The Rikifur Chronicles: Chapter 9 - Aserth

Story by SilverrFox on SoFurry

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#9 of Chronicles of Rikifur

It has been a while since I published a chapter in this series. I have been working with a writing prompt group to improve my writing. Hopefully some improvement is noticeable in this chapter.

The next chapter should be done in a week or so. I wrote it, but am not happy with the result, so it's back to the drawing board. They will escape the Cat lands in the next chapter but not until after something bad happens.


Exhausted and stumbling, Airy staggered to a halt when they reached the relative safety of the woods. She panted in ragged breaths and reached out with one paw to steady herself against the rough bark of a tree. Feelings of rest and comfort were so distant in her past that she could barely remember such sensations. Her world was now dominated by the flaming muscle aches in her thighs and calves and the throbbing pain in the pads of her feet. Jak and Airy only stopped when physical endurance failed and they could go no further without rest. Sweat trickled into her eyes, blinding her with salt and sand. She had lived a soldier's life for many years and thought she had known what it was like to be dirty, but nothing prepared her for her current state. Far beyond the sensation of being merely unclean, she was so coated with the dust and dirt of this land that it had dyed her clothes and mixed with her sweat to coat her exposed fur, staining her natural golden pelt so that she became a red-ochre phantom nearly invisible against the backdrop of this red and yellow-pigmented land.

"I'm so tired Jak. Let's rest for just a few minutes, please," she begged. The shade beneath the tree was a welcome relief from the hot late morning sun. It distressed Jak to have to push Airy so hard, especially since he insisted she wear her armor at all times in case they were attacked. Dropping his gear and their nearly depleted supply of food, he gently pulled her down with him to sit against the oak tree's massive trunk. Jak was also covered in the ubiquitous ochre colored dirt that blanketed this plateau. Sitting together without movement, they could easily have been mistaken for an extension of the bare soil at the base of the tree.

They greedily drank from Jak's water bladder. Thirst was another uncomfortable sensation that Airy could never dispel. Panting with her mouth open to cool herself, she lay with her head in Jak's lap. She stared unfocused upward through the branches and leaves at the bright blue sky and the huge puffy gray and white clouds that always gathered at some point during the day to form a line of lightning and torrential showers. The rain was welcome when it came. It cooled her hot, sweaty, body and cleansed away the filth for the brief period while the showers lasted, but the clouds always moved relentlessly on to the west leaving muddy ground to splatter beneath their running feet. Then the sun returned, drying the mud to dust, and the cycle of clinging, staining dirt and sweat was repeated.

Their rest stop was within another one of the many groves of oak and birch that grew wherever rainwater congregated on this otherwise grass covered high plateau. The daily showers filled intermittent watercourses that ran wildly to the north each time it rained, but quickly disappeared into the ground after each deluge ended. Jak preferred to travel along these streams and among the trees where they were hidden from sight. He saw danger in travelling across the open grassy areas. When the streams inevitably wandered away from true north and took their trees with them, Jak sacrificed cover for speed and moved relentlessly on across the open prairie despite the added danger. He had become obsessed with moving north as fast as possible, trusting only in haste to keep them safe.

It was truly a serene and beautiful place, but fear and exhaustion drained all the color and joy in the land from Airy's eyes leaving only a bleak, empty canvas of despair. She had lost track of how many days they had been marching and running across the Cat territory that Jak called Aserth. Was it four, five, six, seven? She did not know. Counting was beyond her abilities now. Every day was more endless misery of movement and dread. Even at night when they rested, her sleep was uneasy, fitful and full of dreams of shadowy shapes with glowing yellow eyes. Jak said that the Cats hunted just as well in the dark as during the day. He had no knowledge of how to evade them, where their settlements might be, what sort of terrain they preferred or even how long it would take to cross their land. Wolf people did not come here, at least not often.

It was true that a typical hunting party of Wolf warriors was a match for a lone Cat, and the Cats often traveled alone, but finding a Cat that did not want to be found was nearly impossible. Only the best trackers, like Eagle, could do it. The effort didn't justify the risk unless a Cat came into Wolf territory causing trouble, and a lesson had to be taught. Sometimes fledgling warriors would dare each other to go on brief incursions into Cat territory to prove their manhood. They did not always return. Winter pack's failed attempts to settle in Aserth were evidence of how deadly the Cats were, especially in their own lands.

