FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 4

The endless blue engulfed the avian's celstial form. Clouds of shifting shape and distant meaning danced across his vision. Time slowed down and finally melted away. He has no idea where he is or where he's headed. He knows not even how long he's been in this strange realm. He chances a look below, only to catch sight of a river of swirling shapes and colors as the land is pulled from the sky, melting away into nothingness. Blue surrounds him now, bringing with it an unnatural calm and a surreal peace. He's alone...drifting along for eternity with ancient wisdom and distant thoughts...floating endlessly within the sky ocean...

Gar sprang upright in his bed, his heart racing. Again he thought. He still could not decide if the recurring dream was indeed a 'dream' or a 'nightmare.' With a groan he stretched and glanced at his alarm clock. Ugh he thought. 6:30...well...might as well get up... Gar threw off his thin, well worn sheet and noticed he was covered in sweat. The sun had yet to rise and he was already burning up. Chancing a quick sniff at his unclothed torso his head reeled back in revulsion. Shower... he decided. Sneaking down the hall he glanced into the living room only to find an empty couch. A quick look into the adjacent bedroom confirmed that his father had yet to return home. With a sigh, Gar entered the bathroom and turned the shower on, briefly contemplating the bizarre dream before the icy water returned him to reality with a very loud and less than eloquent curse...

Harvy awoke with a beaming smile on her face, more enthusiastic about school on this particular day for two specific reasons. One, she finally had a friend to make it more enjoyable and two, it was Friday! As happy as this made Harvy however, it also made her nervous. Nervous because she wanted to ask Gar to hang out with her over the weekend and didn't know how the withdrawn avian would respond. Waving off the feeling she decided it wasn't worth fretting over and quickly got dressed and ready for the day. She ate a quick breakfast and gave her mom a hug on the way out.

Harvy cheerfully bounded through the school doors and skipped off to Mr. Bright's room. As she approached the door she was met with an unusual sight...a certain albino raven seemingly sleeping...while standing up against the wall... Harvy stared in a mixture of amazement and humor, thinking huh...there's something you don't see every day... Her muzzle stretched into a slightly mischievous grin, her tail wagging slowly as she carefully 'stalked' up to the slumbering bird. Wagging her rear end in a distinctly canine way, she pounced on the avian teen who 'Eeeeped!' in surprise and tried to move only to collide head first with the she wolf with both parties winding up in a pitiful tangled mess of limbs, fur, and feathers upon the floor, much to the amusement of many passing students.

Harvy hoisted herself up onto her paws and knees, letting aout a groan of slight pain. She paused as she felt something surprisingly warm and soft beneath her paws. Opening her eyes, she glanced down, at the very same time that Gar opened his eyes and looked up. A blush quickly rose to Harvy's face as her now bright red ears folded back against her head in total embarassment. Beneath her paws was Gar's well toned chest, currently bared do to his shirt rising up during their little collision, and her muzzle hovered mere inches away from his slightly opened beak. Gar's piercing blue eyes stared into hers in shock and once again she was trapped by their spell, finding herself unable to move.

It took the chuckles of many totems acompanied by one shouting "Get a room!" to bring Harvy back to reality. She 'Eeeeped!' in surprise and quickly lept off of Gar before timidly helping him up. Laughter sounded around them but luckily it was still early and there wasn't that many totems in the halls. Harvy silently prayed that no awkward rumors would start as she apologised to Gar in a panic. "I-I'm SO S-S-Sorry Gar! I d-didn't mean to knock you d-down like that! I was j-just trying to surprise you a l-little a-and uh..." She trailed off as she shut her eyes tight, ears flat against her skull, tail between her legs and nose pointed to the floor. Dear Gaea! She thought. Way to go Harvy! I hope I didn't just screw up my first friendship before it really started! Gar stared in momentary shock and confusion but quickly recovered. Then he suprised Harvy by...laughing?

"Haha...hehe...hahahaha..." Yes it was unmistakable...Gar was laughing. She opened her eyes and chanced a look up at him. He quickly stifled his laughter holding one talon over his stomach and the other before him in a 'hold on a minute' gesture. Finally the chuckles subsided and he simply said, "Might you know my last thought as I arrived today?" Harvy merely shook her head 'no.' Gar gave his trademarked avian 'grin' again. "I thought to myself, I'm quite fond of my new friend. I wonder if I shall run into her this morning!" He barely finished before erupting into laughter once more. Harvy slowly grinned before beginning to laugh as well. Soon the two friends were standing in the hall laughing like total idiots oblivious and uncaring to the strange stares from the passing students in the now crowded hallways.

