FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

We pass from grassland into sudden sands around Dune. Great windswept dunes came down from the hills and rolled into the road. The city itself has high pale walls with a belt of trees to slow the incoming sand from piling against them. The old Imperial Legion Fort Sphinxmoth was surrounded by occupying Thalmor and Khajiit, but it was on the far side as we approached and we entered the Gate of the Hunter, built with bricks cleverly shaped in three dimensions to created raised reliefs of various animals, real and fantastic.

Makari says that Dune is one of the smaller cities, but it is still at least the size of Chorrol inside the walls, and the road going in is crowded, quickly leading to a chaotic bazaar with a large statue of Paul Atreides. Animals and Khajiit wander freely, with cramped stalls overflowing with herbs and household items. The smallfolk use the open area, bringing in their homemade items, mixing in with the local traders. The Trade Guild has it's own building on one corner, where Chaldea and Babilla streets meet, it's open on the lower floor and we set up in a free space.

I work as quiet muscle, while Makari and the others hock pretty pots and pungent exotic herbs and fruits. During the first lull, she writes a quick letter, and gives it to a courier. While they deal with customers, I keep looking at the carnal carnival across the street where Khajiit of all morphs and genders are available for a good time. Makari smacks my butt-

"Well, do you want a housecat or a tigress? Or a boy? Or all of the above?"

"Oh, think I'm Crassius Curio hmm? Speaking of, why don't you get a little maid outfit!"

"Ooh, 'The Kinky Khajiit Maid' hmm?"

"I was thinking cook, to complement the maid."

"Ha! A harem, hmm? Working your way through all the races in Tamriel?"

-I can't think of anything to reply to that with, and more customers arrive so we get back to work. After an hour another courier quickly asks for Makari, then hands her another letter. She spends some time reading it, then says-

"Alright, we're invited to lunch. Let's get ready, I want to look decent..." as she fusses over me, and we set off with the box.

We go into a courtyard with jasmine and citrus blooming. A small pool had fat goldfish swimming around, and she whispers "Decoration, not snacks!" as a sandy-furred Khajiit girl in rainbow robes emerges from a doorway, smiling-

"Ah, Ma'kari of To'khari, and... a Man. Interesting company. Come, we have meat and cakes and tea, let's wait to open the box though, he is still occupied..."

They ramble on about things I know little about, and I add comments where asked, but mostly just enjoy the cool shade. Then I feel a whisper behind me, and pivot out of the chair to see an echo of Lady Moon behind me.

"Ah, this one was just curious, yes, I do not often see such things as Men in these places."

I joke- "In that case, you haven't seen me, and if your eyes say differently then they are full of moon-sugar."

He laughs, kisses Liilu's cheek, and sits across from me. The big male looks similar to Moon, and says-

"So you are the delivery boys? A girl and a Nord? My sister has a funny sense of humor. It can be dangerous for your kind to come into the Dominion, but you are safe enough here- if they killed every trader there would be no economy! Ahem well, let us take this off to save with the others, we will save for the wedding itself, yes."

Liilu prods him, and he says-

"Ah, yes, I am Dar'Shadirr, of Corinthe. My father is one of the barons there, this is a marriage of blood and sugar, although we are happy enough with the match."

We introduce ourselves, and Makari explains about leaving home only a few months ago, and living nearby, and Liilu says-

"Oh, you know my dear here enjoys hunting, since you are here you can introduce him!"

Makari startles- "Oh, I had not thought we could see my family!"

He smiles "You can enjoy your vacation a little longer- she can't argue if I insist you take me hunting to flex my claws, ha ha. It is your wedding gift to me, no?"

After some discussion we agree, and after some rambling lunch is over, so we make arrangements to meet him tomorrow, and we spent the rest of the day selling our wares, then that night slept on the upper floors of the guild hall. They didn't bother to have rooms, just more stalls, only with beds instead of merchandise, and I squeezed into a bed with my woman and tried to sleep.

First thing in the morning we pack up the few bundles of herbs we have left, and meet Dar-Shadirr. Fighting traffic, we crawled out of the city and across the blistering land to the east, before going over a ridge where in the distance we could see Makari's village, called Tokhari, in a low valley. To the east the ground rises sharply into the badlands, with the houses strung along the foothills where a few small springs and seasonal streams are funneled into cisterns. As we approach it transitions from stony rolling scrub-land and dusty pasture with asses, camels, and lank longhorns wandering freely, into small fields of corn, squash, tomatoes, and various exotic vegetables.

Despite being mostly settled, many of them still prefer to live in tents, and not plain ones- everything is decorated, even the poorest acquire fabrics of various colors and patterns to make their tent with. The saddles and trappings of their mounts are a rainbow, especially yellow, blue and red, with tassels and cheap gemstones or even small river-washed pebbles used as decoration.

Indoors is similar, the floor is a sea of brightly colored carpets and pillows. Use of furniture depends entirely on habits, those who have traveled are more likely to use it. Drawers and chests are common, but chairs and tables are used less, since they are feline they prefer to lay around on piles of pillows or whatever it is you're interested in at that moment.

We quickly sell the last items, mostly things she secretly saved to sell cheap to friends, and she introduces Dar'Shadirr and myself to her parents. He gets plenty of kind words and welcomes, and I...

