FSE

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CHAPTER 2

Indecision

The crisp, cold air hit his fur and ruffled his clothes, which felt chillier than it should have, but with his encounter with Lord Allon, his tension exacerbated the cold atmosphere. Additionally, the air brought even more discomfort when it contacted the cool, damp spot on his trousers. He was still shaking heavily, dampness from the tears on his left side, cougar saliva on his right. He was about to turn around and close then door when the cougar guard that brought him there brushed him by.

"Move aside," he yelled as he quickly shut the door behind him. Rishi didn't argue. He simply kept walking as quickly as he could, which wasn't very fast given the current delicate nature of his knees. "You look like shit, rodent. But I see you're still alive." Rishi stopped and turned to look at the guard, uncertain whether to say 'thank you' or 'yes' or simply nod. The cougar sniffed the air as he caught a peculiar scent. "What's that smell? Smell's like-" A large grin grew on his face as he realized the mouse had soiled himself. "Damn! Lord Allon must've really gotten to you, huh? God, I wish I hadn't missed that."

Rishi stared back, trying to find the words to say, but he had no response to a guard who found joy in his suffering. "Maybe that'll teach you not to scoff at our Royal Court and be sure to bring a proper tribute next time."

Rishi, feeling the cold air start to get to him, didn't want to stand in one spot for too long. He nodded. "Yes sir," was all he could muster in as quiet a voice as he could speak.

"Good." The cougar scrunched his face in disgust. "Now go on. Get out of here. The smell of piss is starting to bother me."

Rishi was actually glad the guard dismissed him so quickly. He felt ill and didn't want to linger any longer. He turned about and started walking quickly off home. The last light of dusk shown over the trees across the land from the west. As he walked, he saw few people on the road. None of them talked to him and none of them seemed to smell the scent of urine on him, which he was hopeful of. If they had, none of them showed it. None of them showed any interest in him at all. He knew how they felt about him. He knew they wanted him gone.

As he continued his walk and the night wore on, he began to ponder about that encounter. He was still in shock and in disbelief that it happened. He'd always felt he'd done good and tried to be nice to everyone, yet luck never paid him back for it. The thought of death was one he hadn't wanted to consider, but after seeing the Lord of the Plains baring his teeth and threatening not only him but his family as well was a prospect that made him sick and almost vomit a couple of times during his return home. To enter into that hallway and willfully offer his life to those felines was almost unthinkable. It wasn't really an option. Maybe if it guaranteed his family's safety for life, he'd consider it, but a month's time was little incentive. Packing up his things and moving his family out of Darreen may as well be a death sentence as well. Too many bandits and too many canines on the roads these days. And Lord Allon was correct in assuming it was unlikely that his crops would show a higher yield within the next week.

His mind then focused on the last option and the only one that provided any actual benefit. It was with the third option that he had the most doubt as to what actually happened. He couldn't actually believe that the leader of the Royal Guard in Darreen, cousin to the prince himself, was gay and wanted him, a mouse, to mate with. And not just him, but the rest of the court as well, all gay, all looking to make him their breeding partner. As he struggled against the idea that it was merely a deluded fabrication of his own mind, he started to wonder if he could actually go through with it. During the ordeal, he was too distracted by the cougar's large frame, his enormous teeth, his hot breath, his dripping saliva, the claws on his neck, and the putrid scent of his own urine to notice, but after leaving he realized that he had in fact detected the strong, musky scent of his lordship. It was obviously feline, sweet and sour, crispy, and if it hadn't been overwhelmed by the strong smell of piss, he'd probably have wrinkled his nose at it. He tried to picture the court members without their clothes and what their genitals might look like. He'd seen feline cocks before and it was an unpleasant sight at the time. He imagined the scent of Lord Allon emanating from their crotch and he asked himself if he could do it. He fought hard to decide if he could let them fuck him, let them mate him like a female, and if they asked it of him could he lick their genitals. The thought alone made him queasy. The thought of death made him sick, the thought of sex with a bunch of overgrown feline men made him sick... there were no pleasant options for the mouse.

But it was, nevertheless, still his best option. He thought long and hard for a possible way out, but realized that even if he came up with something, Lord Allon would not take it. He'd made up his mind. He'd given his three options. Three ways out for the rodent and none of them were something he wanted to think about. He'd considered the possibility that some other power might come in and overthrow the felines, but the only other power that might try were the Ferochen canines and even if they managed to overpower the cats, there would be only one choice given by the dogs. Rishi had a flashback to his time as a prisoner of the canines and the things they did to him and his wife and suddenly the thought of five feline cocks wasn't so sickening.

