Alone in the Woods

Story by Kyne on SoFurry

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#2 of Tales of Riverswood


Here's another story in the ToR series, as a big thanks to all those who read the previous entries. It's been really encouraging to see the response it's been getting.

I'm not too sure with how this one turned out, (especially with three yiff scenes) any response to it would be nice, so please feel free to say. The third scene is more for the story side of things, but I don't think that detracts from it being yiff. Typically, I'll have something that doesn't fit or is wrong, so if that's the case please point that out so I don't have to make an arse of myself for leaving it there any longer. :|

No matter what you may think with the opening scene, and what I've just said, _ it isn't plain old smut _, it's just that the opening scenes happen to be yiffy. I don't usually like to work that way, but it'll probably hold your attention for the rest of the actual story, which is based around those very scenes.

Feel free to add your own tags, by the way.

Anyway, enjoy...

Alone in the Woods

Panting rang out through the trees.

A wolf stumbled through the forest, brushing the thick brush aside as she hastily made her way through the autumnal woodland. She was dressed in faded, ragged clothing, a loose cloth shirt made of woven fibers and a similar pair of thin and faded trousers. No shoes. A black string necklace hung around her neck, but the pendant was missing.

She sighed.

Her undergarments between her legs were irritating her again. She gritted her teeth, she hated this time of the year, not just because of the constant itch, but because there was absolutely no-one to sate the burning fire in her belly. And she despised every waking moment of it.

She looked about, there was a small break in the brush, and a large, grey barked tree rose from amongst the leaves. The wolf carefully sat down against the trunk of the tree. She sighed and rested her head.

"Stars forgive me..." she muttered under her breath.

The wolf put a paw to her frayed leather belt and undid the buckle. She slid the thin trousers down over her thighs, exposing her groin to the cool shade. A simple undergarment made from a tight piece of leather was her only item of clothing that prevented her from exposing herself any further. It wasn't supposed to be able to be removed by herself; her tribe had bound it to her so she could 'save herself for an appropriate mate'.

Only that she would now never find one, all alone in the woods.

She looked at the leather covering her crotch with disgust

Using her sharp claws, she cut away the straps that bound the garment to her hips, and discarded the item of torture into the forest with a look of disdain. It landed some distance away, rattling a bush as it fell amidst its branches. A pigeon, scared by the sudden noise, quickly flew away in the opposite direction, cooing loudly into the evening.

No more of your tyranny.

Her sex exposed to the open forest, ready for her nonexistent male to come and sate it. She ran a paw between her legs, an infusion of damp and heat. Little sparks of estacy burst through her body, and a short shiver ran up her spine.

She sighed. She knew this wouldn't satisfy her desire for long, but there was no other option. She _had _to relieve herself of this monsterous, burning itch within her.

Reluctantly, the wolf began to work her paw in and out of her damp folds, using just two of her fingers, almost instantly the itch faded and she let out a heavy sigh of relief, and tilted her head back against the tree. She imagined a large, dominating male from her old tribe, taking her womanly folds with his large, throbbing cock. She imagined the scent of his fur, his hot, laboured breaths as he thrusted himself heavily against her body beneath his bigger, stronger body.

The memories came flooding back to her, the pain of it all. She had reminded herself of why she had to leave in the first place.

Her paw slowly stopped it's motions. With a disappointed sigh the wolf removed her paw from her slit, thick droplets of her lust falling onto the leaves beneath her and flicked the paw off.

She closed her eyes and began to wallow in her own self pity...

***

"Psst, you awake?"

The she-wolf's eyes snapped open. It was the evening, the forest around her was in twilight. Dark brown eyes searched for the voice that had called out to her. She turned her head a little to the right. There was a wiry, reddy-brown rodent crouched down next to her, a red squirrel, and he was gazing deep into her eyes.

She opened her mouth to shout, the squirrel quickly put a paw over her muzzle. "Shhh, don't scream!" he desparately hushed.

He cautiously lifted his paw away.

The wolf immediately sprang up, grabbed the squirrel by the throat and thrusted him against the tree with a loud cry from the rodent. With her other paw she reached down, fumbled and then realising she couldn't find what she was looking for, looked down.

Her belt lay at her feet, along with her small silver dagger attached to one side. Her lower body was completely exposed to the squirrel, the soft stoney grey fur around her hips brushed against his.

The wolf looked up, the squirrel had also looked down toward her feet, but that wasn't what he'd been staring at. She snarled and tightened her grip on his neck.

He squeaked.

She glared at the rodent with a deep growl. "What do you want with me, tree-rat?"

His small ears fell back as he pleaded helplessly for his life, "I-I saw you laying by the tree all alone, you looked like you needed help. Don't hurt me, please!" he begged.

The wolf snarled again, pressing him harder against the tree, the terrified squirrel squeaked for a second time. "I-I'm s-sorry for d-disturbing you M-miss Wolf..."

