FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Happy Christmas, SFians, and Happy Christmas to Ozone.This is for you, a follow up to your birthday present, I just hope you like it. If not - well then you know what to do! xxx

It had been almost two months since the female wolf had come to live with the armadillo. In even that short amount of time, both had changed beyond comprehension though only one had had a physical change. The she-wolf had gained a full twenty pounds in those short weeks, and her coat now covered a slightly plump body, though she was rapidly converting the fat to the muscle that all wolves seemed to be made of. Her black and white body made not a single sound as she ran through those woods surrounding her home, nose clinging to the ground as she hunted that armadillo who was both friend and master to her.

This was their favourite game, the best way for them both to gain healthy appetites in order to eat of the feast that the armadillo had taken to cooking once a day. He grinned at the sight of his wolf running along the ground, even as he shivered and tugged his jacket tighter around his scaled frame. How she could run all day in the snow he had not the slightest idea, although she had longer fur she was without the benefits of being clothed in warmth gathering items. He squeaked suddenly when a cold nose suddenly jabbed his cheek, and the still little wolf sank onto her haunches in the snow, her teeth bared in clear laughter.

He smiled at her, stroking a paw over her cheek then around to behind her ear, scraping lightly with his claws in an effort to make her head tilt in that way he found so amusing. He found it easier to smile and laugh now, ever since she had come into his life and turned it upside down. He noticed that Singer was beginning to shiver, and for her to do that, it must have been below freezing. "Come on, sweetheart, let's go home." She raced in front of him, rushing for the log cabin that had rapidly become a home to both of them easily. Her tail swayed as she hurtled through the forest, though she was tumbled off her feet and made to yelp by a black blur.

She was left bleeding as the armadillo struggled to catch up, drawn by her yelp and following whimpers. Blood seeped from her ear, teeth marks clearly having caught the dangling flap and tugging it. "Oh, my poor dear. I'm here now! What happened?" He spoke as though he expected her to reply, or to suddenly understand wolf. Her tail drooped between her hind legs, and left her whining constantly. "We'll get you looked at, I promise you we will, right away." He cradled her gently in his grasp, her torn ear turned away from his chest and away from further pain. He began to run, awkward with carrying a seventy pound wolf in his arms, but managing it. He already knew which vet he would be taking her to, the one his old dog had enjoyed seeing.

She was a feline, but it appeared every canine she worked with loved being in her clinic, something which may have been helped by the fact that she gave them beef and liver treats. He didn't ring her before placing his wolf on the backseat of his small car. She lay shivering and quiet, quite clearly in shock, her glorious mismatched eyes glazing a little as she took to panting. He put his foot down on the accelerator as much as he dared to on these icy roads. A car accident would do neither of them any good, would put them both at risk. A tension eased in his shoulders as he saw the small town he used to buy goods from in front of him. Decorations adorned the snowy boughs of the trees which littered the ground between the small cottages, roofs also caked in snow that was almost a foot in depth.

Lights gleamed around windows, and holly wreaths hung from doors as he drove through the empty street. Even at 3pm, the streets were deserted by even children of various species. He risked the roads for a second and looked over his shoulder to see Singer sprawled on the backseat, blood pooling beneath her head as her body was wracked with trembles - and it reminded him of that fateful day he met her and she was bleeding then. He sped to the door of the Veterinary Surgery, and banged on the door to call the feline to him. While he waited, he moved back to the car and gathered her in his arms, cuddling him against her body and ignoring the blood soaking into his coat.

"What's this about, Ozone? Oh my god, get that animal in here right now!" Her voice changed from weary to brusque the second she noticed the blood tainting the snow red. She was a spotted leopard, small in stature but strong in will and determination. She assumed that he was carrying a husky, until she saw the small signs which most vets missed. The tail was too short, too bushy and her paws were huge compared to the relative daintiness of the canine he was carrying so tenderly. She had on a collar, and because the armadillo was a friend of hers, she ignored the fact he was carrying what would appear to be a very small wolf. "What happened to her? Bring her through here before you explain anything, I'm going to grab a muzzle so she doesn't bite me."

"You won't need a muzzle, I can promise you that. She doesn't bite, I once removed gunshot pellets from her shoulder and she wasn't bothered. As for what happened, I don't know, I couldn't see what attacked her she was running ahead of me, wanting to get home." His eyes glittered a little with worry as the vet smoothed her paw underneath Singer's jaw. She turned the length of muzzle to the side and whistled a little as she noticed the marks that had nearly split the poor female's ear into ribbons. He began to stroke down the length of her back, trying to comfort her as that friendly feline vet went to get a syringe in order to give the shivering canine on her consultation table a painkiller and sedative in one.

