus thought of a better way to explain. "Imagine if you wanted a brand new bow and were willing to exchange it for two rabbit pelts. You exchange it and have the bow. If they tried to sell you a second bow then you may only want to trade one rabbit pelt, or even less, because you already have one."

"But a bow is a bow..." Her brow furrowed at the strange phenomenon. Aulus let her dwell on the concept of diminishing marginal utility while they walked through the patchy forest. Some spots along the road had little clearings of grass, and others connected to big fields. One area they approached by the road was mostly covered with moss. "What are those?" Akul looked at the strange stone markers all over the mossy ground.

"They're tombstones that mark where the dead are buried. Do villages do the same in the forests?"

"We try to bury our loved ones in a place they cherished, or under a particular tree with as many sweet smelling fragrances as possible." The wolf looked around the oddly shaped stones. "What is he doing?" She noticed a figure kneeling among the tombstones, hunched over facing a particular one. From behind the could see his clothes were decent, but worn. A small unmoving tail rested on the ground.

"I don't know." Aulus didn't pay much attention.

"He looks sad." Akul sympathetically said and stopped.

"Yes, but-" The wolf slipped from his grasp and approached the stranger. 'Why does she always want to talk to strangers?' He shook his head. The human trekked through the graves and approached where Akul was sitting beside the badger.

"A friend of yours?" His head turned to Aulus.

"Yep. His name is Aulus, and we're traveling together." Akul nodded.

'He's blind.' Aulus noticed the pale eyes aimlessly staring at him. The long walking stick laying beside him confirmed it.

"My name is Angelo." The badger introduced himself.

"I see that you have met Akul."

"I have." He grinned. "Do you know someone here?"

"No. We're from far away and traveling north. I guess you know who rests here."

"I do." He nodded. "This is my brother's grave. He died in a war a very long time ago." He solemnly spoke. Akul consolingly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She consoled him. A conflict between small tribal villages meant that a single loss of life would be significant.

"It's alright. I have accepted what has happened." He nodded. "My brother always told me to worry about myself first."

"If I had a sibling I would tell them the same thing." Akul grinned.

"How do you manage being blind?" Aulus interrupted.

"My wife helps me dress, cook, and do almost everything at our house."

"She must love you a lot." Akul's tail wagged.

"She must to put up with me." The badger chuckled.

"How did you manage to get here? Do you live nearby?" Aulus asked.

"I live a couple of miles off the road." He felt the stone before pointing. "I will never forget the path from my home to my brother's stone."

"Wow. You walk here all by yourself?" Akul was surprised. "How do you do that?"

"I walk in the same steps I suppose." He chuckled for a moment. "I'll never forget this place. I know where every stone and tree is." Akul looked around the peaceful area. Plenty of birds were either singing in the trees or bathing in a bird bath.

"I would miss seeing everything around me." The tribal wolf closed her eyes and thought of what it would like being blind. "The trees, animals, and all of the people I know despite hearing, touching, and smelling them." She rubbed her hand across the moss.

"Ah, I do miss seeing people." Angelo admitted. "My wife tells me that she's aging with white hairs along her muzzle, but I still 'see' her as her youthful self. What do you two look like?"

"Aulus is a human, and I'm a mottled grey wolf." Akul told him.

"A young pair indeed." Angelo mused to himself.

"I don't know if you'll believe this, but Akul is naked." Aulus pointed out.

"Is that so?" The old badger chuckled. "I would never have known." The smirk on his muzzle told the irony. "I know that she is very beautiful." He grinned. "I can tell by the sound of her voice."

"Thank you." Akul's ears fell back with a flattered smile.

"It's not bad being blind." The badger solemnly spoke. "I have seen more than an unfortunate person has had the opportunity to see." He added on a lighthearted note and retrieved a porcelain jug with a cork in the top.

"What is that?" Aulus pointed only to return his hand to his lap.

"A bottle of sake." The badger poured a cup. "I purchase it once a year from a northern merchant who imports it from abroad. Would you like some?"

"No thanks." He kindly said. 'Sake... We aren't far from Ambrosia.' The human thought to himself about the northern ports it could be purchased at. Akul's nose picked up the liquid's contents and dismissed the offering too. The badger shrugged and filled a cup before downing it.

