People were talking…why couldn’t they leave me alone? My bed was so cozy, it felt like a warm hug. I’d sleep a little longer, pretty sure it was the weekend anyway. Even if it's not, I'll just call in sick later. Think I have some spare PTO.

  The dull throbbing pain in my shoulder and leg gradually pulled me out of my stupor. From outside my comfortable cocoon, I smelt the delicate scent of beeswax. Finally opening my eyes, I saw a flickering candle on a bedside table. It illuminated a small windowless room, with smooth dirt walls. Shelves adorned every corner, holding intricate wooden figurines –depicting bears, sheep, fish and numerous other forest creatures. A narrow bookshelf, with a measly three tomes, was next to the only door.

  As my senses slowly returned, I realized I was in a bed, with sheets that felt soft against my naked scales –softer than any in Sapwood that’s for sure. And this mattress actually felt like a mattress, not Tempur-Pedic or anything, but still! Maybe straw and feathers?

  I flung the sheet off with my tail and slinked out the bed, suddenly cautious of this unknown environment. Was I taken prisoner? Where was Windthrow? And why’s this place so quiet? The usual woodland sounds –the birds, the insects, and the wind– were all gone!

  My legs felt like jelly, and I immediately fell to the wooden floor. Great, anyone remotely near would’ve heard that.

  On que, the sound of heavy footsteps leaked from behind the door. I wasn’t in fighting condition, but my enemy wouldn’t care. So I crouched into a low combat stance, steeling myself for a lunge towards the door.

  The footsteps became louder and louder until…Windthrow opened the door and ducked inside. Both his dark skin and blonde hair were so clean; his clothes also looked washed. And wow, was he way too tall for this room!

  A lot of thoughts crossed my mind, but all I said was, “Huh?”

  Windthrow kneeled down and took me in his arms, holding me tightly.

  “Vylet! Thank the gods that you’re awake! I’ve missed you dearly.”

  “Where, what happened?” I said, a whisper was all I could manage.

  He started running his hand through my hair with long gentle strokes.

  “You- you idiot. That, that thing poisoned you. If not for the Greytail family you’d be…not around anymore. It’s been 3 days.”

  It sounded like he was fighting back tears.

  “3 days!” I pushed myself out of his embrace. “The Stalag… I killed it though! Sure it hit me a couple times but…”

  My gaze was drawn to the scales on my shoulder and leg; both areas were covered in a grey film. Just like when I molted earlier, but more localized. The damaged scales were being replaced.

  “Stalag?” His emerald eyes narrowed. “A fitting name for those awful creatures, though it’s a tad too whimsical."

  “I was…reckless. Just like Cleyre said. I’m sorry.”

  “Swear to me you won’t do it again.” He took my wrist, then kissed each of the violet scales atop my hand. “I was so worried.”

  “I’ll be more careful. Or at least less stupid.”

  A wave of exhaustion washed over me and I collapsed onto Windthrow.

  “It’s too soon, you need your rest.” In one graceful movement he scooped me up and placed me atop the bed.

  “Till tomorrow Vylet.”

  Tomorrow arrived quickly, I shut my eyes and there it was.

  This time I wanted to surprise Windthrow, so I left the cozy bedroom in search of my “mate”. Didn’t have to look far! On the other side of the door was a living room of some sort, with a big hearth, and several chairs. Like something you’d see in the Shire (pre-Scouring). Still no windows, which was slightly off-putting.

  Windthrow sat cross-legged in front of the lit hearth, polishing his bow. Even sitting down he barely had enough clearance for the room.

  He gave me a good morning hug, before filling me in on all I’d missed. And I’d missed a lot.

  The Harengon children we rescued belonged to the Greytail family, of Six Dice Township. A new settlement, northeast of Tangle, also founded by former Imperial slaves. During the battle, I was gravely injured and rushed back to Six Dice for treatment. If not for the Matriarch of the Greytail family, Grandma Sasha, I’d be dead! She expended tons of herbs, time, and expertise to treat me.

  For saving three of their children, they lent Windthrow and I one of their burrow homes.

