FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The allyway was dark. Not that Timothy knew anything about it. One of the benefits of being blind, Timothy had never really been afraid of the dark. Besides he was half a block from home at this point, his stick tapping on the same concrete slabs it always did. The wind whistling through the same old copse of trees off to his left. The same high pitched wailing howls echoeing down from the... sky? Timothy stopped, tilting his head and focusing his attention outward. Was someone making a movie? He had never heard a sound that was anything like this before. Timothy jumped when a new sound emerged from behind him. Something metal... chain? Being dragged along the sidewalk. And accompanying it... this low grumble... an occasional moan. A moan which suddenly perked up in interest. and gave way to speech.

"Well well, well, what do we have here? A strong young buck out for a midnight stroll all by himself hmm? Probably thinking that stick is more then enough to keep a strapping young lad safe on a walk about eh?"

"I'm sorry?" Timothy replied, the question trembling in his voice. A sudden jerk twisted the walking stick out of his hands, yet the voice hadn't seemed to move at all.

"Oh..." The voice paused, and suddenly resumed speaking, but somehow suddenly behind him. "Your a blind boy ain'tcha? Certainly explains why you ain't started screaming yet. But you will. Oh don't you worry. You will." Those howls echoed again, closer now. They were so strange... He couldn't place the sound. Timothy jumped backwards as something cold and clinking began snakeing its way up his leg. But it held firm and instead the young man hit the concrete behind him.

"Please" he whimpered. More of the chains seemed to appear out of thin air. Winding thier way across his limbs and spreading them outward. Tim started to panic when he realised that he could no longer feel the concrete against his back. The hand that started to lift his shirt terrified him. Skin that was crispy... like fried chicken. And nails longer then any humans had a right to be. And worst of all was the cold... human beings naturally generate thier own body heat. It was impossible for anyone to be so ice cold as this man... not while alive. And all the while those chains continued to tighten. As Timothy's flesh began to bruise.

"Thought they had me back there... in that cold locker room beyond the grave. That I'd never get this feeling again. See the face of a handsome young man in those moments between living forever and dieing right here in the streets. Fuck does it feel good!" Timothy crumpled inside... it wasn't fair! He didn't want to die! He could feel the bones in his leg begin to crack under the stress and for the first time began to scream in ernest. The monster seemed to exault in his suffering. Clawed hands eagerly shredding Timothy's jeans and wrapping around his vulnerable junk. And then, out of thin air came the horn. A silvery song purer and more beautiful then anything he had ever heard before. Loud enough to keep his heart beating even as his life's blood began to spill out across the sidewalk through tbe tears in his skin. Loud enough that the escaped wraith looked up in time to see what was to come next.

"Nooo!! I won't go back! Not alone! If you want me you furry fucks you'll have to kill the boy too!!" The chains holding Timothy's half dead body clanked and chimed as they whipped him forward like a shield. Timothy could just make out the softened sound of feet hitting the ground, and slowly surrounding thier prey. And finally, one last louder set of boot prints. Someone with no interest at all in hiding. And a voice that resonated with relaxed strength.

"The fight is over Nicholas. Put the young man down. Or I will put him down for you. If you resist I'll only have to hurt you further. What is that fresh new human saying? You won't like me when I'm angry?". Nicholas screeched with rage. A sound like metal being dragged down the height of a chalkboard.

"You want him? Have him!" Timothy was barely cognizant of his sudden flight through the air. But he did feel the impact, and the sudden warmth against his torso. Then the tight muscular arms that held him gently. As though he was the most breakable of china. Or Timothy supposed, the most already broken of china. And finally heard the voice, as hard as iron and half as forgiving.

"Hunt him". A yelp of agony echoed nearby amd clashed against a screech of rage before Timothy's world faded to black and he slept.