Finally both calmed down, Harvy being the first to speak. "So...you're not mad at me?" She looked up at Gar meekly with a 'forgive me?' smile plastered on her face. Gar merely chuckled. "You're concern is completely unecessary 'Dire Wolf'." Harvy smiled before blinking in confusion. "Umm...Gar?" He gave her the 'yes?' head tilt, an uncouncious habit she now noticed was quite adorable. "Why do you call me 'Dire Wolf' ?" Gar grinned . "Were you not 'Dire' upon our first meeting and even now?" Thinking back to her extreme nervousness and rather timid behavior she blushed as it dawned on her. "Oh...y-yeah." Her ears flattened as she looked away. Gar gently placed his talon under her chin and turned her head to meet his gaze. "Not to worry I find it to be a most endearing quality." She forced a smile though his words did nothing to help her blush...if anything they intensified it.

Desperate to change the subject, Harvy took stock of Gar's less than kempt appearence and drowsy expression. "Umm...are you okay Gar? You look exhausted." He grinned sheepishly. "I found myself seized by sleeplessness for the majority of the night, though I did steel a few hours before dawn...before the dream..." He finished with a distant look in his eyes that momentarily silenced Harvy. Finally she spoke. "Dream? What about?" Just then the warning bell rang and all of the gathered totems rushed through the door. Gar smiled as he entered the room. "Ask me again sometime." Harvy shook herself free of his eyes' spell and quickly followed.

Harvy briefly wondered if it were truly possible to die from boredom as her science class dragged on. She swore the aging vulture teaching the class had an almost supernatural talent for putting totems to sleep. Her gaze was locked upon the clock. Just one more minute 'til lunch she thought to herself. She mentally counted down as she fought to stay awake. Dear Gaea this was torture! 3...2...1...*RIIIIIINNNNGGGG* Harvy lept up in joy along with the rest of the class. Ahhh! FINALLY! she thought. She eagerly packed up her bag and rushed to her locker, hastily tossing it in and heading for the cafeteria. She was looking forward to seeing Gar again.

Gar sighed as he closed his journal and collected his things into his worn leather bag. He'd been thinking about the dream again. He couldn't help but feel it held some deep meaning, some cryptic message he could not decypher. It had been much...stronger...this time. He couldn't place his claw on it exactly but it was trying to tell him something, he was certain of it. Shaking his head lightly he made a councious effort to put it out of his mind. He would have time to contemplate the inner mysteries of his psyche later. It was lunch time now and he was sure a certain 'Dire Wolf' was waitng for him.

Harvy carried her lunch to the courtyard in search of Gar, immediately heading for the edge of the roof she saw him perched upon the previous day. She visibly frowned when she saw that it was empty. Looking around briefly yielded no sign of her pearl feathered friend. Just as she was losing hope she heard a familiar crisp, husky voice right next to her ear. "...A flurry of sound doth flutter 'round, confusion abound who walk the ground, yet ariels see through silent eyes a peaceful earth from endless skies..." Harvy felt her heart skip a beat and couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine and out the tip of her tail...that voice of his...and whispered right into her ear...she gasped and spun around coming muzzle to beak with Gar for the second time that day, surprise evident on her face. Gar took notice. "My apologies...did I startle you 'Dire Wolf' ?" Harvy mentally laughed and gave him a look that said 'well duh!' She cleared her throat and shook her head lightly in an effort to shake off the the tingles his admitedly VERY sexy voice had unwittingly induced.

What's wrong with you Harvy?! She thought to herself. That's the second time today you've found something about Gar attractive! Get a grip! Don't make this awkward! Gar simply gazed at her with a sweet grin, thankfully oblivious to her internal struggle. Harvy struggled to speak. "H-hi Gar! Umm...how did you sneak up on me? No one's ever done that before. Usually if I don't see or hear them I always smell them..." She winced at how awkward that last part came out. Gar smiled in good humor. He pointed skyward. "I flew downwind..." Feeling stupid, Harvy nodded. "O-oh...yeah I suppose that makes sense..." Gar politely gestured for Harvy's tray wich she bashfully handed to him. He then pointed to the tree they ate under yesterday. "Shall we?" Harvy nodded dumbly and followed Gar as he carried their trays over.

As she sat down Harvy released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. As she dropped her bag on the grass a rather large but very worn hard cover book spilled out. She gasped and reached for it but was beaten to it by Gar who delicately picked it up and read the title aloud. "...'The Falling Of Man'..." Harvy nodded with a bashfull smile, feeling slightly embarassed. "Y-yeah...as you probablly guessed from my little 'geek out' yesterday...I uh...like to study earth that was and that's like my FAVORITE book." Gar smiled kindly and handed the book back without a word. Feeling uncomfortable with the silence Harvy spoke up again. "H-have you read it?" Gar nodded. "Many times. My mother loved to read and had quite the library. She was quite taken with the writers of earth that was, passing on this love to me. I became quite fond of many ancient writers such as poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Anne Rice..." Harvy gasped. "You read Anne Rice!!?? She's my FAVORITE writer from earth that was!! I've read the ENTIRE vampire chronicles more times than I can remember!! And not those lame 'updated' reprints where all the characters are totems! The ORIGINAL series!"

