Alex went back upstairs after breakfast. Geff had given him a pitched of warm water, some scented soap, and a towel to clean off with. It took a moment for Alex to figure the logistics of it all with his new full body coat, but eventually he felt cleaner than he had since bathing in the spring with Bo. And that felt like it was weeks ago rather than two days.
Pulling on his new trousers, he tightened them at the waist and above the knee. A leather belt went around his waist, and he put his coin purse in one of the belt pouches. It was also the first time he could get a good look at himself in the mirror. For a donkey, he had to admit he didn't look bad. The muscles certainly helped. He grinned at himself, then leaned in closer. Behind his large front teeth, he still had a pair of oddly sharp canines. So, the wolf mark was still there?
"Huh, wonder if that made me an extra buff donkey." He felt his arms and chest, marveling at how much bigger they were than when he first came to this world. There really was nothing of the old Alex left.
"Done preening?" The tone was light and teasing, but Alex still blushed as he turned to see Geff standing and staring at him with a wide smile. "I guess it's a lot to take in for you."
Alex nodded, looking at himself in the mirror once more. "I don't see any of my old face."
"Well, if it helps, you're quite handsome from a beastman point of view." Geff motioned for Alex to follow. "C'mon, let's put those arms of yours to good use. I need some supplies."
Some was an understatement. Alex had expected them to head to the foreign quarter market that he vaguely remembered from his initial trip through town, but at his asking Geff just shook his head. "No, we'd get no fair prices there. Even from the fauns. We have our own market here in the Sty. It's not as impressive, but it's fair. We take care of our own." That last sentence was beginning to sound like a mantra to Alex.
The Sty's market was a few stalls in a small city square, a dry fountain sitting at the center. It had once been a nice art piece, but the nude man that would have been spouting water from a drinking horn had had his head and cock knocked off. Geff caught Alex looking. "There used to be a noble estate here, but as the foreign quarter grew he sold it off and moved. They built the Sty on the grounds, kept the fountain for some reason. Supposedly that is the lord that owned the land but who knows." The fox shrugged.
Soon he was haggling with one merchant after another, all greeted him by name and Alex found himself constantly being introduced as a guest from out of town. A few eyed him appreciatively, including one boar man that slapped him on the ass as he walked away. Each stop loaded him up with another parcel. Geff carried a few, but Alex bore the bulk of the items. Some things were obvious like food, other things didn't make sense to him like some strange dried plants he had never heard of, and one rather ponderous book he had specially delivered to a feline book merchant.
"We're leaving.." Came a voice in the distance, low and gruff. "Don't try to stop us. It's only a matter of time before they do the same here and I'm not leaving at the point of a sword." The words seemed to catch Geff's interest and he motioned Alex to follow. The speaker was a wolf man, who along with a second wolf was hauling a cart full of items and a couple of young pups, the one on the other end of the words was the boar merchant from earlier."Don't try to stop us Ren."
"What's going on?" Geff asked. Surprisingly, despite being larger, all three of the adult beastmen eyed the fox with something akin to respect as he spoke, like he might be some sort of town leader.
The second wolf was the one to speak up first. "Trouble in the capital. The king had all beastmen exiled from the city. The ones that wouldn't leave got rounded up and tossed out, some died in the fighting."
"Rumors!" The boar said.
"From my brother?!" The first wolf said defensively. "No, mark my words, it's only a matter of time before the king's edict pushes us out, too. He's never liked having non-humans around and we're an easy group to get rid of."
"And where will you go?" The boar scoffed.
"To meet up with the rest of the refugees. They said they're settling their own town, a beastman town. Just for us!" The second wolf said excitedly.
The first nodded his head. "Yes, a new town. Right on the edge of the Morningwood."
"The Morningwood is right between the Elven princedoms and Orc territory!" Geff said, alarmed. "It's a warzone!"
"It's unclaimed." The first wolf said with a shake of his head. "And the best chance our people have for a home of our own. C'mon.." The wolves grabbed the hafts of the wagon and started pulling again, bringing what they could out of town.
The boar scoffed and shook his head. "They won't push us out of the Sty, who else would want it?" And with that he went back to work.
Geff was just rubbing his chin. "I'd heard rumors, but.. I need more information. Come, Alex, let's get all these items back to the house." Alex only partially understood what had happened there, though an all beastman town didn't sound too bad to him. Even if it was in a place as ridiculously named as the Morningwood.
When they got back to the house Evin was waiting for them inside. Actually, he wasn't waiting, he was sitting at the table in just a pair of trousers and staring at the wall. Alex set down the purchases as Geff scurried over to his brother.
"You okay? Are you sick? Why are you home?" Geff rapid fired the questions as he began to check Evin over, placing a hand to his forehead and peering in his eyes.
"They let me go." Evin said, sounding dejected. "I reported in at the command post and they told me to turn in my gear and leave. No more beastmen allowed in the town guard." Geff gave Alex a worried look, then back to his brother.
"Go lay down, Evin, I'll make some lunch. We'll talk once you've had time to.. process."
The bull nodded and stood, slowly clomping up the stairs. Once he was upstairs Geff turned to Alex. "Do you know anything about this? Any rumors among the humans? The king can't mean to actually exile us. You must know something! You're one of us now!"
"I.. I don't know." Alex said as he sat down. "I.." He looked at the fox and swallowed. "I'm not even from this world. I only got here a few days ago. I was human because the world I come from that's all there is! Well, other than regular animals. I don't know anything."
The fox's eyes glowed with light for a moment, then faded away. Alex felt like that momentary look plunged right into his soul. "You're.. not lying. I'm sorry, Alex. I got carried away. Another world? You're not having much luck with magic are you?" Alex just shook his head. "I should make lunch." The fox picked up a few of the shopping bundles and disappeared into the kitchen.