Bordertown, Part I

A few hours' travel made quick work of most of the remaining distance between their campsite and the border to the Queendom of the Cows. Snacking on healthy provisions (combined with a nice morning milking session with Buttercup) left the companions hale and hearty enough to travel without stopping. According to the map, they were only a mile or two from the border.

"Look!" Buttercup yelled, planting her foot at the top of a ridge. When Grimm and Morag joined up with her they saw that she was pointing at a high wall that expanded across the horizon. The border. It was now within sight.

"C'mon!" Buttercup exclaimed, giggling happily as she traversed down the ridge's slope. Pebbles and loose bits of earth bounced up behind her heels as she skated down the ridge; these projectiles nearly whacked Grimm and Morag in the face as they followed her.

"Oh, shit," Morag muttered. "The fuck is this?"

They'd reached the bottom of the high ridge. From afar it had seemed like they'd smoothly sail through to the border, but now... well, it looked like a settlement had popped up out of nowhere, blocking them from the wall.

It wasn't an enormous town, nothing like the cows' capital city of Audhumla. More of a boomtown, really, a waystation before the wall. A mess of haphazardly arranged tents, shacks, and small wooden buildings (most of which were only a single story), the settlement looked as if it had been erected overnight.

"Just as well," Grimm said, scratching the back of his neck. "We could probably pick up some food while we're here. It's probably a hell of a lot cheaper than what they've got on the other side of the border."

"Ugh, I would do unspeakable things for a basket of fried chickpeas," Buttercup sighed. "Unspeakable things."

Grimm chuckled. "So what you're saying is that I need to find and withhold some fried chickpeas?" He gave his lover a lascivious wink, to which she giggled and wrapped her arm around his. Her touch was warm, sweet. It felt natural, too, to have this beautiful cow hanging off of his arm. Grimm looked down at Buttercup, gave her a smile, and kissed her. The kiss left her blushing.

"Yo, lovebirds," Morag snarked, walking with her hands on the back of her head. "Don't start suckin' and fuckin' just yet." She snorted at her own taunt.

The closer they got to the settlement, the more it seemed to populate itself. By the time they were within spitting distance it was obvious that the settlement was, in fact, a bustling little town. In fact, it now reminded Grimm of his hometown -- the place where this whole wild adventure started.

At the edge of the settlement, just before the buildings began, was a market of sorts. Peddlers barked out their wears, offering discount prices on vegetables, clothing, armor, and other adventuring staples.

"Hey Grimm," Morag muttered. "Buy some fuckin' food, will ya?" She prodded the bull in his side. "Buttercup's nothin' but skin and bones."

Buttercup giggled. "Yeah Grimm, I'm wasting away!"

Grimm rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay..."

They approached a nearby stall advertising "traveler's rations." Manning the stall was a portly bull with light brown fur and a friendly smile.

"Hi there!" he said, offering the travelers a wave. The bull was wearing a simple beige tunic and an apron. A pair of round spectacles perched upon his nose, behind which sat a pair of dark brown eyes.

"Hi," said Grimm, waving in return. "We've, uh, been traveling for a few days, and we're almost out of food."

"You've come to the right place," the merchant bull replied, scratching the back of his neck. "Teifi's Travel Feed is the number one ration shop this side of Audhumla." He chuckled. "Uh, by the way, I'm Teifi."

"Hmm..." Grimm looked over the merchant's selection. "I'd like three of the mushroom meals... one of the lentils... what would you recommend?"

"Please forgive me if I step out of line, but by the look of you I assume you're the fighting type?"

Grimm chuckled. "You assume correctly."

"Then I would definitely recommend the protein pack. It's chockfull of edamame, lentils, and pinto beans, and a special nutrient supplement I designed specifically for bovine warriors."

"What will it do?"

"I mean, you won't be able to scale those walls over there, but you'll definitely be good to fight for a few hours straight. Plus, it'll help you heal a little faster if you get hurt."

"I'll take one, thanks."

"You're welcome!" Teifi smiled. "Oh! Did I see a Goddess pendant on your fox friend?"

"Yeah. She's a priestess."

"Then she can have this" -- Teifi reached below the counter and retrieved a small satchel -- "for free."

"Thanks."

"Lastly, I'd recommend our bulk travel pack. Contains enough food for three weeks of questing!"

"I'll take it."

"Wonderful. Will that be all for you?"

Grimm leaned in, inviting Teifi to do the same. "Do you, uh, have any fried chickpeas?"

"Not here, but my wife runs the inn in town. And fried chickpeas happen to be her specialty."

The great bull hefted his purchases over his shoulder. They weren't too heavy, despite the prodigious amount of food he'd bought.