He was almost home a lot sooner than he figured he would be. Either that or time just flew by. He was too distracted either way to worry about it. It had gotten colder as the night drew on and had affected the urine stain on his crotch and thighs. It was starting to itch and the smell had gotten more pungent and was starting to bother him. He managed to make it the whole way there without running into any other natives. He passed a few along the way, but they were too far away to get a good whiff of him out in the open air. Most ignored him if they even noticed him. A few people in town still talked to him and his wife and were sympathetic to their plight. They even tried to convince him that everyone else in town was sympathetic as well and were just a little upset that he hadn't paid his tribute in a short while. A friendly thought, but he knew the truth. Most people in town didn't like him and his family because of their beliefs and what they said about everyone else's beliefs.

He rounded the corner of a nearby garden and started down the road that led to his home and his farm. His house was near the southern border with the forest of the canines. Part of the reason his farm was having so much trouble producing was because it was directly in the path of the Ferochen invaders and was heavily damaged when they took over the area. Much of the crop fields remained barren and what little that was left was used to grow wheat and barley. A small den sat next to the house where Rishi and his wife tried unsuccessfully to raise bees with the intent of making honey and mead. Their house was a two-story ranch sitting dangerously close to the border. He was close now and had nearly made it home without running into anybody. Unfortunately, as he had expected, the most likely event to happen had happened. As he approached, his neighbor across the road, an older, slim-built rat named Priesto was meandering by his entrance, talking to Orroyo, the raccoon, and Gregorious, the rabbit. He hurried to tried to sneak past them, but it was futile, even in the dim light.

"The delinquent rodent returns home, once again shirking his responsibilities to pay honor to the Royal Court in return for keeping him and his family safe from the wolves beyond the woods," the rat called out in a rather sarcastic tone.

Rishi stopped and turned to face the rat, displeased. For once, he thought, can I just come home without dealing with this prick? Priesto hurried over to where Rishi had stopped, Orroyo and Gregorious following quickly behind. Priesto stopped in the middle of the road and crossed his arms. "Priesto," Rishi greeted him with an obvious hint of vexation in his voice.

"Ah Rishi, why are you still here? Why do they let you stay?" He caught wind of the scent of his urine and sniffed the air and wrinkled his face in disgust. "And what is that smell?" Rishi turned away embarrassed. "You smell that?"

The raccoon and rabbit caught the scent as well. Gregorious responded, "That's the smell of mouse piss!"

Priesto grew a huge grin, exceedingly pleased at the revelation and began to laugh. Rishi stared back at him, aggravated and blushing. "Oh my word, Rishi! What did that cat do to you? You poor, poor thing." Sardonism was openly evident in his tone. "But you know what, the fact that you're still standing here, without guards come to throw you out of our Plains is just a mockery of justice." His expression changed. He was truly upset. "The rest of us pay our due and we work our asses off to make sure we don't upset the Royal Court and we've seen what happens when you don't pay your dues. Remember Renly?" he asked turning to the raccoon, who nodded in return. "That poor bastard didn't even make it past the river before everything he owned was taken from him. God only knows if he's even still alive somewhere. But those felines have never messed around. But you-" he moved up and forcefully poked him with his index finger. Rishi batted it away, but did nothing else. The rat was a good eight inches taller than him and was much more fierce than him. And considering the kind of day he already had, he didn't want to get into a fight.

"You've been neglecting to make an offering for, what, three weeks now and they still haven't thrown you out. Judging by the wet mark on your pants, I'd say the good lord is finally getting annoyed by your delinquency, which is a relief, but still, why have they allowed you to stay for so long? Why haven't they kicked you out yet?"

Orroyo and Gregorious were heavily amused by this and Priesto had even managed to smile again. Rishi just shook his head, waiting for the moment to be over. "Seriously though," he continued, "what did that cat do that actually made you piss your pants?" He smiled jubilantly, wondering more out of amusement than concern.

"It's none of your business Priesto!" the mouse responded defiantly.

"Now there, you're wrong." The rat closed the gap between them and now stood about as close as the cougar was over an hour ago. Rishi stared up into the rats eyes, which looked down on him with a hint of superiority. "It is my business. It's their business." He gestured to the raccoon and rabbit. "It's all our business. Because when the rest of us pay our dues like we're supposed to and one of us doesn't, it makes the rest of us feel cheap, like we're being taken advantage of. Because if one little piss ant mouse is allowed to get away with not offering anything to the lord of the Plains, then why should the rest of us?"

