FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

P** art Ten: "The Family Night"**

++++++

After the heartening exchange shared between Nyrina and Ivan, with neither of them speaking of how one had kissed the other, hours swiftly passed by. During the course of those hours, being called to different matters, Ivan eventually left inspired Nyrina to finish cleaning the fish to join Hudder at the tiller. Together, the otter father as well as the Norlinthian began discussing the plans for sailing further south through River Country towards the Southern Valleys.

"Well met, Ivan, my laddo. Harken to me." Hudder greeted cheerily with a whiskery grin, passing what was the steering wheel of the raft over into the possession of his human companion, "Here, 'elp this ol' river dog out. Take over this tiller so that my achin' paws can get some much needed rest from holdin' 'er on course all day long. Ah, bless ye', that's it. Thank ye' kindly."

As Ivan more than happily took hold of the rudder of the Dynamic, the Urchinhide father vanished for a moment into the family hut. When he came back outside, Hudder held several things in his paws. What stood out most from his possessions though was a map of the River Country which he opened, charted carefully and then began to explain in detail to his attentive human guest, "See here, mate? We're close to the end of our journeyin' along the Seidon. By tomorrow noon, we'll come to here; the-"

"The Trident Pass. That's where the Seidon splits off into three different main rivers that give all of Felldew its water." Ivan cut in respectfully if not expertly, grabbing a hold of Hudder's attention at once as he went on to explain what was in store for the Dynamic during the coming month, "Up ahead, come noon tomorrow, the Seidon splits into the Meru, the Jord as well as the Adam Rivers. Meru cuts east towards the Great Plains. Jord runs west towards the Valley of Ruin. It will be Adam that you will be taking to go further south towards Pebble Plateau, won't it?"

"That's right. Come noon tomorrow, this craft of ours will no longer be sailing upon the Seidon River but the Adam." Hudder admitted, rolling up the map as well as looking quite impressed with all that his human friend had explained, "That'll be okay with you, right?"

"Of course. We must sail through the Seidon, Adam as well as Celestine Rivers before we reach Pebble Plateau. That's alright with you, isn't it? If not I could always walk the rest of the way-"

"Don't be silly, ye' fool. Har har, like we said at the start of this journey, no matter the distance, of course there's no problem with my family sailing you out to Pebble Plateau. You saved my Nyrina. Now I have to repay your kind actions with my own, no matter what that takes." The Urchinhide father chuckled, gently patting his fellow on the shoulder, "Still, I have to ask ye', Ivan, you have a pretty good know-how of the lay of the land ahead of us. Have ye' traveled this way through River Country before?"

"I have indeed passed through this country many a time. Several times, I journeyed on foot alongside this river. This is the first time I've been able to sail through this realm, though."

"Every other time ye've come this way, ye've traveled on foot? Sheesh, that's quite the accomplishment, lad, what with all of the rivers to cross and the forests to not get lost in."

"Indeed, my first actual journey through this land five years back was a bit tricky but I managed with the goddess guiding me. Last year, like now, I had the luck of having some help in getting to Pebble Plateau." Ivan explained, a thoughtful smile coming onto his face as he began to recall memories of something from last year, "Yes, during my last trip through this land heading south, I was helped by a group of traveling performers. Of course, I had to work to earn my lodgings with them but it was all done in very good fun."

"Ye' don't say? You were here last year with a travelin' band of actors? Hm, it's a wonder that me and my family didn't 'appen to see you come by here then. Every year, we Urchinhides travel south from Onyx Bay to see Clampter's favorite nephews at Hedgebank. Do you know where that is? Hedgebank, I mean?"

"I do. From what I heard back in Norlinth during my last visit, Hedgebank is one of the more popular places in River Country. It's a quaint, riverside, village community hidden from the evil souls of this world, no? There, hedgehogs, otters, shrews and all matter of river faring folk gather for trade, parties and fun, right?"

"Right."

