FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The sun had barely risen when a dusty old truck pulled up to the main house. Lee hopped out of the truck with a bounce in his step and started to load in the produce he asked his farmhands to drop by the house. As he loaded the crates in he heard the house's door open. He turned to look and smiled at Cassandra, and then noticed a few kids behind her.

Rowan and Nova ran out and hugged their dad around the legs, forcing him to put down the crate he had tried to load in. He laughed and picked them up with ease, snuggling the two silly puppies. Axel walked up and started to try and help with the crates, hoping to get a chance to talk to his dad. Before he could open his maw, however, his mother made her way to Lee and ushered him out of earshot.

"Lee, must you really? The farmhands can take the day to drop off the produce and they can still carry on without you there." Cassandra whispered, grabbing Nova from his arm and holding her tight.

He sighed and put Rowan down. "Yes, I always promised Misty and dad that I would show up, I can't just not show up now. It will be okay. I'll text you and call you every night before bed, okay?" He hugged her and Nova, giving his wife what should have been a reassuring kiss. It looked as if Cassandra wasn't buying it, but she didn't have a choice this time.

Axel had loaded exactly one large crate and was attempting to push it to meet the others when Lee noticed and chuckled. He gave Cassandra a loving pat on the back and then went to help his son. He noticed a large backpack on him and raised an eyebrow. Axel saw his face and smiled apologetically, "So uh, I was wondering something..."

Lee grabbed the last crate and loaded it on the truck with a loud thump. "What's that, son?" He said, knowing what was coming next.

"Could I go with you?" He fidgeted with the straps of his backpack like a young pup and shuffled a paw. "There's just some herbs and mushrooms I needed for some experiments and I guess I could just give you the list but I have all these containers and-"

Lee raised a paw to stop the flow of textbook information before it started, "That's alright! You can go with me. Just don't wander off without letting someone know, the woods are no joke up there." He smiled at him and turned to look at Cassandra, who couldn't look less pleased. He shrugged it off this time and started to check his own supplies. He hadn't counted on an extra passenger but the long journey always welcomed a companion.

Rowan came back after chasing a few bugs who had luckily gotten away. He looked up at the full truck and Axel was getting ready to leave too. Tears slowly formed in his eyes as he worked up the courage to ask the question, "Can I go too?"

"No hunny, this is a long trip. Not for little puppies, ok? Maybe in a few years." Lee leaned down and gave his son a pet, which didn't seem to help as he was now crying.

"Nooo! I'm not little, I can go!" Rowan ran for the truck door, which didn't end in his favor as he was lifted up as if he were a feather plucked from the ground. Lee held him on his hip and walked everyone back to the house as Axel got into the truck. He felt a little guilty, but in his heart, he knew this was right. As he set the little pup down he looked up at Cassandra and smiled again, this time receiving a genuine smile in return.

"Well, be careful. We'll be watching for you to come home soon." She said as she wiped away a tear. She put both of the pups inside for the time being and then gave Lee one last hug. "I'll hold down everything here. You and Axel have a good time and let me know how it ... how it all goes." Her voice faltered for a moment. She was still very upset about why he was leaving and how the tribes operated sometimes, but she knew she couldn't stop it now.

The two boys loaded everything into the car and soon they were off. It wasn't long before Axel dove into his belongings in the cab. He grabbed his phone charger and looked around the truck for a moment until he found the unused cigarette lighter to plug it in. He kept it nearby just in case as he grabbed his phone and his journal to double check a few things before experiencing it all in real time. Lee got to notice firsthand how much his son loved everything to do with magic, herbs, and potion making. He didn't know where it came from, but he was appreciative that he was involved in magic at least. He glanced at his son and laughed. "Can't spend one minute away from the books, eh?"

Axel blushed and scratched his head a little, "Ah well, you know...it's just that I haven't been up to the mountains in years, and there are a few herbs I needed there. I was hoping I might cultivate them for home somehow."

Lee's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Whoa now, careful. You'll start sounding like a farmer in a little while." He laughed and gave his son's leg a friendly pat, "I'm kiddin. I can help you with that when we get back, and help you make sure they travel alright."

