FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

(Note: This story contains, as necessary to the plot, naked sibling cubs, and cubs being exposed to activities they probably shouldn't be due to their living circumstances, with the natural curiosity that inevitably results. Nothing particularly explicit actually happens between them, and descriptions are only as necessary and not designed to tittilate, but this story is tagged conservatively to be on the safe side. Additionally, there are implied and specific sexual encouters involving adults and teenagers who have just become adults.)

There were many types of people in the cities, towns and holds that made up the realm, from the decadently wealthy to the barely-subsisting poor. While this particular kingdom was better than others, with the least among them struggling but surviving rather than succumbing to starvation and disease, inequality was a simple fact of existence. In the northern towns, though, the range of experiences was somewhat more compressed. It was cold enough that the very rich would deign only to visit and play when there was snow, and those who were unable to afford the resources to build a decently isolated structure, regardless of the thickness of their fur, opted to eke out a living in a climate that was better suited for farming and more ramshackle shelter.

So it was that Dagger's family was far from rich, but neither were they poor; the wooden walls of their house often leaked in cold and had to be patched with mud and straw, but with a cobblestone fireplace that was just adequate for heating, and while there was never an abundance of food, there was never so little that any one of them had to go hungry. There were seven of them, his parents and five kids, all living together in one large room, but they were all close enough that it never felt crowded, and the fact that they all slept snuggled up together in front of the fireplace meant that the meager heat it provided was enough to keep them comfy on the long winter nights.

Of course, being in such close proximity meant that there was very little that could be kept hidden from each other, with the actions of both child and adult life taking place side-by-side out of necessity. Since water had to be heated for a bath, and cooled quickly once it went into the large round tub in the corner that shared duties with all other washing, the entire family had to bathe simultaneously; similarly, as there were enough clothes to wear about day-to-day but not the luxury of a separate pair to sleep in, the family slept cuddled close together in their bare fur. As a result, there was little sense of modesty or mystery between the four walls. Someone shedding their clothes was hardly cause to take note, and while other of his peers occasionally talked in hushed whispers of catching a peek of their sister's bare fur, Dagger had seen both his mother and sisters naked so often that there was nothing left to thrill or capture the imagination. They were different than his brothers, sure, with little pink ridges tucked neatly away behind a tuft of fur between their legs instead of the fuzzy balls and developing half-sheaths, but the only real difference was that they were a bit fussier and cried easier when their brothers roughhoused with them. Of course, Dagger and his brothers soon also discovered that they punched and kicked with more determination, too, and quickly learned to keep their feistier games to themselves. Soon, their own appearances, even naked, became routine, and for that matter, Dagger was the only one really unique enough to bother getting a glance from time to time: while his siblings had nice, plush white or gray fur, taking after one parent or the other and looking suitably cute as most children of their regional lineage did, Dagger's was somehow a combination of both, coming together in elaborate, swirling patterns accented with a hint of glittering silver.

Their father was a hunter, skilled with a bow and an expert tracker of the ungulates that roamed the evergreen forests around their village, and their mother, skilled with a short butcher's blade, expertly cleaned and chopped the meat upon his return as he staked out the hides along the roofline to tan. Their mother also ran a market stall in town, selling fresh and salted meat for food, and the leather in long, oiled sheets to the town's various craftfolk. All the children who were old enough found a way to help out in some capacity: one of the boys quickly took to accompanying his father, carving his own bow from a sapling and stringing it with sinew, using every ounce of his young muscles to tie it together, hence he was given the name Bowstring. Dagger's two sisters helped to cure and prepare the meat, and his other brother helped to man the stall and made a habit of carefully counting out all the coins to make sure none were shortchanged; hence, the name he received was Counter. Dagger, despite his body's lithe, almost feminine lines, hid a body with the taut, compact muscles of a brawler, and while his presence and interesting fur mostly served as an attraction to his family's market stall, anyone who harassed his sisters or tried to rip off the stall quickly learned not to cross him. One man, on a particularly bad day, had thrown his mother to the ground, and the small, enameled dagger that she carried for protection skittered away. He hadn't been all that tall, but the hand that picked up the dagger had been able; while his first undisciplined, yelling charge had led to him getting smacked away painfully into a nearby stall, his next approach was smarter, paws softly padding in at an angle away from the man's field of vision, and years of watching his mother's butchering technique quickly came into play: two quick, brutal slashes later, and the man, instead of trying to tear away his mother's clothing, was quickly on the ground, keening and hobbled with blood oozing over his trembling fur. From that day forth, Dagger was bestowed a new name and carried it proudly, along with the dagger that his mother gratefully gifted to him, and which he carried on his belt in a crudely-fashioned leather sheath as both a useful tool and a badge of honor.

