Private Tales Cat and Dog

[Ōjo Akane]

The girl was being rather playful now. A vast difference from her attitude while she was tied up on his shoulder. Even her wiggling had changed, but not so much in enthusiasm so much as purpose. Her punishment for all her teasing was a smack of her rump on the way out the door, which he made sure to lock behind them.

The smack earned one of her signature eeps, and a blush on her face. She looked at him, "I thought we were going to wait before you did that."

He tried to see how well he could fit but his torso was too wide for the hole. He cursed a bit as he leaned back up. Now he had to figure out how to retrieve his items.

Akane grinned as she watched him try to squeeze in. The obvious answer standing there, with arms crossed in amusement. After a few moments of him thinking she sighed and effortlessly slipped into the well, her flexibility and her inapparent strength were a boon as she steadily moved downward until she reached his gear.

"Lower the rope, and I'll tie your stuff to it." She called up.

 

[Acteon Cass]

The thought of asking the girl to go down the well had crossed his mind already, but he did not want to risk her life over it. Not while there was still other options. But she scrambled down it when he had moved away. He had no time to stop her. There went the no risking her life thing.

The rope he was using on his pack had already snapped and would not be long enough to reach. But it was still useful to him. Shortly after she left down the well he began to examine it over for any more weak spots. Thankfully there was none. So he pulled out the ropes he had been using on the girl and lashed them all together to extend their combined reach.

When she called up he had it all finished up. So he said as he got ready to drop it down, "Hug the wall. Tie the rope around your waist. I will pull you and the supplies up." He paused then added, "No arguing."

Then the Allirian dropped the rope. Eventually a thud echoed up from the dry bottom. The end of the rope outside the well was in his hands. He waited for a tug or any sign the girl was ready to be lift up out of the thing.

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

When she called up he had it all finished up. So he said as he got ready to drop it down, "Hug the wall. Tie the rope around your waist. I will pull you and the supplies up." He paused then added, "No arguing."

She was about to say she could climb up on her own when he said not to argue. She really didn't know why she was taking orders from him, it was fun in the bedroom but out here she was being treated like a child.

She sighed and wrapped the rope around her waist and her butt, and carried the supplies with her as she was pulled up. She gave the rope two tugs to tell him she was ready.

Once at the top, she skillfully slipped out of the well, set his supplies down in front of him, and undid the rope.

"What's in there anyway?"

 

[Acteon Cass]

The Allirian felt the tugs and began to pull the rope. He was not sure which weighed more, the girl or his supplies. It did not take long before she was at the top and got herself out. He picked up his supplies and began to check them over as she untied herself.

"Maps. Bedroll. Travel rations. Funds. Hatchet. Trowel. Weapon and armor oil. Rags. Spare clothing. A cloak." Acteon said as he went through his stuff. All of it seemed to be in order so he slipped it on over his shoulders.

As he got his ropes all separated from each other again and then bundled up for storage he said, "Kitten. What are you and your guards doing in these lands? What is your purpose? Your goal?"

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

As he got his ropes all separated from each other again and then bundled up for storage he said, "Kitten. What are you and your guards doing in these lands? What is your purpose? Your goal?"

“We’re here to negotiate trade with as many of the western nations as possible.” She explained. “I am meant to meet as many authorities as I can reach, and offer trade with them to bring in resources to help us with our ongoing war with neighboring clans. Other than that, a few alliances would be beneficial, and a few bases here would also be useful for organizing trade across the majority of the continents. That and maybe claiming some territories would also be useful for training soldiers without threat of attack.”

Akane readjusted her dress and looked up at him. Then an idea came to her. “You know, where I come from, when a man claims a woman, he puts a collar around her neck. Would that at all tempt you?”

 

[Acteon Cass]

As Acteon listened his interested was peaked. The girl was here as a diplomat. Could be potentially useful and profitable information in the future. Depended on what her people had to offer. Well what more they had to offer than her warming his bed up until they resolved this matter.

The Allirian was about to further his inquiry into what her people had to offer when she said something that got his attention. Men in her culture collared women they had claimed? It would have sounded like a proposal if it was not so common for men to keep women happy with jewelry even beyond the borders of the Reach. Likely this was something similar, although odd given they were cats and it was a collar.

