Beneath the Southern Cross - Chapter Two -
Story by Cederwyn Whitefurr on SoFurry
Blue takes Rennae out to see a human friend, one who runs a sanctuary for orphaned kangaroos, here, she's met by a lovely young Doe called Nellie and Blue shows his cheeky nature at the meeting between wolf and kangaroo feral...
Beneath the Southern Cross
Chapter Two
© Cederwyn Whitefurr
14th October, 2021
All Rights Reserved.
Rennae woke with the dawn, as was customary with her people. One thing they were good at, was going from a deep, restorative sleep to wide awake in a single heartbeat. Why? Only the Great Spirit knew. Quietly, she slipped out of bed and dressed then took her heavy boots and padded lightly down the staircase. One of the stairs creaked beneath her and she froze, before giggling nervously and proceeding outside.
Her paw pads were silent, then as she walked around the edge of the pub, she gasped and her boots fell from her fingers as she slapped her paws to her muzzle.
Standing there, one paw leaning against the wall, stood Blue, urinating in a strong, powerful stream onto the dirt. He yelped when he seen her and quickly shook himself off and tucked it back into his jeans, zipping it up.
“Strewth,” Came a startled gasp.. “Love, you scared me half to death – don't you wolves make noise?”
Rennae blushed and giggled shyly. What she'd seen, well, there was no doubt he was a buck kangaroo – quite a buck...
Embarrassed, his ears flattened as he shuddered, obviously discomforted by being caught mid-stream.
“You need a moment?” Rennae asked innocently, her lips curling slightly.
“I'm...” Blue grunted, then shuddered. “I'll manage...I swear, you scared ten years growth out of me! I thought I was the only crack of dawn bloke to get up and active!”
“It's a gift I share with my tribe – we awaken with the dawn, might be something in common with you Kangaroo's. Speaking of, think we'll see any today? I'm most curious to study them... Their physiology is fascinating and...”
Blue stared at her, then chuckled and leant against the pub wall.
“All the kangaroo you'd ever want is right here love!”
Rennae blushed again, she couldn't help it.
“I meant feral kangaroo's Mr...uh...I never learned your last name.”
“Stone the crows darling!” Blue snorted. “None of that fancy stuff out here! Call me Blue, all my mates do!”
“Mate? Oh, are you married?”
Blue laughed and shook his head.
“I forget, you American's don't understand our idioms and customs. No, mate means friend in our lingo. We don't go for the big smoke airs and graces out here! As for kangaroo's? Sure, I'm good mates with the bloke who runs a sanctuary – hell, he's got like thirty or more kangaroo adults and about ten joeys he's hand rearing. That do you? Or you want to go hunt wild ones?”
“Hunt? Oh no, no...I'd never...”
“I meant look for,” Blue shook his head again. “Cripes, its going to be one of those days, hotter than a snakes ass in a wheel rut...”
Rennae stared at him, muzzle hanging open.
“Oh, sorry...” Blue grinned. “Instinct, we Reds? We're attuned to the desert. We can tell first thing in the morning what sort of day it's going to be. Doesn't rain out here often, so its heat and sunlight for like three hundred and sixty-four days of the year out here...”
“You're...serious?”
“Nah, just tugging your tail love. Seriously though, its going to be hot, dry and unpleasant. I hope you got your hat and whatever you use for sunscreen – I'd hate to see you roasted like roadkill on the great highway!”
Rennae shook her head slowly, not sure what to make of this enigmatic kangaroo, who smiled at her and winked.
“Better put those of lass, your delicate little foot paws will be fried to a frazzle in no time...”
Rennae looked down at her boots, then chuckled and nodded. Sitting down, she tugged them on and laced up the boots before she rose and stamped her feet to ensure the boots were secured and sitting right.
“Me? I don't need no fancy boots, the God's gave me these great massive stompers!”
Blue gestured at his feral-like feet, the middle claw about 2 inches long and slightly curved.
“Righto, let me get the old rust bucket going, and we'll be off like a pound of prawns in the sun!”
Rennae was a moment figuring out what he meant, before he gestured at the door-less, dented and neglected old four-wheel-drive that was parked under the eucalyptus tree.
“You drive that?” Rennae squeaked.
“Sure!” Blue grinned. “Old girl's still got a few thousand miles left in her... Get in and we'll be off!”