It was a fair question, Rishi thought. It wasn't unreasonable to think that given the large number of natives living in the Plains that everyone be required to pay the proper tribute to the Identines and no one, not even him, should be allowed to renege on the deal that they all agreed to. Still, it was Lord Allon's charge and it was up to him to decide what would happen to whoever failed to deliver on the deal. Not this scrawny, albeit relatively taller, rodent whose sinister smile had faded away again.

"So tell me, mouse, why are you still here? Does the Lord intend to keep allowing you to live here without paying a tribute or is he actually planning on doing something about it? I believe we have a right to know."

Despite his pushiness, Rishi sympathized with his fellow rodent and decided it was best to divulge what the lord's plan was for him. He would, of course, omit certain impertinent details. He stood up straight and stared right back at the rat, his embarrassment seemingly dissipated.

"Alright. If that's the way you feel, fine. I'll tell you. Lord Allon does intend to act on my lack of tributes over the last three weeks. He's given me a choice. Either I pack up my things and leave town, or I pay not only next week's tribute, but tributes to make up for the last three weeks. If I don't pay tribute next week, he will in fact throw me, my pregnant wife, and my two young children out into the wild." The words came out with a certain sense of defiance, but no matter how he said it, the words were a display of the mouse's helplessness.

Priesto grew a wicked smile again. "Really? And what kind of tribute does the lord expect you to pay if you can't bring him any crops or spirits?"

Rishi felt he'd given all the information he needed. "That's between me and his lordship. It's not your concern. Or either of yours for that matter." The last statement was directed at Orroyo and Gregorious.

Priesto gave a short Hmph! "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure you won't pay it, so as long as you're out of the Plains and out of my sight, I'll be satisfied. I might even throw in a few extra treats as a thank you to the lord for getting rid of your useless ass." Rishi had heard this and other similar comments from his fellow natives long enough, long before he'd even missed his tributes to the Felis Army. No matter how hard he tried to fight back, the rest of the Plains felt the same way and it did no good trying to argue anymore. He also wanted this conversation to end as the cold air on his wet lap was starting to make him shiver.

Gregorious wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Hey, let's get back to your house. The smell of piss is really starting to offend me."

"Yeah. Well, good luck to ya," Priesto said, though the mouse knew he didn't mean it. "And wash up. You really stink, Winthrop."

With a satisfied smile on all their faces, the trio of small mammals turned tail and walked quickly back to Priesto's house. It's Winslow! the mouse thought to himself and the rat knew it. Winthrop was another mouse family on the southern border whose farm was almost completely destroyed when the canines came. They had no reason to stay and with a few other families left shortly after the felines took over. Their land now belongs to a family of foxes that came down from Identine to try and restore the land. Priesto, and a few others, like to refer to Rishi by Winthrop's familial name as a way of taunting him and suggesting that he has no reason to stay either and ought just leave.

As the rat, raccon, and rabbit disappeared into Priesto's farmhouse, the mouse was left to sulk as his defensive and defiant expression changed to one of depression. He stared down at the ground and considered the possibility that the rat may be right. He may very well not pay his tribute. It might be best for him and his family to just leave. They can use what little money they have to make their way as far north as they can. It won't get them the entire way to the nearest city, but it should be far enough.

As he sulked, a gust of wind blew forward, rousing the chilled urine on his fur and he began to shiver again. He quickly opened the gate in the fence and rushed down the dirt path towards his house. It was small, but two-storied. A living room, a kitchen, a separate den which was used for bathing, sewing, and laundry, a master bedroom downstairs, and two bedrooms upstairs. Rishi arrived at the door and stopped, taking a deep breath and preparing himself for the questions, comments, and no doubt looks of disgust he'll be getting from his wife and kids. He quickly opened the door and moved inside, closing the door behind himself and enjoying the comfort of the heat given off by the blazing fireplace in the living room. Fortunately, much to his appreciation, both of his children were already upstairs in their room. Unfortunately, his wife was sitting on the couch in the living room waiting for him. Unlike her husband, her fur was brown throughout, dark brown on her head, back, arms and legs and light brown going down her belly. She was reading a book and drinking tea when Rishi entered. She was wearing a large, white bonnet and a light blue dress, old and with stitches indicating it had been repaired a number of times.

She immediately turned her head to face him. "Honey, you're home!" She smiled widely, relieved that her husband managed to return.

"Hi sweety. How're the kids?" He stood in the doorway, wanting to rush to the den, but staying put expecting his wife to notice his current scent any moment.

