FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 16

Kilyan thought he saw a wisp of smoke disintegrating just as he and the others entered the hut, but then he saw Ohana, and he thought nothing else. She squealed and came running to him, mane streaming, high breasts bouncing, and fell into his embrace. He held her tightly and was surprised by his own laughter. He had not realized until that moment just how much he had missed her. The two of them laughed and kissed, then pressed their foreheads together and smiled.

Ohana's arms were trembling and Kilyan knew why: on the way over, Idella had explained that Ohana had been given in marriage to a boy named Lallo. What shocked and angered him the most was that her father had agreed to the marriage! Lynny had agreed to this devastating thing knowing how Kilyan felt about his daughter! Knowing that Kilyan meant to return and claim her! Kilyan hugged Ohana tight. He would never walk away from here without her! Never!

"Oh, Kilyan," Ohana whispered happily, "Kilyan, Kilyan! I knew you'd come for me!"

Kilyan smiled. "I said I would." His green eyes darted up and down to her eyes again. He frowned in mock disapproval, "You're almost taller than me!"

Ohana giggled but it was true: Kilyan was five feet and eight inches. Ohana was practically five and nine.

"Don't worry, pup," Lynny said, "she won't get any taller. Her mother is short as well." So saying, he put his big arm around Idella and kissed her cheek hard. Idella giggled, sounding very much like Ohana.

Kilyan tried not to glare at Ohana's father, but he felt so betrayed! On his last visit here a year ago, he had really liked Lynny! Lynny had even saved his life and the life of his father! Then to turn around and do this? Kilyan swallowed his rage.

"Stay calm, Kilyan," Ohana whispered anxiously.

Kilyan looked at her and smiled to reassure her.

"My grandson has to fight some boy for this female?" Gurwin said sharply, addressing Lynny. He stood straight and stern as ever, his paw tight on his spear. Kilyan thought he looked furious. But then . . . Gurwin always looked furious.

"And you let this happen," Gurwin went on in his bark of a voice, "knowing that my grandchild wished to claim her!"

"The female has a name," Lynny said darkly. "And you will address her as such in my house."

Lynny and Gurwin glared at each other.

Kilyan exchanged worried glances with Keeno, who was standing beside him looking tense and tired. Kilyan felt guilty every time he looked at his best friend. Keeno had come along on this trip and had been forced to witness crazy arguments and fights - and now he was going to have to be Kilyan's second in a fight to the death. They both knew he could do nothing else.

"Idella has been hospitable as ever," said Yzlo to Lynny - a little loudly, as if he was willing everyone in the room to remain calm. "Does her hospitality extend to supper?" He looked at Idella and smiled politely.

Idella glanced out the window. "Oh my! It is getting late, isn't it? Ohana?"

Ohana looked up from Kilyan's arms and her ears pricked forward. "Yes, Mother?"

"Show our guests to their rooms - and, no, Kilyan will not be sharing your room with you."

"Ah, Mom . . ." Ohana moaned.

"He is not married to you," Idella scolded. She smiled at Kilyan and added, "Not yet. I will get dinner started. If you would help me in the kitchen, my husband." She pointedly squeezed Lynny's arm, and Kilyan knew Lynny was about to be lectured by his wife.

Lynny was still glaring at Gurwin and looked loath to go, but he did as his wife asked and followed her from the room.

"This way then," Ohana said and led them up the stairs.

Kilyan followed with the others, thinking that Ohana's father lived in a very richly furnished home now. It used to be that Lynny lived in a modest home with one floor, but with the death of his grandfather - the lead sorcerer in the village - Lynny had inherited a very wealthy home with two floors and many lavish rooms and guestrooms. Apparently, there was also a kitchen. And outside, there had been stables with caribou. Ohana explained it all as she led them up the hall, laughing girlishly at her own quirky jokes, pointing every now and then to potted plants that her mother had brought back from the Summer Fields.

"It's said that the Summer Fields are the reason winter wolves grow so tall, you know," Ohana said matter-o-factly.

"You don't say . . ." muttered Keeno, who was staring at her switching ass and tail. Kilyan elbowed him and he shrugged. "What!" He added from the corner of his mouth, "You didn't tell me she was so hot."

Kilyan frowned. "Yes, I did."

