The Rabbit and the Tiger
#3 of noncanon
Did a little experiment with predator prey relations.
This one could easily take place on Arcania.
The mountain cottontail makes his way up the steep, snow covered path. It's not winter, but it's always cold up this far up. He'll soon make the plateau, and then, his destination.
He wears a long coat knitted from shed husky fur, and over that a satchel and a pack. The pack holds some supplies and a package. The package is the reason he's up here, he's to deliver it to the plateau's only resident; a hermit named Keserah.
Topping the trail, he turn and looks back down the mountain. The view is spectacular, and he takes a moment to enjoy it.
Seeing clouds pushing up the mountain, he checks his map and heads into the small forest. There's a storm coming.
He shouldn't be far from the hermits home. Without any markers or a trail to follow, he relies on the map.
It doesn't take him long to figure out the map is not to any scale, or even recently made. One of the landmarks is a triangle of saplings with a large stone in the middle. Those trees aren't saplings anymore. With a heavy sigh, he wonders how much the other landmarks have changed.
As he starts towards the second landmark, the wind starts to pick up and he pulls his coat a little tighter. Snow starts to mix in with the wind as he reaches the second marker.
With two more to go, he knows he's almost out of time, and starts to look for shelter. Finding a leaning pine tree he pulls his machete and starts trimming branches, creating a place for him to crawl under it.
The snow quickly starts to fill the air as he slides himself under the tree. He pulls the cut branches into the opening and then shoves his pack up against them to block the wind. He's still without a source of heat, and the temperature is dropping fast.
He quickly root into his pack and pulls out his blanket and flint kit. After wrapping himself up, he brakes several dead branches from the tree over his head and starts working on making a small fire. When it finally lights, he keeps it small, adding the smallest pieces of sticks to keep it going.
As the snow accumulates, the fire becomes his only light. With a heavy sigh, he tries to get comfortable. He's going to be here a while.
The smell of smoke and burning fur wakes him. the makeshift burrow is full of smoke, and he quickly realizes that his coat's on fire. He pushes the pack out ahead of him as he hurriedly exits the makeshift burrow.
Once out, he dives into the snow and rolls. He hears sizzling and a piercing cold hits his side. He sits up and checks himself. His fur is burnt away and his flesh is lightly blistered, and now he's wet.
He checks his coat and realizes that there's a large whole in it's side and the pocket it gone. the pocket with the map in it.
He lunges back into the burrow to find his blanket in pieces, smoldering. He grabs one of the larger pieces and tamps it out. He presses the piece to his blistered flesh, and screams at the pain.
With the wind blowing, and the snow still falling, he starts back into the burrow when the snow collapses through the branches, filling it in.
With little choice now, he grabs the pack and head to the next marker. Hopefully he remembers enough of the map to know what it is when he finds it.
The wind cuts through his wet coat and fur as he walks, and he starts to shiver. He's going hypothermic, and he knows it.
Still holding the piece of blanket to his side, he trudges through the deep snow. He is starting to shiver.
He sees a shadow through the snow. It's the marker. A formation of three tall stones.
He leans against the sheltered side of the larger stone, and tries to collect himself. he pulls his hand away from his wound.
His fur is stained red. He's bleeding.
A wave of panic hits him and he collapses to the ground. His strength gone, and numbed by the cold, he leans against the rock.
He then hears something crunch through the snow. It's coming toward him.
He tries to get up, but his world spins, and he collapses to the ground, unconscious.
* * *
The fire crackles quietly, warming the cabin. Having stripped the rabbit of his burnt coat, the hermit carefully cleans his wounds. The rabbit's unconscious, something of which the hermit is glad of for the moment.
White, bloodstained hands gently spread a burn ointment over the blistered and burnt skin. A layer of lamb's ear leaves to cover that and a cloth wrap to hold it all in place.
After getting cleaned up, the hermit starts work on mending the rabbit's coat. The same hands that dressed the rabbit's wound, now carefully knit a Siberian tiger fur patch into the hole. The color and texture don't match, but it will keep the rabbit warm on his return trip.