"Oh, I've spent a few nights this week looking up plant travel online, too!" He smiled and wagged his tail a little, but then realized that it just made him sound even more like a nerd. "In any case, I'm excited to see the family as well."

His dad nodded and seemed lost in thought. The truck rumbled along for a while before he decided to pry into his son's ideas for the future like every parent inevitably does. "So. With all this herb and mushroom gathering, what do you tend on doin with all this?"

Axel turned a page in his journal and then realized he was asked a question, "What? With all of my research? I want to open a potion shop, I think. I love making potions, and we don't have anything like that close to the town. The town's pretty big, but it's all outlet stores and a few big name producers."

"You'd get a shop in town then?"

"Oh no, that's far too expensive. And not really my style." Axel said with a scrunched nose that made Lee laugh.

"Your style, eh? Well, then what's your style?" Lee asked.

"I'd go for a little cabin lost in the woods. Something you have to know about already or be led there by fairies." Axel dreamed as he looked out the window as the terrain quickly went from flat farmland to heavy woods.

Lee was a little surprised to hear that he was so traditional with how much he was on his computer and phone. He nodded, impressed. "That's pretty good. Maybe the farm can help your supplies by then, work out a little deal." His mind was drifting off thinking of the future now too. "That's a welcome shock, kid! Though I'm not sure the fae guides will be so easy to pay off with potions, they seem pretty set with their own magic." He chuckled and drove them on, getting a husky styled grumble from Axel.

An hour and a half later they came to a small town at the foot of the mountains. Axel marveled out the window at the sight of the town. It had a very charming feel to it, almost swallowed by the forest in some areas. Roofs were grown over with moss, friendly looking pubs, and a row of cluttered shops one could get lost in. Everything Axel loved about small detached towns. He got his phone out and started taking pictures like a tourist, gaining some looks from the locals. He noticed as he took pictures that most of the buildings were a bit smaller than he was used to, then took a closer look to see that the village was inhabited by dwarves! He had never visited a dwarven settlement of any kind but knew a few dwarves who went to his college.

Lee looked a little embarrassed as he was anything but new to the area. He let him take his pictures though and pulled into a familiar gravel parking lot.

"Why are we stopping here?" Axel asked as he took his last picture before they got out of the car. "This isn't the village I remember..."

Lee laughed and opened his door, gathering a few things from the truck's cab. "No, this is Woodberry. The small mining town on the edge. You probably don't remember coming here first but this is a safer route than we used to take through the woods last time. And besides, last time we came I didn't have so much to carry."

Axel got out and pulled on his backpack, continuing to marvel at the buildings. Before he could ask anything else he was stopped by a dwarf who wandered up to greet them. Lee walked over and gave the man a strong handshake and an equally big smile.

"Kanik, how are you?" Lee asked while walking with him to unload the crates.

"Fine, fine! Family's good, business is better, hah!" He said in good nature. He looked to Axel and nodded, "This your boy, Lee? He's grown!"

"Oh I'm sorry, this is Axel. My second oldest son. He's an herbalist and potion maker, so he's visiting family with me this time." Lee said proudly, something that made Axel's heart skip a beat.

The dwarf looked him up and down and thought to himself for a half second before reaching out his hand in greeting, "Well then, nice to meet you Axel the Herbalist!" Axel went to gently take his hand in greeting and was met with a big, rough handshake. He was used to his dad's handshakes but this man could match him any day.

Axel recovered as smoothly as he could, nearly falling over from the energy of the man's greeting. "Th-thank you, sir!" Butterflies seemed to flutter in his chest from the energy around the place, and the acknowledgment of his chosen profession just fueled them.

"None o' that 'Sir' business, son. Just Kanik." He waved off the formality. Dwarves typically didn't like formality at all, but he knew the boy was young and paid it no mind. Instead, he led the father and son to a stable of sorts that was a short walking distance from the gravel lot. Axel hadn't seen it before and looked up at it, trying to imagine what might be in there. Kanik noticed and laughed, "Never seen a Sulkari stable before, boy?"

