I think Gareth has received the most interesting change between the old and the new. Originally he was just some horny young bisexual stallion, but he certainly changed between the original and the new one. Shifting him into the cross-dressing horny bard gave him some interesting changes and though I didn't realise it at the time, the cross-dressing/cross-gendering trait is something I used again in an unfinished story. In fact everyone had extra traits added to their backstory. I like the idea that Felicity selected all of her rangers from the criminal element. Razher and Tharmina have become former highway robbers and Kitty was an escaped sex slave who sought revenge against her captors. I won't spoil Gareth's backstory just yet, but I'll tell you he's not great with a bow or sword, but he's still not a helpless filly.
Routines are dangerous things, they can allow your enemies to predict your behaviour and know just where to find you, even after the ambush. - Avanti Halfhorse
Gareth ran as fast as his hooves could carry him through Balazaar, pounding the cobblestones on his way to the compound. The information he had was certainly very valuable and he wanted to make sure he gave his report before he forgot a single part of it. He turned the corner and saw that the compound was in front of him, but the gate was locked. He was about to get to the gates when he was stopped by a wolf, dressed in a castle guard uniform.
“What's the hurry little miss?” the guard asked as he grabbed Gareth by the arm.
“Corporal, let go of me. I have to report to the commander,” Gareth insisted.
“Commander of what, little miss? This is a scholars compound.”
“I am not a 'little miss', I am provisional Lieutenant Gareth, and you know quite well who I mean.”
“Well then, 'Lieutenant' little miss,” the wolf said as if he was playing a game with Gareth, “what's the secret password?”
Gareth leaned close so he could whisper in the wolf's ear.
“I know that your wife asks you what it is you do when you stay out late. You have sworn to her that you aren't cheating on her with other females, but can you imagine how your wife would react if I told her that you enjoyed being a bitch to other males? Or that you once begged me to introduce you to Veromax, sword champion of the Casper kingdom and you whimpered and yipped like a bitch in heat as he pounded your tailhole, only to then beg both him and myself to cover you with our seed? What do you think she would say corporal?”
“Sorry Lieutenant Gareth,” the wolf apologised as he snapped to attention and gave a salute. “Commander has ordered that the gate was to be locked and challenge all that approached.”
“Just let me in corporal, I have to report immediately.”
“Yes Lieutenant,” the wolf said as he took the key from his belt and let Gareth in.
A bruised and winded Adolphus was dragged from his cell and put into the darkened carriage that was waiting outside.
“You certainly have a lot of talent disciplining slaves,” Felicity said as she made sure that her slave was secured to the wall.
“I learn from experience,” Kitty replied with a growl as she looked away from the carriage. “Now where's Gareth, I want to go home.”
“I don't know,” Felicity replied as she got out and closed the door of the carriage, “but I do not want to escort this prize of mine with only Razher and myself.”
“Commander, I have been awake for over 24 hours.”
“Here comes Gabrielle,”Razher called out from his seat atop the carriage. “He looks like he's in a hurry as well.”
Felicity saw Gareth dressed in his peasant filly dress, running as fast as he could towards them.
“Kitty, watch the carriage whilst I go remind Gareth what proper attire is,” Felicity ordered Kitty before yelling at Gareth. “How many times must I tell you what proper attire is?!”
“I am sorry Commander,” Gareth began to apologise, but he was cut short when Felicity's fist made contact with his jaw and knocked him to the ground.
“I have told you more than enough times to wear your uniform!” Felicity yelled at the top of her voice. “Your personal attire is not to be worn to work and that includes your dresses!”
“Commander..,” Gareth tried to interrupt.
“Do not think you can simply apologise your way out of this.”
“Commander, I have intel,” Gareth shouted so he could be heard as he held up the letter to show Felicity.
Felicity took the letter from Gareth and began to read it to herself.
“Is this it?” Felicity asked as she read the letter.