The squirrel bowed his head in submission and he sniffed, trying to hold back tears. The wolf could tell from his voice that he was very young, barely out of his teens, if squirrels even measured age that way. She let him down from her grasp and gave him some room to catch his breath. She folded her arms and cocked her head back at him.

"What's your name squirrel?"

"D-Dwren..." he said meekly, carefully brushing himself down.

She looked him up and down. He was wearing typical, but unusual clothing that squirrels liked to wear. It was made from tough, waxy leaves that were sown together into a tight fitting vest-like shirt and trousers that looked similar to chainmail. His bushy tail hung low behind his legs and the tip coiled itself on the ground.

Her eyes happened to dart over his crotch. A rather ouvert bulge poked outwards. The wolf cocked her head to one side as she looked. He too took a glance down and saw what she was looking at and immediately snapped his head back up.

He squeaked.

A cold breeze cut through the fur between her legs, and an awfully familiar itch ignited within her. She suddenly had an idea...

His eyes darted away as he started to stammer and back away. "Uh, Well I-I uhh..."

The wolf chuckled, and studied his lean frame as she came to a decision. She slowly nodded her head and shot him a sly look.

He took a few more paces back and to the side, further away from her. "I-Miss, I don't want any trouble with your pack, I..."

The wolf took a couple slow and soft steps toward the squirrel. She raised a paw to his rusty cheek, and he immediately froze in place. "Actually, I have no pack..." she cooed as she stepped past him, trailing the paw across his muzzle, turning him with her as she walked around him in a little circle. "...and at this time of year, we wolves have certain... Needs." She stoked the other side of his rusty muzzle with the back of her paw. "In other words, I'm in heat and..." She sighed and her shoulders slumped, "...desperately need a mate."

"Ah-OK..." he stammered. "Mis-"

She suddeny gave him a hard shove. He stumbled back against the tree, she quickly slinked up to him and pressed herself against his body. "I hope you'll forgive me..." she murmured to his ear. "But I really can't help myself."

His frightened eyes softened as she reached down and rubbed her paw over the bulge in his groin. She gave a short hum of approval. The wolf dug her claws into the leaves of the trousers, she cut the sides, and just above the bulge in his groin. The leaves came loose and his erection poked through the flap.

The wolf groped his cock, feeling it over in her rough pads. She then gently lifted his sheath up and down in the palm of her paw. "Oh that'll definitely..."

"M-miss Wolf, I-I don't think it's a very good idea..." came the faint whisper of the squirrel, barely audible over the loud chirping of the forest. She looked up and into his eyes.

"Dwren, like it or not, I need this. You'll be fine, just-"

She pressed close to Dwren, his shaft kissed and penetrated between her legs and slid gently into place. Her eyes fluttered as the itch within her subsided, her previous worldly cares and worries dissolving away into nothingness. "...just enjoy yourself, Dwren." she cooed into his ear. "You're privillaged tonight..."

With the larger and more powerful wolf holding him tightly against the tree, there was little Dwren could do. He just stood, stunned. Utterly in shock and surprised over what was happening. He didn't hate it, not for a moment, but he was completely uncertain of exactly what to do.

She began to thrust her hips forward and back in short, quick movements, grinding herself as much as she could against his staff. Short sighs of pleasure escaped her lips, trickling into his ears on the peak of every thrust, just as his tip skimmed the inner most depths of her sex.

He cautiously put a paw to her back, unsure of her reaction. She started to trust just a little harder as his paw rested lightly against her back, just below her shoulders. He put the other paw to the small of her back and felt the soft, fuzzy fur just above her rear. His paw slipped, it glided over the top of her thigh and to the side. His small claws caught on something behind her, between her legs. She suddenly bucked her hips forward in a single, powerful thrust, pushing him deeper still. She let out a low moan of pleasure deep into his ear. "More..." she whispered.

The paw gingerly returned to the spot below her tail. Unsure, he rubbed the outside edges, she started to make a deep throaty sound, like the purring of a cat, but much deeper and more laboured.

Dwren's claws again clipped the divide, she let out another deep, lustful moan and bucked against him again. Her long tail wrapped around his leg as she started to call a deep howl to the woods to signal her climax.

Her soft folds rippled against his manhood. She stopped thrusting and let out a deep howl as she milked him of everything he had, filling her belly with his warm and youthful seed. Dwren closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the tree, letting the she-wolf completely overwhelm and abosrb him, mind, body and soul.

With a satisfied sigh, the wolf rested her head onto his shoulder. "Thank you..." she whispered. "I'm Kathlyn, by the way."

***

"So... Did you like that Dwren?"

The forest was black with night. The crickets and other insects chittered in the cool air as the wolf and squirrel sat against the side of the large tree where they'd met.

Kathlyn was no longer bare from their passion, and Dwren, who couldn't have helped it even if he tried, had attempted to hide his exposed groin from her by placing himself further round the trunk and bringing his knees up to his muzzle, wrapping his arms around them, but she knew it was still there. As for herself, she sat cross-legged.

