"Now, whats wrong with saying your cute...most dogs take that as a compliment."

He sat down on his tree stump. Good God...how were the sleeping arrangment going to work...when was Ella getting back? Maybe he'd just be lucky enough to sleep with her...nah...not so much in one day.

"Don't say that..."

Artura watched, idly interested.

She morphed back into a human to take advantage of speech.
"Yes, but wolves are slightly different, thanks."
She was still sitting on her haunches with her arms in front, looking kind of silly.

"Well in the future I won't get the two mixed up. I apoligize darling..."

He used that term for everyone who was a woman...regardless of who they were.

"Now then, I think it's about time to get down to business."

He looked at Rajani with interest, "Are you coming or not?" It was a sudden question, but it was a simple answer.

She was startled by his abruptness. For a moment she mulled it over.
"I... Well... I really don't have anythin' else t'do in life, I guess I am. But!" She hastily added a warning. "Don't rely on ME to be riskin' my neck. I look out for ME first an' foremost, aye?"

"Cheers to that. No offense, of course, Roy."

"No problem there...and about our business in the inner kingdoms. I have a feeling the rest of you are slightly underequipped. I'm afraid we won't be getting past the Gates of South Pass, I've been hearing news of a battle going on in that area, and if we arn't ready, we'll be ripped apart. Not only that, but we need to decide who's side we're on. Are we going to ally ourselves with the souhtern kingdoms or the Northern Territories?"

He knew the answer would be, "We should wait for Ella to get back." but he needed to bring it up.

He knew a lot about the inner kingdoms and all of their cities and inhabitants.

"I don't care, but Ella should know."

"I'm guessin' Ella's that elfie chick? Yeah, she'd know, aye?"

"Yup. And I think she may have fallen in... Or asleep..."

She smiled.

"Well, I'm guessing we'd best wait for her to get back, but I'll tell you ladies right now, you won't last two seconds in any of the major cities. So I'll be looking out for you two...and don't tell me you can handle yourselves...you've never been to cities like Xychlon or Alabast...rotten places...a lot of people with very powerful friends who make very powerful enemies."

He sat down and drew a line in the dirt.

"This is the Gates of South Pass, a military fort held by the southern kingdoms, just outside of it, on our side of the boarder, is the city of Ruanor...we should stock up on supplies there."

He drew an X where Ruanor was.

"On the other side of that, is Alabast" he checked an O where Alabast was, "the most rotten hole of crime in the southern expanse...we'll need to stay there for a while."

He was drawing up plans without Ella, their leader, but he needed support on this. He was the only who'd ever been into the inner kingdoms...he knew what he was talking about.

"Ugh... Not to be obvious, but I'm a demon. Anyone else wonder bout that, and how I would be useless in a major city? HELLO, DEMON!" Artura was getting pissed. After all, Damian was like her. She would stand a better chance then Bird Boy.

"Sounds dangerous an'all, but hell, danger's what makes things fun, ain't it?" She reached into a large pouch and pulled out a glass bottle of amber-coloured liquid.

"Thats what I'm trying to get across! You can't go around looking like a demon, the city watch will be all over you, and they are too much for even YOU to handle. You'll need to just lay a little lower...stick with me, I know some people. Gods forbid I try to help you, in the future, remind me not to be so nice..."

"Stupid Bird Boy... If I wanted to be ordered around, I could have joined up with Damian."