  That explained why this place was scarily quiet…it was underground! Part of a sprawling burrow for the Harengon residents of Six Dice. I was in a literal bunny burrow!

  “Any questions before we introduce you to the rest of the Six Dice Harengon?”

  I raised a single claw.

  “Just one. Do you have my wraps and cloak? Think it would be a bit rude to go out like this.” I gestured down to my naked body. With the hearth reflecting off my scales, I looked like an iridescent lizard fertility goddess.

  Windthrow’s eyes wandered down to my breasts –which elicited a grin from me.

  “Apologies!” He blushed and retrieved my things from a nearby trunk, handing them to me without turning to look.

  Wait a minute. They repaired my cloak! I couldn’t see a single out of place stitch or a patch! And my wraps were freshly laundered, I don’t envy whoever had that job. After making myself decent, I was ready to meet the bunnies!

  Windthrow led us out the underground “home” into the damp narrow tunnels. I’m short and I still had to hunch down. Every hundred meters they’d placed signs –that I couldn’t read– luckily at least one of us was literate.

  Ten minutes of walking later, the tunnel widened slightly and we were met with a sturdy door.

  “This is the largest communal space in the burrows,” Windthrow said. “Just a warning, this is going to be very overwhelming.”

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  He opened the door…

  Instantly, 3 dozen sets of beady bunny eyes were on me. I was swarmed by Harengon children! With white fur, brown fur, orange fur, grey fur, black fur and every shade in between.

  “Can I touch your tail!” a sniveling voice said.

  “No fair I get to touch it first!” another said.

  “I wanna feel your horns.” One of the little ones was attempting to scale me like a mountain, using my cloak for leverage!

  “Do you have wings?”

  “Why do you have scales?”

  “Where’s your fur?”

  “How come you only have three fingers?”

  “Why are you violet?”

  I endured a barrage of questions from the children as they tried to figure out the new most entertaining person in their village. Windthrow was, of course, the second most interesting, but they’d already had plenty of time to figure him out.

  Sitting around a large table, drinking green colored juice, the adult Harengon watched with wide bemused smiles. Not fair, a little help please! As if she heard my internal cries for help, an elderly grey Harengon slowly stood up, putting down a small knife and a half finished carving.

  “Alright, alright dearies. Leave the poor girl alone.” She had short patchy fur, drooping ears, and cloudy eyes. She hobbled in my direction, using an old stick as a cane.

  The children quieted down and formed a path for her. Though, I could still hear a few excited whispers.

  I stood up straight, and gave her my most ladylike bow.

  “Thanks for helping me! I’m Vylet. It’s good to meet you!” I said, with the demeanor of an over polite Japanese salaryman.

  “Shush! Let me get a good look at you.” She prodded my shoulder with the stick, and then my leg. “You heal fast, for a bloodthirsty moron!”

  “Not sure how those two things are related…” I responded.

  “Well they are!” she shouted, but her raspy voice broke halfway though. “Despite your avoidable injuries, I do owe you thanks for saving my great grandchildren.”

  “It’s nothing mam, we’re all residents of the Weald and-”

  “I know that!” she snapped.

  She shuffled back to her seat. A few of the children snickered, while the other adults just shook their heads.

  “That was Sasha Greytail, she’s the oldest and most respected Harengon in Six Dice,” Windthrow whispered to me. “She’s only nice to the children.”

  Three more adult Harengon approached us, while the children scattered around the room to play with a variety of wooden toys. Another grey-furred woman with big ears, an immaculate white-furred man, and a fluffy brown-furred young woman stood in front of us.

  “Let me introduce you to Leela Greytail, Tora Snowshoe, and Lexi Fuzzylop. The elders of the three Harengon families in Six Dice!”

  “Thank you for your hospitality, I’m Vylet,” I said.

  “Oh you needn’t an introduction!” said Leela. “And don’t worry about Grammy, she’s like that with everybody.”

  “She seemed really angry…”

  “We’re all well grateful to you, truly.” She placed one of her fluffy paws on my shoulder, stretching up to reach.”Windthrow told us about the Federation meeting, so you’re welcome to stay in our lil town as long as ya want. Don’t forget to visit the surface too!”

