FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

It was a cloudy Wednesday in March when Riley’s alarm went off. With a soft groan, he silenced his phone. After a few more grumbles Riley sat up in his bed and yawned. He hurried off to his small bathroom to start his day. He was never a morning person, partly because of his habit of staying up late. But Riley needed to get up this early to catch the first train into the city or otherwise he’d be late for work. He slipped out of his shorts and jumped into the shower. The cold water finished waking him up before it turned warm. Riley sighed and started to quickly wash his hair and body with his all-in-one wash.

Lets see, it’s Wednesday so that means I have that meeting this morning with Mr. Brown, always fun. And I only have one day left to finish that report for Marcy. They better not drop anything else on my plate before lunch.

After finishing his shower, Riley shaved, combed his hair and got dressed for the day. Slacks, shirt and a tie; he put more effort into choosing which jam to spread on his toast than his attire for work. Riley’s job was a necessity, and all things considered it wasn’t the worst job in the world. But between his workday and his commute it sucked up most of his time every day. That ultimately led to his late nights. After checking the weather for the dreary day, Riley pulled on his heavy coat. After a final check for his wallet and keys, he stepped out of his apartment and into the cold and gloomy March morning. Riley shivered a bit, feeling the cold through his heavy coat before beginning the walk to the train station.

There was no one else out and about in his neighborhood, making Riley feel even more alone and isolated as he made his way down the street. Riley was focused on the podcast he was listening to, lost in his own world as he made his way to the train. It wasn’t surprising when he walked past a large tree he didn’t turn his head. Not only was there no tree there yesterday, this one had all its leaves, a full green canopy in March. He crossed a street, not noticing the once black asphalt was replaced with a dusty dirt path. But Riley was oblivious to the small changes to his world until a sign caught his eye.

The entire time he had lived in this small town he had walked under the local pizza shop’s sign on his way to catch the train every weekday morning. However the sign had changed. The once generic fat chef and Italian flag were gone. In its place was a carved wooden sign reading ‘Stardust Alchemy’. Riley stopped and turned towards the store. The red brick and large windows were gone, replaced with wood beams and mud-daubed walls. A candle flickered in a glass lamp by the door.

What the hell is this? I just got a pizza from here on Saturday, and now it’s some kind of fantasy-nerd store?

Riley shook his head and turned to walk away, but suddenly he felt a strange sensation wash over his body. He couldn’t put it into words, it was like a warm tickling sensation ran up his back then down his arms and legs. He stumbled, losing his balance. He caught himself on the side of the building and started to breathe harder.

What is this? I feel strange…did I catch something? I felt fine before I left the house…

Riley felt a sudden warmth wash over his body. He was starting to swelter under his heavy coat. He quickly unzipped his coat, but it wasn’t enough, he was dying from the heat and slipped out of his coat entirely. Riley panted, barely feeling any relief in the cold winter air.

I…I got to be sick or something. I need to head home. He tucked his coat under his arm and turned around, starting his way back home.

As he tried to make his way back, Riley felt himself getting lost. Familiar buildings and streets were replaced with archaic structures. Wood and stone replaced vinyl and brick, making the town look like something out of a fantasy novel. Adding further to his confusion were the strange sensations he was feeling in his body. Riley stumbled, dropping his coat and almost falling to the ground.

His shoes felt incredibly tight, like they were shrinking around his feet. Looking down he saw the opposite was true, his feet were swelling up, making the leather of his shoes bulge out. Riley leaned against a stone wall. His feet were hurting, but there was more than just the pain of too tight footwear, it felt like the insides of his foot were shifting around. He cried out, half in surprise and half in relief when his feet tore through the leather sides of his shoes. Any relief Riley had, however, was short lived.

His eyes went wide as he looked down. Jutting out from the remnants of Riley ‘s shoes and torn socks was a massive toe. It was a pinkish-gray in color, covered in thick almost scaly skin and ended in a thick black claw. As he tried to flex his foot, he noticed a second smaller toe to the side.

“What the fuck?” he whispered, taking in his transformed feet. What even are they?

