FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Urthwyfe, Ch 4

comidacomida copyright 2025

Most people who met Tahra for the first time presumed that the furs bunched up around her thighs were tasets for her leather armor, but they would have been wrong. Truthfully, considering the amount of time she spent flying atop Shael, the Urthwyfe had learned the benefit of always keeping cold weather gear close at hand, and so she had a fur jacket available when traveling on wing and, when in combat: more protection for her thighs.

She found the benefits of flight to far outweighed the discomfort, especially when the worst of it could be kept at bay by a suitable fur jacket. Tahra reveled in the feel of the open sky and the surging power of Shael beneath her. She more than relied on him; she trusted him and, so far as she could sense, that feeling was mutual. It was a good thing that he trusted her too... especially whenever she told him that they would be traveling east for a long distance; Shael did not really like the Eastern Lands. Unfortunately for him, there were certain times when she needed to go there.

The prior two months and some-odd-weeks had been filled with problematic jobs, know-nothing villagers, subversive, semi-malicious Spirits, and a general lack of harmony that could get on anyone's nerves. The task of an Urthwyfe meant that her job was twice as hard when peace was disturbed by mortals, Spirits, or both. Tahra had decided that she needed some reprieve from the often at-odds worlds of the Western Lands; confrontation between mortals and Spirits were all too common there.

The life of an Urthwyfe was all about Spirits but, she often had to remind herself, that didn't mean that she was forced to constantly take on confrontational work. She didn't always have to play judge and jury and her role as an arbiter didn't need to result in one side losing in a significant way. Sometimes there could be constructive and collaborative answers and, in her years of experience, the tasks for which an Urthwyfe was called to attend generally had more amicable resolutions in the Eastern Lands where Spirits were more respected by The Folk and the Spirits usually had more patience for mortals due to that very reason.

After collecting her payouts for completed jobs, Tahra had stocked up on supplies, purchased a half of a calf with which to bribe Shael for a long journey, and then, the following morning, set out with him for the several days it would take to make it to the site of her next job: into the rich forests and rolling fields past the Spirt's Cradle Mountains, and off to the modest-sized town of Mott. It had been awhile since she'd actively looked forward to a job, but instructing an apprentice group of emessaries on conducting Moots with Spirits was far more appealing than the thought of another game of hide-and-seek with a predatory Spirit hunting down a farmer's sheep.

The first two days of travel had been unspectacular but, over that time, she was able to track their progress by the site of the enormous wall of mountains drawing closer. She knew they wouldn't make it there before nightfall, and so did Shael. He acknowledged as much.

She smirked to herself when that very thought pointed out that he would not mind turning back around. The gryphon hadn't needed to remind her that he didn't much care for the other side of the mountain range but she'd already let him talk her out of such a trip once and, being honest to herself, she knew that she needed the break. Patting his ribs in front of her thighs, she responded mentally that she'd make sure that he wouldn't have to deal with any Spirits; she promised him, in fact.

Although the Spirit's Cradle Mountain Range cut the continent into two, the western portion of the continent was easily twice the size of the eastern and the population of settled people were was easily three times as dense, meaning there were more than six times the population; most of that was due to the fact that most of the population of the latter were The Folk-- the vast majority of Humans lived on the near side of the range. Perhaps that was yet another reason Tahra liked the Eastern Lands.

The Urthwyfe eyed the peaks as they continued to draw nearer. Rising high over the rest of the land, the trees of the forest, dwarfed so completely by the enormous geological features, could easily have been moss. There were numerous crags, peaks, ridges, and plateus that gave the the impression of an impassible ancient presence and, if not for the fact that she was flying atop Shael, that could easily have been the truth; while hundreds of travelers braved the treacherous passes every year, on average, one in ten failed to make the crossing alive, and usually twice that from either side were forced to turn back.

