To Be A Hero

Story by Rivers Madif on SoFurry

, , , , , , , , ,

A young wolf sets out into the world on an adventure like a character from the fantastical stories he loves to hear so much. However, he must soon face reality with the help of a mysterious tiger who may have a bite more in common with him that he thought.



Light from the noonday sun broke through the forest canopy to shine down upon the trail in scattered beams. The rays reflected off the freshly fallen snow in a brilliant display of nature's beauty. The only sounds to be heard were the irregular dripping of melted snow from the trees and the soft, crunching steps of a scrawny brown wolf.

Calvin Frost travelled alone with naught but his thick, woolen clothing to cover him, a serrated knife he kept in a sheath at his hip, and a large leather pack he wore on his back that held all his belongings. He was much shorter than most wolves and he lacked the muscles that his father and his brother Roger had from years of hard work on the family farm. His small size prevented him from doing many of the more difficult jobs on the farm and he was left with less strenuous tasks like feeding and caring for the ferals they kept. This suited Calvin just fine since he could finish his chores quickly and escape to read his stories of knights and kings, and quests, or go to the town to listen to the wizened old storyteller weave tales of valiant heroes and sinister villains.

This was how Calvin had passed most of his childhood until his eighteenth birthday, wasting away his time dreaming of fantasies to forget his mundane life, but he knew that it wasn't how he wanted to spend his whole life. The day he reached adulthood he told his parents that he wanted to travel. He had no destination in mind, but he couldn't bare to spend his whole life trapped on a farm. He had dreams of performing heroic deeds like his idols from his favorite stories and seeing fantastical places, but he was realistic in thinking that the most he could expect was exploring the world and helping people wherever he could.

There was also one other reason Calvin decided to leave. His whole life, Calvin had been told that he would one day settle down with a girl and have a family all his own. He'd have kids and he'd raise them like his parents rose him. The only problem was that Calvin couldn't ever see himself settling down with a girl, but he could see himself settling down with another male. From everything that he had heard on the subject, though, a male liking other males was not natural, so he had accepted that he would be confined to a life with no wife, no love, and no family of his own. And knowing that he would forever be denied a normal life, Calvin was determined to at least make something of his life and help others.

Despite this, Calvin knew that his parents were worried for his safety, but he had been adamant and, as an adult, there was little they could do to prevent his leaving. Calvin had been sad to leave his family and all he knew from his childhood behind, but he knew that he had his whole life ahead of him and his excitement overshadowed any doubt he may have had. While his parents were sad at his departure, his brother was decidedly more cheery. Not that he didn't care that Calvin was leaving, but because he better understood how much this meant to his younger brother. In fact, before he left Roger took him aside and gave Calvin a brand new knife--the same on he wore now.

"This is for you to remember me by, and for you to protect yourself with," he had said while he clasped his younger brother's paws around the knife. "Use it well, and use it for good, and come back to us once you've saved the world," he smiled. Afterward, Calvin tackled his brother in a hug and thanked him profusely before departing.

That had been half a year ago at the start of summer when the days were still long and the weather more agreeable. Back then it was easy to forage for berries and nuts or to set a snare to catch an animal while he slept. It had almost made adventuring seem easy, so Calvin was wholly unprepared when the air got colder and his food stores began to dwindle. Nowadays he was hard pressed to have a full meal each day and he had already been forced to sell most of his belongings, including his summer clothes, to buy food in a small town he passed through several weeks ago. This was not the life Calvin had been expecting when he left his farm. His life had been reduced to trying to make it to see the next day, but he wasn't ready to give up yet. Somewhere, deep inside him, he knew that he was meant to do more.

These were the thoughts that flitted through Calvin's mind as he walked down the sunny forest path so he wasn't prepared when several large figures burst from the underbrush. Distracted as he was, Calvin started violently and his eyes shot around him as he was surrounded in a matter of seconds. Taking stock of the group, Calvin saw a couple of wolves, each with their hackles raised and baring menacing fangs with short swords sporting from their paws. A large, lumbering bear with a two-handed broadsword and a glare cold enough to match the frost on the trees loomed to his right imposingly. Before him stood a broad-shouldered lion with a face shrouded in a braided mane and muscles so big they seemed to burst from their confinement who was the only one with a shield to accompany his sword. Out of the corner of his eye, Calvin also saw a flash of orange less than a stone's throw into the woods that he assumed was an archer. Each of the furs wore a haphazard assortment of leather and steel armor.

It was the lion, the most well-armored of the gang, who stepped forward and spoke. "'Ello, lad. What brings a li'l thing like you to this neck o' the woods?"

