The Packs (Chapter 1)

Story by GoliathWildcat on SoFurry

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#1 of The Packs

A settlement at risk of raid from many other tribes has paid one tribe to protect them for generations. But what happens when the settlement decides it is too big to be raided? Who will the consequences be paid by? And how does a warrior with his blood up regain the calm to be a leader?


The strong winds born of the sea breeze lash the rough waves against the shore as the young female doe looks out over the waters at the oncoming storm. Raising her hand to shade her eyes she squints into the distance at the small white specks that had just appeared over the horizon. Her eyes going wide in surprise she turns and dashes to the center of her small community on the shore of their nation. Several farmers and tradesmen watch her run by, her long ponytail of brown hair streaming in her wake as she screams, "RAID!!!" However, they pay her shouts of warning no mind as they continue with their tasks. She was obviously just an excitable young doe who had seen an unexpected trade ship, not a watcher stationed to warn of pack raids. The watchers would let them know if there was a raid coming.

She stumbles into a large simple frame construction building off the central square of the community and gasping for breath kneels in front of the older female doe seated in a softly padded chair. Before she can catch her breath enough to get the words out the older female nods her gray muzzled head in understanding, "They have come," she states softly, the crackle of age firm in her voice. "The spirits warned this day was coming, and it appears that the village Elders are about to be proven wrong for what may be the last time."

The young female doe bows her head as her hands clench into fists, "It is as you said Wise Mother, the Elders were in error to think they could get away with their greed." She raises her green eyes to look at the calm old wise woman of the village sitting in her hand carved chair, "What can we do?"

The old female shakes her head and closes her grey eyes, "Nothing my granddaughter, we are not warriors. The strongest of our males stand not a chance against the packs. That is why we have given tribute to the packs for decades, for protection. When the Elders decided they could greedily keep the tribute for themselves they brought this on us all." She sighs regretfully and lets her eyes close in sadness and surrender, "The packs protected us from the rest of the world. But, now who will protect us from them?"

Outside a bell starts to ring in high pitched warning of the ships she had sighted first, a raiding pack is about to strike. Shouts and the stamping of feet signal the farmers trying to prepare, but the howls on the wind make it clear that it is too little too late.

***

The tall black male wolf stands at the head of his sea dragon and watches the quickly closing shore, the winds of the storm at their back driving their fast ships through the swells of the ocean. The younger gray male behind him grunts softly, "Foolish people, they knew the consequences of breaking the pact."

The scarred black-furred warrior nods his head slowly in response. He looks over his shoulder to the other warriors on the wide vessel's main deck and nods again in quiet confirmation. 'The men are ready,' he thinks to himself. 'They've needed a good raid to work out their aggressions.' A frown crosses his features as he turns his gaze back onto the closing shore, 'And these foolish weaklings think they will continue to get our protection without the due tribute. It is time to remedy that false hope.'

Over the water and wind a high pitched bell can be heard ringing and a few of the warriors behind him raise their muzzles towards the sky and loose a howl of challenge. The younger grey warrior smiles wolfishly, "The men are in high spirits my Lord."

The black wolf grunts in agreement and hefts his large two handed axe as he feels the keel of the shallow draft boat rub the soft sand of the beach. With a long howl of his own he swings the axe over his head and leaps over the side of the boat to splash into the water eight feet below. With great strides of his powerful legs he runs through the last few feet of water to the shore and the visible collection of buildings on the rise of stone a few hundred yards away.

As the other warriors leap to follow him, axes, swords, and bows brandished and voices raised in a chorus of howls with his. The sailors secure the boats of their small flotilla to await the return of the raiders with crossed arms and weapons nearby. A figure wearing a heavy white cloak and hood leaps lightly to the sand and the sailors on the beach show respect to the female figure as she starts to follow in the footsteps of the warriors yet carries no weapon of her own. Her eyes are closed, and yet she seems to be following some other tracking sense as she walks with calm and even steps towards the sound of battle.

