Seemingly positive thoughts

You so rarely have guests these days, so you make a show of things for lady Emira. She soon gets into the act and pretends that for all the world she's merely a noblewoman visiting another noble - a friendly visit with talk of politics or trade to come later, perhaps over dinner. Sandra makes every effort to cover up how much being held at knife point affected her, you do your level best to hide just how impotent and furious you were in that moment.

If her reputation wasn't sufficient talking with her is more than enough to prove that she's highly intelligent. Both Patrick and Sandra are rather devious and intelligent as well. Everyone, Emira included, understands that there is no way the lady is going to walk away completely free and clear. She assumes you will arrange to have some hold over her, but of course if she proves truly difficult she will lose her memories like the rest.

A short time ago Sandra was telling you and Patrick that you needed more people. Now here is a woman who is smart, resourceful and devious. But to bring her in fully you need to be in a position to understand her and her motives, otherwise it's all window dressing. Still, the potential for more aid, immediate aid, is so very tempting.

Since you must determine her very nature you show her everything, for once able to take pride in all you've done. You start by showing her the captured mercenary women as you deliver their meal. You take her to see the other noblewomen, just to prove that you indeed have the women you mentioned to her. Then you tell her of the transformations and the accidental discovery of memory loss. Sandra tells her proudly of the false history she and now Patrick are weaving for a people who have never been. You time things so that just as the conversation comes to a close all of you arrive at a concealed loop in the wall from which you can show her the main hall.

Everything else she was able to take in stride, but the sight of so many catgirls is enough to stun her. "So many colors and forms and..." she looks back at you. "This is all your work? You said you transformed them, but I didn't believe you could have. So many..."

"That's hardly all of them" says Sandra. "There are more outside the main hall, there are even those who have moved out. Take up residence in an abbey, with some of the royal family, even with priests of an ancient religion dedicated to the worship of cats."

"Bast" she whispers.

"You know of the Goddess of night and fang?" asks Sandra, picking one of Bast's many titles.

"Yes, more than a little. I have always found old legends and myths quite interesting. Anything unsullied by the censors of the church." She pauses and you feel like time itself is stretching in the hidden corridor. "You have the power to make me cease to exist. But you also have an intricate charade that is balanced on edge. So... I imagine the worst case for you would be another catgirl, the best case a willing and brilliant accomplice."

"Quite" says Patrick, affecting a nobleman's tone for a little levity. "Though there is good news on that front. Lord John has done this before, first with Sandra and then with me. It's a tall order, but if we can trust each other..."

"Yes..." she says. She looks at you with her piercing eyes. "I ask a favor. Would it be possible to witness this transformation? I have no talent for magic but I have studied some details of the arts in order to protect myself from them, in as much as that is possible. But I would love to witness such a powerful spell in person."

Sandra smiles up at you from where she's been resting on a nearby chair. "Our lives become easier with each girl that changes. One of the mercenaries? They figured out how to crack a window pane in one room. I think I have an idea of which one is the ringleader."

You nod to Lady Emira. "Yes, I feel rested enough to change another." To Sandra you ask "Who do you suspect?"

"One of the archers, by build. When they awoke in the new room she said 'I told you it wouldn't work' to one of the others. But it didn't sound quite right. I think the rest of them are all grunts and they know she's the only one with a mind to find a way out. She's smart enough that she even arranged a fake conversation for after they were recaptured, just in case her plan didn't work."

Patrick laughs "Damn, almost makes me want to recruit her. As long as she's mercenary enough, that is."

"Dangerous," says Sandra. "If she's willing to sell out her own she's not worth trusting."

It takes a little effort to separate the smarter mercenary from her less bright but strong and loyal fellows. Once they knows the jig is up the room erupts, eventually forcing the use of some magic to subdue the lot of them.

Your subject - one Telanna - returns to consciousness strapped to the table, naked and surrounded. Also silenced as this particular woman has the most piercing shriek you've heard in quite a while. No reason you need to deal with that while you're casting a spell.

"How do you chose the fur?" asks lady Emira.

"Various combinations of feline and natural hair colors lead to every result you saw in the main hall. For deep chestnut hair like this the best options are either black, leading to a black coat with a red tinge, brown, which actually tends to produce grey fur when mixed with a brunette, or reddish orange, which tends to allow the chestnut to dominate."

"Why don't you decide?" asks Sandra. "We've all picked at some point."

You see the glint in Emira's eyes and you suspect your devious redhead has discovered one more chink in the noblewoman's armor. Bit by bit Sandra is working out how to turn lady Emira to your ends. It's satisfying to see a master manipulator and deceiver honing her skill on the wits of another master.

"I do believe chestnut will suit Telanna best of all. I assume that a change of name would be in order?"

"Normally I don't bother, but in this case you're right."

"How about Lydia, then?"

Even with a level of magical calming the former archer and soon to be catgirl is starting to panic. You daze her before it goes any further and then plant the fine orange hairs in her belly button. The spell takes effect, the only real difference from usual being the gasp of amazement from lady Emira.

"When you talked about such a transformation I assumed it would be painful, but no." She moves close and then stops herself. "Is it safe?"

"Oh yes. The transformation is complete."

"I don't have to worry about waking her?"

"No. For the moment I'm keeping her from making new memories. Normally a spell like this can only blot out a minute at most, but with no earlier memories to anchor to the spell can stay in effect almost indefinitely."

"Amazing." Lady Emira says as she drops to her knees next to the newly created catgirl. "Such dense muscles. She's shorter now, as well. She lost an inch if I am not seeing things."

"Yes, common in girls over 6'. Rare for girls who start at 5'10", like her. The eyes are also unusual."

"Natural browns?"

"Yes. With other fur colors the eyes tend to blues, greens, grays and blacks. There are a few brown eyed catgirls, but most of the time I do this." With that you expend a little more power and change Lydia's eyes to crimson, just like Alice's.

"That's striking" says Emira. She runs her fingers over Lydia's body, generating a soft and contented purr. "Very soft fur."

"Oh good" says Sandra. "Chestnut is usually a rougher fur." She makes some notes from memory about both the fur you chose and Lydia's original appearance.

Lady Emira has obviously been trying to resist. But she can't help but feel Lydia's perky new breasts. "They were rather... flaccid before" she says. "At least for a woman of her age. Either she had already borne a child or it ran in her family."

"Yes," says Sandra as she cops a feel for her own interest. "Now she's got beautiful B cups. Nice, thin tail too. Usually the taller girls have a little more girth."

Finally lady Emira pulls herself back from the semi-conscious catgirl and says "Hopefully her skill with the bow carries over. I bet she'll find it easier to shoot with a little less chest to worry about."

She looks honestly excited by it all. That could be an act, but at very least she's playing the part of an eager new conspirator. With both Patrick and Sandra you used your truth spell, but you don't know if that would set her against you permanently or finally reveal why she would consider becoming part of your merry band.