The mountains continued to grow in size, looming over even the height at which Shael had chosen to fly; to make it over they'd need to gain altitude but, considering them both acknowledging they wouldn't reach the summit by nightfall it didn't make much sense in doing so since they'd need to stop for the night before they made it that far. As if reading her mind (despite her not sending the thoughts to him), Shael pointed out that he thought the foothills would be a good place to camp for the night; if they stopped early enough he would be happy to do some hunting for them both.

The gryphon greatly enjoyed hunting for her-- she considered it a faux mating behavior since a male gryphon would often gathered food for his mate when she was nesting with eggs. Smiling to herself, she let that thought loose. Shael let out a squawk of frustration, but it was more of indignation than any actual anger. It was followed up with the thought that she should have had lots of young with him by that point were it the case. He somehow made the consideration even more endearing by confirming that he WOULD hunt for her if she were sitting on a nest with his eggs.

She patted him again. "I'm sure you'll make an amazing mate someday."

Shael acknowledged her statement with a matter-of-fact empathetic thought that he completely agreed. She laughed at his straight-forward, no-nonsense agreement of that fact. It wasn't empty praise either; she often lamented that she kept him from others of his kind but any time she brought up giving him more leeway in his life he always countered the thought, pointing out that he was happy being with her. It felt good because she knew that beasts like gryphons didn't have a habit of buttering people up; they always treated things like they were and not like they wanted them to be.

Shael's follow-up thoughts to her shifted from the equivalent of casual banter to a very specific thought: he had identified place to land and, after sharing his vision with her to point out where he'd selected, he encouraged her to hold onto him. The moment she responded that she was ready, the gryphon adjusted the angle of his wings, ceased flapping them, and leaned forward, letting his airspeed alone keep them aloft as he bled off altitude.

Shael had many amazing talents and, as a gryphon, an aptitude for flight was obviously one of them, but she always reveled in the feel of being in the air with him. She hadn't realized that she'd shared that thought with him until she felt the empathic warm sensation of him acknowledging that he enjoyed flying with her too. Tahra still had the smile on her face as the gryphon thrust his wings out, letting his hindquarters touch down first with a one-two skipping step before lowering the front of his body onto the earth, landing at a trot. From there, he slowed to a stop and crouched.

They'd traveled so long together that he didn't need to use their empathic connection to let her know that it was time for her to disembark; she slid off his side without comment. Offering him a gentle pat on the shoulder, Tahra loosened the cord she used to secure her sleeping bag in place atop his back and went about setting up camp. He took to flight again, reminding her that he promised food; she offered Shael a gentle chiding that he'd do anything to have another day in a land where Spirits were less common.

As a beast, he didn't always understand the intricacies of things like jests; he tended to handle those confusing moments well and that evening was no different. Confirming that, yes, he did consider the spirit-filled realm on the other side of the mountains to be bad and he was only going because she wanted to go and he did not feel right letting her go alone. He then pulled his thoughts back while letting her know that he spotted a mountain goat; whenever he was hunting he tended to close off their link so he could focus so she wasn't worried.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Tahra got to work setting up the camp site, starting with her sleeping bag, and then a campfire. A little smirk came to her lips unbidden as she said to herself. "He wouldn't be so casual about huting to the east..."

The statement wasn't so much a jest as it was a realization of the humor intrinsic in life. Tahra had first met Shael after a poorly executed hunt in which the gryphon had mistaken a stag Spirit for prey; Spirits did not abide being hunted by beasts or animals, and only on very rare occasions by Humans or The Folk and then, limited to ritualistic rites. Shael, in his inexperience, had learned the hard way, and he'd survived only because Tahra had interceded. It had taken nearly a week for him to recover, and twice that before he could fly again. It was a painful lesson for him and he obviously still had some traumas to work through. Fortunately, she reminded herself, she was there to help him.