Icy tendrils of fear gripped Calvin's heart as he searched fruitlessly for an escape route. He felt his paw gravitate towards his knife, but he didn't dare draw. There were more of them and they were all much bigger than he was. No doubt he would be struck down before he even released the knife from his belt. He would have to play this differently.

"My business is no one's but my own, but if you'd be so kind as to step aside I'll be on my way," he said, putting on a false sense of bravado and ignoring the flutters in the pit of his stomach. He knew that no true hero would back down from a few vagabonds and he wasn't about to let himself be walked on while he had a say in it.

But, to his dismay, several of the furs laughed outright. "Y'got quite a bit o' courage there, don'tcha. Or maybe you're just a fool." They laughed again. "How 'bout 'choo hand over your bag and tha' pigsticker you got there and we'll let ya pass."

Calvin looked around him once more and then fixed his eyes on the lion and knew he would get no mercy from them. With one final look about him, he closed his paw around the handle of his knife. He began to pull it out to prepare for a fight when several things happened at once.

From behind him, Calvin heard a loud exclamation of surprise. He started to turn but he felt two large paws suddenly appear on his back and he was shoved forward, sprawling headfirst into the snow just as he heard the sharp twang of a bow from somewhere off to his left. But, instead of the searing pain he was expecting from being hit by an arrow, he was only met with the cold, wet snow and the harsh rapport of clashing steel.

Bewildered, Calvin quickly rolled onto his back to view the scene before him. The first thing he saw was an arrow sticking out of the ground where he stood seconds before, but that wasn't what held his attention. Instead, Calvin's eyes were pulled toward a large hooded figure facing away from him. He was little more than half as big as the bear, but he seemed to be more than a match for the great oaf as he sidestepped what would have been a crippling overhead swing from the ursine while his own sword shot forward like a dart to pierce the bear's groin through a joint in his armor while he was off balance from his swing, sending the giant to his knees. Just then, one of the wolves came up behind this stranger and swung his sword down with all his might. Instead of the sickening crunch of steel cleaving through bone however, the sword thudded as it came into contact with the frozen ground as the figure dove aside and whirled around. Calvin finally got a good luck at the fur's face and saw the distinct muzzle shape and fur color of a tiger.

It was then that Calvin realized that he was sitting on his ass like a fool when he could be helping fight his would-be-muggers. We scrambled to his feet and finally wrenched his knife free from his belt, but he only took one step before someone bumped into him as they ran past and he almost fell to the ground again. Catching himself, he saw a fox with a bow strung over his shoulders grabbing his bag from where he had dropped it on the ground.

"Hey!" he shouted indignantly, causing the fox to whip around and look at him, his ears pointed straight up. Not wasting a second, Calvin charged forward with his knife in the air, ready to stab the fox through the heart. What he wasn't expecting was for the fox to reach up and grab his paw the second he got in his reach. Nor was he expecting him to push his wrist back so hard that it felt like it would break until he was forced to release the knife. By that point, Calvin wasn't even sure whether or not to be surprised when the fox kicked his leg out from under him and swung his own bag in a wide arc to hit him on the side of the head and knock him off his feet once more.

Calvin prepared to leap up and give chase to the fox when he heard the heavy pawsteps of the vulpine as he ran away when he realized that the sounds of battle had been replaced with heavy breathing. Calvin shot up and saw the tiger standing over the bloodied bodies of the bear and two of the wolves. The rest of the bandits, including the lion and the fox, were running off into the woods while the cloaked tiger stood watching them, his shoulders rising and falling sharply with each inhale and exhale.

"Come on," Calvin exclaimed, running up to the tiger and taking hold of one of the shoulders that rested at his eye-level. "They took my bag. We've got to go after them," he insisted.

The tiger calmly turned to face him and lifted off his hood. He didn't say anything at first and Calvin stared back as he got his first real look at his savior. The fur on his muzzle was stained by the dirt that had accumulated from time on the road, but beneath the grime a few gray furs could be found amongst the normal oranges, blacks, and whites of his fur. The lines of his muzzle were harsh and angular, giving him a worn, serious appearance, but the look suited him well. The feature that really drew Calvin's attention, though, were the vibrant green eyes, like a lush forest in the summer, flecked with little light blue pools that seemed to dance in the light. All of this sat atop the tiger's muscular body, although he didn't seem quite as big as the lion had. Calvin could just barely make out his muscle definition through his cloak, giving him a fit, but not overly strong physique. This tiger was like a character straight out of one of his stories and despite having told himself that he wouldn't give into his desire to be with another male, he couldn't help the way his eyes lingered over certain parts of his figure or the involuntary lick of his lips.