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Death was not what Timothy had pictured. He was floating in a warm pool. Too large for him to reach the sides or bottom of. For all he knew this was it, and he was floating in an endless expanse of ocean. At any moment he became more certain that he would slip under and drown. Could the dead drown? He didn't seem to be moving. His chest hurt. The staticy feeling of a sleeping limb slowly waking up. And something else. Something firmer and hotter then the water, holding his head up above the liquid. His mind swirled with possibilities... Were those fingers? An arm? A person! As more of his senses returned he felt the steady breath on the back of his neck and heard a gentle humming. An unfamilliar tune as light and free as anything he had ever heard before. As Timothy turned his head to listen the humming stopped.

"Ah. Our guest is waking up. Feeling better boy?" It took Timothy several minutes to be able speak.

"Yes... I... I had a terrible dream. And I don't know where I am." Timothy trailed off as the man began to tug him backwards, continuing until Tim felt smooth stone beneath his outstretched fingers.

"Aye. I suppose you did. But your safe enough now. And should be feeling much better thanks to Panacea's Spring. She's been a very good friend to us." None of that made a lick of sense to Timothy. What was a panacea? A person maybe? Was this one of those "healing" springs that rich people went too? Being at the edge he felt a little more in control. His hands wandering out over the ledge and exploring the smooth stone of the pool's edge. He pulled himself out and sort of shook the water off of his body while the man laughed at his antics. "Come. Lets get you dried off properly and introduce you to my family. Also... And this is important so pay attention. If any of them try and feed you, no matter what it is, or how hungry you are, your not to accept understand?" Tim's head tilted to the side as he pondered the weird rule. No eating? Why not? Why save someone's life and then starve them? Timothy kept his questions to himself. He wasn't certain enough of this place to start barking demands for information. He simply nodded in what he assumed was the man's direction.

A hand touched his own and lead him up and away along a path of soft soil and worn stones towards a cabin. The wood was surprisingly warm, and the voices inside echoed merrily off of the walls. And the smells were... incredible. From a warm place off to the right came the smell of freshly baking bread, and cooking meats. From the right (where most of the noise was coming from) Timothy could Smell the group of men horsing around, and according to grunts, groans, and banging, wrestling each other vigorously.

"HOUNDS! At Attention! We have a guest" Crashes echoed throughout the room as attentions re-focused. Followed by a rapid scrambling as the men raced each other to be in position first. Tim was pretty sure every one of them was on thier knees before the vibrant personality whose voice had rung with such authority. "This is Timothy. He will be staying here tonight while the last of his injuries heal and then we will be returning him home. I know that each of you are going to treat him with perfect manners. And NO food. You all know the consequences otherwise." Timothy expected a series of subdued "Yes Sir"'s. Instead this line up of grown men tilted back thier heads and unleashed a long and loud "Awoooooooo!!!!" that managed to shake the wooden walls of the cabin itself. Timothy didn't hear what started it. Just the outraged "Hey!!" and someone being slammed into the ground. And in a moment the spell was broken and the boisterous wrestling resumed all around him. Despite his uncertainty about all this strangeness... that old skin hunger in Tim had him fiercly wishing he could join them on the floor. His regular hunger was more preoccupied with the amazing smells coming from what must have been the kitchen. It was torturing him to think he wasn't going to be allowed any. But Tim was in no place to argue the point with someone who had saved his life. Instead he allowed his host to lead him away to a new room deeper in the cabin. This one with a thick plush carpet and a bed as soft as hatchlings' down.

"So, now that you are feeling better, and have met my family, Why don't you tell me about yourself? You will find that I am ever curious about people." Tim could feel the heat coloring his cheeks at the man's sudden interest.

"I... I'm not that interesting..." Tim began, his voice dropping lower. If he had a tail he would have tucked it between his legs at the admission. The man just chuckled.

"For some reason young man, I highly doubt that." Mirth rippled across the man's words. "My name is Aether Fay. A servent of Lord Oberon, this house is within his Fief, his territory. He owns everything that you see. And I am privileged to serve him as his Hound's Master. It is our duty and pleasure to hunt for him." Tim played the sentence over again in his head. Aether? Oberon? Strange names for a strange place.