Together, they all served their purpose, and came together at the end of each successful day for a hearty meal, a bath, and an evening of much deserved relaxation, playing games that they invented on the fly, and listening to their father spin elaborate tales about the feats of their ancestors; whether or not they were completely truthful, they still held the children enraptured with visions of pioneering exploration and stunning feats of bravery. Then, they all curled up in front of the fire, and for the most part, fell asleep. Again, though, because there was no room in the house for any real separation, even the parts of adult life that were supposed to be mysterious and barely glimpsed, at least according to some others, were laid bare, and took place on the same expanse of leathers in front of the fireplace next to where the children slept. When their parents remained concealed behind tuft and sheath, they snuggled around the kids or each other and slept like normal. When their mother's ridges protruded from between her thighs, though, scarlet-tinged and glistening after the bath, storytime only lasted until the red, fleshy stick finished poking its way up from where it normally hid, and then the kids were quickly shuffled off to the fireplace and instructed to sleep. It was hard, though, especially when you were the child who ended up being the closest to them. No one actually enforced the request for sleep, though, or did anything to prevent any of the children from watching, and so it was that Dagger would often watch his parents throw each other to the floor and quickly push themselves into an odd embrace, with his father wrapped up in his mother's arms and legs, seeming to slam the lower part of his body against her and making her whole body ripple and rock, his mother letting out a short, sharp bark each time they slammed together. The first time, Dagger almost thought his father was hurting his mother, but the harder his father went, the tighter his mother hugged around him, her barks becoming lighter and higher-pitched as the grin on her muzzle grew bigger. Dagger had watched, raptly fascinated, until his mother's barks had merged into a long howl, his father joining in just before both sounds took on an odd, ragged vibration, the slamming suddenly halting as their bodies clutched tightly together in an odd, rhythmic shudder. Then it was all over, his father quickly climbing off his mother, his stick bobbing and glistening in the flickering firelight, as she lay there panting with her tongue lolling out. Dagger waited for something else to happen, but they both just rolled over and seemed to go to sleep, although his mother continued to pant heavily beside him, and an odd, almost earthy smell began to permeate the room.

Of course, Dagger was hardly the only one to watch, and as curious as they were, they tried to figure it out, with varying degrees of success. One night, Dagger crawled behind his parents while they were engaged in their strange, almost silly barking embrace, to see what was actually going on, although the weird sight of flesh stretching and rippling, and his father's thing somehow going inside his mother's thing, was gross enough that a momentary glimpse was all he could handle. Still, it was weird enough that he told his siblings about it, and they were all curious enough to sneak a look on subsequent occasions. As for getting it to work, though, that was another matter. In the aftermath of their initial observations, Dagger had spent many minutes staring at his sheath, and poking at it when that didn't work, but the only thing that protruded at all was the tiny red tip where his pee came out. His sisters weren't able to do anything interesting either, and when one of his sisters laid down next to him one evening and asked him to try doing the embrace with her, Dagger was curious enough to comply. Before he could roll over on top of his sister, though, his mother saw what they were up to and made a hasty move to grab him by the scruff of his neck and haul him over to a corner. This was followed by a quick interrogation, which revealed, to her apparent relief, that nothing beyond talk had happened; this was followed by an impromptu gathering, and a quick, sober, and largely uninteresting explanation about why adults did the embrace and why it wasn't something that children ought to be interested in - and, in fact, that until they were adults it just plain wouldn't work, as Dagger's attempt at revealing his sheathed stick obviously confirmed. As a result, any such notion was quickly extinguished between them, and they quickly went back to chastely snuggling with each other and quickly falling asleep, their parents' slamming embraces by now common and unremarkable enough that they were hardly an encumbrance to sleep after a long day's work at the market.