Finally, the tiger spoke in a deep, bitter rumble. "Let them be, you won't catch them. Just be thankful that you aren't dead."

Calvin hadn't expected the fur who had saved his life to sound so annoyed and he quickly grew defensive. "But they stole my bag! What happened to the fur that took down three thugs at once just second ago?"

The tiger's once calm face suddenly tightened and his lips peeled back in anger to reveal his sharp teeth. He took another step forward so that he was right in Calvin's face. "You would've been shot where you stood if I hadn't pushed you out of the way! I had the element of surprise on my side but I had to throw that away just to save your sorry ass. Was whatever was in that bag more important than your life? Because that's what it almost cost you." Calvin's ears had flattened to his head the moment the tiger had started speaking and he felt like he was shrinking before the feline the longer he yelled. "Did you really think you could take on all of those thugs by yourself with a knife? You aren't even as big as that fox and I watched him singlehandedly disarm you. You are in no shape to be doing any fighting unless you're hoping for an early grave.

By the end of the tiger's tirade, all the fight seemed to have left Calvin's body. All thought of chasing after the bandits and his bag were gone. "Sorry," he squeaked meekly. The tiger just snorted and turned away from the wolf. He walked to each of the bodies, checked their pulse, and then searched them for anything valuable.

Calvin didn't move from where he stood until he remembered that his knife was still on the ground where he had dropped it. He quickly scanned the area until he found it and wiped off the snow that stuck to the blade on his pants before he returned it to its sheath.

Calvin turned around to see a bag of jingling coins slip into one of the the pockets of the tiger's cloak before he stood up. His face had returned to its stoic state once more as he looked up at Calvin again. Calvin felt like he should say something to break the silence and finally stuttered a sincere, but hesitant, "T-thank you."

The stranger didn't respond and curiosity led Calvin to question further, "Why...um...Why'd you help me if it was so much trouble?"

After several more seconds of silence Calvin was ready to just shut up and leave the tiger be when the feline sighed and finally said, "Sorry, that wasn't like me. I've been tracking those bandits for a couple days and I didn't plan on having to worry about someone else when I confronted them." The steel wasn't completely gone from his voice but it had softened considerably. "I'm just a little frustrated."

His words stung, but he was right; it probably would have been a lot easier if he hadn't needed to reveal himself to save Calvin. He might have even been able to get all of the bandits if Calvin hadn't felt the need to put himself in harm's way like he had. But for his whole life, Calvin had wanted to help people and he had convinced himself that he could be like the heroes in his stories, when in reality he had no idea what he was doing. Just now he had been bested in hand-to-hand combat by an archer who didn't even have a weapon. If he couldn't even protect himself with the odds stacked in his favor, how could he ever hope to help others. In minutes, it seemed like his entire plan for his future had come unravelled and he was left in the wreckage with no idea what to do. He could feel his lower lip tremble.

The tiger must have noticed Calvin's sudden change in emotion because he finally took a step forward and spoke with a reassuring undertone to his gravelly baritone. "Hey, kid. I'm not mad at you, I was just a little frustrated. I'm happy that you're okay. Not everyone can be a hero, there's no need to be upset about this, it was just a couple of bandits."

Of course, this stranger had no idea that what he was saying was having the opposite effects he had intended. The fact that he couldn't be a hero was what was troubling Calvin. He didn't know how to explain that, though, so what he ended up saying was, "I'm not a kid. I'm 18."

The tiger smiled a sad smile that did nothing to help Calvin's state. He felt a tear cut through the fur of his left cheek, but he was determined to keep his feelings from showing any further. Unfortunately, the tiger could see the wetness grow in his eyes and he knew that something was wrong. He stepped up until he was directly in front of Calvin and dropped to one knee, taking a hold of Calvin's left bicep with one of his large paws. "Kid, what's wrong?" he asked.

That did it for Calvin. He didn't even bother to correct the tiger for calling him a kid again as the flood dams burst forth. Calvin tried to hold back the sobs, but it was to no avail as the convulsions wracked his body. He suddenly found himself wrapped in a warm, furry prison that he realized was the stranger's arms and body as he was brought into a hug. Calvin wanted to pull away from the fur who had just unintentionally destroyed his dreams. He wanted to force himself to be strong and stop crying, but it didn't matter that he was an adult now. It didn't matter that he was too old to cry or what anyone else might think, nor did it matter that he was crying directly into the tiger's chest and was probably going to leave a large wet spot in his fur, because he had accepted that the only thing that he wanted in life was to travel and help people, but that now seemed like an unachievable goal. It was like the world had conspired to make him miserable, and it had succeeded.