"Mm. That's smooth." He licked his lips. "You two said that you were travelers, correct?"

"Yes. We've come a long way from the south, but we still have a ways to go."

"I think it is almost noon," he brushed his cheek fur, "and the modest town of La Vega is just north of here. It's not too big, but not too small." He explained.

"How does that sound?" Aulus asked Akul

"Good. Let's go there next." Her tail wagged. "Aren't you going?" She asked the blind badger.

"No thanks. I'll sit here for a while longer." Angelo poured another cup. "Thank you for the company." He smiled.

"Take care."

"It was nice meeting you!" Akul hugged him before they left.

"Have safe travels!" He called out.

***

"This must be La Vega." Aulus noticed buildings up ahead.

"Good. My paws are sore." Akul whimpered. The graveyard was miles behind them now, and it had been a long winding road to reach town. The familiar distant thundering of hooves rose in the air.

"Someone on horseback is coming." Aulus looked over his shoulder. They moved aside as the raccoon rode past them into town. The dust settled as the pounding of hooves dissipated. "If we had one of those then it wouldn't take so long to reach Ambrosia." Akul thought aloud.

"I don't have a fortune to spend yet." Aulus replied.

"Yet." The wolves optimistically pointed out. The town of La Vega wasn't much different from others they had crossed. It was more organized along a grid pattern than southern villages and towns, but architecture was fairly similar with a colonial touch. The sounds of a blacksmith hammering away at a horseshoe; carts being driven along the bumpy ground; chickens clucking; and locals talking were all characteristic of previous places they visited. However, the local reactions were typical as well.

"She's naked!" A woman's hushed voice was easily heard.

"Where did they come from? They woods?" A silver genet guessed.

"We need to find place to stay soon." Aulus quietly spoke. The late evening sky was slowly starting to darken with only an hour of sunlight left, but nothing they saw resembled an inn. Most buildings were quiet, but a few were noisy. "That building is louder than a gathering of fighting crows." Akul wondered what was going on inside.

"There's no sign, so I can't say for sure." Aulus didn't want any unnecessary attention drawn to Akul and continued walking. 'If we stay out here too long and draw a lot of attention then people will ask questions, and then questions lead to answers, and someone is bound to rob us if they know what I'm carrying.' Aulus worried about his gems. The carefree wolfess beside him was oblivious to any problem.

"Mm!" Akul raised her nose. "That building smells very good." She pointed a clawed finger at restaurant and bar.

"It's a place where you can eat and have food cooked for you, but it doesn't have a place to sleep."

"Can we go in?" She rubbed her hungry tummy.

"Sure." They turned and went inside. The creaking wooden door revealed a typical bar and restaurant. A few people were drinking ale, and fewer were eating at one of the seven tables available. "I'm having seconds thoughts about this Akul." Aulus whispered.

"But the food smells so good, and I'm hungry." She pressed him to stay.

"Choose any seat that you like." An apron wearing hyena approached them. His eyes widened at the sight of Akul. "You're lady friend can get a discount." He quickly added.

"A discount isn't bad..." Aulus weighed his options as they were led to a table.

"What can I get for you two to drink? We have two kinds of ale and a well out back." The hyena offered.

"Water." Akul kindly requested.

"And you?" He asked Aulus.

"No thanks. You get something to eat while I look around for a nice inn to stay at."

"Don't you want something too?"

"No. It shouldn't take me too long to find a decent inn." He guessed. "I will be back." The human left and scoped out the street. There were a few two story buildings within sight, but he couldn't make out any sign to tell anything apart. Aulus saw an ursine blacksmith preparing to close up shop for the evening. "Excuse me." He stopped the bear. "Is there an inn at this town to stay at overnight?"

"There's one owned by a raccoon fellow down the street." The bear pointed.

"Thank you." Aulus hurried down the street. The human evaded a moving cart before spotting a sign with the word "Inn" inscribed with white paint. He didn't hesitate to enter and was greeted with a friendly, yet quiet atmosphere. Beyond the tiny lobby was an open area resembling a lounge connected to several rooms. An old raccoon was sitting behind a small counter smoking a pipe.

"Hello stranger." The raccoon looked up and greeted Aulus. "Need a room for the night?"

"Yes. What rate would you charge?"

"Four copper pieces a night. Six if you're using the stable." He said without skipping a beat.