***

At the first rings of the bell the men around the settlement look up in fear and shock. They had thought the pack would not come. After all, they aren't a large or rich community. A few of the farmers take up pitchforks and hoes while tradesmen grab hammers and pry bars, hoping to fend off these warriors from across the waters, but knowing they have little chance against such hardened warriors.

The small band of watchers ready their bows as they see the pack's ships landing on the sandy beach. Seeing the warriors streaming towards them they start to loose poorly aimed arrows that the wolves dodge and block. The few arrows that find marks only seem to enrage the warriors hit and spur them to faster speeds as they close. Not a single wolf goes down under the sparse shower of arrows.

As the first of the howls come to them across the water several of the bucks drop their improvised weapons and flee in fear for their homes and loved ones. The few who are still standing when the warriors reach them have little time to regret their bravery. The bare handful of bucks who try to resist the charging, howling visages of death streaming towards them are cut down or knocked aside without inflicting so much as a single casualty on the wolves of the raiding pack.

The large black-furred wolf looks down at the bloody corpse at his feet that was part of the weak defenders of this settlement and shakes his head in disgust.

"This is the best they can do?" asks a white wolf warrior as he spits on one of the corpses he had cleaved into bloody pieces.

A hard glare from the silent leader conveys more than just a reprimand for his words, but for his very actions and the white warrior lowers his ears and backs away with a submissive whine.

A soft voice comes from behind them and a female wolf, her fur gleaming a silver that seems to shine even with dark storm clouds closing in, steps up to the warriors as she throws back her white hood, "Do not disrespect those who fight for their people. One day they may be able to fight us off and then where will we be?"

The warriors bow their heads to her in acceptance of her words before they turn back to the leader. The black wolf gives a flick of his head, his thin warrior braid tossing with the small motion, and the warriors howl and race past him towards the buildings of the settlement. Plunder and loot foremost in their minds. The male's dark eyes study the silver bitch for a moment before he speaks, "Sister, you should have waited on the ship for us to secure these people, you are not to come to harm and you carry no weapon or shield."

She reaches a gloved hand up to gently cup her brother's cheek, "Good of you to say little brother, but the job of a mediator is to do more than cower in the boat while warriors are fighting. I must see how they resist us to know if they are a threat or just foolish." She squats down and closes the dead eyes of the closest buck with a sad expression, "Sadly, I think they're just foolish if this is the best they could do to defend against such a small raiding force."

He nods slightly, "Stay near me then, for we can't chance losing you to a lucky or surprise strike."

She nods and quietly follows him as he walks towards the central square of the community.

***

The young doe holds a walking staff in her hands as she stands before the wise woman of the settlement when the three wolves smash in the flimsy wooden door of the house with quick blows of their battle axes. Seeing her standing between them and the old doe they let loose howls of laughter as one of them chops the staff with a single swing of his axe as if it were straw.

As the staff in her hands is turned to splinters she steps back with a scream only to have one of the wolves grab her and pull her close for a canine lick on her cheek. She squeals in fear and tries to push away but the warrior's strong muscles hold her firmly. The warrior holding her smiles, enjoying her squirms of protest as he barks a few words in his mongrel dialect to his friends as the other two advance on the wise woman. She looks towards the doorway as a large black masculine shape enters, the bright sunlight flashing off the blade of the large axe in his hands, and some crisp commands are barked in the canine tongue. A smaller female shape stands behind him covered in a fur trimmed white cloak of high quality that seems to glisten in the dim light.

The warriors all freeze at the appearance of this new warrior and their ears lower in shame as their tails droop. He points to the young doe and barks a single word so loudly everyone flinches and the warrior holding her lets her go suddenly and step backwards from the wise woman. Their tails still limp and their ears lowered in shame at being caught they stand against the wall behind their leader.

She immediately retreats to the wise woman and whispers in her ear as she squats next to her chair, "What's going on?"

