“Hey uh thanks for letting me tag along,” Rina said. 

“You made those big kitten eyes at us how could we say no?” Eric replied. 

She hissed at him though by the way the tip of her tale was flicking back and forth it was clearly a playful one. 

“Let’s get those trophies of yours taken care of,” Gorka said. 

“Trophies?” Rina asked. 

“She’s talking about the balls,” Nox replied gesturing at the jar.

“Oh right, they can do that here?” Rina asked. 

“Yes many of us keep them,” Gorka replied. 

“Really?” Rina asked. 

“Yes, all orcish women do it is part of our culture,” Gorka replied. 

“I didn’t know that,” Rina said. 

Gorka laughed. 

“Few do, though it’s not a secret,” she replied. 

“Uh, would you mind telling me why?” Rina asked. 

Gorka laughed again.

“Not at all, when our tribes go to war the victor will take captives and when they bring them back to the village they are unmanned by the women,” she replied. 

“And you keep what you cut off?” Rina asked. 

“Yes, though it is traditional to tear them off with your teeth,” Gorka replied. 

She grinned a toothy grin at the feline woman who just stared up at the enormous green woman. 

“Have you, you know with your teeth?” Rina asked. 

Gorka nodded.

“A few times but I didn’t grow up with the tribes I was born in the empire and the old ways aren’t, appreciated here,” she replied. 

“Getting a blow job must be an act of courage if you’re an orc,” Eric said. 

“Only the bravest warrior would dare ask,” Gorka replied. 

They all laughed for a moment before heading into the guild building. It was really just a warehouse that had been built out to suit the guilds needs, that being plenty of space for meetings, the four of the walked though the door and found themselves in a simple entry way where a smiling old man gestured for them to go inside. 

“Good to see you,” he said. 

“Same to you Sam,” Eric replied. 

The walked past the man and into a large open space that was filled with long wooden benches that all faced the rear of the room. At the rear was a podium with a large tapestry that had the guild emblem embroidered on it. Along the left wall was a long counter where attractive young women stood, on the wall behind them was row after row of shelves. One the selves were hundreds of small clear glass jars, and inside each jar floated two small orbs. 

“Are those what I think they are?” Rina asked. 

“If you think they’re balls you’re right,” Nox replied. 

“They’re so many!” Rina said. 

“Nearly every intelligent race that has males has a pair up there,” Nox replied. 

Rina looked up and down the wall with an astonished look on her face. 

“Really?” She asked. 

“Yep, come on I’ll show you,” Nox replied. 

She pulled the feline woman over to the counter and pointed at one of the jars.

“That’s a celestial elf like me,” she said pointing out one of the jars.

Rina’s ears perked up and she gazed at the contents of the jar for a moment.

“They’re uh really small,” she said. 

Nox laughed.

“Actually they’re about average for my kind,” she replied. 

Rina looked at the tiny organs floating in the jar for a few moments.

“How uh big is uh it?” She asked. 

Nox smirked at the questions. 

“About what you’d expect with a pair like that,” she replied. 

“Oh, right,” Rina said. 

One of the women walked down and smiled at them.

“How can I help you today?” She asked. 

“She’s got two pair that need to be in jars and I’m guessing two sacks that need tanning,” Nox replied. 

“We can have the jars ready by the end of the meeting but the tanning will take a few days,” the woman replied. 

“That’s not a problem,” Rina said. 

Rina handed the woman the jar, she took the lid off and looked inside. 

“I take it you want the fur left on the?” She asked. 

“The wolf man’s yes make the human’s bald,” Rina replied. 

“Sure thing,” the woman said.

Nox tossed a fifty-copper piece on the counter.

“Nox I…” Rina said staring at the coin.

“Don’t worry about it,” Nox replied cutting her off. 

Rina’s tail started to flick back and forth.

“That just so much,” she said. 

“It’s really not, come on let’s go get a seat before all the good ones are gone,” Nox replied. 

“Yes Ma’am,” Rina said. 

Nox laughed and they found spots next to Gorka and Eric, they waited as the rest of the room filled with men. Soon there were no seats left with the late comers having to stand in the back. Rina looked around the room and put her ears back.

“What’s wrong?” Nox asked. 

“I thought there’d be more women,” Rina replied.  

