FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The land Noriton

Arctic wind whirled tiny white crystals through the air, hindering the view onto the frozen land. Wherever those crystals touched bare skin, they hurt like icy needles. Two dark shadows moved over the plain, slowly making their way towards the rugged hills visible through the spit of snow. The two riders were wrapped in thick pelts and layers of cloth, their horses, sturdy and composed, had chunks of snow entangled in their long fur as they advanced step by step over the treacherous ground.

"My lord. Do we really have to go there?" The rear rider asked. It was a female, an antelope originating from a much more southern part of Thylis. The first rider growled in annoyance: "I've told you a hundred times, yes we have to go there, you know the plan and you agreed to accompany me, so stop lamenting." The tiger did little to conceal his impatience with the woman, he was prince Kuarnuk, why did he had to argue with a commoner? "Yes, I know. It's just, we have that one clan, isn't that enough? We could hire mercenaries on our way south, right?" She tried it one last time, the cold gnawing on her slender form. "No, it's not enough, we need every sword we can get and we don't have the money to hire an army. Only the inhabits of Noriton will work for us without paying them up front. Look at their land, they are desperate." The tiger slung down his anger, he needed the female, so he had do deal with her weaknesses. He remembered meeting the lady Eria for the first time. It was in the much warmer kingdom of Keradim. He had strongly underestimated the slender antelope when they met on a lonely road. Him being a tiger, a hunter, even if he wasn't the biggest or strongest of his kind, had thought of preying the young female, dressed in a simple, thin tunic, but before he could even act, she had him paralysed with her magic powers, telling him afterwards that she had sensed his intentions even before he had fully developed them. Damn sorceress. Still he needed someone with her powers and even though he had to promise her an indecent part of their capture, he still thought that he had made the right decision.

Finally he saw it: There, hidden between the ice covered rocks, he spotted at least eight low houses. Built out of rocks, ice and sods, the tiny windows covered with skins, letting out only a faint, unsteady light.

Kolmakarr within the land Mahenanda

The sun already stood high and sent it's warm rays into the room. Seven persons had gathered around the long table. Two human males, a female, two Amandir, cat-like beings, one of them male, the other female, as well as two Khoncha, strong tigers, both male.

The short, stubby feline held fast onto his piece of paper as he spoke: "Most of the saffron plantations in the west report a average harvest, we can expect about the same avails as last year, once the caravans reach their destinations. Only administrator Jonic told us, that his harvest is much lower than last year." It was obvious that the messenger was quite miserable that he had to bring his lord this news. RachnaKhan growled in annoyance. The lord of Kolmakarr was still an impressive figure. Even though the first grey hairs mixed into his thick orange pelt with the black stripes, his well muscled body, broad shoulders and commanding eyes still were awe inspiring. He wore his richly decorated leather armor, maybe incongruous compared with the fine clothes of his advisers, but the lord preferred to wear this reminder of his warlike past. Now his servant awaited his answer. But it was the cream-white, grey haired feline beauty by his side who answered: "Well, tell administrator Jonic that we expect the same toll as last year, and if he has trouble to collect it from his fields, he could provide it from his privy purse. Considering the fact that he's the richest man in the west, this shouldn't really impoverish him."

The messenger waited for a moment until the tiger nodded his approval. He sat back on his chair, relieved that now someone else would have his master's attention. The human female got up: "Master, I have the reports of the road-building near Banshi. The master builder is quite content with the progress, but he says the delivery of stones from our capital is still missing, they'll have to delay-" RachnaKhan again groaned. "Secretary Lakshmi, I'm sure this has time until tomorrow. Get us the information on what happened to the stones and we'll meet again the same time tomorrow," the feline by RachnaKhan's side ordered her, whereupon the others got up, packed together their papers, bowed down before their ruler and left.

