{"sf1_id":696064,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Chapter 5","author":"Aeturnus","words":3934,"posted_at":"2014-04-22T21:10:00.000Z","tags":["Coyotetaur","Drama","Fantasy","Fiction","Human","Wolftaur"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/696064-chapter-5","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/696064","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=696064\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"","content":"5      The population\ncontinues to dwindle throughout summer, and by autumn it falls below seven\nhundred. Only twenty humans are left. The mayor and deputy mayor know there\nisn't much they can do to convince the remaining residents to stay. The owners\nof the fulleries place the extra burden on those who remain due to not having\nenough humans, and for close to a month their employees had to work twenty\nhours a day without a break. They would still have long shifts if Mr. Watson\nhadn't said anything. Since then the humans only have to work twelve hours and\nthey're to receive two days off every fortnight.      It rains for two\nweeks straight and during that time the residents thought things were on the\nverge of changing for the better, but their dreams come to an end by the\nfollowing week. The temperatures shot up once the last storm passes through,\nand everything dries up within a couple of days. The rain did little to ease\nthe water restrictions, but the residents found ways to collect what they\ncould. Two thirds of the population predicts Cauldron will turn into a ghost\ntown in less than three years, and some hope they're wrong.      Those who still work\nat the farm would have nothing to do if Martin and Trevor didn't go on several\nhunting trips. The pair knows they've been lucky at bringing home a decent\namount of game, and most kills consists of deer, birds, rabbits and other\ncreatures. The biggest and toughest was a cave bear. Martin and Trevor help Mr.\nWatson and Mr. Grey gut, clean and package the meat, and load everything into a\ncart for somebody to deliver to the store. The wolftaur keeps a small portion and\ngives it to the humans. Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Grey turn the hides into straps,\npouches, blankets and clothes.      It's still their duty\nto provide the clinic with medicine. Martin and Trevor do what they can to fill\nmultiple pouches with leaves, flowers and roots, but on most trips they're lucky\nto fill one. The coyotetaur drops off what they have knowing he won't receive\nany lip from staff. Martin uses what the clinic gives him to purchase what\nTrevor needs from the store, and saves the rest.      Martin and Trevor\ntravel southwest of Cauldron for three nights and four days. The pair avoid\ngoing to the same spot multiple times knowing their scent could prevent game\nfrom returning. Once they agree they're in a good spot, Trevor builds a fire\npit and shelter while Martin gathers firewood, branches and leaves. The human\nand coyotetaur spend the rest of the day going over a plan, and decide it'll be\nbest if they don't split up.      The hunters grab what\nthey need and head out at dawn. Martin adjusts the strap on his rifle and\nstudies the bow on Trevor's back. Someday he'll ask his friend to make him one\nand to teach him how to use it, and to see if he has an interest in firing his\ngun. It wouldn't hurt to learn how to use other weapons. Martin sniffs the air\nand points to where the scent came from.      Trevor drops to his\nknees and examines a couple of tracks. The creature they're hunting has hooves,\nand judging by how fresh the prints look, it came through the area no too long\nago. The human stands and grabs his bow, and watches Martin sniff the air.\nThey're close. The pair proceeds with caution. They hear leaves rustle in a\nnearby bush. Trevor pulls out an arrow and waits for Martin to load his gun\nbefore stepping forward. A creature with tusks jumps out.      Trevor fires his\narrow but misses. He jumps out of the way. The creature turns around and\ncharges the coyotetaur. Martin readies his rifle but doesn't have a clear shot.\nHe too jumps out of the way. The coyotetaur recognizes the thing as a pig, but\nhe's never seen one with tusks before. Martin aims for a second time but the creature\nis too fast. Martin stumbles on a couple of loose rocks, and yells as the\ncreature attacks his front leg.      