Riley reached down and pulled off what was left of his shoes and socks. Feeling them made it more real somehow. Slowly, he got up on the strange new feet. As he did so, he could feel the changes continuing to creep their way up his legs, shifting the bones, tendons and muscles into a new shape.

Am I getting taller?

Riley looked down and saw his legs stretching and showing more of the rough pinkish skin below the cuffs of his slacks. He took a tentative step, and although he was a little wobbly, he didn’t fall over.

I need to get back home, now!

Leaving his coat behind on the ground, Riley tried his best to make it back to his apartment, but the small suburban town around him was changing faster than his legs were. Even the weather was shifting from the cold dreary March day to a warm late spring morning. Birds were singing and the sun was shining warmly on his body. Riley’s mind was more concerned with his own transformation, especially when the backside of his slacks split open.

His face flushed red as his rear tore through his slacks and shorts. His pants continued to tear at the top as his thighs grew larger and more muscled. As his pants fell down to his ankles, it revealed a pair of legs that looked more like a bird than anything else. Reflexively, Riley covered his junk with his hands, only to realize something was happening to them as well. To his shock he realized his junk was shrinking away, eventually leaving nothing but a smooth patch of skin.

The fuck? Give them back!

Riley was so distracted by the sudden loss of his manhood, that he didn’t notice the strange tingling sensation along his sides just above his hips. Before long a pair of somethings was starting to poke out, tenting the sides of his button-down shirt. It dawned on Riley that he could feel them as a part of him that wasn’t there before. Pulling up his shirt he revealed a new pair of tightly folded limbs. He let out a scream, not even noticing the shift up in his register. The fledgling limbs twitched and flexed, but he couldn’t truly control them,

“What is happening to me!” he cried out of frustration and fear.

Riley immediately clapped his hands over his mouth. His voice was different, a higher pitch and far less masculine. Then Riley felt the pop in his spine. He froze, afraid to move. While standing there bare from the waist down it happened again and again. It was like someone was stretching Riley’s back out, then twisting it into a new shape. He was bent forward then back up as the changes accelerated on his lower body. The new pair of limbs increased in size and seemed to click into a new position on his side. His hips and gait shifted as his legs lost any lingering resemblance to a human.

At the base of his spine a short stubby tail jutted out, as his lower body grew wider and shifted shape. Looking down at his body the first thing that popped into Riley’s mind was how much he resembled a plucked turkey from the waist down.

“What the hell…I’m some kind of centaur bird?”

Almost as soon as he said it, there was a strange tickling sensation over his lower body. His skin puckered up then small stiff points forced their way through the skin in place of hair. Riley wouldn’t be plucked for long, as soft and thick black feathers started to cover the avian portion of his body.

“Oh god this can’t be happening!”

He covered his face with his hands as his lower body and flightless wings were covered with feathers. As he stood there, trying not to cry he felt something shifting under his shirt. He looked down and let out a high pitched squeal. His chest was now sporting a decent sized pair of breasts, pushing out his shirt. Riley watched, barely even blinking as they inflated like a pair of balloons until the buttons on his shirt started to strain

“Fuck! Isn’t being part bird bad enough?” He cried out to the uncaring sky.

Riley felt the now familiar sensation of feathers growing out from his skin all along his upper body. The skin of his hands became the same pinkish-gray scales that covered his legs, making it almost seem like a glove as he held them up to his face. Riley’s nails darkened to a dull black as they thickened and grew into small talons that ended the tip of each finger. Where the scales ended at his wrist black feathers sprouted out from his skin. Starting at what was once his waist layers of white feathers started to form. As the feathers grew up Riley’s torso and arms his dress shirt became unbearable. He tried to unfasten the buttons, but between being stretched by his chest growth and the growing discomfort Riley ended up popping most of the buttons off the shirt. As he practically tore off the shirt, he could see his chest was now mostly covered in white feathers. His tie remained loosely dangling around his neck.

“Please! Just stop!” Riley begged.

His plea wasn’t answered. As the feathers fully encased his chest and shoulders, Riley felt a strange sensation in his lips and mouth. It was almost like an unseen hand was pulling his lips out from his face. His jaw clicked and cracked and he could feel his teeth sinking back into his gums. Clasping his hands over his face Riley quickly realized he was growing a beak. He made a gurgling sound, stuck halfway between crying and shouting.