Once the drugs began to take effect, Singer slumped onto her belly, and blinked suddenly heavy eyelids, eyelids covering the eyes which caught the gaze of any who looked at her and ended up held captive by them. "The poor thing, looks like a dog, or another wolf caught her. It could be because she doesn't smell like the wild, she smells like a pet. Let me clean this up, since you stopped me from decorating my flat, since it is Christmas day tomorrow and I've been a little too busy to do it lately." The armadillo paused from stroking the flank of his wolf, and looked at the feline suddenly. "It's Christmas tomorrow?! How could I forget? Do you mind dealing with her on her own? I want to go get some bits for tomorrow if I can." When the feline nodded, distracted by the task of cleaning those nasty wounds, he left the room quietly, and frowning, made his way down to the shops that were thankfully open until late on Christmas Eve.

"There there little wolf, rest easy. I'll make sure you look the best you can." She soothed the wolf softly, stroking her muzzle with a single finger, claw completely retracted. She took a cotton pad, and just wet it with warm water to start with, stroking it against the damaged cartilage gently, and bringing it away covered in blood, leaf litter and dirty ice. "Oh poor wolf, you'll be all fixed up soon enough, I promise." When the wolf in question barely moved, only a paw clenching and her chest heaving in slow panting breaths, she got anti-septic cream and rubbed it over the wounds splitting her ear. A yelp was torn from the dozing wolf, and she shuddered her way out of the fugue the drugs had put her in.

She didn't move away from the wolf, nor did Singer leave the table, instead presenting her ear and the ragged tears marking the wolf apart for life. The vet cleaned the wounds warily, alert for any movement from the wolf which would have indicated aggression. When none came, she bit her lip, considering using stitches to sew the ear together but not quite daring to. Instead she grabbed a can of spray plaster, and aiming carefully, sprayed a thick coating to both sides of the ear, trying to ensure that neither wounds would fester and need more attention. As she finished, she looked at the wolf closely, and remained like it, a frown creasing her spotted forehead.

She was still like this when the armadillo came in, with a new jacket fastened around himself and a smile upon his face. "How much do I owe you, Celeste?" He had his wallet out ready, a gleam in his eyes showing that he was both glad that his wolf was looking better, and that he had a surprise waiting for the morning. He would make her Christmas the best he could within his power, especially to drown out these horrible events. He was anxious to settle up and get home, since he had left dinner on a low heat and then rushed out here suddenly.

"$50 since its Christmas Eve, consider the price to be a present to both of you. Erm, Ozone...you do know she's a pure wolf, don't you? Well, 90% wolf, I'd say only a small percentage of her is dog." Her green eyes were worried as she looked up into the brown eyes of the armadillo, though his eyes remained unconcerned with the fact. "She's been sleeping in my cabin and on my bed, and nothing has happened to me. She's a perfect sweety; we spend all day playing, sleeping and relaxing. She taught me that work isn't all a dillo needs to live on." He smiled down at the wolf, and knelt down, cradling her cheeks and ignoring the ear. "Come on Singer, time to get home." Standing, he offered the vet her money, and turning with a soft whistle for the woozy wolf he walked out the door, calling out a Merry Christmas to the feline before sliding behind the wheel of the car.

The wolf leapt into the front seat and sat there like she belonged, not noticing the packages that were rustling in the boot as he started the engine and began the careful drive back home. It took them half an hour to drive to the forest, and then he led her into the house. "Dinnertime my wolf, come on!" He called out as he walked in, the wolf stumbling behind him, though at the mention of food, her stomach complained and she whined softly. He laughed, and leant to stroke her head, before standing straight and making into the kitchen. Opening the oven he sighed, happy to see that the beef he had put on to cook wasn't burnt. It would be warm roast beef sandwiches for him tonight, and roast beef as well as the bone for the wolf who was his constant companion.

He pulled out the tray, using the oven gloves so as not to burn his paws on the hot metal of the tray. A smile was clear on his face as he heard the wolf inside the bedroom, and he knew she would be drowsy for a few hours to come. He padded into the bedroom half an hour later, after making his own sandwiches with the beef and left the remnants for his wolf when she woke up.

While he could, he moved to the car and opened the trunk quietly, removing almost a dozen bags which contained a number of treats both edible and not for the wolf he adored. He swiftly moved to the kitchen with them all, keeping an ear out for noises of eating coming from the direction of his bedroom. He unpacked a small turkey, a packet of streaky bacon, goose fat, potatoes and gravy from one bag, and from the others he began to remove the many presents he had spoiled her with. First to be removed from the bag was a brand new collar, tag and leash - made of red nylon and patterned with little bones around it. Her tag was in silver, and her name was etched on it with his phone number underneath.

