FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The sun beamed down gently on the opening in the canopy that overlooked the grove. The grass here was the warmest out of anywhere in the forest and when the sun was high it stood over the opening at just the right angle to catch the tree branches making for a comfortable seat where one could rest. It was ideal for Nathan, a young man of sixteen years, to shrug his responsibilities to his pack and slack off. There was never anything to do except for the daily chores so Nathan spent his time doing exactly that, nothing, sleeping and lazing around baking in the sun like a tomato left out. He didn't hate this lifestyle but a lot of people had problems with him living like this, his mother most of all, which caused problems for Nathan who just wanted to sleep the day away.

"I will not look for you again child come out now or else!" The call echoed through the trees and Nathan sighed knowing that his nap was about to be interrupted. Rolling to the left to try and block out the sound he shrank closer together into a ball as it only got louder the closer she got. "LAST WARNING CHILD!" Mother bellowed scaring away the small birds in the tops of the trees. Nathan's eyes shot wide open and he dropped down quickly and silently landing the ball of his feet and hands. He looked up pretending to be searching for something when from between the trunks she appeared.

Mother was the most imposing thing that Nathan had ever seen, stark flowing white hair that hung down her neck and shoulders, wrapping around her elbow reaching all the way to her wrists covering most of her back. Two large luminous yellow eyes with black pupils that followed him wherever he went and two great big ears that could hear your breath even when you were hiding underwater. She was as magnificent as she was terrifying and Nathan better than all the other children knew her wrath. "Mother why are you here?" Nathan asked feigning ignorance.

"You know why I am here child, where is your contribution?" Mother looked sternly at Nathan and her ears pointed forward showing her hostility. "Every other child has brought something but you and here I find you napping again." The hair on Mother's back bristled and Nathan flinched instinctively.

"I wasn't sleeping, I'm just not very good at finding plants or killing creatures, I'll find something just be patient Mother." Nathan lied and Mother picked up on it instantly rushing Nathan and pinning his back against the same tree he was hiding in. "MOTHER!" Nathan yelled but a sharp snap of her teeth silence any explanation.

"I can smell the sap on you child, if you're going to lie to your mother you had better make it more convincing." Mother snarled but then released him letting a stunned Nathan fall to his butt on the ground. "I don't know why you refuse to contribute like your brothers and sisters but understand that you need to earn your place in our family." Mother sighed coming down from her rage. "Nathan you are no different from any of my children strong, smart, and capable but the only thing that makes you different is your lack of will." Mother lectured while looking down at Nathan. "Maybe you don't care if you're apart of this family but I do." Mother smelled the air around the tree and walked behind in pulling up a bouquet of mushrooms from the roots looking expectantly at Nathan. "These will suffice now come back or you will miss your meal." Mother dropped the mushrooms into Nathan's hands and began to head back to the den while Nathan followed behind sullen that he was scolded and then shown pitty. It was never a good feeling to have someone else lose their faith in you.

After a while of walking Nathan and Mother arrived at their home, a nice cool cave in the side of the large mountain that overlooked the forest where they lived. It was chilly inside the cave so Nathan didn't really like it as much as the trees but this was where Mother lived so he had no choice in the matter. His siblings had already gathered and were waiting for him to return all four of them were the same age as him but slightly different. Nathan had two sisters and two brothers making him the third of three males and less valuable in his community than his two more capable siblings. He hated the way that just being in his family made him feel but this was the way the world worked according to Mother.

"Took you long enough." One of his siblings muttered and Nathan shot him a glance throwing the mushrooms at him. "Watch it runt." He snapped back until Mother's hair raised again and a low growl escaped her lips settling the sibling down.

"Both of you stop it and present your contribution to the leader then we'll eat and I will have NONE of this squabbling!" Mother commanded while approaching a flat rock inside of the large cave. The farthest into the cave was where the most important packs resided and in the center was the Alpha, a great black haired male named Lakesh. His word was law and his will was nature so to keep in his good graces the lesser packs all offered tribute to the Leader and in return he allowed them shelter and a modicum of safety from the outside world. Nathan's pack was the closest to the entrance to the cave and the most vulnerable in case of an attack from a rival Alpha meaning they were expendable.