The Cats welcomed no one and killed anyone who entered their lands. The boundary between Olchanth and Aserth was marked by disfigured trees whose bark and been cut by deep diagonal gashes, presumably by Cat claws. Jak and Airy had seen the marks immediately upon reaching the north side of the River Elv. It was clearly a warning meant to frighten and intimidate intruders. It had the desired effect on Airy, striking her psyche at a primal level where the concepts of predator and prey intersect. Having never seen a Cat, Airy's imagination tormented her with visions of feral snarling monsters trying to rip out her throat with claws like daggers and terrible long teeth like the tusks on a boar.

The most terrifying part of this land to Airy, though, was not the imagined enemy; it was the effect that it had on Jak. Being a lone Wolf in this country had stolen his unwavering resolve and made him continuously anxious. He had until now always projected confidence and fearlessness. His certainty and experience had always bolstered Airy's courage. Now without him to project certainty, she found herself frightened by the slightest unfamiliar noise or sight. Jak was trying every trick he knew to avoid the Cats. If he could, he kept their path exclusively in streams and on rock. Because the trees and shrubs were so greedy for the ephemeral water that collected briefly in the intermittent watercourses, the flora grew thick and dense there. They were more concealed in these places and left no trace when they ran in water, but their movement was slowed by the crowding vegetation. Jak begrudged every delay.

They rarely stopped to forage unless they found something to eat in their path. The Winter pack rations had helped sustain them this far, but there was precious little left. Jak had yielded the dried fish to Airy, knowing how the red meat jerky offended her. Seeing that there was not enough of the fish for the both of them, Airy relented on her no fur based meat decree. She did it so Jak, who would have eaten nothing and left the fish for Airy, would not starve. Her love for him was greater than her revulsion over eating meat. They did manage to catch some game birds, but Jak would allow no fires. Eating raw pheasant was an experience she wished never to repeat.

It helped that the land had changed from a constant uphill climb to a relatively level undulating tableland that actually dipped slightly to the north. The feeling of running downhill ameliorated a fraction of the intense fatigue they both felt. Airy remembered Jak's description from long ago when they had started this journey. He had said there was a plateau and a great canyon. The canyon was the boundary between Aserth and the truly unknown lands to the north. Would the lands to the north be safe? They did not know, but leaving the silent, lurking terror of this land would be a relief no matter what waited on the other side. When they had run across the open grassy areas, Airy often looked up from the grueling ritual of placing one of her tired feet in front of the other, to scan the horizon for any sign of the canyon. She never saw it. Now, with her head nestled so comfortably and securely in Jak's lap, she had no energy to turn to look for the canyon again or even to ask Jak if he could spy it. So tired. She was now always so tired.

"Get up, Airy. We have to keep moving."

Jak was gently shaking her shoulder. Airy opened her eyes and wondered how long they had been closed. "Did I fall asleep?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"A little while", Jak answered noncommittally with his head turned so that she could only see his eye patch and not his good eye. She knew this was what he did when he lied or didn't want her to know what he was thinking or feeling. She looked at the sun's position in the sky, and tried to remember where it was before she slept, but she had no idea. All the details of her recent past were blurry in her mind. Likely, Jak had let her sleep for hours, because she actually felt somewhat rested and ready to move on. Uncharacteristically, she didn't question or berate him for coddling her. He was doing his best to keep them alive. Grateful that she was not on her own, she held Jak's paw in hers for a moment to remind herself of the love they shared. She renewed her strength from their bond, then got up and started moving without a word.

The land on the plateau was now less rocky than it had been on their ascent form the river Elv, and the eroded silt and clay that washed north toward the canyon covered much of the plateau before them. It was hopeless to hide their tracks anymore. The ground was covered with red and yellow rock that was easy to cross, but these rocky patches were islands within a sea of the ever present ochre dirt. The daily thundershowers made mud of the soil, forcing them to leave an obvious trail that a blind idiot could follow. Cunning Cat senses were unnecessary to track them. Truly fearful now, Jak insisted they run late into the night and sleep less.

There were lucky in that the streambeds now tended to run mostly north, so Jak kept them in the dried creek beds where the land was scoured to rock. In order to do so, he had to sacrifice speed for stealth. A new, obnoxious plant began to dominate these areas. It arched over the channels with its fragrant, flower covered, thorny branches and often hindered their passage. Airy hated the plants and complained often. "The flowers smelled pleasant at first, but the reek never lets up. It's suffocating."