Fearfully, Rennae approached, looking a the vehicle like it'd crumble to rust the second she touched it. As her paw touched the seat, she squealed as a 1' long reptile slithered out from beneath it. It was short, scaled, and had a brilliant blue tongue that scented the air as it scurried into the foot well.
“What in hell is that!” Rennae yelped.
“There you are!” Blue grinned, as he reached over and picked it up, running his paw down the scaled creatures back. “Rennae? This is Mick the Blue Tongued Lizard! Nah, relax, he's sweet as sugar and perfectly harmless! Want to hold him?”
Rennae, wide eyed and muzzle open, backed away, holding her paws out in a warding gesture.
“You go play Mick, don't scare the tourist, okay?”
Placing the lizard down, he nudged it gently and watched as it scurried away.
“All you wolves so high strung?” Blue grinned. “Come on, we'll be late...”
*
Rennae spent the day in the kangaroo sanctuary, asking a billion questions the human was more than happy to answer for her. Rennae met dozens of kangaroo's, many of whom had been hand reared from fur less babies. She was fascinated and entranced, as one, a young Red Doe, hopped over to Blue and grunted at him, then playfully clutched at him.
“I love you too Nellie!” Blue grinned as he leant down and wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck, the doe returning the flavor with clucks and grunts.
“She seems to like you...” Rennae smiled, as she watched the two play.
“I should think so! I raised this joey from a tiny, un-furred pinky, now look at you darling! All grown up and...”
She merely crouched on all fours, as Blue reached under her and gripped her pouch, then held it open, revealing a half-grown joey inside.
Rennae stared in bewilderment. “Shouldn't she...”
“Nah, Nellie knows me, knows I'd never hurt her or her baby. Looking good there Nellie! You'll be a wonderful mother, I'm certain of it!”
Nellie grunted and clucked at him. Red listened, then shook his head and ruffled her ears.
“No, its not mine...” Red told her.
“YOURS?” Rennae gasped, eyes going wide and paws to her muzzle.
Kangaroo and human looked at each other, then burst into laughter. Rennae blushed deeply, realising she'd walked nose first into a joke.
“Of course Nellie's joey isn't mine!” Blue grinned good-naturedly. “I may be a red kangaroo, given, but...well...apart from the obvious differences....”
Rennae laughed quietly, then looked at Nellie, who grunted at her and clutched Rennae's paws between her own leathery ones as she grunted and clucked.
“I don't understand – what does she want?”
“Crouch down, its alright, she won't hurt you...”
Rennae did as she was told, then Nellie stretched out and licked Rennae's forehead before she pulled her head back and grunted something unintelligible.
“I think shes entranced by your white fur. She's probably seen it before. Alright Nellie, come on, there's a good girl, let the poor wolfess go!”
Gently, Blue pulled Nellie's paws off Rennae and held her as Rennae got back to her feet.
“So...beautiful, I mean, I've seen pictures and videos...but to see them up close like this?”
Nellie squirmed and grunted, then Blue snorted and lightly slapped her paw.
“No, be a good girl, no grabbing at her tail either!”
Rennae squeaked and blushed, twisting away as Nellie stamped a foot and seemed to argue with the anthropomorphic red kangaroo before her.
“None of that either!” Blue grinned and held Nellie's paws. “No. Be a good girl, or you won't get your treat!”
“A...treat?” Rennae asked, curious.
Blue snickered and nodded, then reached into his pants pocket and pulled our a wrapped sugar cube. Unwrapping it, he thought for a second, then gave it to Rennae.
“Here you go! Just hold it flat in your paw, like you're feeding a horse – you're in for a treat!”
Rennae blinked, then looked down at the cube, then at the kangaroo who crouched and clucked at her impatiently.
“Kneel down love,” Blue told Rennae. “That's it, hold your paw out...”
Rennae squealed as Nellie grabbed her paw with her smaller ones, then began licking at the cube in her palm, the soft, gentle tongue surprisingly warm and gentle. Rennae giggled and Nellie plucked it from Rennae's paw, her lower teeth barely touching the leathery pads before she crunched it and trembled from ears to tail.
“That feel good did it?” Rennae asked, gazing at Nellie.
“Only one, you greedy doe! You know sugar is bad for your kind, so don't beg for more!” Blue smiled.
Rennae fell in love with Nellie then and there, it was impossible not too as the sweet young doe turned her head to look at Blue, then back at Rennae as she clutched at her with her small black paws, making a strange chattering sound.
TO BE CONTINUED...