"Ah, splendid to know that the recorders and messengers of Norlinth have tracked, charted along with located Hedgebank accordingly then. And what luck on my part. If I have to walk from there because your family gets caught up in partying, Hedgebank is only about a day and a half from where I'm going, isn't it?"

"Yep. Glad to see we're on the same page here." Hudder laughed, looking very pleased, "And ye' stop talkin' this instant about walkin' anywhere in River Country, laddo. I told ye' before; since ye' saved my sweet Nyrina, I made a bargain with you and we Urchinhides don't break bargains. I'll get ye' to Pebble Plateau on this raft or on my back if need be but ye'll not be walkin' anywhere, understood?"

"Heh, understood." Ivan chuckled back, smiling in gratitude at his otter friend's serious words.

"Now, movin' on, ye' say that ye' traveled here last year with a roving group of performers, Ivan?" Hudder wondered curiously, taking back over the tiller in the meantime, "Pray, what was their trade? What did ye' do to earn yer keep in their company?"

"As a human, I did a lot of beneficial things for them. The audiences that gathered to see me alone were quite sizable." Ivan explained proudly, thinking back on his adventure through River Country last year, "For the crowds that came to see me, I was a storyteller, a teacher, an actor, a healer, a hero along with more. I was a walking, talking exotic display for everyone. Truth be told, I made the performers so successful that they were not all too thrilled to see me go back home to the north. Truly... I do believe I broke their hearts when I departed their group."

"Aw, tis' a sad thing to say goodbye to those you care about and they who care about you. Just by the way you look while rememberin' 'em now, I suspect that ye' became close friends with those actors before your duties to your homeland called you elsewhere?"

"Yes. I was very good friends with the performers. And I would have stayed... if the goddess had not called me back home yet another time."

"She called you back, did she? For what exactly?"

"To honor a memory. To honor friends I had not seen a long time." The Norlinthian stated, looking serious now as he stared northward towards where he knew his homeland resided, "I was called back to honor the ship I served upon for three years fighting slavers in the north; the Valiant."

At hearing the name "The Valiant", Hudder looked to Ivan with a knowing glance. A moment of quiet passed before the he-otter said respectfully, "Ah, the Valiant. Yes, I know that name. Most otters of Onyx Bay do, seeing as it has patrolled their shores to keep them safe from pirates and the like for years. And just by how that title alone has quite the sound of honor and respect about it, I bet that vessel of yours did a fine job of making slavers quake in their boots. The Valiant... is it not one of the most fabled ships of your human navy, Ivan?"

"It IS the most fabled ship of my kind's navy. Or it was. For a hundred years, it fought against evil on the high seas. For a hundred years, it survived the impossible as well as brought the most wicked of souls to justice. During the very years of the war that created the Valley of Ruin a century ago, it was one of the seven ships out of fifty that survived the battle against the Thousand Corsair Fleet invading the north. And last year, it finally came to rest." Ivan explained, his eyes narrowed along with glazed over with memories, "Mind, it wasn't sunk by any enemy. Its latest captain, a noble wolfess whom I sailed with during my three years north, gave up her command over the ship last year. Now, it's simply docked in the capitol port of Norlinth where, during its retirement, it serves as a constant reminder to the fleet that good always conquers evil, no matter the odds."

"And during three out of the hundred years it conquered evil, mate, you were aboard the Valiant?" Hudder asked curiously, "Out of the eight years you've been on your own, you spent three sailing upon that beaut' of a legend, eh??"

"Aye. That's right."

"Then you must have seen plenty of things, no? Surely you have a number of stories to tell about getting the best of slavers in the Waiting Sea, eh? Is that what made you such a success with the performers last year?" The Urchinhide father wondered, smiling a wide smile, "Aye that was the key to your success, wasn't it? Then by all means, during tonight's partyin' if ye' don't mind, ye'll have to tell my family a tale of your journey serving aboard the Valiant. It would be our honor to hear you speak, Ivan."

