Ai is getting much better about rounding characters, and it looks like Valkyria will be in werewolf form... indefinitely

The two women walked back towards the farmhouses in silence for a few minutes.

Valkyria broke the silence with a grin, “While we’re in town, I definitely need to buy a new sword. The one I have now just isn't cutting it anymore, no pun intended."

Sarah let out a small chuckle at the pun, grateful for the change in topic. "Do you have any particular one in mind?"

Valkyria shook her head. "Not yet, but I'll know it when I see it. Something bigger, heavier, and with a sharper edge. This little thing feels like a toothpick now that I have werewolf blood pumping through my veins."

Sarah looked at Valkyria with concern. "Maybe you should shift back to your human form and put some clothes on before we go to the adventurer's guild. Some adventurers might see you as a monster or a beast or something evil. They might have had a bad experience with a werewolf before."

Valkyria's eyes narrowed, and her ears flattened against her head. "And what about you? You're a sorceress. What if some adventurers have had bad experiences with sorceresses before? Does that mean you're going to hide who you are?"

Sarah was taken aback by Valkyria's sharp response. "I just thought..."

"You thought what?" Valkyria interrupted. "That I should be ashamed of who I am? That I should hide behind a human face to make people feel more comfortable?"

Valkyria turned away from Sarah, tears streaming unbidden down her face, hot rage welling up inside her, taking even her by surprise. She took a few deep breaths, trying to force everything back down again.

"You don't understand," she said, her voice shaking. "My human form, my own face, my scars, they give me nightmares now. They're reminders of all the horrible things that Razorclaw did to me." She shuddered and took another deep breath, trying to calm down. "He made me do terrible things, Sarah. Things that no one should ever have to do. He raped me and cut me and left me for dead more times than I can count. And now you want me to wear my old human face just so that I can fit in with the crowd at the adventurer's guild? No. I won't do it. I can’t do it."

Sarah gave Valkyria's hand a firm squeeze, feeling a pang of sympathy for her friend. "I understand, Valkyria. I do. I won't push you to do anything you're not comfortable with."