Sheep in Wolves Clothing: Ch 1 Sample

         In the world of fantasy, where the lands are ruled by kings and years are counted not by days but by the cycle of the seasons, there lives a little boy. His name is Zahilla, and he has eyes that sparkle like brilliant emeralds. Zahilla's home is in a small village less than a day's ride from the Vast Ocean on the border of The Dark Forest. More than a seasons' cycle ago tragedy had led him to live there with the Nox family. They feared the king would come for him so they made him wear a sort of veil to cover his eyes.

         One day an innocent, pudgy little girl with dark eyes and dark hair asked him to show her his eyes. Zahilla really liked her, so he complied. What neither of them knew was that one of the king's soldiers had been watching them. The little girl gasped when she saw his eyes and the soldier shifted into a blue bird and flew away. From that moment any hope of a normal childhood flew off with the soldier.

         “Zahilla, Get in this house now!” The shrill voice of Mrs. Nox made Zahilla duck as if her very words could strike him.

         He smiled at the girl, as if to say, “I will see you tomorrow.”, and ran toward the house.

         As Zahilla rushed across the small yard he noticed that Mrs. Nox's normally relaxed round face boiled red with rage and her royal blue eyes seemed to pop out of her head. She is really mad at me. He thought.

         “Get in here right now!” She commanded a little quieter, as he scurried past her.

         Don't hurt me. He ran for his bed and hid under the blanket. She isn't going to tell anyone. Zahilla could hear the wood creak under Mrs. Nox's feet as she approached him. I trust her! Then a terrifying thought crossed his mind. I'm sorry, please don't send me away.

         “Look at me.” She said much quieter, but still clearly angry.

         Slowly Zahilla peeked his eyes over the edge of the covers. He noticed that Mrs. Nox had pulled up a chair next to his bed and sat there rubbing her head nervously.

         “Look at me.” She said again, this time with a calm, assuring voice.

         Don't send me away. Don't send me away. Don't send me away! He thought, dropping the cover from his face. Zahilla noticed that tears had begun to form in Mrs. Nox's eyes. That is all it took for Zahilla to begin to break down and cry.

         “Are... you... go... ing... to... send... me... away?” He asked between sobs.

         “No baby. I was just very scared.” Mrs. Nox's face softened even more. She leaned close to Zahilla and pet his head as she spoke softly. “Go clean your face and then I need you to go get Mr. Nox.” Then she gently grabbed his face and added sternly, “Do not talk to anyone. Just go get Mr. Nox and tell him what you did.”

         What did I do? “That I talked to the girl?”

         “No, you showed her your eyes. We told you to never let people see your eyes.”

         She wouldn't tell anyone. “But...”

         “Hush now Zahilla. Go get Mr. Nox. We will talk when you return.”

         What is wrong with my eyes? He thought as he slipped his feet to the floor. Why can't anyone see them? When he stood up though, the door swung open.

         “What happened?!” Mr. Nox exclaimed, the sun shining behind him in the doorway. Sweat poured down the sides of his square face and it dampened his short, thinning black hair. Zahilla noticed that his black eyes seemed just as large as Mrs. Nox's eyes had a few moments ago.

         “Max,” Mrs. Nox jumped up to hug Mr. Nox, “one of the king's men saw Zahilla's eyes.” She leaned her head into his shoulder but he did not move to hold her, “It was a shifter, he flew toward the port. Drake is in the port! Max, we could be waking to the arms of our ancestors by the time the sun rises!”

         Mr. and Mrs. Nox seemed to have forgotten about Zahilla so he spoke up, “Why won't you tell me why no one can see my eyes?”

         Both of them turned to Zahilla with a blank stare and said in unison, “Well...uh...”

         Mr. Nox smiled at him and then he said, “Zahilla, son. You are very unique.”

         “Max.” Mrs. Nox scolded, tight-lipped.

         “Kriana, it's time for him to know.” He snapped back and continued, “No one has seen someone with eyes like yours since the days of our ancestors. Back then, people with eyes like that were friends with the king's enemy, Garos, the king of the vampires.”

         What? “Vampires?”

         “Never mind who they are. They live far away from here.” Mrs. Nox said quickly.

         “The vampires were very strong but, for some reason they were even stronger with people like you.”

         Zahilla had a very hard time understanding what they were saying, “But, why?”

