FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

2

The camp was asleep as the gryphon crept down from the roots and rocks above. He was cautious, but determined. One stolen meal had left him a little bolder the next morning. And he could smell that they had something. The earliest birds were awakening and their songs would soon have the young hunters up. The sun was just starting to creep down through the trunks of the trees to paint the stones around their camp.

He was careful to step over a line that held up the fabric of one of their tents, craning his neck to sniff at the material before moving on. One of the males was sleeping in there. The next tent was across the campfire, and the smell of food seemed to originate from there. A twig snapped under his foot, halting him instantly as his ears perked up and started swiveling. There was a quiet murmur from the tent before him, but it quieted down as one of the occupants rolled over. The tip of his tail started to quiver and twitch; it was a reflex he couldn’t control.

Carefully, he lowered his head to the flap of the tent, sniffing at the fabric. There, just inside was a piece of smoked meat, partially wrapped up in a leaf. Pressing forward, the fabric bowed before his beak, then slid out and around. With most of his vision obscured by the fabric he could only nip after the smell until his beak caught the smooth bundle of smoked meat. He dragged it out quickly, rustling the fabric with both his beak and the leaf-bound snack.

It wasn’t secured very well and the gryphon was able to quickly gulp down the morsel while leaving the wrapping behind. He returned to the flap of the tent to see if he could steal another of those tasty bundles, beak tucking up and under the material. With the thought of food heavy in his mind, he was a little less cautious in his searching, and slipped his whole head into the dimmed confines of the hunter’s shelter.

His ears folded back as he sniffed around, eyes on the two sleeping forms wrapped up in a fur-lined sack. His eyes lingered for a long moment, making sure they were not going to both awaken before the heavier scents in the tent stirred his curiosity again. There, mingling with the smell of preserved meat, was a new scent. He let out a low puff as he cleared his nostrils to take in that unusual scent. It was heady. The male’s scent and females were quite strong in here, especially hidden up under that cover they both rested under.

The gryphon sniffed at the folded over edge as his feathers roused along his nape, pupils dilating. He couldn’t pull away from the allure of that scent. It was a similar scent that the deer he often hunted carried in the fall after the bucks had their way with the females. And despite these creatures not belonging to the wood, that aroma spoke to the gryphon on an instinctual level.

The forms stirred in the tent and he immediately recoiled. He turned and retreated from the campsite and back up to the rocky ledge overlooking it. He turned to watch as a face peered out from the tent flap. It was the female. A flick of his tail drew her eye up to him, mouth gaping as both gryphon and hunter locked eyes. His ears folded and he quickly turned, springing away into the woods.

He could hear a commotion starting back in the camp, but dared not stop until he was well clear of the immediate area. These were creatures to be wary of and even feared if the scratch along his wing was any indication. His path wound up and around behind his lair, along the rocks that sprung up through the roots of his home. He peered around to make sure it was clear before quickly slipping around and into his home.

He waited at the entrance, scanning the forest beyond for signs that the hunters were coming. It wasn’t long before he spotted movement. The female again. She hadn’t yet spotted him and he wanted to keep it that way.

He used the top exit from his lair, climbing up along the hollowed inside until he popped out the opening at the top. His talons and claws dug into the wood as he curled around and slid himself onto the top. A quick glance down showed that she had spotted him.

The gryphon waited and watched as the female hunter climbed up across the rocks at the base of his lair and into the marred up furrow just before the entrance to his home. His hackles roused and his tail twitched nervously as he peered down at her. She held no weapon as far as he could tell. It looked as if she had rushed out to follow him judging by the state of dress she was in. He unfurled his wings and gripped the lip of the trunk, muscles tensing.

“Wait!”

The gryphon stopped and looked down at her curiously, ears still tucked alongside his skull. He cast another glance along his escape route, but movement from her caught his attention as she drew a small leaf-wrapped item out of her waistband. His reaction was exactly what she was expecting and she carefully unwrapped the edge of it to reveal a small portion of that meat he had stolen earlier. It caught his attention. But, he was wary of coming down from his perch. And the hunter recognized this.

She moved forward and carefully placed the smoked meat on the ground before his lair and retreated. She didn’t depart, much to his discomfort. But he did crawl down from his perch. He froze, looking at her. She remained stationary. Slowly, he crept out of the hollow and lowered his head to sniff at the morsel she left there. He cast a look her way before tucking in to scoop it up.

She only watched quietly, but he could see a nervous tenseness in the way she held herself. And as he sniffed in her direction, she slowly drew out another smoked treat and unwrapped it to offer it. He hesitated and she slowly lowered herself while holding out the open leaf.

Her lips curled into an anxious smile as he stepped toward her and lowered his head to sniff at the edge of the leaf - then the morsel in the middle. He snatched it up and stepped back to quickly swallow it up. But, she didn’t seem to have any more and instead offered her hand with palm facing down. He looked at her face, then her hand before leaning in to sniff at it. He could smell some of the smoked meat, smoke, and of course their alien scent. But, as she slowly reached up with her other hand, he folded his ears back and rumbled.

“Okay. Easy. I know.” Alyssa murmured and slowed her reach.

She reached gingerly for his neck, ready at a moment’s notice to pull her hand back in case the touch wasn’t received well. The gryphon’s feathers roused as he watched her intently. There was something so striking about how he looked at her. Her heart raced as thoughts about what might happen ran through her mind. Would he attack? Would be just melt like a house cat?

As her palm met his neck, he let out a low croon and turned his head to sniff at her hair. She closed her eyes and stopped moving as a moment of uncertainty crept upon her. When the gryphon only gave her hair a brush with his beak and nibbled, she looked to him again.

He moved around to her side to inspect her hip where she procured the tasty morsels from and chirped. She smiled at him and tucked her hand under his beak, drawing his head upward.

“I’m sorry, big fella. I don’t have any more.”

His attention drifted to the sound of her camp, ears perking to track the noise her companions made. His tail flicked up against his flank and he stepped away from her, retreating to a higher point. She met his gaze for a moment and then he turned and retreated up into his den. Alyssa stepped down and quietly walked away. She could barely hide her elation when she returned to the camp.