"Dwren?"

The squirrel stared blankly into the forest, unanswersing. "Dwren," she repeated, "Look at me."

"It was... I mean..." He exhaled, then rolled his head over to look toward her with an expression of concern. "I did. Is... is that wrong?"

"No." she laughed, "You're supposed to enjoy it. It's mostly the point. Well, when you're not in heat..."

He shook his head. "No, not that. Us... You and me. A wolf and a squirrel... You know..."

"Oh... I see."

She shuffled up to him and put an arm around his shoulder. "Listen Dwren, I know you squirrels live in isolated villages away from everything in the world, but trust me, the connection between a male and female can span entire species. Not just your own."

"Does that make us mates now?" he quietly asked.

She chuckled again. "Yes, that _would _make us mates."

The squirrel paused to think. "...then do you think that we could... stay... together?"

Kathlyn smiled. She looked out into the golden forest, at the mottled colours of gold, brown and yellow all around. In spite of threatening to kill him, and then nigh-on raping him, she had an unusual sense of... attachment to the squirrel. She wouldn't have called this love or even affection, 'mateship' she felt, would be a better word. She wasn't quite sure of what to make of this new emotion.

"Miss Kathlyn?"

"I don't see why not. But I don't have anywhere to stay, do you?"

"I live with my mother in a place called Treeswallow. I'm not old enough to have a house yet."

She raised a brow. "Just how old are you?"

"Uhh, well according to the shaman we don't mature as fast as others do..." he said nervously to the night.

"Dwren, it doesn't matter." she assured, "Do you have any room there at all?"

He hummed in thought. "I guess so. I'd have to let the elders know. You know, a wolf in a squirrel village... But they won't like it one bit."

"Thank you Dwren..." She pulled him closer. His warm, fluffy fur pressed against her own and the pair relaxed. "Sorry about everything I said earlier," she sighed. "I'm just not the same in heat... and for... Well, you know..."

He looked down at his trousers. The crotch was still cut out. He could see his own rusted fur poking through. "...tearing your clothes." she added.

"It's OK, Miss Kathlyn."

"Just... call me Kathy."

***

Dwren led Kathy along a rough, barely visible path along the autumnal forest, brushing past wiry berry bushes and golden shrubs as he walked ahead of her.

"How far is it until we get there?" asked Kathy, stepping over a fallen log as she followed behind the squirrel.

"It's not very far, just up ahead. But..." he pushed a low branch in the way back and stepped past. Kathy caught it as it sprung back and also made her way past. "...they don't like strangers at all."

"That's fine, as long as you're not scared of me anymore, I'm happy."

She looked down and thought for a moment, "If you're from this village, why aren't you scared of me? Apart from when I attacked you, that is. I think anybody would have been scared half to death."

His voice went weak, "Uhh, well... I like to explore. But we're not supposed to leave the village."

"Mind if I ask why that is?"

"The shaman says the outside world is too dangerous for us to leave the treetops. So, nobody is allowed to leave, especially me because they usually catch me trying to leave."

Kathy was shocked. "What!?" she exclaimed. "Why would they suppress you like that!?"

Dwren's long tail dipped down behind him and started to brush against the golden leaf litter. "A lot of reasons..."

The path opened up into a giant clearing in the forest, in the centre was a cluster of unusually large trees towered high above the surrounding canopy. Kathy stared in awe at the sheer girth of the grove, the craggy-barked trunks stretched at least a dozen metres in either direction and then stretched upward at least a hundred more.

"By the stars... You live among the clouds!" she whispered.

"I guess." he muttered. "They're gonna kill me for this..."

He took a deep breath and let out a loud, chittering call to the sky. The sound echoed all around them for a couple moments before a similar call returned from the tops of the towering trees.

"What was that?" asked Kathlyn. Dwren pointed to one of the trunks of the trees, the one closest to them. The wolf stared for a moment before realising what she was supposed to be looking at. A rope ladder, that looked as if it was made from vines and sticks, was rolling its way down the side of the tree toward the ground before them.

"Telling them I'm home."

***

"What the bloody hell where you thinking you stupid fool?" came a voice.

Dwren and Kathy where both on the rope ladder, underneath a wide wooden platform that seemed to encompass the entire trunk of the massive tree. The squirrel was above her at the very end while she waited below, unable to see anything or anyone who might be on the platform above.

There was a little square cut out from the platform where the ladder ran up the trunk so people could enter and leave, and Dwren was right in the middle of the hole, talking or rather, being sternly talked to. "Can you let us up first?" he began to plead.

"Us!?" came the voice. "Who's us?"

His head bowed, and his eyes took a quick look toward the wolf. "Me and Kathy..."

"Kathy? You've brought somebody here? Are you mad?"

"Please! She's not dangerous! I swear! She's the nicest person you've ever met!"

Kathy smiled. He had no idea who she was and yet, here he was, standing up for her and spouting out false compliments about her. He was either very chivalrous or just very desperate to get off the ladder.