From another he pulled out a pair of bowls, both made of earthenware and both with the names Singer clear upon their sides, leaving no doubt as to whom they were belonging to. Amongst the bags were a new bed, also red in colour and patterned inside in black silk, also containing warming pads. This he was going to place beside his sofa, so she could lay in warmth and comfort while he read. The rest of the bags contained toys and treats by the dozens, all different kinds that he hid in the cupboard until the time came to give them to her. A sigh spilled from his lips as he revealed the contents of the final bag - books he had ordered in and that had finally arrived. He stacked them on the kitchen table before sitting with a cup of tea, sipping it slowly before growling in frustration - something he had learnt from his wolf companion.

It was time to put on the Christmas dinner for the next day, and he listened out still. He got out the turkey, and washed it under a hot tap carefully, before drying it with kitchen towels and placing it into a clean oven tray. With a spoon, he placed dollops of goose fat either side of the turkey, before covering the entire crown in strips of streaky bacon. He smiled at the faint sounds of stirring, and moved rapidly, placing the turkey inside quickly and putting the meat on at a very low heat. The remainder of dinner he put away in his refrigerator, hiding it from her as he began to eat his sandwiches, mimicking the soft sounds coming from the bedroom.

A drowsy, blinking black and white frame made its way from the bedroom to the kitchen, too full too even contemplate begging for more food. With her she bought the bone, now bare of any meat fragments but still full of marrow, wagging her tail as she leant against his leg and murred at him in that peculiar canine purr she always uttered. He smiled to see his companion so relaxed, so happy and petted her head gently. "There my sweet, bedtime soon for us, I'm afraid, bed for us both but a good book for me to enjoy before I sleep." The wolf merely wagged her tail, not moving her ear much and ignoring the irritant.

He gave it an hour of them sitting in the kitchen before he yawned, and snagged a book from the top of the pile on the side, and then opened the backdoor briefly. The female wolf was out the door like a shot, needing to do what she needed to do before she came bolting back indoors and onto his bed in one continuous movement. She was shivering, in both fright and with the cold that permeated her bones and made her act as though she were ancient. He chuckled as he heard her, making his own way into the bedroom slowly.

She was curled up at the bottom of his bed, nestled in close and ignoring the bed he had made on the floor now. He slid into bed, but not under the covers, and began to read, waiting until he could see she was in the deepest depths of sleep a canine went into. When he moved she stayed asleep, and he moved slowly across the cabin floor in order to unpack every single present he had bought her. The bed he placed where he expected her to sleep, but a packet of tennis balls, a treat ball which spoke praises and the new collar and leash he laid on the floor beside the bed, so she would see them first thing. It was 1am before he finished decorating, and he was both yawning and struggling to keep his eyes open when the time came for him to slide back into bed, cuddle his feet against her sleeping form and within three breaths was asleep.

He was woken by a cold nose against his cheek, and then a warm tongue stroking along his chin. Anxious blue and gold eyes met his, and she nuzzled in against him, pressing her body into his before she relaxed, burrowing her head in against his neck and murring again, and tail beginning to wag. "Good morning to you too, madam. I hope you enjoyed waking me up." She rasped her tongue over his shoulder in reply, before moving for him to sit up. The cabin was always warm these days, possibly because he had on the stove most of the day and night. As he did, indeed, sit up, he looked at the tennis balls and noted that they hadn't moved. "Singer those are for you, sweety." He pointed to the balls, the treat ball and the collar and leash, and the ever-curious wolf peered over the bed with him.

"Fetch it, Singer!" He pointed to the collar, and she leapt from the bed easily and picked up the collar, before bounding onto the bed again and handing it to him. Her tail swayed from side to side as she waited for him. He reached around her neck, searching for the buckle of her worn old collar, and unfastening it. She instinctively began to shake as he combed those claws across her neck, before fastening the new one in its place. The red contrasted with both the ebony and the silvered fur which coated her body, and stood out against her eyes even. He smiled and stroked her back, before leaning forward and nuzzling her cheeks. "Merry Christmas, my wolf. Merry Christmas to you." He had a smile on his face, and he knew that once she went into the living room and saw all the gifts, then he would be happiest. For the first year in more than he wanted to count, he wouldn't be alone for Christmas, and he was sure this would be the best Christmas she had ever experienced. Outside the window, snow fell softly to the ground against the woody smoke floating from the chimney, and the slight smell of slowly roasting turkey in the oven. A fire was lit and light soon began to light up the windows in the dim light of the late morning on Christmas Day.