FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

_ Warning!: This story contains depictions of violence, amnesia, scenarios of slavery and prostitution, and gay relations. If this offends you in some way, or you are under the legal age in your state/provence/country to view such material, then don't read any further!_

Chapter 3: The Fox and the Raven

Ary stretches and yawns as he pads along through the forest. It's been a day since he and the raven departed from that mysterious glade he awoke in almost a week ago now, his legs still feeling somewhat weak, though feeling stronger at each passing sect.

"It was a few days travel from the tavern to where we stopped in the forest..." the fox mumbles quietly, more to himself in thought.

The raven seemed to take notice though, as it cawed and glided past him only to loop around and land on his shoulder. It seemed fond of his left shoulder as a perch for some reason... Ary wasn't sure if he minded that or not, seeing as it didn't hurt. Though the memory of the wound he suffered there haunted him because of it. Or perhaps in spite of it.

"You should be able to make the trip much faster than the carriage did... those things plot along so slowly following their roads..." the raven voiced and dipped its head indicating the direction they're headed.

"I'm not sure I'm strong enough yet to run for too long...I mean, the most running I can ever remember doing was that day..." the fox's voice trails off and he shakes his head.

"Who knows...maybe you'll remember running further if you try. Some of the strangest things can trigger a memory, as it were..." the raven cawed, fluttering its wings and hopping off Ary's shoulder, gliding ahead a ways before flapping its wings and disappearing above the canopy of the forest. Its venture above was short-lived however, as it quickly dives back into view and lands in a tree some ways ahead of the fox.

Ary takes the hint and sighs, stretching briefly before starting a slow paced run, more or less jogging as he weaves through the trees and hops over roots and streams. Sooner than if he had been walking, at least, the fox catches up with the raven. Though his pace could certainly improve if he tried. "Alright...running then. Could probably use the exercise anyway." the vulpine says in jest, though the exertion did feel oddly good compared to simply walking.

With a swish of his tail, Ary pushes off and starts to run, the raven leading the way with a leisurely glide and occasional flap of its wings. The fox smiles and lets out a short laugh, almost feeling as though he and the bird are playing a game, the way he seems to be chasing after it.

"See, a much better pace. And unlike the carriage, we don't have to stick to roads." The raven flapped its wings and pushed ahead further, keeping the fox on his claws as he tried to keep up.

Only a few minutes passed at that pace however, before Ary began to slow and pant steadily, eventually stopping to lean against a tree as he attempted to catch his breath. He whined as the bird flew back to him and perched upon his shoulder again, giving a tiding peck at one of his ears.

"You're doing well fox. Keep trying and eventually you can chase me all day" the bird caws and puffs up its feathers in a most comical way that surely would have brought a laugh to the fox had he actually seen it. Though he was too lost in thought to have noticed right now, still panting lightly and braced with a paw on each thigh as he looks off into the distance.

"We'll get there soon enough. Though you may do well to learn your body before we encounter danger... this exercise does good for that." Ary looks up at the raven curiously hearing that, though shakes his head to dismiss the stray thought, having been too involved in thinking of Elsiet to have heard the raven properly.

"Exercise...yeah.. er, danger? What sort of danger could we encounter worse than that wolf? Speaking of...he's far from here right..? I really...I don't want to run into him again, not so soon at the very least..." the fox lowers his head and slips down to sit, hugging around his knees just thinking about having to see that guy again.

"Yes, quite far...searching about his ruins so fondly I believe. He may have...been tricked, into believing you hid there though." the raven cackles and hops onto the ground before the fox, pecking at one of his paws. "Come now, let us be off. Walk if you must, though try to run more frequent."

Ary sighs and nods faintly, pushing himself up and stretching out again before starting off walking, following the bird's direction towards the town, at least he hoped it was towards the town...

After nearly another full day of travel, the fox and raven happen upon a rather steep cliff lining the edge of the forest. Ary, being somewhat exhausted after running quite a ways this time, stops and leans against a tree nearby the cliff, panting and closing his eyes as the raven lands up on a branch in the same tree. The vulpine's thoughts drift, as they have tended, towards a certain leopard while he rests. No other memories have pervaded his conscious mind thus far, and he was content in his thoughts of Elsiet rather than trying to remember something lost to him.

"You should fly, were it that you could." the raven speaks, nearly startling the fox by the suddenness and strangeness of the statement.

"And how would I fly, raven? I've not wings to glide, let alone fly..." Ary speaks softly as he stares up at the bird now, head canted and ears perked.

"Oh were it that you remembered as well as you speak. Shall I carry you down? I think not. Though within that valley before us is the town you seek." the raven states with an amused look about itself, fluttering its wings and canting its own head to mimic the fox, as it seemed fond to do.

