Karen and Balthus were back. Cless ran to the bar and stopped moments short of just hugging her mentor. She halted and suddenly felt awkward. Her antics were not ignored.

"Cless. There you are!" Karen smiled. "I sent Silverfang upstairs, some patrons were disturbed by his presence, if you are looking for him."

"No, no. I'm glad you are back. How are things outside? Did you find what you were looking for?" She avoided saying 'the orcs' because some patrons were very keen on eavesdropping.

"Yes, we did. But let's talk about you. Josie told me you've been busy." Karen shot her an inquisitive look.

"How's being a guild master working for you, Cless?" Balthus asked.

"Things are not so good. The boys are restless, greedy and lazy. Some of them deserted even. I did take the skin out of their backs for that, but it is still bad. I only have eight members now. There are some that want to join, but I think they will be even more greedy and lazy."

"That's boys for you," Karen quipped. "Until they get beaten in shape and become men, all of them are like that." She nudged her head to point at Balthus.

"Right. Have fun at my expense. How's your weapons training, Cless?"

"I maxed out maces by bashing some mercenaries."

Balthus chortled. "That's something. It seems these two days were busy yet compared to what is to come, it will feel like a vacation."

Cless sat next to him. "Is it bad?"

"Yes, it is bad. There's a lot of them, Cless," Balthus lowered his voice to a whisper. "More than what Karen and I could deal with. And they know of the town. I think they are going to attack."

"What can we do?" She asked.

Balthus looked at Cless as if he was measuring her. She felt exposed but endured.

"Maybe we can put that guild of yours to good use. You'd need to outfit all of them before word comes out and prices of everything skyrocket. Do you have enough coin?"

"The guild has close to fifteen crowns. Now that our membership thinned greatly, I think I can equip everyone. I got armor for everyone at least. Weapons can't be that expensive, can they?"

"The beginner ones aren't. What about potions and consumables and..." Balthus trailed off. "Oh, beginners. Can you remember, Karen, when fifteen crowns were a lot of money to us?"

"Don't break the girl's dreams, Balthus. Or I'm going to cut off your booze."

He snickered at Karen's threats and turned to Cless, "So, besides murdering mercenaries and losing people, what else happened?"

She told him. Balthus wanted to go and strangle the deserters at once. And have a long chat with constable George. Karen shot him down again.

"Go to sleep. I'll talk to your aunt and then we'll see what we can do tomorrow."

Cless did. She went to her room and got all slobbered by Silverfang. Cless was mentally tired but not sleepy. That Skill that cut her sleep time in half was a sort of a mixed blessing.

She took the prayer book and learned the sixth-level Cleric spell. Holy Bolt. An attack spell finally. It dealt Holy and Light damage based on Intellect and the prayer proficiency. Double damage to undead and darkness creatures. She placed a piece of wood as a target and started to practice. After eight castings over one hour, her magic power was exhausted. She would practice the particular prayer for the spell several times before she would actually commit the magic power to create the effect.

Proficiency with her spell-prayers meant a reduced power cost and faster casting time. And Cleric prayers were long. She would have to train a lot with the Holy Bolt to make it useful in combat. With all of them. Cless kept reading the prayer book and working on her spells deep into the night. The noises of the tavern died around her and she would have burned three candles if she hadn't the Light spell.

Tired, Cless decided to go take a bath. With the wolf. She would clean the bathing room before going to sleep and have one less task for tomorrow. She washed her clothes, lathered Silverfang's fur, and washed her body and hair. She entered the hot water to soak and Silverfang shifted into beastkin form. He entered the other tub.

"Cless, you can't let your pack members revolt like that. You need to show them you are a strong alpha and put them in their place. Or they might challenge you for the leadership."

She forced herself to avoid staring Silverfang's chiseled body. She focused on his pointed ears, these two triangles of flesh and fur atop his head.

"They can't. I've bound them with my power. Just like I did with you. Do you resent it, Silverfang? Being a human's pet?"

He didn't hesitate to answer, "I don't think I am your pet. Do you think that of me? I am your companion, your bodyguard. And no, I don't resent it. Something changed in me after I entered your service, Cless. My burning anger now only shows up when someone threatens you. I can think much clearer now too. I even put some stat points in Intellect."

"I am going to get you some clothes tomorrow. You can't let people see you in that form, but I want to dress you up."

"I am yours to do whatever you want, Cless."

Another oddity that didn't add up. The boys were all struggling and chafing against the boundaries she set for them. Some even to the extreme of basically committing suicide. The others that stayed with her clearly see the profits of association. But she didn't let herself be fooled by them. All of them were in this for interest. But Silverfang, the only one coerced into submitting, a wild monster to boot, became completely loyal.