On the floor, the rabbit slowly begins to stir. His hand reflexively goes to his side, and feeling the bandage, he slowly relaxes. Wherever he is, he's been tended to. He's safe.
"Rest and warm yourself. No harm will come to you."
Startled by her voice, he opens his eyes. Not recognizing his surroundings, he asks, "Where am I?"
"My home, and if you don't know who I am, you've no business being up here."
He adjusts his position slightly and turns his head to look at her. The Siberian tiger sits on a log couch knitting. His coat hangs across her lap.
"You're Keserah?"
She smiles and nods. "So, what's your business here?"
"I'm Trennan, I have a package for you, in my pack." He slowly starts to sit up, leaning against the fireplace's stone hearth. "Merak sent me with it."
"It's more likely he just sent you," she purrs.
He tries to ignore her comment. "It's the wrapped jar."
She grins. "He sent you with a jar of Keema oil."
Trennan fidgets for a moment. Keema oil is usually something used by lovers. It's aroma can be...arousing. "Oh..." He then changes the subject. "How'd you find me?"
"I heard your scream."
He turns and lays back down with his other side to the fire. "Thank you. Not just for coming for me, but for all you've done."
"Oh, I'm not done yet."
Her voice come from near his feet, and his eyes go wide. "Uhm..."
Before he can look, he feels her claws slide up his leg, and she lets out a subtle growl.
Fear grips him and he tries to slide out from under her, but he hits his head on a heavy chair. Feeling her claws on his hips, he realizes that he's trapped.
She pushes her nose into his fur, smelling his musk. Gently, she prods at his sheath, encouraging a reaction.
His heart jumps as she licks at him. His mind in a panic, all he can think of is escape.
She licks and rubs his sheath. He's getting erect. She's found what she wants.
Feeling her inhale him, he freezes. "Ah!!" His mind goes numb, and his body starts to relax. As his senses return, he grabs a handful of her fur.
He's bigger than she expected, and there's still more. Slowly she alternates between licking and sucking, encouraging as much out of him as she can.
His eyes flutter, and his hands grab at the chair above him and he holds on.
He's at her mercy, and she's hungry. With one final long lick up his length, she climbs up to kiss him.
He's purring. His inner eyelids are closed, but his outer are still open.
She smiles and kisses him.
His mouth opens, accepting her kiss.
Being careful of his bandage, she slowly mounts him.
Her heat is intense and his body bucks. With a second thrust, he fills her.
She takes his hands from the chair and holds them to her breasts.
He starts to kneed them between his fingers, feeling their firmness. Finding her nipples, he starts to pinch and roll them gently between his fingers.
She gasps and purrs, then starts to rock her hips gently, stimulating him.
Feeling her move, he tries to buck again. Pain rips through his side and he grimaces.
"Do not move," she purrs quietly. "Let me do it."
He reaches around her and pulls her to him again. Their muzzles meet in a kiss. No longer fearing her, he surrenders himself completely to her.
Feeling him swell, she sits up and starts moving, and his hands return to her breasts. Unable to sit up, he pulls her back down to him, and takes a breast into his mouth. The stimulation proves too much and she roars.
Her body clenches and her claws scratch into the floor. She starts to pant as her body relaxes onto him.
Not yet having his release, he slowly rocks his hips. The subtle movement proves enough and he shutters, filling her once again.
"Ooh, my bunny is delicious," she purrs. "I think I'll keep you."
"Keep me?" he asks, unsure of what she means.
"Mm-hmm. For a few days anyway. You're in no shape to travel yet, and I've only just started estrus."
His eyes widen, and he mutters, "I uh...I have a feeling I may not be in any shape to travel by then either."
"I will have the nao berries you brought to give me control. You will be fine."
He skews his face. Nao berries have the opposite effect of Keema, they reduce the sex drive in females in estrus. "I didn't bring any berries."
She chuckles softly. "They were in the jar."
He sighs and shakes his head. "You did that on purpose, to scare me."
She props herself up, kisses him, then says "Don't be mad."
He returns her kiss. "Mad? How could I be mad? That was wonderful."
She nuzzles into and nips his neck, making him cringe. "You really are a keeper."