FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

THE THINGS WE DO... Part 1 of the story series:

A story of life, love and dead lizards...

Groaning audibly as yet another branch load of water dumped itself down his half-exposed neck, Simon drew the collar of his cloak tightly around his shoulders, hoping that the driving rain would let up long enough for him to find somewhere at least resembling dry, to spend the night. Glancing up moodily at the cloud cover hovering menacingly overhead, he cursed again, swinging his sword against the dense foliage in a vain attempt to clear a path through the greenery.

It had seemed much more of an adventure when he was a child, sitting at home beside the roaring fire, half tanked on warmed mead and cheering on his older brother almost enviously. "Find your heraldic beast!" the old court soothsayer had shrieked across the room to his brother, interrupting the cheering celebrations with his rank breath and odorous character. "Kill the beast, and become a man!" he screamed again, as further cheers swept the room, the celebration reaching new dizzying heights of intoxication. Between the cheers from those present, and the beaming praise from our parents, Charles had raised his bare sword high and offered oath after oath on his future success; to the family, our parents, and the Gods in general. He would find the greatest of heraldic beasts, and return a man amongst men, having slaughtered the creature in glorious battle!

After all, how hard could it be? Go into the woods, find something half decent, stick a sword into it and bring back its head as trophy.

Easy! Especially for a hunter of Charles's calibre! So, full of zeal and testosterone, he'd left the manor the next morning, brimming with the hope and pride of the family. It was a day everyone felt invincible!

At least, until the trackers had returned a fortnight later with Charles's half-consumed corpse strung across the saddlebags. Not a very glorious exercise then, was it. Hard to be a man, when most of your guts, not to mention your limbs, were fermenting in some rabid beast's intestine somewhere, while you stank up the courtyard dripped gore onto the stones beneath.

Not very glorious at all, really. I suppose becoming dragon shit never is.

As their 21st birthdays arrived, his other brothers had also undertaken the task, thankfully with greater success than Charles, although his fate hung at the back of our minds during the time before they returned, otherwise successfully. Even Simon himself had thought he understood the reasons behind the hunt. He'd been brought up in these mountains, and had held a bow and sword since he was large enough to draw and wield them. Admittedly, it was never his "thing" just to go off and kill something for the sake of killing it. That was his brother's forte, and his father's. It was one thing to bring home something for the table (and he was bloody damned good at doing that when he had to) but quite another to slaughter something for nothing more than the pelt or head it bore.

Hell, when he'd decided to give up the hunter's robes for the path of the scholar, dealing with the shame his family felt had been difficult enough. It didn't matter to them he was touted to become one of the greatest magi the kingdom had ever seen; at least according to his mentors. When told, the best his father had managed was a disparaging grunt, more indifferent than derogatory. The truth was quite simple; if it didn't involve the inner workings of the manor, or sticking something sharp somewhere inappropriate, then it wasn't important to him.

Simon dropped his head a moment, the icy water running down his face to drip fitfully onto the hand clenched tightly around the weapons grip, before trickling down the blade to the forest floor.

For a while, he'd thought he'd avoided this "duty", especially given his studies now took him so far from the manor itself. It had been less than a week till his 21st birthday that the inevitable message had finally arrived, delivered by a breathless page who'd managed to track him down in the depths of the city library. Puffing and wheezing from his exertions, Simon poured the poor child a glass of mulled wine from his own jug, receiving a grateful nod of thanks as the boy sipped slowly, collecting his wits, as Simon regarded the folded message before him.

Shit, he thought. Not this! Not now.

Reading the message spelt out on the vellum yet again, he clenched his fist around the paper, crushing it in his grasp as a flicker of anger crossed his features.

When would these bloody forest fools finally get it through their thick skulls that he wasn't going to spend the rest of his life in the bloody backwaters, hunting and fighting and fornicating his life away? He had important things to do, for God's sake! Things that didn't involve the wholesale slaughter of helpless forest animals!

To travel the fortnight's journey back to the keep at such a crucial point in his studies was insanity! And for what, exactly? To partake in some half-baked ancient pagan ritual his ancestors had concocted hundreds of years earlier, as an initiation to manhood? At twenty one, wasn't he man enough already?

Closing eyes suddenly exhausted, he accepted this was his fate. No escaping the inevitable; not this time. In his family's eyes, he'd never be man enough unless he undertook the ritual. Might as well get it over with, and be done with it.

Turning to the page who had been watching him wordlessly, he gave a brief nod and said "Tell the old man I'll be there. Never fear. I know my duty". The page nodded solemnly, spinning to make his escape from the bowels of the building, back into the sunlight. He probably saw only the glory of it, Simon grimaced. Forget the pain and suffering. Glory and gory!

Simon sighed, closing the thick tome before him with a dusty finality. Get it done, and be done with it, his mind whispered again. Then, you're free of the lot of them.

He almost laughed at the thought. Free? Hardly. But at least he could claim his inheritance, and pretend freedom wasn't such a fantasy.

______________

The drizzling mist cleared for a moment, allowing Simon to make out the vague outline of the cliff face towering above him. Thinking he might gain some shelter underneath the overhanging rock above, he slashed his way through the undergrowth to the very edge of the rock face, pressing his back against the cold stone tiredly.

Excellent! As well as rain running down his face, he now had cold, freezing slush dripping down his neck from above. At least if he'd planned on freezing to death, he had the luxury of being cold and miserable while doing it.