"She?" questioned the voice, "Oh, gods help us all..." The feeling of eyes rolling seemed to just scream out from the voice's tone. "Come on up. Can't leave you both just hanging there..."

Dwren disappeared from the ladder, and a paw came out from just above the hole and helped Kathy up onto the platform. Her helper, the one at the top of the ladder, was another squirrel. He was older and taller than Dwren and unlike him, his fur was a stoney grey beneath his leafy, chainmail-like clothing. He looked her up and down with a look of discontent, but not fear. "Good gods. You've brought a wolf into to our village." he said, shaking his head. "I hope you're pleased with yourself, Dwren."

"I'm not here to cause trouble." Kathy frowned.

The squirrel jabbed a finger toward her. "You better not, canine." He then pointed over to Dwren, who was standing nervously behind her to one side. "And you, you better go see the elders before somebody sees her. You're both lucky I don't have the heart to turn you both away." His eyes flittered down Dwren's body, then darted back up. "Also, fix that hole in your Gadwyn while you're at it. Gods, what the hell did you let her do to you?" he said disappointedly.

Just as Dwren opened his mouth to speak the squirrle interupted him. "Don't answer. Just go already. The pair of you."

Dwren brushed past him, "Let's go..." he murmured. Kathy shot the grey squirrel a look as she followed Dwren along the wooden platform. Around the side of the tree, the whole of Treeswallow stretched out in front of them across the entire grove.

The whole village was composed completely of ring shaped platforms around trees connected by bridges made from horizontal sticks, small tree trunks and woven fibres, like a sort of hanging log bridge. The houses were all built into the trees themselves, doors, windows, all of it was cut into the very trunks of the massive trees. It didn't seem to have any ill effect on the towering trees though, they looked healthy enough.

"Wow..." whispered Kathy, leaning against a small stick railing around the edge of the platform. "You live here?"

Dwren joined her by her side. "Yeah." His arm carefully slipped around her waist and he held her closer. For the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, Kathy started to feel calm and relaxed. It surpised her. Nobody had ever made her feel that way before.

He pointed over to the left side of the grove, toward a tree whose hollowed-out house was a little lower than the others. "That's my house. I guess we'll go there after we see the elders."

"So where's that?" she asked. The squirrel pointed forwards, to an even larger tree toward at the far end of the grove. The tree had an unusual, twisted spiral shape to it's trunk that the other trees did not have. It was connected to the rest of the village by a huge, impossibly long rope bridge, the same kind used in the rest of the village. "That's Hynafol, the elder tree. That's where the elders of the village live."

***

"So let me get this straight, you disobeyed not only the wishes of your mother but the elders themselves by sneaking out of the village, where you subsequently came across this... wolf alone in the forest. You approached her, disturbed her, and were obviously assaulted by her, after which you then decide that it would be a good idea to lead her straight to our village, in order to seek sanctuary for her? I'll be sure to give some stern words of wisdom to Gareth about letting strangers into the village with you after this, because he obviously has none of his own."

Kathy and Dwren stood before an old, important looking squirrel in a huge hollowed-out room in the elder tree, at one end were the elders, three elderly squirrels sitting on three intricately carved wood thrones, with two carefully scrutinising the pair while the third paced about in front of them. Kathy couldn't help but feel that she would be punished for even breathing the wrong way.

The old squirrel pacing in front of them was dressed in an array of different leaves and flowers into a sort of shamanistic robe, not unlike the shaman in her old tribe. He might have been a reddy-brown squirrel like Dwren once, but he was so ghostly pale in his age it was impossible to tell. He also carried an intricately carved staff that was equally adorned as his clothes, but he only looked like he was using the staff to help himself walk about the cavernous room. Around his neck was a small necklace, a small green crystal, but it didn't strike Kathy as all that important, but she did keep a careful eye on it.

"Yes that's correct Elder Cymru." nodded Dwren subserviently. "But-"

The older squirrel stopped and jabbed the staff at Dwren. "But nothing! We have survived for centuries by isolating ourselves from the outside world, we will not begin to allow outsiders into our midst now!"

"But Elder-" started Dwren desperately.

The old squirrel brought the staff down hard against the wood of the floor with an almighty crash. "No. I want this... bitch, out of our village by sunrise."

A sudden flame of rage burst from within Kathy. That was exactly the sort of treatment that made her want to leave her tribe in the first place. "I'll show you 'bitch'!" she growled, pushing past Dwren to attempt to storm over toward the ancient squirrel, but Dwren quickly held her back by holding her paw. With a dissatisfied snarl she turned around to face Dwren.

"Kathy, please!" he pleaded. His bright, innocently shining eyes begged for her to stop. The fury within her was extinguished in an instant.

"I... Sorry Dwren." she whispered, stunned at how she could have suddenly let some petty remark consume her like that.

"You see, Dwren?" The old squirrel continued, "This is exactly why she must leave. You cannot let her remain here." He then looked over their shoulders, "Guards, escort her out."