Nox chuckled.

“There aren’t many of us this is more of a man’s profession,” she said. 

“Oh,” Rina replied. 

“If it helps about a third of us men have been gelded ourselves,” Eric added.

“Have you been gelded?” Rina asked. 

“Yes,” Eric replied. 

“Why?” Rina asked. 

“I was born a slave and my master didn’t want another boy so he had me gelded,” Eric replied. 

Rina deflated looked down at her hands for a moment. 

“Don’t feel sorry for me I was so young when it happened I didn’t lose anything I cared about,” he added. 

“So you don’t uh like women?” Rina asked. 

“I like women just fine but not like that,” Eric replied. 

“Oh,” Rina said. 

Rina looked around the room with a curious look on her face. 

“You won’t be able to tell,” Nox said.

“I uh, yeah,” Rina replied. 

Nox patted the confused cat woman on the shoulder. 

“I wasn’t lying to those men when I said no one would know unless they told them,” she said. 

“I can see that,” Rina replied. 

An old man entered the room from the back of the building and went to stand behind the podium. He glanced around the room and the chatter stopped quickly.

“I know you’re all very busy so I won’t keep you here for long. First up I’d like to reiterate that all work must go through the guild this is for your protection as well as the clients, this what you pay you dues for people. Second we have four new journeymen, Jacob, Earl, Timothy, and Peter please stand up” the old man said. 

The four men stood up and there was a round of applause through out the room.

“Now that means we have four masters who are going to be looking for apprentices so if anyone knows someone that’s looking to get into the trade now is the time to do it,” he continued. 

Rina bumped Nox who looked over.

“Do you want to be a gelder?” Nox asked. 

“Yes Ma’am but uh could you uh train me?” Rina asked. 

Nox sighed and then looked up at the guild master who was still talking.

*Why not?*

She stood up.

“Sir, I would like to take Rina on as my apprentice,” she said. 

The guild master stared at her in disbelief.

“Wait the ice queen is taking an apprentice?” A man asked. 

The guild master shot the man a stern look which shut him up instantly. His look softened when he looked towards Nox once again.

“Of course you may take her on as your apprentice master Nox,” the guild master replied. 

“Thank you sir,” Nox said. 

“Please come and see me after we adjourn,” The guild master replied. 

Nox nodded and sat back down next to Rina whose fur was fluffed out with anxiety. 

“Relax you’ll be fine,” she said patting the woman’s thigh. 

Rina nodded but her fur remained standing on end. The guild master continued speaking for another twenty minutes or so before ending the meeting. The moment he was finished well wishers swarmed the two women and delayed them from meeting with the guild master for another fifteen minutes. When they finally broke away from the crowd Rina looked as if she were going to claw someone’s eyes out at any moment. 

“Breath alright,” Nox said when they reached the guild master’s office. 

“Yes ma’am,” Rina replied. 

Nox knocked on the door.

“Come in,” The guild master said. 

Nox pushed the door open and the entered a small comfortable space with a table and a few plush chairs next to a fireplace. The guild master motioned for them to join him so they walked over and sat down. 

“I’ll get right to it, what’s your plan we both know that the all of justice doesn’t allow apprentice to geld men so how do you plan on training her?” He asked. 

“I can have her do everything but the cut at the Hall, and we’ll take on the one off’s once I think she’s ready,” Nox replied. 

The guild master smiled and nodded.

“Marvelous,” he said. 

“What’s uh a one off?” Rina asked. 

“Well my dear when a single man needs to be gelded for whatever reason he may have he will come to the guild and put in a request, those are called one off’s,” the guild master replied. 

Rina’s ears perked up and she leaned forwards.

“Why would a man want to be gelded, I mean I get why they do at the hall of justice and the slave markets but what other reason would someone have?” She asked.

“Oh there are all manner of reasons but the most common are employment and personal ones,” the guild master replied. 

“Employment?” Rina asked. 

“There are certain vocations intact men are ineligible for, you’ll see when you take a few,” the guild master replied. 

Rina flicked her ears a few times before nodded.

“Do you have any other questions?” The guild master asked. 

Rina shook her head no.

“Good, then I suppose the only thing left is to welcome you to the guild miss Rina,” he added.