The white feathers grew to cover his face. They were small, soft, and delicate, unlike the larger feathers covering the rest of his upper body. Riley’s hair fell out only to be replaced with a feather crest, surprisingly the same shade of brown his hair had been.

As upset as he was, Riley could tell somehow the transformation of his body had ended. His mind still wasn’t fully processing the new shape his body was in, nor the apparent change in gender. As he tried to make sense of it, he slowly started to become aware of the sounds around him, like a television being slowly turned up from mute to full volume. It wasn’t the sound he was used to hearing in the small town he called home.

Looking around Riley had no idea where he was. Nothing was the same, he might as well have been on a different planet from the way things looked. But more than just the look, the air felt different. It wasn’t just a change in smell, which was obvious, it was like there was some energy just flowing all around his body. More importantly, Riley was no longer alone. He saw several people going about their day, dressed in strange clothing. At first, no one seemed to notice him standing there, then a young girl walking with her mother pointed to him.

“Mommy? Who’s ostrich-taur is that?”

“Hmm dear?” the mother looked over and her eyes went wide. “Stay back, she’s not in a harness! Hey! There’s a loose hen here! Hello? Who’s responsible for this?”

Riley realized they were talking about him. He backed away from the woman and her daughter.

I need to get out of here!

By now the people were alerted to Riley’s presence. A pair of young men came running around the corner with ropes.

“There! See? I told you there was one more in that flock!”

“Save your ‘I told you so’, Bungo. Let’s just get her before she gets in any trouble”

Riley’s eyes went wide and he panicked. He tried to run, but wasn’t used to the balance and movement of his new body. He tripped over his two legs and ended up crashing into some crates and barrels. The two young men took advantage of this and quickly got their ropes around Riley’s upper body.

“Calm down girl! Odulf and I aren’t going to hurt you.”

Riley narrowed his eyes. “I’m not a girl!”

Odulf and Bungo looked at each other and let out a laugh.

“Alright then, lady, let’s get you back with the rest of the hens” Odulf smirked as he pulled firmly on the rope to pull her up to her feet.

Before he could reply, Riley was suddenly mounted by Bungo. It was clear the man had done this many times before.

“Where did she get this thing around her neck from?” Bungo said, pulling on the back of Riley’s necktie.

“Stop, you’ll choke her! Don’t worry about it, just get the harness on!” Odulf shouted back as he struggled to keep the ostrich-taur from running or causing any real damage.

Bungo deftly wrapped a heavy leather harness around Riley's chest. As it was cinched tight he felt a shock go through his system from his head to his newly grown tail feathers.

“There we go girl, all good.” Bungo said in a soft tone and stroked Riley’s feathered back softly.

Riley let out a soft whimper as he shook his head. Odulf gave a gentle pull on the rope and he just followed, still confused about everything. Bungo remained on his back, hands on the harness to gently guide the ostrich-taur down the cobblestone street. Looking around Riley saw other ostrich-taurs hooked up to carts or carrying people around on their backs. They were being used just like oxen or horses were used in Earth’s past.

He was eventually brought to a fenced in corral where several other ostrich-taurs were milling about. Riley noticed they were all female. He didn't recognize any faces from home, but he barely even knew what his neighbors at the apartment building looked like. Bungo dismounted and the ropes were removed. Once the gate was shut the two young men left Riley alone with the other hens.

Several approached, with obvious concern on their feathered faces.

“What’s wrong dear? You look so frightened.”

“She’s probably just nervous leaving the ranch she hatched in, Norasis. Honestly, I am too.”

“I know, Hellaene, but I don’t remember seeing her on the drive to town. What’s your name, dear?” The one apparently named Norasis asked softly.

“Ah, Riley, and I didn’t come to town with you guys. I don’t know how I got here or turned into this.”

Hellaene furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not one of you, I’m a human, a male human.”

Most of the hens laughed but Norasis showed concern. “Did you hit your head out there or something?”