Even as she finished starting her campfire with kindling and a striker, Shael's mind reached out to her's once again. She accepted the contact and her heart immediately beat faster, the thrill of the hunt crossing from mind to mind; she could feel his excitement and taste the blood in his beak. Tahra knew immediately that he'd managed to hunt a young mountain goat-- it was smaller than what he'd wanted, but it had been a good hunt so he was not disappointed. It would certainly be enough for the two of them and he would not have a hard time flying it back to her. She approved, and noted as much to him, then enjoyed the gratification of her praise empathically through their connection.

While Shael made his swift return, Tahra took the time to set up a cooking plan. The goat kid was large enough that it made sense to roast it on a spit and, as she worked, she considered their upcoming crossing of the mountains. Despite the trouble Shael had experienced when he was younger, the Spirits past the mountain range were more overt and obvious; she'd since taken time teaching him how to identify them-- things that Urthwyfes could notice at a glance and that, with training, most beasts coud learn easily enough. He'd been thankful for her help but, given an option, the gryphon preferred the western part of the continent where Spirits were rarer and did not often take the forms of animals.

As Shael came in for a landing, he reattested that, yes, he still preferred their present side of the mountains; she felt her cheeks burn with the realization that she hadn't bothered closing herself off to him. Shrugging off the embarrassment as unnecessary, Tahra reminded herself that there was no reason for self-reproach when it came to being with Shael; he wasn't one to judge. He agreed that she was a silly Human as he set down the goat carcass by the fire. Inspecting the kill, she admired his skill: desite a surgical bite to the base of its neck, it had likely died when its back had been broken by Shael's initial pounce, which means it was instant-- the sign of a good hunter. That shared thought caused the gryphon to puff up with pride.

Tahra took a few minutes to let the fire burn to a level that made it good for cooking, spending that time dressing the kill. Shael reminded her that he liked the organs, choosing the moment she was removing its innards it to point out that trait. "Of course you do."

She finished gutting the goat and began tossing him organ meats one after another; Tahra hadn't needed the reminder but Shael was never one to be subtle. He happily scarfed up each of the pieces of offal she gave him and continued right on downing all of the pieces of meat she threw his way until she was left with a single goat shank for herself. Running a long spit through the leg meat along the bone, she set it on the fire and began the lengthy process of cooking it. Based on the size of the shank, Tahra anticipated at least four hours but, fortunately, she'd kept enough small cuts that she could cook on two of the wide, flat rocks she'd set by the edge-- something to take off the edge of her hunger until her meal was ready.

Shael continued eating happily while she cooked, pulling pieces from the larger portion of the skinned carcass she tossed to him. As the gryphon picked at the bones he wondered again why she was so adamant about going over the mountains. She explained that she'd found a worthwhile task for her to to as an Urthwyfe. One of the settlements of The Folk there had asked for an Urthwyfe to help them and so she was answering.

Calling back a thought she'd had on her own while he was hunting, Shael showed his bestial intelligence, knowing and understanding more than a traditional animal when he pointed out that ther were less Humans on the eastern side of the mountain range. Tahra smiled, acknowledging that he was right, but that she already had a reason to go there; she didn't really need another.

Shael looked up from his mean, avian eyes gazing at her. His pupils opened wide in the dimming light, then dilated as his vision focused in on her. He wondered across their connection why it is she is always seeming to avoid her own people. Did she dislike them so much that she avoided them?

The Human woman countered the thought countered as she flipped one of the smaller pieces of goat on the flat rock, pointing that Shael didn't spend much time with HIS kind either. The gryphon's response was, as usual, a straight-forward point: his kind were aggressive and territorial-- unless it was mating season he had no reason to be among them. The discussion could easily have ended there, but, setting aside the mostly meatless carcass, the gryphon licked his beak free of blood and began preening his talons as he indicated that he didn't really need any of his own kind anyway since he had her.

Tahra appreciated the thought, and let that emotion extend to him through their connection. She explained that she was perfectly happy with his company as well for exactly the same reason: Humans were also aggressive and territorial, and she preferred him to any of her own people. Her response also made him happy, so she was content to let the discussion end at that.