"That... that sounds like a good life sir. I like dogs." Aether's scent suited such a wild job. The sweat from a hard days labor, fresh soil, and the sharp tang of pine needles. Unconciously Tim moved closer, NEED making his hands shake just a little. Aether didn't move, didn't twist away as Tim moved closer and sniffed him. "You must have some very lucky hounds sir" Tim's voice trembled as he spoke but Aether only chuckled.

"They are as lucky to have me as I am blessed to have them. No more and no less. In this house we Need each other. And we don't fool around pretending otherwise." The heat from Aether's newly outstretched hand startled the young man into jerking backward, shrinking into himself as he regained control. Tim could practically Feel Aether shaking his head at him. "You should get some rest. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?". Aether chided gently before rising up and striding through the door. It closed with a soft click.

... Alone. It was the first time since he'd heard the rattling of chains that he was actually alone. This place made him dizzy. The bed underneath was Heavenly soft though... he stretched out his hands to explore it, thoroughly enjoying the sensation. Standing up Tim reached down to strip off his clothes for bed... and blushed even deeper as he realised he wasn't wearing any. He'd been naked ever since... well ever since. No point in dwelling on what had happened. Intead he pulled himself under the covers. It all felt So nice, but it didn't really make Tim feel sleepy. He was too wired from the attack, the strange rescue, this place... Where was he? How far from home had they managed to move him before he woke up? Tim couldn't think of any hot springs that were within even an hour of his house.

With that thought Tim finally resolved to crawl out of bed and look around. He was overly cautious as he dropped to all fours and slide across the hardwood floor to the door. Tim listened carefully, his body tense as he waited to hear any movement in the hallway. Nothing came of it so with ever so careful movements Tim pushed open the door and slipped out, still not hearing a sound. He could remember the direction he had come from, so he began picking his way down the hallway in the opposite direction. The floor was more of the same hardwood, dust and dirt tracked everywhere across it but the mess honestly didn't bother Tim that much. After all, it told him this was a very active house Lots of running around from outside to in. Tim grimaced, he really wished he knew Where the outside was. He hated being so lost. Following the dirt trail led him to a door frame. And beyond that was the same good soft dirt from the front of the house. The kind that was perfect for running around on. The moment his hand touched the soil he started to hear them, not far off. They were rough housing again. But he could also hear Aether's booming voice calling them back to him.

"Heel boys! Come on now! This isn't just fun. That young man could have died today. We need to be faster next time. Failure isn't good enough for us eh?" A series of barks and shouts answerd him... but even the barking was strangely human sounding. "Now everybody pair up! This next race is to the tree tops and back to my feet. And since your all getting a little bit too excited, the winner Tops, and I'll be joining the first pair back personally." Happy howls answered this proclamation, though it confused Tim immensly. Were they going to be climbing trees? Was that a thing you could train a dog to even Do? He crept forward slowly, following the scent of pine needles until he came up underneath an evergreen. He could hear the pounding of feet on earth, feel the subtle vibrations in the forest floor, but he missed the sound of branches rattling and breaking. If they actually were racing up trees they were somehow utterly silent while doing it. Well as silent as a group of howling and cheering young men can be anyway. And thier voices certainly seemed to shift and move up above him. Were they flying? Was this some kind of Peter Pan magic? Aether had said the spring he was in had healing magic...How badly hurt had Tim actually been? He was certain his leg had been broken by the chain-wielding maniac... but he felt no complaints from it now. Not even a twinge as he crawled across the wooden floor to get this far outside.

The cheers of success and curses of failure echoed through the trees. But none of them sounded very serious and it did not take long for Aether to calm them down.