Two squirrels pushed past Dwren from behind and grabbed a hold of Kathy's shoulders before she could react. She struggled against them, but they had already pulled her paws behind her back. She growled for them to stop, but they ignored her and began to shepherd her away.

"Elder, please!" cried Dwren.

The two guards stopped and hesitated for an answer. The old squirrel slowly shook his head. Dwren watched the two guards resume to carelessly drag Kathy toward the door. Sorrow and misery started to well up from the deepest, darkest depths of his heart. A tear came to his eye.

A loud growl caught his attention, he turned to see Kathy tear herself free from the grip of the guards. She stormed forward toward the elder, sidestepping him as she pulled the little silver dagger from her belt.

She pounced toward the old squirrel and grabbed his neck, lifting his frail body high above the ground. She drew the silver blade right against his throat, enough for the cold blade to kiss the skin underneath his ghostly fur.

He uttered a horse, stifled and pathetic attempt of a squeak.

Obviously more bark than bite aren't you, old fool?

"Nobody move, or I'll kill your precious elder." Kathy said menacingly. She quickly glanced about, nobody talked, and nobody definately moved. She grinned slyly. Time to put on her best acting face.

She turned her attention back to the squirrel gripped tightly in her paw with a vicious snarl. "Listen here you pathetic, dusty excuse of a tree loving rat, Dwren has offered a lone and esperate wolf a warm bed and a place to stay out of the pure kindness of his heart. if I go back out into those woods I will _die, y_ou hear me? If you turn me away it'll make you no better than that vicious, unloving world out there that you fear so much, or so help me I'll kill every last one of you weak, feeble, tree loving rodents just to prove to you how harsh that world out there really is."

The ancient squirrel coughed and horsely whispered his response. "We accept. Just don't hurt us."

Kathy smiled amusedly opened her paw and let the old squirrel drop to the ground. To her surprise he managed to catch himself and land on his feet.

She eyed the small necklace as he began to brush himself down. Just to prove a point, she decided, _that's mine now. _"...and I'll be having that as well." she said as she reached forward and snatched the jewel from around his neck, snapping the string and then tying the emerald onto her own vacant necklace.

***

"Dwren, what I said back there... I didn't mean it."

"It's fine Kathy."

Kathy and Dwren walked back along the giant bridge to the rest of the village, unimpeded by the guards, who let her and Dwren past them, albeit with looks that could probably have killed. She could tell it wasn't 'fine' with Dwren. He looked extremely hurt.

"Dwren, I know it's not okay. What I did, what I said, it was so that I could stop them from taking me away. I didn't mean _any _of it. I promise."

"It's fine Kathy, really."

She shook her head. His words still sounded hollow to her. She stopped and turned to him, "Dwren," she said softly, "I-"

She was cut short as his lips suddenly met hers. Surprised and caught completely off-guard, she stumbled a step back onto the long rope railing. Dwren still held his lips to hers, and he snuggled up against her body, she relaxed, closed her eyes and returned his kiss. He didn't use tongue, and she decided not to either. He was soft, gentle, she began to murr. Something she thought she'd never do again.

"Thank you Kathy..." he said eventually, slowly breaking away. "Thanks for keeping us together."

She looked down at the amulet on her chest. She picked it up in a paw, and felt over the carved, linear edges. "We won't stay that way if they come after this..." She let out a nervous laugh. "I can't believe I actually stole this!"

"They'll be too scared to come after you, Kathy." Dwren said, "They'll leave us alone as long as we have it."

"Why?" she asked, looking over the seemingly insignificant gem in her paw.

"It's an ancient earth charm." Dwren beamed. "The elders would never risk damaging it just to get rid of us, and you probably won't lose it, so they should leave us alone if we stay here."

Kathy huffed. "Convenient."

Dwren happily nodded his head. "It also has special powers that have control over life and-"

Kathy rolled her eyes. "Dwren," she interupted, and he immediately stopped in mid sentance, "I'd hate to tell you but... There is no such thing as magical amulets, or magic altogether. It's just tales and superstition."

"No Kathy, it's real, I promise." he replied quietly. She knew she'd hurt him again, and she let out an inward sigh. "I thought you of all people would belive in magic. I thought all wolves did."

"I never told you why I was alone in the forest, did I?"

Dwren stopped and pondered for a moment. Now that he thought about it, she hadn't told him anything about herself. "No." he said.

Kathy motioned for them to continue walking, and then took a deep breath. "Two reasons, first and foremost, I hated my tribe. They were selfish, they didn't treat any woman with respect and I had always wanted to run away, but I had no idea what I would do or where to go, so I didn't. Secondly, I don't believe in gods, spirits or anything magical. Apparently that's so unthinkable to my old tribe that I had to be exiled." She knew that was only the half truth. The whole truth was much too painful to bring up twice in one day. Dwren didn't need to know.

