How I got to know Rhauk was this: I went back to the Tavern.  Having survived one session, it weren’t bad and I were curious. Incaras is the city of Mercenaries. You can find all kinds and strange stuff here.  That said, Ghenid ain’t a common sight.  They is known as cannibals, savage monsters of the wilds and a right hazard. I seen maybe two or three in me whole life, outside of the Ball and Chain, which is where I seen the most ever.  I didn’t much get to Monster town or the thieves quarter. They might be more frequent there.  If you go to the Arena district and the blood sports you see some on the sands of the pit.

I went solo this time. Walked in, got a drink from the barman and found her at the back, head down on the table, an empty cup by her hand.  A musician playing lute and pipe back front of the house.  She wore the sash of yellow and green that whores wear.  Plain tunic under that, then her furred and spotted head and arms bare. Her mane were black and just sorta sticking up. The short square muzzle darker than the rest of her fawn colored face with a leathery nose and black lips. Limp little foot long triangle tail hanging down.

“Hello?”   

No response. 

“You up for work?”

I heard a clink of metal and the back Ghenid bouncer came up and kicked her chair. “Wake up Whaerso!” A voice like a rusty gate hinge.

She woke with a start and turned to make a claw swipe with a growl.  

The bouncer snorted. “ Make the S’oang her coin, Whaerso.” it said and turned to return to their place by the stair.

“Eat shit milk licker!” she shouted at the retreating back.  Looking back, she spotted her cup and sent a shaking hand to catch it up and take a drink. Except it were empty. “Shit! Hey you khaengsua! Bring me more ale!” She bellowed to the bar.

“You can take mine, I’ll get another.” Says I.

Her ears twitched and she looked over at me. “What?” 

I set the cup in front of her. 

She scooped it up and gulped it all down. Head tilted slightly, ears forward, the solid red pupils of her eyes looking, and sliding off from my face.  “You want it? Twenty gold. Come.”  She pushed all seven foot of herself up and stumbled over her bad leg and twisted up foot. I stepped in to catch her fall. 

“You ok Whaerso?” says I.

Righting herself she snarled.  “Don’t you call me that you ghostless shit khaengsa!”

“The other one said that, I thought it were your name.”

“Rot it! My NAME is Rhauk! That is …shit,” she waved weakly around her and at her bad leg. “..that is, nevermind!” She pulled herself to full standing and weaved down the hall to the back stair. “Pay the prick. Twenty.”  The floating hand now pointing to the bouncer.

I handed over the gilt and she leaned against the wall, then started staggering up the stair with the bad leg dragging.  I hurried to give a shoulder to lean on.   “Do it hurt? “ I asked.

Rhauk grunted something.

“The leg.” 

“Less when I drink.” 

Getting an arm around her and her putting an elbow on my shoulder I helped her up the stairs.  “By the by, I’m Skolvan…

“Don’t care smooth skin.”

“..you can call me Skoli.”

“I’ll call you Punter. Or Smith.”

“Cooper’s ‘Assistant actually.”

“What?”

“I’mma cooper.  Barrel, bucket and box maker. Wet, dry or white.  Assistant is afore Crafter and Journeyman. ”

The red eyes just looked blankly down at me. I noticed she had flecks of yellow and green in there too.

“What that other called you, is that like ‘whore” or summuch?”

A snort and head shake. “Something like that.”

We made it to the little room. She pulled off the sash and started pulling off the tunic, nearly toppling again. Me stepping in to stabilizer her.  “Yer kinna drunk”

She struggled out of the tunic  “I can fuck you just fine drunk.” Hurling words along with the tunic. “That is why yer here, yah?”

“Yeah, that and curious bout Ghenid. Ain’t seen but a few ever and never talked to none afore you.”

Laughing she dropped her underwear, then turned to start working at my belt and pants. “What you so curious about hooman?” The short tail was standing up along her back.

“You don’t seem..well, you got the claws and teeth, big and strong…but not so savage.  Are you really cannibals?”

She was laughing again. “Oh I’ll lick you up neat and eat you right up!” She got the belt loose and tugged down the trousers.