"Looks like we have our winners, Haru first, Khalil second, come over here boys" The men scrabbled across the dirt. Timothy could feel that warm paw reaching out for him. Ruffling his hair, taking his chin and dragging it up into a slow kiss. Except it wasn't his hair, or his passionately loud kiss. Tim shook his head to clear the thoughts away. It didn't really help. Especially when new sounds came. The pack making the lewdest of sounds as they kissed, and licked, and sucked, and finally began rutting each other right there in the woods for anyone to just... overhear. And from his hiding spot Tim could hear everything. The proud barks, and surprised yelps, the whispered requests, and softest neediest moans. And Tim knew already that the softest and neediest sounds of all were spilling from his own mouth. He didn't need to check to know that his cock was firmly hard and leaking pre freely down his leg. If they caught him like this. Well there was no telling what they would do with a pathetic pervert like him skulking around unwanted in their bushes. With a final shake of his head and an application of willpower Tim stuck his palm into the soft soil and began to crawl back towards the house. He barely got two or three steps before he felt the twig beneath his palm and heard the clearly audible *snap* that seemed to echo louder then any twig snapping had any right to be. Near to panicking Tim began to hurry forward as a growing silence began to spread behind him.

"Hounds to me!" Aether's voice boomed out with pure authority. And not even the chorus of frustrated groans and growls could drown it out. Tim began to panic in earnest, making his way back towards the safety of the house. "Syrus, Felipe, grab the boy and bring him inside. Let us see if this trickery can pierce the wards in our walls." Tim wasn't sure how to move, or where to go. What trickery was Aether talking about? It was just a small twig! Tim's already scattered thought process was swiftly interupted as two warm bodies gripped him tightly and urged him into the house, nuzzling into him comfortingly... or were they looking for comfort? He wanted to apologise for spying on them, but his traitorous tongue refused to move. It stayed that way even after his foot bumped against the wooden floor of the hallway, followed by the pounding of the rest of the pack swiftly entering and moving about the house. Calls for a lantern, and cries that an invasion was afoot echoed through out the cabin and then were answered by further shouts of alarm as those within rallied against the mysterious threat.

"Please... tell me whats going on?" Tim begged, his voice breaking in his confusion.

"Hey, its ok. Master is here. He'll take care of us. And we will take care of you. Everything will be just fine all right? We are hunting hounds, not scared puppies! I'm Syrus by the way. This guys Felipe, he would say hi but he's mute. Kinda makes it difficult" From the opposite side of the voice that was speaking a hand took Tim's and pressed it against... another hand? It was a handshake! Not quite a hello, but it felt nice to bridge the gap and meet this new person. Tim slowly nodded his head.

"Hi Syrus, Hi Felipe. Its nice to meet you..." The tremble in his voice relaxed a bit but it didn't vanish entirely. "Why is everyone so worried? It wasn't... the twig was it?" Syrus paused for a moment before answering.

"I didn't hear any twig. There's a darkness coming... its spreading through the woods and swallowing everything in its path. I've never seen anything like it before. But Master's clever. I'm sure we will be fine." Syrus's comforting words were short lived. A moment later he gave a startled yelp and Felipe's grip tightened around Tim's hand. Tim gripped it back firmly. "How did it get through the walls?" Syrus whimpered. Tim had no answer. "Hey hey, its going to be ok. I promise. I'm right here for you!" Tim shook his head for a moment before realising how pointless that was.

"I'm fine. Darkness doesn't change much for me." Tim pointed out. Syrus' scoffed a moment later.

"Not you. Felipe, he talks using sign language. Now he can't say anything... But its ok. We are both right here ok? We will take care of you." Tim flinched backwards. Sign language? Of course. Using the hand gripped in his own Tim quickly changed gears, taking Felipe into a hug. On the other side he could feel Syrus awkwardly joining him, In between them Felipe shivered, but his panic seemed to calm and subside. Tim began to whisper quietly.

"I am here Felipe. I may not know whats going on... or why there is weird chain guys and magical darkness... But I am right here. And I am not going anywhere." Someone else being in trouble was just what Tim needed. His fear certainly hadn't departed. But it didn't have control anymore. The warm head of hair pressing against him caused Tim's heart to skip a beat. As did the heavy footfalls just outside the door.

