FSE

Furry search engine

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The Brown wolf sat on a ledge outside the entrance of the caverns, the wind blowing the snow around him. His nose up, searching for any scent and finding none, he rose and returned to the caverns. As he approached, his Alpha raised a paw to silence him and they went to the springs. The warmer air eased the chill and the quiet gurgling of the water echoed a quiet melody throughout the caverns. "Dusty, did you smell anything?" asked Alpha, " No, but the storm is still pretty strong, my Alpha...why do we bring him?" Alpha's head whipped around with a dangerous spark in his eye as Dusty dropped to all fours baring his neck. "Please my Alpha! I just need to know, he is not a wolf...how do we know the human's welcome will be any better than Snow's?" His eyes calmed, as he touched his paw to Dusty's cheek making him rise back to his feet. "I don't know what will happen, I only know Snow asked me to save him. I will honor my Mate's request till I join him in death. If the Den Mother and Father say no, then I will either return him to his lands, or ensure a quick death if no other choice."

Dusty recoiled in shock, "You would return him? You couldn't do that alone!" "I see we may be returning then..." said the Healer as he entered with the twins and sat down. "Curses, I would rather eat plants" whined Smoke "Bah! you like tubers anyway" said his twin Shadow "Shut up! you eat them too!" growled Smoke "You do know we are not letting you go alone. We will follow you to the edge of the world again, but...I would like to settle the question too my Alpha." Another pouch appeared in Healers paw and a pinch of dust was tossed on the fire in front of them, its rich smoke puffing in the air while a couple wafted it closer as they inhaled it. Dusty settled back and looked at the Alpha, swallowed and spoke "I have to ask, What did my brother say? You was alone with him...I didn't get to say goodbye...my Alpha...please Dusk, tell me!"

The Healer leaned over and brought the sobbing brown wolf under his arm. Pained, the Alpha spoke. "I promised you I would tell you when we got home, but we are around a fire now as a pack. He was in pain Dusty, Healer emptied many pouches trying to make him comfortable while putting his fur back and binding his wounds. I ordered the twins to keep you away till we could finish, but he was not long for the world already." Dusk looked at the human as he continued. "Snow said "protect the human", you tried to protect him, even after we cut him down he made me swear as his mate to protect you." Healer rumbled "Snow also told him not to let you see him lil pup, he wanted you to remember him as a whole wolf." The tan wolf shuddered even harder knowing the truth of his brothers suffering, with his head low and eyes burning with rage, he glared at the human. Patch caught Dusty's attention as he said "Snow also said something else that was meant for you." Dusty looked up and seen a small braid of white fur with a feather and several beads in Healers paw.

His eyes widened as he took it gently and sniffed it, Snow's scent filled his nose as tears flowed again. "I braided this in when I was just a pup..." Healer said "I remember, it took you forever but Snow sat there and waited...Dusty, he said "Tell Mud Puppy to take this and the human to the stone. I have no idea... do you?" Dusty's head fell as he got up and walked out of the cavern. He didn't stop till he was outside, it was dark, the snow swirled around him as his head rose up and he roared! All of his pain and anger was drowned by the howl of the winds. The twins found him and returned him to the fire, he was the youngest and smallest of the pack but what he lacked in size he made up for it with his nose and speed. But the little wolf seemed even smaller, the life was nearly gone from his eyes. Dusk rubbed his head till he looked up and snuffed a bit, "He hadn't called me that since my trials, Mom would make him clean me up when we was pups.*sniff*Can't believe he remembered it, the stone was by the fork in the river south of the village in the old woods. I guess we could go that way, we would have to pass pretty close anyway but I don't know if the human can swim."

Smoke cocked his head "Why did you play in the old forest? That ground is off limits to pups for a good reason!" ..."The old ones' spirits still wander there!" Shadow finished as he poked the fire. Healer growled " Even the adult wolves stay away, the ground was only meant for the dead and..." "Those with the sight, I know, and I can..." interrupted Dusty, as the Healer quickly returned the favor "can what?!? See?! and why by the Den Mother's fur didn't you tell anyone!" He turned to face him happily, "Do you have any idea what this means! Your fathers gift is not lost!" Dusty pushed him away, "I don't want to be a shaman! I... can't...my brother..." Dusk laid a paw on Dusty "You already know the rest, and you must take Snow's place as shaman when your father passes. We will stop at this stone first, before the village, Snow's wish will be done. And yes the human can swim." The twins looked at the Alpha "That is why you was wet the first time you had to catch him..." snickered Shadow "and you seemed a bit different when you got back." finished Smoke

The Human wrapped the fur around him closer, Snow had shown him many things that had made him a better hunter. He only knew of the other wolves in conversation with him. He returned to his bed and sat down, they didn't know if he would be welcome at their village, and the Alpha's words of a quick death was only tempered by knowing that he would at least try to take him back. He remembered again the first chase that ended in the water, the wet impact of the Alpha's nose to the back of his head as he thrashed and escaped again. The burning in his back as he tried to swim away as a paws caught his feet and then one closed around the back of his neck as he was pulled back to face him. "STOP! you are safe but you are hurting your wounds!" growled Dusk as the human continued to struggle. "I said stop, or I will bite you!" That took the wind out of the human's sails as the wolf set him back down in the water closer to the shore. "Why did you run, surely you knew better? We do not want to hurt you."

The memory abruptly ended as human looked up to see the twins come in, "He is awake Alpha!" called Smoke "Hey, you hungry?" asked Shadow as the others came in with Healer carrying a couple logs to toss on the fire. "We need to send up some more wood soon to restock for the next time." Dusty muttered " Let's hope it isn't us...I didn't think to ask, but what is your name?" as he sat next to the human. "Just call him Pinky..."started Shadow and finished by Smoke snickering " or we can keep Furless!" The human looked at the two laughing twins. "Do they do that all the time?" "Do what?" chorused the twins as the fits of laughter became contagious. "Only when they are awake" rumbled the Healer "No, they snore together on occasion too!" growled Dusty, as the Alpha sat on the other side of the human. "I am sorry, I never did ask and Snow never told us your name."

The human looked at Dusk and replied "Wayra, it means wind" The Wolves each gave their names till it was the shocked brown wolf's turn. "Impossible, it just can't be, that was just a game..."