         “No one knows anymore. Our ancestors would not talk about it.”

         Then Zahilla chuckled to himself and said, “Maybe the king is afraid of dogs.”

         “That may be, but maybe when you are a man you will know if that is really the reason the king wants you in...” Mr. Nox cut himself off from finishing his sentence but Zahilla knew what he meant. ...in the arms of my ancestors.

         “But I have only seen the seasons seven times. I can't hurt anyone.”

         “I know baby, but the king is worried that the vampires will find you.” Mrs. Nox added.

         I'm not a baby anymore. “I won't help them.”

         “Of course you won't, but the king doesn't want to risk it.”

         The tiny, modest house fell into an awkward silence. Zahilla did not know what to say anymore. The whole ordeal simply overwhelmed him. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Nox seemed to be talking to one another silently.

         “Gerrrrawrar!” A distant roar shattered the silence that had fallen on them.

         Both Mr. and Mrs. Nox's eyes seemed to double in size again.

         “I'm going to speak with Galen.” Mr. Nox said already halfway out the back door.

         Tears began to form in Mrs. Nox's eyes again. “Zah zah baby. Do you remember that hiding place I told you about?” She asked, the shake in her voice betraying her fear.

         “The one I have to be a puppy to get to?” What just roared?

         He looked to her for an answer but she just stood there. Zahilla felt like Mrs. Nox had been frozen in time. She did not blink and she seemed to be holding her breath. He realized that her face no longer looked young and vibrant. Instead her face seemed to have turned into the face one would see on an ancient.

         He didn't like thinking of her that way. So he turned away from her and listened to the noises that had risen outside. Among all of the houses in the village people had begun moving around like scared rabbits. Outside he could hear his neighbors yelling and barking orders to one another.

         “Pack only what we can carry!” One man shouted.

         “I have to get a blanket for the horse!” Another wined.

         “We can't take this with us!” Yet another barked.

         “It belonged to my mother. I...” A clay pot broke with a loud crash cutting off the woman who had been yelling.

         The sound of the pot breaking snapped Mrs. Nox out of her trance, “Yes baby, go there now and do not come out until you see the moon.” She said and pushed Zahilla toward the back door.

         “But, what about mid meal?” He whined.

         “I will try to get some food to you. For now I need you to go." What about you? I can help you. I can defend you. Zahilla froze in his thoughts. Let me help you.

A look of anger washed over Mrs. Nox's face when Zahilla did not move. Her eyes turned cold and her hands balled up at her sides.

         "Now!” She barked, choking back tears.

         Instinct sent him running toward the back door. Why is everyone so scared? What made that sound? Was that a vampire? No... I think I have heard that sound before... But how did he find me? He rounded the corner and found the small hole that he had dug. That girl must have told someone about me! How could she?!

         Zahilla did not have time to think about how he had been discovered. He knew he needed to clear his mind and think about transforming. After this is over I am going to visit her as a puppy. I will find out if she told someone. People always tell puppies things. I'll turn my head to the side. His hands began to shrink into themselves. Maybe I'll wag my tail. Little kids like that. A layer of soft fur pushed through his skin, turning him gray. Oh! Maybe she'll feed me some scraps. In one swift movement his legs shrunk and bent. Next his ears grew and then flopped over on themselves. When his nose turned black and pulled away from his eyes the smell of panic overwhelmed him.

         Right, I need to hide. Zahilla looked to his left and his right and then whimpered. Since he had shrunk in size his clothes no longer fit him. They had fallen around him like a bag for wheat. I need to remember to take off my clothes first. Now where is the... He began to feel frustrated pawing at the shirt to find an escape.

Just as he thought he had found a way out, he felt large hands clamp around his little body. Let me go or I will bite you! A low growl began to escape from his throat, but it cut off abruptly when he felt the hands lift him off the ground.

         “What have we told you about shifting while you still have clothes on?” Zahilla felt a wave of relief wash over him. This voice belonged to Mr. Nox.

         Hearing the familiar noise and now being in Mr. Nox arms reminded him of when he had first met him. The wet season had almost ended. That night the rain fell colder than usual. Maybe it had been the rain, or maybe it had been because he had just escaped an inferno. Far away from the smoldering remains of his home, he had found shelter among some trees that had fallen atop one another.