"To think," laughed Ohana a little sadly, "Great Grandfather Nilwin had this huge house all to himself . . . he must've been very lonesome."

"Zaldon stayed with him here, though," Kel said to her, "during those years that he trained in magic." He laughed sadly. "He told me he stayed here more than at home . . . with his wives and Eloein's children . . ." Kel's voice trailed off and Kilyan saw him avoid the furious glint in Gurwin's eye.

Ohana glanced at Kel over her shoulder. "He misses you, you know."

Kel's ears pricked forward. "What?"

They came to a stop at the end of the hall. Here, four curtained rooms stood on opposite sides of the hallway. Ohana stood in the middle of the hall, her paws clasped calmly before her. She looked at Kel and was about to speak again but bit her lip. Kilyan followed her gaze: behind Kel, Yzlo was shaking his head furiously and Hris was jerking his head at Gurwin - who was staring at Kel with narrowed eyes.

Kilyan glanced from face to face and had to wonder what the hell was going on. Why was it that everyone kept avoiding bringing up Zaldon? He looked at Ohana, who had flattened her ears after her blunder. She knew something! He would corner her later.

"These are your rooms," Ohana said, gesturing graciously at the curtains. "Please get comfortable. One of us will be up when supper is ready --"

"Ohana?" Idella called from downstairs.

Ohana's ears pricked forward. "Coming, Mother!" She smiled at them, then hurried away without hesitation.

Kilyan was not surprised when Kel and Gurwin glared at each other, then abruptly took a room each for themselves. This left two rooms available. Yzlo and Hris took one, Kilyan and Keeno took the other.

Kilyan entered the room he would be sharing with Keeno and dropped off his traveling pack without hesitation. It was a nice enough room, with two beds standing side by side -- one under the window - and yellow flowers and purple plants in clay pots. A corner table had two chairs, and Kilyan sagged into one, leaning his spear against the wall.

Looking around at the moderately large guestroom, Kilyan knew that Zaldon would have inherited the large home had he stayed in the winter village - or Zaldon and Lynny's uncle Eloein would have inherited it all had he lived.

"I call window!" Keeno cried, flopping on the bed near the window. He leaned on his elbow and grinned at Kilyan, but seeing the worry on his friend's face, he frowned. "What is it? I mean . . . I know you've got to fight this other guy and everything but . . ." Keeno shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he'll back out."

Kilyan shook his head darkly. "That tells me you don't know the first thing about winter wolves. A male who backs out of defending his own is not a male in the eyes of his tribe. This Lallo would be mocked and heckled the rest of his natural life. Females would not want to marry him, believing he would run rather than protect them. He would become an outcast."

"Ouch," said Keeno, his white-tipped tail flapping idly on the sheets. He sighed heavily. "So them's the breaks . . ."

"Them's the breaks," Kilyan repeated wearily. "We have to fight." He shook his head. "I'm not leaving here without Ohana."

Keeno nodded. "I understand. And I'll be there with you, Kil. If you die, I'll step up. I won't let him have Ohana. I swear."

Kilyan smiled at him sadly. "You're ready to die for me, Kee?"

Keeno snorted. "If that guy kills you, I have no intention of losing, Kilyan: I will kill him back." He smiled slowly.

Kilyan laughed and pushed his mane back from his face. "What would I do without you?"

"Pft. We both know you'd be dead by now. But the fight with Lulu isn't the only thing bothering you, is it?"

"You're right," Kilyan said heavily, rising from his chair. "It isn't . . ." He slouched to his bed and flopped on his face with a toss of his mane and tail.

Keeno turned over on his back and stuck his arm behind his head. "Let's see . . . it's not our prego wives because you just said the other day how happy you were to become a father and how you'd come to terms with it . . . and yadda, yadda, yadda." He looked at Kilyan and frowned. "It's your dad, huh?"

"Yeah . . . something is going on with him. I mean . . . there's obviously Granddad. But it has something to do with Zaldon too. I know he and our dads are old friends. I think . . ." Kilyan frowned. "Maybe they had a fight or something."

"I think it's none of our business," Keeno said, yawning. He closed his eyes.

"What are you doing? Don't go to sleep! We've still got supper --"

"Boys?" They heard Kel's voice before he pulled open the curtain. Yzlo was behind him in the hall with Hris. "Supper."