"Oh they're good. They're up in their room playing. I'm just glad to see you're alright." She quickly got up and raced over to him. He stepped back, not wanting her to touch him, but she moved rapidly and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. He looked away, trying to keep his wet crotch from touching her. After a second, her lips curled inward as she got wind of his scent. "What is that smell?"

"Oh, I wasn't watching where I was going and found myself foot-deep in a pool of horse piss," he responded, hoping she might buy it.

"What?" She pulled away and looked up at him, then down trying to see where his foot was soaked in urine, only to discover the wet spot on his pants. He looked away, embarrassed by both his soiled pants and the fact that he thought that might actually work. She looked back up at him and he met her eyes, her smile and relief gone.

"Actually, uh... I had a bit of an accident." He forced a smile for her sake, but it did no good. She showed more worry on her face.

"Oh my goodness Rishi! What happened?"

Rishi let out a sigh as his smile faded. "Look, Samantha, why don't we go into the den and talk for a bit? I don't want the kids to hear and I really need to get out of these pants. Not to mention I really need to wash up."

"OK." She nodded and led him into the den. After they were both in she closed the door behind them. The den had a single tub which was used for both bathing and doing laundry as well as a small stove for heating water. "I'll put on some hot water for you."

"Thanks dear." She left the room as he unbuckled his belt and tossed it aside. He then removed his vest and tunic and threw them aside as well. Then slowly he removed his pants, revealing underneath a pair of dirty, stained braies that cut off quite high up on the thigh, now completely soaked. He promptly removed those too, leaving him naked and completely exposed with urine stained fur on his crotch. His thin stature was evident now and his white fur showing brown blotches in various spots throughout his body. He showed various scars from stab wounds and canine claws on his chest, stomach, and back. His backside had a few scars as well. The one thing he was grateful for was his endowment. For a creature his size, he was blessed with a nice package between his legs. His tail moved slowly from side to side as his wife filled a pail with fresh water and placed it on the stove. She grabbed a few pieces of coal from the corner and placed it in the burner. "I think we're gonna have to throw out those pants and my underwear."

Samantha lit a match and tossed it into the coal, shutting the door and letting it heat up the water. She then turned to her husband and crossed her arms with a mixture of anger and concern on her muzzle. "Alright Rishi. Now what did that cougar do to you?"

Rishi faced her, his manhood and balls dangling shamelessly in front of her. Shame did, however, appear on his face from not being able to smooth over the situation with Lord Allon and from the proposal made to him as well.

As he spoke, his voice cracked and betrayed a great deal of fear in the mouse. "I thought he was gonna kill me." Samantha, not having as much time to cope with the situation, displayed a great deal of consternation for her husband. "I mean, he pounced on me, held me down, and bared his teeth to me. I really thought he was gonna kill me."

"Oh Rishi!" Unfazed by the urine stain, she stepped up to her husband and held him, tears welling up in her eyes.

Rishi began to recall images of the feline gazing down angrily at him. He started to shake again and his tail moved between his legs. He gulped before continuing. "But instead he gave me a choice. We can pack up all our things, everything we can carry, and we all leave the Plains."

Samantha stared back with disappointment. "We can't leave. We have nothing outside of the Plains and even if we had some place to go, all the money we have couldn't get us safely anywhere. At most, it would bring us halfway to the next city."

Rishi nodded in agreement, his own depression from the situation mixing with his fear. "I know, Sam. I know." He took a deep breath and continued. "The other option is we pay the tribute. And not just next week's tribute, but tributes for the last three weeks that we missed."

Sam's eyes went wide with shock and alarm. "What?! There's no way we can pay that kind of tribute. We barely have enough to give our traders in Identine. How are we supposed to make a living if he expects us to give him everything we have?"

"I know, honey. He, uh... he did give me another option to pay tribute."

Her expression changed to one of hope and optimism. "Really? Well, hell Rishi, what is it?"

As the mouse stared back into his wife's eyes, hopeful and naive, he contemplated revealing to her what he'd have to do in order to keep her and the children warm and safe in the home they've known their whole lives. But as he did, he thought back to what the canines did to him and his wife and didn't want to worry her or give her any reason to resent the Lord any more than she already did. Instead of answering her, he simply stepped around her and walked over to the stove. Sam watched in confusion as he avoided her question, but she pressed the subject.

"Rishi! What was the other option?"

Rishi touched the pail, checking the temperature to see if it had warmed up yet, despite having just been placed on the oven. He sighed, deciding the best thing to do would be to leave her and the kids in the dark and not get them involved. "Don't worry about it. It's something I'll have to take care of by myself."