Trevor lunges forward\nand stabs the pig. The wound doesn't have an effect. The pig turns its\nattention on him. The human dodges the charge, and catches a glimpse of\nMartin's injury. It looks bad. He notices the creature running towards him for\na second time, but is unable to react in time. The pig digs its tusk into his\nupper thigh and knocks him to the ground. The human cries and stabs the\ncreature multiple times. Martin aims his gun and fires. The pig staggers away\nfrom Trevor and collapses. The attack is over, but they're still in danger. The\ncoyotetaur limps over to Trevor. The human uses his shirt to cover their\nwounds.      \"This has to do,\"\nTrevor winces as he stands. \"I guess I owe you.\"      \"Don't say that,\nTrev. You don't owe me nothing. Is there anything at camp you can use?\"      \"There's moss and\nadditional bandages.\"      \"Think you can walk?\"      \"Slowly.\"      \"That answers my\nquestion,\" Martin lies down. \"On my back.\"      \"No. You're hurt\ntoo.\"      \"I'm more capable of\nwalking.\"      \"Carrying me will\ndrain your strength.\"      \"I don't care. Your\nlimping will slow us down even more; now get on my damn back. This isn't open\nfor discussion.\"      Trevor opens his\nmouth to protest, but the glare from Martin tells him not too. The human grits\nhis teeth as he climbs onto his friend's back, and braces himself as the\ncoyotetaur stands. He uncovers their wounds at camp and doesn't like what he\nsees. They're still bleeding. The human places moss on the gashes, and wraps\nbandages around it. He doubts that'll stop the bleeding, but it should slow it\ndown. They have to return to Cauldron before infection sets in. Trevor and Martin\neat a small dinner and leave. They can always come back for the cart.      It takes them four\nand a half days to return to Cauldron. Martin stumbles onto the farm, and\nnearly collapses when Mr. Watson and his dad run up to them. The loss of blood,\nlack of food and rest and overall pain has drained every ounce of energy.\nTrevor's condition isn't much better. The coyotetaur barely has the strength to\nenter the clinic, let alone walk into an empty room. A doctor cleans his wound,\nand tells him he's to stay for the night. Martin doubts the doctor would've\nsaid the same to Trevor if the deputy mayor wasn't present. The coyotetaur asks\nthe spotted hyenataur to inform his friend's mom the situation.      Martin lies down and\nshifts his body around on a mat and studies the bandages on his leg. The doctor\nstopped the bleeding, and the medicine he gave him numbed the pain. The\ncoyotetaur stretches his arms and yawns. He'd like to catch some shut eye, but\nhe also wants Trevor by his side. Martin twitches his ears. He hears his\nfriend's mom in the other room. At least the deputy mayor doesn't allow the\nclinic to segregate their patients and/or prevent humans from visiting their family.\nThe coyotetaur looks over his shoulder and smiles weakly as his dad enters the\nroom.      \"How's Trev?\"      \"He's fine,\" Zues\nshakes his head. \"You recall the talk we had?\"      \"Please don't go\nthere. Not after what we went through, and you know he's my friend. I'm not\ngoing to let a friend die because majority of the village doesn't like him, and\nthat includes you,\" Martin looks away. \"If that's the only reason why you came\nin, then leave, please.\"      \"It was one reason.\nThe other is to see how you're doing.\"      \"I'm fine. Just\ntired.\"      \"I'm sure. The doctor\nsaid you've lost a good amount of blood, plus traveling like you did with the\nextra weight on your back.\"      \"Yeah, I know pa.\"      \"Care to explain what\nattacked you without being cross?\"      \"It smelt like a pig,\nbut I never seen one with tusks before.\"      \"That would be a wild\nboar. Travelers who come from there would run into those creatures, and they're\nknown to be rather aggressive,\" Mr. Patton said. \"I do hope you won't be going\nback, right?\"      \"Every trip we take\nthere's a risk of us getting hurt, pa,\" Martin said. \"Maybe if the village\ndidn't rely on just me and Trev to bring them meat we wouldn't have to go on so\nmany trips.\"      \"You know it's\nTrevor's job to provide for us. You don't even have to go, but you do have a\npoint.\"      \"I'm sorry, but\nthat's a stupid reason. There are several of us that are more than-\"      \"I understand where\nyou're going from there,\" Zues raises his hand. \"I'll be sure to bring it to\nthe mayor's attention before I come and get you.\"      \"Thanks,\" Martin\nhears the door open.      \"Is it all right for\nme to come in, sir?\" Trevor knocks.      \"It's too late to say\nno, Trevor. I was about to leave,\" Zues looks at the human. \"Is Mr. Watson\nstill here?