{"sf1_id":9873,"sf2_id":"P1EAKEA1","title":"Into the North","author":"Liyoht","words":1227,"posted_at":"2006-03-16T16:44:00.000Z","tags":["Canine","Domination/Submission","Fantasy","Husky","Light Nudity","Wolf"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/9873-into-the-north","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/P1EAKEA1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/8b/3c/8b3c3f6f-7ea7-4275-a144-76699092bdc3","description":"","content":"Illyana panting openly long red tongue hanging partly from her muzzle  \nlooks toward her two companions even as she tightens the grip upon her  \nspear. Paws keeping an even pace over the frozen tundra even as the  \nheavy ropes of silver and amber beads bring annoyances with the never  \nending bouncing against her tooled leather tunic. Eyes narrowing as  \nears pan back she can not help but be thankful she is too out of  \nbreath to curse the need for wearing such useless things.  \n  \nJust silver eye of the mother earlier she had been preparing to learn  \nthe last lessons needed to join the ranks of the blessed den mothers.  \nAs being youngest of the royal litter left her with few choices, not  \nthe most fleet of paw, strong of fang or even much to her shame able  \nto bring down the big hard paw of the plains. Losing one feat of skill  \nafter another to her sisters and brothers in the end she found herself  \nshowing throat to them all. Till no guild wanted her royal pup or not  \namong their ranks.  \n  \nWell she understood the need for the best to take the roles of  \nleadership. As with the winters both hard and long it was the way of  \nher kind and how they have survived sense the beginning when the  \nblessed den mother gave them all life. She can not help wonder if the  \nold ways are always the best ways. Yet it was the daring to ask why  \nthat got her sent on this mission. With an invading pack to the  \nsouthern border and the resulting battles going badly for her clan it  \nwas not long till she found herself with less brothers and sisters.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; The scent seekers, the sharp teeth and even most of the grey muzzled  \nelder killed or captured. Of course the guilds had debated long into  \nthe night what the best course of action was to be. Those either brave  \nor foolish that left to try making peace with those southern invaders  \nstill not having answered any of the bark relays now for a full  \nrounding of the mother's silver eye. Have now been given up in at  \nleast spirit for the last barks by those den mother still among the  \nclan. It was watching the dancing as den mother after den mother first  \nnamed those of the fallen then asked for she who whelps all to accept  \nthem back that angered her.  \n  \nThe last of the royal litter and yet no opinions was sniffed of her.  \nEven with both her sire and dam gone missing having each lead pack of  \nsharp teeth and scent seekers to the border. The first growls of anger  \nfrom her surprising even herself that she was able to stare down what  \nmeager challenger's that remained surprised everyone else. Asking why  \nnone had been sent to the northern border to seek aid it was quickly  \nagreed that this was the task the den mother had whelped her for. Fear  \ncoming like a pouncing death claw at the idea of leaving the clan  \nlands she had just only been able to keep from soiling herself. As to  \nleave the place that smelled of her for a place that did not was  \nforbidden.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; And now feeling more like a netted drink swimmer then clan leader she  \nbegins to wonder if some how she was tricked. As its Iginiy the elder  \nwho's been deciding when the rest times are claiming it's only her who  \ncan sniff out the stalking storms all too common for the northern  \nlands. The grey muzzle having been in charge of the camp because she  \ngrips her spear with only one hand thanks to raging hard paw many  \nsilver eyes ago. The den mothers having licked the hurt better could  \nnot make it as it was before. Ihilei having been left in camp because  \nshe was still nursing her litter it was decided the young could wait  \nfor the time a run to the northern border and back would take such a  \nhealthy scent seeker.  \n  \nHaving long lost any count of the passing of the silvered eye and the  \namber eye or for that matter the exact paw path back to camp Illyana  \nand even Iginiy have long sense become thankful for having a scent  \nseeker like Ihilei with them. It was Ihilei who first barked warning  \nwhen the death claw charged them. Ihilei who has found food enough for  \nall during each camp rest. And Ihilei who takes the less rest yet is  \nquick to take up the run anew each time. Of course both Illyana and  \nIginiy have seen the secretive looks cast backwards when the scent  \nseeker thinks neither companion will notice. Neither is it missed the  \nmany times Ihilei has to remove her tunic to deal with uncomfortable  \nand noticeably swollen teats. Having offered help only to be refused  \nIllyana can not help secretly being glad their own twin rows of teats  \nare just tiny nubs.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I'm sorry Iginiy but this tunic is just too uncomfortable for me.\"  \n  \n\"What about...\"  \n  \n\"I know...we must not look like savages during the first encounter. You  \nknow I will smell them before they get within sight of us. I will put  \nit on at first sniff of the northerners.\"  \n  \nIllyana annoyed to be ignored during this conversation opens her  \nmuzzle to speak only to close it again at a sharp glance from Iginiy.  \nAnd without farther conversation Ihilei carefully rolls her tunic then  \nstuffs it within the bag tied to her back. Now wearing only bracers of  \ncarved hard paw bone about the ankles and wrists Ihilei seems renewed  \nin her energy going so far as to wag her plumed tail about. Illyana  \ncan not help feel resentful wishing she too could remove the useless  \nthings she wears. Comforted only that Iginiy also wears tunic and  \nsilver ropes but without any of the pieces of amber that dance with  \neach touch of paw to ground.  \n  \n\"How much farther?\" Illyana ventures as she watches a group of eye  \nswimmers giving chase to the first of mother's silver eye calling as  \nit begins replacing that of its gold twin, ears perked and tongue  \nhanging out thinking what a delight getting her jaws around those  \nfeathered bodies it would be. Woefully thinking of the flat trail meat  \ncakes they have been eating and just how low supplies have gotten even  \nwith rationing. Ihilei too followers the flock but after a moment of  \ngrip tightening upon her spear decides against trying her luck.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Loud bark of warning from Iginiy causing them both to bring spears  \ninto defensive position. Illyana stumbling and losing her balance just  \nas something with large fangs dark fur misses scoring a bite. Another  \nattacker's muzzle managing to grab hold of one of the silver chains  \ncausing her to be jerked forward and almost end up on all fours.  \nResisting the instinctive urge to spread out her paw hands in greeting  \nto the rapidly approaching ground she instead thrusts spear tip  \nforward at the dark four legged form trying to pull her down. Yelp of  \npain somewhere to her right sounding like Ihilei is echoed by a much  \ndeeper yelp from where her spear found flesh. Then her body meets and  \nground hard and blackness is the last thing she sees.  \n  \n  \n  \n\n"}