The wise woman answers softly as the female steps around the large black-furred warrior and removes her hood to show her finer silver furred features, "I suspect this is their leader and the mediator come to settle the dispute."

A twinkle in the silver wolf's ice blue eyes can be seen as she nods her head respectfully to the older doe, "Your suspicion is correct Wise Mother. I have come to find out why the tribute for your clan's protection has not been paid these last two seasons."

The wise woman lowers her head in shame and explains, "The Elders believed we were too large a group to suffer much from your raids if they defied you. They wanted to keep all the harvest of the fields, sea, and stone for themselves and their chosen ones. They have grown fat and lazy while hoarding the goods these last few seasons."

The silver female nods in understanding before turning to the black warrior behind her and barking a few quick instructions in their native tongue that are unintelligible to the two does. He silently nods and flicks a hand for the other three warriors to do as instructed. They leave with quick bows to the leader and he returns his dark gaze on the females in front of him. Slinging his axe across his back he crossed his muscled arms over his broad chest and studies the scene in front of him as statue made of granite might look upon those viewing it.

Turning back to the two does in front of her she nods slightly to them, "The Elders are to be brought here to answer for such crimes. The bargain that bound you to us could only be broken if you can beat us in combat which you clearly can't. And while you haven't been paying the due tribute we have continued to defend your lands, keeping raiders from outside away." She gives a feral grin as she steps next to the elderly woman's chair and looks down at her, "So I think you'll agree we are being lenient if we leave your buildings intact when we set sail again."

The elderly doe bows her head in agreement while the young doe clinging to her side watches the black furred warrior closely. "Wise Mother, what's going to happen?" she whispers softly.

The dark warrior speaks with a soft voice that still echoes in the audience chamber, his voice is the voice of command and rings with his authority no matter how quiet, "That will be decided when your elders arrive."

The three warriors return with several more of their brothers and a group of five overweight bucks in fine clothing now torn and soiled. The black furred warrior doesn't even look at them as the other warriors force them to kneel facing the three females. The silver furred female smiles toothily, causing several of the elders to flinch in fear. "We have held up our end of the pact these last two seasons, but you have not held up yours." She studies the kneeling bucks and snarls, "We have fended off three groups of raiders and lost two warriors while defending your homes and lives." She looks up at the black furred warrior who steps forward and glares down at the elders with his dark blue eyes.

His deep voice resonates in the meeting room, "As War Leader I speak for the brothers of those lost. We demand reparations in excess of tribute."

One of the elders nervously speaks, "We will gladly pay the tribute owed plus a bonus for your losses." He looks up at the large warrior standing over him and gulps reflexively in fear.

The mediator shakes her head, "Not good enough. You will pay the tribute owed, but you will also pay much more." She looks up at the warrior and nods, "Free looting, but no killing or rape. We are a proud race, not animals."

One of the elders opens his mouth to protest but the swish of a dagger being pulled from a sheath silences him and he looks towards the black warrior without moving his head. The large warrior stands there holding a dagger that looks like it would be a short sword if in the elder's hand. He speaks as he studies the bright metal and the light reflects off it to flash across the elders, "I think the Mediator is being quite kind to you. Some of my men want to burn your buildings to the ground and take all your women. As it is, the terms are acceptable to me, and I decide for my men." He looks up to his sister and bows his head, "I claim War Leader's right."

She nods, "As is your right. You may claim one Unna as your own in addition to a portion of the loot."

The elders cast glances at each other in silent question of what that means. The wise woman gasps quietly and grips her granddaughter's arm tighter.

The warrior looks at the granddaughter and without a change of expression, "I claim this female as my Unna."

One of the elder's turns, his mouth open to protest, but he stops as the dagger in the warriors hand hovers with the sharp point just pricking the skin of his chin. "This is not negotiable," he growls with a slight snarl on his muzzle as his eyes seem to glow with an inner fire.