Shaking himself again, he climbed across the boulder strewn ground searching for shelter; ANY shelter! Just as he'd nearly resigned himself to another freezing night out in the open, he espied a dark crease in the rock wall ahead, perhaps masking shelter within.

Stumbling across the scree, he clambered past the dense hedges screening the low cave opening from outside view. Cursing after giving his head a particularly vicious smack on the low ceiling of the entrance, he stumbled to his knees, crawling the rest of the way through the heavy sand of the cave entrance as its walls opened into a low, deep chamber, more than perfect for his needs.

Shivering heavily in his drenched clothing, he dragged his backpack before him, fumbling as he opened the oiled drawstrings with numb, shaking fingers. With the sack finally open, he dumped the contents onto the sandy cave floor, searching through the pile of goods for his ever elusive flint and steel, as well as some torches, to examine his new, temporary home.

Shivers racking his thin frame, Simon eventually coaxed a faint spark into igniting the torch head; the sticky coating taking readily, releasing thick, cloying smoke into the small chamber. Fanning his hand to keep the oily smoke from choking his airways, he soon discovered the place to be significantly larger than expected. At least fifteen feet by ten feet, and a little over eight feet high at the centre, although this dropped sharply nearer the walls. Running his palm over the rock walls, the sandstone felt cold to touch, but little dampness was evident. The floor itself was covered in the same coarse, sandy gravel seen outside, although it was much cleaner in here. Likely river bed material, he mused, before spying a small pile of bones in one corner, lying jumbled besides a much larger pile of deadwood. Previous occupant, or prior dinner, he wondered, staring at the dead animal curiously. Shaking himself free of his deliberations, he grabbed several branches from the pile, dragging them closer to the entrance before plunging his torch into the result. The bone dry wood ignited swiftly, and he was soon able to extinguish the smoking torch in favour of the heat radiating from the blazing wood fire.

Returning to his back pack, he dredged up the remains of the previous night's dinner; cold meat congealed tastelessly over even colder bones. Blech! he thought to himself. Rock lizard tasted foul when hot; eating it cold was sheer desperation. However, cold, dead rock lizard was better than nothing, and after warming the remains for a time in the fire, he managed to choke down most of the flesh without vomiting; a feat in itself.

Contemplating his still soaked clothing, he discarded the rest of his wet gear, draping the clothes over some of the larger rocks littering the cave floor. With any luck, the fire might dry them out enough to make them wearable by the morrow, although the chance of the rain letting up so soon was optimistic. Eventually, stripped to his skin and standing naked in the firelight, he dropped onto the soft sand, stretching out before the fire and resting his head on the coarse fabric of his nap sack. Knowing risking any sleep here was crazy, he tried remaining awake, but the combination of exhaustion and the fires warmth sapping his strength, and it wasn't long before he slipped into a deep sleep.

__________________

Kyaara dropped to her belly, surveying the rock pool below, and the wild pigs drinking at the waterside. Her tail twitching in anticipation, she ignored the cold trickle of water tickling her ear, as it beaded from the branch above to run down her face.

She'd spent days following this family of grazers through the dense bush and rocky slopes near the cliff edge, until the female eventually brought her family to drink from the cold water below. The rain didn't seem to bother the pigs much, she mused, resisting the urge to shake the bulk of the water from her fur. While it hadn't made it through the guard coat to the dense, inner lining of her pelt, it still sapped the warmth from her wiry muscles; the long hours spent motionless waiting for the family of herbivores to arrive had been miserable.

The sow surveyed the small clearing with black, wary eyes, always on the search for danger. As wild boar went, she wasn't particularly large, and Kyaara was more than a match for her under normal circumstances. However, the season had not been favourable, and she'd lost way more condition than usual simply surviving the early winter. A successful hunt wasn't just a matter of filing one's belly; without the additional nourishment, she may not survive to see the spring.

Several of the piglets made their bickering, noisy way to the water's edge to drink. The sow, momentarily distracted by their antics, turned her head to follow their progress; this was the distraction she so sorely needed!

Bringing her hind quarters into a crouch, front claws at the ready, her muzzle drew into a silent snarl as the tendons in her rear legs released, sending the huge beast rocketing from cover and into the side of the sow. Her muzzle gaped, fastening onto the creatures back as the pig let out a terrified squeal, tearing through the underbrush in a vain attempt to dislodge her assailant. Kyaara tensed her claws, shredding the pigs side, as she bit down time and again through the knotted flesh of the sow's spine until, with a final shriek, the beast collapsed beneath her.

Gasping for breath at the exertion, Kyarra clamped her jaws on the quivering creatures back, tearing through the spinal column beneath. The sow's movement stopped as a rattling final breath left its jaws. Sighing herself, Kyaara drew back from her prey, surveying the dead sow in pleasure. This would keep her fed for days, she thought happily, tearing through the rank skin of the beast before consuming the sweet flesh within.

So desperate was her need for nourishment, she failed to notice the huge, dark shape enter the clearing, as the boar finally made his presence known. Its beady, shortsighted gaze scanned the clearing, skimming past the devastated greenery to alight on Kyaara's form hunched over her prey.

Feeling satiated for the first time in months, the first blow from the squealing monster struck her in the sides, huge tusks ripping upwards seeking the fragile flesh beneath. Kyaara gasped as the tusker knocked the breath from her, throwing her hard against the trunk of a nearby tree. Realising the danger almost too late, she spun to face the nightmare again charging her, foaming muzzle seeking to rend her asunder. Almost too late, she jumped across the boar, raking claws down its back and into its flesh as she tried to disable her attacker. The boar barely seemed to notice, although trails of blood now marred its hairy sides. Spinning in a spray of mud, it charged again, this time sending her flying towards the chilled water of the pond. The impact again knocked her senseless, and she struck the icy water hard, her body sent spiralling to the gravelly bottom.