“No Commander,” Gareth replied as he ran the back of his paw across his cheek to check that he wasn't bleeding. “I was also told about why the Red Wolf is in the kingdom. It has to do with the conflict over the Blanket passes. As the Temperfields recently lost control over the passes it appears as if they are now directing their resources towards the Golderhai pass. The group of soldiers currently preparing to attack Balazaar are part of a Red Dragon strike force lead by the Red Wolf, but commanded by Halvore.”
“I see,” Felicity said as she offered a paw for Gareth to help himself back to his hooves, “but why do you smell of feline?”
“Sorry Commander, I didn't have time to wash this morning.”
“Go wash and grab a spare uniform from the barracks,” Felicity ordered, “then go rest up. You are to meet me at Madame Fiona's before nightfall.”
“Commander?”
“This is your intel, so it's your responsibility to check if it's correct. Halvore tired to woo me a week ago but I could tell his intentions were business. If what you say is true then it would explain his intentions. However, his back-up plan must be to take the kingdom by force since I rejected his advances and now he must be preparing to enact it. I want you to find out if he is still in Balazaar, what he is planning, and why. If he is commanding that strike force then he has to be maintaining contact with them somehow; we have no reports of a red dragon at the camp. In addition, if the Red Wolf was to join up with the strike force he had to have a contact. We'll need to find out who he was meeting and where. Also, if this tiger friend of yours shows up again you are to bring him in for questioning. He could be a danger to our operation and I would prefer to question him myself. Do you understand?”
“Yes Commander.”
“Good. Now go have a bath, your stench is driving me crazy.”
Felicity walked back to the carriage as Gareth ran as fast as he could to the barracks.
“Razher,” Felicity said as she stopped by the driver's seat of the carriage, “can you go home and get Tharmina? I know she is under orders to rest, but both Gareth and Kitty will be needed for an operation tonight.”
“She'll be happy,” Razher said as he climbed down, "but what are Kitty and 'Lady' Gareth doing?”
“Gareth managed to acquire some potential intel that needs verification. If it's true then it implicates Halvore and potentially the Temperfield family itself. I do want to be certain of Halvore's involvement before I go arresting nobility of the Temperfield family.”
“That would explain why he's here,” Razher said as he gestured over his shoulder at the locked carriage (and its entrapped contents) behind him.
“The connections between the Red Wolf and Halvore could be chalked up to coincidence. Either way, I need Gareth and Kitty rested for tonight, so Tharmina needs to be here to help with the prisoner's escort.”
“I can be there and back in 20 minutes,” Razher noted.
“Good. Kitty and I will maintain security until the two of you return. Do ensure that you and Tharmina return quickly and don't become distracted.”
“Certainly Commander.”
Half an hour later, Kitty opened the door to her small apartment. She had been given orders to rest up and meet Felicity behind Madame Fiona's at sunset where she and Gareth would be given orders and their target. Kitty hated the pleasure district and the horrendous nature of the activities that went on there, but orders were orders and she certainly wasn't going to compromise her reputation over her dislikes of the pleasure district and working with Gareth. She was indebted to Felicity as she had rescued her from the executioner’s block on account of the potential she had shown. She had murdered over 15 males, including her former master, despite the fact that most were under heavy guard at the time. No soldier, mercenary or guard could catch her as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop. She had snuck past patrols and static guards to break into a locked room and hang a male tiger by his own innards from a ceiling beam, where he hung undiscovered until morning.
Every one that she killed deserved the fate they received, payment for the pains they had inflicted upon her during her time as a slave. She had made sure that as the last seconds of their life faded away, they suffered for the pain they had inflicted on her.
The day after a kill she would walk through the markets and listen to the gossip of the townfolks. Her first few kills barely raised any interest, but after the tenth she had been nicknamed the 'pleasure stalker', a name that brought her a sick satisfaction. The folklore spread like wildfire and everyone speculated about who the killer was, why they were doing it or if they were working alone. None could believe that it was merely one wolf killing all these people and this made her feel unstoppable. However, despite all the death and pain she had administered in search of revenge, she found no peace in her mind. She had been haunted by these ghosts ever since. She had no troubles sleeping, but she could never bring herself to be naked as she could feel their dead, mutilated gazes upon her. As she undressed to bathe before bed, she put on a simple gown that she wore to hide herself from the gazes of her ghosts.