“No! I’m serious! I wasn’t hatched on a ranch. This isn’t even my world! I need to get back home!”

“Calm down,” Hellaene reached out and gently touched Riley’s forehead, “you must have hit your head and gotten confused. You’ll find your new home soon enough and everything will be alright.”

“I can’t wait to find a new home!” another of the young hens spoke excitedly. “I hope there’s a racing circuit in this town. I was the fastest back on the ranch, I was meant to race!” she ran her hands back over the rust colored crest of feathers on her head.

“Yes, Lyvys, we know.” Norasis rolled her eyes. “Anyway Riley, I’m sure you will find a good home to work at. After all, you have a good set of legs on you.”

“Yeah really, we should race sometime.” Lyvys smiled.

“But I’m…” Riley grew quiet when he saw Odulf and Bungo returning to the corral.

“Alright girls, we’ve got some folks looking to take you home.” Bungo smiled. “We’ve been desperate for more ostrich-taurs here ever since the war, so don’t worry, you will all find good homes.”

Looking around Riley noticed how excited they all looked at this news, some even flapping their small wings in excitement like Lyvys. When the gate was opened, Riley ended up being pulled along by Norasis. Caught up in the flock, he was led to a small clearing. The ostrich-taurs quickly arranged themselves, lining up with a fair amount of space between each other. Riley followed their lead, but scratched the ground nervously with his foot.

After they lined up a group of people approached the flock. They were wearing smiles just like the rest of the hens were. As Riley watched they came up, inspecting and chatting with the rest of the flock.

I don't get it…how are they ok with what's happening?

Distracted as he was, Riley didn't notice an older farmer coming up to his side.

“You're the one that got away, aren't you?” The farmer said in a soft voice.

It was still enough to surprise Riley and he jumped.

“You're a bit jumpy, aren't you? I know sometimes moving away from your hatch-ranch can cause some anxiety.”

“That's not what has me anxious…this has to be some kind of fever dream. I'm probably passed out on the street hallucinating all of this.”

“You look like a fine healthy chick to me.” he reached up and softly felt Riley’s check with his hand. “No fever. And your feathers look exceptionally good. And look at those legs, I bet you can pull a plow like it's nothing.”

“But…I'm a human! I was changed into…this!” He gestured to his body. “A male human at that.”

“Ah, I've seen this before. Happened to a hen my father had once. What did dad call it? Ah, yes, Ather Madness.”

“What are you talking about Silas?” Odulf asked as he came over to see how things were going.

“It’s something I ran into once when I was a boy. My father explained that some ostrich-taurs are very attuned to Ather Streams. They can sometimes fall prey to false memories from dreams left floating on the Ather. They just need a few days of good honest labor to work it out of their system.”

“But…No, that’s crazy! I remember my entire life. I was on my way to work when everything just went wrong. You have to believe me! I need someone to help change me back and send me home!”

Silas slowly nodded. “Marin told almost the same story back then, though she didn’t claim to be a man.”

“Wow, that is something, I’ve never heard of that happening before!” Bungo said after listening in.

“Well, it’s been nearly fifty years since the last time I saw it. Anyway, After a week Marin got over it, and wouldn’t you know, she was one of the best ostrich-taurs ever. Plowing, hauling, even going for a ride, the best! And she had so many chicks, my father had a side business for a while as a rancher just from her clutches.”

“Oh yeah,” Odulf nodded, “I remember my dad talking about that,”

“Look, I have experience with this, and she would probably be trouble for anyone else for the first week at least, and I’d like to teach my grandkids about Ather Madness just in case they ever run into the situation in their lives.”

Odulf paused for a moment and thought it over. “We do want what’s best for the girls, and it does sound like you know what you’re doing. Bungo, go see that Silas gets a good trade, he’s taking on a bit more responsibility with this one.”

“Sure thing.” Bungo nodded and walked away with the old farmer.

“Don’t worry, Old Silas and his family will take good care of you.” Odulf reassured Riley with a light pat on her feathered flank.

Riley was more in shock than anything else. Nobody believed his story, instead they either laughed or chalked it up to some kind of fantasy mental illness. As he stood in the field still trying to mentally process everything, the other hens were led away for their new lives and homes one by one.