\"      \"Yes, sir. He's\npaying off my bill,\" the human closes his eyes. \"We had to leave-\"      \"Don't worry about\nthat, Trevor. Saving my son's life was more important than some cart. No more\nof this, okay?\"      \"Yes, sir.\"      \"Good,\" the\ncoyotetaur walks towards the door. \"I'll see you two in the afternoon.\"      Mr. Patton heads down\nthe hall and spots Mr. Watson leaving the clinic. The coyotetaur quickens his\npace. There are a couple of things he'd like to say to the wolftaur.      \"Mr. Watson, wait,\"\nZues said. \"I appreciate you sticking around.\"      \"It's only right I\ndo. Your son worked at the farm for quite a while, and someone has to make sure\nTrevor is being taken care of,\" Mr. Watson faces the coyotetaur. \"How are\nthey?\"      \"Fine, considering.\"      \"They're lucky to be\nalive. They say what attacked them?\"      \"I told Martin it was\na wild boar after he described what it was,\" Zues shakes his head. \"Trevor\nshouldn't worry too much about leaving behind that cart.\"      \"I agree with your\npoint, but look at it from his. He and his mom don't have much of anything.\"      \"I'm aware, or he\nwouldn't have broke down when he told my wife what came of those books she bought\nhim.\"      \"How are his lessons\ncoming along?\"      \"You'd have to ask\nMartin that, but it seems to be going fine. He's a lot farther than where he\nwas a year ago.\"      \"He has. Shame things\nare slow at the farm, or I'd have him do more. Anything else you say to Martin\nregarding the incident?\"      \"I did. I told him\nhe's no longer to go so far south on those trips. Tomorrow I'll be sure to say\nsomething to the mayor. Hunting deer shouldn't just fall onto my son and\nTrevor.\"      \"You know, that's an\nissue I've been meaning to tell Mr. Hudson, but I never got around to it. Wish\nit didn't come to this point.\"      \"Don't feel too\nguilty. They were bound to get injured. We should be grateful they weren't\nattacked by that cave bear.\"      \"I agree,\" Mr. Watson\nnotices Mr. Durant walking towards them and mumbles. \"We're bound to have\nunwanted company.\"      Zues rolls his eyes\nand turns around.      \"When I'm to expect\nmore product?\" Mr. Durant looks at the two caninetaurs. \"Store's runnin' low.\"      \"I gather you haven't\nheard the news yet,\" Mr. Watson said. \"It might be some time before you get\nmore, not with Martin and Trevor injured.\"      \"These ears heard,\"\nMr. Durant looks at Zues. \"Despite his ways, I'm sorry he's hurt. However, I\ndo-\"      \"His ways? What's so\nwrong with him being friends with Trevor?\" Mr. Patton said.      \"An animaltaur should\nnever consider those things as friends.\"      \"And you're just too\ndamned stubborn to move forward,\" Mr. Watson said. \"And don't you dare expect\nTrevor to go on more trips. Not with the injury he has.\"      \"Tough. Deal's a\ndeal, and he's human.\"      \"So?\"      \"And as human, I\nexpect his sorry ass to stay true to his duties.\"      \"What would you have\ndone if Trevor didn't come back, Mr. Durant?\" Mr. Watson crosses his arms.      \"Then I'd demand that\nlousy whore to take over.\"      \"Unbelievable. My son\nand his friend could've died. The last thing I want to hear is your crap,\" Mr.\nPatton fixes his eyes on the wolftaur.      \"Pfft. Ain't my fault\nyour son's wastin' time with that thing. Your son ought a smarten-\"      Zues punches the side\nof Mr. Durant's face and shakes his hand. \"Shut your mouth or this'll get\nworse. Now get the hell out of my face.\"      The wolftaur growls\nas he rubs his jaw and leaves. He'd ban all human lovers if he still had full\ncontrol over his store.      \"Come,\" Mr. Watson places\na firm hand on Zues' shoulder. \"Allow me to buy you a couple of drinks.\"      \"I'm fine, Mr.\nWatson. I need to tell my wife-\"      \"You'll do that after\nyou've calmed down.\"      Mr. Patton nods.\nThere's no point in arguing. The coyotetaur follows the wolftaur to the tavern.\nIt wouldn't hurt to put a couple of drinks in him now that he thinks about it.***      Martin struggles to\nfall asleep. There's just too much noise going on outside their room. He can\nhear everything they say and do even with the door closed, and some of the crap\nthe staff says leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. It sounds like they may\ncharge his friend more just for sleeping in his room, among other stupid\nreasons. On top of that they have a thing of checking on them multiple times.\nMartin knows it's part of their job, but it would nice if they'd wait a couple\nof hours between each checkup.      