Dame Athanasia checked her dress again, but it still was palpably wet. She sighed sat on the ground.
"Well, we still have another hour to get ready, but no more," she said to Kajira. The witch shook her head.
"I'm not so sure, milady. The earlier we'll get to the inn, the bigger our chances to get the map would be. So... Oh, crap, what's going on?"
The witch and the vampiress turned to the loud noise and saw Livonna and Wolffang confronting each other.
"Cool down, wolfie! It's not my fault, that you are that clumsy!" the orcess said.
"I am not clumsy, greenskin!" the she-werewolf growled "Just confess finally, that it was you! You activated that trap!"
"No, I didn't! If I weren't Wolffang..."
"Wolffang? How dare you to call yourself such a name! You have no honour for that! Oh, I will show you a true wolf fang!" Livonna growled angrily and suddenly turned into a large she-wolf.
"Oh, this is not good!" Dame Athanasia whispered.
"Wait! Maybe I did that, but..." Wolffang turned her back to Livonna, preparing to scoot to the tree, hoping that the werewolf wouldn't get her there, but the angered beast was too fast to her. Livonna jumped and knocked her opponent off, making her fall on all fours, and then bitten the orcess's butt. Poor Wolffang screamed out loud.
"Oh, crap! Oh, crap! This is not good!" Dame Athanasia nervously looked at Livonna. "The last thing I need - two unruly werewolves! Livonna, how many time do I have to remind you - never bite anyone, if you are not to suppose to kill them! Have you forgotten, that your curse is contagious?!"
"What?!" Wolffang gulped horrified. "Will I turn into a werewolf?!"
"You did not deserve to become a werewolf, bastard!" Livonna yelled.
"Well, actually I know one emergence cure to lycantropy," Kajira said, coming closer.
"Then do what you have to!" Dame Athanasia commanded "We don't have much time!"
Kajira nodded, taking a firebrand from the bonfire and before anyone got any idea, what she was planning to do, the witch cauterised the wound on Wolffang's buttock. The poor orcess screamed as loud, as she could.
"Well, girls, now we have all we need!" Dame Athanasia grinned, trying a waitress dress on. "Not a something I would like to wear everyday, but better, than I expected!" she look at each of her partners in crime "My dear werewolf, try not to show your wolfish ears and tail! The last thing we need is to be caught just because of some trifle!"
She-werewolf growled, but nodded, putting a waitress dress on.
"You know, I can't hide my true nature for too long, milady!" she said guilty. She turned almost human, but her ears were still wolfish and her bushy tail didn't disappear.
"Don't worry, my friend," Kajira winked at Livonna, checking if the real waitresses are tied tightly enough. "Just be nice to the patrons, but not too flirty, and no one would try to get under your skirt!" she laughed.
"If we are ready, let's go, girls!" Dame Athanasia smiled and turned to the tied waitresses "But before we go, I need to have a meal, and you need some rest!" she showed her needle-like fangs.
Just as Dame Athanasia foresaw, the inn was in full rush about the dwarven chieftain arrival, so even the innkeeper didn't notice, that he had never seen a four new waitresses before. All he was worried about was the impression his inn would make on the distinguished guest. And the Blood Moon gang girls were trying their best to not arouse any suspicions.
All was fine until Krang, the dwarven chieftain, started flirting with Dame Athanasia in a quite aggressive, being sure, she is nothing more than a poor tavern wench. Dame Athanasia was a vampire and a criminal, but she also was a nobility and even being undercover she still couldn't stand to be treat like a wench in such a vulgar way. So, she lost control of herself and slapped the dwarf in face.
For a few second full inn became silent. Laurelinade, the innkeeper, came near the chieftain's table. He was totally terrified.
"I apologize milord!" he said in a trembling voice "I am very sorry for my employee's behaviour! I promise, she will get right what she deserved for such an disrespect right here and now!" Laurelinade turned to Dame Athanasia, who also was terrified about what had she done, since that could ruin all her brilliant plan.