* * * * *

One thing Tahra enjoyed about late spring was that the sun started to rise earlier in the morning. She and Shael were able to get a prompt start on their trip, which was a good thing, since they'd be able to crest the rising land by her measure just after the noon hour, would would help her Gryphon companion in gaining altitude for thermal soaring; the warming land would assist in their ascent over the peak by air. It wasn't something most travelers took into account but she'd been with Shael long enough that it factored into her plans.

Flying over the Spirt's Cradle Mountains, while significantly easier than trying to navigate it on foot, was no simple task. The sheer massive size of the mountain range meant that only the strongest fliers among birds bothered and the largest, which required a huge amount of energy to complete the trek, did so only rarely. She was pleased that Shael was willing to humor her-- it was the third time they'd made the East-to-West journey together.

The early morning flight was pleasant enough, at least, until they got to the foothills. At that point, it was late morning and Shael had to start putting forth more effort to increase their altitude; drawing closer to the veritable wall of stone only a few dozen leagues ahead of them, he had to begin the ascent early. They had conversed on and off during the morning but, as the gryphon had to exert more energy in flying he left such pleasantries behind and began to really zero in on clawing extra altitude out of each wing beat-- things fortunately became easier as the sun passed its zenith and they could rely more on the uplifting thermals, and he once again contacted her in a comment about the peaks.

It was a mundane thought, one that any Human or member of The Folk might make, and it made Tahra smile. She'd always believed that fantastic beasts such as gryphons were of a higher cognitive level than basic animals but the time she spent with Shael further reinforced that belief into knowledge. She responded likewise that she enjoyed the look of the mountain range, and that she was appreciative for his company since it was much nicer to look down at than up at. A warm empathic flow of gratification swept through her via their link: Shael really liked being useful.

The gryphon was a smart flier rather than a vain one; instead of doing the stupid thing of trying to completely crest the mountain range by clearing the highest of summits, Shael instead chose to fly between them, choosing one of the lower passes which were occasionally utilized by those attempting the journey on foot. It didn't make for the best view but, given the strain that the flight already took on the poor gryphon, Tahra wasn't going to object, especially since she was still afforded plenty of amazing sights to see on a lower trajectory.

The pass they flew over drew them fairly close to a section of the mountain range that looked as though a mountain got turned upside down and, instead of towering over continent, instead dove deep into it in the form of an enormous hole, known as The Great Chasm. It was near the center of the east-west crossing, just north of the pass they were following, which meant that Tahra was able to gaze at it; the chasm was so deep that, for as much as she could tell and from what she'd heard, the bottom (if there was one) had to have been bathed in near-perpetual twilight; even when the sun was overhead a thick layer of mist concealed the lowest few hundred feet.

The Great Chasm, in fact, was one of the physical features that gave the mountain range its name: many considered it a birthing place for more esoteric spirits. It was just rumor of course, since spirits didn't rise up out of geological features. She smiled to herself just thinking about it but her musings were interrupted when Shael brought a group of travelers to her attention. The gryphon's keen, eagle-like eyesight had spotted a small collection of The Folk descending the ridgeline on the eastern side of the mountain range-- they were a decent ways down, from Tahara's estimate and, considering the time of day, had likely sheltered overnight somewhere near the summit.

She patted his shoulder beneath his wing, requesting that he lower his altitude a little; since they were over the high point of the pass, losing a few hundred feet of altitude wouldn't affect them too much and, if anything, would give him a little bit of a break in flight as he soarded on a slight downward trajectory. As they approached the travelers from above and behind, Tahra ungloved her hand. They were easily three times further from them horizontally than vertically, giving her plenty of time to try and use magic to enhance her vision. The clouds, unfortunately, did not want to accomidate.