'Not bad.' Aulus considered how nice the palace looked. "That sounds fair. I'd like a room for me and my wolfess friend." The raccoon grabbed a pencil only to freeze.

"Did you say wolfess?" He eyes Aulus.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, but no females are allowed into my inn." He stated and drew a puff from his pipe.

"What do you mean no females are allowed to stay here?"

"I have had too much trouble with passing brothel members." He stated.

"My friend is not a part of any brothel. Surely you can make an exception."

"Sorry sir. Those are the rules." He insisted. Aulus walked out with a frown.

"Rules..." He muttered and strolled across the dirt road in thought. The human looked at the signs as he passed a few one story buildings. "Ah. A medicine shop." Aulus spotted the sign. 'I haven't seen one since I left Solstershire.' He approached the building and peered through the small display window where several likely empty bottles sat. The human knew better than to buy anything that had been sitting in the sun, especially medicine. 'I hope that we don't fall ill, because I don't trust any shop enough to buy from.' He walked on in search of a place to stay for the night. Aulus visited a second inn owned by a pair of Papillon twins, but the price didn't fancy him any better than the first. It was getting late, and he didn't have much choice on hand.

'I guess I'll ask Akul's opinion to decide.' He returned to the places she went to eat. 'Hopefully she won't make me knock on a stranger's door.' The human joked to himself. He entered the noisy establishment and immediately spotted his friend at a center table. Everybody was watching the naked she wolf eat. "Good lord Akul!" Aulus's jaw dropped seeing the wolfess finishing off a large plate of ribs. A few cheers and whistles were given at the display of such a healthy appetite. Two other empty plates were being taken away from the table. The naked canine happily waved at him.

"Mm! They have delicious food here Aulus." Akul licked her fingers clean of any sauce remaining.

"How much did you eat?" He was afraid to ask as he sat down beside her. The wolf contained a burp.

"Um. I don't know." Her answer only made him worry more. "Are you going to eat?"

"No. I am not hungry."

"Are you all finished ma'am?" An apron wearing hyena approached the table.

"Yes. All of it was delicious. Thank you."

"I'll be paying for her." Aulus spoke up.

"That will be two silver pieces sir." The hyena cheerfully spoke with a beaming smile.

"Two!" Aulus nearly fell out of his chair. 'That's nearly ten day's worth of food!' He could feel his money evaporating already.

"Yeah." The hyena leaned closer and whispered. "Unless you want everyone in the kitchen to beat you after washing her dishes." Without a plausible alternative Aulus handed over the two coins and left with the stuffed she wolf.

"Uh. I haven't eaten so much before." Akul slowly walked outside and rubbed her full belly.

"Akul! It cost me a fortune for you to eat like that!" Aulus contained his angry voice the best he could.

"Sorry." Her ears fell back. "All of their food smelled so delicious, and then they offered me some..."

"Think with your head and not your stomach, Akul." He sighed and ruffled his hair. The human looked avoided eye contact with her for a moment. The wolf's gaze was low and her ears were pinned back. "At least you won't be hungry tonight." He found a silver lining and mustered a grin.

"Did you find an inn?" She asked.

"Eh. No. They were very pricey for what they had to offer." He admitted. The wolf's ears folded back hearing rowdy laughter approaching. It was a small group of a half dozen or so rowdy townspeople well into a night of drinking. They peeled off one by one until a male red fox remained.

"Hello!" His voice hiccuped as he walked by Aulus, only to halt seeing the naked Akul. "Wow. Wow." He mumbled and let his eyes roam. His eyes groped every hair that he could see in the waning sunset. "She yours?" His words slurred.

"She's my friend." Aulus pinched his nose smelling the acrid alcohol laced breath from the fox's muzzle. The she wolf nodded and held her nose, trying to be polite.

"Why are you staring at my chest like that?" She didn't like the fox's demeanor and folded her arms.

"Why are you whoring out your body to hungry eyes?" He staggered up to Akul, eyeing up her body.

"For a fox you really are stupid." She picked up the drunken male by the collar of his shirt. Her arm reared back and clinched for a hard punch, but Aulus grabbed her.

"Let him go Akul. He's been drinking too much." The she wolf tensed her arm but released the drunken male. He fell to the ground in a drunken stumble and scurried away. "Stupid drunk." Aulus growled as the white tail tip disappeared into a bar.