"Oh...right... we're so close already? I don't remember there being any cliffs on my journey from the tavern though.." Ary sighs and lets his gaze drift down into the trees below the cliff, searching for sign of the town.

"You were quite preoccupied I'm sure...tending to that foolish wolf's desire." the bird cackles and jumps to a higher branch, as though anticipating having something thrown at it. Though the fox simply sighs and seems to blush at being called out on such a thing. "You are still not yourself I see...Timid and shy where aught to be playful and sly."

"Playful and sly...? Playful perhaps... though shy I've always been. Confident, I've been told I was...I don't feel it though." Ary stands and pads closer to the cliff, leaning slightly to look over, his eyes closing slightly feeling the strong updraft of wind rushing through his fur, suddenly feeling dizzy and falling backwards safely into the grass. The dizziness persisted and left the fox to close his eyes, panting lightly, his body feeling as though it were on fire for a moment before he began to shiver, the air frigid around his form. "Ah-hhh.h..r-raven...what...what is this...wh..." his voice fades as he groans and squirms upon the ground, images flashing quickly through his mind.

"Oh how curious! Memories? How are you feeling? Perhaps quite the toll to be had in remembrance..." the raven caws and floats down to land near the fox, hopping back a ways feeling the frigid air surrounding the vulpine. It cants its head and flaps its wings at the fox as if to dispel the cold.

Ary slowly falls still, having drifted into his subconscious through the event, body still tingling from the cold though otherwise unchanged.

"I wonder how long this will last..." the raven states simply, hopping about idly as it waits, watching over the sleeping fox.

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Ary sighs quietly between panting as he comes upon a wondrous sight, this shimmering lake before him being the one he had set his sights on back at the top of the mountain. He grins to himself at the chance to dive into the refreshing, crystal clear waters; padding back to the tree-line and stripping from his cloak, shirt, various daggers, and eventually his pants as well, turning back to the lake wearing only his fur.

'I need to wash those too...but... I'd rather clean myself up first... too cumbersome having to lug all that around soaking wet anyway... and, a nice swim seems perfect right about now.' he decides with finality, smiling contently as he pads off towards the water-line. Slowly, step by step, one paw after the other, he walks himself out into the cool, clear waters of this valley lake, able to see the serene waterfalls towards its northern shore feeding into it, and marking that as his next goal. 'A nice shower would be just wonderful...'

He shivers faintly as the now seemingly cold water reaches his waist in depth, his paws moving to hover just above the sparkling surface. They play through the light of the two dancing suns in the heavens, still a good few hours from resting behind their mountain bed's at dusk. Shaking himself out after a few moments in attempt to prepare himself for the chill lake, Ary dives in and begins his swim towards the falls.

Only a few minutes pass before the fox begins to feel the turbulence in the water around him, coming up on the falls and making his way up to the rocky bank pervading the cliff-side. As he stands, he looks about for the best place to wash, spotting a sort of off-shoot from the falls themselves splashing down on what appears to be stable land. Deciding that would be the safest place, he carefully pads along the rocky shoreline until he finds himself beneath the off-shot fall, gasping lightly to the frigid waters as they cascade over his form, quickly soaking into his already wet fur. Ary slowly adjusts to the temperature and proceeds to run his claws throughout his fur, cleaning out the multitude of dirt and dust clinging to him after his long hike, and paying particular attention to his tail...; restoring, eventually, his fur's natural sheen and softness.

Several minutes pass before he steps out from under the water, finished with cleaning himself. He stretches out almost tiredly and shakes himself free of most of the icy water clinging to him, relaxed and content at being clean as he looks out over the lake to where he had left his clothing. He moves carefully back to where he climbed up onto the rocky shore and, after a few preparatory breaths, dives in to begin his swim back.

Emerging from the lake after reaching the other side, Ary shakes out what water he can once again, feeling refreshed now after his long day of hiking through the forest valley. It is a peaceful valley, he finds... Most of the creatures inhabiting it being of birds and burrowing squirrels, the wolves he hears in the distance being content in keeping their distance in their own territory.

'I need to gather some wood for a decent fire...its almost night, after all...' he thinks to himself, glancing around the small clearing before the lake for any viable spot to make camp. He shakes his head faintly and pads further up onto the shore-line, beginning to shiver as the chill breeze plays through his damp fur. 'Getting cold too...apparently...'

The fox pads over to where he left his cloak and the rest of his stuff, kneeling down and picking up one of his curved daggers and carefully pulling it from its sheath, looking it over to be sure it would be sharp enough to cut through any wood he might come upon. Finding it suitable, he returns the blade to its sheath and grabs his cloak, throwing it around his shoulders as a means to fight off the chill setting in.