His wife's optimism was fading quickly, getting replaced by anger. He didn't even look her in the eyes when he said that. "Rishi, what was the other option?"

"Sam, don't worry. I'll take care of it. It's not something that you can do anything about."

She was clearly getting frustrated that her husband was keeping it a secret, but she was also worried about his well being. "What does that mean? 'It's not something I can do anything about.' What the hell does that mean?" Rishi said nothing, keeping his eyes glued to the wooden floor. "Rishi, please don't hide anything from me." She moved next to him, her eyes set to begin welling up any moment. "If it's something that means you're gonna get hurt, I don't want you to do it."

He felt then, after hearing her say that, that he was correct in not informing her of the other two choices. He finally looked up at her. "Sam, please." He put his hands on her shoulders trying to comfort and reassure her. "Look, things have been hard around here and it's frightening and I know it's especially hard on you and the kids. But please, I'm asking you, trust me. Our Lord is a reasonable man and everything is going to be fine. OK?"

After a moment, the tears flowed. She sniffled a little and brought up a paw to wipe away a tear as she turned her side to him. "This is all my fault," she said in a subdued voice.

Rishi furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm the one who alienated all our neighbors. I'm the one who insulted their beliefs. If not for me, they might have been willing to help us."

"Oh, honey, I was insulting their beliefs long before you started saying anything."

"Oh, please! All you did was say that you didn't agree with them about it. I was the one running around spreading the hatred because I didn't know how to keep my damn trap shut!"

"Well... to be fair I did say some pretty awful things as well."

She chuckled lightly at that, tears still falling slowly as she turned to face her husband again. "That's true, but you were only defending me."

"Of course I was defending you." He once again held her shoulders, comforting her. "You're my wife. No matter what anybody says, I'll be there to defend you."

She smiled back, wiping the tears from her face. Despite her fears, she knew her husband would always look out for her and would never do anything to jeopardize his own safety if it meant the safety of his family. She decided to let the subject go and she just leaned into him, burying her face in his shoulder. He put his arms around her back, holding her in a warm embrace. After a moment, Sam broke the embrace and backed away.

"OK, I'm sorry about this Rishi, but I need to leave because the smell... it's really starting to get bad." She laughed mockingly as Rishi became embarrassed again. "So, just let the water heat until it begins to boil and then take it off the stove. Call me and I'll come back and help you wash up."

"Alright honey."

They kissed each other before Sam moved towards the door. She opened it and began to walk out of the den when she stopped and turned around. "Rishi. You promise me you'll be OK."

He relaxed his body and smiled the most reassuring smile he could muster. "I promise you, I'll be fine. We're all gonna be fine."

She smiled lovingly back at him, though part of that smile was forced as she was still plagued with concern. She turned and shut the door, leaving it slightly ajar. Rishi knew she was worried, but that was to be expected. He'd be worried too if their roles were switched. At that, he'd also try to stop her from going through with it if she were in his place and Allon had asked her instead of him to be their, essentially, concubine. He fell back into his contemplative mood, letting the thought of his wife with those felines drain as the thought of himself with those felines once again plagued his mind. He climbed into the tub and sat down, waiting for the water to heat up. The smell of urine was starting to distract him too much to think clearly about what the best course of action would be. He figured he'd probably be best served waiting until he's had a good night's sleep to clear his head to determine what best to do.

******

Morning came several hours later and it was not a particularly good one. Rishi had managed to escape the night without any subconscious reminders of the choice he must make, but the waking reality wouldn't let him forget. As he opened his eyes to the sight of his wife laying comfortably and peacefully by his side under the white, cotton sheets, his first thoughts of the day were what kind of decision he would make to keep his wife and kids safe. Before he'd even taken a breath, he was already dreading the next day of tribute and what it meant to him as a native of Darreen, a husband, and a heterosexual male mouse. Samantha stirred and stretched her arms out over her head before opening her eyes. Rishi smiled back at her to hide his own discomfort.

"Morning sweety," he called her in a loving tone.

She turned to look at him, but didn't return the smile. Her expression showed the same concern as it did last night. She reached over and pet his chin gently. "Hey babe. You feeling better?"

He took her paw in his, still smiling, happy to just be lying next to her. "I am. Thank you. I just needed a good night's sleep."

"Honey, I know you said not to worry about it-"

"Sam, please..."