A few years of work ticked by, heralding an expansion of the market stall and the wailing arrival of a newborn sibling, as Dagger grew sinuously strong, although not all that much bigger. There was no formal schooling, but working at the stall and hanging around the market led Dagger to pick up on the information he needed - a good command of the various dialects from traveling traders, along with some of the more racy language that they were known to engage in, a decent sense of math from watching Counter, and a keen eye for the streets' opportunities, and even more, their potential for trouble. Luckily, they were peaceful more often than not, and Dagger was often relegated to hauling around packs of leather, delivering goods around the other shops and stalls, and hanging around with other kids his age. He picked up various other things from them, including how to brawl, ambush, and lift a few coins here and there, at least until his father caught on and put an ear-twisting stop to it. There were other things to learn from them, though, especially stories of the bawdy sort, and after a particularly bawdy tale, he felt what he now knew as his cock finally commence its first rise out of the protection of its sheath. Before he could figure out much of a use for it, though, with a chorus of fanfares and a procession of gaudy wagons, a royal recruiting contingent from the capital city had rolled into town.

It was the most momentous even that the town had seen in ages, and a festival was quickly put on in the main square to receive them. Dagger found enough time to head away from the stall and gawk at the impressive displays, elaborate tents gilded with metallic ribbons and bright colors, festival games, and several different recruiting stations. Most intriguingly, the richly-dressed men of the royal contingent, some in battle-dress with glinting buttons and elaborate sabers tucked into their belts, were offering bounties for recruits in various positions, if they qualified; a decent sum for the recruit, and a more handsome one for the family that would then be deprived of their talents.

The prestige of the contingent quickly caught Dagger's eye, as did the sum for being recruited - although to some it probably wasn't much, it was far more than the meagre handful of coins that he was occasionally allowed to spend. He found excuses to hang out around the tents on subsequent days, and the stories told by some of the soldiers of gallant battles and glorious homecomings only served to intrigue him even more. He worried, though, what his parents would think, as it meant abandoning the stall and heading off to somewhere unknown; he was surprised, then, that his father brought it up first over dinner that same night. Dagger, it was true, was the least essential to the enterprise, and the amount that was on offer would put his family in good stead through any lean times to come. And so it was, with his parents' blessing and the encouragement of his siblings, that Dagger stood in line before the tent recruiting soldiers to join the army.

He walked in, and a group of people holding short boards with scrolls stretched across them had him stand on a line marked on the ground next to a few other boys from the village. Compared to them, he was shorter, and less visibly muscular, and as a result the men evaluating them seemed to frown, although the one on the end seemed much more interested when he learned Dagger's name. Then they were ordered to strip down, so their health and fitness could be evaluated; while the other boys hesitated to do so in front of each other, Dagger stripped without a hint of concern, something that the men seemed to take notice of. They took even more notice when they looked over the elaborate patterns that swirled through his fur, and the lithe lines of his body. One of them took a strip of linen with graduated lines painted on it, and measured across his shoulders, waist, and hips, while another ran a hand carefully through the fur on his arm, and then his leg, nodding approvingly when they didn't meet with any dirt or tangles. The other boys looked at him oddly, wondering why he was receiving all of the attention, as the men stepped back and huddled together, whispering rapidly amongst themselves. Then the men returned, gave the other boys a cursory look, and told them all that they were qualified to begin training to be soldiers - if they acquitted themselves well in their initial training, they would receive their recruitment stipend, and be offered a place and an honored career in the service of the royal army. The other boys walked out, still looking slightly puzzled but pleased that they were the ones that had in fact been selected, instead of Dagger. Dagger, for his part, was disappointed, and hung his head as he went to retrieve his clothes, but was quickly stopped by a gentle hand on his shoulder, and one of the men crouching down to talk to him face to face. The army, the man said, was a decent and honorable career, but that Dagger had certain qualities that made him suited for something else, something with even more prestige, luxury, and honor - and even, they promised, audiences with the royal family in person. They were vague about what the position actually was, but the notion of being specially selected for it rekindled his enthusiasm, and he allowed them to guide him through the back of the tent and into another one.