"I... Yes, that would be grand for us all, wouldn't it?" Ivan said, looking confident at the idea of him describing his experience on Norlinth's most celebrated frigate, the Valiant, "Indeed, when I was with the actors last year, I told a story or two of my days aboard the Valiant. That was undoubtedly what made me so popular with the audiences, no? Anyway, yes, Hudder, I would be honored to describe the feats of the most celebrated Norlinthian ship during the celebrating tonight."

"Splendid!" Hudder cheerily said back, grinning with pleasure and brimming with energy, "Hah, to think that Clampter likes ye' already, Ivan. Well, after he hears what ye' have to say tonight about the Valiant, why, he'll more than likely want to be ye'."

"And you wouldn't mind that? Him wanting to be me, I mean?" Ivan questioned warmly, spreading his arms wide in friendship, "I have to say, my life has been one of action, adventure and virtue. Nevertheless, it's not been a life without danger."

"Not at all, my friend, not at all. Despite the dangers he'd no doubt face, I'd be honored to have my son wanting to be a Norlinthian like you. He'd have your manners, your skill for combat and the blessings of the goddess upon him, don't ye' know." The Urchinhide father proclaimed, patting his human fellow on the back, "Besides, it's far better that he would want to be you than his Uncle Tagger. Hmf, Tagger... Why that brother of mine is not an Urchinhide but an Urchin Head if ye' pardon my insultin' him."

"Oh? Do you not like your brother, Hudder?"

"Bah, don't get me wrong, I love him like all of me brothers, to be sure. I just don't like the fact that he can get my little son to give him freshwater shrimp out of his bowl when I can't. It's not right, ye' know, havin' your son liking your brother over you."

As Ivan laughed aloud at this, with Hudder chuckling good-naturedly to himself, the Dynamic lazily sailed along southward with the birds singing sweetly, the river gurgling, the trees rustling with the wind and father sun sinking further in the western skies.

++++++

The summer sun, having previously been high up, was now steadily falling ever closer to the reddening horizon beyond the forestlands to the west. The twittering of the many different birds had long ago been replaced with the chirping of many insects as well as the occasional hoot-hoot-hooting of an owl. Sometimes, almost as if it were curious to see why everything was so calm in the world, a fish would poke its head up from the calm Seidon River's surface where it would stay for a moment or two before dipping back underneath the gurgling current to tell of what it'd seen.

Sometime during the decline of the day, there had been a huge commotion over Clampter having to take a bath so he would look proper for tonight's festivities. At seeing his mother coming for him with a bar of soap, the Urchinhide son had instantly bolted for the nearest edge of the raft!

In turn, with a sigh of exasperation, Mistdrop had hollered, "Ivan! Keep that wee' rogue from delaying the impossible, please. Thank you kindly."

Just in time, the human had managed to grab hold of Clampter just when the river pup was about to dive. Then, as the Urchinhide son had cried out that Ivan was a full blown traitor, the Urchinhide mother had casually gotten around to plunging her squirming son in the nearby barrel bathtub, wetting down his whiskers, scrubbing every inch of his body along with overall cleaning him up for the party to come. As she'd ignored her son's complaints that she was going to rub his fur off with the soap or that she had gotten soap in his eyes on purpose, Mistdrop had actually broke into a soft song that'd made Ivan feel quite a bit happy. It was a family tune that the otter mother sang and such tunes were what the goddess loved most.

"Come now, hold still, don't squirm so much, my rebellious little pup

Truly, with me as your mother, you really must allow me to give you this proper scrub

A touch of soap here, a dab of clean there and a scrubby-dub-dub for extra good measure

We'll scrub your tail, clean your ears and straighten out your whiskers

As well as cure that horrible mess that is you altogether

So come on now, don't cause such a fuss

For there'll come a time when you'll regret you didn't let me do this more often

Oh please hold still, stop your squealing

Oh bother, you put soap in your own eyes on purpose

There we are, you're all prim and trimmed and looking ever so very handsome

Now run off you, go get some of your friends

And show some manners to those little she-otters fluttering their eyes at you."