Adolphus sat in a darkened carriage opposite a new face that had a look which made him nervous. She was an equine like Razher and Felicity, but shorter and looked as if she had Razher's strength as opposed to Felicity's agility. She had a golden colour to her fur and a white mane and tail. She wore a Ranger's uniform, like Razher, but she carried no bow or quiver. She carried only five throwing knives upon her belt, a rapier and a short sword, which she lay across her lap.
“So you're the commander's new bitch,” the mare said, brandishing a smile that made Adolphus feel that roles were reversed and that he was about to become her prey. “I can see why my Razher is rather happy about the Commander's promise.”
Had he not been gagged Adolphus would have asked what the promise was, but he wasn't in the mood to engage in conversation.
“I must admit,” the mare said, as if she was trying to entice Adolphus to react, “I have heard many rumours and stories about your skills with a blade, about how you and your little group have managed to raid caravans outnumbered three to one. How you have managed to face mounted troops with only your sword. That you have faced off against a squad of six, well-trained swordsmen, and you successfully dispatched them like green rookies. The Red Wolf, a mercenary that is almost legend, beaten by one mare.”
Adolphus gave her an angry stare, to which she simply smirked.
“However, for what consolation it may offer, your loss isn't to some fancy princess with delusions of military command. The Commander has earned the respect of those who follow her. I am actually surprised that you caused so much trouble in your capture, but don't worry, the Commander will make you sorry for the trouble you caused.”
Three bangs, coming from the roof, was the signal that the destination was close-by.
“Well bitch, sounds like we're almost at Fiona's,” the mare said as she leaned over and peaked around one of the curtains to check the whereabouts of the carriage. “I do trust that your ride has been rather uncomfortable, but you may take relief in the fact that this portion of your discomfort is over.”
A loud knocking came from the window in the carriage's door.
“Is our journey already at it's end?” the mare called out, holding her sword at the ready.
“Your destination does await!” Razher called back.
“And what of my baggage? I fear I may have lost my keys!”
“Fear not! I found them before we left.”
Apparently satisfied by this answer, the mare unlocked the door from the inside and opened it outwards.
“No troubles then my Raz-Raz?” the mare asked as she stepped out of the carriage.
“No troubles, save for you my mischievous pony,” Razher replied. “No one but the Rangers knows what the nature of our luggage is, so the trip passed without incident.”
Adolphus tried to look out of the carriage to see where he was, but the short chain securing his collar to the wall only gave him enough to see Razher and the mystery pony mare talking in what appeared to be a courtyard of some sort. Razher's large frame certainly getting in the way of allowing him a better look.
“Where's the commander?” the pony mare asked as she looked around.
“She's gone inside to discuss arrangements with Madame Fiona,” Razher replied. “Whilst Fiona will take care of the majority of bitch's training, she would prefer Felicity to be present to assist with certain aspects of it.”
“Is that going to require another escort?” the pony mare asked, sounding rather hopeful.
“No Tharmina,” Razher replied with a chuckle, “the commander will be coming by herself.”
“You mean I am going to have to stay at home?”
“The physician believes it's the stresses of your job.”
“But I get bored at home with nothing to do.”
“I know, my little mischief, but we've been trying for two years now without success.”
“I miss working with you.”
“I miss not having you around.”
Adolphus leaned back into the carriage so he couldn't see Tharmina and Razher, feeling somewhat sickened by the sight of two equines sharing loving nuzzles with each other.
A few minutes later, Adolphus was removed from the carriage. He was forced to stand by the carriage as Felicity and an anthro she-wolf seemed to be discussing Adolphus' physical appearance. Adolphus paid little attention to the conversation and paid some more attention to the surroundings around him. The carriage now stood in an enclosed courtyard and the gate through which the carriage had obviously passed through was now locked and barred. The courtyard was surrounded by a two storey building and a couple of female wolves were leaning out the upper storey windows, observing the going-on below. Adolphus himself felt rather embarrassed by his current attire. The pair of locked braces were a rather chaffing annoyance which kept his wrists bound together and for some strange reason matched in both style and material to the muzzle gag that kept his mouth shut, the collar that wrapped around his neck and was almost cutting off his breath, and the leash that Felicity had attached to it. The red thong that he was wearing was an additional humiliation as it forced him to hold his tail up as if to present his rump to some mysterious follower. The female wolves seemed to gossip amongst themselves about the presence of a wolf dressed in slave attire. However, before Adolphus could try and listen in on what the various she-wolves were saying about him, he felt the firm pull of his collar dragging him inside.