The elder gulps as the dagger is removed and the black warrior slams it back into the sheath on his belt with a metallic clink. He barks out a few orders to the rest of his men in the room and they give a howl of approval and dart out the door to loot and ransack.

The silver wolf smiles charmingly at the elders, "I would advise you to tell your people not to resist. Though the warriors will not attack someone outright now, they will defend themselves." She waves her hand at them like swatting away an annoying fly, "Leave!"

The elders scamper to their feet and run for the door in disarray. The warrior snorts in disgust at their obvious cowardice.

The wise woman looks at the mediator with tears in her eyes, "Please... My granddaughter is all I have left. Her parents died in the storms three years back, if she goes I will be alone. Don't take her, please."

The mediator shakes her head, "I am sorry, but the War Leader has the right to claim an Unna as part of his share. He could have demanded every one of his men got that right and stripped this entire settlement of fertile females, but he was lenient."

The young doe clings to the older female, wide eyed in fear, not understanding what they are talking about but knowing that the savage wolves are talking of taking her away.

The wise woman looks to her granddaughter and pats her hand gently, "Can I join her at least?"

The mediator looks to the warrior with a raised eyebrow. "Your choice, she would be your responsibility." He sighs softly and nods in agreement with a sharp, "Fine!" before he steps outside the house and into the dimming sunlight as the storm that drove their fleet onto the land reaches the settlement and water starts to fall to the earth.

The bitch looks back at the wise woman and nods with a tiny smile, "Welcome to the Pack. Gather what you need," she pulls a small circular golden device from under her robes and nods at it. "We leave in three hours with the high tides, this storm should blow out quickly and provide us with a fair wind to return home."

The wise woman bows her head respectfully, "Thank you."

Outside the house the silver bitch looks up at her brother and nods as she pulls her hood up, "That was nice of you."

He grunts with sullen irritation, "I can't stand to see old women cry."

She chuckles and lightly punches his arm, "I won't tell any of your warriors about that weakness."

He chuckles and nods as he watches his warriors entering the buildings around them and coming out with bags of loot and valuables. Several of the does are crying as they hold their children close to themselves while their bucks try to shelter them from the view of the warriors. "Do you think they'll remember the lessons of today?"

She shrugs, "Only the gods know the future, and I am not a god."

He nods, "Well let's hope that they learn today. I dislike having to punish such defenseless people, even if it is their own fault."

She nods, "I understand Tonarth, but sometimes we must do such things."

He sighs, "Come little sister, we have much to do before the tides are ready for us to set sail." With that he walks into the village, the silver she-wolf in tow.

***

As the tides are rising the warriors load the tithe and loot into the small fleet of ships. The wise woman and her granddaughter approach the much larger lupine sailors and warriors with a little trepidation as the last of the rain ends and a rainbow arcs across the sky. A gray furred warrior sees them and approaches, "You must be the Unna and her grandmother coming back with us." At their bowed heads he waves towards the largest of the ships. "You will sail in the War Leader's personal ship for this voyage. Come, we will help you board."

He turns and guides them to the ship. The young doe looks at all the weapons on the warriors and sailors around them and shivers slightly with fear. "Will we really be safe with such violent people Grandmother?" she whispers.

The older doe pats her hand where it rests on her arm, "Indeed, they are only violent in battle. They have a high code of honor that will protect us more than if we stayed here. The villagers will be angry with the Elders, and I think it is good that we will be away from here Kier. We might even be getting the better part of the deal going with them."

At the edge of the water the warrior gently turns and waits for the two females. When they reach him he takes the wise woman in his arms and carries her through the thigh high water to the large boat and holds her up for a couple of sailors to reach over and help her aboard. Returning he does the same with the young Kier. From the foredeck of the sea dragon ship they watch the industry around them as the last of the crates of plunder and tribute are pulled aboard and stowed for the voyage.

A young female arctic fox with a golden band around her neck and wearing only a royal blue loincloth covering her loins for clothing bows her head slightly to the two females, her generous breasts bare despite the chill of the air. "My name is Lamuri, the War Leader's personal servant. If you will follow me, I will show you were you can rest until the War Leader and the Mediator return."