Yet, where her voice appeased relaxed Ivan with ease, Mistdrop's lovely singing only did so much to restrain the rebellious spirit of Clampter who just wouldn't hold still in the bath. It wasn't until the human pilgrim took the young he-otter's sling and stones and began performing rather impressive feats of slinging that Mistdrop was able to get around to better cleaning her distracted pup.

"There. Hit that branch, Ivan, sir." Clampter exclaimed at one point, pointing into the collection trees opposite of the Dynamic, "Don't you see it? That branch right there?"

"My son, we're sailing through forestland. There's hundreds if not thousands of branches around here." Hudder laughed aloud, holding his sides, "You're going to have to be more specific for our human guest on what you want him to hit."

"Here, Clampter. You see that branch sticking up out of the water ahead?" Ivan asked, pointing towards a lone branch sticking upright out of the middle of the stream ahead, "I'll snap that in two for you, okay? Watch."

With utmost ease - with "unnerving" ease, put better - Ivan whirled the well-made, leather sling in his right hand. With an increasingly loud pitch of volume whirring into an eventual hum, with every eye fixed on him, the human moved from twirling the stone vertically at his side to horizontally over his head. Then, after so many swings, after a brief moment of aiming, with his left eye closed an right one narrowed, Ivan launched the empowered stone forth where it skipped gracefully thrice across the river's surface before snapping the branch ahead not in half... but into proper kindling.

"Whoops. Meant to split it in half." Ivan admitted since he didn't seem to know his own strength or precision, rubbing the back of his neck as his audience looked at him impressed, "My bad."

"Ha ha! That was awesome!" Clampter laughed excitedly in turn, not at all disappointed by the result of the slung rock, "Again! Do it again, Ivan, sir."

Many more times, Ivan slung rocks with not only precise accuracy but deadly power. Easily, if not knowing it at the moment, he showed the Urchinhide family what he had learned during his years of traveling. He showed them humanity's gift for combat. In turn, having watched him in a trance since he'd begun entertaining her little brother, Nyrina couldn't help but murmur aloud next to her mother, "Glad to see Ivan is on our side. I'd hate to be at the receiving end of those rocks of his."

"As would I, dearest." Mistdrop replied, smiling at the dreamy look in Nyrina's eyes as she was watching Ivan show off, "As would I."

Where the majority of the Seidon River was naught but natural stillness by the time dusk was at hand a few hours later, that was not the same case at all where the Dynamic floated casually along. Having eaten a splendid dinner made up of many fish, fruits, vegetables along with drinks, the formal members of the Urchinhide family - as otters - were now in their jovial element; singing, dancing, laughing and enjoying life altogether.

All the while, cheerily observing from his own barrel of a chair beside the cooking fire pit, Ivan watched bathed as well as clean Clampter beat his leather drums with energy, Hudder blow a memorable tune from his harmonica as well as Mistdrop dance her way into his heart. And then there was Nyrina who, unable to dance so merrily liked she wanted to with her mother due to her injuries, sang with the voice of an angel.

Truly, everything was already splendid to Ivan's gladdened senses. This scene of happiness upon the raft was no doubt blessed by the goddess above. However, it was the Urchinhide daughter's melodious, delicate yet strong voice that burned the partying into his memory forever.

"Come over here and listen to me, I'll tell you a tale that you'll very much enjoy.

It's about Damsontail, the daughter of bold Kelptail, whose home was Onyx Bay.

Before she became the finest legend, Damsontail was the most beautiful of sea otters.

With a twinkle in her eyes, a spring in her step, no male could resist trying to court her.

So to make things fair, a race was to be held for the paw of Damsontail, decreed by her father.

But when she took the lead as well as finished in first place, the choice was finally left to her.

And Damsontail, well, she took tail and journeyed her way across the whole of this wide world.

But for days and weeks and months and years, she couldn't find herself a proper courter.

Not until she stopped to take a breath and was therefore approached by a human.

The human's name was Hemmleton, he explained he too was on a journey just like her.

And so together from there, Damsontail and Hemmleton journeyed, quarreled as well as fell in love.