Whether due to the impact, or the chill, she struggled frantically to reach the surface, her breath leaving her only to be replaced by icy fluid which sent her choking. She eventually reached air, gasping desperately, only to be sent flying yet again by a flick of the boar's head as it attempted to gore her further. Retreating into the deeper water, she hissed at her assailant, valiantly treading water to escape the clutches of the pond, which dragged at her thick, water logged coat, threatening to send her again to the bottom. The boar, bleeding heavily, roared its defiance at the raining sky, before turning towards her yet again...

__________________

Simon woke instantly as the first terrifying screams echoed through the night, sending him bolt upright in terror. Scrabbling for his sword in the faded light from the fire, he made it to his feet as yet another nerve wracking shriek rocked through the cave. Sides heaving, he staggered to the cave opening to peer into the dim twilight, seeking the source of the terrifying noise.

A crash echoed through the forest some distance away, sending smaller wildlife scurrying through the night. Whatever the combatants might be, only one let voice its rage into the night air. He realised, with shock, that he recognised the screams; that of a forest boar in full rage. Nothing would stop such a behemoth once fury overwhelmed it. Heaven help the poor bastard in its sights, he thought with a shudder, as yet another shriek sounded.

Realising his sudden nakedness in the chill night air, he went to move back into the cave, when a second sound met his ears; a whimper, desperate and friendless, lost in the crashing and shrieking of the boar's wild rampage.

Hand clenched against the cold stone of the cave's opening, he dropped his head and sighed, before firming his grip on the sword hilt and striding into the night towards the source of the disturbance.

_________________________

It didn't take him long to find the location of the fight; the torn, shredded carcass of the sow was a bit of a dead giveaway. He approached cautiously, well aware that the comparative silence might be just that; momentary. Across the clearing he spotted a dark shape in the cold water, lying motionless at the waters edgevin the dim light filtering through the trees. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't going to hurt him now, he thought, given its current state of... well... dead. That left...

A rustling behind him, followed by a roar, gave him only a moment to dive out of the way, as the boar speared the place he'd been with its tusks. Looking into the rage filled eyes, Simon didn't hesitate, old training kicking in to swing his sword up and around as the beast lumbered forward, spitting itself on the cold steel. Its momentum continued, hairy shoulder throwing him across the clearing to land in the mud near the lake shore. Shaking his head to clear the fuzziness following his landing, he lurched to his feet as the boar again turned to him, staring into his eyes balefully as the length of sword spearing his heart drained its life force with every beat. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the beast stumbled forward and collapsed, a new fountain of blood pouring from its mouth as it planted itself, face forward, into the icy mud of the clearing.

Danger passed, Simon sat stunned for a moment, until the cold and pain from his bruising finally snapped him to his current predicament. Pressing his chest gingerly, he realised he at least had some significant bruising, if not cracked ribs, to show for his efforts. Chuckling gingerly, he stood on shaky feet, approaching the boar cautiously, a swift kick to its head confirming its deceased state.

Good, he thought with a shudder. He hated those things!

However, at least his father would be happy, he mused sourly. A good, dead giant boar would satisfy their blood lust for a heraldic beast, and some!

Suddenly, he recalled the other shape in the water. Lurching to the lake shore, he could just spot it slowly descending into the icy depths, a lone trail of bubbles marking its passing.

Knowing he'd likely regret his actions, he dove into the water after it, swimming down towards the shape, before grasping it and dragging it towards the surface. Gods, it was heavy, he thought, redoubling his efforts as the thing threatened to drag him down with it. When he finally broke for air, gasping into the frigid night, he secured his burden and made for the shore, before his muscles cramped up from the cold.

Finally, shivering and gasping, he dragged the creature onto the bank, finally getting a good look at it.

What the hell?

It was big. Bloody big! A good 200 plus pounds at least, although with all that dense grey fur, it was a bit hard to judge accurately; it could easily have been double that. A wide head sat upon massive shoulders, neck easily wider than his double hand span. A short muzzle filled with long canines, a wide nose and eyes shut hard, surrounding skin wrinkled in pain. Long, tufted ears adorned the head, with a dense mane running down the creatures back to meet with a long tail, thick and tufted in black. The heavy legs ended in huge paws, larger than anything he'd seen in the forest. Stretching his hand across the pads cautiously, he found they were significantly wider than his own, and light pressures revealed the massive, razor sharp claws adorning all five toes.

Four toes and a thumb, he suddenly realised, confusion crossing his features. Matching the configuration of his own hand, albeit with shorter "fingers". The creature was an enigma, certainly, worthy of further study.

And dead, he sighed sadly. What a waste!

He ran a hand through the soaked pelt, amazed that it showed nothing more than a few grazes from its battle with the boar. Wondering whether he'd ever manage to salvage it, a gurgling cough brought him up short, eyes wide as he suddenly realised the creature beneath him was still clinging to life. It coughed again, water pouring from its muzzle, before again becoming still.

Hesitating a moment, Simon sighed again, reaching for the creatures head and tilting the massive neck back, its dense fur cold beneath his naked flesh. Pushing it onto its stomach, he straddled the wide back, pressing heavily on its shoulders, and forced the water from its lungs.