         The small cave it had created provided a little warmth and a dry place to sleep. While Zahilla slept Mr. Nox had also been seeking shelter from the cold rain. He found his little tree cave and Zahilla, sleeping naked, in it. After much convincing that he was not his enemy, Mr. Nox took him home. Since then Mr. Nox has been the only father he had ever known.

         Mr. Nox pulled the shirt off of him and lifted him so that their eyes met. At that moment Zahilla jumped at Mr. Nox's face and licked it happily.

         Gently Mr. Nox pushed Zahilla away and said, “Now go hide like your mother told you to." He put him down and set him inside the hole that led under the house. "Next time you have to change remember to take your clothes off.” He whispered as Zahilla's tail disappeared, along with the rest of him, under the house.

         The hole did not provide Zahilla with much space to move. He knew that no one would find him under there, but he did not feel very safe. Something inside him told him to keep moving, so that is exactly what he did. He wedged his head between the wood slat above him and the mounds of dirt below. Zahilla clawed at it and squirmed his way further under the house. Must... dig... deeper. Dig. Dig. Dig... Oh I don't feel very good. Among the smells of dirt and fear another, very potent, smell had made him feel nauseated. He figured it must be coming from the patch of grass like plants that grew under the center of the house.

         When he stopped, to keep from throwing up, the sounds around him flowed back. Panic still controlled the villagers outside. In the house next door to him he could hear a baby crying. You know something bad is going to happen too don't you? Then he heard the muted voices of Mr. and Mrs. Nox. I wonder what they are saying. He decided it would be best for him to crawl toward the voices. Much to Zahilla's disgust, the patch of grass grew in that direction as well. Don't pay attention to that smell. Just focus on their voices. Maybe if I am closer I can hear what they're saying.

Zahilla turned to his left and followed the inaudible voices. He dug and squirmed his way until the voices got easier to understand.

         "... dragons... they... find him..." He heard Mrs. Nox first.

         Did a dragon make that noise? Zahilla needed to hear more clearly so he dug until he was sure he was directly beneath them and, unfortunately, in the thick of the potent-smelling grass.

         "They won't find him Kriana. The lagema grass will cover his scent." Mr. Nox's voice finally came through clear.

         That must be the grass I'm laying in.

         "They'll burn down the village looking for him. They won't need a dragon to sniff him out." Kriana Nox cried.

         "He is safe, love. When the sun sets the King's men will leave. You know even a soldier won't go out in the forest at night." Mr. Nox assured her but Zahilla could smell uncertainty on him mixed with a smell he didn't have a name for. The kind when animals go find a place to die. I remember this, my mother smelled like this just before the fire!

         "No he isn't. You heard the dragon's roar. He is coming and he will find him."

         "Why would they bother the dragons for such a little boy? Drake probably roared because he could not come with the soldiers. I'm sure the King has better uses for his dragons."

         What is the king going to do with me? Among the smells of fear, lagema and the salty hint of tears, Zahilla began to pick up another smell.

         "Have you seen a dragon Max? My father told me about them. They're..." Mrs. Nox's shaking voice distracted him from trying to pin down the source of the new smell.

         "No Kriana, of course I have never seen a dragon." Mr. Nox interrupted, "That is exactly why I don't think they'll send one for the boy."

         The smell seemed to be getting closer. Strange smell. He sniffed the air cautiously.

         "Well I am not willing to stand here and wait to find out. We need to run Max."

I think I know this smell.

         "If we run we will be running for the rest of our lives. The king is a reasonable man. He won't let us be hurt."

         Suddenly images of his mother came to mind. Yes! It's him, the man who came for me before the fire. No! Not again. I have... A rhythmic booming sound cut his thoughts short. Too late, he's here.

         "Max! Those are dragon footsteps! We have to run. Now! Please Max, let's go."

         "No. We have to make sure the dragon doesn't find him."

         The booming quickly got louder.

         "He's a dragon Max! Of course he will find him! Oh grandmother, ancient ancestors, and their grandmothers be prepared, we are coming to join you."

         It didn't take long before the booming turned into a violent vibration. Zahilla whimpered uncontrollably and curled into a ball as the vibrations threw his head into the wooden floor above him.

         "Stop those prayers Kriana. Our ancestors aren't ready for us yet."

         I don't want these people to die. Please leave them alone.