"And how happy would me placing a collar on you make you?" Acteon asked as he secured the rope to his pack. He turned around and said, "How about we go into town and find you a collar you like? You can tell me what resources and services your people have to trade as we walk."

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

"And how happy would me placing a collar on you make you?" Acteon asked as he secured the rope to his pack.

“It would certainly make things a little more interesting for our shenanigans.” She said with a smile.

"How about we go into town and find you a collar you like? You can tell me what resources and services your people have to trade as we walk."

She smiled, “sounds wonderful. As for what my people have to offer, well, plenty of things. Rice, saké, bamboo, silk, dyes and jade are the goods we can offer. We also offer service contracts. Assassins, spies, saboteurs, guardsmen, teachers and other such people are often sent here to the west to serve the needs of various lords and ladies. It really depends on what you need. We even deal in the occasional slave trade, which while distasteful to me personally, is not uncommon where I come from. Funny thing is, many of the slaves, at least those of the Keiji race, are actually there by choice, selling themselves so that they might be established, and they keep the money that they sold themselves for so that they might purchase their freedom again later, usually it costs a bit more to keep some profits but it has worked quite well.”

She walked beside him and said, “could I help you with carrying your equipment at all. I’d be happy to help.”

 

[Acteon Cass]

The Allirian had no trouble lifting the bag up. For the most part it was just a travel pack and not even a fully supplied one. The one they issued the Guard for their excursions was much heavier and it had not been a problem to him back then before his curse. It just got easier for him now.

His attention was on what the girl had to say about her people's trade goods. Rice was not of interest. They could import it from likely closer sources, if the people even cared to import it at all. They had their own local grains. The Reach was a breadbasket after all. He did not know what bamboo or sake were. Perhaps food items given their mention around the rice? Maybe not. Could never say until he saw them.

The silk, dyes, and jade caught his interest. Easily stored and transported items that could fetch high mark ups at the markets in Alliria. Nobles and the wealthy were always looking for new exotic goods to use to show off after all. There was potential profits.

The services of her people he could not put a value marker on. They certainly sounded useful but there was already an abundant supply of them around Alliria. They would never to come with some invaluable skills unique their kind if they hoped for it factor as an advantage in their diplomacy and trade deals.

When Akane mentioned helping Acteon just smiled to her, somewhat half heartedly. "I am fine. Think about what kind of collar you would like and tell me about this bamboo and sake. I am unfamiliar with them, unlike the other items you mentioned."

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

When Akane mentioned helping Acteon just smiled to her, somewhat half heartedly. "I am fine. Think about what kind of collar you would like and tell me about this bamboo and sake. I am unfamiliar with them, unlike the other items you mentioned."

She nodded. “I have an idea already. It doesn’t need to be too complex or even expensive. Just a simple leather strap is good.”

She thought for a moment. “Well, bamboo is a treelike grass. It doesn’t rot and it grows very quickly. It’s mostly used for building and for making bows and spear shafts since it’s very hard to break with brute strength, you usually need a saw to get through it. As for Saké, it’s a rice made wine.”

 

[Acteon Cass]

The girl wanted a simple leather strap? That got a brow raise from Acteon. That seemed strange. This girl was clearly from a family with coin or authority so why was she wanting just a leather strap? She had said something about the men in her culture placing it on women as a form of claiming them. He certainly had claimed her in a few ways. Was she that desperate to be claimed?

She was avoiding a scandal. That made sense to Acteon.

The explanation she gave to him over bamboo and sake did little to further his interest. Woods of all kind were easy to come by thanks to the Falwood and the Spine being on either side of the Reach. They even had trees in the region. No need for some foreign wood that was going to cost them a city to build a house from. The alcohol might be worth something as a luxury to parade in front of others, but not much else.

"I see." Acteon said to her. They were getting close to the place to get a collar for her from. "Are you certain you would not care for more than a simple leather strap? I assume you will be wearing it often. Why not show off?"

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

"I see." Acteon said to her. They were getting close to the place to get a collar for her from. "Are you certain you would not care for more than a simple leather strap? I assume you will be wearing it often. Why not show off?"

“I’m not of the flamboyant kind. I tend to be a little more modest as far as public appearances go.” She said with a smile. “If you want a pendant or a bell to it you can, I’m not terribly picky. But really, a simple strap is fine.”

