FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The verdant green of the forest seemed to permeate the very air she breathed. Sunlight fell in dappled waves of heat and light and the whisper of the wind rustles through the leaves of the shrubs. Padding softly; she walked through the treacherous terrain like a ghost. It wasn't safe for a wolf like her to be seen so close to the colonies: the farmers might take offence. On all fours Willow waded through the trees and back to her home. Being a forest wolf, her natural brown pelt and tuft of green under her tail made her a rarity. She was one of the last of her kind, a guardian of the forest.

It was because she was fulfilling her role that she had come so close to the fields at the edge of the forest: a feral fox had gotten his hind leg caught in one of the vicious traps those hunters made. The pitfall was pretty deep and the poor vulpine had broken a rib on one of the sharp rocks at the bottom.

The birds alerted her to the problem and she ran like the wind. It was a risk to be seen changing into her walking form so close to the settlements where she could be spotted; but she couldn't just leave her friend there. Slowly Willow had easier herself down into the hole and helped to gently pull the fox out. Unfortunately she couldn't do much to heal a broken rib, but she did tell the creature to come by and she would feed him if he was in trouble. She received a lick on the muzzle from the grateful tod before he ran off as fast as he could without aggravating the wound: he probably had kits to feed.

Willow congratulated herself on a job well done as she arrived at her tree house. It was a small ramshackle thing made from fallen logs and the skins of animals that had died of natural causes: as a forest guardian she vowed that she would never hunt a living creature, but she did eat meat when the option was provided. The main feature is that it was high up in the trees so wayward hunters couldn't run into it unwittingly. The wolf allowed herself to flow into her walking form, allowing her to climb with more dexterity.

The familiar feel of the smooth bark of the tree guarding her home made her feel safe as she made her way up the path. Willow had climbed this section that many times she could probably do it in her sleep. The comforting scents of wood, animal skin and the various foodstuffs she had gathered washed over her as she reached the platform. Her arrival was accompanied by the twittering of various colourful birds, her friends, and was immediately perched upon by a small bluebird.

Twix was her constant companion and close friend. She saved the little bluebird a few summers ago when he fell and broke his wing. When he was nursed back to health he never left and made himself valuable by keeping Willow posted on the various news of the day the birds singing each morning. He nuzzled into her neck and sang a sleepy tune. Willow smiled and stroked the little bird's head in agreement. To one side of the small tree house there was a pile of furs which made her bed. The forest wolf laid on the downy furs and snuggled naked into the warmth, a happy smile on her face as Twix made a small place for himself at the crook of her neck.

Her dreams of running through the forest were interrupted abruptly when a blast of chattering sounded in her ear. Waking up with immediate awareness, she saw the birds fly anxiously around her head. She knew that sign: someone was close to her hideout.

"Quickly, tell all the mammals to hide. There's a predator on the loose"

The birds hooted grimly and fled to do their job.

The forest was a black chasm beneath her, but thanks to her night vision seeing wasn't too much of an issue. The moonlight filtering in was enough. Willow jumped down a couple branches to get a better look at their quarry. It was one of the farmers, no doubt looking for some better game to supplement their lousy crop this year. She didn't understand why the colonists couldn't just leave them alone, she and the forest were here first.

With her keen hearing Willow could hear the bovine snorting in frustration as he groped around in the dark, probably having no clue where he was. The wolf smiled to herself as she thought about how to deal with the intruder. Willow slowly dropped from branch to branch until was right behind him. The wolf picked up a stray log and promptly rapped the bull on the head.

The effect was immediate: with a grunt he collapsed to the ground.

With fast paws she used a vine to tie up the bull and raided his pockets. Willow smiled in delight as she found a new knife, a flint and steel, and a length of sturdy rope. The wolf left those at the base of the tree before taking hold of the farmer's bindings him and beginning to drag him out of the forest.

It was thirsty work: he was pretty heavy and she herself not that strong but the wolf made it just before sunrise. Before letting the bull go she broke his hunting bow - that ought to slow down the killing - and then ran back the way she came.

Willow's ash brown fur was heavy with perspiration when she finally got home. The wolf had finally covered all the tracks leading to her home and decided it was high time to was off the morning's work. With a flock of chittering ans singing birds in tow she walked through the forests to one of her favourite places.

The small waterfall crashed into the rocks with a happy, melodious gurgle that enhances the haunting beauty of the small clearing. It was a small, picturesque grove that was safely hidden in the embrace of trees; filled with wildflowers and soft green grass. The small clear pool of running water was knee deep and deliciously cool to the touch. As the water fell it landed into the pool and emptied in a through a hidden hole in the rock face somewhere, keeping the pool at a constant level.

Willow stepped into the water with a happy sigh, sitting down beneath the waterfall to immerse herself in clear, pure water. The constant stream of the falling water and the cool lapping sensation of the pool against her lulled her into calm state. The wolf smiled in bliss as she allowed the feeling of peace enclose her.