"No, look Rish, I worry about you. You came home terrified, the man who was sent here by the felines attacked you and told you that they'll throw all of us out to fend for ourselves if we don't give them what they want. And as your wife, I feel it's my responsibility to look out for you just as much as it's your responsibility to look out for me. And I think I'm entitled to know what you know, because when you hold back like this, it just makes me worry even more. So just tell me, please. What is it that he wants?"

Rishi placed a paw on his wife's stomach and gently massaged her under the sheets, still smiling as if nothing was wrong. "I know it's hard to accept and I would worry just as you are if our places were switched. But this is really, honestly nothing you can help me with. It's something only I can do. But I promise you, on the life of our children, I am in no danger from this (that I know of)."

Sam sighed with discontent. "Then why won't you tell me what it is?"

"Because I know that if you knew, you wouldn't want me to do it."

That answer served only to make her more upset, but she also seemed to have no choice but to trust him. "You promise there's no danger?"

"Next week, I'll go to the High Court, I'll offer my tribute, they'll accept it, then I'll come back home afterward and we'll continue to live our lives as if nothing's changed." A little white lie there at the end, though it wasn't certain how little it really was.

Rishi knew he hadn't put Samantha's mind at ease, but she seemed to relent as she went back to petting the side of his head. She let out another long sigh and finally smiled back at her husband weakly. "Alright. I trust you."

They kissed softly and began to nuzzle each other, whiskers caught between muzzles while they gently rubbed each other gently. Their short-lived reverie came to a halt when they heard a loud bang at their door. "Mommy! Are up yet? I'm hungry."

Sam chuckled and called back to her five-year-old daughter on the other side of the door. "I'll be down in a few minutes, dear. Would you go set the table for mommy and daddy?"

"K!" They heard light footsteps traipse away. Rishi and Sam looked back into each others eyes, their love for each other shining bright in the morning sun. They gave each other one last soft, but passionate kiss before removing themselves from bed.

They made their way to the living room where Sam began to make fried eggs with some toast and various berries and warm milk. Their two kids, a five-year-old girl named Tessa and a three-year-old boy named Dex sat restlessly at the table, four utensils, four plates, and four glasses waiting to be used. They managed to procure some fresh food items from local villages at fairly cheap cost from some natives that felt sorry for the Winslows and their predicament. And when winter comes, it'll be even harder for the rodent family. Their food will turn hard or sour, but it'll still be edible or usable in some form. Given their lack of resources, they've had to be self-reliant and cut as many corners as possible, which meant also saving up every scrap of food they had. Rishi was hoping that after the winter passed and spring came about the following year, he'd be better prepared to try to reconstitute the land. He's had little success over the last two years, but he has had success.

Rishi spent some time talking with his fellow Plains-people, at least the ones who were willing to talk with him. Word had spread fast from the rat, raccoon, and rabbit about Rishi's encounter with Allon and his unfortunate accident. They were concerned with the well-being of his family and asked how he planned on fulfilling his obligation to the Royal Court. He gave few details, but tried to reassure them all that he had no intention of continuing his dereliction with the honorable royal members. Some even offered him a small supply of their own stores, but Rishi couldn't accept it, even if he wanted to. The Felis Army was particular that tributes come from separate parties and could not be shared. They knew as well when someone was offering tributes obtained from another person. It's happened before and they would always punish both parties involved and Rishi didn't want to get anyone else in as much trouble as he was in now.

So he continued on through the week, pondering the same thing, asking the same questions. As the days rolled on, he got more and more nervous, but the questions never got any easier to answer. The day before the offerings were to be made, Rishi found himself in a panic. He'd avoided his wife and kids all day and wandered the Plains rather aimlessly. The sun was going down over the sea and he was walking down the main road towards Latrans Forest, the forest to south just passed the Plains border. His life was on the line as were his family's and the home he's always known would be gone soon, his world crumbling around him, and yet he still felt no closer to answering the questions he's asked himself for the last six days. Could he allow himself to be taken by a group of felines, male felines at that, to be used like a sexual object; like some cheap male prostitute? If not, the only other viable option was to take his wife and kids and all the money and property they might be able to sell and try and make it outside of the Plains. If he tried that, though, he might still need to offer his body to some bandit raiders if they were caught. Worse yet, they might demand his wife.

The thought made his stomach turn as he absentmindedly passed up the street to his home. He then thought about the option of sacrificing himself for his wife and kids and the thought of what they might do with his body if he did. They'd probably use him as food and use his skin and fur to make some nice fur loincloths. He quickly brushed the thought aside though, because even if he were willing to give his life for his family, it was moot and wouldn't give his family any true peace.