It would indeed be a good way to avoid a scandal. Because if their shenanigans ended up giving her a child, which was actually very possible, she would have the excuse of being properly claimed, in which case the children would be legitimate. They wouldn’t be in line for the seat of Daimyō, but they’d be a family member, and therefore they’d be provided for and trained.

The leather tanner, who usually had buckles ready-made with him from the blacksmith, was crafting a leather apron, presumably for the blacksmith.

 

[Acteon Cass]

A bell or a pendant on the collar? It certainly was making her out to be like someone's pet cat the more she spoke of this tradition. Was it possible this was just one of the girl's preferences like being tied up with a rope? Certainly seemed in line with it. Could be she was making this whole tradition up just so she could enjoy herself all the more.

The leatherworker was off making a blacksmith apron while the tanner was dealing with the new hides to take to tan and the leather newly tanned for the leatherworker to use. By the looks of them they were related. Either brothers or cousins.

Acteon smiled as he approached the tanner. "Greetings. I was hoping to place a rush order for the leatherworker."

The tanner looked up at him and then at the girl. "Got a long list. Rush order will cost ya."

"Not a concern. I need a collar made for my companion here." Acteon responded while flashing a coin to the man.

"Right. Details and when do ya want it?" The tanner said.

"As soon as possible and I would like a leather collar with a bell on it and embroidered with ropes and bells along it." Acteon said to the man.

A nod was given by the Tanner and then he walked over to the leatherworker. Acteon called out. "I will be back before sunset."

Then Acteon placed a hand on Akane and turned her so they could head back to the inn.

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

So he placed the order, and made it a little more extravagant than what she had originally described. Oh well, it still worked. The leather worker measured her ear neck’s circumference and took note of it. Then they turned and left on their way back to the inn. She asked. “So other than kidnapping foreigners. What do you do? I’d assume you are a mercenary, but even then there are variants.”

She decided to ask this for a few reasons, one. To fill the silence. And two. To get a general idea about his skillset. Then she’d know what weaknesses she’d need to cover, or what areas he could take care of.

 

[Acteon Cass]

As they walked along Acteon glanced over at the girl. She was now asking him what he did. Seemed rather obvious but it was never a good idea to assume too much. So her head was tighter on her shoulders than she had shown up till now. Not that she had not seemed competent before.

"I am many things. A sellsword. A merchant's son. A former guard. The man who has claimed you many times over." Acteon said to her.

He gave her a smile after a pause. "And what about you? What all do you do or are you just a pretty face for making deals with foreigners who do not tie you up at night?"

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

"I am many things. A sellsword. A merchant's son. A former guard. The man who has claimed you many times over." Acteon said to her.

She rolled her eyes at the last one. “I meant what jobs do you tend to do?”

He gave her a smile after a pause. "And what about you? What all do you do or are you just a pretty face for making deals with foreigners who do not tie you up at night?"

“A politician. Occasional assassin, when the situation calls for it.” She said calmly. “Sometimes I leverage things out of people, usually lords or other nobles, usually dirty in some way. Sometimes I do some string pulling, make one person go to war with another over something that I say truly petty so that my father's clan may come in and conquer the weakened parties. I’m good with my daggers, but most of my stabbing is done with my brain.”

 

[Acteon Cass]

"Such a varied number of skills you have there kitten. I suppose I should be worried. You might do some naughty things to me." Acteon responded with a grin.

He did not like what all he heard. From the sounds of it she was a noble from a violent land that demanded their women act as assassins and spies. Likely she would have or had been sent off to some rival to seduce or act like she was seducing and then kill them. Meant she could slit his throat in their sleep. She likely would have if she had not been tied up every night so far.

This also meant there was a chance the collar he had gotten for her was not the first one she had received. Perhaps she collected them from men who slept with her? Would not be that odd of a thing if she did. Plenty of people kept tokens from former lovers. Her chosen ones were collars.

"If your skills are so valuable, why were you sent to foreign lands? It would have been wiser to keep you at home and take advantage of your face and body with local rivals." Acteon said before looking over at Akane. "Perhaps there is a reason they did not want you back home?"

Acteon needed to figure out who he was working with. Things with this woman were beginning to sound bothersome. If he got too involved with her it was likely to just put a target on his head. And he was going to have one soon enough as it was.