Calvin wasn't sure how long he stood there while the tiger held him and made shushing sounds in his ear, but the space between his sobs eventually lengthened and his tears stopped flowing. At that point, the tiger backed up to hold Calvin at an arm's length with a sad smile on his muzzle. Calvin stared into that now warm and inviting face as the tiger said, "You know, furs are normally happier that they aren't dead."

Despite himself, Calvin couldn't help the chuckle that burst free from his muzzle. The tiger chuckled back, "What's your name kid?"

"Calvin," he smiled.

The tiger beamed back. "I'm Gareth."

The two newly acquaintanced furs remained where they were, staring into each other's eyes, neither knowing just how long they stayed like that. It was Gareth who moved first, releasing his hold on Calvin and dropping his head to look at the ground for a second before he looked up. "We should probably get going in case those thugs decide to come back for more. We also need to find a place to set up camp before dark."

For the first time since the bandits' arrival, Calvin felt like he was aware of reality again. Looking up at the sky, Calvin saw that the sun had begun its steady descent toward the horizon and, with it being winter, Calvin knew that it would be dark in a couple hours and it would be best to get as far away from those outlaws as possible by then as well. He nodded in agreement, "Yeah, let's go. You can lead the way."

And so the two got up, Gareth collected his bag that he had left behind a tree before attacking the bandits, and they began making their way along the path, with Gareth in the front, in the same direction Calvin had been travelling. Calvin wondered shortly if the tiger had been watching him before he was accosted by the bandits or if it was merely a coincidence that the tiger was continuing in the direction he had been heading, but decided that it didn't matter.

The majority of their trek passed in a comfortable silence without the same tension there had been between them post-battle, although Gareth did ask a little bit about Calvin and his family. Where he came from. Simple things. Calvin didn't go into any great length of detail, partly because he still barely knew the feline and wasn't sure whether or not to trust him, partly because he didn't want to bore the tiger, and partly because he didn't feel entirely comfortable divulging everything about himself to a stranger. When Calvin tried to ask Gareth about himself in turn he was not very forthcoming with any information. Yet, while this did pique the young wolf's curiosity greatly, he did not press any further.

After a little more than an hour of this, the two picked a suitable campsite in a small clearing against a rock face. Wasting no time, they gathered a suitable supply of kindling and large sticks for a fire that Gareth quickly set into a blaze.

It was at this time that Calvin realized the full implications of his bag's theft. The first being that he had lost all of his food. Fortunately, Gareth seemed to be in no short supply, claiming that he could successfully hunt in the snow, and he offered to share with Calvin. Despite feeling like he already owed a lot to Gareth, Calvin's grumbling stomach would not let him pass up an opportunity for a meal and so they both ate roasted squirrel as a dinner.

The second predicament was revealed soon afterward as the light faded rapidly and the two prepared to settle down for the night when Calvin discovered that his bedroll was among the items he had lost with his bag. This may not have been a particularly large issue had it been the summer, but even now with the sun still up it was cold and Calvin knew the air would only become more frigid as night wore on. Unsure what to do, he finally told Gareth what he had discovered.

"You can use mine," was the tiger's simple answer.

Of course, Calvin couldn't allow the tiger to just give up his bedroll for him. Not only had the feline saved his life, but he'd now also taken some of his food and he wouldn't take anything else from him if he could help it. "No, I can't let you do that," he insisted and, thinking quickly, he suggested instead, "Why don't we share it. It'll keep us warmer at least."

While the suggestion may have originally been an innocent attempt to solve a problem, it quickly morphed into something else as Gareth agreed and removed his cloak before the two got into the bedroll beside the roaring warmth of the fire to get some rest. Gareth laid on his back while Calvin was faced toward him, pressed into the tiger's side due to the relatively small space. From his position, every breath filled Calvin's nose with the strong, woody scent of the feline. And while he lay there, Calvin couldn't help his mind from wandering.

Calvin had done a lot of thinking, both while walking with Gareth and while they set up camp and made their fire. Thanks to his unfortunate run in with the bandits and Gareth's timely intervention, Calvin knew that he could not be like one of the heroes from his stories. He wasn't strong enough to help anyone, let alone himself, and he was more likely to get himself killed than do any good. This was a bitter pill for the wolf to swallow, but swallow he did, although he also took a swig of something sweeter to ease the bitterness. If he couldn't be an adventurer, he would simply take something else he wanted instead, which is why he found himself with his paw suddenly resting on Gareth's crotch as the last vestiges of sunlight disappeared and gave way to night.