         As if it could hear his thoughts the booming and vibrations suddenly stopped. With it, all time seemed to stop. Not a sound could be heard. The baby next door had stopped crying and no one even so much as shuffled their feet. Kriana had even stopped mumbling her final prayers.

         Everyone may have gone silent but the smells still screamed fear. It's going to happen again! He felt a warm liquid pool under his hind legs. Urine. He did not have much time to think about it before the sound of splintering wood and Kriana's screams bombarded his sensitive ears.

         “Where is he?!” A new voice boomed over Kriana's screams. It's him!

         That voice took Zahilla back to the night of the fire. "The wet season in the mountains is not a place for a boy. With eyes like that no one will take you in!" He remembered the voice calling after him as he ran into the woods, his tail tucked between his legs.

         "Who? There isn't anyone else here." Mr. Nox lied.

         "Grrrrahhhh. Do you think I am a fool? That boy is an insult to the king!" The man growled and stomped his foot breaking the boards above Zahilla's head.

         "He's just a boy. Sir Drake, have mercy. He doesn't even know what a vampire is. He's no threat to anyone." Zahilla could see Mr. Nox silhouetted in the sunlight that beamed in through the huge hole the dragon had made.

         There is that word again. What is a vampire?

         "Silence! That boy will someday become a man. A man that Garos will want. Garos IS a threat. Then Garos will have another war! YOU will be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocents. You would sacrifice them for one little boy?"          Zahilla could see the shadow of a creature that looked like a large man with a long, spiked tail gesturing wildly.

         “Please Sir Drake, look through the house. He isn't here.” Kriana pleaded.

         "You would betray your king?"

         "No! Just search the house. We've sent him away."

         "You have betrayed your king by letting that green-eyed child of a demon escape!” He paused for a moment and sniffed the air, “Now you have blood on your hands. Do you know what our ancestors do to those that destroy an entire village?” He sniffed the air again. “I will be swift, but your punishment shall last an eternity!" The man's voice got deeper as he spoke.

         Neither Mr. Nox nor his wife had a chance to respond. Through the crack in the floor Zahilla saw a large green claw cut Mr. Nox's face into three pieces.

         “Max!” Mrs. Nox screamed as Mr. Nox collapsed inches away from Zahilla's face, blocking his view.

         The dragon creature had ripped one of Max's eyes from its socket. Zahilla could not see where it had gone. Maybe the dragon had eaten it. The other eye still showed the terror of Max's last moments as it looked down on him.

         From the hole where the other eye had been blood gushed down toward Zahilla, filling up the space he huddled in. He tried to push himself away from the torrent flowing toward him but his little body couldn't move fast enough. The dirt below him turned into a sticky red mud and held him fast. I am going to drown down here!

         Above him he could hear the dragon laughing. Must escape!

         "You, I may just let live." It growled, hardly audible.

         “I will be honored by my ancestors. It is you that shall live an eternity of punishment!" Kriana bravely shouted back at him.

         "Grahhhh! Meet them now and you will find out for yourself."

         Something like the sound of a powerful wind replied. Then Zahilla smelled the distinct smell of burning flesh and wood. No! Not the fire! He tried to struggle free of the bloody mud but could not move. Must escape! He struggled for a few more minutes but then gave up. I'm going to die... Now Zahilla himself emitted the smell of an animal that is finding a place to lie down and die. At least no one else will die because of me.

         The ground around him began to warm up and an orange light glowed between the slats in the floor. Flames licked across the walls and cooked the mud around Zahilla as hard as a brick. It grabbed at his legs and sent searing pain up his spine. Suddenly the lagema grass doubled in size and began to cover him. Am I shrinking? The smell made him sick again and this time he could not hold down his vomit.

         I wonder what dying feels like. Zahilla thought while all of his senses fired at once. It overwhelmed him and made him feel as if he would lose his mind. Will the ancestors accept me? The air itself hurt him now and his eyes watered from the smells around him. Then the ground beneath him began to tilt and sway and the orange light began to go dark. This is it. I must be dying.

         As everything went black his eyes fluttered open and reality reminded him that twenty cycles had passed since that terrible day. This nightmare had plagued him daily for many cycles but now it happened only four times in a season. Even to this day he could not explain how he had come to a few days later unharmed and covered in ash. Maybe that is why I keep dreaming about it.