"Can we pass this town?" Akul asked.

"Pass! It's almost dark Akul!" He was surprised but the canine held firm. "Well... It would be faster." He thought aloud. 'And cheaper.' He kept to himself about how much she cost him for one meal.

"I know." She spoke softly and looked around the tall one or two story buildings.

"Why don't you want to stay?"

"That fox..." She looked away and rubbed her arms. Her ears pinned back uncomfortably.

"So you don't want to stay at an inn?" Aulus made sure the decision was ok with Akul.

"No. This town isn't what I expected it to be."

"What about the beds? You liked those, didn't you?"

"Of course I liked the beds!" She grinned, remembering how luxurious they were to lay on. "But everybody in a town stares at me wildly, and it only gets worse the more we travel."

"Alright. Let's find a nice spot in the countryside." He took ahold of her hand. The wolf grinned and firmly held him. They walked out of the town and left the noise behind.

along the road into the countryside. Their only source of light was quickly replaced by the silvery moon in the cloudless sky. The only house they spotted beyond town was a small lodge with smoke exiting a chimney. A bearded human was chopping some extra firewood for good measure before returning inside for the night. They passed an old lonely oak tree before Akul started veering from the path.

"Here is nice." She pointed towards a group of trees close to the road. Aulus followed her into the short grass beside the road. The town was still within their sights as darkness gradually blanketed the area. They didn't bother making a fire because the starlight above provided more than enough light to see by. "Is the main river nearby?" The wolf sat down.

"Yes. It's within walking distance if we continue down this road." Aulus unpacked a few things. Akul laid down and rubbed her full belly.

"I'm full."

"I need to eat too." He grinned.

"You're right." She giggled and watched him pull out a few pieces of smoked meat from a previous town. "Would you like to hear a tale from my village that I was told as a pup?" Akul propped herself up on an elbow.

"Sure. I'd love to hear one." Aulus said between a bite.

"Okay... Let me think..." The wolf hummed to herself. "Ah. How about the evil shaman and the she wolf?"

"I like the sound of it. What's it about?"

"I will tell you." She flashed him her characteristic smile. "There was once a peaceful village in the forests where deer were plentiful and storms were few. One she wolf named Akuta lived in this village. She was young, strong, and witted. Her eyes were bright like the moon and her fur was a striking white with light greys. However, the village had an old evil shaman, and this evil shaman was jealous of Akuta's youthful body. Nobody in a tribe is jealous of such a thing. So the old shaman devised a plan to get rid of the girl and steal her body." Akul spoke in an ominous storyteller's voice.

"One day when Akuta was hunting by herself when she suddenly fell ill. The wolf was too weak to move or talk. She needed a someone to banish the evil from her body. Luckily her mate was also hunting that day and found her. He immediately knew that a curse was responsible for her unconsciousness. Without hesitating, Akuta's mate picked her up and ran for their village. Normally the path back home was only a short run, but he kept passing by the same trees, roots, and bushes. It was part of the evil shaman's curse to keep Akuta from returning home alive. In order to do that the evil shaman turned the forest into a never ending section of trees." Aulus looked out across the moonlit grass and trees, imagining the exciting tale.

"But Akuta's mate didn't give up and continued running for nearly half a day until the trees became familiar once again. He reached their village exhausted, but alive. Everyone gathered around and wondered what was going on but he demanded to see the shaman. The evil she wolf was angry at the sight of Akuta's mate, but he didn't know that the shaman caused all of this. He begged her to help cure Akuta." Akul cleared her throat and continued.

"She refused to speak or lift the curse until he showed her Akuta's body. At the sight of her own curse, the old shaman screamed and turned into a tree! When the villagers peeled the bark off, it revealed an old rotten tree on the inside just like the shaman. With the bark peeled away, Akuta awoke and the curse was lifted. The village could live in peace now, and Akuta raised a loving family with her mate."

"That was a nice tale." Aulus finished eating.

"Doing bad things often have a way of coming back to bite you." She added the moral to the story. "To this day my village and others nearby avoid that section of forest, especially if the sun is close to setting."

"Being in the middle of the forest alone would be pretty scary."

"Yep-" Akul surprised herself by yawning.

"You must've eaten more than I thought." Aulus mused.