Axel's eyes lit up and he looked at his dad with child-like excitement. "We're going to be riding Sulkari birds up the mountain?" He wanted to run the rest of the way but knew better. They walked into the barn which held a large set of stalls that showed off the pride and joy of the transportation world. The Sulkari.

The large riding birds were very tall, and their backs were broad and strong. They had cute round heads and short sharp beaks meant for the grains and grasses they enjoyed. On top of their heads were long ears covered in feather plumes that arched upward towards Axel as he walked by. They stomped and scratched at the floor with excitement. Broad pillowy bird toes covered in scales tapped on the ground, and the bones in their legs were said to be the strongest natural material rivaling that of diamonds. Axel didn't know if all the facts he'd heard were true, but he knew that he loved the look of them. They had a large range of colors varying from almost tropical to a dull gray, resembling patterns of modern day anthro Avians at times. The species was a strange one as the plumage wasn't dependent on the sex of the bird.

As they walked down the line they noticed a few of the birds chirping at them, some attempting to sniff or gently nip at the canines while they passed. Axel grinned, asking permission to pet a few. Kanik laughed and waved him the okay, which was all the pup needed. He started to pet and snap pictures of nearly every bird who came up to him, and a few who didn't.

Kanik stopped at a stall and let out a big strong looking rust colored bird. He tapped the bird on the side and it leaned its long neck down so he could gently slide on the headstall. He made sure the reins were on and safe then walked it out for Lee to handle. Lee smiled and wagged his tail at it, petting the fluffy bird fondly. Kanik chuckled, "Apple's yours, as usual, Lee."

Axel waited expectantly for his bird now. The old dwarf came back soon with a beautiful ocean colored female. "Now this one's yours, kid. Somethin gentle but she'll stay on the path. Her name's Glimmer." Kanik said. He went through the same mannerisms and soon handed the reins over to an awestruck husky.

Axel wagged carefully as if he were scared the bird would run if he wagged too enthusiastically. She leaned down to sniff at his hair and clicked her beak. She started to preen him a little and Axel almost fainted from joy.

Lee laughed, startling Axel and his bird just a little. "I'm glad you like her. It's a shame we don't have the room or means to have birds on the land, I'd love the kids to see them up close." He said, imagining the younger pups fussing over a bird of their own. They walked out with their riding animals, the fantasy fading from his mind.

Kanik grinned and joined Lee's pace with a little effort. "Well now you just say the word and I can set you up with a breeder I know, or you can bring the family here one day!" He was absolutely fishing for more business from Lee. Lee smiled and shook his head, having heard this about a thousand times now.

"I know, I know. I'll have to think about it and run it by the wife." Lee said finally.

A few hours later and the birds were loaded with all their crates and supplies. Axel was looking at the hookups for the supplies and watching the birds, who didn't seem bothered by the weight. In fact, his bird was preening herself out of boredom. Lee watched as Axel marveled over the birds and their strength.

"You alright there, son?" Asked Lee from atop his ride. He quirked an eyebrow at him with a laugh. "You need help getting up there?"

Axel had almost forgotten the birds were for riding, maybe out of nervousness. With a few tries, he was up onto the bird, who merely adjusted her stance a little for the new weight. Regardless of how inelegant the husky mix had been, his bird looked as perfect as she had been before.

Lee spoke briefly with Kanik about directions before he tapped the reins and the bird walked forward. Axel took a moment, and with some quick instruction from the dwarf was able to catch up to his dad. He huffed and had quite a time trying to settle on the bird as she trotted about, avoiding people and large stones with ease. Axel learned as he rode that he had very little direction in where she was going, but he didn't feel as if he were in any danger. Glimmer knew these streets and how to bypass people and monuments, but she still tilted a long feathery ear back towards her rider for confirmation.

Once the two got to the forest edge, Lee stopped for a moment to take a deep breath. He closed his eyes and let the feel of the forest's magic wash over him. The smell of the deep green earth around him, the ancient wood calling him in, and the sounds of the creatures and spirits pouring into his soul. He urged the bird forward again, and was ready to leave his stress and fear behind.