With a last look at the beach the two does follow the female into a gangway that leads to the central cabin of the large ship.

***

Tonarth and his sister reach the sandy beach with the last of the villagers carrying the overdue tribute. The silver female bows her head slightly to her brother before she dashes into the water and leaps onto the central ship by grabbing a rope and pulling herself aboard.

He stops the last of the bucks before he can leave the beach, "Warn your Elders not to test us again, next time I will not be so forgiving." The buck cringes and bows low before hurrying away from the large dark warrior.

As the last of the goods are loaded he walks out to his ship and climbs up the wooden side. As he pulls himself over the side he calls out, "Shipmaster, set sail for home!"

The tall thin female at the stern of the ship calls out orders to the ship's crew and the oars are extended from portals in the sides to clear them away from the beach. Spinning a wheel she turns the ship around and orders the sails set. The sails are raised up their masts and the weak land breeze fills the canvas to push them out to sea. He slowly walks to the aft deck and watches the shoreline disappear in the distance.

"A good haul War Leader?" asks the lithe shipmaster.

"Indeed Yunri, indeed." He gives her a smile, "Let's go home so we can enjoy the fruits of these labors."

"Aye, sir. I saw that young arctic female of yours taking your new prize and the older one into your cabin," she responds and returns her attention to commanding the ship.

"I should probably check on them, I can just imagine the things that little female is trying to do," he mutters as he turns towards the gangway down and into his personal cabin amidships.

Tonarth can already hear the female voices raised as he approached the cabin door. "No, I will not wear that!" comes the voice of the young doe in her native tongue.

The response is the sing songish voice of Lamuri as she tries to reason with the new Unna, "But it is traditional for a servant of a War Leader, how else will the lower caste of warriors know that you are off limits?" He hesitates for only a moment before he forcefully shoves the door open to the surprise of the two does and the clear delight of the vixen.

Lamuri bounces on her toes and her more than ample chest matches the motion of her excitement, "Master, you must explain to your new servant that as a breeding age female who is not of the wolf clan nor a warrior from another that she must wear the appropriate clothing of a servant as I do," she taps the gold torque at her neck and brushes the fine fabric of her loincloth for emphasis. "This is of course to ensure that none will touch or breed her but you."

The black furred warrior grunts as he starts to remove the limited leather armor he normally wears, "Lamuri, she is not a servant, she is an Unna. You were given to me as a servant and have accepted that role, thus your limited clothing. However, an Unna does not go around bare breasted." He hangs the leather armor on a small rack and opens a trunk under it to pull out a green bundle of fabric that he tosses to Kier, "Here girl, this is for you, it should fit. Lamuri, help her get dressed, and don't pester her about how much or little she wears, not everyone is as happy as you to show off their assets."

The arctic vixen bows with understanding to the warrior as he lies back on a pile of furs and blanket, his claws scratching where the armor matted his fur. With a sigh he closes his eyes and his breathing slows to a relaxed and meditative state.

The vixen digs into the bundle to find a long green loincloth and a crisscross style wrap top, "Oh, this will go well with your fur and eyes." She looks up at the young doe who continues to huddle to her grandmother with fear and stare at the vixen as if she were crazy. Resting her hands on her hips the vixen tilts her head to the side, "Well, are you at least going to get out of those rags you call clothing so we can dress you properly?"

The older doe pats her granddaughter's hand reassuringly and gives her a smile to calm her nerves, "Those do look like some fine clothes little one, and it won't hurt to try them on."

Kier looks to the large wolf where he reclines in little more than a loincloth of his own, "But, he's still in here. What if he opens his eyes and sees me naked?"

The vixen laughs with a bell like pitch and she twirls on one foot, her tail flowing with the motion, "He will see you such eventually. It is best to let him see your beauty now so he knows what you will look like when he claims you."