“Not what I meant.” I pulled off me shirt. “Just don’t be biting!

“ No bite." she nodded. Then with a head tilt and leer " I bite if you want.” showing her teeth. Then the face drooped. “And no, S’oang forbids..  Not civilized thing to eat the dead in the city.  So, that is “no”, eh?   And I can’t fight good with this ersoa leg. Weak warrior. Not savage. ”

"You would eat people?"

"Dead is dead. Meat is meat.  When we die we are ghosts, always. The meat is nothing.  You die, you are gone. The meat is nothing."

"Some turn to ghosts. Some go live with the Gods.  Some get reborn.  Least ways, that is what the church teaches."

"Meat is still meat."

“I suppose so, but it ain't right eating folks, so yer Soang is right.  Fer fighting, them claws and teeth, and you being seven foot or so, you're scary and could sure mess me up. I don't think I could fight you well.  That why you do this instead of other work?”

Again the laughing. “Smoothskins are weak. No claws. Flat teeth.  Ghenid take what they want from lessers..or at least in the tribes.  When you are the lesser, you do what Hnegn command.”

“Hnegn?” 

“Yer betters.” She pushed me down on the mattress and dropped down beside me. “She commands we obey city rules and act like the other kinds, like hoomans an other smoothskins. Get coin. I get coin. With everything being shit, at least the sex can be interesting. Or distracting.” Her paws were rubbing  my chest, legs, belly and other parts.  I did the same. The rough brown and fawn coat with softer fur in the black spots.  The bare skin of the nipples and lower parts, including the small prick ahead of her girl parts.  “All ghenid girls like you?” 

She was squirming around a bit as I was exploring. She nodded. “Pkoah, both females and males, they bigger, longer. Rubbing good.”

“So we’re the same that way.”

There were other ways we were similar that we tested out.  It was nice snuggling up to her, she was a bit warmer than a human but with that garlic musky scent. And a good foot plus taller meant she could cover me up or I was resting on her chest.

I asked if she had seen a healer for the leg. Got me a laugh from her. “Too much gold.”

She traced a claw on my skin. “Can I make my mark on you? Mark as mine?” The red eyes staring down at mine from above.

“Not going make a scar will it?”  

“No mark you see.”

“Not going to hurt?”

“No.”

“I ‘spose it be ok. If’n it don’t mean we be married. ”

Laughing, she made a chant in Ghenid and made a pattern rubbing her wetted finger on my belly. “ Not married. Ghenuo don’t do such silly things.”

“That it? Other Ghenid can smell it or summut?”

“Aedoteerua, you all mine.” she chuckled. 

I found out later what it meant, and how it was a kinda trick.  The S’oang, the matriarch of the house, made them obey city laws. Putting the aedoteerua on with permission was allowed. Without it counted as witchcraft in the city. Serious crime. She said what she held was better and now had a ghost, always. A favor and obligation.

From there I got to be kinda regular.  Brought an ointment for the leg and she let me massage it in and mess up her fur. We’d talk sommat. Taught her to do a human kiss. She rarely left the building- going to the baths with the other Ghenid every few weeks. Took her out in a wheelbarrow sometimes -what got us strange looks from folk. Sometimes with Jorvi or Pik, sometimes both. The leg weren't no good for long walks. I got her some brushes and combs and ribbons for her mane. Jorvi of course was giving me the rounds for being sweet on her. 

 Whaerso, I found meant “waste of skin”, someone who was useless and maybe lower than khaengsa, which was scum or literally “Dirt under foot”. She drank a lot and was mean sometimes. Lots of anger and hurt. Ain’t never had no friends.  Ghenid don’t as a rule.  Only those you own or own you.  Maybe allies for a time against someone. She had a daughter all grown. I was surprised and didn’t think she was so old. Turned out she was only about twenty herself- ghenid being grown up at 10, even if they got taller for another few years. The aedoteerua, the Soul Chain linked me to her.  If she needed she could make me feel it.  Could make me obey an order, but she didn’t -knowing it would be trouble. And that is how I got to know Rhauk and a bunch of Ghenid stuff.