The creature remained motionless, even after repeated attempts. Twisting it again onto its back, he gazed down at the vaguely feline features with a frown. Sighing again, he cringed as he pressed his mouth across its wide jaws, sealing its muzzle with his own, and squeezing fingers firmly on its nose to keep it blocked. He filled its lungs with several of his own breaths, followed by compressions on its chest, much the same way he would a fellow human. The brief thought as to why he was doing this flashed through his mind, but he pushed it aside, concentrating on his administrations on the creature beneath him.

He kept the process up for several minutes, lungs aching and skin frozen in the icy air. Just when he thought all hope was lost, it gave a shudder, spewing water from its mouth as its chest heaved with suddenly drawn breath, and its heart finally beating strongly enough to maintain its own.

Simon sat back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, regarding with misgivings the task he'd just performed. While alive, it was clear the creature was in no way healthy, and leaving it here to die after bring it back was heartless.

On the other hand, the thing could easily rip him a new one if it wanted, and he had no way of knowing whether it was intelligent enough to identify friend from foe.

With its breathing now steadier, and pale inner lips returning to a healthier pink colour, he regarded it solemnly, debating its fate, only to catch a breath as he realised one slitted eye had opened, and was observing him vaguely. The two exchanged their gaze for several moments, until with a sigh it closed its eye and again fell unconscious.

Shit, Simon thought, rubbing his naked shoulders absently. I guess that makes my choice easy.

I wonder if I can even lift the bloody thing?

________________________________

Getting back to the cave was not easy.

With the beast thrown haphazardly over a shoulder, and staggering under its immense weight, he'd managed to make it back to the cave entrance, before dragging the dead weight besides the fire. Body protesting at every move, he settled its limbs carefully, resting its head on his now dry shirt to keep it out of the sand.

Thoroughly chilled despite his exertions, he rebuilt the fire and debated whether to tie the creature up while it still slept. Initially, caution prevailed, and he began rummaging through his pack for some rope, as the aches and bruises he'd sustained sapped his strength. Harsh shivers rocking his frame, the cold and stress finally won out. It was all he could do to wrap his woollen blanket around him before consciousness fled, and he fell silent, deeply asleep besides the fire.

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The cave was almost black, lit only by the sullen embers of the fire, when Kyaara eventually woke. For a moment her disorientation was total, her last memories being of sinking beneath the chill waters of the lake. To find herself in this strange cave, before an unknown fire, was almost too much, and she briefly fell into unconsciousness again.

Nearly an hour passed before she again woke, this time much more aware of her surroundings. She tested the air, wrinkling her nose at the dark musk of the boar that coated her fur. Yet another, deeper scent eluded her, and she ran her nose across her almost dried pelt, trying to identify the unknown creature.

Raising her nose briefly, she sniffed the air again; the cave, too, was full of it. She made to rise, but the deep aches in her limbs were overwhelming, and she let out a soft groan, her muscles suddenly immobile as an answering moan came from the darkness beyond the fire pit.

There was something in here, she suddenly realised, sharing the dark with her!

With another involuntary groan, she clambered silently and unsteadily to her feet, huge pads spread to balance her weight on the soft surface. The scent was there again, coming from the spot beyond the embers, and she hesitated just a moment before padding across to investigate the source.

To be confronted by a sleeping creature she only knew from tales; a human!

Bending cautiously to sniff the creature, she wrinkled her nose at the heavy scent, almost sneezing in response. Not much of a human, she thought dryly. Definitely male, and seemingly young, although the stories she'd heard as a youth only provided so much information.

Running her nose along his flank, she was surprised at how the heavy musk of her own scent mingled with his. Confusion crossing her features, she returned to sniffing her own limbs, realising with a start that his scent clung heavily to her also.

Dropping silently to her haunches she considered this dilemma. Obviously, she hadn't made it to the cave on her own, so that left the human. Their combined scents suggested something almost unfathomable; he had carried her here himself.

But why? She mused, staring down at his naked form in perplexion. She wasn't his kind. Why had he saved her?

Shaking her head dismissively, she decided to ignore the questions plaguing her, and simply make her escape into the night. The rain had finally stopped, although the heavy clouds threatened a further downpour later. Pausing at the cave entrance, she gave the silent, sleeping human one more thoughtful look, before melting into the darkness outside.

__________________

Simon woke late the next morning with a start, remembering the night's events with shock. Enough light penetrated within the cave to confirm the creature had left, although he soon realised his sleeping spot was surrounded by the heavy prints of the beast, which had clearly examined him while he slept. That he was still alive was a miracle, although his stupidity in falling asleep with such a creature present was almost beyond belief. What had he been thinking? He shouted to himself silently, anger finally overcoming his fear. He could have rescued the thing, only to have it kill him!

Idiot!

Grumbling under his breath, he rescued his shirt from the cave floor where he'd left it, shaking the sand from the fabric before slipping it over his shoulders. His pants and sword belt followed, and he redoubled his remonstrations after realising his main weapon was still lying out there in the weather, stuck to the hilt in a dead pig!

Cursing himself yet again, he crawled through the cave opening into sunlight, the glare causing him to squint involuntarily. Staring skyward, he could see the break in weather was only temporary, as the horizon was filled with angry thunderclouds obviously readying themselves for an unpleasant afternoon.