The wolf barks without opening his eyes, "Lamuri!" all the females jump at the loud bark in the small cabin. "I said to stop it. She is an Unna, not a servant. Continue and you will be punished."

The vixen blushes as she holds up the green fabric, "Please put this on; turn your back if you wish for modesty."

The older doe takes the green garments and presses them into the young female's hand, "Do as she says. You are now in a warrior culture which will be different from the agrarian settlement you grew up in for so many years." She looks back to the vixen whose expression has changed as she bows her head and holds out another bundle of fabric to the older doe. "For me?" she asks.

The vixen nods, "You are not a breeding age female to flaunt your assets for the strongest warriors to claim, but a wise mother whose words should be heeded."

The silver she-wolf who had served as mediator enters the cabin and looks over the situation between the females already gathered as she sweeps her own cloak to expose clothing similar to what has been handed to Kier but only slightly more covering and with a belt and bandoleer of pouches slung across her waist and endowed chest, "Ah, good you found something more appropriate for the Wise Mother's status Lamuri."

She takes the bundle and unrolls it to show a robe of fine fabric lined with soft arctic furs. "Yes, this will clearly express your status," she hands it to the older doe, "as a Wise Mother of many years and much knowledge. We value knowledge, hence why my little brother agreed to bring you with the young doe."

Kier looks over at the black male, still lying with his eyes shut on the pile of furs that probably serve as his bed, "Little brother?"

The silver furred female smiles, "Yes, by almost 5 years. He's bigger, stronger, but still my junior in years. If females were allowed to be War Leaders I would be giving him orders, but as it is, I can only advise as a mediator." She shakes her head, "Where are my manners, my name is Luunea, Chief Mediator of the lupine tribes." She holds up her hands, palms open towards the two new females, "Welcome to the family of Lunar Wolf." She gestures towards the apparently sleeping male, "My little brother is Tonarth, War Leader and the most feared warrior in these lands," she smirks. "But don't worry, he's just a giant pussy cat," she whispers to the females.

Kier drops her clothing in a pile from behind her grandmother and peeks out to look at the silver she-wolf, "What am I here, a slave?"

Luunea looks momentarily stunned before she shakes her head in negation, "I must still remind myself sometimes that not all tribes are familiar with the practice. You are an Unna, a prize of sorts but also untouchable, even by the warrior who won you. He won you and takes your safety is a personal burden, if he wants your body, he has to earn your love and trust too." She glances over at her still quiet brother, "He might look like one, but we are not savages." Looking back to the two fems, "You are both members of the family."

Kier points to the vixen, "Then why does she say I need to be nearly nude so that brute can mate with me when he's ready?"

Luunea sighs and scowls at the vixen, "Lamuri is a special case. She was a slave and gifted to my brother in tribute from an allied tribe. She does warm his bed sometimes, but it is mostly her idea that she should be the personal servant to the War Leader. I personally think she feels it brings her a special status and she even likes it sometimes when she earns punishments."

The arctic vixen's tail wags behind her as she smiles, "Master is rather good with his hands."

Luunea rolls her eyes, "She likes to be spanked."

The older doe has little modesty and less compunction as she shed her old clothes and slips into the robe provided which is a little too big for her, but still fits well enough with a few adjustments. The silver she-wolf nods in satisfaction, "Very nice. But your granddaughter still needs her torque." She turns to another smaller trunk and starts to fish around in it.

The vixen bounces in excitement again as the fingers of her left hand stroke the gold torque around her own neck, "Yes, she needs to wear the War Leader's mark. She must wear the mark so others will not claim the prize which is his alone." She almost leers at the young doe, "Virgins are a prize only the greatest of warriors may claim."

"Lamuri!" shouts the black furred male as he sits up, his eyes alight with a hard glare, and one hand pointed at the deck before him, "I warned you, now present yourself."

The vixen's smile falls as she notices the true anger in her master's features and realizes that her teasing might have gone too far this time. With her tail and ears lowered she kneels before her master, knees spread, and hands resting on her thighs, palms up as she stares at the deck.