"What has the great white bitch brought me today?" Lakesh spoke from his resting place atop the rock in the center of the cave overlooking the others. "More excuses and promises of a better yield or are you finally offering your worthless whelp up as tribute?" Lakesh looked over Nathan with disgust his blood red eyes locking in on the dark haired male. The intense pressure made Nathan look away from the Leader both out of respect and fear.

"Mushrooms." Mother replied while still remaining dignified. Nobody really knew why but she and the leader seemed to hate each other but never fought. There was this veiled animosity between Mother and the Leader but as long as they had a den for protection nobody questioned it.

"Mushrooms, you mean the vile plants that grow in the darkest corners of this cave?" Lakesh laughed loudly making it sound like a storm was coming. "What a worthless contribution even the youngest pups can manage a single rabbit or something more worthwhile than cave mold." Lakesh leaped down landing in front of Nathan nearly knocking him over. Bearing his full weight above him he snarled openly. "How embarrassing to be responsible for birthing such a failure."

Nathan stood paralyzed in fear trembling beneath the weight of God but Mother was not going to let anyone intimidate her children, not even God.

"Those mushrooms are actually from the farthest edge of the forest, grown with fresh rain water and left to blossom in the warm damp underside of the fallen trees they are much more valuable than the cave mold, I assure you, but if you don't want them then I will just have to feast on them with my pack." Mother motioned for Nathan to fall back to her but her coaxing bore fruit as Lakesh held up his right hand.

"Give me one." He demanded to Nathan and Nathan offered the entire bundle still too terrified to speak. Swiping them from Nathan Lakesh looked at them and gave them a cursory smell after deciding they seemed harmless he threw the entire bundle into his mouth and began chewing loudly.

Specs of saliva and mushroom sprayed over Nathan as he watched in abject horror and disgust as the leader tried his offering before anything else in the most hostile way possible that one could eat food. Lakesh closed his eyes as he chewed letting Nathan scurry back behind Mother's legs hiding from that intense pressure. When he opened his eyes they turned towards Mother and narrowed down at her. "You're lucky bitch." Lakesh turned his back towards Mother and walked back to his resting rock.

"The pleasure is all mine great leader." Mother happily smirked in triumph and placed her hand on Nathan's shoulder reassuring him that the worst was over. Nathan's brother offered his contribution followed by his other siblings. Once everything was given they returned to their den and sat to enjoy what remained for their own consumption. Nathan was quiet the whole time while his siblings noisy chewing and slurping filled most of the meal. Afterwards Nathan sat at the edge of the cave chewing on a small bone, his teeth crunching and cracking the marrow. "You seem troubled my child." Mother sat down beside Nathan while he pondered looking out into the dark forest.

"Why do you keep me?" Nathan asked bluntly giving Mother pause. "I constantly cause you trouble, I'm the reason we're so far from the leader, and I think I'm also the reason he hates you." Nathan inquired but Mother only laughed resting her head against his.

"You are in no way the reason why I do not get along with that old dog." Mother explained confidently. "As far as the rest? The answer is simple, I do this because I love you." Mother definitively answered but Nathan couldn't understand.

"Why do you love me? I can't hunt, I can't gather, I can't fish, or climb or do anything as well as any of my siblings so why me?" Nathan sighed leaning his head back.

"Love is not a matter of what use you have to me child, love is the feeling you get when you're around someone who means more to you than all the food and safety in the world. You are the reason I put up with the Leader not what he offers." Mother explained further but still shed no light on Nathan's questions. "You will understand when you have your own pack it's simply not something for children to comprehend." Mother yawned and looked at the night sky seeing the stars and the moon in full wain. "Tonight is a good night it will be cool and breezy." Mother stood up and gave Nathan a kiss on his head before retreating into the cave away from the entrance.

"Someone who is more important than food or safety..." Nathan chose to ponder those words while rolling the bone around in his mouth before finally spitting it out once all the nutrients had been stripped off of it. The outside world, according to the leader, was a place of harsh land and horrible monsters who hunt and eat you if you aren't strong enough to fight them off. He had never seen such a creature in the forest but he had also never went beyond the tree line. Admittedly there was a burning curiosity that bubbled within Nathan about what exactly was out there and if they really needed to live in this cave underneath the leader.