Shrugging, he left the remainder of his gear in the cave, keeping only his dagger at hand, and retraced his steps to the small lake where he'd rescued the creature the previous night. The ground was a mess, still clawed up and muddy where the two beasts had fought it out, and he kept a nervous eye on the dense foliage as he made his way to the dead boar, sword still firmly embedded in its chest. Flies buzzed across the reeking carcass, and he wrinkled his nose at the stench emanating from the already bloating corpse. Of the remains of the sow, he saw no sign.

With a foot on its chest, it took several heavy tugs to dislodge the weapon, which finally slid loose with a gurgle of congealing blood. Disgusted despite himself, he wiped the gore on the creatures hide before standing back and debating how best to remove its head and pelt. With effort, he forced the dead creature onto its back, removed his shirt and drew his dagger in preparation for the gory work ahead.

He'd slit the beast from sternum to navel, and was preparing to plunge his arms into the abdomen to remove the offal, when a deep, throbbing shriek echoed through the clearing. Frozen in shock, Simon scanned the dense forest surrounding him, hand creeping back to his dagger which he drew to his chest protectively. He slowly rose to a crouch over the boar, looking for the source of the noise, when yet another shriek rocked the forest as, with a rustle, a massive reptilian head parted the bushes across from him, slitted eyes cold as they gazed at him mercilessly.

Oh shit!! Oh shit oh shit oh shit....

Stepping back from the boar's corpse slowly, he reached down for his sword, only to realise with stupidity he'd left it leaning against a tree, well beyond reach. As he began a slow retreat, more of the creature emerged from the forest wall, its heavy scaled form barely making a noise as it emerged into the veiled sunlight. At least ten feet long from muzzle to tail tip, and weighing several hundred pounds, the reptile made a slow circling of the clearing edge, eyes fixated on Simon as he debated desperately what to do. The chance of his overwhelming the thing with just his dagger was laughable, but with a sword out of reach, his options were severely limited.

Snarling deeply, it dropped its head to sniff the boar, lips curling to reveal filthy, serrated teeth. Thick saliva dripped from its mouth as it scented the corpse, dipping its muzzle into the boar's abdomen to remove a mouthful of offal which it tore into ravenously. The eyes, though, never left Simon, and after several mouthfuls, it raised its gore smeared face to regard him again, eyes narrowed as it debated his fate.

Shit! Shit shit shit!!

Simon's mind flashed back to the sight of his brothers rendered corpse those years ago, and the words of the huntsmen who'd found his mutilated body. "Reptiloid", they'd surmised, reporting their grim findings to his father, while he and his brothers had looked on in shock. They'd been unable to track the beast, although even through his grief he had the feeling they weren't overly keen on ever finding it. It was like nothing they'd ever seen before, and even fully equipped, it looked like Charles hadn't a chance. The look on his brother's face, frozen in death, was witness to the creature's savagery; it was many years before Simon's dreams were free of that terrified gaze ruining his sleep.

Yet, here he was, less prepared and certainly less skilled, now facing a similar hell spawn creature.

Oh yes! He was boned!

Gripping his dagger tightly, he moved into a fighting crouch, readying himself for the creatures attack. It dropped, snarling, at the movement, cold eyes watching with evil intelligence. Lips set tightly, Simon waited for it to make the first move, hoping beyond hope for a miracle...

___________________

After leaving the cave, Kyaara returned to the site of the battle, snarling down at the stinking corpse of the boar as she slipped past. Filthy bottom feeder, she grumbled, giving the carcass a swipe of her claws for good measure. Her sight settled on the human's weapon still jutting from the boars chest, and she paused a moment, giving the handle a long sniff, before dropping to her haunches in perplexion. The metal had obviously killed the beast which had nearly finished her, but the "why" of the situation still defeated her.

Why had the human done it? She thought, before angrily shaking her head and returning to her kill.

Moving to the body of the sow, she returned to feeding, wrinkling her nose at the taste of slightly spoiled meat. Better than nothing, she sighed, and much of the flesh was still untainted. Gorging herself full for the first time in weeks, she dropped besides the remains and began cleaning her claws thoroughly with a rough tongue.

However, her thoughts kept drifting elsewhere; to the human.

Why her sudden fascination, she didn't know. It was hairless, and it stank, and it clearly couldn't fight its way out of a bush, let alone against something really dangerous; like her, she sniggered quietly. Yet, it had killed the boar, and then saved her from drowning, taking her to its den and keeping her warm until she recovered. If he hadn't, she'd be dead. This was irrefutable, and she snarled into her paw as the thought nagged her mercilessly.

Eventually, tired of her pointless deliberations, she seized the remains of her kill in her powerful jaws and dragged the body some distance into the forest, finally dropping into a satiated doze in the vague sunlight streaming through the leaves. A heavy paw draped over her prize, it didn't take long for her content stomach, not to mentioned still battered body, to send her into deep slumber.

A slumber that was broken abruptly as the shrieking of the reptile shattered the forest silence.

Leaping to her feet in a smooth move, all thoughts of aching muscles forgotten, she quickly scanned the forest, searching for the direction of the noise. When another shriek sounded, she dropped low, snarling in the direction from whence it came. Coppertop, she thought to herself, familiar enough with the beast sounding through the trees to usually avoid it warily. Big, nasty and callous; it didn't care what it killed, or ate, so long as it slaughtered its intended prey to satisfy its blood lust.

Certainly, it had found something to attract its attention, likely the boar corpse, given the sound had came from the direction of the clearing.

Dropping further, belly brushing the sandy ground, she shook her head in confusion. But what was it stalking, she wondered, concern momentarily overwhelming her fear. The boar was dead. What was it after?

