Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 98: brought to you by the Master of Disguise--I lika da juice

Tell me why--Ain't nothing but a heartache! Tell me why--Ain't nothing but a mistake! Tell me why I never want to hear you saaaaaaaaaay! I want it thaaaaaaat waaaay! *que pretending I'm not old enough to remember when that song was popular and get back to the story*...Aren't I not turtly enough for the turtle club?

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"What's going on?" Winston asked the guards outside the newly erected wall encircling the City of Beasts.

The leopards, grasping long spears similar to the ones carried by the Rabbits, looked surprised. "Tiger King, did you not know?"

"I would have seen any messenger on the road; there were no beastmen sent to warn us." Even standing back with the rest of the caravan, Neara could hear the confusion in his deep voice. She knew the Ape King was behind this... but she didn't know what it could mean for her yet. They weren't attacking Winston on sight, which was good, but maybe it was just a ruse because he had the force of the caravan behind him? Would they turn on him if asked?

They exchanged looks and one of them mumbled something.

"I will speak to him immediately. I brought plenty of salt for the new year." Winston turned back to the caravan and nodded. The two leopards waved their spears awkwardly and the gates started falling apart? No, the logs were being removed individually to form a pathway large enough for several beastmen to pass through at a time.

"What the hell?" Orson whispered to Neara as Winston approached, his face unreadable.

"Oh... I never told you..." Guilt flooded Neara and she wasn't sure what to do.

"Told me what?

"How I got to the mountain." Well, this would be the start of another war, and even as weak as Orson was, she was sure with his temper that he'd march straight into Ape Castle and try to kill the Ape King.

"Neara, your hair." Winston flexed his hands and long claws slowly unsheathed themselves.

"What about it?" She fumbled with the ends, pulling it into a side ponytail and wrapping it around her fist.

"I don't know how you were kidnapped by the Rabbits, but I know the Ape King had something to do with it. We have to disguise you, or he'll attempt your life again." His voice was monotonous, deadly and sharp.

"You were kidnapped? You stone-headed..."

"They'll notice me talking to you, please, let me help." He didn't reach for her, or even move as he waited for her answer.

Looking at the guards, still ineptly handling their spears, and back to Winston, she nodded and held out her fist. He must have moved so quickly she didn't see, because the hair fell around her fist and stuck to her shoulders in itchy clumps. Winston disappeared back into the caravan with a last rumbled, "Meet me at Tiger Castle."

"Well... we can't have this." Orson's voice cracked several times as he stared at her shoulder. "If we're going in disguise, you can't be as obsessed with me as you are."

"What?" Neara tried to catch up with what had happened. The hair still clenched in her hand meant... wouldn't they smell her? Wouldn't she be familiar? It's not like she had a low profile in the City of Beasts!

"Cut the cloak." Orson grabbed it from her and ripped it in half, exposing her legs and threw it into the dry riverbed next to them. He inhaled and blew the hair from around her shoulders and motioned for her to drop her handful, which he kicked dirt and grass on top of. "Not that anyone will go sniffing, but this will be easier." He spat into his hand and grabbed a dark powder from his fanny pack (she couldn't really think of it as anything else). Mixing them together, he stooped and quickly sketched the design of a small ram's head on her calf, blowing on that as well to make it dry. "It won't fool anyone who looks close, but nobody's going to look twice at you." He ate the rest of the mixture and spat it onto her face.