"It's always hard to stay awake after a big meal, and there was so much delicious food."

"Then we should sleep." He moved their belongings and discarded his pants. A hand brushed over his leg. "What's wrong?"

"You don't need to wear all of that to bed with me." She insisted giving little tugs to his garment. "It's going to be a warm night."

"Someone will definitely see us. We're very close to the road."

"At night? We'll wake up and move along like we always do." Akul held his shirt up. The risk was minimal because they were on a rural path rather than a busy road.

"Alright." He agreed and took his shirt off. He was clad only in his linen undergarment, but she wouldn't convince him to take that off. "Just wake me up early, ok?"

"I will." She promised. Aulus had a fear of waking up in an awkward position, especially if someone happened to walk by the road in the morning. Hopefully Akul wouldn't let that happen. He crept closer and laid down beside her on the ground. The wolf immediately filled the gap between them. Their bodies were bathed in moonlight, nose to nose lying beside each other. "So, what are you thinking about Aulus?" She softly asked looking over the human's concentrated expression. The little grin she wore told how she felt.

"I'm lying down with a naked wolfess." He bluntly stated. "But you are soft." He kindly added. Her smile brightened a little and she hiked a leg over him, causing their legs to tangle. "It's kind of close though." He shifted nowhere in her oddly comfortable embrace.

"Wolves are social." She hummed. Aulus squirmed trying to find some room.

"Hold on-"

"I am holding onto you!" She chuckled and hugged him strongly to her body. Aulus gave up the struggle and relaxed the best he could in her arms. The awkward front to front contact wasn't helping.

"If you weren't covered in fur then I'd be wearing all of my clothes." He found something to joke about. Akul merely smiled and held him tighter. "I need to breathe!" The human wheezed.

"Oops. Sorry." She relaxed her grip. Aulus took a deep breath. "I didn't want you to slip away."

"I doubt that you would let me." The wolf chuckled. Man and wolf stared at each other in the moonlight while crickets chirped and the occasional owl hooted.

"Will the big city have a lot of inns and drunk people?" Akul asked.

"I don't know." He wondered. "It really depends on where we are and the time. Did that fox bother you that much?"

"Yes." She sighed with a nod. Aulus felt her hand trail up and down his back in thought. "He isn't the only one, but he was so... so rude about it."

"Don't worry about that idiot." He patted the wolf's side, knowing that she liked the physical touch.

"Thanks." She smiled and licked his forehead. "You always cheer me up."

"Didn't I stare at you funny when we first met?" He recalled.

"No." Akul shrugged.

"I thought it was rude."

"I thought it was kind of cute." A grin reemerged along her muzzle. "In my village if you stare at someone then it means you like them."

"Oh." Aulus stared at her feeling his cheeks warm up.

"Sleep well Aulus." She smiled and patted his back.

"Ok. Goodnight." He wrapped an arm over her back. A damp nose touched his skin before a tongue swiped over his forehead again.

Aulus woke up feeling warm all over. The soft moonlight had been replaced by the bright morning sun shining on his back. He shifted slightly feeling fur brush over his entire front.

'Akul is always comfy.' He liked how soft and warm her fur was. Instead of immediately getting up, the human snuggled closer to her. The wolf's earthy forest scent didn't seem so foreign anymore, and Aulus had grown accustomed to it. A raven cawing didn't kept him from wanting to fall asleep again, but the sound of two voices alerted him. He rubbed his eyes and looked over his shoulder. A tigress and female serval were watching him as they walked by. The two passersby chuckled and exchanged remarks at the sight of the half naked man and wolfess lying on the road.

"Gah!" His face reddened as he rolled away from Akul. The tribal canine stirred.

"What's wrong?" The wolfess stretched awake.

"Two people just passed by and saw us!" He searched for his clothes.

"But we were only sleeping." She yawned.

'I swear!' He bit his tongue from to hold his anger and embarrassment. 'I can't understand her.' Aulus quickly brushed his clothes clean and hastily put them on. Akul lazily stretched before sitting up. She yawned and watched the antsy human check their supplies next. Akul licked her lips at the faint traces of her large meal last night.

"Mm. Can you toss my comb over?" She raised her arms and smoothed her hair. "My fur and hair are a little messy." Aulus handed it over and double checked the map.