"Oh..." Dwren whispered apologetically, "I'm sorry."

"Hah!" she scoffed, "Don't be. I'm far better off without that tribe of lustful fanatics who believe in magic and petty gods."

"But..." Dwren protested, voice barely a whisper, "The amulet _is _magical."

"I like you Dwren," Kathy sighed, "and I don't want to disrespect your beliefs, so I won't talk about it any more. I just want to live a quiet, normal life. No tribe to squabble over my body or exile me for my beliefs, no magical earth amulets, and definitely _no _crazy old squirrels telling me what to do."

After that, Dwren went very quiet.

***

Not far from where the massive rope bridge ended, Dwren came to a stop outside a small plank door set into a smaller, but still massive tree. Up high above the door was a small square window that bled a warm, yellowish light out into the night.

"Well, my mother's about to get a shock..." muttered Dwren as he opened the door.

The inside of the house was comfortable-cozy even-in comparison to any of the huts and houses in her tribe. Like the elder chamber, the house was lot with strange box-like holes in the walls that gave out a calm, yellow glow from apparently out of nowhere, Kathy was sure that they had a perfectly reasonable explanation. The actual interior was split into two halves before her, the immediate right turned into a carved staircase that led up, and to her left was the entrance to another room which had a couple of broad, wood chairs and some fairly small tables. The whole house made Kathy feel very warm and welcomed.

"Not bad." she commented as she looked about.

"Thanks, but it isn't mine." said Dwren. "Maybe one day we could get our own little place just for the two of us?" he then suggested hopefully.

"I'd like that." she smiled.

"Dwren, honey, who are you talking to?" called a womanly voice from up the stairs.

"Uh, hi mum!" Dwren nervously called back. He turned to Kathy, "Don't be afraid if she screams, it's normal. She likes strangers, she's like me."

Kathy gave him a look. "What do you-"

A loud, high pitched scream cried out from toward the stairs, Kathy turned to see a frightened looking, middle aged squirrel pointing straight at her. Dwren spun around and immediately tried to calm her down. The squirrel immediately clutched ahold of her son, pulling him tightly toward her.

"Mum, please, you'll wake everybody up..." was his muffled protest.

"What is a wolf doing in my house!?" she cried in a shrill voice.

"Mum, she's not gonna hurt you," he turned and waved a paw in the wolf's direction. "This is Kathy."

Kathy waved her paw toward the frightened squirrel. "Hello."

The squirrel sat down on the stairs and immediately started to take several long, deep breaths and relinquished her grip from Dwren. After a few moments she had collected herself enough to talk. "Oh... Oh, do excuse me." she panted, "I'm not so used to strangers entering my house, especially with my son."

You're telling me, thought Kathy.

"It's fine, don't worry." she said, trying to be nice.

The middle-aged squirrel stood up, made her way past Kathy and Dwren and into the other room oppsite the stairs. "My name's Rhenne, by the way. Can I get you a drink?"

***

Rhenne, Dwren's easily started mother, had made a hot, boiling drink in cylindrical wood cups, a kind of leaf was stirred into it that she'd called the whole thing 'tea'. Kathy assumed it was for them to drink while they sat around one of the low tables on something that resembled a bag full of something soft and squishy, leaves most probably. She thought she heard Rhenne call it a 'sofa' or something similar. Dwren and Kathy had sat on one side and his mother had sat on another on the opposite side. Kathy took a sip of the boiling drink and decided that she didn't like it, but decided to still sip at it to be polite.

"So, I notice that Dwren has managed to damage his Gadwyn again," Rhenne mentioned as she sat down. "I hope that hasn't been too much of a bother for you both."

Kathy decided to not reply to that one, and neither did Dwren.

Rhenne took a sip of her drink. Seeing her, Kathy did the same. She didn't like the smell and the hot water scolded her tongue, but she forced herself to swallow the vile concoction anyway.

Rhenne laughed. "Oh, Kathy dear, you don't have to drink it if you don't like it."

Kathy smiled and set the cup down, glad to get rid of the terrible drink. Dwren and his mother didn't seem to mind it, and Kathy couldn't understand why. "So," continued Rhenne. "How did my good-for-nothing son meet such a pretty young thing as yourself?"

Kathy opened her mouth to speak but then quickly stopped. Telling Rhenne that she'd practically assaulted her son, and then had sex with him, would probably have been a bad idea.

"We met when I snuck out of the village, mum." Dwren quickly butted in, obviously with the same thoughts running through his head.

"Oh yes, I figured that one out by myself, Dwren," Rhenne said sarcastically, "You've been out for hours. I want to know how you met, not where."

"Uhh, well, I-" started Dwren.

"He woke me up while I was sleeping alone in the forest." cut in Kathy. "I was exiled from my tribe."

Rhenne gasped and looked very shocked. "Oh you poor thing!" she exclaimed. "...and my son took pity on you in a moment of chivalry?"

Dwren went very red. "Uh, yeah that's it..." he lied.