As he was dragged into this new environment, Adolphus did his best to absorb his surroundings and hopefully find a way to escape. He found himself within a parlour of a house of lust, walls adorned with the charcoal etchings of female wolves entwined with a whole variety of males from different species. He could almost swear he saw a dragon or two amongst all those drawings. However, before he could truly lose himself fantasising about inserting himself into some of those scenes, he was roughly dragged back to reality with a jerk so firm upon his leash that it forced him to his knees.
With pure hatred, he looked up at the holder of his leash, surprised not to find Felicity holding the other end of the humiliating tether, but a female wolf dressed in jodhpurs, a white blouse, riding boots and a top hat, carrying a riding crop in her other paw.
“I hate to warn you bitch,” the wolf said with a sadistic smile, “but your Mistress is not here to save you any more. She has left you in my capable paws for your introduction to the life of a pleasure slave. Just like your Mistress, I have rules that you are to follow.
"I am Madame Fiona and you will refer to me as such. This is my house of bitches and thus, you are my bitch. You will do as I tell you, when I tell you. If you resist, if you disobey, if you show any signs of rebellious activity, I have been given full permission to inflict what pain I must to make you obey. Your Mistress has informed me of your history and nature, and whilst I may have never trained one such as you before, I certainly view your training as a challenge and not a chore. I doubt you will simply roll over and accept your fate, so I will take great pleasure in watching you break and become a loyal and obedient slave.”
Madame Fiona knelt down on one knee next to Adolphus, grabbed the strap of his muzzle-gag and pulled him close to her so she could take a lick of his cheek.
“Hmm,” Madame Fiona said as she thought about Adolphus' taste, “you will need a bath first, that's for certain. You taste of dirt and sweat.”
Adolphus gave his head a shake as Madame Fiona let go of his muzzle-gag, stood up, and called for her assistants.
“Dovan, Corvin,” she called out. “Your presence in the parlour.”
Two male wolves, who seemed somewhat skinny in relation to Adolphus, entered the parlour. Both were dressed in simply shorts with a piece of cloth draped over their crotches.
“You called Mistress?” the taller of the two asked.
“This is the new bitch of a client and he tastes of dirt, so I believe it is best that he is washed and cleaned before I begin my work with him,” Fiona said as she handed the leash to the taller assistant. “You may ungag him, but not before he is muzzled and you may discipline him should he misbehave.”
“Yes Mistress.”
“And Dovan...”
“Yes Mistress?”
“Do make sure that the bitch's bindings are not loosened or removed. The client had warned me that this bitch is filled with a lot of fight and resistance.”
“Have no fear Mistress, he will remain secured.”
“You are loyal, Dovan, which is why I let you serve me.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity, Mistress.”
“And do keep an eye on Corvin, what with his wandering paws. The purity of the bitch has already been granted to another.”
The smaller wolf gave a huff as he folded his arms.
“Do not worry Mistress, I will make sure Corvin doesn't do anything inappropriate.”
“Good slaves, I shall leave him in your capable paws.”
“Thank you Mistress.”
Adolphus found himself being taken off to another room, one that seemed plain in comparison to the parlour. He was lead to the centre of the cobblestone floor and his ankles were locked in a pair of iron cuffs that were chained securely to the floor.
“I know that you want to fight against us, but might I suggest that you don't,” the wolf called Dovan said as he fixed a lock to the iron cuff on Adolphus' left leg. “The last thing I want to do is to have to put you down.”
Adolphus gave a growl, more as a token sign of his distaste of the whole situation as opposed to any sign of future trouble.