Silas returned to claim Riley and found them to be all alone. He couldn’t help the pity he felt for the poor hen. He walked over slowly and clipped a leather lead onto the chest harness.

“I know that everything you remember feels real.” Silas said in a calm caring voice.

“Yeah, because I’m crazy right? It has to be that, there’s no way I was pulled into some insane world and turned into this.” Riley spat back

“If someone told that story to you, would you believe them?” Silas raised an eyebrow.

“I…” Riley looked away and down at the ground. “I would now.”

“What’s your name?”

“Riley.” he looked back at the old man, “Are you going to take that away from me too?”

“No, Riley, your name is yours.”

“At least I still have that.”

“Come on girl, let’s get you to your new home.” Silas gently gave a slight tug on the lead.

Riley didn’t want to move from where he was standing, but he felt a tingle from the harness and couldn’t help but follow Silas. From the show field he was led back into the town streets. He saw the looks of pity on the faces of both humans and ostrich-taurs and couldn’t stand it, so he just looked down. Not paying attention, Riley didn’t even realize they had left the town at first until the sound of a cow mooing caught his attention and he looked up.

“W-where are we?”

“On the Old Mill Road, on the way to my farm. It’s a bit of a walk, for an old man anyway.” He chuckled.

“Oh. Why don’t you ride me then, isn’t that what I’m for?”

“My old bones don’t fare too well riding these days. And besides that, I don’t entirely trust you enough to hop on your back.” His lips pulled into a small smirk.

“I’m not happy about any of this, but I’m not about to hurt some old man.”

“Good to know.” he chuckled again. “Anyway, it’s good to stay moving when you get to be my age. If you sit still too long and your body just seizes up. I imagine it must feel good for you to stretch your legs once again too.”

“I guess”

They walked along the old dirt road, the only sounds were the birds and the occasional farm animal. As they passed by a field Riley could see an ostrich-taur pulling a plow. What surprised him the most was the contented look on her face as she worked. The farmer walking behind the plow waved at them and Silas waved back. They crossed a small bridge then after going around the bend a large farmhouse became visible. A girl was drawing a bucket of water out of the well when she saw Riley and Silas approaching.

“Gandpa’s home!” She cried out loudly before leaving the bucket behind to run up to them.

From the house, barn, and other buildings a large family came out and hurried to meet the patriarch and the hen. Riley soon found himself getting cleaned and almost pampered by Silas’ extended family.

“What is this thing around your neck?” Prisca, the girl from the well, asked.

“It’s…it’s a long story.” Riley answered softly.

He struggled a bit at first with his talon-tipped fingers, but managed to untie the windsor knot and handed the tie to Prisca.

“It is pretty though, I bet I can make it into a beautiful bow.” the girl smiled up at Riley.

His body was carefully washed clean of any dirt or dust. Riley couldn't help blushing about the attention his body was receiving. After gently patting Riley dry his feathers were combed and preened. At the same time Riley’s talons were clipped, filed, and polished while her feet were inspected for any cuts or sore spots.

What Riley couldn’t understand was the loving attention to every bit of his new body. He had never seen even the most spoiled dog back home receive a tenth of this attention and care. And along with the physical, they were talking to her, calm and reassuring, welcoming the new ostrich-taur hen to the farm and the family.

I thought I'm just some beast of burden. I didn't expect more than food and water. Riley mused as he had his crest feathers brushed to a lustrous shine.

“Isn't this going to be a waste once I get all dirty working in the field?” He asked in a soft unsure tone.

“No more wasted than me taking a bath after a long day of hard work.” Silas’ son Bosco laughed.

“Riley,” Bosco’s wife, Matta, gently touched his back. “It's our duty to keep you in the best condition possible.”

Silas let out a soft sigh. “She's not remembering her life growing up on the ranch, but it's alright. She'll see we are good people who treat their ostrich-taurs right. Now, Prisca,” he addressed his granddaughter, ”why don't you go and get her supper while Nibs,” he nodded his eldest grandson, “helps me make sure her room in the barn is all ready for her.”