Suddenly, it came to her. The human! It was after the human!

Debating quickly, it was only a moment before she slipped swiftly through the undergrowth towards the source of the noise, determination crossing her features as she wondered whether she'd arrive in time...

___________

Simon backed slowly from the reptile, dagger at the ready. It stalked him mercilessly, cold eyes judging his every move. It's ready to spring, he thought suddenly, tensing his shoulders to take the weight of the attack.

Until a rustling from the bushes besides him, accompanied by a deep guttural growl, left him frozen in shock.

Fearing to take his eyes away from the reptile so ready to attack, he saw its gaze break from his to meet the new threat, as Kyaara slipped from the forest brush to stand alongside him. A quick glance down sent him reeling; here was the creature from last night, close enough for its dense fur to brush his arm softly. When its growl deepened, and a roar split the clearing, he jumped, nearly sending the dagger flying from his now numb grip.

The coppertop snarled silently, eyelids dropping to slits as it gazed at the new hazard coldly. The moment seemed to extend indefinitely, neither side willing to compromise.

Suddenly, the reptile spun, flashing its tail dismissively at the pair as it grabbed the boar in its jaws, lifting the huge carcass effortlessly, before slipping back into the forest with its catch.

Simon let out a huge sigh, his new companion and saviour momentarily forgotten as relief flooded his system. Dropping to his rear, he put his face into his hands, forgotten dagger dropping to the sandy soil with a thud.

Then a whisper of fur against his arm caused him to freeze.

How could he have forgotten the massive creature next to him?

Lifting his gaze, he looked up almost fearfully, meeting the slitted golden eyes of a huge furred face, whose nose and muzzle rested only inches from his own.

The two exchanged uncertain stares for a moment, before they both blinked, sending an almost hysterical giggle from Simon's lips. The creature blinked again, and he brought his hand up slowly, well aware of the fangs protruding from the black lips before him. Fingers questing, he brought them to its cheek as it continued to stare at him solemnly, and he paused inches from its fur before it shut its eyes, pressing the side of its face against his fingers.

Initial hesitation quickly suppressed, he began caressing its cheek, rubbing through the dense fur as his fingers slipped to its neck, before the creature stepped forward, heavy head rubbed firmly against his own.

Finally, after a few moments, it stepped back and sat on its haunches, regarding him where he sat with solemn eyes, as he returned his hand to his face, giving his eyes a solid rub.

"Thanks" he whispered to it, meeting its gaze again, and it surprised him with a louder gurgling growl, almost sounding like a laugh. He couldn't help it; his own giggle again sounded involuntarily from his lips, and within a moment, he was laughing hysterically, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. Cocking its head, it moved forward again, rubbing its head against his face gently, and he wrapped his arms around it, hugging it tightly, and receiving nothing more threatening in return than a deep, rumbling purr.

When the hysteria had passed, he lay back against a tree trunk, regarding the creature thoughtfully. Smart, he thought. Very, very smart! Obviously it wasn't going to hurt him, although the reasoning behind this conclusion escaped him for the moment. It just... felt right, somehow. It watched him back, eyes following his own, as he considered his next move.

Just as the threatening clouds let loose a torrent above them.

Cursing liberally, he leapt to his feet, the creature following him without concern. Giving it a quick glance, he retrieved his sword and shirt from where they lay, before hunting around the clearing to get his bearings on the direction to the cave. When he began striding through the bush, he turned briefly to find the creature had began following, before hesitating uncertainly. It looked up at him briefly, and he turned back to it, dropping to a crouch before it.

Reaching out carefully, he rubbed its cheek, receiving a quick rumbling purr in response, before pausing, staring deep into its eyes.

"So, are you coming?" he whispered to it, rain dripping down their faces as they regarded each other. It blinked again, stepping past him, and proceeded in the direction of the cave. Chuckling, he stood up and followed its thick, waving tail through the trees towards the shelter.

I guess the boar isn't my heraldic beast after all, he thought to himself dryly, watching the huge, furred creature slip through the brush silently before him. It'll be interesting seeing what his father has to say about my choice, especially given its lack of being remotely dead. Grinning at the thought, he dropped to his knees at the low opening of the cave, before crawling into the darkness after it.

_______________

Kyaara entered first, pausing to sniff the discarded backpack with interest. A sneeze rocked her frame, and she shook herself heavily, showering water across the cave. She turned at the sharp cry from the human, gazing at her in disgust as it stood, dripping, behind her. Letting out a feline-like grin, she dropped to her flanks besides the now cold fire, panting lightly as she began cleaning her sides with long sweeps of her tongue.

"Thanks" Simon said dryly, removing his shirt to wring the excess water from the fabric. Leaning forward, he gave the cloth a tentative sniff, before wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"Shower time", he sighed, staring morosely out the cave opening to the teeming rain outside. However, first, let's sort out the fire.

Cautiously edging past the huge furred creature, he grabbed some of the dwindling firewood, dragging it to where the cold embers of the previous night's fire lay. Snapping off the larger branches, he formed a short, dense pile in the ashes, retrieving his flint and steel from his backpack, and opening the small box of precious kindling he kept for emergencies. The combination of sawdust and metallic flakes soon caught with a puff of flame, and he felt a movement at his ear, turning startled to stare at the furred face of the big creature, whose head had been mere inches from his own, watching his every move.