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

"Such a varied number of skills you have there kitten. I suppose I should be worried. You might do some naughty things to me." Acteon responded with a grin.

"Not really. I don't usually decide who I kill unless it needs to happen immediately, or I really don't like them.

"If your skills are so valuable, why were you sent to foreign lands? It would have been wiser to keep you at home and take advantage of your face and body with local rivals." Acteon said before looking over at Akane. "Perhaps there is a reason they did not want you back home?"

"Because, as you may know, cats multiply much like rabbits. Pregnancies are two thirds that of humans and we usually have four to eight kittens per litter. My parents were overachievers, my mother being one of six concubines, she had nine litters in quick succession, which means I have twenty three brothers and thirty one sisters. It gets cramped in one place. But it also means we can go more places. And that's not counting the litters from the other five stepmothers I have." She explained cheerily. "They have plenty of pretty faces back home, trust me. I was sent here as a negotiator, to use my 'pretty face' to get trade deals."

 

[Acteon Cass]

As Acteon listened he had to fight the urge to frown. Her talk about how often her kind's women got pregnant and how many kids they had was baffling. The exponential growth of their population would be impossible to maintain. No wonder they went to war with each other. Their resources had to be at their limits and they had more than enough bodies to throw around.

How matter of fact and cheerful the girl spoke of all of this also worried Acteon. It sounded rather easy for them to become pregnant. And he had not exactly been safe when he had his fun with her. The chances their races could interbred was low but not impossible. He could not take back what he had already done but he could at least start being safer now.

Well he could if he wanted to be. But a part of him just did not care. That primal part of him. That wolfish part of him. What did it matter if he put his seed in her and it took root?

The Allirian had to chase the conflicting thoughts from his brain. The inn was within sight now and they needed to refocus.

Instead Acteon's mind went to something else she had said. "Your kind practices polygamy then. Does the idea of sharing bother you or are you just looking to join in the collective fun? Personally, I would not want to share if I was in your position. But I have never shared well with others."

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

Instead Acteon's mind went to something else she had said. "Your kind practices polygamy then. Does the idea of sharing bother you or are you just looking to join in the collective fun? Personally, I would not want to share if I was in your position. But I have never shared well with others."

"Hmm, it's less that we share the man, and more that the man has claimed each of us. Much like how one person can have many dogs, or cats, or really any pet. The dogs don't share their master, their master has both of them. Does that make sense?" She tried explaining.

She didn't know how much her words were bothering him. He asked and she answered. And there was no reason for her to think that it would be bothersome, at least from her viewpoint.

 

[Acteon Cass]

Her kind viewed the whole collar business akin to taking on pets. Interesting. Seemed whatever their marriage practices were they were different from the collars. Likely they were still polygamists though from the way they seemed to operate.

The inn was now upon them. Acteon went over and opened up the door for the girl so she could enter first. Unlikely it was a practice she would be familiar with back home. The males in this part of the world had to work much harder on wooing their women if they wished to bed them and even harder if they wished to marry them. He was not interested in the later option at all with the girl, but he would be fine with bedding her more. He had a lot of pent of needs still left to sate.

Once they were inside he said, "Go up to the room. I will meet you there. Need to speak with the innkeep."

Before she could respond he just placed the key in her hand and headed off towards the familiar halfling. He ordered them food for their rooms and inquired about local events. After spending several minutes chit chatting and a few coins sliding across the counter, he went up the stairs to rejoin the girl in his room.

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

Before she could respond he just placed the key in her hand and headed off towards the familiar halfling. He ordered them food for their rooms and inquired about local events. After spending several minutes chit chatting and a few coins sliding across the counter, he went up the stairs to rejoin the girl in his room.

Well, looked like she was off to their room then. So she went. Unlocking the door and opening it she entered. She sat on the bed, patiently awaiting her companion. Meanwhile, one of her samurai went to her door and stood there waiting for Acteon to ascend.

Once he came up the samurai would say, “don’t get too comfortable, dog. Once this mess is over and done with, your hands will never be lain on her again. I’m warning you now, she may have forgiven you, and we have spared you out of deference to that, but try anything of the sort again, and not even her request will save you.”