“I can understand how you feel, we all go through the same feelings that you are going through now. The freedom you once had is still a fresh taste in your mouth. You never quite realise just how great it tasted until it's nothing more than a lingering presence in your memory. You feel like it's still an option, that if you fight hard enough you can regain what has been lost. So it seems I have the unfortunate responsibility of telling you the future that awaits you.”
Dovan walked over to a table by a tub of water and brought back a leather muzzle restraint, which he tried to slip over Adolphus' muzzle, but Adolphus resisted. Dovan didn't take well to this and grabbed Adolphus' ear in a pinch grip and pulled his face close.
“So allow me to tell you the future before you,” Dovan said harshly. “You will fight, resist and rebel, but you will never succeed in your quest for freedom. You will be beaten, whipped and flogged. You will be forced to yield no matter how hard you try and resist. Your spirit will break, your will shall be stolen from you and your body will fail. And once your Mistress decides that she no longer wants you or finds you useful, she will discard you like so much rotten meat. Your future can be summarised as simply this; you will suffer all for the pleasure of your owner. Do you understand bitch? It doesn't matter who you were before, all that matters now is who owns you and what they want you to do. Understand bitch?”
Adolphus nodded nervously, trying to avoid pulling his ear.
“Good, now stop resisting bitch, and I can give you some relief from that gag.”
Adolphus kept his head still as Dovan let go of his ear, slipped the leather muzzle restraint over his muzzle, secured it and removed the gag.
“Thank you for not resisting again, I don't want to have to deal with an aggressive bitch. I am too tired to have to discipline you.”
“You are a slave as well?” Adolphus asked.
“Yes. Corvin and I are both property of Madame Fiona, slaves to her whims and pleasures, tasked with whatever duties she gives us.”
“Why didn't you fight or resist her?”
“You truly are untrained and fresh. What were you before your capture?”
“I was a mercenary.”
“Did you fight against those that paid you?”
“No, that'd be stupid.”
“Why?”
“They pay me and such actions would not only be tantamount to treason, but would probably spoil my pay.”
“So there were negative consequences to resisting your employers?”
“Several, often fatal.”
“And if you were loyal?”
“I got paid.”
Dovan turned and looked at Corvin, who was standing by the tub.
“Corvin, please show bitch here just what some of the punishments are for resisting one's owner.”
Corvin walked over to Dovan and made some gestures with his paws that Adolphus presumed were sign language.
“I know Mistress has forbidden you from tainting the slave, but you are simply taking off your loincloth.”
Corvin gave his speechless reply.
“You usually have no issues with disrobing.”
Adolphus began to wonder just why Corvin couldn't speak.
“Corvin, he is a bitch that has no interest in your male form. Remove your loincloth, please.”
Corvin reluctantly slipped his loincloth down and Adolphus could see that his wolfhood lacked a pair of testicles. Where once they hung, there was signs of a scar.
“By Faredae,” Adolphus cursed, “you mean to tell me that they castrated you?”
“Why not?” Dovan asked. “They are a sign of masculinity and pride, your ability to father offspring. To be severed from these symbols of pride is certainly a harsh punishment, but some acts of defiance deserve such pain.”
“What did you do?” Adolphus tried to ask Corvin.
“Corvin can't actually speak,” Dovan said as Corvin tilted his head back to show off the scar that sat upon his throat. “Other than for the odd moan and cry, he can't say a word.”
“What happened?”
Dovan turned to Corvin and asked, “Shall I tell him?”
Corvin gave a nod as he started to fix up his loincloth.
“Corvin used to serve a she-wolf, much like our current Mistress, except that she had a brother who did enjoy corrupting those who did court his sister into his own bed. Tired of being left unsatisfied due to her brother's actions, she purchased Corvin and gave him strict orders to stay away from her brother. She also gave her brother a strong telling off, ordering him not to touch her new slave, but as is the nature of forbidden fruit, this made Corvin more appealing to him and tried he to seduce him for the next three months.