When Damsontail finally returned to her home, her father gave a start.

"Daughter!" He cried, "Well yank me rudder. Your lover is one with the goddess above."

This was the story of Damsontail and her quest to find true love, no matter the distance.

It was a pretty fine legend, don't you think? Yes, it was a pretty fine legend indeed."

When she finished singing out the last note of the familiar tale of lovely Damsontail finding her darling Hemmleton, Nyrina took a shy, brightly smiling bow to her applauding audience. For the briefest of moments, she caught Ivan's eye as she sat down. Then, being distracted by her human rescuer, she missed her seat and sprawled on the deck instead! In turn, as her father helped her up, it took all of the otter daughter's mustered willpower to not throw herself off of the Dynamic due to her embarrassment.

"Here we are, my little water lily. There we go." Hudder said cheerily, seating his daughter properly on her chair near the fire, "Truly, Nyrina, my dear, if the goddess gave ye' and yer mother anything of hers... it was her voice. Don't ye' think so, Ivan, my friend?"

"Oh yes. Without a doubt." Ivan agreed at once, nodding his head, "I would say that the goddess blessed this family with talent for the arts. To be perfectly frank, it's common knowledge that all otters are born with the talent for celebrating. It's in your genes and is envied by all of the other races of this world. Still, you are all excellent performers, my friends. You stand out from your fellow otters, for sure."

"Well, here we all are partying this fine afternoon away and ye' haven't had a chance to do yer own act, Ivan, matey." Hudder said next, coming over as well as hauling Ivan off of his eat so that he now stood in the middle of the family, "Come on now. Up ye' come. That's it. Now, all of us here know you've been on the road for eight years now. Ye' told me about ye' traveling through this country last year with some performers. So surely ye've got some singing or dancing to do for us, eh?"

"Er, well, uh, I'm not the dancing type." The human admitted at once, "Yes, I traveled with some actors in the past but I thought we agreed tonight that I would tell a story of the Valiant, not have me dance or sing. You see, I'm not much of an expert in singing or dancing either so-"

"Ye' won't be goin' back to yer seat without showin' us a jig or singing us a shanty, mate." Hudder declared, earning agreement from his family in turn who smiled humorously with Ivan, "Ye have to do somethin' for us, northerner. Consider it an added part of the condition of ye' sailing with us."

"Ah, so that's the catch is it?" Ivan gasped, looking appalled at having his place on the Dynamic used against him now, "You didn't invite me onto your raft here for free. You did it to show me up, didn't you? The shame."

"Get out of here. That's not at all true and ye' know it, bucko." Hudder roared with laughter, thumping the raft deck with his rudder in turn, "Come on now. Go on. Ye' can't be bad at anything like singin' nor dancin' after having been with actors last year, right? Right."

There was a moment's silence where Ivan didn't seem to know what to do. He glanced from one Urchinhide member to the other uncertainly. Then, when his eyes rested upon Nyrina longest who did her best not shy away from his gaze but happily met it with her own, he seemed to grow bolder about the moment. Indeed, standing up straighter, cracking his back as well as brushing back his hair, the young human man announced his intentions.

"If I have to put on a show for you good otters then so be it. I'm willing to sing out a shanty I came to admire during my time aboard the frigate, Valiant, protecting the north from danger."

"Har har! There we go." Hudder exclaimed cheerily, "Valiant, Valiant and more Valiant. Give it to us then, mate. Nice and loud and proud!"

"Oh, hush, Hudder. He can't very well do anything with you being the loudest thing in this area." Mistdrop said, sitting with her husband lovingly, "What is it you'll be singing for us, Ivan, dear?"

"Hm, what was the name of the song? That's a good question." Ivan admitted, thoughtfully rubbing the back of his neck before saying next, "The captain of the Valiant... the she-wolf favored this tune. She said the goddess taught it to her in her sleep. Ah, I've got it: "It's Time For You to Leave Here.""