         Shortly after the dreams slowed down Zahilla decided to leave the forest and live in Jade Port as a blind beggar. He craved to have someone love him again but the cruelty of man drove him back to the forest before the warm season ended. Fleeing into the woods, he forsook his human form and took to the forest on all four legs. Zahilla didn't want to see his weak human form ever again, but every morning he found that he had transformed in his sleep. This morning had been no different.

         Living in the forest as a dog had shaped him into a handsome man with toned muscles and a lean frame. Most men would be proud of such a man, but Zahilla saw it as a glaring weakness. He looked around one of his many caves that he lived in and shivered. The cave had proven to be colder than if he had simply slept under the stars. Many mornings he had thought the same thing but he dared not let anyone see his weak form by sleeping outside.

         Outside his cave the dawn had broke to light up a grey, dismal sky. Rain, king's ancestors, I hate the wet season. He thought as he relieved himself outside the mouth of the cave. Beyond the strong smell of urine Zahilla picked up a smell that made him forget about his dream and even about his pitiful human form. The white deer!

         He had been tracking a herd of white deer since the wet season had begun. Zahilla caught up to them very quickly but bided his time until they had become very fat and ready to sleep through the cold season. The alpha buck had become very fat and today would be the day he would die at the teeth of Zahilla.

         The mere thought of the hunt made his legs shrink and his skin erupt into a soft grey and brown fur. He leapt forward over his puddle of urine and landed fully transformed into the canine form he preferred. I can see better this way any way. He told himself as he bounded toward the scent of the deer.

         Hmmm meat.... yes DEER. Nice juicy... With each bound toward the herd, any semblance of his human thoughts and dreams disappeared. Deer, deer, deer, rock, bird! Zahilla chased after a small black bird until it flew to high for him to chase. What was I doing? He sniffed the air and caught the scent of the white deer again. Right, deer. Deer, tree, urine, wolf.  Zahilla scowled.  My tree. He lifted his leg and covered the wolf's scent with his own.

         Deer, deer, deer. Wait! What is that? Eagerly he sniffed the air as an unfamiliar scent overwhelmed the deer scents. Fur, claws, tail... cat! Yes I remember now. I love the delicious smell of fear in the air when I get close to them. Heh, then they run up a tree and hiss! Then I can tell it just how I feel about it and it won’t ever know that if I really wanted to I could climb the tree and eat it! He began to pant uncontrollably as he sniffed the air to get a better idea of where the cat could be found. It hasn't moved. I bet it’s sleeping! Perfect, I will run right up to it and watch it try to fly! Then I will... He skidded to a stop, overwhelmed by a new smell. Ugh what is that smell?

         Actually he knew this smell very well. Some mornings during the hot season he had smelled it on himself. Unwashed humans. Since the king had declared the forest a safe place to travel through, Zahilla had been encountering more and more of these. Judging by the potency, he figured that there must be a camp of them near by.          He didn't want anything to do with humans so he tried to focus on the cat smell. Zahilla snorted in disgust when he realized the cat smell came from the same direction as the camp of humans.

         Despite his feelings, he could not help but follow the cat's scent. It won't hurt to run through the camp and scare the fur off of the little rat. It'll be fun! He followed the scent over a small hill and spotted the camp of four tents in a clearing near the road. Then, as if it had never been there, the cat's scent disappeared.

         What? Where did...? Zahilla's ears pricked up for a moment, his curiosity driving him. Cautiously he crouched low to the ground and crawled to the camp. A strong gust of wind signaled that rain would soon douse him and the camp. It also brought the smells of the camp directly into his nose. The smell had changed again. Now, among the smells of unwashed humans he picked up a scent he had not smelled since the source of such smell had chased him away from Jade Port all those cycles ago.

         Human female! Oh and she smells amazing! I bet it’s her cat. If only she would pet me! Zahilla began to imagine her body and his human nature kicked in. Before it had a chance to change him back into a human though, thoughts of doubt pushed it away. No one would want a dirty mutt like me. Not as a human and a lover or as a dog and a loyal pet.

…

         The scent Zahilla had tracked led to a lean, dark-blonde, and blue-eyed woman dressed in men's clothing named Adele. She sat in the corner of one of the tents with her knees pulled up to her chest, careful not to move the chains that bound her ankles to the sleeping guards on either side of her.