Willow lost all sense of time in as she dozed happily in the pool. However the blissful sensation was cut short when she hear an alarmed chip nearby. A sudden shiver that had nothing to do with cold caused her to open her eyes. She saw a hulking form heading through the underbrush to where she was!

With a startled yelp she made a run for it. When she was out of the clearing Willow immediately changed to a feral form in the hope of confusing any pursuer with a change in tracks. The wolf ran as fast as she could, effectively flying through the trees until something stopper her dead in her tracks.

She heard a loud and agonising howl of pain that seemed to go on forever.

Then she realised it was herself that was howling, and beneath that cry the sound of a sickening CRUNCH as the foothold trap slammed its jaws around her hind leg. It was broken, she could tell that easily. Unfortunately though the spiteful jaws weren't going to release her anytime soon, even as she tried to wrench the protesting limb out of the snare.

With a painful cry the wolf fell to the ground in exhaustion and pain. Tears streamed down her muzzle as she knew this was the end. The hunters would find her and kill her, and probably skin her. She was to be the last living Guardian of the forest, soon to be no more.

With these horrible thoughts in mind the forest wolf passed out.

***

Willow's dreams were at first filled with pain and terror. She saw black; sharp and terrifying in it's unfathomable depths. It threatened to swallow her up, and chased her with it's oppressiveness. She screamed but no words came out.

Suddenly though the nature of the dream changed. What was once suffocating was now supportive. The darkness wrapped her in a warm blanket, cradling her and lulling her to sleep. Willow's dream-self smiled as she was lulled into dreamless slumber.

When the forest wolf finally did awake; she found that she was actually wrapped in a blanket. It held all her limbs together bar the broken one which stick out of the wrap to hang limply. Willow's next realisation was that she was moving. Not only that, but she was being carried. She looked up to see a pair of warm brown eyes looking back at her with a smile to accompany it.

Willow yelped and tried to fight the blanket around her; cursing in her head as her leg sent continuous streams of fiery pain from being moved.

"Hey, easy there..." the voice crooned gently above her.

Willow tilted her hear up again to get a better look at her kidnapper. The stag's proud features would have been called handsome of he wasn't currently taking a helpless wolf back to his farm to be butchered. His broad shoulders and wiry muscles showed he did some form of physical labour. Though he wasn't bulky, it was obvious he was strong to be carrying the feral wolf.

Wait, she was in feral form right? Willow looked at herself in fear that she had changed back and had her secret revealed. The forest wolf sighed in relief when she found she was still a quadruped. Obviously the stag above her took that to mean she had calmed down because she heard him speak.

"See, isn't that easier? It will continue to just if you keep moving around. Just go back to sleep."

Yeah, so you can skin me without me being able to protect myself. She thought to herself. Willow served the male the strongest possible glare she could muster, and was incensed when all the stag did was laugh.

"I can see you're angry. Don't worry, well be home soon and it'll be all over..."

Those words sent chills down her spine, but for some reason she couldn't keep her eyes open for much longer. Her body was still exhausted from dealing the pain in her leg. As much as Willow tried to stay awake, the warm fuzziness claimed her. The wolf fell deep into a healing dream.

***

Willow hear the crackle of a fire. It was warm, and unconsciously she stretched herself to expose her belly to the intoxicating heat. A flare of pain from her hind leg made her awake in an instant though., and with a yelp she opened her eyes to fin herself looking at a fire burning cheerily away in a fireplace.

Her entire surroundings smelt like that stag, warm and musky. She could smell wood, tallow wax, and the animal smell of male and cervine. Against her better judgement she found herself relaxing; everything about what was around her felt warm and comforting. Willow looked down to see her leg. It had been freshly bandaged and splinted, keeping the leg straight so that the bones could reset. It was admirable work - if she did say so herself. The wolf began to wonder who this stag really was.

A chirp alerted her to the fact that she wasn't alone. At the entrance of the log cabin she could see Twix darting around nervously. Willow let out a quiet wuff to say she was okay before the bird zoomed over to land in his usual spot at the crook of her neck. The little bluebird nuzzled the soft wolf fur and tweeted sleepily, promptly falling asleep.

A laugh alerted her to the second intruder, the the wolf looked back to find the stag leaning against the entrance with a grin.

"That bird has been making noise incessantly ever since i found you. He's been so nervous. I'm glad to see he's finally settled down. So much stress for such a small creature is never a good thing."

He walked in and sat on the freshly made mattress of rushes. Willow was now effectively between the stag and the fire, laying on a rug.

"It's amazing that i was actually to pick you up at all. I was attacked by a flock of birds every time i tried. It wasn't until i attempted to communicate what my plan was in motions that they grudgingly let me near you. Even then they watched my every move and followed me out of the forest.

He was smiling at her but Willow looked away. She still wasn't sure whether to trust the male in front wasn't going to skin her the moment she was well or sell her off to a side show or breeders. A shudder went down her spine at the second option.