With dagger in paw, he sets out to search for any dead branches and other such relatively dry wood he might come across within this lush forest.

Neigh an hour passes before he returns to his things, a decent bundle of branches and dry moss in his arms, the moss more for kindling than anything. Finding himself nearby a clearing of sand around the lake's shore, he decides to set up the fire's pit there, knowing that the surrounding grass and tree's are well enough alive, and unlikely to catch were the fire to go unattended for too long. He builds up a barrier of sorts in the sand to be safe, facing the open end of the pit in line with the shore and lining the rest of its edge with various stones.

"That should do..." he mumbles to himself, setting then to the task of starting the fire. After arranging the branches within the pit, he lightly places the moss within the make-shift structure of wood, kneeling at the opened face of the pit and muttering a nearly inaudible phrase; a spark of fire soon taking to life within the moss and catching on the breaks and splinters of wood nearby as well. He sits back and crosses his legs, resting upon his cloak as a blanket in the sand as not to get his fur all dirty again, settling in to dry off and keep warm.

Some time passes without much consequence, the fox idly listening to the sounds of the forest and its inhabitants, watching the fire swell to encompass the majority of the wood and kindling he had placed within the pit, occasionally tossing a few more twigs and splintered branches in to keep it alive. Looking around idly at his surroundings, Ary catches sight of the two sun's finally coming to rest behind the mountains beyond the lake. He smiles faintly to himself at seeing that. 'If they go to rest...so will I...'

Curling up on his cloak, his tail curling loosely about his form, Ary closes his eyes. His ears twitch faintly to the sounds around him, listening for anything new as he begins to drift off into a peaceful, content sleep in the soon pervading fire's light.

He awakes several hours later, shivering, slowly opening his eyes to find the fire...or what was left of it...smoldering faintly within the pit. His fur, in spots still damp, clings to his body like ice now. The fox grabs his cloak and wraps it tightly around himself in attempt to stave off any further cold, feeling around for the dagger he had with him earlier.

Once found, he searches for any wood that might be left over from earlier in the night. Finding none, he stumbles to his paws and again makes his way towards the forest to search for more. He mutters something faintly under his breath, watching his words form into mist in the cool air as a tiny red orb begins to coalesce before him, its light soft, though enough to see by in this dark, moon-less time of night.

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Ary slowly blinks and opens his eyes, his vision blurry for a moment before clearing, leaving him to find the only light source being a small fire beside him. Sighing quietly and relaxing onto his back to enjoy its warmth, the fox idly looks around, finding the raven watching him from in front of the large tree. "Wh-what...happened...?" he asks in a soft tone, letting his eyes drift closed again.

"Oh, do you not remember your dream then? That would be as strange as how it came upon you, I suppose...might you recall anything?" the raven asks as it hops closer and touches its beak to the vulpine's nose.

"I remember...I mean, it's there...but I...when I think about it, its not...?" Ary says with a hint of confusion to his voice, eyes opening to look up at the raven as it stares back at him.

"Well don't tarry too long Master fox, even subconscious memories are helpful, pieces of the puzzle you are, coming together. Latent abilities are sure to surface." the raven hops back and flutters its wings briefly. "Remember further young one, there is more to be found, and time before morning comes to see it."

Ary sighs and nods, letting his eyes drift and his exhausted mind play back into his dream-like memories...

Hours more pass before the fox wakes again, his body squirms upon the ground all the while, the raven watching intently from its perch safely in the tree. The fire had all but died when Ary opens his eyes, panting and staring absently into the smoldering embers. Shivering now, he curls up and hugs around his tail, keeping close to the ebbing fire for what warmth it provides.

"Still the dead of night, Master fox." The raven caws as it glides down from its perch, landing just behind Ary before hopping up onto his side and coming to rest on his shoulder as usual.

"I remember....something...someone, maybe. Its all so foggy though... I was alone. Traveling I guess, maybe searching for something, I'm not sure. I had this cloak...such a deep blue... Feels like I should still have it, like I've always had it. I had other things too...but that stands out so brightly despite how dark the color is..." the fox mumbles quietly, still staring blankly into the smoldering embers.

"Aye young one, good to remember something so well, however unclear it may seem. Can you rest no longer?"

"I feel cold...Is it near? Do you know raven?" Ary looks up at the bird now, hopeful curiosity playing through his expression as the firelight in his eyes.

"I know not where it is, only that it is yours. Perchance you left it somewhere near our destination? I suppose only to remember is what you need do." the raven flutters its wings faintly and adjusts its position, hopping down to stand before the fox and return his gaze with a cant of its head.