Kilyan sat up. "Alright, Dad."

Kel nodded and turned away.

"Dad?" Kilyan called anxiously, ignoring the warning look on Keeno's face. He wasn't going to talk about Zaldon, though. He didn't know what the hell he wanted to say. When Kel turned back and looked at him, he stammered and wanted to just take his father in his arms and hold him. He hated to see Kel suffering because of Gurwin. He also hated to see Kel suffering because of Zaldon - for whatever reason the two had argued.

Kel smiled: he understood. "I am fine, my Kilyan. Wash up for supper and get a move on."

"That goes double for you, Keeno!" Yzlo called from the hall. "Get off your lazy tail and stop napping!"

Kilyan laughed when Keeno groaned.

They both got up and washed in the corner basin, splashing each other like the boys they still were. Kilyan had to admit that he did not feel like an adult. In spite of the fact that he had gone through his first mating season, in spite of the fact that he had a pregnant wife at home, he still felt like a clueless teenage boy.

Kilyan frowned as he and Keeno made their way downstairs. It didn't seem fair to give up his adolescence and become an adult so early, so young. He knew that when his parents were eighteen, his mother was stolen by a sorcerer who had lived here. What had it been like for his father, such a young male, to journey all the way here intent on fighting the sorcerer? According to his father's stories, Zaldon had done the fighting for Kel, pretending that he was the rightful husband of Aliona. The sorcerer had attempted to humiliate him, to make him back out by forcing him to have public sex with Aliona - Kilyan knew that part of the story not because Kel had told him but simply from eavesdropping on Kel and Loryn. Kel had come here, an eighteen-year-old boy, intent on getting his wife back. Now here was Kilyan, seventeen years old, doing something very similar. He secretly wished he had a friend like Zaldon to fight for him, but he knew winning Ohana was something he was going to have to do himself. A small part of him _wanted_to do it himself.

"And there they are!" said Idella happily as Kilyan and Keeno entered. "Sit over here, your supper's getting cold!"

Everyone was already eating around the fire. Kilyan's stomach rumbled: ribs, thighs, and wings. Meat was everywhere. Only a very small portion of vegetables was on every plate. Kilyan held back a groan when he realized he would have to sit between Kel and Gurwin. Keeno likewise had a seat waiting for him between Yzlo and Hris.

The boys sat and their plates were passed to them. Staring at the vegetables on his plate, Kilyan silently wondered if eating enough vegetables grown in the Summer Fields would make him grow tall like a winter wolf.

Ohana was sitting between her mother and father, eating quietly from her plate and keeping her head down. Remembering the loud, laughing girl she had always been at supper the year before, Kilyan thought it was very unlike her to be so docile. Then he glanced around the fire and saw Bayne.

Bayne was Ohana's grandfather, a very gruff, very quiet male who - by all rights - should have been at the prime of his life in his early fifties. But Bayne was hunched over and feeble and used a cane. He was big and white, with deep black eyes, and Kilyan thought he looked exactly like his sons would look if they had shriveled up in their prime. Kilyan had seen him only once before, standing in the street glowering one year ago as he watched a then sixteen-year-old Kilyan departing with Zaldon and Kel. He was quick to realize that Bayne was Zaldon's estranged father and that Zaldon's relationship with the bitter, enfeebled male was not unlike Kel's relationship with Gurwin.

Bayne sat directly across the fire from Gurwin, tucking into his plate as he cast Ohana many sour glances. Ohana kept her head down and avoided his eye, and Kilyan found it amazing that Ohana could let a male cow her. Not his bold, defiant Ohana!

"So this is the boy," Bayne growled into the silence, "who comes here and dares to take my granddaughter from me?" He glowered across the fire at Kilyan.

Kilyan went very still: those black eyes were pitiless, burning with hatred.

"She is already married," Bayne went on, sneering at Kilyan, "to a boy who is wealthy and - more importantly - one of her own! That you would dare to come here seeking to sully my blood with your summer wolf filth --"

"Blood that is already sullied," Gurwin suddenly barked, "with greed, brutality, and stupidity!"

Kilyan glanced at Gurwin gratefully, and for the first time since they'd left the summer village, he was glad his grandfather had come along. Bayne was looking flabbergasted, as if he could not comprehend that a small summer wolf had dared to challenge his winter wolf might. He closed his gaping mouth, and he and Gurwin glared at each other.