"Felipe?" The booming voice had grown soft and concerned but it was still impossible to confuse for anyone else's. He didn't even need to wait for a reply before moving across the room and kneeling down beside them. His long arms encircling the three of them while Aether whispered calming words into Felipe's ears. Tim shivered between the two men, those words slipping like silk into his ears as well. Slowing his erratic heart beat as it calmed Felipe's rapid breathing.

"Timothy." Aether spoke calmly. His soft whispers suddenly becoming utterly serious. "About what you said to Felipe... I have a story to tell you. Exactly one year ago I met and saved an old woman from a bad spirit. Her name was Lachesis, though I did not know it at the time. I think perhaps thats the reason why you are here. I think you were meant to be here during our darkest night. I know everything is strange. And that you haven't gotten a chance to think through everything. And that's in no way fair. But if you mean what you said... If you really will stay right here... With us. With me. I would be honoured to have you join our family... and I think that if this family is going to survive this night we are going to need you. But it Must be your choice."

If Tim could stare, he would. The story of the woman didn't mean anything to him. He had never heard of a Lachesis. The rest was so silly, so epic sounding... how could it have anything to do with a life like his? Aether was right... this was all too fast... it wasn't fair. With too many things to process and think about Timothy couldn't think straight. Instead he focused on what was right in front of him. The man who saved his life was asking for his help. How could he refuse that? And that word... Family... not something he was going to get back home. Maybe life wasn't meant to be fair.

"I meant it. I want everyone to be safe". The calmness in Tim's voice was faked, inside his thoughts were an anxious mess. Though they did get a little better once the decision was made. All that was left was to ride out the consequences.

Aether chuckled. "Nodding isn't really helpful is it?" Tim's "No" was equally amused. Who was this man who could laugh at a time like this? "Timothy, I present to you a seed from the distant tree Yggdrasil, whose branches run across the entirety of the sky, and whose roots burrow under all of the earth. It is the first food that each member of my family eats. It will bind you to us. And to the world tree itself. Do not chew it, swallow it down whole." He felt Aether's fingers slip into his own, and leave the seed behind. It was a strange little thing. A tiny seed attached to a long thin wing. His friends back home called them helicopter seeds when they spun slowly to the earth instead of falling straight. Tim's stomach gurgled at the thought of food... but what a strange thing to worry about with everything else going on. And why call your tree Yggdrasil? Wasn't that something out of Thor stories? Timothy was stalling, and he knew it. This seed was tiny... but it felt so heavy in his hand. Ominous... it felt like death. With that thought Tim realised it was now or never. At first the seed tasted like dirt, and wood, but the longer it sat on his tongue the more flavors began to emerge from the seed, sweet and salty, and tangy. As he swallowed it down the shifting flavors kept coming.

"Now boys, stay here with him. You remember what its like. It shouldn't take long. I'm going to rally the others and do our part. I'll see you three when this is over." With that Aether rose and turned, his foot falls retreating into the darkness.

Timothy didn't notice. He was laying back on the floor deeply concerned that the seed he had eaten was some kind of hallucinogenic. He could... Feel things. All over his body. Like he was stretched out over a vast distance. He could feel the water of the ocean lapping at him, smell the salt in the air. But his hands were hot and when he thought of them the salt was replaced with the stench of sulphur. The sounds were even worse, a man moaning as he came in his wife, a wild deer screaming as it was killed by a pack of a wolves, the wind whistling through the worn stone of an empty canyon. The world in all its vastness was assaulting his senses and all he could do was take it all in in waves. It seemed like hours before it began to calm down. His feet settling on soft fur, his skin absorbing the heat of a distant fire. He could smell the smoke, and the rich scent of stew so good he began to drool. And then he heard the voice. An elderly woman, her voice worn smooth.