Not sure why, he found himself explaining his actions. "It's OK. It's just kindling. The flint sparks from the steel, and it lights up, making the fire start. See?". Holding out the flint and steel for inspection by a curious nose, he received a nuzzle to the palm, before the beast dropped to his side with a heavy thud and heavier sigh.

Cautiously, ready to jerk back at a moment's notice, he reached out and began lightly stroking the beast's side, marvelling at the soft, slightly damp fur beneath his fingers. What a beautiful pelt, he thought somewhat wryly, moving his fingers to lightly knead the things neck, eliciting a contented rumble in reply. When it reached up a paw, stubby fingers and thumb encircling his wrist to bring it down to its face, he tensed momentarily, but received only a long, warm raspy lick up his arm in return. After a few moments, it released his hand, and returned to cleaning its forearms and claws with its agile tongue.

Sighing, he got up and stretched, ignoring the quizzical look from the creature. Retrieving his bag of soap flakes, he stripped off his clothing, dumping them in a pile for cleaning, and stretched again, tense muscles popping in the firelight. Reaching down for the discards, he spotted the creature staring at him curiously, eyes roaming across his flesh in a way that almost made him uncomfortable. When they paused for long moments at his waist, he blushed, bringing the pile to cover himself modestly. It looked back at him again, and gave that growling laugh, eyes bright in the firelight. Shit, it almost seemed... amused... at his embarrassment!

Shaking his head again, he slipped from the cave into the downpour, icy water chilling his flesh instantly. Using the soap, he made short work of washing his clothes, before tackling his bruised muscles energetically. Within a few minutes, both his wardrobe and his skin were as clean as they were going to be so, with a dark glance into the night, he returned to the cave. Once wrung out, he draped his clothes across the rocks to dry, and sat shivering and naked before the fire, hands and feet outstretched towards the bright flame. After finding himself nodding off in the heady warmth, he reached across to his bag, searching through the depths until, with a grunt of satisfaction, he removed the last of his emergency rations from their case. While dried jerky wasn't his favourite, there was enough present to keep him from starving, and it was certainly better than dead lizard!

Tearing the oiled paper from the end from one bar, he took a bite and munched contentedly, the tough meat needing some serious mastication to make palatable. When he swallowed the first mouthful and went for a second, he spied the creature eyeing him intently from across the fireplace. A glance down at the bar he was holding made him consider a moment, and he tore the remainder of the bar in half with effort, holding out a portion to the creature.

Kyaara hesitated, unsure whether to accept the gift. That it was meat of sorts was undeniable and, although she'd stuffed herself earlier that day, the smell from the portion the human held was mouth watering.

Deciding to risk it, she slipped to her feet, moving gracefully around the fire to drop on her haunches directly before the seated human. Leaning forward, she surprised him by bringing up a paw and daintily tweaking the piece of dried meat between thumb and finger. Popping the morsel into her mouth, she chewed noisily, tongue licking across her lips in satisfaction.

Oh delights, she thought! This was delicious!

Simon watched her in stunned amazement. While he had expected teeth, he hadn't expected that! Exactly what sort of thing was this?

When it shoved its face right before his own, lips smacking eagerly, he realised exactly what it was. It was a hungry thing!

Looking at the second piece, he shrugged, and offered it to the creature. It lurched forward, mouth suddenly gaping revealing very, VERY sharp teeth, and he flinched back onto the sandy floor, the suddenly overbalanced creature falling onto his chest with a "whoof" as the wind was knocked from his lungs. Rather than panic, it again made that laughing noise, eyes wide as it again reached forward to pluck the morsel from his fingers, popping it into its mouth again.

Simon lay beneath it, its heavy weight pressing him down into the sand, and stared at the chewing jaws just inches from his face. Again, almost fearfully, he reached out and rubbed its neck, grunting as it dropped its full weight across his chest and stomach, laying spreadeagled over him.

Kyaara relaxed into the caress, purring heavily as she closed her eyes. It'd been an awfully long time since anyone had massaged her neck so gently, and the fact it was a different species didn't particularly phase her. When the human's arms encircled her neck while rubbing her back, she dropped her head to his chest, hearing him chuckle as she groaned softly in pleasure at his ministrations.

Simon had seen a lot of things in his few short years, but he'd never expected to be laying, naked, under a heavy living fur rug; especially one who was responding so happily to his caress!

He studied its face intently, trying to get a feel for exactly what it was. Kind of feline, but not, he thought wryly, massaging the long, tufted ears carefully. Certainly not canine. Something... well, something sort of mixed, he concluded with a grin, as it rubbed its cheek against his.

The warmth from the creature's body sank deep into his chest and waist, and he began daydreaming as he kept up the caress, finally warm for the first time in days. While it was heavy, the dense fur was exceedingly pleasant, spreading the weight across his body, and the deep thrumming throbbed through his tired muscles most pleasantly... even sensually...

Sensually? Uh oh!

He hadn't realised he'd begun sporting an erection until the creature moved slightly over him, and he felt himself poking it between the rear legs, just below the tail. Its groin area was pressed firmly against his, their body lengths being similar, and with its rear legs lying on either side of his abdomen, its tail had draped squarely past his crotch. For a moment, it didn't identify the intrusion either, raising its head and eyeing him absently, clearly bemused by the unusual pressure in unexpected places. He reached down its sides gingerly, trying to push it carefully backwards to reduce the contact, but only ended up pressing his groin even harder against its own, especially as it squirmed away slightly from his hands.