***

Riley awoke in his nest, the rooster crowing at the sun was just as effective an alarm as his phone had been. He let out a long sigh, having hoped he would wake up back in his apartment. Riley slowly got up and stretched out his long powerful legs. He wasn’t waiting long before there was a knock at the door. Nibs entered with a tray of food.

“Morning Riley, how did you sleep last night?”

“Alright, took me a bit to get comfortable but then I passed right out.”

“I'm the same way whenever I sleep in a different bed.” He placed the tray of food on a small table set at a height for an ostrich-taur. “Hopefully tonight will be better.”

“Hmm.” Riley looked over the tray of food, unsure where to start. “So, what are the plans for today?”

“We’re going to try having you plow the East field. Have you ever been harnessed to a plow before?

Riley gave the young man a sidelong glance. “Have you?”

“Yes, actually.” Nibs sighed. “My dad, brothers, and I all had to pull the plow while Grandpa walked behind it for the first planting.”

“What?” He blinked, not sure she heard the young man correctly. “Really?”

“What choice did we have?” He shrugged. “Calalle was too old last season, but she did it anyway for us. We couldn’t let that happen again so we sent her away to pasture. It was up to us if we wanted the seeds planted.”

“I’m sorry,” Riley Looked away embarrassed. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“It’s alright, I know you’re working through a lot. From what Grandpa told me it sounds almost unbelievable. Do you really think you’re a cock?”

“I think, I mean, I am a man, just like you. I just got transformed into an ostrich-taur hen.”

Nibs couldn’t help the chuckle he let out. Riley rolled his eyes. He was wondering what the point of arguing with anyone here was. At this point he had stopped correcting any of the family for using female pronouns. How could he? Given how he looked.

“Never mind, I’m stuck here so I might as well do something.”

“Eat up first, then I’ll get you hitched to the plow.

***

Riley was placed into a different harness than the previous day. It was heavier, but also had padding under the straps. Silas and Nibs were guiding him into position before hooking the hen up to the plow.

“Alright Riley, just take a small step forward, don’t try to pull the plow, I just want you to pull things tight. We want to make sure nothing is binding and everything is adjusted right for you.” Silas said, giving her feathered flank a soft pat.

Riley nodded and did what was asked. The two men inspected the straps and ropes and everything seemed alright.

“Nibs, you walk behind her, I want to watch to make sure everything is good.” He turned back to the hen. “Don’t worry about how much progress you make today, I just want you to learn and get used to the plow.”

“Ready Riley?” Nibs called after taking position behind the plow.

“As ready as I’m going to be.” He sighed and then started to pull the plow.

There was a bit of a jolt as the plow blade bit into the soil, but then it felt reasonably smooth. As he pulled the plow through the rich soil, Riley started to oddly relax. It wasn’t a lack of effort, but the clean air, warm sun, and soft earth under his feet felt good. Riley had grown up spending a lot of time outside, even his first job in high school was working for a landscaper. However, ever since college his time had been mostly either working in the office, or just resting in his apartment.

When was the last time I walked anywhere other than between the train station and my apartment? And the office…god that place. I could handle my job, but all the stupid wasted effort and the meetings. I might be pulling a plow but I’m actually accomplishing something with every step I take. If you count Nibs as my supervisor, he’s actually helping me to do my job.

As he pulled the plow through the East field, the sun rose higher in the sky. Riley shielded his eyes with his hands against the glare.

Nibs noticed and called out. “Are you alright there, girl?”

“Yeah, it’s just the sun.”

“Ah, damn! I’m sorry, I should have gotten you a hat.”

Silas waved and drew close. “I didn’t think of it either. Probably because Calalle hated wearing hats. I’ll go fetch one, why don't you both stop and have some water in the meantime.”

“Thanks, Grandpa.” Nibs nodded and slipped a waterskin off his shoulder, handing it to Riley.

He didn’t realize how thirsty he was until the water hit his tongue. Riley drank deeply.

“You’re doing a good job. I know Grandpa said not to worry about your progress, but you are doing great.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Riley handed the waterskin back. “It’s nice not to have a manager yelling in my ear with contradictory orders.”