The hart sat the action and frowned a little in worry, the lines creasing his gentle features. He tried again:

"My name is Aevis. I've been living on the edge of this forest all my life. I make my living in the fields, and other times as selling the treasures given to me by the forest." Willow snorted, Hunter, she thought. "I'm not a hunter, if that's what you're thinking. If anything I'm a scavenger, although the concept doesn't win me many medals of manliness with the locals. Everything i sell I've found on the floor, and then crafted from there. Figurines, decorations, meat at times, everything i find i make into something beautiful; or at least more beautiful than it already is."

The forest wolf knew he had to be lying. No one other than the Guardians - her - bothered to live by the Old Lore. The distrust must have been evident on her face because he stood up.

"You still don't believe me" he said with a hint of sadness. "Come with me then, do you think you can walk?"

Willow knew full fell she wasn't about to let Aevis carry her again. The wolf stood up with a dignity that was ruined the moment she began to walk, or more accurately limp.

Walking out of the cabin she realised they were still in the forest, even though they were near the edge. Willow also noticed that the cabin was made from fallen logs. None of it was cut or carved, she could tell because of how uneven they all were. They were all picked up because they were there rather than cut for their functionality.

Her awareness pricked Willow began to look around with a sharper gaze. Suddenly the entire area around the house was filled with animals. Foxes, birds, wolves, rabbits, rodents, a bear or two, jaguars, the list went on. All of these creatures Willow had helped over her lifetime as she served the forest. All of them were there to return the favour.

"These animals have been here for the last 2 days you've been asleep recovering. They have barely moved from this spot other than to eat or bring gifts." Aevis motioned to a pile of meat, plants, pretty rocks, flowers, someone had even grabbed all her bed skins from her house and brought them here.

"I knew they were your friends. What was more amazing was that half these animals supposedly eat the other half, but all were more worried about you. In this time I haven't attempted to harm them nor let the hunters be aware of their presence. I've even covered their tracks so they don't get found here."

Willow suddenly looked at the male with a new respect. It was obvious that all her friends hadn't been harmed. They were all silent and looking at her with worry. The wolf knew though that they were in danger the longer they stayed so she fixed every one of them with a stern look and let out a low, commanding bark.

They all got the message and began to filter out, but not before Willow let out another sound, a low howl that conveyed her love and thanks. The stag simply looked at her in astonishment but made no comment as she proceeded to eat from the pile of meat in front of her. Aervis snapped out his daze when he felt his own belly rumble. With an embarrassed smile he asked. "May partake in some of the meat. I don't hunt animals as i said so scavenged meat is hard to come by,"

With those words she stiffened in surprise. This guy is too good to be true. She thought. Willow grabbed a haunch off of a wild pig and stepped back a little. Looking at Aevis with new eyes, Willow was able to appreciate the stag's lanky musculature, his quiet confidence and strong energy. She also realised he didn't wear any clothing either and chose to avert her eyes when he turned back around, deciding instead to count the stags antler points.

Aevis smiled as the wolf watched him. She could have sworn he was posing slightly as he rippled his muscles while he carried the meat back inside. Willow smelled the meat cooking and smiled to herself as she continued on her own raw haunch.

When she was done she walked inside to see Aevis cooking strips of the meat over the fire before daintily picking up the steaming piece and eating it.

"I can only eat a little meat, its not good for my digestion, but every now and then its a good treat."

Willow looked around. The stag had taken up the rug and she was getting tired from the continuous movement. Aevis could pick up on her shaking leg and the dropped stature.

"You can take my bed if you like. I need to go pack away the meat and vegetables before they spoil."

Willow was surprised at the generosity but hid it as she jumped up onto the bed, her leg protesting loudly. She whimpered slightly in pain but continued onward to curl up on the bed, her back facing Aevis and the warmth of the fire. With meat in her belly, warmth all around her, and the musky smell of Aevis that she couldn't help but associate with safety, she fell asleep again.

***

Aevis yawned as he had finally finished cleaning up. As much as it was amazing to see so many animals in one place, they sure did leave a mess. Tracks covered his entire property, not to mention the amount of manure left. The hart had a large enough pile to sell as fertilizer and keep the crops going for the next two years. He smiled to himself at how life had a way of giving to those that give and walked back into his cabin.

On that note, a beautiful sight lay before him. The wolf, which was a quadruped when he left, was now sleeping on the bed naked in a very much anthro form. The firelight made her fur shimmer dazzlingly and the gentle breathing of her form made her seem graceful and angelic.

"It's about time you changed back, I was starting to worry you were stuck like that due to the injury" he muttered to her softly, or more to himself.

He lay on the bed beside the wolf, curling around her and throwing an arm over her protectively. The stag felt her shift slightly and a voice trickled out into the night. "Aevis?"

"Yeah it's me. Don't worry, I'm here. I wont let anyone hurt you..." He nuzzled into her neck.

The wolf reached a paw up to stroke his muzzle, as if in thank you.

"My name is Willow." she said softly before relaxing in his grip. Her breathing showing she had fallen back to sleep.

Aevis pulled her closer and smiled. "Goodnight Willow..." he murmured before allowing sleep to take him too.