And with that, the Urchinhides listened curiously as their human guest started into a song that wasn't as energetic as their previous ones... but was rather solemn, slow paced along with peaceful like. It was a melody about his kind; nomads, travelers, pilgrims and such. It was a story about the wanderers of Felldew, like himself, who set out into the world to learn all that they could.

"There I was one day, looking out over the wide, vast openness that was the world.

During that day, my loving mother, she walked up to me and said with a knowing smile.

"You hear her out there, don't you son? In your dreams, you hear Gaia calling you by name?"

"Yes." I replied uncertainly, "You know, she's been calling my name for many a day."

"Then, my son," My mother said, "it's time for you to leave here. It's time for you to go far away.

It's time for you to be off now. This isn't at all a time for you to stay.

For goddess Gaia is calling and your voyage will undoubtedly be long.

But you cannot waste your time standing here looking out into the great unknown."

Alas, at this, I did not know how to possibly proceed.

At hearing that I couldn't stay but go, I was suddenly eager and happy and afraid.

All of a sudden, I had to leave my family to seek out a purpose somewhere other than here?

But how could I do that all alone? How could I go off on this journey all on my own?

Yet, no, I wasn't alone... Foolish me, yes, I had Gaia awaiting me!

So with newfound spirits, with vigor and care, I rallied up my formerly uncertain spirits.

I gathered my things, packed my bags and said my goodbyes with not fear but earnest.

Thus here and now, I thank my mother for telling me it was my time to leave her that day.

For now I'm strong, bold and wise, just like she wanted of me.

All because I followed the goddess's call to here, mighty Valiant be praised."

There was a moment of silence. Then, the Urchinhides erupted into clapping, cheering as well as praise. They demanded another grand song to be sung by Ivan who, with more courage this time, caved in to their demands. And as he sang, as he even tried to dance with Mistdrop every so often late into the dusk around the family fire, he couldn't keep from noticing Nyrina's admiring eyes always being locked onto him.

She was always watching him with those greener than green eyes of hers... Watching, watching, forever watching. And he found that he didn't at all mind. Rather, feeling the spot where she'd kissed him earlier, he suddenly couldn't get enough of her attention. More often than not, with his heart beating with gladness, he exchanged a bright smile with her, shared in her laughter, clasped her hands in his and clapped with the musical beat alongside her.

Then, suddenly, as the Urchinhides were allowing their happy human guest to take a breather, as giggling Nyrina was handing grateful Ivan a drink of fresh river water to tend to his dry throat, a voice called out of nowhere from down the Seidon. It was voice that wasn't filled with hostility of course but thankfully belonged to a chuckling, friendly, burly, larger than large, older looking hedgehog who - dressed in a bark brown vest with pants, with spikes gray with age - came into view ahead, skillfully paddling a simple fishing boat out from the reedy right bank to intercept the Dynamic.

Accompanying the described spikey-back in his little boat was a most beautiful looking mouse maid. The said she-mouse looked to be about Nyrina's own age. In her own way, she was just as pretty as the otter daughter too for she sported golden-white fur that gleamed in the dying afternoon light. Her thin, hairless tail gently waved behind her and her crown of sunflower yellow hair was tied back into a bun behind her delicate ears.

Even from a distance, it was clear that the mouse maid's eyes were the most remarkable, solid blue color; like Ivan's own, truth be told. They, the human as well as she-mouse, both appeared to have eyes that matched the color of the summer sky at noon when everything was brightest if not grandest.

"Hur, hur, howdy-ho there, good folk. Sorry if this ol' hedge pig surprised ye'. A mighty good evenin' to ye' regardless." The aged, paddling hedgehog called from ahead downstream, closing in on the Dynamic as its passengers quickly came to realize that they were being addressed as well as approached by newcomers, "And why wouldn't it be, eh? Ha ha, with the sky so clear, with the world so peaceful like and with you all singing with voices blessed by the goddess herself, I reckon that today has been a grand day for all of us Felldewans far and wide. Beggin' yer pardon but do ye' river dogs have a moment to spare to listen to a humble word or two from myself and my fair she-mouse friend here?"