Tonarth stands and takes a tawse from where it was hanging by a peg on the wall unnoticed by the two does. Without looking at the others he speaks in the lupine tongue to his sister as he cracks the leather strap across his own palm, "Luunea, take the Wise Mother and Unna on the deck for some fresh air or to your own private cabin for some rest. You'll know when to return, they do not need to see this side of me yet."

His sister nods in understanding and motions to two females to precede her from the room. Kier looks with alarm as she hears the large warrior's voice bark commands as the door closes. "What is he going to do, whip her?"

The she-wolf sighs as she motions them to follow her only a short ways down the gangway to another smaller room, "My brother's blood is up after a raid with less patience for her games than normal, this will probably be good for them both. The vixen is satisfying one of her favorite games, how far can she push him to earn punishment and release some of his pent up frustrations where no one will truly be harmed." At their quizzical looks she indicates a large piles of furs for them to seat themselves on, "She's a masochist, her previous master was a sadist and trained her to enjoy pain as a form of pleasure."

The young doe looks at the older she-wolf with wide eyes, "He's a sadist? He's going to hurt her?"

"Not truly a sadist, no. But he was trying to calm himself after battle, when a wolf's blood is full of hormones to fight, and the vixen has ignited the warrior within him at her disregard for his orders. She will have a sore ass in the morning, in probably more than one way, but she will not be permanently harmed."

There is the sound of a leather crack followed by a high pitched yip, "This is best, she will calm him. That is why I insist that he bring her with him on raids. The other male warriors will probably be pairing with a free female or two to release much the same tensions, maybe even a few males will be enjoying their fellow warriors."

"He means to do this to me," whimpers Kier as she tries to hide in her grandmother's arms.

The she-wolf shakes her head, "No, to do so would violate so many taboos of the status of Unnas that he would lose all respect in the clan and tribe. As I said, to feel your flesh, he must earn your love and trust, not take you by force."

***

As the door to his private cabin closed behind the females Tonarth snarled at the vixen, "Get that garment off, you are being punished and I do not want it ruined!"

The arctic vixen's nimble fingers danced at the fastenings at her hip and soon she knelt there on the deck before him bare as the day she was born with the exception of the gold torque still on her neck. She saw the black furred warrior's feet as he walked around her.

One large black furred foot slipped forward to spread her knees wider placing her dripping sex on display and causing more than a few drops of her fem nectar to drip to the wooden deck beneath her, "You are enjoying this? That will be a full dozen strokes on that white ass of yours for forcing my hand." He griped her chin and forced her to look up at him, "I didn't want to show this side of me to the young one, but you wanted it and you will get everything that goes with it."

Releasing her chin he stands straight and crosses his arms, "Grab your ankles, head down, ass up!"

She does as commanded and shivers with a sense of real fear that she might have gone too far this time in her game. She kept her face pointed forwards as he walked behind her as she knew trying to watch him would only anger him further. His blood was already boiling with the hormones of battle; there was no need to push him beyond rational thought.

She felt him rest the tawse on her back as he pulled some rope from another hook and started tying her wrists to her ankles before he secured them further to rings on the deck. He pulled the ropes tight and she felt her knees spread to the point of discomfort before he picked up the leather tawse again. She whimpered softly as she felt the leather of the tawse rub at her rear.

"You have no one to blame for this but yourself," his remorseless voice responds as his hadn pulls back and delivers the first crack of the leather on the left cheek of her bare bottom.

She jerked and let loose a high pitched yip at the contact. He didn't let her recover from the sting before he brought the implement down again and again, alternating sides with each stroke until her bottom was glowing red from the spanking. As the twelfth stroke ended she relaxed, but too soon as another strike came up from beneath to split her mons and the very tip of the tawse flicked her clit with a direct strike of stinging pain.