"Kid, what are you doing?" the tiger's quiet voice slightly startled Calvin.

Tilting his head up to look at Gareth, Calvin saw green eyes staring back into his calmly, questioningly. He gave no words and instead began to knead the tiger's slight bulge with his paw, feeling as it began to stir. Calvin also continued to watch his face for any signs of how Gareth felt. At first, his features did not change and his eyes roamed the wolf's face, looking for his own answers. Gareth seemed to have found what he was looking for, or else he could no longer ignore the paw that was teasing him, for he closed his eyes and returned his head to the ground, letting out a soft purr of pleasure.

Taking that as a sign of affirmation, Calvin slid his paw from the considerably larger bulge to the waistband of the tiger's pants and slipped his paw underneath. Calvin had never experienced another male before, so he wasn't quite sure what to expect when his paw finally touched the hot, throbbing length as it continued to expand. The two shared a sharp exhale of breath as Calvin resumed his ministrations.

Something he definitely wasn't expecting was the strange, slightly stiff barbs that lined the head of the tiger's penis. Not willing to back down after getting this far, however, Calvin continued to stroke the large shaft as he watched his partner's face for any sort of reaction. The only response that was forthcoming, though, was the occasional grunt or moan, so Calvin knew he would have to take the next step into his own hands as well.

Slowly removing his paw from the feline's pants, Calvin shifted himself so that the upper half of his body hovered over the tiger's face. At this, Gareth reopened his eyes, but he only had second to register what was going on before Calvin descended on him an locked their lips in a heated kiss.

After a second, Gareth began to reciprocate, albeit more slowly, taking his time to build up his passion before he finally wrapped one of his arms around his back, the other coming to rest on the back of his head, pushing the two together while they continued their kiss. Feeling the raw power of the tiger's muscles and inhaling his earthy scent while he sucked on the tiger's tongue as it invaded his mouth began to pull a reaction from the wolf. Inadvertently, he whimpered into the kiss, although he couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment. Calvin could also feel as his own nether regions began to heat up and his cock started to swell against the tiger's side. Neither minded much, though, as they continued their embrace for what seemed like an eternity to Calvin.

When they finally broke apart, they were both panting heavily, and they once more stared into each other's eyes. Gareth was the first to move, rolling over until he lay over Calvin on his elbows, caging in the wolf who stared helplessly up at the imposing feline. Gareth pushed himself up onto one arm and assisted Calvin in taking off his woolen coat and his undershirt with a practiced ease, leaving Calvin to wonder if this was a common occurrence for his companion. The tiger then pulled his own shirt over his head, revealing his muscular chest, which was accentuated by the flickering shadows created by the fire.

Calvin took his time admiring the tiger's physique and he almost didn't notice when a paw gripped the brim of his pants. "Are you sure about this?" Gareth asked quietly, his head dipping down slightly so that he almost touched his nose to Calvin's.

Looking up at the kind, but lustful, face of his savior, Calvin could only nod his assent, signaling the tiger to tug down Calvin's pants as he raised his lower half from the ground. He kicked his pants off when they reached his ankles while Gareth made short work of his own pants until the two lay bare-fur against each other, warmed by their shared body heat as it was insulated by the bedroll and the heat of the fire that still crackled beside them.

Gareth then brought their lips back together in another kiss and reached his own paw to Calvin's penis. Calvin shuddered as he felt someone other than himself touch his dick for the first time. He had already reached his full hardness before Gareth had taken off his pants so the tiger gripped his shaft and began sliding his paw along it with long, firm strokes. Calvin moaned and broke the kiss, instead burying his face in the crook of the tiger's neck as he was overcome with the pleasure centered around his dick. It seemed to Calvin that, in that moment, the only thing that mattered was that Gareth continued to service him.

This veil was disrupted slightly when the large feline whispered huskily in his ear, "I think you'll like this," and he suddenly felt himself being slid up so that the upper half of his body was no longer inside the bedroll. Calvin thought it would be cold, but the blazing fire and the blood rapidly pumping through his body offset the worst of the chill. Instead, Calvin focused on Gareth, who was now breathing heavily over his throbbing shaft.

Confused by what the tiger was doing, Calvin groaned and bucked his hips when the big cat nuzzled his shaft and gave a long lick along its length with his rough tongue. And yet, while Calvin was still recovering from the surprise of having the cat's sandpaper-like appendage assault his dick, he was wholly unprepared when the assault began again in a slightly lower place.