         Finally asleep! The guards had been celebrating her capture all night. Now that they had passed out she saw an opportunity for escape. Isn't there a town close by? Adele thought to herself, longing to be free again. She examined her hands. If I shift I could live my days as some little girl's pet. Then at night I could sleep in a barn. No one will ever know. Adele glanced at the guards. No, that's how I got here. Well, maybe I could sleep somewhere that no one would find me. First I have to escape though.

         "Felinous soon bromous markteria." Her eyes glowed as she recited the ancient words of her ancestors. She spoke just above a whisper, careful not to wake the guards.

         The glow from her eyes spread to her face and then covered her entire body. As it spread she melted into a small shape-less, brown putty on the ground. When the glow faded the putty sprouted a tail and four legs. Next the surface of the putty changed into a fine brown and orange fur.

         This is more like it! She thought, once the transformation had completed. Carefully she crawled over the chains so as not to wake the guards. Then Adele crept toward the guard named Thomas, on her left, and sniffed him to sense if he was still in a deep sleep. Satisfied that he was, she turned to Simon on her right. She noticed that he was not only in a deep sleep but had not moved since he had passed out. He still held her chain in his right hand and a cup full of ale in his left.

         This is too easy! Overjoyed, Adele began to purr uncontrollably. Her purring cut off abruptly though when she saw her planned path of escape would not be as easy as she thought. Squatting by the fire in front of her tent, Adele saw that Joshua had not moved from where she saw him the night before.

         From what Adele could judge, Joshua had seen just as many cycles of the seasons as she had. His face seemed to show the seasons had been rough for him. Most women would think that Joshua is a very handsome man, in fact Adele had until he had put her in chains. Now he squatted by the fire twirling a small knife in the dirt. She noticed that even though he stared at the tent his dark eyes seemed lost in tormented thoughts.

         Adele figured she could use this to her advantage. I'm faster than him. I just have to make it to the nearest tree and I am free! She tested her claws in the dirt and poised herself ready to make a run for it. One... She wiggled her butt. Two... Her tail twitched and her hind legs tensed. Thr... Oh no! Predator!

         Since the day that her grandmother had taught her how to shift, Adele had been unable to learn how to smell what type or kind of predator she smelled. Her grandmother and her mother told her to just stay hidden until the smell went away.

         If cats could cry a small tear would have dropped from her eyes. Escape will have to wait. Maybe it will go away tonight. Reluctantly, she recited another incantation and morphed herself back into her chains.

…

         Zahilla took his time crawling on his belly toward the camp. A light rain began to fall but he had stopped caring about the rain many wet seasons ago. The cat's scent had long faded, both in reality and in Zahilla's mind. Nothing mattered to him but to find out more about this woman, not even his growling stomach. Hush stomach we will eat soon. But first I must know more about this woman.

         He stowed himself away up against the tent pitched opposite the one the woman's scent came from. A few men crouched by the fire and stirred a stew warming on the fire. Squirrel. Hmmm, these men aren't hunters.  Zahilla noticed that one man stood out from the rest. This man had a very handsome build and Zahilla noticed he had the scent that normally he would smell on a wolf. He examined the man closely but could not figure out why he smelled like a wolf and not a man. His eyes aren't green. He can't be like me. He is probably their alpha.

         “Just think Allan!” A man exclaimed from inside one of the tents near him. “Soon you will get to meet the great dragon Daemos. Then maybe we will get to see the king!”

         “But why must we sell her? Isn't that wrong?” A young voice responded. The voices from the tent distracted Zahilla away from the man with wolf scents.

         “Allan, the king pays very well. You know that we need the money. Any way she needs a home. In this world we must do what we have to, to survive.”

         “Ryan? Would you sell me too?” The boy sounded frightened.

         “Oh Allan I would never think of it. Well, I might try to sell you to a Dragon master. Then he could teach you how to fight and become a great and powerful dragon. Maybe even a dragon better than Daemos.”

         “If only… Oh, I could even be better than Drakeon the first dragon!” The boy shouted.

         All this blather about dragons quickly bored Zahilla so he carefully crawled on his belly and tried to get closer to the fire. Maybe these men will say something about the woman.

         One of them kicked at the dirt and said, “I wish we could at least get a taste of the girl. You know... make sure that she's good enough for the king.”