Here, there were both men and women, but only two other children: another boy and a girl, both, like him, on the verge of adulthood, and both completely and unashamedly naked, with fur patterns more varied and exotic than their peers: the boy's fur was jet-black with silver sparks, and the girl's fur was an especially plush, shimmering gold. One of the women brought over a polished bone-handled brush and carefully brushed out their fur to its full volume, then used a small handkerchief to wipe any stray smudges from their muzzles. Then, they were taken to different parts of the tent, and sat on small upholstered stools while one of the people in attendance asked them about various things - what languages they knew, whether they could dance or play an instrument, and so on. Dagger didn't know much about dancing, but gracefully went through a training routine he had learned to stay limber and agile on his feet in a brawl, the the man's smiling approval. The man also seemed impressed with Dagger's knowledge of other dialects and cultures, and seemed both surprised and impressed when Dagger seemed to know all about the mechanics of the unusual embrace when the man described it. This led the man to ask even more questions surrounding the topic, and Dagger answered them as best as he was able, his own observations from his family and the bawdy stories allowing him to fill in most of the blanks, although the questions about doing things with other boys he was hard-pressed to answer. Afterwards, Dagger rejoined the other boy in the center of the room, while a couple of the other attendants took the girl behind a series of paper screens that stretched nearly to the tent's roof. Another attendant took both their measurements again, and looked them over carefully of parasites or other health concerns, including pointing something odd and glowing into their nostrils, and carefully checking over their mouths and muzzles. They were then asked to extend their cocks, so that they could be checked as well; both of them looked slightly puzzled at trying to do so on demand, with Dagger trying to recite some of the bawdy stories in his mind, with little effect. The attendant just smiled, though, and said that in a few moments it wouldn't be a problem. Indeed, shortly after he spoke, the girl gave a startled yip from behind the screen, followed quickly by the short, happy, high-pitched barks which he was by now more than familiar with. Sure enough, between the sounds and a clear imagination of the particular and pleasant trial the girl was quickly going through, Dagger's cock soon easily emerged from his sheath, and once the other boy figured out what was going on he quickly followed suit. The attendants quickly walked over, using their linen measuring tapes to carefully catalog their length, circumference, and the size of their balls.

Once they finished measuring, the attendants stepped back and gestured towards the door of the tent, allowing an even more elaborately-dressed man to walk in. The man's fur was tawny with a well-fed sheen, and his clothing was edged with shimmering, iridescent stitching and fine, smooth fabric. He carefully looked the two boys over, asking them to turn slowly around in place, and examining them from every angle. By now, the other boy was a little nervous, but Dagger continued on resolutely - he had already lost one opportunity, and was determined to make the most of this new one. As soon as they had finished turning around, the well-dressed man, who was almost surely in charge, asked them to embrace. The request seemed to remind the other boy of their nakedness, and for a moment he seemed to balk at the request, taking a step back. Afraid that the other boy's reticence would cause them both to lose out, Dagger stepped over and gently rested a hand on the boy's shoulder, speaking what he thought might be soothing words into his ear. The boy quickly calmed down, and when Dagger wrapped his arms around the boy's waist, he didn't resist, and after a moment hesitantly reciprocated.

Slowly, their bodies drew together until they were touching, with the boy's muzzle resting on Dagger's shoulder. For a moment, the other boy started as the motion brought their cocks together, and Dagger almost did as well - the contact was warm, smooth, and soft, the feeling only serving to feed his desire to pull in even closer, and soon their bodies were pressed lightly together from ankle to shoulder. It only took a moment before the other boy made a muted, happy sound, his hips shivering a little against Dagger, and the way the motion caused the warm contact to rub up and down, the exciting feeling of something soft yet hard moving against him, quickly elicited a similar response. This, then, was apparently what the attendants had been referring to before, and while it was fun, it was over all too quickly - after but another moment, the well-dressed man expressed his approval, and the two attendants pulled them reluctantly apart. Behind them, the girl's ragged, warbling howl indicated that her evaluation was also over.

The two boys were directed to sit down on stools in opposite corners of the tent, and another attendant came in and offered them food from a tray of exotic delicacies. Dagger wolfed them down, savoring the new and unusual flavors. By the time he was finished, he had fully receded, and while the other boy still looked at him a little awkwardly after what had just happened, things seemed to be returning to normal. They were both offered new clothing to put on, which the attendants said was more befitting of their new station: instead of the utilitarian clothes he had worn before, he was offered a loose-fitting tunic and a pair of pants with a similar fit, made out of linen of a quality so fine that Dagger had never encountered before, with stitching that glinted the color of gold. They were even accompanied by an undergarment, previously an unheard-of luxury, a pair of shorts made from a finer, softer fabric, that rested comfortably around his hips and upper thighs. A few minutes later, the girl returned from behind the screens dressed in similar clothes, although they were tailored slightly differently and fit a little more closely to her figure. She still seemed a little dazed, her eyes lazily wandering and her gait slightly unsteady, and she was directed to a stool placed in the center of the room, while attendants had both of the boys walk over and stand at attention to either side of her.