Rhenne laughed. "Alright, now tell me what really happened. My Dwren would never show chivalry even if his life depended on it!"

"Thanks..." he muttered sarcastically.

Kathy opened her mouth to speak again, but Rhenne waved her off. "No, don't bother dear, I can smell it on you two, see it in your eyes. I know my Dwren didn't catch his Gadwyn on a thornbush..." She sighed. "Thank you, Kathy. You have no idea how much he needed for you to come along and find him."

Him and me both, thought Kathy. Rhenne was a lot sharper than she looked. Kathy made a note of that.

Kathy turned to Dwren, who had silently slinked into the chair out of embarrassment, Rhenne also turned to see her son sheepishly looking away from them both. "Don't be so shy about it, Dwren sweetie." she said kindly, "Be pleased with yourself, you found yourself a beautiful girl and a wolfess at that!"

A burning question suddenly popped into Kathy's head, _What was this amulet she had stolen? _It wasn't as if she didn't believe Dwren, she just wanted a second opinion from somebody who was more... credible.

"Mrs... Rhenne?" Kathy said, remembering how Dwren had first spoken to her back at the tree, thinking that was how she should properly greet her.

"Just call me Rhenne, Kathy."

Kathy politely nodded. "This amulet..." she began, holding the jewel up for Rhenne to see.

"You? The Tyne?" Rhenne said, intrigued, "What on earth did you do for the elders to give you that?"

Tyne? _"Well," Kathy said truthfully, "They didn't _give it to me. I was just wondering what it actually does. Dwren said that it had magical properties."

Rhenne nodded in agreement as she took a long sip for her 'tea' before setting the cup down on the table with a small clunk, oppersite her own still full cup. "That's right." she said. "It has powers over life, death and the earth. Though how you managed to... persuade Elder Cymru to give it to you, I won't ask."

"So you're not concerned that I just turn up in your house with your son, carrying a sacred amulet?"

Rhenne waved her off, sitting back in the 'sofa'. "Lords, no Kathy. The fact you even have it means many things. You'll find out those on your own." she winked. "Listen, I need to go see the tailor for things to repair Dwren's Gadwyn. I might be some time..." she winked again, definitely much more ouvert than before. She then left, without saying another word.

Kathy waited a while to make sure Rhenne was well away from earshot before she said anything. "Your mother is..."

"...strange?" suggested Dwren.

"Yes. Very."

"Why do you think she winked at us?"

"Somehow, I think she wants us to..."

"...I wouldn't mind." grinned Dwren.

"You better have a bed..." she growled seductively, a familiar burning itch creeping its way back into life as she spoke.

***

As it would happen Dwren did have a bed, it wasn't huge but it was big enough for two. She couldn't see what it had been made from, but it felt like someone had stuffed piles of dried leaves inside a net, which it could well have been if there was any light. His bed was absent of any covers or anything at all to sleep under, just the soft and spongy bed. Interestingly, the emerald glowed in the dark. And now Kathy lay naked on the bed, bathed in the little glow emanating from her chest, waiting for her squirrel to enter and sate her terrible inferno of an itch, once and for all.

The door creaked open, and the faint, careful footsteps of the squirrel slowly made their way across the room.

"Are you ready, Kathy?" he asked nervously.

Kathy shifted on the bed, trying to get more comfortable. "Of course Dwren." she replied softly, "Consider this to be your first time. Forget about earlier, I want to make it up to you. As thanks for everything you've done for me today."

The bed jerked down as he climbed onto the foot of the leaf-filled net. It swung forward and back as he stopped. "Do you want your tree rat to do anything before he pleases his big she-wolf?" he asked with a faint hint of embaressment.

Alluding to earlier, cheeky thing, she thought. "Dwren," she said, "Don't insult yourself for my sake. It isn't fair on you. I'm sorry for what I said and what i did." She stopped, knowing that apologising just wouldn't work. "Tell you what, Dwren. I know I didn't give you a very pleasurable or special first time... So let me make it up to you. I promise you that."

The squirrel was silent for a moment. "Thanks Kathy." he whispered eventually, regardless of his real opinion on his first time, "You're so beautiful... especially when you're angry... I-I like it."

"You like it when I'm angry?"

Dwren began to nervously fumble with his words, almost too embarrassed to speak. "Y-yeah, when you're angry, y-you... you can..." He swallowed, gathering himself a little. "See how strong and fearsome and powerful you are. You're so beautiful..."

It took her a few moments for it all to really sink in. Nobody had ever called her beautiful.

...or strong.

...or powerful.

...or even fearsome.

"...Nobody here is like you." Dwren continued. "They're all scared and quiet all the time. But your brave and bold, not even attacking the High Elder was beyond you!"

Kathy felt a warm, bubbly sensation within her chest, it made her feel good. No compliment had ever made her feel like that before anywhere in her life. "Thank you, Dwren." she said. "You're the first person to ever tell me that I'm any of those things..." She smiled, her sharp white teeth just visible in the faint light. "Thank you my little tree-rat."