That was all the samurai had to say, and would leave at that.

 

[Acteon Cass]

The walk up the stairs already had Acteon ready for a fight. He could smell the wet cat fur of one of the girl's guards sweating as he blocked the way forward. Predictably, the man tried to make tough talk. Which he was failing at miserably from how clearly pining for the girl he was.

The Allirian smiled to the man as he tried to walk away. "Try not to trip on your tails too much. It is already hard enough for you to sound intimidating now. It will be impossible when you are flat on your face."

Acteon just walked over to his door. Before he entered he added, "Oh and I am giving the girl everything she did not know she wanted. Perhaps you should learn how to please a woman while you learn how to actually protect someone. I am managing both and hardly trying."

With their positions here made clear now, Acteon entered his room. The door was locked behind him. No doubt the girl had heard everything that was said in the hallway. She had as sharp of ears as he did most likely and he would have heard it.

So he smiled to her. "Sorry for the wait kitten. Was held up."

The man got his pack off and sorted.

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

The Allirian smiled to the man as he tried to walk away. "Try not to trip on your tails too much. It is already hard enough for you to sound intimidating now. It will be impossible when you are flat on your face."

A grunt was the only response. The Allirian clearly didn't intimidate the Samurai with his own words. This would not be a matter of who feared the other, but a matter of who would strike first.

Acteon just walked over to his door. Before he entered he added, "Oh and I am giving the girl everything she did not know she wanted. Perhaps you should learn how to please a woman while you learn how to actually protect someone. I am managing both and hardly trying."

This earned a dismissive chuckle from the samurai. "And while you're at that, learn how to actually care about someone instead of using them for your amusement, and maybe you won't be so lonely."

So he smiled to her. "Sorry for the wait kitten. Was held up."

The man got his pack off and sorted.

"I heard." She said calmly. "And you are either very brave or very stupid to have insulted him. I'm amazed that you still have your head. We may not be visually intimidating, but do not underestimate them, they live for war, they are bred for war, and nothing else. I hope that it does not escalate any further. For all our sakes."

 

[Acteon Cass]

Acteon was pulling out his items when he heard what the girl had to say to him. His immediate response was to laugh.

"That mindset is their problem. I see it is your problem as well. 'Bred for war.' Do you know how many groups and species there is out there that is bred for war? They are not better just because they were forced into fighting." Acteon responded as he was getting his maps out of his pack.

"Your guards, what do you think their equipment tells me? Their weapons. Their armor."

The Allirian had met plenty of people like her guards before and they all had the same fatal flaw. They let the reputations behind their titles fill their heads. The one in the hallway and the way the girl told him it was going to be true for her kind as well.

"Those swords they have is designed for slashing. It is the kind of weapon you use against the poor and the unarmed. They are not designed to handle actual armor. And thrusting would be highly ineffective with that curve and the single edge." Acteon said as he unrolled his maps to check which was which. "They armor reminds me of lamellar armor like the people from the Steppes to the North like to use. It is good armor. Very well rounded in what it protects from. But it is difficult to make and hard to maintain. All repairs will be hard to make so far from home. But it is not more effect than what we have here in the West."

The Allirian picked out two maps and took them to the bed. He rolled them out so the girl could see them as well.

"Their swords and bows are not much use against actual opponents. The common footmen and bandits might not have the equipment nor training to handle them, but their advantages are lost the moment they begin to face professional soldiers and mercenaries. I know because I have been a part of both groups. And trust me, we would never use swords against opponents as well equipt as we are. Axes and maces kitten or trusty spears."

He would sit down next to her and begin to scratch behind her ear. As he did he smiled. "It is time to discuss our next move. This map is the map of the region the local Lord controls. That map is the map of area around his castle."

Ōjo Akane

 

[Ōjo Akane]

She rolled her eyes at his explanation. He hadn’t seen them in action. While yes they weren’t designed for the breaching of armor, they fared far better than he seemed to think they did. Not only that but they were fast, very fast, and they had already cut down numerous units of the ‘professional soldiers’ he had claimed would match them. But she knew that westerners were stubborn, and that their arrogance was an exploitable weakness, so she let his pride stay intact.

Then he began to scratch her ears again, and as before, she melted. Purring erupting from her, and she leaned into him from the weakness that it brought her.