'We'll follow the river for a few miles and then take an inland road for a while.' He planned out the remaining days ahead.

"Cloudy, cloudy, cloudy. I can smell rain in the air!" Akul pointed her nose to the sky and sang. The wolfess eventually finished combing her hair and fur.

"Ready?"

"Mmhm. My day to carry the pack." The wolfess smiled as she picked it up.

'Thank goodness.' Aulus rotated his shoulder. "Let's go to the river and refill on some clean water." A short walk led them to the riverbank. Akul crouched down and cupped her hands on the water. The wolf lapped the water from her cupped hands rather than put it in their canteen to drink from. The wolf caught the human staring at her. He did not say anything and continued walking along the bank.

"What? I'm drinking water." She shook her hands and followed him.

"I noticed." He downplayed it. After some time, a distant rushing noise reached the wolf's sensitive ears. The further they walked, the stronger it became. Akul blinked seeing the river suddenly end up ahead.

"Where's the water going?" She asked and trotted ahead.

"Over a cliff-" he started to answer but the wolf was already out of earshot. The tribal she wolf peered over the edge.

'It's like the land is on two levels.' The tribal wolf had never seen anything like it before. It was only a small waterfall, maybe three or four meters high where the water crashed down into a frothy white. A few were washing clothes at the bottom. Two kids were screaming playfully in the water's edge downstream. She could see maybe a half mile of countryside from the top. A few buildings were partially disguised by the treetops.

"This waterfall is why trade rarely goes down river where we are from." Aulus approached from behind to look over.

"Where does it go?"

"From here it branches west or continues north." He pointed across the riverbank then upriver. "After I refill the canteen we will take the next road leading this way." The human pointed away from the river. Akul waited as he walked to the river's edge. She wondered how his body looked when it walked and moved, but that wasn't all. Akul cupped a petite breast in her hand.

'Imagine how big they will be when I become a mother.' She told herself. The mottled grey she wolf liked having a small chest. 'But I want to become a mother.' She smiled and looked at Aulus standing by the water's edge. The human was oblivious to the wolf's gaze and knelt down to fill their canteen. Bubbles rose up as water rushed in. He pulled it up and took a sip.

"All full." Aulus closed the lid and stored it in the backpack.

"Ready to continue?" She asked. Aulus nodded and followed her down to the bottom of the waterfall. "Is there another village around here?" Akul looked around the area where a dozen or so people were scattered along the river. She noticed more than one worn out path leading from the undergrowth and trees to the water's edge.

"This region has plenty of towns within a close distance ranging in sizes. We may even see two in a day."

"Oh." Akul slowly nodded and stared at an older civet woman washing clothes by the waterfall. The older woman was completely dressed despite being in the waist deep water. Her cumbersome grey gown flowed around her underneath the surface, constantly interrupting her wash. Two males downriver were wearing similar elaborate grey garments despite standing in a much shallower end by some rocks.

"Isn't that odd?" The naked wolf mentioned.

"What?" He looked at the river. Aulus wasn't one to notice dressing habits, especially while he was with Akul.

"They wear stranger clothes than you do." She murmured. "And they don't even take them off to bathe."

"They're probably part of some strict religious group."

"Like a shaman?"

"In some ways I suppose, but with plenty of clothes. I doubt they would see nudity in a good light."

"Oh." Her tail drooped.

"Bathe downriver!" A local called from the water. The wolf didn't pay any attention and walked alongside Aulus. Two laughing tiger youths emerged from the undergrowth wearing the same gown resembling clothing.

"Sorry ma'am, sir-" They nearly bumped into Aulus and Akul from their carelessness only to gawk. "She's naked!" Their startled, hushed voices were completely embarrassed. They covered their petrified eyes and walked around the naked wolf before running to the waterfall. Akul was baffled. The she wolf looked around before closing her jaw.

"It's like they're sealing themselves from nature... the world!" She exclaimed.

"Like I said to you before, being naked in the woods is not the norm everywhere else." Aulus explained.

"They're pretending like they haven't seen a body before... as if their clothes replaced their bodies!" She continued ranting. Aulus let her vent as they walked downriver, and away from the little community. "You didn't act like that when visiting the village." She stated firmly.

'It was very scary when a lot of spears were pointing at me.' He thought to himself.

