FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Whoa whoa there, I'm not here to start any trouble Jeseia" I stammered, cautious to speak with a sharp wooden spike against my throat. This is definitely not the way to start a morning.

"Who are you, how do you know my name? Quickly now, I don't have time to waste" She snarled back at me, her paw on the spike tightening slightly while she read my face.

"My name is Tanthis, You told me your name after I brought you across the river from that island, you were in that cage, remember? I honestly mean you no harm"

"I don't trust your kind, men, you're all tricks and greed." She slowly withdrew her weapon from my neck. "But, I am alive so you shall remain as well for now. Quickly, we need to secure some food and water and begone. If anyone knew you came for me we'll be in trouble."

I gathered my only remaining possession, my simple walking stick and stood slowly. Up close, her frame was light and thin. If she were my kind, I'd think she'd be quite pretty. Gawking, obviously, isn't what she meant as I was met with a rather sharp kick to the leg.

"Lets go, If we head north from here we should be near a forests edge in a day. From there we can hide for a bit and forage supplies. You do know how to forage or at least keep yourself from dying don't you?"

"Yes, I'll be fine to help out some. Oh, there are two that knew I was coming. One handed me this to give you if you still lived." With that, I handed Jeseia the small lightweight pouch that James had handed to me.

Jeseia snatched the parcel from my hand and quickly examine the contents before smiling just a moment. Again, quite pretty if she were not a breed. "The one that handed this to you owes me his leg, I'm glad he was able to repay me. Quickly now, we must go. Talk while we travel, I may not kill you depending on what you tell me"

With her blunt honesty, we started trudging north along the river. It narrowed gradually to our right as I recalled my uneventful travel to Torrnal followed by the interesting encounter with father Jules Mendal. She started to growl softly at that name and quickly I moved the story along.

"So, I came to Torrnal to try and study to be a healer and return home to help where I could. The whole thing was just from that dream about the town sign and the name Fox. I was hoping you'd know more than I do right now."

"I think I know, you are lucky then Tanthis of man, I've known only one other like you and, well, he didn't do very well. Maybe you'll do better. But, I believe you, and so we will have much to discuss in the morning"

The day went by quickly, the miles seemed to fly by as we traveled. I must admit I was started to envy the animal half of her, she traveled through the grass and brush like I'd walk across a clear room. The vegetation just seemed to part around her while it seemed to just get in my way. I found some small berries, strawberries she called them. They were quite tart, but kept us in good spirits to eat while walking. As the evening drew near, the line of trees north and west of us grew closer and taller until we were in a meadow bordering the woods.

"Stay here a moment, and whatever happens. Do not move, do not run, and especially don't make a sound." She patted my shoulder just a little before stepping just into the trees, her frame melding into the forest like a shadow amongst the night.

There, by myself, I waited patiently, looking around nervously for whatever would happen next. It took about a quarter of an hour before I heard it, a high pitched yelp. It was Jeseia, her voice started to become familiar to me. The problem was, shortly after I heard a very loud howl in the air. The beasts that we evaded on the island were there! Inside the forest!

I started to grip my staff, ready to move in before remembering that I was to not move one hair. There I stood, waiting for the wolves to bring the shredded remains of my recently rescued friend to my petrified body. Then I saw the eyes, bright golden eyes glaring at me...but they were at eye level!

"Wolf clan...oh shit" It's funny, the words that you manage to say when frightened beyond comprehension. There I stood, frozen, as a large gray male came out of the forest and stalked straight at me. His head was easily a foot above my own, the muscles of his frame were as thick as my mid section. He stood there, standing before me where I could feel his breath and heat as clearly as I could feel the ground beneath my feet.

"Granh, I want you to promise safe passage to this man. I think he is worth sparing for now" Jeseia chimed from the woods, deftly slinking from the darkness and moving to stand next to the wolf breed. It was almost comical, she was to me in size as I was to him. Seeing her stand next to Granh made me even more nervous, what could she have that would make him listen to someone so small.