"Yip yip... yiff!" she cried as the much lighter but still strong blow sent her way over the edge she had hovered at all through the spanking and into a crashing orgasm that left her sex not only dripping, but pouring her essence onto the deck.

There was a flutter of cloth and she saw Tonarth's loincloth land in a heap in front of her as a strong hand planted beside her head as he leaned over her and she felt the thickness pressing and rubbing along the valley between her still stinging ass cheeks as his voice whispered, "I know you want me to take your dripping twat after this to show that I am not truly mad at you, but tonight you will learn I really am upset at you."

His other hands reached down to cup her oozing sex and collect a measure of her juice which he rubbed against the pink rose of her tail-hole causing her to shiver in expectation. She felt him shift above her and the pointed lupine tip of his shaft wedged into the indent of her now soaked anus. With a sigh she relaxed her anal passage as she felt the first shove of that thick intruder. As he pulled the first third out to bury more of his bone in her rear passage she bit her lip as she moaned to hold in the cries of ecstasy she wanted to cry to the world and praise the gods for this alpha male who claimed her as his body and soul.

With the third solid thrust of his shaft she could feel his partially inflated knot pressing to her anal ring she couldn't hold back anymore and cried, "Ahhh! Yes Master, punish me for my games!" she begged.

He held himself in her there for a few moments as he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Yes."

She felt his hips pull back until only the tip of his maleness was still inside her then she felt the flex of his muscles as he drove his shaft into her with a violent thrust and her anal ring could not withstand the pressure or force of the invasion and his knot popped into her back door with an audible pop. She lifted her head to cry out but her jaw went slack and only a nearly inaudible keening left her as his teeth clamped onto her scruff and her back arched like a taught bow ready to release an arrow.

Her anal muscles clamped his shaft behind his knot as her body shook with a climax that made her previous one feel like a stream next to the river that roared through her now. She felt him give a final few quick thrusts before the tightness of her ass on his knot caused him to flood her rear passage with his thick male essence. She could only shiver in bliss as she felt her entire body and surrender to the alpha who held her with his innate power. There was nothing she could do to resist him, she was his bitch, and he her master.

After several long moments that felt like an eternity she went limp with exhaustion in his grip and her head hung from his hold on her scruff. Feeling her pass out under him he gently released her scruff. With a yank on the knot he had secured her with the ropes came loose and he cradled her to his body as he rolled to his side taking her with him, knowing that his knot was going to take a while to deflate and release her.

Wrapping her in his arms he scooted over to the pile of furs that served as his bed and cuddled with the much smaller vixen. His tongue gently lapped at her ear and if would twitch in response without much more reaction from the vixen, "You play a dangerous game Lamuri, I appreciate the service you provide to calm me." He closes his eyes as he feels the last of the battle blood flow from him and the onset of the exhaustion such a feeling brings, "You will always be with me, and I will let no one harm you."

***

In the other room the young and elder doe look at the door with trepidation at the canine growls and cries that come from the cabin they had so recently been in while the silver she-wolf offers tea from a fine china tea service. "It will be fine; she will relieve him of the stress of combat and calm his blood." She hands each of the other fems a delicate china cup, "Drink this, it is a personal blend which I find soothes the nerves and calms the spirit."

Both of the doe fems take the offered cups and sip quietly as the sounds from the other cabin tapper off into so soft shuffling of furred bodies on wooden decking. Luunea smiles as she sips her own tea, "They're done and will be locked together for a while I expect, especially if he punished her as I expected," she says with a satisfied smirk. "She really does enjoy the 'punishments' though I can hardly understand why, but I suspect it's her own idea of love. She does worship my little brother."

Kier sipped at the tea and thought of how much her life had changed, and all because a few rich Elders wanted to be greedy and keep more than their fair share. What a world she fallen into, but there were still far more surprises to come.

All characters unless otherwise stated are the property of Christopher Gilman [aka Goliath Wildcat]. Story © Copyright Christopher Gilman 2008 all rights reserved