It clearly won't work with more boys, but would it work with more monsters? Was it a hidden feature of her Skill? Or was it the way monsters worked? Once they were absolutely bound to someone they would become like Silverfang. She had to try it. It would mean finding monsters capable of speech. Maybe if she dominated a human entirely but she would never commit to such an act. Enslaving a person was not on her list.

Cless pushed those thoughts aside. She cleaned the bathing room, put on her pajamas, picked up her laundry, and returned to her room with wolf Silverfang.

"Silverfang, can you shift back to Beastkin? I'd like you to hug me while we sleep."

She laid on the bed on her side and Silverfang spooned her. She held his arm over her belly and fell asleep. She felt warm, she felt safe. She also learned that just because some Skill reduced her sleep requirements, it didn't mean she couldn't sleep more than she needed.

Cless woke up before dawn. Silverfang woke up as she stirred. "Good morning, Cless."

She turned around and was face-to-face with a naked beastkin. She was glad it was dark or she would freak out. She wanted to touch him, explore that male body but she couldn't.

"Our day is starting. Ca-can you go back to being a wolf?"

Silverfang didn't answer. He just shifted back. Cless got up, changed her clothes and burned all her magic training Holy Bolt. She could do seven castings in a row now, without waiting for her power to recover.

She went downstairs and started cleaning up. The patrons of this inn were well behaved but they still dirtied the entire place. When Josefine arrived, Cless was practicing Light.

"Josie. How are you?"

"No. How are YOU, Cless? I was worried you'd be arrested. What happened there?"

Cless told her what happened at the garrison, minus the part about the contracts. Or how she loaned away about a quarter million Experience Points.

"I heard some gossip about how you extorted the representative from the lumber mill. And that merchant, he is saying all kinds of bad things about you as well. I think there's pressure on the constable to act against you."

"They are doing that, aren't they? Maybe I should go visit them."

Cless heard steps on the stairs and turned to see Balthus. "I'm going with you. Let's gather your guildmates and we'll go shopping."

Right. He did say he was coming with her today. Well, time to do business.

"What exactly do you have in mind?"

"I think it is time to take your guild hunting orcs. The orcs always send their youngest warriors scouting. There are several low-level patrols roaming the woods. I want you guys to go and thin them out."

"That sounds like it will take a lot of time."

"Yes. You will go on a week-long expedition. We need to engage them before the snow falls and makes the woods even more inhospitable for humans. And orcs can endure the cold better than humans. If they are left unchecked, they will raid the town during winter."

It is strange that Balthus mentions humans as if it were in the third person. Cless dismissed it as just some speech quirk. Balthus had the complexion of a foreigner anyway.

"What are we waiting for?"

Cless, Silverfang, and Balthus left the inn to find their guildmates. It was still too early to get them, but they lived relatively near each other. Still took one hour to gather all the eight boys.

"Let's go to the commercial district," Commanded Cless. "We'll eat breakfast at the food stalls. Guild's paying."

They met Brett on the way. "Already working so soon? Beware of that girl, she'll work you to death."

"Hey, Brett. We are going monster hunting," Cless told him. "Wanna tag along with your buddies to earn some Exp and loot?"

"What is the catch?" Brett was wary of Cless.

"No catch. I only hoped you'll repay your debts faster. We can even loan you money to buy some gear."

To Cless, getting her Exp back was a good enough outcome. If these deadbeats remain idle, she might have to wait for them to die of old age.

"I'll talk to the boys. Where do we find you? Near Olson's as always?"

"No. Meet us at the sawmill in two hours if you are coming."

Seeing Cless dismay at not having them, Balthus intervened. "Tell your friends and ex-members of Cless guild that I'm hiring them for this mission. I'll pay adequate compensation according to their levels and even pay an advance in the form of equipment. Sawmill in two hours!"

In the way, they stopped by the Beaten Hare Inn. Cless took the four suits of armor she got from the mercenaries, three suits of chainmail and one black leather armor.

"We need to check our available gear," Cless said to the group gathered in the common room. "Arnold has chainmail from the bandits and a half-plate armor. Shane has his leather armor complete. We have three brigandines, three suits of chainmail and this black leather armor. That is armor enough for everyone. How are we splitting them? Who is getting the chainmail suits, who will wear the black leathers."

The arrangement was as follows. Cless, Arnold, and Shane had their own suits of armor and would pick up pieces to complement them, like greaves, armguards, bracers, or caps. Lyle kept the black leather as it fit him the best. Martin, Lawrence, and Kevin with the mercenary chainmail. Andre and Lance got the brigandines.