Her father says "It is so strrrange to see a Man here in Elseweyr, he is either brave or foolish." and her mother replies "Men are usually both. He isn't bad... I don't know how you can kiss him though, he is so ugly, all that bare skin... oh well, better than an Orc."

I had thought that a traditional desert tribe would be more uptight, but she explained their tribe had always welcomed outsiders, even non-Khajiit, which is why her parents didn't get mad and claw me to bits.

We sat around her parent's tent while her sister and brother and cousins questioned us endlessly.After everyone had been updated, they debated where to hunt. Finally Makari says "I would like to go to Bath, it was always fun before. I always wanted to live there."

I wonder, since she had mentioned it before, about it being empty yet having a good spring, and ask- "Why is it abandoned?"

Clan Mother says "Our clan is weak and small, too many have gone to Dune, or went off in the Great War. We live here because it is only three miles to town, and the springs here are enough for a dozen families. Bath is four miles further away. There is no danger there, so since you have not been in the desert before it is a good place to start."

Makari goes into storytelling mode, pausing and gesturing as punctuation- "I remember the story- once the desert had more rain, enough that in the mountains to the east there was a city, one of the ancient kingdoms of the first age. Then it fell, and some of the people settled at a spring below a mountain sacred to Azura- you can see it to the east. Then during the Oblivion Crisis people fled from Dune to hide and they rebuilt the village at the spring,.. but Daedra found it, and killed half of them! The rest abandoned the place, most going back to Dune, but a small group staying here, mostly natives but with a sprinkling of refugees."

She pauses again, drinks, some tea, and when she looks at me I raise an eyebrow, hoping she'll skip ahead without me having to actually say so. She winks, and continues-

"You would be here all night if I named all the clan mothers and my cousins and how we are married into rival clans for peace, and city clans for wealth and protection."

Everyone grunts, and her mother appears satisfied with her spontaneous recollection, takes a hookah pipe, and lets the smoke curl upwards as she slowly says- "Good, a few months away haven't dulled you. Since you are special frrriends, he is our guest, the dariit, and welcome to this Khajiit's camp. The two of you will spend the night in her old bed, but don't get too noisy, I am old and need my rest. Dar'Shadirr is most welcome, you may find whatever warm bed has a space for you. Now everyone get out, boosh, come again when the fiesta begins!"

I wander off with Makari and she says-

"Oh, she called you a sneak-thief, that is a compliment, I guess."

I am not so sure, but don't want to dwell on it-

"Ah. Well what do we do now?"

"Get comfortable, dear, we're home- well, I'm home, you'll just have to get used to it." she laughs and playfully punches my arm.

That first night was one big party. We were all dressed in Khajiit style in a large tent with rugs and cushions, a big ring of people with an empty space in the middle for entertainment, and silver platters set in front of us covered in snacks, various cakes and fruit concoctions, and big silver pitchers of tea. I was to the right of Makari's mother, who was the clan mother, since in the desert tribes the women ruled the home and the men took care of the constant small scale fighting and raiding.

I was hungry, and the big cinnamon rolls covered in icing were seducing me, but Makari fussed-

"You can't eat moonsugar and stay sane, only Khajiits can! I let you have one earlier, but that's it! You might be able to handle a certain amount, but the only way to truly handle it is from birth, and even then large amounts are still overwhelming. We can only afford a little bit, so most of it gets saved to use straight. "

"Well then, I'm sure one more roll won't hurt."

Clan Mother coughs- "Your city friend brought a good deal with him. She is right, normally we just have a small sprinkle that won't do much, but there is no need to worry about those, I made some special for our non-Khajiit friends."

"Oh thank you!" as I grab a fat, messy one. Clan Mother smiles and says

"I'm using the sugar I saved from it to make a painting later- have you heard of such a thing?The sugar is mixed into different fruit juices, and then dried back out, and the shaman takes the colored grains to make a sand painting. When it is done, it is eaten, haha!"

"Fascinating, I'd like to see that."

"Oh, you are invited, a special friend is allowed, just don't join the licking, haha!"

Then the musicians start playing, and we sit back down with Makari snuggled up to me, her arm in mine. The first rounds of dancing were formal, simply drums and singing, dances for their god Alkosh, who is like Akatosh only a dragon-kitty, and then the moon dance in silver fabrics, and then things got looser as they went into social dances, and the music suddenly had woodwinds and a swinging rhythm while Khajiit did wild acrobatics. Then there was a long time of slower music, with more talking, and then at some point it picked up again and all of the women (well, feminine ones) got up to dance wildly, Makari went but had me wait and watch. It was hard to know what was going on, the music was loud- drums, lute, flute, maracas, and various odd things- until the music came to acrescendo and stopped. Apparently that was the sign for something, Makari came and cuddled with me, then turns and bumps noses with me, saying "My family has very good hospitality..." as her fingertips slide along my thighs and up my belly to my chest, and she gently pushes me back.

All around us couples and threesomes were forming! Her parents were getting frisky to our left and I was a little worried about how brazenly she was stripping in my lap but then realized that everyone was so busy with their own affairs, they didn't have time to meddle. She grabbed me and had her fuzzy mouth all over mine, and somehow I found how to work those robes so we could fuck without having to fight to get them off completely.