"I'm tired." The strong tiger said, placing an arm around the female who was at least smaller by a head. "I don't think you should worry about that, happens to all of us." "Thank you PaoTir. It's not that I'm getting ill, or old - well, compared to you I may be old." He earned a smile from his wife as he said that. "It's just, things have gotten so complicated. In the old times, there were only me, my sword and my companions. But now, there are ministers and priests who just see their own benefits, administrators who try to steal from me, workers who don't stop complaining." "You did well today." PaoTir re-ensured him. "Really? You're much better with these things. I would have ordered my soldiers to behead this Jonic for even trying to betray me." "We can still change the orders," PaoTir offered in a mixture of mischief and earnestness. "No, no, what for? You gave the right orders, it's just, sometimes I wish the old times were here again."

The land Noriton

As soon as they approached the huts, the two riders were spotted by the guards standing outside one of the houses, faces hidden under huge hoods. One of the guards immediately disappeared through the low entrance into the house, while the other waited for the newcomers, a firm hand around the spear by his side.

Only when he could see the reddish eyes of the boar warrior underneath his hood, the young tiger addressed the guard: "I am prince Kuarnuk of Kolmakarr, and this." He gestured towards the female by his side: "Is lady Eria. We demand to see your leader." "You've come a long way. You're a Khoncha, a tiger from the south." The guard answered: "But now you are in our land and we demand and reject here. Why should our ruler, the mighty Attrek welcome you?" "I've come a long way, yes, and I won't go without making your leader my offer." The tiger insisted. The same moment, another armed boar appeared and while they kept their eyes closely on the visitors, they muttered something. Then the first addressed Kuarnuk again: "Well then, place your weapons inside the entrance, then you can see our mighty chief.

Both Kuarnuk and Eria followed the boar inside, while the second guard took care of their horses. The entrance proved to be a long, flat corridor, built to keep the harsh cold outside. There the tiger placed his sword, but kept his dagger underneath his cloak. The guard didn't bother to examine him. They must feel quite secure, Eria thought. She, being a magician, had no weapons at all and she was more than glad that the male didn't put his hands on her either.

They entered a large hall. Apparently the only room of the house. On the opposite side there was a small fire burning, a pot hanging over it. The smell of meat and old fat lay heavy in the air. In front of the fire, back turned towards the cookery so that he could face the newcomers, sat a particularly strong built boar, encircled by his best warriors. On the left and right side there were about two dozen warriors sitting on long benches, primitive wooden tables in front of them. Judging from the remains on the tables, they just had their meal. "Come, sit." The chief, the mighty Attrek ordered, allocating them two vacant seats between his warriors.

Reluctantly Eria took her seat between the warriors. Apparently Kuarnuk didn't care, but she already hated them. They were primitive, rude and they smelled.

"So, what do you have to offer me?" Attrek started. "I want you to come with me to Kolmakarr, my hometown, it's in the land of Mahenanda." Kuarnuk explained. "Mahenanda? It's a long travel. My guard told me that you're a prince, so you should have soldiers enough, why do you want us?" Attrek was smarter than he thought: "My father won't give me what rightfully belongs to me." He told them: "Therefore I need you to help me regaining my throne." "So, you're a subversive, a rebel, usurper?" Attrek inquired. "No, I'm not. My father lost his right to rule when he married an Amandir, a common feline. He proved how weak he is. My eldest brother waived the throne when he left the land, choosing a life as an adventurer. I even heard rumors that he now has a relationship with a Da'Chora, can you imagine? A wolf! That's even worse than a cat." The tiger stopped when he realized that he was talking himself into rage. "But still you think you need our help to convince your people to follow you? So what do you have to offer us?" Now Kuarnuk knew he had Attrek where he wanted him: "I offer you land to cultivate, good land, not these snow-covered plains that you have here. Gold and slaves, and of course, women." He looked around, facing each of the warriors with a knowing smile. A low rumble was to be heard. "Well then, you found a way to bring us into that land without having to travel the lands of the humans? You know they hate us and they will fight us?" "Of course, I have ships waiting for us east of Gargaros."