Instinctually, Calvin felt his legs spread apart to allow the feline better access to his backside as he felt the wet, abrasive tongue lick across his hole. The feeling was almost indescribable as Calvin felt himself involuntarily clench and unclench in response to the oddly pleasurable waves of sensation that wracked his body. His mind went blank as he let himself be violated by the tiger's tongue until he felt it slip past his ring of muscles. Instinctually, he clenched tightly around the foreign intrusion, but only for a short amount of time before they relaxed enough to allow the feline to continue.

Calvin was surprised by the sensations that centered around his asshole as it was invaded by the rough tongue, but he was far from complaining. His already hard cock reached near painful levels as his knot swelled and his own tongue lolled out of his mouth as he began panting between moans. He had never thought that such pleasure could be derived from such an unsuspecting place--not that he was complaining. Calvin couldn't even get control of his arms through the haze of pleasure and so, unable to get a paw on his dick, he simply lay there and accepted his treatment while riding a wave of sexual gratification, unable to bring himself close to an orgasm.

Calvin couldn't help the whine of disappointment that left him when he felt the tiger withdraw from his asshole and he was pulled back into the bedroll so that he was once again face to face with Gareth. "How was that?" Gareth asked, although it seemed like he already knew the answer.

Calvin had to take a second to figure out how to work his voice again before answering, "Wow," causing him to blush deeply. The tiger just chuckled, causing his blush to deepen.

"Do you trust me?" the tiger asked after a moment.

Calvin's response came quickly. "Yes." There wasn't much to think about. Gareth had saved his life and, despite their rough start, he had generally been very nice to him. And, against all odds, the feline was willing to reciprocate the wolf's advances, regardless of the fact that they were both males. And with the way his dick was throbbing with need, he couldn't have said no even if he wanted to.

"Good," Gareth replied, punctuating the word with a quick peck to the end of the wolf's muzzle. In the back of his mind, Calvin thought that he should be bothered by where the muzzle that had just kissed him had been, but he was more invested in the feelings still coursing through his body and trying to figure out what Gareth's next course of action was.

The tiger spit onto one of his paws and then reached down towards the wolf's crotch. Calvin, relieved that his neglected dick was finally going to get some attention, was supremely surprised when he instead felt the now-lubed fingers instead poke at his asshole once more. Confused, Calvin was even more surprised when he felt one of the fingers slip in, just as the tongue had, although this time the intruder was larger and much longer. The sensation was actually unpleasant at first and his instinctual clenching only made each movement of the finger seem sharper. Calvin was about to tell Gareth to stop when the roaming finger found what it was looking for.

Lightning shot directly from his asshole to his dick and the groan of pure pleasure that left him was unearthly. Calvin's feelings toward this new advancement did a complete one-eighty as the tiger prodded that magic spot once more and the wolf's hips humped the air of their own accord.

Spurred on by the positive response to his actions, Gareth continued to attack that place within Calvin as he slipped in another finger. The addition was slightly uncomfortable once more, but Calvin got used to it quickly as the tiger never let up on his assault. Before long, Gareth was using his fingers to stretch out the wolf's backside as best as possible. The tiger got up to three fingers, but he didn't spend much time here before he withdrew, leaving Calvin a confused mess.

The wolf wasn't given much time, though, as something was put up to his pucker for the third time. It only took him a second to realize what it was before Gareth's hot, but more importantly big, shaft speared him in one fluid motion. Just like every other time, Calvin couldn't help but tighten himself around the length, but this time he also felt his eyes tear up in response to the burning sensation that came from his passage and the noise that came from his mouth was of pain, not pleasure.

Thankfully, Gareth did not move at all while Calvin took deep breaths and waited for the pain of his penetration to pass. After about a minute, his erection had begun to soften, but his insides no longer felt like they had been plunged into a scorching furnace. "That hurt," Calvin finally said lamely.

"It always does," Gareth replied with just a hint of concern tinting his voice. "Are you okay? Does it still hurt?"

Calvin shook his head in response. "I just wasn't expecting it."

"Sorry, I should've said something but I thought it might make it easier if I just went for it," Gareth said, almost ashamedly. "The hard part's out of the way now, though. just you wait."

Unsure what the tiger had planned, Calvin began to ask, "What do you me--" when Gareth withdrew his length and thrust back in in one fluid, but gentle, motion. The sensation of having the large shaft slide inside him like that was entirely foreign to him, due in large part to the barbs that lined the head head of his cock, but the rush of pleasure he received when he felt the dick rub against that spot inside him wasn't.

