Blacktail Sanctuary - Chapter One -
#1 of (ZOO) Blacktail Sanctuary
Kelly is an anthropomorphic Whitetail Doe, who works in the Blacktail Sanctuary, a privately run sanctuary for wild and exotic animals. As a Keeper, its her job to run guided tours, answer questions from people - and one day, she gets a difficult question, from a naieve young human child - and for once, this friendly, outgoing and pleasant young Doe is lost for words....
Blacktail Sanctuary Chapter One - © Cederwyn Whitefurr 8th February, 2012 All Rights Reserved.
"No, I've been a keeper here at Blacktail Sanctuary for twelve years," Kelly smiled, then tipped her head gracefully to the human man who had asked the question. "Please, if you're curious about something - ask, we don't bite."
Standing five feet four inches tall, Kelly wore a pale khaki long sleeved shirt and a skirt that came to her furred ankles. On her head was a wide brimmed hat, two small slots cut in it, for her long ears to poke through, and her waist length head of human-like hair, a rich nut brown, ran down from beneath her hat, tightly braided into a ponytail. Her muzzle bore the characteristic black stripe of the Whitetail species she was descended from, her delicate paws were a pale brown, not quite tan in colouration, ending in small black tipped hooflets. For the most part, her fur was a rich vibrant brown, woodland brown as she referred to it; and her eyes were widely spaced and a dark brown, almost black. Her ears were long and tubular, tipped with the black markings of her species, and from the back of her skirt, behind her slender effeminate hips, her tail poked through a small hole in the skirt - the tail about eight inches long and almost tear-drop shaped.
A young boy, in the group of twenty humans she had guided around the sanctuary, gently tugged Kelly's skirt and gazed up at the Whitetail Doe, who raised an eyebrow curiously. Kelly favoured the child with a sweet, innocent smile, as befitting her friendly and courteous personality.
"Miss, is it true you're a..." Stammered the boy, trying to find the word in his vocabulary. "You're a deer?"
Kelly chuckled, the black muzzle stripe common to the Whitetail deer, both feral and anthropomorphic, crinkling as she laughed delicately, then crouched down and looked the child in the eyes, giving him a friendly smile.
"Well, of sorts - I am, yes. We are what is called an Anthropomorphic person. My appearance is that of a human-like Whitetail doe." Kelly explained tenderly.
"I heard your kind can...you know..." Blushed the child, then yelped as his mother frowned and pulled him close, then chastised the frightened child.
Kelly blinked, sensing the child's next words, and she swallowed, before carefully rising back to her full height and clutching her paws before her, as she blushed in embarrassment.
"Miss, I'm so sorry - he...they're learning about Anthropomorphic people in school and he - " Stammered the embarrassed mother.
"No, it...its quite alright - " Kelly giggled nervously, her ears flicking back in embarrassment. "In answer to your question, no. We anthropomorphic people, and we are people - can not interbreed with our animal 'cousins' as it were. Now, if there are any more questions..."
Kelly felt her cheeks and inner-ears burning with embarrassment and shame, then realised the child had asked this shameful question out of genuine curiosity and innocence - not some perverted adult curiosity. Kelly had actually and intentionally lied to the humans, who shuffled nervously, sensing in their limited way - the young doe before them was quite shocked and ashamed by the question. With a quiet cough into a paw, Kelly smiled and returned to guiding the group through the sanctuary, acting as if nothing was wrong...
*
After the last group, Kelly returned to the staff room and walked to the refrigerator, where she pulled a cold bottle of water from the shelf and picked up a straw. Unscrewing the cap, Kelly slipped her hat off and sat down on a chair that creaked ominously under her slender weight, and she rested her chin on her paws and sighed, closing her eyes. After a few moments repose, she crouched down and undone the hoof-boots the management made her wear. They were a thick leather 'shoe' of sorts, that fit over her cloven hooves and buckled tightly behind her ankle. Kelly despised wearing them, as they often cruelly cut into the tender fur and flesh at the back of the hoof - but management was insistent. Kelly often fantasised about strapping these painful boots to the managements human feet, and making them walk all day in them before...
"Hey sweety!" Come a masculine voice from across the room, startling Kelly out of her thoughts.
Kelly blinked, then lifted her tired head and stared at the human who stood just inside the staff room door. He was six foot two inches tall, wearing a similar hat to that which Kelly had dropped unceremoniously onto the table, and likewise, he wore a long sleeved khaki shirt and trousers, with thick soled work boots on his feet. He came over to where the frustrated young Doe sat, then wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pressed his lips to hers - silencing her moan of pleasure.
"Mmmm - " He whispered, as he broke the kiss and sat down before her, taking her paws in his hands. "I missed you at lunch today - "
"Stephen...my love - I missed you too, I was so busy today...gods - I just want to retire to our little cottage here and sleep...preferably for a week."
Stephen grinned at her, then playfully trailed a finger along the black muzzle stripe on Kelly's muzzle.
"Sleep huh? Now now, that's not my young Doe fiancés speaking now - " Stephen smirked and watched Kelly's eyes close as she sighed in longing.
"You're right...its not - " Kelly moaned in exhaustion. "As much as I love you, my dear fiancés, I'm too tired to even think about anything but a long, hot bath - then a good nights sleep."
"Rough day?" Stephen asked, as he fetched a glass and poured himself a drink of the ice-cold water from Kelly's bottle.