The coyotetaur stares\noutside. The sun's peaking over the horizon. He did sleep for a little bit, but\nnot enough to say he had a good night. In fact it was downright rotten. For\nonce he can't wait to sleep in his own room. Martin grins sexually and wags his\ntail. He may even kidnap his friend for the day. The coyotetaur growls quietly\nwhen somebody pops their head into their room and closes the door. What's the\npoint of checking up on them if they're not going to come in and ask? Martin\nlooks outside. The afternoon can't come fast enough.      A nurse brings him\nbreakfast, and orders Trevor to leave. Martin wants his friend to stay put, but\nrealizes the clinic isn't the best place to cause a scene. The coyotetaur\nstares outside while he eats his meal. It'll be interesting to see how the\nvillage will cope now if he and Trevor has to take easy for the next couple of\nweeks. Martin holds back a chuckle. Chances are some will starve. Things may\nbecome worse when they leave. The coyotetaur closes his eyes. He has yet to\ntell his parents. Martin hands his dishes to a nurse, and follows another one\noutside.      A coyotetaur places\nhis paw on a stool, winces as a doctor takes off the bandage and studies the\nwound. It looks better. The doctor cleans and rubs more medicine on it, and\ntells him he's to take it easy for the next couple of weeks, and to change the\nbandages before going to bed and when he wakes up. He doubts the doctor told\nTrevor the same thing.      The coyotetaur joins\nTrevor in the recreation room, tells him the news, and listens to what he has\nto say. Martin nods. It seems the human has to take things easy as well. It\nseems there are a small number of doctors and nurses that don't have a problem\ntreating humans. They're in the middle of playing Nice Man's Morris when the\ncoyotetaur notices his dad and Mr. Watson walking towards them.      \"You boys just about\ndone?\" Zues studies the board. \"Who's about to win?\"      \"It's pretty much a\ndraw, right Trev?\"      \"I'm done. I'm ready\nto leave.\"      \"Same here,\" Martin\nplaces everything in the box and pushes it to the side. \"Did you go see the\nmayor?\"      \"We did, and you'll\nbe happy to hear you two no longer have to be the main supplier of meat. The\nmayor and deputy mayor plans to post signs this afternoon,\" Mr. Watson said.      \"That won't mean\nmuch,\" Trevor said.      \"Care to explain\nyourself?\" Mr. Patton looks at the human.      \"I overheard a couple\nof nurses mention some sort of election, and how they'll support anybody who\nput things back to what they were.\"      \"Is what he said\ntrue?\" Martin looks at his dad and former boss.      \"Is it, but that's\nnot for another couple of months,\" Mr. Watson shakes his head. \"The outcome for\nCauldron won't be good if we take two steps back.\"      \"Nothing we can do\nabout it,\" Zues looks at Martin. \"You look tired.\"      \"I couldn't get to\nsleep last night. Hearing nurses and doctors talk to patients, and having\nsomebody pop their head into the room wasn't easy to ignore. Some of which\ninvolves Trev, and them wanting to charge him more for a couple of stupid\nreasons.\"      \"I caught the\nadditional charges, and told them to drop it or I'll inform the mayor what\nthey're not supposed to do,\" the wolftaur looks at Trevor. \"You'll stay at my\nplace so I know you won't be harassed.\"      \"Yes, sir. My mom?\"      \"She's there.\"      \"Come. You can get\nsome shut eye at home,\" Zues places a hand on Martin's shoulder. \"There's more\nthat needs to be mentioned, but I'd rather talk about it at home.\"      \"Yes, pa.\"       Martin wakes up after\na couple of hours and stretches his upper back and arms. The coyotetaur shakes\nhead after he yawns. He'd like to catch more shut eye, but he doesn't want to\nbe wide awake for a second night in a row. Martin checks his bandages. They're\nfine. He hears his parents, and figures it wouldn't hurt to see what they have\nto say. The coyotetaur joins them in the dining room.      \"You weren't asleep\nfor long,\" Zues said. \"How's the leg?\"      \"I know. I'll get\nmore tonight,\" Martin said. \"Leg's fine, pa.\"      \"That's nice to hear,\nhoney,\" Martha said.      \"What's going on? I\nheard part of your conversation as I was coming out.\"      \"It has to deal with\nthe farm. Mr. Watson had to let more go, and my hours are about to be cut. I'm\nnot upset. I'd be a fool to think I didn't see it coming.\"      \"I'm sorry, pa.\"      \"No need. It's out of\nyour control.\"      Martin nods. \"Who did\nMr. Watson let go?