"Hey guys," Grimm called out, gesturing for Buttercup and Morag to catch up. "We're going to the inn!"

They made their way through the bordertown. It was weird, seeing so many people living their lives, going through their everyday motions, after spending so much time in relative isolation. With the exception of Reese's Raiders, Morag, and that bounty hunter, Grimm had barely interacted with anyone since he set off on his quest.

Truth be told it made him a little nervous.

The inn wasn't hard to find. By the look of it it was the only one in town, given that it didn't have a name, just "INN" written in all-capitals across the signboard. It also appeared to be one of the only multiple-story buildings in town.

"C'mon," Grimm said, gesturing toward the inn with his head.

"Are we seriously stoppin' already?" Morag asked, scratching her butt. "It's not even that late."

Buttercup yawned. "I'm a little worn out."

Morag threw her arm around Buttercup's shoulder and pulled her close. "It's all that ass fat, toots." She grinned maliciously as she gave Buttercup's rump a hard slap.

The cow jumped with a yelp. "No fair!" she protested, giggling. "Besides, you're one to talk."

Grimm couldn't help but smile at his lovers' bickering. I should have given this whole "companions" thing a shot a long time ago, he thought.

They headed inside.

The inn wasn't especially busy, given that it wasn't quite dinner time. But it was getting close, and Grimm anticipated some kind of rush. Well... actually, it was hard to tell, because the bordertown appeared to be full of domiciles in addition to market stalls and shops. Maybe these folks weren't the type to go out for dinner every night.

A few customers lingered on the first floor, drinking and eating at the bar and at small tables. Grimm was surprised to see that it wasn't just bovines in here, but folks of all species. Maybe the bordertown was a common stop for people on their way into the Queendom.

"I'll get us some food," Grimm said, "if you grab a table." Morag and Buttercup found a spot to sit (immediately letting out satisfied sighs as they sat down) and started chatting while Grimm headed up to the bar.

The woman behind the bar gave Grimm a warm smile as he drew near. "Howdy!" she said cheerfully, leaning forward onto the counter.

Being out in the wilds for so long had clearly robbed Grimm of his social niceties, although to be honest it was a joke to even imply that he had much to begin with. But he at least knew not to stare when he came upon a particularly... gifted lady.

Grimm was momentarily thrown off by the fact that the woman behind the counter was not, in fact, a cow (as he had grown accustomed to seeing), but a goat. She was short, even shorter than Buttercup, but what she lacked in height she overcompensated with curves. If proportions were a factor this goat would have among the largest breasts Grimm had ever seen. They strained her thin cloth shirt, threatened to tear their way through her apron. The goat was covered in light grey fur, with adorably braided blonde hair fashioned into a long ponytail.

She looked up at Grimm through her oversized spectacles. "Can I help you?" she asked, keeping that welcoming smile.

"Umm, I was just talking to a bull named Teifi --"

"That's my husband!" she exclaimed, eyes sparkling. Her smile widened a little, growing even warmer somehow.

"Oh! So... you run the inn?"

"Yep! It's my pride and joy." She rapped her knuckles on the counter. "D'you wanna stay a night?"

"Well..."

"C'mon, you look bushed!" She looked past the great bull, toward his companions. "I take it those two ladies are your companions?"

"Yeah, that's them." Grimm smiled down at her. "Uh... actually, the reason Teifi sent me here is because fried chickpeas are your specialty?"

"Oh, yeah." The goat chuckled. "Everyone 'round here clamors for Millie's Famous Chickpeas." She paused, blushed. "I'm, uh, Millie, by the way."

Grimm chuckled. I can tell she's married to Teifi, he mused. "Could I get a basket for my table?"

"Absolutely! Wanna wet your whistle while you're at it?"

Goddess, that sounds good. "I would love a round of ale for my table, as well."

"You've got it!" She smiled as she tallied his order. "That'll be one gold piece."

"Wow, that's... very reasonable."

"I gave y'all a discount 'cause my hubby sent you over." Millie grinned. "He's such a sweetie."

"He was certainly friendly," Grimm said, chuckling. He paused. "Oh! And thank you for the discount."

"No problem... sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Oh, I'm Grimm. And, uh, that's Buttercup, and that's Morag."

"Well then, no problem, Grimm. Go ahead and sit down. I'll bring your meal over when it's ready."

Grimm smiled, thanked the friendly goat, and sat down with his lady companions.

A few minutes later Millie brought their food and drinks over, deftly navigating the floor despite her prodigious assets. When she turned to walk away Grimm raised an eyebrow at the goat's enormous rear.

Buttercup nearly shrieked with joy when Millie set the basket down on the table. "Fried chickpeas!" she exclaimed.

They dug in.