"Very well Jes, Man, Your life is in her hands. Though I am told hers in also in yours. May the spirits keep you in her good grace, as if they don't, you'll be joining the spirits shortly after." Granh slowly turned and left without another word, Jeseia slowly turning to follow while motioning for me to follow.

"There is a small clearing nearby where we may rest and replenish ourselves, Granh and his clan will not help or hinder us. Consider it an honor, as Granh's sons are both dead due to your kind. You are lucky he only threatened you. Usually he'd break a bone or two to make sure you understood"

"Oh, I'm feeling lucky right about now. Lets just keep it the good kind." I managed a slight smirk before we entered the clearing, a small fire-pit had been dug and several straw mats laid out. It seemed so dark in the trees, but, with a pack of wolf breeds near by I couldn't complain too loudly.

"Tonight we sleep, tomorrow we talk" She stated flatly before sitting before the fire-pit and starting a warm blaze in moments. The vixen eased onto one of the mats and collapsed sleepily.

"Alright, good night then I suppose" I too settled into the other mat, I hadn't realized that I was so tired from the night before. Dozing off I casually thought about the day before an odd thought crossed my mind. Where were the sparks and strikes from a flint stone when she started the fire?

A soft kick to my leg woke me in the morning, we're going to need to work on that I decided. It's not very nice to wake up to weapons and kicks. I slowly sat up to see some fruit near the fire.

"Breakfast?" I asked hungrily

"Breakfast" She said matter of factly, finishing off a fruit she'd already started before waking me.

I dug in and had already started my second piece before finally speaking, "So, what did we need to talk about that required us to be so far in the woods?"

"You know the nature of mages and clerics, right?" She asked, sitting nearby and gazing at my eyes while speaking.

"I watched the father heal an elderly woman, and have heard of mages. Never seen one"

"Finish eating that fruit, save the skin. There's something I need you to do with it."

I stared back just a moment before scooping the rest of the flesh from the fruit and holding the bowl shaped remains. She motioned to a small stream nearby before smiling"

"Fill the bowl with water and hand it to me, It's time you understood a little of what you are and why Granh spared you at my request"

I quickly filled the bowl and placed it in her outstretched right paw. "Alright, so now what? It's a fruit skin filled with water"

"How would you get the water from my right paw to my left?" She asked, a wry grin on her face told me this was a lesson only a fox would devise.

"I'd pick up the fruit and place it in your other hand, simple" I stated, smiling at the simple question before her deepening smile told me I was on the wrong track

"That's how mages and clerics work. They take energy from its source and put it where they want it. And just as you'd move water, the more you move, the more tired you become. Most people that can feel the energies around us do this. It's a perversion of what's really happening. A select few, all breeds except for two of man whom the first is dead and the second is you can understand the truth."

"The truth? It's still water in a fruit"

"Yes, but why push and pull it where you want it when you could instead..." She gingerly tipped the water in her hand, it flowed along her arm and along her back to lightly drip from her left paw. "When you can just let it flow with understanding and guidance, that is the truth of it. All five elements flow, they don't need to be forced like mages and clerics. They can be partnered with, they enrich you and in turn you balance them. That is why I spared you, I can see spirit energy around you, wanting to be guided and focused"

"So, you're going to teach me to pour water into my hand"

"I'm going to try to teach you what I know to be true, that pouch you handed me are tokens of the five elements. They speak to me and in turn I speak to them. I asked fire for warmth for the night and it gave us the campfire. Air masked our scent the entire trek here, water waited patiently just for this lesson. Earth lent us strength to reach this place, and spirit guided Granh to meet us at the forests edge. This is what I want to teach you"

I sighed softly, too much to take in. Now that she mentioned it, I did feel the travel here was an easy walk. It felt like a walk in the garden took more strength out of me than our day long hike. I'd come this far, disobeyed the father, and rescued an outcast from Torrnal. Not much more I could do but go forward.

"Alright, where do we start?"

............................

Please comment and critique! Been a long while since I've written.