Nibs shook his head. “That sounds terrible.”

“Yeah, it was…”

***

Nibs and his sister Prisca attended to grooming Riley once she was done for the day. The hen found himself relaxing and enjoying the attention.

“Did you two really plow the entire East field?” Prisca asked as she stood on a step stool to primp and preen Riley’s crest.

“We didn’t plan too,” Nibs said as he rubbed and massaged the long legs.”Riley is just really good at it.”

“You didn’t hurt your legs, did you?” Prisca said with obvious concern.

“I’m a little tired, but nothing is sore. That said, I still appreciate the rubdown.”

“I appreciate being back behind the plow; this is nothing.” Nibs chuckled.

For the first time in a long while, Riley felt truly good. He had accomplished, even excelled in his task at work. His coworkers treated him with respect, and were taking more than good care of him afterwards. No stress, no worries. Maybe he could get used to this simple life.

***

Spring faded into summer. The fields were green with grain and the gardens full of fresh vegetables. Riley felt a strong feeling of accomplishment as she looked at the farm she now called home. Sometimes she wondered if Silas was right and her old life was just a leftover dream. But either way she was happy here in this life and that was what mattered. With the grooming and attention from the family, she was one of the prettiest hens in the county, and also one of the strongest. Nibs was already excited for the county fair to show her off.

Prisca and Nibs finished loading the bushel basket of peppers into the wagon. Matta was going over a shopping list with Silas while Bosco hitched Riley up to the wagon.

“And whatever you do, you better not come back with a barrel of pipeweed.” Matta scowled at her father-in-law.

“I know, I know.” Silas responded gruffly. “I agreed with the healer about quitting. It’s just hard after all these years.”

“Riley,” Matta turned to the hen, “don’t let him light up with his friends in town either.”

“Don’t worry, if I even see a pipe in his hand, I’ll stomp it to pieces.” The hen smiled as she stomped her food down on the ground.

Prisca and Nibs both laughed as they closed the wagon’s tailgate.

It was a warm summer's day and the sun was beating down on both of them. By the time they reached the general store Riley was feeling the heat. Silas climbed down from the bench and checked on the hen.

“Are you alright, Riley?”

“I’ll be fine in a bit, I just need to cool off, and I need some water.”

“Let me unhitch you, you can go relax in the shade with those hens under the tree.”

“Alright, but if you come back smelling like smoke, I’m telling Matta.”

Silas just sighed as he handed a water skin to the hen. Riley walked slowly to the tree and nodded to the other hens relaxing in the shade.

“Good morning,” she said before slowly easing herself down onto the grass.

“Morning Riley!” Norasis returned her greeting, “How are you?”

“Hot.” she replied before taking a long drink.

The other hens giggled.

“You think you’re hot now, just wait.” Hellaene smirked.

“Hmm?” Riley tried to swallow. “What do you mean?”

Lyvys giggled. “She’s talking about clutching season. It’s right around the corner.”

“O-oh!” Riley blushed deeply under her feathers.

“I know my family is just planning on selling my eggs this season, so no fun for me.” Hellaene sighed, “What about you girls?”

“Oh, after my performance in the Spring Dash Race we've had offers from all over the county.” Lyvys puffed up her feathers. “I’ll have my pick of cocks.”

“I think we’re just selling my eggs too, maybe next year I can make some chicks. Hopefully with Ravie, the cock the town guard has, he’s so handsome!” Norasis sighed. “What about you, Riley?”

“It, ah, hasn’t come up yet…I don’t know what Silas is planning on.” She could feel her cheeks blushing deeper under the feathers. What am I feeling right now? Excitement? I mean Ravie does look good in his guard uniform…Wait, I couldn't do that to Norasis. Of course he could give us both chicks…But what if they don’t breed me and I just lay eggs, that also sounds a little exciting. I guess I’m really not going back to my old life, am I?

The blush on Riley’s cheeks faded and she smiled. It felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders in accepting that.

“Whatever happens, I know life will be good.” She replied before taking another drink of water.

____________________________________________

Characters and setting belong to Skanra

Writing by Syntaxerror37

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