Considering the incredible height of the mountain range, having to contend with clouds was no great surprise, but it was to her great chagrin that the views had been cleared right up until she wanted to get a good look at something. Sighing, she realized that the clouds complicated things and, letting go of Shael's feathery cowl, she doffed her second glove and raised both hands. Mumuring softly, she used several measured, specific movements, usingall ten fingers to control the flow of mana that she wove into a short term enchantment, allowing her to peer through the clouds while also enhancing her vision to see further.

Magic was rare among Humans, but not nonexistent. Even so, very few real wizards or druids were found among Humans; most of her race who could manage to cast a spell (rarely more than one or two in any large settlement) were hedgemages-- shamans and spiritualists at best, or, at worst warlocks, cultists, and hexers. Tahra was none of those; her affinity for magic was due to her status as an Urthwyfe and, even though she'd been able to feel the ebb and flow of mana before taking on that role, her capacity to actually use magic had grown expontentially since taking the oath.

Tahra was able to get a much better glimpse of the travelers after her magic took effect. She could see that there were five in total: a cream-furred Wolf, a black one, two brown-furred ones, and a striped black-and-brown one. She was also able to tell that the black-and-brown Wolf was more than what it seemed; it was a Spirit in mortal form. Something in her posture, or perhaps the subconscious squeeze of her thighs against his back was enough to get Shael to inquire of her as to the problem.

Rather than provide an answer, she asked if he would be willing to land ahead of the travelers so she could question them. Shael, as usual, had no objections, but he wanted to make sure she remembered that he hated arrows, and REALLY hated people who shot arrows at him. Tahra promised to make sure that any potential hostile bowmen knew RIGHT AWAY that he was not an acceptable target for them. Once that reassurance was provided, Shael complied, drawing his wings in to decrease their altitude swiftly, relying more on speed than lift for their travel forward as appraoched the ground.

By her estimate they were a good 50 feet overhead as they passed the party and came for a landing several hundred feet past them. Although she hadn't had a chance to verify, apparently Shael was looking and relief accompanied his mental statement that there were no bows among the travelers. She managed to avoid laughing as she slid off his side, patting him on the side before leaning against him, waiting for the travelers to draw closer. As they waited for The Folk to approach, Shael issued one of his rare, inspired, humorous thoughts, suggesting that she do the talking.

The Wolves and the Spirit-in-Wolf-Form approached openly, five sets of paws held slightly away from their bodies, paw pads facing Tahra to show that they were unarmed. The striped Wolf-like Spirit said something quietly and the cream colored Wolf at the front seemed surprise, turning back toward Tahra as they approached. The rest following his lead, bowed. As he straightened up, the cream-colored Wolf held up a paw to his face, pressing his middle digit against his forehead. "Warm greetings, Urthwyfe. Trail's blessings to you, Spirit Shepherd."

It was one of the most polite greetings she'd received in recent months, and the term 'Spirit Shepherd' was one of reverence-- not common on the other side of the mountain, but rather common place for those from the East. It felt good to be somewhere that Urthwyfes were well regarded... or at least thought of as more than 'pest control' or spiritual baby sitters. She inclned her head as the rest of the Wolves mirrored the first Wolf's gesture. In response she touched her middle finger to her lips. "As given, so received."

With the formalities out of the way, the Wolves immediately seemed much more relaxed, several voices speaking over one another-- everything from the joy of seeing an Urthwyfe on the road to questions about her trip to numerous positive remarks and praise about her mount. The black-furred female, standing beside the cream-colored male quieted everyone down. "Please! Everyone! Calm down and do not overwhelm the honorable Urthwyfe!" Once they had quieted, she looked back to Tahra, offering a grin. "Men... you know how they can be, I'm sure... just a bunch of oversized puppies."

It was a pleasant, jesting jab at her companions and Tahra offered a muted, half-hearted smile. "Indeed."

Her lack of emphatic humor caused all of the Wolves to calm down significantly; the brown ones cleared their throats while the cream-colored one asked "What my mate means to ask, honorable Urthwyfe, is what brings you to Spirit's Cradle Pass?"