After getting everyone armored, Cless set the longsword of the mercenary on her waist. They went to the armorer shop.

"Zoe!" Cless called her favorite sales girl.

"Guild master. How is it going? We will have Arnold's armor ready today mid-afternoon. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yes. Zoe, we need to finish the sets of armor for my guild members here. Master Balthus, could you hel — "

Zoe pounced Balthus squealing. "It is Armsmaster Balthus! In my humble shop! Hold me, I'm going to faint!!!!"

Balthus wanted to dig a hole and disappear. Cless watched the scene and met Balthus' eyes.

"Master is an Armsmaster? Interesting."

"This man is a living legend, Cless! He is one of the seven that..."

Zoe was interrupted by an angry Balthus. "Miss, that is enough. That story is mine to tell, don't go and spoil it for me. We are here to shop for armor, are you going to sell us armor or do we have to take our business elsewhere?"

"No, no! Sir! Cless here is my exclusive partner, we are in an agreement to trade you see, someone that is sponsored by Arms... Sir Balthus, what do you need?"

Cless was glad Balthus could stop Zoe's verbal manticore spike volley with a glare. But this Armsmaster thing, she had to get that story out of him. They purchased caps, vambraces, greaves, and leg guards made of boiled leather for everyone wearing chainmail or brigandine. Cless selected bracers suitable for archery instead of the normal ones. She paid Zoe one crown and eight ducats for the armor pieces.

Between their shopping, Cless kept practicing her prayers every time she had enough energy for that.

The next stop was the weapon shop. Cless bought a short bow. It packs less punch than a longbow but it can be shot faster and with less space. Since they would be skirmishing in a forest against orcs, it was the ranged weapon of choice. It cannot penetrate heavy armor but if they found any armored orcs they should flee and not engage.

For the guild members' weapons, Arnold got a morningstar and a metal shield, Shane had his daggers and bought a set of twenty-four throwing knives with a bandolier, Martin wanted a halberd, and the other boys, swords. Thirteen crowns. The guild's funds went away just like that and Cless had to pay the remainder out of her own pocket.

After leaving the weapon store, Cless called the boys that were still stuck on level four with a negative Exp total. She made the same deal as she did with Arnold to give them enough Exp to reach level five and get a class and a profession. It took her to the negatives but she negotiated an interest rate of twenty-five percent. They selected whatever classes and professions they wanted. Cless would not meddle in these choices.

Before when she just formed the guild, she wanted to form the boys into specific roles to make delving groups she could join and delve several times a day. Now, in hindsight, it was a stupid plan. She was treating them like puppets. Maybe that was the reason for the deserters to go. People don't do well under strict control, she thought.

They went to the sawmill and occupied an empty lot next to it. Balthus decided to give them some basic weapon instruction. Not combat but maintenance. While they were choosing weapons he bought several kits with flannel, oil and other tools. He also bought Cless a fletching kit and a box of arrowheads.

They received basic instruction and a few minutes after they finished, the deserters came. Along with the girls and a throng of other people.

Cless felt the urge to slap her face with her hand for some unknown reason. After a quick introspection, she realized why. She should really stop trying to help or even meddling with those deadbeats.

Name: Cless (no surname)

Race: Human.

Level: 22 ( -101,211 / 253,000 Exp)

Class: Cleric 7 (22,574 / 28,000 Exp)

Profession: Warmaster 6 (20,639 / 21,000 Exp), Weaponmaster 6 (20,639 / 21,000 Exp)

Base Stats: Strength: 14 — Agility: 14 [18] — Health: 21 — Intellect: 22 — Magic: 33

Available Status Points: 3

Skills: [ Absolute Contract (S) ], [ Giant's Stamina (E) ], [ Trick Shot (D) ], [ Dangersense ⦅C⦆ ], [ Nimble Step (D) ]

Proficiencies:

Appraisal — Status: 22

Crafting — Crude Weapons: 5 — Arrows: 1 (+1)

Magic, Cleric — Mending: 19 — Detoxify: 16 — Light: 18 (+6) — Turn Undead: 4 (+3) — Blessing: 8 (+3) — Holy Bolt: 9 (+9)

General — Prayer: 11 — Scribe: 2 — Houseworking: 6 — Math: 3 — Reading: 6 — Forestry: 9 — Skinning: 7 — Herbalism: 3

Social, general — Negotiation: 15 — Persuasion: 3 — Bluff: 3

Social, martial — Leadership: 16 — Intimidation: 17 — Tactics: 12

Movement — Tumbling: 3

Weapon — Long Blades: 4 — Short Blades: 2 — Unarmed: 7 — Archery: 12 — Spears: 3 — Maces: 22 — Staves: 4 — Axes: 9