"So how can I please you, my she-wolf?" he asked suberviently, playing along with the matter at hand.

She hummed. "Pleasure my womanhood, squirrel." she said eventually.

"Uh-OK..."

"...with your tongue."

A short silence between them, only the distant chirps of crickets filled the stillness of night.

"Whatever you wish of your squirrel." he said eagerly.

Kathy saw that he was grinning wildly in the reflected light as he neared her hips. His head bowed down out of view and his long, wet tongue plunged into her dripping folds. Kathy let out a gasp as his flesh began to twirl and lap at her fluid, ever teasing the entrance of her feminine passage with it's delicate dance of lust and passion.

The wolf reached her paws down to his head and pushed his muzzle closer, deeper into her. His muzzle met the inside of her sex while his tongue began to drink down the sweet nectar coming from deeper still.

"That's it Dwren!" Kathy moaned, her paws ripped away from his head and clutched the sides of the bed as a small ripple coursed through her body, sending more nectar his way.

He immediately gulped it down, then came up for air. "K-Kathy?" he gasped.

Kathy uttered an moan and squirmed her hips. "Dwren... You, are a natural."

"Really?" he chirped, excited, surprised even.

"Just... No more..." she panted.

Dwren secretly reached down and stroked the length of his full, swollen member. He desperately wanted to please her in any way he could, but he couldn't ignore his throbbing urges any longer.

"Kathy... I'd like to mate with you now, if you'd like."

Kathy grinned to herself and licked her lips again. "Come on then."

Dwren carefully climbed on top of her, gently positioning his slender body over her bigger, more sturdy frame. With a slow, delicate movement he eased his manhood into Kathy, past her swollen lips, through her passage and into her tight, pressing cervix where he came to a stop as he hilted himself within her.

His cock was smooth, something Kathy hadn't noticed about him before. It had not a knot, like a wolf, nor the barbs of a cat, but rather a more slender, more smooth quality to it that she found somewhat... Refreshing from others, if somewhat lacking in familiar roughness. It almost reflected his personality, kind and gentle. Harmless, even. His small paws rested down onto her shoulders as he rested above her, their only points of contact were his paws, and at their hips.

Dwren made a quick nuzzle of her nose. "I love you, Kathy."

She nuzzled back. "I love you too, Dwren. And for the record, I'm enjoying this a lot more than last time."

He lightly chuckled. "Me too."

Kathy let out a deep, lustful growl as she let her heat drown her out. "Now teach me how to fuck, you magnificent mate of mine."

Dwren immediately started to thrust against her hips. Not fast, not slow, but a steady and thoughtful back and forth, with a little up and down for good measure, in an oval shaped pattern.

"Am I doing okay?" he broke in, almost ruining the mood. But she forgave him, she didn't give him much the first time around.

"It's fine Dwren. Just keep it up."

Their courtship was very silent for several minutes, with neither speaking or uttering a single whisper to the other in their quiet passion. They both relaxed and enjoyed the company and the harmony of their courtship, nothing more.

Kathy took a deep breath every so often, and focused purely on the squirrel, on how he gently rubbed and caressed her inside her sex, never too rough or too slow, and more than enough for her to feel his every motion, every well place movement echoing out of the love and care he had for her, never lust nor desire.

Soon, Kathy felt the walls of her womanhood began to twitch and tense with the build up to her sweet release, she gripped the sides of Dwren's bed ever tighter as she prepared to receive his seed. Similarly, Dwren felt his manhood tighten his globes press tight against his body.

And, as if someone had struck a bell, the two came together. Dwren ceased his movement as the surge of his orgasm pulsed through his body. He bucked his hips forward once, for the final time as his seed spurted from his tip.

Kathy felt her sex contract, hugging, clenching around the squirrel's swollen cock as he came, rippling, sucking every last ounce of his thick release out from him and into herself. Her entire body shook with the most blissful and serene feeling one could experience in this life...

The female and male, the wolf and the squirrel, Kathy and Dwren, fell asleep in each others embrace as they basked in their afterglow.

***

For several months rumours had begun to circulate of a wolf, who had met a squirrel deep in the forests of Belgan, and had left her tribe to live with him in one of the towering skyward settlements of the squirrels, though who they were, whether it was true, or even who had started the rumour itself remained a mystery, it was an amusing tale to tell around many a quiet inn, and with time, the rumour began to fade from memory.

Decades later, another rumour began to circulate, one of a strange creature among the folk of a small riverside town to the south. A creature of mixed heritages, a hybrid of two different peoples. But nobody really _believed _such a thing to be possible, for it was the stuff of witches, wizards and the magical arts...

...and those kinds of things didn't exist. After all, it was all just tales and superticion.

***

If you liked what you've read here, then check out my upcoming series based on these short writings. I'll be posting about it on the next entry in this series just beforehand. So if you're interested, sub to this folder, and I hope to see you soon.