The negotiations went on for an hour or more. Eria had soon abandoned her attempt to follow them. She knew the warriors would follow them, the rest were merely details. She worried a lot more about the cold. Even though there were many people in the house and a small fire burned, it was still cold. Each breath forming a little cloud of mist when she exhaled. The warriors had cast-off their coats and were just sitting there in their simple leather and fur clothes and even Kuarnuk had done the same, most likely in an attempt to prove his hardiness. Eria on the other hand literally buried herself in her thick clothes, waiting for the negotiations to end, when she suddenly heard Attrek's voice: "Speaking of our price. Your company seems to be cold, maybe she would enjoy the warm company of my warriors?" A lecherous laughter and muttering was heard as a few warriors slipped closer towards her. Eria got ready to defend herself. "Nah, maybe she would like that." Kuarnuk mocked her, earning an angry stare from the sorceress. "But thinking of it, we should concentrate on our task ahead and then enjoy our reward." He decided, causing some boars to growl in disappointment.

Kolmakarr

"The guild of weavers request that they be allowed to open their shops during the tournament. They say, it'll boost their sales." PaoTir explained. The cat and her husband, lord RachnaKhan sat in their private bureau, the desk between them covered with papers and notes. "Tell them they may open their stores, but I don't want to see their market stalls on the streets." "Certainly." PaoTir made a note under the inquiry. As her quill slid away on the paper, drawing an unwanted line upon it, she snarled, angry about her own negligence. "Also, the carpenter Aadi sent us an offer, regarding the construction of a stand for the tournament. It seems quite favorable." The cat continued. "He is a good worker, he may get the commission." RachnaKhan paused a moment, when he thought about the tournament his hearth eased: "How many fighters have signed in so far?" "Two-, no three hundred seventeen, including your daughter Keshi." PaoTir said. "Ah, yes, she'll earn my family honor in that tournament, I'm quite pleased with her progress. Her mother would be proud of her. Once the tournament is over, I want to promote her to an officer of my palace guard." The tiger ordered. "Appropriate. But she's half Amandir, do you think the other Khoncha in your guard will respect a half-cat?" PaoTir added to consideration, knowing that her own race was deemed weak and effete among the tigers. "She's my daughter, she outdoes most Khoncha in battle and she has a natural authority. I'm sure she can handle that." RachnaKhan nodded to emphasize his conviction. "And do you want to change the line of succession as well?" The cat asked. "No, Rakshan will still be the heir to the throne, he's my first son and a full Khoncha, once he returns from his adventuring, I'll make him my co-regent." "And your other sons?" "Kuarnuk is dangerously ambitious and disloyal. He can stay in his manor, but he'll never return here to fill any important position. And Ranek, well with his intelligence he can be glad if I leave him in charge of his remote fort." "Ah, I see, well the next thing we have here." PaoTir scrabbled around in her papers. "You seem a bit distracted." RachnaKhan noted not without amusement: "Do you have any other appointment this evening?" PaoTir paused for a moment before she lowered her head a little, a behavior she often displayed when their agreement came up for discussion: "Yes, actually I have. Do you remember that dancer last week? The panther?" A sparkly appeared in the woman's eyes. "Ah, yes, I remember him quite vividly and I can understand your interest. You've convinced him to perform his skills for you again tonight? In a more private setting?" The tiger asked, already knowing the answer. "Yes, that is, unless you demand my presence." "No, no, he seems quite noble-minded and talented, you deserve the pleasures he grants you. Go to him!" "Thank you!" PaoTir whispered, leaning forth she kissed her husbands forehead, then got up and left the room.

When she walked out, RachnaKhan fixed his eyes on her slender back, the long, silver hair and the swaying bottom. In moments like these she reminded him of the young girl he had ordered to his palace so many years ago. Now she was his most important adviser, one of the few persons in the palace he could really trust. He was more than willing to grant her the freedom to satisfy her needs whenever she wanted, he knew she would never betray him, not as the loyal wife by his side in the audience hall and not as his adviser at least. To bad she never bore him a child.

The land Noriton

Almost a month had passed since Kuarnuk, Eria and their new allies had left the village. Now finally they saw the unsettled sea, washing over the rocks that formed the coast of this inhospitable land. Not far away there were while sails visible: The small fleet Kuarnuk had hired to bring them south.