"Hello there little peeping tom. Come to see me make dinner? Yes I can see you." She shuffled her feet on the smooth stone beneath her. "Oh! Its you then is it? I've been expecting you. No peeping tom at all, an invited guest! So you took the seed did you? I had a feeling you would. Debts must be repaid young pup. Thats how the rules work on this side of the veil. I'll bet you've forgotten me. Your were young when we last met. Of course you all seem young to me. Still, I was hungry and you fed me. Cold and you gave me your blanket. With nary a thought to your own comfort. Just as I was attacked, and Aether defended me without a moments pause. Those debts must be repaid. So does a need for a need seem fair to you? And at a bargain for me! One stitch, and two debts repaid hmm?" Timothy tilted his head, utterly lost.

"That... that seems fair..." He trailed off. The woman laughed, a ringing sound that echoed with delight.

"Ai. So it does. You best head on back now. Your family is waiting for you. And watch out for that mean old Shadow Cat! She's as slippery as an eel, and her claws are as sharp as they come. But you put her out in the sun and she's as harmless as a hibernating bear!" The woman seemed to find that funny. Chuckling a bit at her own joke. "Now go on, Shoo!" Tim felt like he was on a train, the air whipping past him as he rushed through space, yet none of it touching him. Not a hair being ruffled. And then he was back. Beneath him the cold wooden floor, and his body protesting being on said floor. Still feeling panicked he reached out for Felipe and Syrus and immediately felt their warmth... Timothy's mind suddenly freaked out... he could feel them both. Just like he had a hand on each of their shoulders... but his actual hands hadn't left the floor. He could feel all four "hands" at once. How was that possible? Was it some lingering effect from the seed? How far did it go? He knew that Aether had left the room... but as speedily as thought he could lay one of his new "hands" on the small of Aether's back. He couldn't hear him. But from the motions and vibrations he could tell he was moving rapidly and shouting loudly. And something else... he could feel that warm sticky sensation of flowing blood. Someone had raked Aether's back open. But who? And why? There were others too, he didn't know them but many had the same claw marks on them as well.

"Timothy?" The question seemed to come from no-where.. no wait. It was Syrus. He had moved back from the door and was holding one of his real hands. "Your back! We got worried when you disapeared. Where did you go?" Tim's mouth felt like it had filled with cotton balls as he tried to speak.

"Bleh... I... I don't know. The others are fighting..." Syrus agreed. Squeezing Tim's hand.

"We know. They can't see them. And they turn to vapor when they are grabbed... But we've managed to slow it down." Words echoed in Timothy's memory... beware the Shadow Cat!

"We have to get her into the light. The old woman called it the shadow cat... she said if you can get her into the light she's harmless!"

"Really? Thats awesome! Felipe's relaying the message now." Tim paused at that. The guy with no tongue was going to relay the message?

"How?"

"Oh... uh. We aren't supposed to tell strangers but since your in the family now... When you eat the seed you bind yourself to the World Tree. And the tree gives you a gift in return. I'm a shifter, and Felipe is a relay. He can send anything he's heard to those in his network. Don't worry, we'll add you once this is over. Do you know what you got yet? Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what you got." Tim pondered for a moment.

"I think I got extra hands. I can sort of... I don't know feel stuff from far away. Like your shoulder, or Aether's back. I can fee the blood on him..." Syrus's grip tightened.

"Master is bleeding? I... should be there fighting with him... I know what he said Felipe! Thats why I'm still here... but still... Can your hands do anything else? Like grab stuff? If your hand thing is on my shoulder I can't feel anything" Tim frowned. He didn't know... He tried grabbing on to Felipe and tugging him... at first the hand passed through and then he could feel it snag on something. Just like his regular arm he began to pull with all his strength, trying to drag Felipe towards them. Felipe didn't budge an inch... but he could hear the sudden gasp and drawn out Whoooaaaa of Syrus beside him.

"That was awesome! What were all those colors?" he asked excitedly. At the same time, they both felt Felipe reach out and grasp them.