He thought once again, as much as he hated the thought, about being bedded by the felines. His love life with his wife was quite unremarkable, but even an unremarkable night in bed with a bunch of large males was a very big deal to the straight mouse. He tried to convince himself that he could do it. He pictured them all naked, their feline penii hanging erect out of their sheaths, and tried to imagine what it would be like if they shoved them up inside of him. Would it hurt? Would he be able to take it? They may also ask him to clean them, lick them, engulf their hard members and pleasure them orally until they spill their seed down his gullet. The thought was uncomfortable, but bearable, but even Rishi recognized that the real experience would be more extreme. He thought back to when he was restrained under the weight of the cougar Lord and he took in his strong musk. It took a moment, but he was able to recall the smell and he considered the smell of his own member and associated it with what the royal member's own cocks would smell and taste like and suddenly the experience took a much less bearable turn. The thought was sickening and anymore images of feline cocks either being shoved into his mouth or his ass became more and more undesirable. Nevertheless, considering his options, he tried to find a way to make it work.

He began to think of the smell of his wife, her illustrious scent that always gets him excited. He then tried to associate her scent with the image of a feline cock and it seemed to make things a little easier. However, he realized that the scent of the cats was quite strong and he'd most likely be unable to imagine the scent of anyone else, regardless of how often he's enjoyed it. He then figured for a visual distraction, picturing first the sight of 5 felines with large, erect penii and then forcing in front of them all the sight of a hot, young female mouse, naked with legs spread, inviting him in to those heavenly pursed lips between her legs. It was starting to work as he felt his cock get hard in his trousers. The images started to blend together a bit more and he was having more difficulty distinguishing between the males and the female.

His thoughts were interrupted when he almost walked into a tree. Once he stopped to take in his surroundings, his breathing slowed, his mouth was agape, his eyes grew wide, and his heartbeat almost doubled. He realized that he'd walked past the boundaries of the Darreen Plains straight into Ferochen territory and arrived at the Latrans Forest. His terror grew as he slowly surveyed the area. He saw no signs of canines, but that meant nothing as there were plenty of places to hide. He turned his head and saw the wall separating the two areas a good 200 yards back. He shot his eyes forward again, trying hard to breathe regularly, but failing and panting with fear. He slowly backed away from the forest, hoping he hadn't been seen by anyone outside of the wall. He might be able to walk the whole way back without turning his back on the woods. He made a few steps when he spotted movement, hoping it was just leaves on branches blowing in a slight wind. After espying the point where he saw movement, his hopes were dashed when he saw it move again and recognized that it wasn't leaves, but the clear autonomic movement of a canid tail.

His heart nearly froze, as did he, and he could barely move a muscle, instinctively hoping his stillness would keep his enemy from seeing him. His brain, luckily, took over and told him that if he could see them behind the trees, they could no doubt see him in the wide open area. His breathing quickened and he had no choice but to make a break for it. There was a chance he could make it back, but with his small stature, the canines could easily overtake him and make him their next meal. There was no more time to think. He took a deep breath and used every joule of energy he had to move his muscles to their limit as he turned about and made a bee line for the opening in the Plains wall.

As he began, several canids hiding within the forest sprang to life out of their hiding spots and raced quickly after the helpless, exposed rodent. A few of them growled as they raced forward, their movements quick and determined. Rishi made no attempt to assess how many dogs were chasing him. He never bothered to look behind him as it would only slow him down and reduce his chances of surviving this stupid encounter. He listened intently, though, at the force behind him and it sounded dire. The canines were much faster than him and were quickly gaining on him. He had less than a hundred yards more to run and then he'd be safe. Unfortunately it sounded like they'd reach him before he made it.

He'd never gotten this much exercise and the exertion was quickly taking its toll. He was breathing faster now and his muscles were already starting to burn, but he couldn't waver and he knew it. He was getting closer, but the sound of paw pads pounding into the ground were closer and the grunt of a couple canids told him they were on him and would catch him before he reached the wall. He came upon a large boulder, much bigger than himself, and decided that since he couldn't outrun them, he could at least try to outmaneuver them. He dodged to the left of the boulder just as he felt a canine on his back. He moved around the back and came around the other side as a wolf lunged out for him. Rishi managed to dodge to the wolf's left side and move around his back. At that moment, two more canines, a coyote and side-striped jackal, tried to pounced the mouse, but he slipped between them at the last moment and they collided with the wolf. He may not be as fast as them, but he was quite agile. In the confusion, as the canines were arguing and insulting each other, Rishi high-tailed it back to the wall. He was easily getting tired, but he'd managed to put a little more distance between himself and the dogs. He reached the wall, but the opening was still a few dozen feet away and he could hear the dogs still on his tail and unless there were guards waiting next to the entrance, there would be nothing stopping them from grabbing him.