"Where are we going next?" The wolfess asked.

"We can stop at the next town... down this road." Aulus took a right, leading away from the river.

"Another town already? What about following the river?" Akul followed.

"The terrain is rugged along the river, so we can stick to the meadows and forests until we reach Ambrosia.

"As long as there are some trees around." The she wolf calmly thought and jumped up. Aulus watched her swat the air above and land beside him. The cloud cover above continued to thicken as they walked, and it wasn't long before a low rumble of thunder traveled across the darkening sky.

"I think the song you were singing was right." Aulus felt a droplet of rain land on his head.

"We better hurry then." Akul picked up the pace as the pattering increased. They broke into a run seeing the next town ahead. Late Spring showers were common and could suddenly roll in before suddenly leaving.

"We're almost there!" Aulus ran to the first building where there was enough shelter underneath the roof. They skidded to a halt on the wooden porch as the rain started to pick up.

"We made it!" Akul shook her fur dry. Her lovely mottled grey coat had damp spiky tips remaining.

"Just in time too." Aulus sighed and heard a few window shutters slam shut.

"What kind of building is this Aulus?" Akul smelled the air, only able to catch traces of visitors and the rain.

"I don't know." He didn't want to look from outside the the roof and get soaked. Akul wouldn't hesitate to pry wet clothes off him. "Let's go inside and find out. It's better than standing out here for the ran to pass." He walked inside, hoping Akul wouldn't draw much attention. Inside was a supply store of sorts with plenty of tools and equipment hanging from wooden pegs on the walls. Shelves were stocked with similar hardware and gear primarily for outdoor use, like rope and hoes. At the end of the shop was a long counter and an open doorway possibly leading to a back room for storage. An old male cougar sweeping the floor caught sight of the tribal she wolf.

'She's naked!' He approached the two strangers.

"Hello-"

"Out!" The shopkeeper yelled at Akul. "No lewdness on my property!" The feline swatted at them with his broom.

"Stop! She's from the giant forests to the south." Aulus shielded himself from the broom hitting his head repeatedly. The cougar didn't understand and continued swatting until a strong hand grabbed the broom.

"Why are you hitting my friend?" She snatched the item from the shopkeeper's hands.

"I'm hitting you!" He growled.

"Everyone in her village lives naked." Aulus wiped his face and spit a piece of tassel out of his mouth. "It's normal for her."

"He's right, and I don't do anything lewd." She frowned.

"Huh? You what?" The old cougar was baffled.

"She is from the southern forests where it's practiced." Aulus explained.

"Oh... So all of what you're saying is true?" He skeptically looked at them.

"Yes!" They resounded and handed back the broom.

"What's all of this racket about?" An apron wearing middle aged lioness entered from a back part of the shop.

"Eh? We have two from the far south Millie!" His dark brown ears folded back as he turned around. The lioness approached only to cover her mouth at the sight of the naked she wolf.

"Goodness! You're naked!" Millie gasped. "Here. Take my apron." She began untying it.

"Oh. No thanks. I don't wear clothes." Akul chuckled much to the lion's surprise.

"You don't?" Her baffled look was identical to her husband's.

"That's what we were arguing about earlier." The cougar sheepishly admitted and placed an arm around her waist. "I am Amos. This is my wife, and my tempered half, Millie." He introduced themselves to the human and canine pair. "And we own this shop."

"I'm Aulus."

"My name is Akul."

"We're from the far south traveling to the north coast."

"It's nice to meet you both." Millie shook their hands politely. "But I have to know why you don't wear clothes."

"I'd like to know too." Amos piped up. His wife elbowed him lightly.

"There's a giant forest where I'm from," Akul started to explain, "where everyone lives in villages. Clothing is considered unnatural and we live naked with nature. That's how I grew up, but everything outside the forests is so different."

"The tribal villages live secluded from everyone else except for a rare encounter or fur trappers." Aulus added.

"I bet we look silly to you then." Millie giggled.

"Not at all!" Akul reassured her. "I'm not in the forest anymore." She understood.

"Sorry for hitting you two." Amos apologized.

"It's fine. We've had plenty of unwelcome responses."

"I have heard a few tales about the outside world, but none of them could've prepared me for everything that I've experienced." Akul nodded. Amos's brown eyes lit up.