When the group approached a rather protected bay, they not only saw the ships waiting, but also more tents. The goat people Kuarnuk had hired earlier were already here, waiting for their lord to arrive. Some goat warriors were outside their tents, fixing their stone weapons or preparing their equipment. As soon as the boars came into view, muffled protests were heard. The two clans were quite out of sort with each other, still they had agreed to serve side by side for the tiger lord.

Eria examined the shabby tents and unwashed figures between them. Since they had come down from their mountains to fight the humans in the plains, the goat people had become somewhat civilized, at least compared with the boars she and Kuarnuk had been traveling with for the last few weeks. That didn't mean that they granted their human slaves any rights or that they would be less bibulous or hoggish, but they had better weapons, better tactics and they recognized an opportunity when they saw one. And they wouldn't risk this one by touching the sorceress traveling with their new employer.

Why was she even doing this? The cold, those barbaric warriors, the risks. From time to time she thought she must have been out of her mind when she agreed to follow Kuarnuk, but what he promised her sounded just too good: gold, slaves and all other resources she would need to continue her studies. Studies her own school expelled her for. Too risky, too evil too brutal, they had no idea what she could achieve. Kuarnuk didn't knew details either, but he was desperate enough to offer her his support and even though he was a dangerous ally himself, she was sure she could handle him. As long as she remained helpful for him, he wouldn't become her enemy.

Kuarnuk greeted a few of his warriors, their chief and the shaman. Then he walked over to a shaggy looking human. The man wasn't overall old, but the long periods at sea ad made him hard and repellent: "Finally you're here." The human said not without blame in his voice: "I was getting worried you wouldn't come at all." "I'm here, like I said. Are all preparations complete?" Kuarnuk had no interest in arguing with Captain Senius, he needed his ships, there was no reason why they should become friends. "Of course, all my ships are ready. Fully equipped with enough provision. There is just one minor detail." The tigers eyes narrowed: "What is it?" "You didn't tell us that you would bring those." The captain looked over to the boars who were sniffing on the goat warrior's tents or just sat down on the muddy ground: "I'm afraid my men won't serve on a ship with those under deck unless they get some, well, allowance." "What? We had a deal!" The tiger snarled. "Yes, this is just an addition." The captain explained smiling. "Tell us why we shouldn't burn your ships here and now?" Eria intervened. "Oh, of course you could do that and just walk to Mahenanda. But I have my doubts that the imperial legions would leave you unmolested. You know, they don't really like the creatures coming from Noriton." The captain gave his words a moment to sink in: "All I ask is 200 gold extra. One half now the other after arrival." "Eria pay him." Kuarnuk growled as he walked past the captain towards one of the waiting boats. "But, but." The sorceress gave up arguing, she knew quite well that they had no other choice, so she payed.

Kolmakarr

PaoTir's finger wandered softly over the thick black fur of the male lying on her bed. She had admired him from the very first moment he had danced in front of her. His slender, yet strong body, his expressive face, his wild glance. She was even more impressed when she realized how determined, even bold he had been when she invited him into her quarters for the first time.

The sublime lady had to smile, despite his inappropriate behavior, he was still a cute kitten. He had been there for her almost every night for the last few weeks. Did she love him? She wasn't sure. What was love? She loved her husband in a way, she loved her position and responsibility in another way and yes, in some kind of way she loved this dancer, too.

Carefully, not wanting to wake him, she got up and sneaked in a typically, elegant feline way, towards the door. When she entered the next room, the young human girl waiting there jumped up immediately: "Good morning mistress." "Good morning Taja." PaoTir really liked her lady-in-waiting. When she had found her, she had been an almost starving little bundle of misery. A slave-girl, born blind on a plantation. What hopes could she have? But PaoTir bought her and raised her. Out of gratitude Taja had become her maidservant and even her friend: "Taja, I want to visit Keshi. Please bring me my blue dress, you know, the one I wore at the market last week." "Yes mistress, would you like to put on your usual earrings?" The girl with the curly brown hair already went over to the dresser. In her familiar surroundings, she moved incredibly fast.