Struck speechless, he stared into its eyes again, as the creature tensed, eyes shooting wide in shock as it quickly glanced down towards his waist, then back again. The sudden look of recognition as to what was poking it and where was obvious, as its ears shot back to lay flat on its head, a low growl escaping its lips as the golden slitted eyes regarding him narrowed alarmingly.

Shit shit shit shit...his thoughts raced. I'm in the shit now!

It dropped its face squarely over his own, lips curled slightly revealing those huge fangs, as it leaned forward right over him. Shutting his eyes, he tensed, absently grabbing its ruff in fear to fend off the expected attack.

It never came.

Feeling the soft breath against his cheek, he opened his eyes cautiously, regarding the face mere inches from his, as the cold nose pressed lightly against his own. The eyes, no longer angry, looked merely intent, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he realised he was safe for the moment.

Although how safe was relative, as he soon found out.

It looked at him for several seconds further, before stunning him as it leaned forward, pressing warm, black lips to his own as it slipped its long, raspy tongue into his mouth, caressing his teeth gently. His own eyes shot wide at the intrusion, as it began to move against him, rubbing its groin against his, causing his rapidly shrinking erection to flare again.

He reached to its face to push it back, scared at the implications of what was occurring, only to receive a warning growl that travelled up his chest to his face, following the alien tongue delving deeply against the roof of his mouth. The strange paw hands reached up, planting themselves firmly besides his face, as the creature pressed forward harder, lips tight against his, and it began an undulation of its hips, grinding them against his own mercilessly. He could feel the dense fur between its legs rubbing against his groin, an incredible heat radiating from it, sending waves of pleasure up his body.

Holy shit, he thought, returning to kneading its neck. What the hell...

Then the pressure against his groin changed; hot fur replaced by an even hotter, silky wetness. The golden eyes above him narrowed, as the creature pressed back suddenly, pressing his shaft deep into its body.

Oh Gods, he thought suddenly! Not it... Her!

As the hot pressure slid down his shaft, he gasped involuntarily, her mouth releasing his as he arched back, neck muscles tense beneath her breath. Without hesitation, she nuzzled his throat, as she grasped his shoulders with her odd almost-hands, pressing herself down on him in rhythmic thrusting of her hips until, with a final gasp, he hilted against her.

Kyaara, too, was in bliss, feeling the pressure against the soft, hot walls of her passage. When she had first felt the pressure against her crotch, her puzzlement had turned to angry disbelief; the audacity of this human, pleasuring itself against her! Ready to respond furiously, one look at his face had quelled her anger; obviously he was as surprised and shocked as her, and was trying to escape her grip in fear.

A sudden thought took her, making her pause indecisively. So what, it demanded, as the intensity of the moment began to overwhelm her. So what if you're not in heat? That doesn't matter. He's male. Obviously virile. Certainly eager. Why not enjoy yourself?

When she kissed him deeply, she was unsure who was more stunned; him or her. His response shook her free of any doubts; whether his mind was willing, his body certainly wasn't complaining! By the time he had hilted fully into her, they were both groaning, matching thrusts driving their mutual pleasure to new heights.

Her licking of his neck became more intense, teeth nipping the soft naked skin carefully and breath gasping past her tongue, as he kneaded her shoulders harder. Sinking his fingers deep into her fur for leverage, he used his grip to drive himself harder and deeper into her. He'd never, ever experienced anything like this; her deep musk enveloping his senses, dense fur enveloping his touch as he leaned forward, grabbing her neck with his teeth as she screamed into his hair.

Soon, it was too much for her. With a shriek, she thrust against him frantically, the contractions of her vagina grasping his shaft with intense pressure as an intense orgasm rocked her frame. Claws bit into his shoulders as her back arched, a cry escaping her throat as wave after wave of pleasure crashed through her body, causing her to press herself even harder against him.

As her orgasm reached its peak, his own engulfed him, and he hilted her hard, her tight lips grasping his shaft intensely as ripples of contractions massaged his cock. He exploded within her, sending jet after jet of his seed deep into her body as his cry mingling with hers, sharing the most intense of pleasures.

It seemed an eternity before they both came down from their respective highs, her body pressing heavily onto his as she relaxed, exhausted, against him. He stared up at her in amazement, gently caressing her cheeks and back as she slowly opened an eye, looking deep into his soul as they shared an experience neither would ever forget. Reaching her face forward, she slowly licked his cheek in return as he felt himself first soften, then slip from her hot body, a trickle of their thick shared fluids trailing across his groin.

"Well, beautiful. That was amazing!" he cooed at her, continuing to rub her fur and elicting a gurgling growl in response. Staring into her eyes, he knew she was giggling. How, and why, he had no idea, but he could see it in her eyes. How he ever thought of her as an "it" was beyond him; perhaps he needed to rethink his perspectives in the future. Certainly, this experience had been a new awakening for him! Nuzzling her cheek again, he lay back, letting her continue her ministrations as she licked his chest softly.

For her part, Kyaara felt immensely satisfied. As matings went, this was the best! She looked down at him in pleasure, eyes slitted as she lapped his flesh gently, tasting his salty sweat as he relaxed from their exertions.

She slipped from his chest to curl against his side, his arms wrapped tightly around her as her back pressed against his chest comfortingly. The two soon fell asleep, locked in each other's embrace. The human entwined with the beast, shared pleasures bringing a closeness neither had ever expected to find.

With his last coherent thought, deep purr from her back rumbling deeply through his chest, he almost laughed...

As far as heraldic beasts goes, he certainly found one that had made a man of him!

If only his parents would look at it the same way!