"I am very sorry, Sir! I am very sorry!" she mumbled, trying to look nothing more than a silly and sorry philistine.
"Oh, you will be sorry!" Laurelinade said "Servants, bring me the birches!" he ordered, while leading Dame Athanasia to the punishment bench.
"But Sir, maybe this is not that necessary?" the vampiress asked carefully.
"This is!" the innkeeper responded, making her bend over the bench and baring her bottom.
"But Sir, this is surely not that necessary! Ana will just work overtime to recoup all this mess!" Kajira begged.
"Yes! Please, spare her! We vouch for her, she won't do anything like that again!" Wolffang said.
Laurelinade, who was terrible upset already took the birch rod and pointed at both girls.
"Enough of this nonsense! I am the master here, and everything will be as I say!" he turned to Krang "I apologize again, milord! And for you to be sure, how thoroughly I monitor the discipline in my inn, I beg you to be the watcher of the punishment of these three ill-mannered wenches!"
"WHAT?!" all three girls gasped in unison.
The last thing, that Dame Athanasia was thinking about, planning her disguise, that she would end just like this - lying bare bottomed over a punishment bench, receiving a merciless birching from someone from a class lower than hers. She screamed in pain and wept bitterly, but she found in herself enough strength not to expose herself.
When her birching was over, bitterly crying vampiress was sent right in the corner with her sore red bottom on display, while Kajira was brought on the punishment bench with her bottom bared. The witch was yelping in pain at each birch stroke and wept bitterly, but also didn't expose herself, that she was not a waitress, knowing, that if she will, her punishment would be much worse.
And while poor Kajira was wailing on the spanking bench, Wolffang was panicking about her own fate, but she knew too good, that she has no choice but to accept her own punishment.
And when the witch joined the vampiress in the corner with her own terrible sore bottom on display, the orcess very unwillingly laid down on the bench to take her punishment. She struggled and bawled in pain even louder than her partners in crime.
Krang was very satisfied with the spectacle he got.
And while poor Wolffang was struggling her punishment, and Krang was enjoying the spectacle, Dame Athanasia and Kajira finally noticed, that someone was missing.
"Where is Livonna?" the vampiress whispered, sobbing "I swear, I will whip that werewolf-bitch very good, if I'll knew, that she was spying my shame!"
"I didn't notice her around." the witch whispered back, whimpering "She was gone right from the moment you brought this mess upon us, milady!"
"But where my werewolf is?!"
And while Dame Athanasia and two other girls were taking the rap, Livonna sneaked from the lunchroom completely unnoticed.
"Well, sorry, milady, but someone should get that damned map!" she whispered to herself "And, to be honest, you and your new greenskin friend deserved this little disgrace completely!" she giggled a bit, crawling to the guest rooms.
The birching wasn't a part of Dame Athanasia's plan, but it made just a perfect distraction. All the inn workers came to see, how the innkeeper punishes ill-mannered waitresses, so nobody could notice, how Livonna sneaked into the chieftain's room. She easily found the map and quickly grabbed it. Then she carefully sniffed the air and looked out from the window. After she made herself sure, that the way out is free, she-werewolf jumped out from the window and ran away.
Few hours later the girls finally reunited in an inn room in the nearest town.
"Just count yourself blessed, that you got this map!" Dame Athanasia said sternly, looking at Livonna.
"I am the heroine of the day, I know!" Livonna giggled, offering her mistress the map. Dame Athanasia looked at her strictly, but just took the map and put it on the floor.
Few minutes later she, Kajira and Wolffang were lying on their bellies, studying the map, while Livonna was eating rare, almost raw steak. She was very proud of herself.
"Well, here is the vault I am looking for," Dame Athanasia pointed on the map "And this book says, that there is only one key to open it. Luckily I know, where to look for it... Livonna, can you stop slurping?!"