Not long after, PaoTir was ready to leave her quarters. She wore quite simple clothing, accenting her elegant appearance, but not demanding attention. Before she left, she turned back towards her maid: "Oh, when he wakes up, please give him this." She handed the girl a envelope. PaoTir paused, than continued: "And tell him I would be delighted to see him again this evening." "Yes mistress."

The room PaoTir stepped in wasn't overall luxurious. Compared to her own rooms it looked almost modest. A table with two bowls, offering fruits and bread, matching wooden chairs around it. A pair of swords decorating the wall, a few book on a shelf and a desk. As she stepped in, the inhabitant of the room stood up. PaoTir took her time to examine Princess Keshi. It was rare that a tiger and a cat had children and so RachnaKhan had been overhappy when his second wife, Lady LatakMa expected a daughter. When she died giving birth to Keshi, her father had been sick at heart for a long time. But his daughter had grown a strong, self-confident and beautiful woman. Now, 19 years later, she was a pride for both races. Almost a head higher than PaoTir, slender but muscular, her green eyes reflecting her intelligence and her twitching tail revealing her unrest and agility.

"Ah, PaoTir, welcome. What can I do for you?" Keshi asked, offering her stepmother a seat. The cat did as she had missed the sign: "You weren't at the ministerial meeting yesterday." Keshi turned away, facing her swords: "Yeah, well, was it interesting?" "That's not the point. It's important for you to be at those meetings." "But why? They are boring and I'm not the heir to the throne." Keshi asked. "But you're still the daughter of RachnaKhan, destined to rule. If not the whole country, then a domain, a town, whatever." Keshi breathed in deeply: "I know you only want the best for me, but I'm a warrior and I know my father wants me to be a warrior. I can serve him better with a sword than with a feather. Don't you think so too?" "Maybe, but you really shouldn't narrow your education to just that one aspect." PaoTir contradicted. "I'm sorry, maybe I should be a better politician like you, but I'm not and I'm not your daughter which you could train to be like you. PaoTir was quiet for a moment and Keshi sensed that she had touched a sore spot. "Forgive me." She continued, voice peaceable this time: "I'll try to be more reliable in the future, I promise." PaoTir nodded: "Thank you. How are your preparations for the big tournament going?" The sparkle in the young woman's eyes indicated that this was by far more interesting to her: "Good. Very good even. I think I'll make it under the top five, at least if I don't get injured in one way or another before the tournament starts." "That's nice to hear. It's still a few weeks, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for you."

Northern coast of Mahenanda

While his coat fluttered around his shoulders, Kuarnuk let his gaze wander over the impressive scene in front of him. The ships he had hired anchored in the large bay, while small boats brought his soldiers and their equipment ashore. He had chosen this place carefully. The beach was broad and firm, perfect for the heavy weapons, armors and other equipment they brought with them, but most important, the bay had been deserted for years, since he had secretly ordered to burn the small fishing village while he was still governor of that province. Yes, his preparations had been going for years now and he wouldn't allow a talkative fisher to reveal his intentions right now.

Eria stepped to his side: "Lithar and his goat's are already packing their stuff, they'll be able to head out in an hour, maybe two. Attrek and his warriors will be ready a bit later, I've ordered them to form two groups, those I find less disgusting will be our entourage when we travel to Kolmakarr. Kuarnuk simply nodded and waited for a particularly large boat to arrive at the shore. Out jumped captain Senius, a broad smile on his reddened face: "Now, what did I tell you? Made it in time and no imperial patrol spotted us. So, wasn't I worth the money?" Kuarnuk growled slightly: "Well, yes, almost, there is just one little thing I would like to complete." Without any warning, his right hand shot forth from underneath his cloak, the blade of his dagger flashing in the sun for a moment, before it cut through thin fabric and sank into soft flesh. The captains eyes widened in shock and realization as blood ran out of his mouth. A moment later, he sank lifelessly to the ground, sliding of the blade that just killed him. "So, you thought you could betray me? Eria! Tell his first officer he's now in charge of the fleet. And pay him the remaining gold Senius had demanded. That should ensure his loyalty at least for a while." Eria nodded and walked towards one of the boats, dismissing the killed with her evil, ringing laughter as she walked him by.