Kilyan looked around the fire. Yzlo was nodding in firm agreement with Gurwin, but Hris looked wearied by the conversation and ate solemnly. Keeno was sitting very still between his father and uncle, watching the proceedings with his mouth slightly open. Lynny was imitating Ohana: he ate from his plate, was silent, and kept his head down, which - much like his daughter - was completely out of character for him. Idella watched the argument with sad eyes, and Kel . . . Kilyan saw his father eating from his plate with a slight frown and knew he was wishing he was at home with Aliona.

"My granddaughter," snarled Bayne slowly, scathingly, "is already married!"

Gurwin shook his head. "The marriage means nothing! My grandson claimed her an entire year ago! I thought it was the girl's father who had given her away, but now I see. It was you. You and your stupid winter wolf pride! You do not wish to see your granddaughter taken care of by such a fine boy as my grandson? Well, you will be sorry. Because my grandchild will fight the poor boy you gave that girl to! And he will win!" Gurwin's nostrils flared.

Kilyan stared miserably at his plate. He didn't want to win. He didn't want to lose either. He just wanted Ohana. He looked across the fire at her, and she peered back at him apologetically. Her gray eyes were large and sad, and he knew she was silently begging him to just walk away. It was dawning on her that he was going to kill Lallo. She didn't want it to happen. Kilyan swallowed hard. But he couldn't walk away.

"The contempt you have for my tribe is written all over your face," Bayne said, studying Gurwin with something between amazement and disgust. "And yet you are so eager to see my grandchild married to yours! Just take your boy and walk away. We will think little of you, but you seem to care little what we think."

"We are not leaving without the girl," Gurwin returned stonily. "She is coming with us. Say another word against it and you will regret it!"

Bayne stiffened. "You dare threaten me?" he shouted, eyes popping. "In my own home!" He made a move as if he would leap up, but he was so weak and feeble that he almost fell over. He reached for his cane anyway and tried to push himself from his seat with shaking paws. Idella and Ohana watched his struggle, horrified.

"Dad . . ." Lynny said miserably. He flattened his ears and reached out to stop his father.

"Leave off me, boy!" Bayne snarled, brandishing his cane. "I'm going to teach this summer wolf _bastard_a lesson!"

"I would kill you in a heartbeat, you weak fool!" Gurwin roared and leapt from his seat.

Kel looked up for the first time, his eyes wide. "Dad - don't!"

"Kill you! Kill you and all the winter wolves!"

"You just try it! Do you know how many little summer wolf shit stains like you I've wiped off my paws!"

"Wipe this!" Gurwin chucked his spear. Thankfully, it missed and pinged off the wall, dropping with a clatter and smacking a shelf clear of its contents.

Idella screamed as her fragile ivory figurines crumbled. "Joli gave those to me!" she sobbed. "They were priceless - priceless!"

"Dad!" Kel shouted angrily.

"Fucking kill you!"

"Just try it! Just TRY it!"

What had been a moderately tense supper became utter chaos. Gurwin and Bayne both made an attempt to lunge at each other. Lynny managed to grab his father but fell backward with him. Their big white bodies brought down a bookshelf and a wall display, and Ohana shrieked as she scrambled out of the way. Meanwhile, Gurwin managed to knock over Hris and Keeno in his struggle to get at Bayne. Being a more physically fit male in his prime, Gurwin was the more difficult of the two bucks to subdue. Lynny had no problem pulling Bayne away up the stairs, but it took Kel and Yzlo combined to tame Gurwin.

Dishes fell and furniture flew as the scuffle continued. Idella shrieked, trying to save the platters of food, as Gurwin kicked and bucked under Kel and Yzlo like a bull. Hris ran to help Lynny with Bayne, who was shouting and growling empty threats as he was dragged up the stairs kicking and fighting. Lynny took his father's cane in the eye and cursed. Hris took Bayne's thrashing foot to his nuts and staggered down the stairs clutching them.

"They've lost their minds!" Ohana wailed as Kilyan helped her up. She stared at the chaos with large gray eyes.

Kilyan frowned to see that her cheek was cut. "Come on," he said, wrapping an arm around her, "let's get you out of here."

Ohana nodded, unable to tear her eyes away.

