Does anyone recognize the plot of this fantasy book that I read more than ten years ago?

This has been driving me nuts! I don’t remember the main objective, but in order to achieve it, the protagonist must seek and obtain the help of a terrible villain who lives in a dark wood and maybe hunts people for sport? Along the way, they recruit a female of another species who is devoutly religious and covered in golden fur. She must at some point have the fur removed (maybe magically?) in order to pass as a human, even though this is a terrible heresy in her society. There are probably other characters that I just can’t remember- I couldn’t even say whether I really liked the book, I just can’t remember what it was called, and would like to reread it.