  “This village has a surface?”

  “Well course it does, we tried to convince the non-Harengon to live down here with us, but they just weren’t havin it. So they live on the surface. I’m sure ya man will show yeh.”

  Windthrow grasped my hand.

  “What a fantastic idea Leela, we’ll see everyone later, at dinner. Thanks again, and please pass on our gratitude to Matriarch Sasha,” he said.

  Back into the maze of tunnels! Were we heading deeper or higher? Impossible to tell, but I trusted Windthrow either way.

  Meandering through the complex passages we fell into a comfortable conversation. About Six Dice, and about the Harengon. Windthrow was just as overwhelmed during his first meeting too; he actually said I handled my meeting better! Like a natural extrovert. Is that possible? I certainly wasn’t an extrovert back in the old world… back in my “wrong” body…

  We reached a ladder upwards, to a wooden hatch. Together we scaled it and emerged into the sunlight.

  Sky as far as I could see! Rolling fields like a windows wallpaper. Crisp fresh air and a cold breeze rustling through wheatfields and vegetable patches. Numerous watchtowers, and a few small homes were visible between the fields. Some workers waved as we emerged.

  The tour began! First, Windthrow introduced me to a lively four person half-orc and half-elf polycule living in a farming hut. Then he showed me around some of the town’s defenses. They decided not to build a wall, and instead dedicated far more of their manpower to defense. Their huge population of Harengon helped in that regard –they literally fucked like rabbits.

  For the grand finale, he showed me Six Dice’s namesake. A stone formation jutting out from the sandy shore of the river, shaped like six cubes stacked haphazardly atop one another.

  The story goes: The founders of the town discovered the formation while traversing the Weald in search of a place to settle. Since the formation looked like dice, they decided to “take a gamble” and found their village here. The rest would be written in the new history of the Emel Weald.

  We sat on the shore, next to the monument, watching the ebbs and flows of the river.

  “I like this town…at least the part on the surface,” I said, before tossing a small stone into the water.

  “Don’t speak so soon Vylet, you haven’t seen the underground room they carved out for bathing yet…” Windthrow replied, he matched my throw with his own.

  “Very funny.”

  He laughed and smiled.

  “You think I’m joking. I’m not, they dug a channel from the river to a chamber underground. It gets cold, but with a little fire magic for warmth…it’s amazing.”

  “We’ll use it together, before we leave,” I said, in a teasing tone.

  In my mind, Windthrow would’ve blushed, laughed, then lightly turned me down.

  Instead he said, “If you insist, before we leave then.” His smile only betrayed a hint of embarrassment; a slight blush.

  As my scales healed, we continued to rest in Six Dice.

  Everyday we’d play with the kids, often tag in the labyrinthine tunnels. On one slow day, Windthrow made the kids a simple leather ball, which may as well have been the best toy ever invented. It only took a few minutes for me to teach everyone Football, Windthrow and I versus a horde of Harengon kids!

  To relax, I’d sunbathe each afternoon by the river, savoring the relative safety. Dinner was always a chaotic time. The Greytail Matriarch seemed to make sport of putting Windthrow and I down in creative, but ultimately harmless, ways.

  Our days passed peacefully…until three days later, when I felt fully recovered. We resolved to depart the next morning, the longer we stayed the harder it’d be to leave. Our playful boasts about the bath almost slipped my mind…

  That was, until the night before we left, when he took my hand in the tunnels.

  “I spoke to the Matriarch. If we use the bath tonight, no one will bother us. Only if you still want to, of course.”

  I’d known him long enough now to see he was trying to play it cool.

  “I’d like that. We really should, it might be a while before we get another chance to bathe somewhere safe. And our trip might be long, and….yeah.” My tail decided this moment was perfect to slam into the tunnel wall, creating an echoing thud.

  It’s times like these that make me want to crawl into a hole and never emerge.

  But Windthrow’s emerald eyes didn’t waiver, instead he nodded, and led me by the hand towards the famous Six Dice baths.

  The Journey so Far:

  Chapter 21.5