Fortunately, there was a small opening in the far corner just barely capable of fitting a small rodent such as himself. He managed to squeeze himself through, though it was an incredibly tight fit. He didn't care that it was digging into his skin and ripping his shirt and pants. He just wanted to be safe. He'd gotten one leg through and pulled the other through just as a wolf grabbed at it, barely scraping the mouse's foot. He tried to fit through, reaching through with one arm as he tried to grab at Rishi, who'd moved away from the hole. After taking a second to breathe, he got up and began running again, though at a much reduced pace. He was panting now and sweating and his muscles burned in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. He made his way towards the road, but some canines had managed to run in without him noticing and they tried to pounce him. He dodged out of the way, but lost his footing and wound up falling and rolling forward. He got onto his back, staring back at an eager black-furred wolf who was baring his teeth, ears splayed back and a wide grin on his face. He slowly stalked forward with eyes that had a devilish look to them. He was salivating and panting and his tail swung back and forth as he stepped.

"You- you're not supposed to be here!" Rishi cried out, hoping the canines would listen, but he just kept coming forward. Behind him were several other canids that were just as eager for the mouse. None of them wore a single article of clothing. Rishi's heart was pounding and he was feeling sick. He tried to back away, but it did little good. He wanted to get up and run, but his legs were rubber and even if he tried, they'd reach him without trouble and take him back with them.

A loud banging sound to the mouse's left rendered the thought moot anyway. He turned, as did the canines, to see a group of five feline officers, looking rather peeved at the intrusion into their space by the enemy. One of the officers, a tiger, had banged the base of his halberd into the ground to get their attention. Standing in front was a bobcat who had unsheathed one of his scimitars and held it off to the side, a second one resting at his waist along with an empty scabbard. The bobcat walked forward with the other cats in tow. The canines eager display of sadism towards Rishi was discarded and now looked on with defiance as well as worry.

The bobcat held up his scimitar and pointed it at the canines, who growled in response. "You... are trespassing and you will leave this area now!"

The canines, still panting and staring defiantly back at the Felis Army, relented after a moment and turned to leave quickly. The wolf turned to face Rishi before leaving. "You're lucky this time mouse. You come near our forest again and you won't be so lucky. We'll make sure you regret it."

He flashed him his teeth with a devious grin and turned and ran out. Rishi's heart pounded and he panted loudly. He lay there a moment, letting himself calm down. The Felis officers turned and began to walk away. Rishi, feeling a need to extend his gratitude, got up and jogged as best he could over to them. He knelt down on both knees and bowed before them all. "Thank you, good sir. Thank you for saving my life."

The officers stopped and the bobcat addressed him. "Thank you? Why are you thanking us? We didn't save your life." Rishi looked up, still on his knees, perplexed. "Weren't you listening? We just didn't want those bastards on our land. We didn't give a shit what happened to you." Rishi's heart sunk and his stomach turned, bewildered at the condescending nature of the cat's words. "If they had grabbed you and taken you with them, you think we would've chased after them? Hell no! As far as we're concerned, you're the only native in the land that deserves to be taken. In fact, we were certain that after last week's tribute, we'd have been dragging you and your family to the outer reaches of the Plains." Rishi was heartbroken. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The other officers were smiling with enjoyment at the bobcat's berating. "The only reason we didn't just hand you over to those wolves now is because our lord told us not to. He honestly believes you'll be making your tribute next week. I don't see why he would think that since you've been such an unreliable piss ant thus far, but we follow our lord without question. So count your blessings those canines didn't take a chance and try to take you with them. 'Cause as far as we're all concerned, you're just a useless vermin living off our land."

Rishi's eyes began to water. His mouth hung open and he wanted to say something, but he just couldn't. The other officers chuckled at his misfortune while the bobcat simply sneered at him. They turned and continued their march, talking among themselves and deriding the poor mouse. It was in that moment that Rishi realized the cold hard fact that there were no other options. The way his fellow natives felt towards him, the way the officers of the Army feltl towards him, the way the Royal Court looked at him... there was no other way. He had to accept Lord Allon's offer. He had to let himself be taken. No matter how discouraging it may seem, it was his only way out. He allowed himself then to cry and remain in the empty street to sulk and stew in his own misery.