Harvy grew quiet as a blush once again filled her face and her scarlet ears flattened. Not only had she rudely interrupted Gar mid-sentence, but she just had a royal geek out AGAIN... Gar chuckled and gently patted her head almost like one would a feral dog. "Your enthusiam is endearing 'Dire Wolf' not shameful. I am quite pleased to have a dear friend with whom I have so much in common." Harvy's blush intensifed. Damn it! She thought. He has a knack for doing that. Gar smiled warmly and continued. "In short I am quite knowlegable on the subject of your intrigue. In fact My mother's library is now my own. Should you ever wish to borrow a text it would be my pleasure." Harvy smiled so wide she thought her face would split, leaping on Gar in a furry heap. "That's so AWESOME! Thank you Gar! Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you!" Once more Harvy noticed her embarassing behavior and hastily moved away. "...S-sorry Gar...I forgot you don't like being touched..."

Gar frowned and Harvy briefly feared she'd finally gone too far. "I wish you wouldn't feel that way...it is not distaste but rather...'a fear of the unknown' you could say..." Now Harvy frowned. "You mean you really aren't used to a friendly hug?" Gar shook his head. "Not since my mother...but...I would like to change that...I just ask that you forgive my initial reluctance...and know that I mean no disrespect...or discouragement." He finished with a light smile that made Harvy's face heat up again. Feeling a resurgence of that same foolishness that pushed her to get so close to Gar the previous day, Harvy slowly reached out a paw and laid it upon Gar's white beak. Gar jerked at the contact but seemingly made a councious effort to not pull away. Harvy pushed her luck a little further and gave his beak a light stroke, like one canine might do in a friendly manner to another.

Gar's eyes closed and he seemed to relax into Harvy's touch making her smile. As she felt more encouragement she moved her paw a little, brushing over Gar's left nostril briefly. Gar Jerked and pulled his beak away. Harvy was afraid she'd done something wrong and was about to apologise when she heard Gar laughing. Looking up at him in puzzlement he answered her silent question. "I'm rather ticklish there..." Harvy held a look of even greater surprise now. "You mean...you can feel that?" Gar gave her a knowing look. "Yes. Most totems don't realize it, but keratin has just as much feeling as skin or scales." Harvy looked surprised. "Really?" Gar nodded. "Thus the reason avian couples take pleasure from 'billing' other than the symbolic closeness of the act." Although he said that last part with his same intelligent, stoic countenance, Harvy could have sworn she detected a hint of a blush as he mentioned the avian equivilent of kissing.

Harvy was too fascinated to feel any embarassment at the moment. "Wow...I'll remember that!" As her words sank in, her embarassment quickly returned. "AH! I-I mean! Uh...I didn't MEAN anything by that I was just uh..." Her ears flattened again. Gar chuckled lightly. "You worry far too much 'Dire Wolf,' and forgive me but you are very entertaining..." Harvy laughed it off and quickly changed the subject. The two ate in companionable silence for a while before Harvy remembered she had wanted to ask Gar something, causing her nervousness to return. Gar noted this and decided to speak first.

"Is something troubling you Harvy?" She blinked and paused for a second, registering the shock of Gar using her first name and fighting hard to combat yet another embarassing blush. "Um...not really...I just wanted to ask you something." Gar gave her his little head tilt again making Harvy giggle quietly. "Um...well since i'm still new and don't really know my way around town...do you think we could hang out this weekend and you could help me get my bearings?" She analyzed the question in her head, mentally patting herself on the back when she decided it was fairly well composed. Gar looked thoughtfull a moment. "It would be a pleasure. May we meet at your residence?" Harvy blinked. "Umm yeah...Sure I guess that's fine. My mom kind of wanted to meet you anyway..." She froze at how that last part sounded. "Uh! Because she's just really nosy and I kinda told her I made a new friend and uh...yeah...hehe..." Gar chuckled in good humor. "Sounds wonderful. I look forward to it."

Harvy smiled back. "Oh! Uh...maybe we should exchange phone numbers...UH! So we can make plans you know!" She mentally face pawed and briefly wondered if she was the only one noticing or even getting flustered by all these inuendos. Harvy pulled out her cell phone and read off her number which Gar wrote down within the cover of his journal. Harvy blushed at the apparent significance of the act. She then gave Gar a puzzled look when she noticed he hadn't taken out a cell phone. He shot her a quick apologetic look. "My apologies but I do not have a cell phone...I shall give you the number to my bedroom phone." Harvy nodded in understanding and took down the number.

Harvy put her phone away and beamed at Gar. "Great! Well I'll call you tomorrow at around...say twelve?" Gar smiled back. "I look forward to it." They sat in a silence that was mercifully comfortable. *RIIIIIINNNNGGGG!!!!!!* Harvy face pawed and let out an exasperated sigh. "I really REALLY HATE that damn bell..." Gar chuckled lightly and helped Harvy up. "...The coming of the laughing chime, a sign to all the loss of time..." He finished with a sly wink and harvy hid her blush by quickly giving him a tight hug. "I'll wait out front after school! Let's walk home together 'kay?" She didn't wait for an answer as she sped off leaving Gar with a light grin on his face as he pondered with great delight, his curious new friend.