"Just...tiring my love. It gets exhausting, guiding people around the sanctuary, answering their questions, showing them the various animals and such - oh, and think yourself lucky...some poor child is going to go home scared - because of an innocent question to me - about...well..."
Stephen coughed, then began choking as he pounded his chest and nearly sprayed the mouthful of water everywhere.
"Arrgh - damn that hurt...okay...what? They asked you..." Stephen sputtered, putting the glass down on the table before him.
"About...you know - if my kind can...interbreed with the feral deer and - " Kelly blushed, her ears flattening in embarrassment all over again. "Err..." Stephen whispered, then reached out and laid his hand on Kelly's trembling paw. "Well, err...technically, gods - I'm no Biologist...technically, you are a Whitetail - "
"No, I'm a Vixen in disguise - " Kelly snorted, then playfully squeezed her lovers hand.
"Ooo - really? Wow - here I was, about to pledge my heart and soul to a common old Whitetail and - "
Kelly growled in mock-anger, then playfully slapped his cheek with her furred paw. Stephen chuckled and leaned over, kissing her passionately once again.
"Of course I love you my sweet, gentle doe. I gave you my promise, that I would share my life with you, if you would have me..." Stephen smiled, gazing adoringly into Kelly's dark eyes. "Well, as for the question - I honestly don't know. I'd have to say...no. The biological differences would I think, be too different between you and a feral...."
Kelly smiled at him, then nuzzled his throat, before giving him a teasing nibble. Stephen grunted and smiled teasingly, tipping Kelly a wink.
"Don't tease little Doe - " He whispered, then took another sip of water. "Although..."
"Dream about it - " Kelly retorted playfully, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "We're NOT going to get all affectionate here..."
"Awww...why not? You, me, this table..." Stephen snickered, then yelped as Kelly slapped him again.
"Anyway - dream about it. As for we Whitetail's', well - actually - as our species can interbreed with humans...would it not stand to reason that we...just maybe..."
Stephen twitched, then frowned and giggled nervously. "That...is something a pretty young doe shouldn't bother herself thinking about. Come on, its feeding time...."
Snatching up her hat, Kelly slapped it onto her head, then folded her ears with her paws, poking them through the narrow slits in her hat, then picking up her bottle of water and dropping the straw into it. "Come on lazy - the animals won't feed themselves...you know sanctuary life - its never dull, always work to be done...."
"Don't I know it - " Stephen groaned theatrically, then slapped Kelly playfully on the rump, watching her beautiful white underside tail slap itself down, revealing the dark brown of the top.
"Stop that - " Kelly giggled, flicking her ears.
"Or else...what - " Stephen smiled innocently, then kissed her cheek delicately. "See you soon!"
"Be careful my love - you've got the snakes and a few carnivores today - " Kelly reminded him.
"Snakes? Gah - can't stand them - at least feeding them is easy...but I got a snake in my trousers who..."
Stephen chuckled and ran, as Kelly picked up a handful of dirt from the nearby garden and heaved it at him.
*
When the feeding, cleaning of enclosures and stalls was done, Kelly was bone weary and slowly clopped her way to their small cottage on the sanctuary grounds. How they had ever managed to get accommodation on the grounds themselves, in a semi-private corner of the sanctuary, Kelly didn't really know. Most staff lived off the grounds, and only herself and Stephen remained on the premises - occasionally doing random patrols of the grounds - or keeping an eye on a female animal, who was to give birth soon. For Kelly, it was the ideal job - for the most part. She didn't mind the hard work and long, tiring hours it often asked of her, as she adored animals of all shapes and kinds - for when she was growing up, she aspired to be a wildlife Veterinarian, alas, her dreams were crushed when she failed the difficult tests required to enter University to study. Getting this job, in her opinion, was a ideal secondary position, and she had been happy ever since.
As Kelly hand-fed a few Eastern Grey kangaroo's who gathered around her, she smiled and was content with her lot in life. Kelly had met Stephen ten years ago, and they had both hit it off fabulously, their love of animals and many other similarities formed an almost magnetic attraction between them. Sure, there had been some rough spots with Stephen's family, when Kelly was introduced to them - as they had always thought their son would marry a nice human girl - not, as Kelly heard one night from Stephen's fathers whispered voice.
"Some half-animal freak..."
Kelly had fought to bite back her tears at hearing these cruel words - Stephen, with his limited human hearing hadn't heard his fathers callous whisper as they headed for the car that night, but Kelly had heard it as easily as if she was standing next to his father, when he said it. She never mentioned it to Stephen, keeping it a painful secret between them - not knowing Stephen had long known his father, and to a lesser extent - his mother, had long harboured anti-anthropomorphic sentiments. Stephen had not, and he genuinely seemed to love Kelly, despite their differences, and he promised her a life of love, trust and absolute commitment.
For ten years, Stephen had kept his promise, never straying, oh, sure, he would occasionally make some teasing remark about a young woman - be they anthropomorphic or human - he was a male after-all - but he never cheated on his fiancé - not once. They had been through some tough trials - some people openly accepting their mixed-species relationship, some disliking it, and they had mad and lost friends along a rocky path too acceptance, now, they had come to realise, it didn't matter what otehrs felt or thought - it was only their love for each other - that mattered.
In this, Kelly was content....
To Be Continued...