"Yes...there were times here when you've been on your hands and knees on the floor when I thought about what a good donkey you would be." She blushed a lot.
He sighed, looking down at the bucket. "Yeah..." he replied, "A... a part of me's kinda thinking the same thing." He pulled his tail back out again.
"It's like... I know that this is only temporary." he added, "... or, at least, I hope it is. But... I dunno, at the same time, a part of me is thinking... just go with it. I'm a hard worker, it's kinda been my life and all. How..." He watched his tail behind him slide back and forth on the damp floor. "... how am I any different from any beast?"
"Mitch don't say that!" Tiffany gasped. "You are better than a beast!
Then, the woman entered to the kitchen. Fortunately, Mitch had time to hide his tail again. That had been close. Now hopefully the woman would give them a room to spent the night.
Not only were they offered a fairly large lunch, but Mitch was also offered a job. However, he politely declined as he had to get back to his father's shop, but he did say that, should he and his parents have a falling out, he had a good backup. It was a compliment that seemed to satisfy the red-haired lass, and he left them to a small two-bed room. It was their cheapest one, but was still a slight improvement from last night's shack of an inn.
The sun was low in the sky by the time they were left alone and the door closed. Tiffany locked it behind them and sat down on the bed. "That was a really long day. Hopefully tomorrow we can get to my town."
Mitch didn't dare plop down on his bed. His shirt was soaked. When the lady told them to get cleaned up, he had run it through the washbasin because it was just drenched with sweat and grime.
Tiffany promised not to look, but she couldn't help herself and snuck a peek. The fur had stretched up to his upper chest, coating the front in a dark, dirty tan. Right now, though, his shirt was on again, and still wet. He hoped it would've dried by now.
Tiffany didn't tell him about the fur, it was assuredly from the island, they weren't still changing. She was sure of it.
Mitch yawned. "Well I think we are going to sleep well tonight, we did a lot today." She grinned.
She nodded. "How about this...I'm gonna go have a look around town tonight, you can stay here and let the tail have a night out. It's THE tail not YOUR tail. These aren't ours. Remember that. We are kids. Not donkeys."
"Don't forget it. I'll be back soon." She closed the door and headed out onto the street. Maybe she could find someone to take them to the next town. It was dark now, and the stars were out as she headed down the dirt road of the town.
Tiffany wandered down the road around town, looking for anything that might give her a clue about finding a way home. Occasionally she was asked why she was dressed like she was, but she just said she got cold easily. She was just a 12 year old girl out for a stroll. Yeah...maybe that was a little strange, but strange times called for strange measures. She had to find a way home for tomorrow. She didn't fancy walking all the way there.
Then she saw a figure, standing in an alleyway, partially illuminated by a nearby street lamp. A boy, with a fair muscular build, partially combed hair... and a tail...
Tiffany let out a shout. "Mitch! You gave me a scare." She could see his tail now, the same brown and black tassel she'd grown to know so well. "What are you doing out here?"