This is something I didn't foresee when I realized my new fur was softer, but now I'm worried about the girls finding out. Hell even the goddesses might be a problem if they find out how soft I have become. I've never understood women's infatuation with soft fuzzy things but now that I am one I suddenly feel sorry for all the stuffed animals.

Luckily the petting doesn't last very long once I remind them their food is going to get cold. Everyone settles down and we all enjoy the meal and some light conversation. After a full day in the saddle once everyone has a full stomach they pretty quickly go to sleep.

Rather than go to my tent I simply lay back against Lizzy and stare at the stars until I fall asleep. In the morning before we set out, brother raven informs us we will reach the area of the mine by nightfall. He plans to take us to a ridge that overlooks the mine, that is where our helper beasts are waiting for us.

Throughout the day as we travel we work out several plans as to how we will handle the mine. We discuss our abilities and combat types and work on figuring out ways we can work together. When I tell them my combat abilities they all look at me with strange looks on their faces.

"What?"

Giles says "Are you really that strong or are you just bragging?"

"I have no reason to brag, everything I have been through and survived has made me this strong."

Giles says "Well, if you are that strong then this should be fairly easy."

"Killing the guards is going to be easy. Protecting the slaves will be the hard part."

Justin says "The mine doesn't run at night, if we attack at night it will be easier to protect them."

Rachel says "Yeah, at night they should all be in the barracks."

Giles says "So we figure out which barracks the slaves are in and just protect them while Ash goes on a rampage?"

"It's not much as plans go but simpler is better."

Justin says "It will do for now, we can adjust it once we see the situation."

For the rest of the day the talk is kept casual, the ones talking the most are the girls who are nervous. Koko doesn't say more than three words the entire day, it makes me wonder what her story is. She is obviously competent and intelligent but she is also a little disturbing.

While I may not be nervous for myself, I am a bit worried about taking these guys into combat with me. They seem at least competent but they definitely don't have as much experience as I do. I think to be safe whatever plan we end up going with I will make sure I am dealing with the majority of the enemy.

After all this trouble to recruit them for the rebellion I can't just let them die here. The rebellion needs them, both as a symbol and as a counter to the heroes still serving the king. Hopefully by the time the demon war comes they will have become much more powerful.

The demon war is something I won't be able to deal with alone, I will need powerful allies on my side. Great Mother Wolf will be an immense help, but I also need strong humans who will be able to lead the human troops. I will need to make sure the humans don't try to use the beastmen as cannon fodder.

Maybe it's because I look like them, or maybe because I know their origin. But I can't see the beastmen as a separate race to be exploited like the other humans do. I understand the humans fear them and that is why there is animosity towards them but I can't think of a way to fix that.

The only idea that I have had so far that might work would be to convert the beastmen to the worship of the twins. Sharing a religion will help a lot, especially if the twins proclaim the beastmen to have human souls or something like that. Then again I gave the histories to Zamart, if I remember right it tells of the creation of the beastmen in there.

If that becomes common knowledge that might help with the tension between the races. Anyway all this is nothing I need to worry about for a long time, but it does make a good distraction from all the chit chat. Although Giles' attempts at flirting with Rachel are highly amusing, the rest of the conversations are annoying.

When we finally arrive at the ridge a few hours before sunset I am very relieved. I definitely want to leave these guys with the rebels for a while to mature, no way do I want them traveling with me. Considering they are all in their teens or twenties and I was over forty when I died, I just can't understand them.

After listening to them for a full day I am absolutely convinced I should never try to be a parent. Not that they are bad kids, but I just don't have the patience to deal with them for long periods of time. I would much rather wander the world alone than have to listen to them anymore.

Brother raven leads us to a clearing below the ridge, within it wait the six bears and two wolf packs as promised. The bears occupy the middle of the clearing while the wolf packs are on either side, one pack has ten wolves the other has thirteen. Looking at them I can't help but think they don't get along, and surprisingly the pack of ten seems stronger to me.

Brother Raven says "They will only listen to Ash and Emelia, but they will obey any order as long as it isn't suicidal."

Justin says "Why will they listen to Emmy?"

Brother Raven says "Because of her contract with Silveria."

Justin says "Oh! That makes sense."

"So, first things first, we send Koko scouting?"

Justin says "Yeah, and we make camp."

Koko says "Roger!"

As Koko vanishes without a trace I am again surprised, she really does seem like a ninja out of a manga. While the others go about setting up camp I take Lizzy's saddle off and give her a good grooming. The others decide not to light a fire since we do not know if the mine's patrols come out this way.

So we will be making a cold camp for the night while we wait for Koko to return from her mission. The others avoid the beasts, even Emmy, but I go and pet each and every one so that they know my scent. After all, if I am going to ask them to fight for me then I want to at least show them that much respect.

I also give each one a small piece of drake meat, and of course as soon as I pull out the first piece Lizzy is suddenly right by my side. I give her a bigger piece and send her back to the camp, I don't want her scaring the other beasts. Silveria also comes over and licks my hand to tell me she wants a piece, which I give her.

Unfortunately, I am running really low on drake meat, maybe one more meal for me and Lizzy and it will be gone. I kind of regret giving some to the beasts, but if they help me free all those slaves they will have earned it. Hours pass as we wait and the sun has long since set, yet there is no sign of Koko.