Kilyan led Ohana into the kitchen, flattening his ears against the raging noise in the front room. They passed through the curtain and into the kitchen's warmth and light. A small fire was burning on the hearth here. In the center of the room was a long wooden table, loaded with cooking utensils and dirty bowls. Kilyan pushed the contents aside with a clatter, and grabbing Ohana by the waist, he sat her on the table. She hugged herself and watched him fondly as he tended to her cut with a cloth he took from a counter.

"Kilyan . . ." Ohana said miserably after a while.

Kilyan frowned as he dabbed at her face. "Don't say it."

"I think you should just go home . . ."

"No! Ohana . . ." He looked at her adamantly. "I'm not leaving here without you! I made a promise."

Ohana sighed and lowered her lashes. "I knew you'd say that."

"KILL THAT MOTHERFUCKER!" Gurwin roared in the front room.

Kilyan set aside the rag with a hollow laugh. "And I thought things were crazy when my sister wanted to get married . . ." He shook his head.

"Your sister?" Ohana repeated curiously.

"Yeah. She was too young to for my friend, so the council let her take a mating season early. My dad flipped out. So did I . . ."

Ohana laughed softly, and Kilyan's heart leapt happily when she stroked his mane from his face. "Kilyan, I love you so much," she said, startling him. She took his paws and squeezed. "That is why you have to go home!"

"Ohana . . ."

"Please!" she cried and her lip trembled. She squeezed his paws tighter and kissed them. "Please - go home!"

"Ohana, I won't lose."

"No! Lallo is a fool and can't do anything. But the one thing he can do is kill. You think you're the first male to try and take me from him?" Ohana slid down from the table and hugged herself miserably as she walked some feet away. She stopped with her back to Kilyan. "I have had many lovers, Kilyan. Many before you . . ." She glanced at Kilyan over her shoulder. "And a few after."

Kilyan frowned.

"Sometimes," she admitted apologetically, "I would tell myself you weren't coming back. You aren't the first male to say one thing and then do another . . ."

Kilyan's mouth opened slightly as he realized how deeply Ohana had been hurt before: tears were pooling down her face. Her constant need to deprecate males . . . it suddenly made sense. He couldn't understand why they would hurt her. They were fools for not claiming her as wife! He said as much and came to her and held her tightly.

Ohana laughed sadly through her tears and sniffed. "Oh, Kilyan, why did you have to be so sweet? Please go home. While you have the chance."

"No," he whispered, backing her to the wall. "I'm not going anywhere . . ."

They looked at each other. Their mouths were open and very close. Kilyan looked at Ohana's lips, then kissed her. He felt himself getting hard as her small paws smoothed up and down the tight muscles of his back. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent and realized that he had missed it as much as the sound of her voice, her laugh, her smile. He lifted her thigh and carefully slid in. She arched her back against the wall, pressing her shivering breasts against him as she whispered, "Oh, Kilyan." They rocked together, gently and slowly, kissing and touching as Kilyan's cock squelched carefully inside. He laughed lightly as it suddenly occurred to him that they were always fucking against the wall.

Ohana closed her arms tight around Kilyan's neck and cried out. She was slobbering wet, and Kilyan knew she was coming. It suddenly occurred to him that she had been aroused for him . . . probably since he arrived. And she was so wet and warm, he was coming too. He started to pull out but thought to hell with it: he pressed his cock in hard as he erupted. She choked as his seed filled her, her pretty gray eyes fluttering wide.

They looked at each other.

"But . . . but if I get with your pup . . ." she stammered breathlessly.

Kilyan shook his head. "I don't care. You belong with me . . ." So saying, he nuzzled his nose against hers . . . then kissed her tenderly.

Ohana smiled at him with large doting eyes. "Oh, Kilyan," she said helplessly, miserably, "why'd you have to be so wonderful?"

Before Kilyan could answer, someone entered the kitchen. The teenagers scrambled apart as Lynny stepped in. Ohana hid a little behind Kilyan, who drew himself up shamelessly. To their surprise, Lynny didn't seem the least bit angry. He only looked very tired. Above his right eye, a purple bruise was pulsing.

"Daddy?" Ohana said anxiously.

Lynny gestured. "Come outside with me, Kilyan. Please." Without another word, he turned from the room. Glancing back at Ohana, Kilyan followed.