"In the end, her brother did manage to tempt Corvin into his bed, but this had been the she-wolf's plan all along. She stood outside her brother's door and watched as her brother made Corvin his bitch, making him shout his name in ecstasy. She watched the two of them for over an hour, until both her brother and her slave lay in that warm afterglow upon his bed. She stormed into the room and in front of her brother, she cut Corvin's balls from his body and forced him to eat them before slicing his throat so his blood spilled upon her brother's bed. She laughed as her brother watched on in horror at the sight before him.
"She was unable to truly punish her brother she used Corvin as a pawn she could torture and forced her brother to watch suffering. She cared so little for him that she then dragged his blood splattered body outside and dumped him in the street like garbage for collection, now that his purpose had been served. Mistress Fiona had seen him being dumped and brought him back here to have his wounds tended to.”
“That sounds fortunate,” Adolphus interjected.
Corvin huffed as Dovan continued.
“Fortunate isn't the right word as the life of a slave has a price. Mistress Fiona didn't rescue him out of any kindness or sympathy, her reasons were strictly business. You see, our Mistress has a reputation she must maintain amidst the nobility. The company she keeps have their own tastes and in order to improve her standings amongst them she uses Corvin to cater to these tastes. They all have come to enjoy the talents Corvin possesses and his submissive behaviour is quite famous.”
“I'm confused,” Adolphus interrupted, “I thought eunuchs couldn't, you know...”
“Out with it bitch.”
“... get hard.”
Corvin rolled his eyes as Dovan chuckled.
“Your understandings into the world of sexual pleasures certainly aren't very vast.”
“I can't say that, as a mercenary, knowing these things was particularly useful. I haven't needed to know this until now.”
“I agree, and unless they have some weird fetish for such knowledge most people don't know much about it, particularly the aspects that don't concern them. The company our Mistress keeps who desire Corvin aren't females, but males.”
Adolphus felt an eye twitch develop when he realised what Dovan was talking about.
“Whine and whimper the right way and they'll melt in your paws.”
Corvin gave Dovan a nudge.
“And other places as well,” Dovan sighed. “Now I suppose we had better get you washed up before Corvin forgets Mistress has forbidden him from tainting you.”
As the sun began to slip down over the Eastern horizon, two shadowy figures snuck down an alleyway behind Madame Fiona's House of Bitches and through a back door into the kitchen. Waiting for them was another shadowy figure dressed in a hood and cloak.
“You are early Lieutenant,” the dark figure waiting in the kitchen said as if they were pleased.
“We have a job to do Commander and I believe that you would like to get back to your duties,” one of the other two shadowy figures commented.
“She woke me by kicking me out of bed,” the other whined.
“If you're going to work with me, we work by my schedule.”
“Did your schedule really require me to take another bath before we left?”
“Yes, because I know how sloppy your wash routine is and we need no scents. In addition, you still stunk of tiger cum.”
“We can't all be clean freaks Kitty.”
“Shut your damn mouth provisional or I shall break your damn nose.”
“The both of you can shut your traps,” Felicity ordered as he pulled back her hood to reveal herself. “I've told you to keep your petty hatred of each other out of my Rangers.”
“Yes Commander.”
“Yes Commander, sorry.”
“We are not going to risk the kingdom over your hatred of each other. We have to do an important job and I don't want you two distracted from your tasks, is that understood?”
Kitty and Gareth both hung their hooded heads.
“Fiona has allowed us access to the roof from her attic. From what you and that letter have told me Gareth, it is that Halvore enjoys frequenting the kitten houses, so the two of you are to sweep them. You're looking for a red dragon, this red dragon in particular." Felicity handed Kitty a charcoal sketch she had made. "More likely than not, he will be dressed in noble, but not royal attire. Should you find him, you are to track him and see which kitten house he attends and if possible, make notes on any of the other patrons. It is plausible that he maintains contact with the second in command of the strike force there. I don't want any slip-ups either, you are to make sure that you aren't discovered spying or we risk jeopardising the entire operation. Find out what you can, that is all, nothing fancy.”
“Yes commander.”
“Yes commander.”
“Good, now remember, we're relying on your skills to find out what you can. Dismissed.”