She appreciated his attempt to give purpose to their interaction and, feeling no reason to hide her purpose, offered it freely. "My companion and I are heading to Mott. I have a contract there to fulfill." Based on the sudden movement of many tails starting to wag, she had a feeling that her answer held some significance to the travelers. Rather than ask about it outright, she tried a slightly less direct manner. "And your own business? What brings YOU to the pass?"

The black-furred female gestured to the smaller of the two brown Wolves. "My little brother.... he and his Bound partner wanted attendants for a ritual."

The smaller brown Wolf bowed, then, when he straightened up, took gentle hold of the striped Wolf's paw. "My brother and my sister and her husband are the most important people in my life. I wanted them to join us for our Oathmaking."

Tahra's eyes went from the smallest of the males to his siblings, and then to the Spirit-in-Wolf form before going back to him before asking her question, fighting to keep her tone as neutral as possible. "You went to the Spirits' Cradle for your Oathmaking then?"

He nodded vigorously, turning to regard his Partner. "It was a difficult journey. We've been away from the town for a few days, but I couldn't imagine completing the ritual anywhere else... for something that important, the trip was worth it."

The Spirit-as-Wolf smiled at his mortal partner then to Tahra. "It is true, Urthwyfe. I told him I would be happy having the ritual at the shrine, but he insisted."

Tahra again fought to keep her tone neutral. "I see. Offering the shrine would be quite the altruistic measure seeing how much weaker a shrine's spiritual aura is. I would think the Spirit's Cradle was a much better choice to your benefit."

The two Oathbound partners looked to one another; Tahra could see there was real adoration in the Wolf's eyes, and at least a good fascimile of it in the Spirit's gaze. It wasn't that Spirits couldn't feel attachment and weren't capable of forming attachments, but she knew innately that the way they experienced things were far from the way they were felt by mortals. It didn't help that she didn't personally beleive in the efficacy of a long term relationship between a mortal and a Spirit-- she wasn't about to reproach them though.

Before she could come up with something to say that wouldn't come across as snide or demeaning, the Spirit spoke up again. "We are, ourselves, on our way back to Mott-- my new family has their homes there, in fact. While I would hate to speak falsely for any among us-- my new brother or new sister and her mate-- I am certain we would all be honored to have you with us as we return home."

Tahra did not have to think about the invitation for very long and, even with the numerous affirmations and agreements among the travelers, she'd already made up her mind well before the words had left the Spirit-as-a-Wolf's muzzle. "We are doing fine as separate groups. Besides, this is an event for your family; I would be out of place being involved in the final leg of your pilgrimage."

The group made no qualms about expressing their disappointment but she wasnot about to be swayed. In the end, the female Wolf hushed everyone before regarding Tahra. "Very well, Urthwyfe. I'll just look forward to seeing you when we get back to Mott. Road's blessing be yours."

Tahra inclined her head. "And yours... all the more important considering you've chosen to make quite a dangerous trip with a sixth member in your party."

Most of the group seemed confused for several long moments-- long enough for Tahra to get back to Shael. He didn't bother asking her why she was in a sour mood; he'd known her long enough to already know the answer. By the time the Black Wolf had her paw on her belly, Shael had already taken back off into the air. The Spirit would have known his 'sister in law' was pregnant; he hadn't mentioned it, which wasn't out of the expected for one of his kind since they didn't fully comprehend pregnancy and she resolved not to hold that oversight against him, but she couldn't get past the bonding of a mortal and a Spirit. It was not unheard of and, despite her own misgivings, she should have been able to embrace it as a wonderful thing.

Tahra, however, had seen mortals bond with Spirits before, and she'd never seen it end well. Her mood failed to improve on the way to Mott and, as they came in for a landing, she resolved to try and avoid further interaction with the family of Wolves. That plan, however, was apparently not to succeed.