         “Keep it in your pants Chris.”  The wolf scented man snapped. “You know the king will kill us if she isn't a virgin.”

         Yes, he is their alpha. Zahilla sized up the man and decided that he would be the only one that would prove a challenge. He might hurt me but I could hurt him just as much.

         “Don't you want to at least play with her Joshua?” The third one asked the wolf scented man, poking at the fire.

         “Right, like our very own virgin 'Meatus' could keep his enormous tool in his pants!” Joshua joked as he took the stick away from him.

         “That's Meateus! I might have meat between my legs but my mother didn't name me for that.”

         Zahilla did not like where this conversation seemed to be headed so he crawled around the tent next to him. There he found a pile of clothes that looked like they could fit his human form. Should I? Yes, I must know who this woman is.

         Without a sound he picked up the clothes in his mouth and bolted back toward the hill. Once on the other side he set them down and concentrated. Normally Zahilla would have a very hard time transforming into a human, but this time it took very little effort. Hmm that's odd. He thought, pulling the stolen clothes on.

         "Mindless mutt, I hope you know what you are doing." He scolded himself as he headed back toward the camp.

         “Have you ever seen eyes like that?” Zahilla heard Meateus whisper when he stepped into their view.

         “Good morning sirs." He said, ignoring Meateus. "I was tracking some deer nearby and I saw your fire. Can I share its warmth for a few minutes?”

         “Catch any yet?” Joshua said sizing him up.

         “Nothing yet, but I did spot a buck that will fetch me quite a bit of gold." Zahilla sat down and noticed that he had everyone's attention at the mention of gold. "What about you? Catch anything yet?" He asked, looking Joshua in the eyes.

         “No, sir we are traders." Joshua offered, clearly dropping his guard a little. "I would offer you a meal but there is hardly enough squirrel left for my men."

         “Your fire is enough.” Zahilla said, scanning the camp. I don't see any crates and the horses are not weighed down. What do these men hope to trade?

         “Are you hunting alone sir?” Joshua asked a moment later.

         “Yes, I find there is more profit in hunting alone than in a pa... I mean group.” Careful, Zahilla.

         Joshua chuckled at his slip, “No stranger, I believe that pack is the right term in this case. Profit, you say?”

         “Well I have made some good coin with the white deer. I track them through the forest and bring back my profits for the rest of the cycle. I used to hunt to survive, but I have made enough gold that now I hunt mostly for the adventure.” Zahilla lied.

         “Ah, yes the white deer can bring a skilled hunter quite a profit. Right now we are taking a girl to the castle for King Nekvin. Would you like to see her?”

         This is too easy... “A girl you say?” Zahilla tried to act nonchalant. “I may be wealthy, but I haven't the coin to compete with the king's purse.”

         “Let us just call this a sample of what we can bring to you. If you would like, that is. Just please do not touch her.”

         Zahilla could hardly contain himself, “No, no I understand.”

         Joshua stood up and led Zahilla to her tent. “Please come inside and see our stock.”

         They stepped inside and Zahilla could not believe his eyes. She is so much more than I could ever dream!

         “Thomas, Simon! Wonderful guards you are. GET UP you drunk morons!” Joshua yelled at the guards passed out on either side of her.

         “Yes?” Simon asked still very groggy.

         “Get your brother and come outside. This man is a buyer, he would like to have some private time with her.”

         “But sir you said...” Simon began jumping up.

         “I know what I said." Joshua growled between clenched teeth. "This man is looking for future purchases.”

         Simon nodded and kicked Thomas. Zahilla watched them amused at the sort of comedy that passed between them. Then Joshua nodded at Zahilla and left with the bungling guards.

         The girl sat in the far corner of the tent her perfect long legs pulled up to her chest. Her blonde hair fell over her face and flowed over her knees.

         He approached her slowly as if he were reaching to pet a wild animal. “It's ok, lovely. You don't have to fear me.” He said softly as he lightly touched her shoulder.

         She raised her head and glared him from behind her hair. Her eyes pierced him with globes that looked like the sky on a nice warm season day.

         “Please forgive me." He whispered, brushing her hair from her eyes. "I had to see you for myself.”

         Their eye's locked together for a moment, but then she turned away from him and curled herself into a ball.

         “It's ok. I will come back for you tonight. Nothing this beautiful should be locked away.”