"There's a little local legend about two travelers, a raccoon and lion who stopped here ages ago. The lion went missing and the raccoon went looking for him, but without luck. He was afraid that the lion had become lost in the surrounding fields or forests when a ghost appeared."

"Ah!" Akul barked causing Aulus and the storyteller to jump back.

"Why did you bark?!" The human rubbed his ear.

"That was a scary story." She sheepishly grinned

"You can beat up a gang of thugs to save me, but a story scares you?" Aulus could hardly believe it.

"But ghosts are evil spirits seeking to cause harm to the living-"

"I didn't finish!" Amos cried out and cleaned his ear out. "Ghosts are usually a presence of forewarning, or helpful guide to those in search of something important."

"Oops. Sorry." Akul apologized.

"Anyway." Amos resumed. "The ghost pointed in the direction where the lion was. The raccoon followed a small path through the grass that led to the bottom of a hill. He found the lion on the hilltop overlooking the fields and shallow gulley above town." Amos pointed in the direction. "The lion was safe and led back without any further trouble."

"Oh. That's a much better ending." Akul grinned.

"Once in a while we hear about someone spotting the ghost, but who knows?" The cougar shrugged.

"It's a beautiful spot to visit during the sunset." Millie added. "Amos and I would go there a lot, years ago." She smiled at her husband.

"We didn't see any ghost though." He noticed Aulus looking around his shop. "See anything that you need to travel? You two did say that you were traveling north, correct?"

"Yes, and we definitely need more supplies." Aulus could feel how light his backpack was becoming since he had restocked a week ago.

"Tell me what you need." The cougar slapped the counter. "Everything we have is cheap." Aulus rummaged through their pack to check while his tribal canine companion explored the little shop out of curiosity.

"What kind of stick is this?" Akul picked up a cane with a hook end.

"It's a cane to help old people like my husband walk." The cougar's wife grinned. Akul was too tall to use it properly, but that didn't stop her from trying.

"Do you have a spool of string?" Aulus checked through his pack.

"Hmm." Amos thought and looked around. "Millie, do we have string in the back?"

"Yeah. I'll check." The lioness padded to the back room.

"Ooh. What's this do, Aulus?" Akul held out a different kind of stick.

"This is an umbrella." He looked over the plain black fabric and opened it up. "You hold it over your head like this." He demonstrated. "The rain hits the top and slides off so you remain dry."

"Can we try it?" She excitedly asked.

"We don't mind." Amos smiled.

"C'mon Aulus, before it stops raining!" The wolf dragged him outside.

"Alright! I'm going!" He stumbled after her. The rain had tapered off, but it was still lightly drizzling.

"Hold it over my head." Before Aulus could even move, she held his wrist up and pressed against him.

"You're close to me..." Aulus murmured.

"I know." She wagged her tail and kept her arm around his side. The wolfess knew that he didn't personally mind their close contact anymore. They walked across the road and remained dry. "Wow." She stared around despite hearing the droplets falling above them. Her amazement amused Aulus. "Do you think we can make an umbrella in my village?"

"We?"

"You're visiting, right?"

"I guess... But I don't think there would be a good way to make one in a forest. Besides, don't you have trees to shelter under?"

"We do." She nodded. "But it's like we're carrying a little tree." She looked up at the branch resembling parts that held everything up.

"The sun is starting to come out." Aulus noticed only a light drizzle landing on the umbrella.

"Let's go to the hilltop, just like in the story!" Akul excitedly suggested. The hand holding his side and the moving umbrella left him without any alternative. They walked through the wet grass to a dirt path leading up a small hill. The rain finally let up and the cloud cover dissipated. Stretched out before the two travelers was a large scenic flower bearing field surrounded by trees. "Wow! Look how beautiful it is." The wolfess was in awe at the gorgeous landscape in front of them. The sun was peeking through the opening clouds, casting the watered field with bright light. "And there's the band of colors!" She pointed at the visible rainbow.

'Band of colors?' Her tribal viewpoint never ceased to intrigue the human. The hand around his waist tightened a little, pressing him closer to the furry body standing beside him in awe. But he didn't mind and place a hand on her bare waist. Birds emerged tweeting in the trees where water dropped from a branch.

"It is beautiful." Aulus couldn't think of a place he would rather be at that very moment.