Almost instantly, Calvin felt his dick harden again as Gareth began to move back and forth at a smooth, even pace. With each pass, the feline's barbs raked the wolf's passage, bordering on painfully, but the subsequent stimulation to his pleasure spot turned those feelings into pure pleasure. Calvin spread his legs are far as he could and moaned shamelessly as he was claimed by the large tiger who was slowly picking up speed and power with his thrusts.

Through the haze, Calvin suddenly felt a paw grasp his throbbing dick and begin to stroke it. A whole new world of sensations seemed to open up before him as he felt like his dick would explode at any second while the assault on his hole only intensified these feelings. In this state, Calvin felt like he was locked in complete arousal for an eternity and then some.

How long he lay there, panting and moaning ceaselessly underneath the tiger, Calvin couldn't remember. What he did remember was when everything came to a head and he could feel the pressure building in his dick, which was only intensified by the insistent pounding on his prostate.

Unable to hold it back, Calvin felt himself gasp and a long howl of pleasure escaped his maw as his dick began to twitch in Gareth's paw. What resulted was by far the best orgasm of his life as his release shot across the front of his body, coming all the way to hit him in the face. Through it all, the muscles in his ass spasmed uncontrollably around the dick inside him while the feline continued to thrust, consistently hitting his prostate on each return and his barbs running along his tunnel. Gareth didn't stop then, though, and continued pumping until as he grew faster and more desperate until, with one final slam home, he came as well. Calvin could only faintly feel the tiger's release as it shot along his walls, but the groans coming from the feline removed any doubts that the cat had climaxed.

After a second, Gareth pulled out of Calvin's backside with a wet schlick and collapsed on his side next to the wolf. Neither moved, the pair too engrossed in their shared afterglow to move apart from their rapidly rising and falling chests as they panted heavily. Despite the sticky white mess that was soaking into his fur, Calvin was content to just lay there with the big tiger's heat radiating within the bedroll. And so, Calvin felt his eyelids droop as his mind began to drift off, a smile on his muzzle and a warmth in his heart.


The first thing Calvin noticed when he woke up the next morning was that it was noticeably colder than it had been last night. That was probably due in part to the fact that he still had no clothes on and the fire had gone out sometime after he fell asleep. It took Calvin an extra second to realize that Gareth was also not where he had been, providing him with extra warmth.

Calvin shot up quick as an arrow, looking around him for any sign of the tiger. Seeing nothing, he climbed out of the bedroll and winced at the sudden soreness he felt coming from his tailhole. Gingerly, he reached his clothes and put them on, ignoring the now dried mess of spunk in his fur. Feeling just a little warmer, Calvin looked into the woods surrounding the clearing, wondering where Gareth could have gone. He had left his bedroll and he hadn't said anything to Calvin so he couldn't have left, right? Unless, thought Calvin, he left because of what happened last night. He had sort of pushed himself onto the feline at first. What if that wasn't really what he wanted?

The rustling of leaves behind him interrupted Calvin's thoughts and he turned around to see the tiger enter the clearing. A wave of relief washed over the wolf and he ran up to Gareth in spite of himself, unable to hold back his enthusiasm. "Where'd you go? I almost thought you'd left me," Calvin said.

Gareth chuckled. "I just went to wash off last night's mess in the river," he winked. "How are you feeling by the way? Sore?"

Calvin nodded sheepishly. "I'm fine, though," he added. He wanted to say more, like tell him how much he enjoyed last night, but he couldn't form the words in his head so he remained silent.

Gareth smiled. "Good. In that case we should pack up and head out so we can cover some ground while the sun's up. You probably want to wash off as well, don't you?"

Again, Calvin just nodded as the tiger walked past him to where they had slept and promptly rolled up the bedroll and began tying it together with several leather straps. Calvin stood to the side, unsure what to do until his curiosity got the best of him. "So where are we going now? I don't know about you but I was just going wherever the road took me."

Gareth finished tying up his bedroll and attached it to his bag, which he had left resting against a rock over the night, and stood up to face the wolf again. Looking as if he were deep in thought, he frowned slightly before he spoke hesitantly, "I was planning on bringing you to the next town so I could make sure you were safe." Honestly, Calvin thought that would probably be for the best. He was more likely to be killed if he kept on the way he had been, strutting about the countryside like he was invincible. He could stay in the next town until the end of winter before he headed back home. Maybe he could find a group of furs he could join for protection.

Or maybe he wouldn't go home at all. He wasn't sure if he would be able to just return home now. He had left for this--to adventure, to be a hero--but could he just come back empty-handed. A failure. He could start a new life, maybe help out as a farm hand, or he could try to find an apprenticeship if someone was willing to take him. He was still young enough that he could probably make it work.