"I... yes, probably... When shall we head out? And how, for that matter... I've not wings, and you can't carry me down. Am I just to climb then?" Ary sighs and rolls onto his back, looking up through the tree's broad canopy to gaze upon the stars above.

"Climb if you must...Time before morning still, if you would rest. Although we may leave whenever you wish, young one. This is your journey after all."

Ary lets his eyes close once more, though not to sleep now. "I've rested enough for a week at this point...I couldn't sleep if a spell were cast upon me..." he says with a quiet laugh, moving to sit up and then to stand, shaking himself out and stretching soon after. "I'll need clothes before we get into town though...Or a cloak, at the very least... if only I knew where it was."

"You could always acquire something temporarily, perhaps from a merchant on the outskirts of town, or upon the road below." the raven cackles in obvious amusement of the idea, its suggestion essentially that the fox steal what he needs. "If your cunning has returned to any degree, it should be not a difficult acquisition."

"I...don't want to rob anyone. I'll just try to remember where I placed my cloak then." Ary sighs and looks around, feeling far more awake than he has in...as long as he can remember. "Lets get going. I'd like to be to the bottom of this before the suns rise...if I can."

"Oh you can, Master fox. Whether it be the means of which you would prefer, that we shall see!" the raven cackles again as he receives a low growl followed by a whine as the fox thinks over its statement, soon catching air beneath its wings and gliding close to the ground towards the cliff, skillfully landing at its edge. "Come, young one. Time to make our decent!"

The fox bites his lip gently in thought, slowly making his way towards the raven and glancing over the edge, a rather steep precipice to be sure...and not many holds easily seen even by his eyes. He feels his heart race slightly faster now, obviously nervous about the prospect of scaling this cliff. Something seemed familiar about where he stood, however. A small, quiet thought towards the back of his conscious mind telling him something about where he was. Stepping back and sitting unceremoniously, Ary closes his eyes and lets out a deep sigh to try and clear his thoughts.

"Another memory, Master fox? Or perhaps unsure of departing so soon now." The raven caws with a hint of amusement, hopping over to the fox and giving a soft peck at his tail. It jumps slightly as Ary flicks his tail when feeling the peck, unable to keep a slight playful smirk from his expression at the birds reaction. "There we are. Progress! Instinct or tact aside."

"Playful and sly, you said...and cunning now as well, were I to use guile to gain some form of attire...What else am I supposed to be? Able to leap clear to the bottom of this unharmed? I see no way of it... Though this seems all so familiar for some reason... I know not how to descend, though I know for certain that I have..." the fox sighs and lays back, looking up into the dark shimmering sky.

"Naught to be done but try, young one. If you have before and must now again, find the way sightless, you need not see the path to travel it." the raven cants its head and watches Ary, something reminiscent about his posture.

Clouds slowly fog the sky above the two, the stars the fox was watching being replaced with a deep inky blackness lighted by silver around the cloud's edges from the two moon's light. Ary gasps softly as he feels the first few drops of rain splash into his soft fur, the sensation like a shock that courses through his body leaving him tense though full of energy. Eyes closed, he breathes in deep of the now humid air, ears twitching with the sound and feel of raindrops landing over and around his form, the raven caws and flits under the tree's canopy again, still watching the fox while preening its feathers.

The rain was light, a calm tide of what had probably been a storm in some other part of the land, though it brought with it a certain energy and life that left the fox restless. His tail twitching and ears perked, breath slightly quickened as he opens his eyes, Ary moves to stand and lifts his muzzle to the clouds. Whether rain or tears fell from his eyes the raven knew not, though the sight was intriguing as even in the darkness of that cloudy night, the fox's fur seemed to shimmer in the rain, his crimson fur seeming to nearly glow as the rain splashed upon his face and chest. The fox stood there for the longest time before he began to move again, a light breeze seeming to guide his way as he pads towards the cliff again, eyes barely open and movements more fluid than since they left that glade of memories days before.

The raven watches close as Ary raises one paw and holds it out, palm down to the open air before him, body relaxed though sturdy against the growing winds at his back. The rain grew heavy, a soft smile gracing the fox's muzzle as the droplets seem to splash onto nothing but the empty air directly in front of him before a sturdy platform comes into sight, barely visible in the dim light. Ary steps, then collapses forward into the embrace of the wind and soft cushions upon the platforms surface.

The raven cackles and flutters its wings, daring the quick glide to land at the unconscious fox's side. "Magics of old to keep such a thing as this...I doubt this is even known to you still, Master fox. Rest well and reminisce a while, may-hap that you wake closer to yourself."