"Colors?" Tim asked through the first wave of an oncoming headache.

"Yeah... it was like we were moving through a rainbow tunnel... And suddenly we were by the door! You must be a teleporter! Thats so cool!" Cool isn't quite the word Tim was thinking of. More like ouch. Still.. The woman had said this would help him. And help Aether. He just had to figure out how. Reaching out with his real hands he grabbed Syrus' and Felipe's hands and held them tight. He was ready for the wave of pain that hit him this time and rode it along the strand of will connecting him to Aether. The other two gasped before they came out the other side and Tim slipped to his knees. A scuffle instantly broke out before Aether realised who his ambushers were.

"You were told to stay with Tim!" Aether pointed out before Tim could rise groggily to his feet.

"Here sir... I want to help" He managed to groan out. A moment of silence passed, split by another pup being ambushed by the cat.

"I see." Aether finally spoke up. "Felipe's filled me in. A rainbow bridge huh? Are we meant to retreat? Whats that old lady got planned for us now?' Tim did not like the thought of having to grab so many people. Pulling two out had almost been his limit. And that wouldn't... That wouldn't get the cat out into the sunlight unless he grabbed the cat herself! Breathing out a sigh Tim began stretching out his hands in every direction, dirt, trees, his new friends, and there! A handful of fur! Skulking up on the roof! He couldn't pull Felipe towards him... He could only carry them if he was touching. Dammit. It was risky but otherwise more people would suffer. He stepped back from his friends, and keeping a hold on that fur flung out a new hand. He needed somewhere where the sun would shine for a good long time... The artic! Where the sun didn't set for months at a time! All he had to do was get her there... His mind began to burn from within. Tim's whole body vibrating as he stretched his new found powers past limits he hadn't discovered yet. There! Warm sun on the back, and a fist full of snow beneath!

Tim flung himself through his bridge slamming into a very surprised monster. She screached in outrage, sinking claws and fangs into Tim's unprotected body. The red hot slashes adding to his pain... even while they focused him on something other then his burning mind. The shadow cat yowled violently as he dragged them both into the bridge, practically tumbling along its long length before they both slammed into the hard packed ice. The shadow cat rose and released one last violent yowl before falling to her knees... and falling utterly quiet... followed by a long firm snore.

Tim lay on the ice where he had landed. His wounds turning the slush pink with his own blood before he too tumbled into a deep sleep.

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To be honest he hadn't expected to wake up while he was laying there on the ice. Yet here he was... he even felt warm. For the second time in twenty-fours he found himself wondering if This was death. But it seemed the Fates were still smiling down on him. Reaching out didn't hurt as much as it has yesterday. He could feel a floor covered in warm furs... and so was he. And in the corner a young woman napped peacefully. Beyond the walls of this small cabin was a whole village of people wandering around and living there lives. Someone had found him! Tim wasn't sure what he do now. These people had saved his life after all. Being saved was becoming something of a habit for him he realised. He reached out and wrapped a hand around the floor. There, maybe Aether would have some idea how to repay them. A moment later he flung out his hand into the distance and with one last fierce yank Timothy finally made his way home to his family.

Epilogue:

Timothy was floating languidly in Panacea's spring when they finally found him. His jagged claw marks reduced to thin white scars by the magic of the spring's waters. He wasn't quite sure what to think of the next few minutes of being passed from hug to hug, familiarising himself with the feel of his new brothers, and the sound of thier voices. But damn did it feel good. Especially when he was finally pushed to the pools edge and dragged upwards into Aether's waiting arms who hugged him tight enough that his very bones protested. He really did feel home.

Jean-Paul Etok was quite surprised when he returned home with food for his frost-bitten guests. The young man was gone, his blankets neatly folded. And in his place a small pile of gold coins from a by-gone era. More then enough to pay for the lodging of the young woman who was still sleeping. What could he do but chock it up to the work of spirits?