The rest was mostly a formality: the well-dressed man congratulated them on their new position, which he told them would be served not only in the capital, but in the royal palace itself - all three of them perked up when they heard that, as anything more prestigious could hardly be imagined, given the tales of royalty that managed to make their way even to their remote northern village. Unlike the recruits, who still had to prove themselves, they were told that their selection was direct, and that their families would receive their payments forthwith, and even more generously than the soldiers, while they would receive theirs upon their arrival at the castle. The three of them cheered at the news, and hugged each other jubilantly, although not in the close and intimate was as they had before.

From there, everything happened in a whirlwind of activity. Dagger returned briefly to the market stall to say his goodbyes. His siblings gathered around, marveling at his new clothes, while his parents, proudly awaiting his return, seemed somewhat surprised to find him wearing a uniform other than what they expected; however, once they were apprised of his new position, as well as the generous recruitment payment, they quickly seemed even more pleased. Dagger's mother hugged him, and tearfully bid him farewell, while his father clasped him in a strong embrace, saying that while it wasn't what he expected, he couldn't be any prouder of what Dagger had in store for his future. Dagger promised to visit them when he was next able, and then he was whisked away to his house, where he gathered up his small handful of belongings. His original clothes were gone, but one of the attendants returned his dagger to him, although they stated that it would have to be held in the royal armory for safekeeping once he arrived at the castle. Even so, it was comforting to feel it clipped to his belt once again, his namesake and symbol of him as protector, and now, suddenly, provider for his family.

Within an hour, he was ensconced between the other two candidates on a plush seat on one of the elaborate carriages, as the beasts secured to its front, not all that different than the ungulates that his father hunted, began to walk forward and pull them through the town's single main street and towards the dirt path that stretched away back down into the valleys. Behind him, the festivities were still in full swing, and would continue for a couple more days, according to the attendant that sat nearby; the military recruits would return with the convoy once the rest of the festival packed up, but the royal family wanted new recruits for this particular position to be returned as quickly as possible - apparently, it would be necessary for their job to begin soon after they arrived. As the attendant finished speaking, the carriage on the outskirts of town, Dagger finally decided to press the attendant as to exactly what they had been selected for.

"Oh, didn't anyone say? You're going to be part of the harem for the young man who will shortly become heir to the throne, and ruler of the kingdom."

Dagger could feel his chest puff up upon hearing that - what higher honor could there be than working for the man who was essentially the king? Even so, he still didn't know exactly what a harem was, and said as much, as the others sitting next to him also leaned in with interest.

"A harem is, well... a group of companions who take care of certain of the king's needs, offering him everything from advice and companionship to experience in the gentler arts." The attendant then mumbled something else afterwards; Dagger couldn't quite make out what it was, but he thought it sounded like _and boy, does he need it. _ "Um... in any case, it's a position that sometimes isn't heard a lot about, but in many ways it's just as important a position as the king's other advisors, in diplomacy, protocol, and strategy." The attendant paused, looking them over. "Of course, not everyone who is recruited is immediately picked for the king's attentions, but judging by the looks and prowess of you three, I think that all of you have an excellent chance of catching his eye, although in that respect it's a shame that none of you are made up entirely of gears and steam hydraulics..." He trailed off as the trio looked back at him in confusion, and from the look on his face, Dagger assumed that the attendant had meant to mumble that part as well. "In any case, it's quite an honor, and you shouldn't have too long to wait until we arrive and you can begin to get accustomed to your new lives. In the meantime, I suppose we should all enjoy the view, and the quiet, before I put my foot in it when anyone else can overhear me..."

The attendant trailed off, looking ahead as his ears dipped, and Dagger was content to sit back against the cushions and watch the trees drift by, soon giving way to stately oaks and rolling fields as they descended into the valley. Somewhere ahead was the capital city, the castle, and a sparkling and unexpected new life; while in one sense, everything had suddenly changed and everything about his destination, and job, were still mostly unknown, the sheer promise that everything entailed filled Dagger with enthusiasm. Whatever was ahead for him was certain to be glorious, in the richest place he could imagine, and suddenly it seemed as though the capital city, and his future, couldn't arrive soon enough.