Gareth interrupted his train of thought, however, as he continued speaking. "But I have another idea if you're willing."

Intrigued, Calvin asked, "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, the tiger returned with, "What were you doing out here all by yourself?"

Thrown off by the sudden question, Calvin took a second to respond. "I was...adventuring." He was almost embarrassed to admit it now, least of all to this tiger who had saved his life and whom he had now had sex with. Sighing and swallowing his pride, he just came out with it, "I just...wanted to be like the heroes from the stories. I wanted to help people. Of course I'm no hero, I probably need more help myself than I could ever give." Harsh, but true, he thought. He was weaker than a newborn calf and about as skilled at fighting as a beggar was at smithing.

As Gareth began speaking, Calvin prepared himself for the tiger's attempts to sympathize with him, or else his harsh agreement with his words, but at least the latter would have been a bit more bearable than having the feline try to make him feel better. "I think I can help you with that."

Calvin tilted his head to the side instinctually out of confusion. "How do you mean?"

Gareth looked him up and down once before asking. "How'd you like to come with me? Go adventuring." Calvin felt like he had been hit by a horse at top speed from how quickly the conversation had shifted. "I like you, kid. And not just because of last night," he made sure to add. "You've got that spark in you. If you're up for it, you can travel with me. It won't be easy, but I can train you. You don't always have to be like you were with those bandits yesterday. If it's truly what you want, you can still be an adventurer."

And suddenly Calvin went from riding the lows of depression and getting used to the bitter taste of acceptance to soaring on cloud nine. He could hardly believe his ears, which happened to be twitching spastically in excitement. The wolf seemed to have lost the ability to use his mouth or move his body at first as he just stood there, silently staring at the tiger. Then, all at once he had leaped forward and jumped into the big cat's arms, hooking his paws around the back of his neck. "Do you mean it?" he insisted.

"I do," Gareth responded, laughing. "But only if that's what you want, of course."

Calvin couldn't help but laugh with the tiger himself. "Of course I do," he all but shouted, and then he leaned in to give Gareth a long, languid kiss. The cat's chest rumbled as he purred into the kiss, sending shivers down Calvin's spine as the feline continued to hold him in his arms.

Eventually, they broke apart but they simply stared into each other's eyes instead of moving. It was funny thinking that, just yesterday, Calvin had thought he would never be able to find anyone to love, but here he was kissing--and fucking--a tiger. And, in that moment, Calvin realized for the first time in his life that maybe he didn't have to live a life of misery. Maybe he could live his life the way he wanted to.

Finally, Gareth spoke in a near whisper, "So I guess that means we're going to be travelling together for a while now."

Grinning like a madman, Calvin said, "I guess so. I can't say I'm too disappointed, though, especially not with the company."

The two continued to stand there, not breaking eye contact, for another good few minutes before Calvin was dropped gently from the tiger's arms. "As much as I'm enjoying this, we really should get going," Gareth said. "And you still need to wash off. We can do that first and then we'll go on our way."

Eagerly, Calvin began moving as the two cleaned the camp, buried the ashes from their fire, and then left. Calvin could hardly contain his excitement as they began walking. He just knew that whatever the future had in store for him was looking very promising. And now, with Gareth, he could finally have everything he ever wanted. He stared at the back of the tiger, almost in awe, as he walked in the front once again. It his Calvin then that Gareth was like one of the heroes from his stories himself. And with that thought, Calving felt content to face whatever came next with the tiger by his side.


And that's a wrap, folks. Now, I didn't say this at the beginning of the story on the off chance that it would color your opinion of it, but this is my first submission to SoFurry. With that being said, I would greatly appreciate any and all questions, comments, concerns, et cetera. I want to know your opinion of the story, even if you thought it was the most horrendous shit-show you've ever seen so that I can improve for next time, because I do plan on writing more in the future. How quickly I'll be able to write remains to be seen and is entirely dependent on how busy I am. Regardless, I hope I'll be able to put out more stories sooner than later.

Other than that, I hope that the story is well formatted because it's hard to tell from the submissions page. I apologize if the story is at all harder to read because of the layout or anything of that nature. Either way, hopefully you were able to enjoy the story in some way, even if it was just for the yiff, which I'm crossing my fingers was at least satisfactory.

Lastly, feel free to PM me or contact me in some other way should it tickle your fancy and I will try to respond within a reasonable amount of time. And I believe that isn't all I have I have to say. I'll see you next time.

Wishing you a good day, Jay.