\"      \"Willson, Terk and a\nfew others. I don't expect Max to be around for too much longer,\" Mr. Patton\nshakes his head. \"Willson already has plans on leaving, Terk will stay\nproviding game is plentiful. He may even join you and him on a couple of\ntrips.\"      \"That'll be nice.\"      \"It would've been\nnicer if somebody went along with you boys sooner,\" Zues said.      \"Will Mr. Watson give\nus anymore carts?\"      \"Can't say.\"      \"Well now that others\nare to help supply food, maybe you and Trevor won't have to go out as often,\"\nMartha said.      \"Yeah we will. I\ndoubt the clinic will gather anything,\" Martin shakes his head. \"Maybe forcing\nothers to hunt isn't a good idea. How is everybody to pay for it?\"      \"That's one thing\nwe'll discuss at the next meeting.\"      \"Does Trev know?\"      \"I'm certain he does,\ndear,\" Mrs. Patton said. \"You know Mr. Watson keeps him inform on things.\"      \"I don't know if I\nwant you boys there. Not in your condition,\" Zues said.      \"I have no problem\nnot going, but I'm certain Trev wants to go. I find meetings to be boring.\"      \"You know, it\nwouldn't hurt for you to attend more, but I also don't blame you. Who knows how\nlong Cauldron will be around,\" Zues said.      \"Ma, pa, there's\nsomething I need to tell you, and I've already told Trev,\" Martin takes a deep\nbreath. \"We may leave if things continue to go downhill.\"      \"A year ago I\nwould've been upset, but not now, and I don't blame you. What did he have to\nsay?\" Zues asks.      \"He's ready to leave\nnow. Trev knows he has no future here. He's worried about his mom, but I did\ntell him Mr. Watson would take care of her.\"      \"That's a reasonable\nreason why not to go,\" Martha nods. \"Although I ask you wait another year,\nhoney. Maybe things will return to how they were.\"      \"I doubt it, ma. They\nmight improve for us, but not for the remaining humans,\" Martin said.\n\"Regarding this election, can I vote if it happens?\"      \"It'll happen, and\nyes, you're of age, but I'm not sure if he can. I don't thing humans are longer\nallowed to,\" Zues said.      \"Well that's stupid.\nThey're a part of this village,\" Martin said. \"It's a damn shame Trev's too\nsubmissive. I know he'd have something to say about that.\"      \"What'd I tell you\nabout swearing at the table?\" Mr. Patton said. \"Mr. Watson is his voice, but\nyou also have a point.\"      \"Where do you plan on\ngoing to?\" Martha asks.      \"We haven't decided\nyet, honestly. Just somewhere that isn't having the same kind of problems as\nhere.\"      \"I'll see if my work\nhas an extra map you can look over,\" Mrs. Patton said. \"Give you and Trevor an\nidea where to travel.\"      \"Thanks ma. Give me a\nchance to show Trev what Bantam looks like.\"      \"You still don't plan\non teaching him, do you?\" Zues asks.      \"I do, pa. Give me\nsomething to do. I know I'm hurt, but that won't stop me from teaching Trev.\"      \"Very well, but I'm\nnot sure if Mr. Watson will want him to walk.\"      \"Then I'll go to him.\nThe distance from here to the farm isn't far.\"      \"You'll think\ndifferently after you make the trip.\"      \"It won't be\nimpossible, pa,\" Martin said. \"And I won't do it for a couple of days.\"      \"I would hope not,\"\nZues stands. \"Why don't you head back to your room? We'll inform you when\ndinner's ready.\"      \"You can use the time\nto go over lessons, dear,\" Martha grabs a couple of pans.      Martin keeps the door\najar, lights a couple of candles and grabs a piece of plywood and some\ncharcoal. The coyotetaur jolts down a couple of short stories Trevor can read.\nHe chews on his tongue. He'll see if his mom has any of his old books. It also\nwouldn't hurt to see what Mr. Watson has available. Martin adds more titles,\ngrabs another piece of plywood and creates another list of lessons he'll go\nover with Trevor. One is to work on his penmanship. The coyotetaur browses\nthrough everything and nods. He'll include more at a later date.      The coyotetaur takes\noff the bandage, places his paw on a stool and washes the wound. It looks a lot\nbetter. His mom applies more medicine and re-bandages it. Martin winces as he\ntries to walk on it. It'll be a while before he can use all four legs. Now if\nonly he could go and visit Trevor. Something he'll do tomorrow afternoon. The\ncoyotetaur closes his bedroom door and lies on his mat. He's more than ready\nfor a good night's sleep, and tonight he doesn't have to worry about any doctor\nand/or nurse checking up on him multiple times.","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/670003-chapter-4.json"}