"Let's hope the Cats choke on it, too, and keep away." Airy had not thought of that.

"That may be, but these thorns are shredding my legs." Her pants were so ragged she removed them. Jak saved the remains in his pack not wanting to leave clues for the Cats to find. They pressed unremittingly on.

Neither Jak nor Airy were aware how close they were to the canyon when they were overtaken. It was night, and they could see well enough to keep from tripping in the dark or run off the edge of cliff if they found the canyon rim. It had rained that evening before dark, and the channel still held water from the downpour. Fortunately, they heard the cat-like snarls and roars before they were found. The moon was waning gibbous now, which was still enough light for them to see their surroundings easily. The howls sounded far off to the south behind them

"Cats," said Airy pointlessly. . Jak bade Airy wait quietly until the Cats sounded again. They were getting closer.

"At least they are behind us," she said.

"That doesn't help us. If they know we are here, we can't outrun them. They have better night vision and will see us first. We can't fight them if they have the initiative. We have to hide, and hope they pass us by. We need to stay out of sight at least until morning when we have a better chance against them. I don't know where we can hide, though." Jak's shoulders slumped, and he sighed loudly. Airy worried that he was defeated. Her dread increased. Looking at him closely for the first time in days, she noticed how drained and tired he really was. He had lost weight. His good eye was a sunken, black hollow in the pale gray light of the moon. She suspected he had been staying awake to guard her while she slept.

Damn me for letting him shoulder this burden alone, she castigated herself. Jak had been doing too much, and it was her turn to contribute to their survival. She struggled to think of a way out, thinking like an animal needing to hide. Perhaps that was easier for her, being a Rabbit, and thus inclined naturally to elude predators. "There was a huge lighting struck oak tree that had fallen and made a clearing just a little way back. I think I saw a crack leading into a hollow inside the stump."

Jak's ears perked up at her suggestion, and a small trace of hope lightened his expression of woe. "Yes. I recall that. Good idea. What made you remember that?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe because the thorn flowers were the densest and smelliest there. I can't explain how much I hate that smell. Or maybe it's just in my nature to notice places to hide when scary predators are about."

"Did I ever make you feel that way? Did you want to hide from me?" He turned his blind eye towards her as he said this. Airy thought there was almost something pleading in Jak's voice, a vulnerability that must be borne of his anxiety for their welfare.

"When we first met? Yes. Now? Jak, No. You're my mate. We are bonded as closely as two beings can ever be." Her words seemed to put Jak at ease.

Turning his good eye towards her and smiling, he said simply, "I have no better plan." So back they went. There was indeed a hollow stump of some great oak killed by the relentless lighting that daily ravaged this land. The tree's collapse had opened up the space around it by the stream so that the pungent thorn shrubs grew rampant as they did everywhere by the water where there was no shade. Airy and Jak fought through the thorns to examine the stump. The barbs tore at them leaving them covered with numerous scratches. As Airy had correctly observed, there was indeed a narrow opening in the side of the trunk that she could easily enter but through which Jak was barely able to squeeze his larger body. The cavity inside had room for them and their equipment, but it was cramped. Airy had to sit on Jak's lap with their gear stacked between Jak and the entrance. Despite the claustrophobic conditions, it was comfortable enough, and the ubiquitous reek of the flowers hid their own stench even from themselves.

Airy was glad to be in close contact with Jak again. Since entering Aserth, they had been either on the run or asleep. Afraid of making noise, they talked little, and they slept apart to make it harder for them both to be jumped at once by a single Cat.

Barely had they settled into a mutually comfortable position when they heard the snarling again, much closer. Rustling in the nearby shrubs told them something or several somethings were close. By the direction of the sounds, there was more than one, but how many, they couldn't tell. Jak put his hand over Airy's mouth, put his other hand across her chest and held her tight.

Since the morning that they crossed the River Elv into this cursed land, Airy's thoughts had drifted to fantasies of making love to Jak. Her growing exhaustion and terror had gradually subsumed those thoughts until she forgot everything except how tired and scared she was. It was for that reason she failed to notice Jak's paw and forearm covering her breasts or feel the lump of his maleness beneath her rear. Instead, she could only sense her own terror trying to overwhelm her. Jak's comforting embrace made it bearable enough that she was able to stifle her irresistible impulse to jump up and run. Jak was also too terrified to realize the manner in which he held Airy and dwell on the position and closeness of their bodies. He likely would have been aroused by the contact in any other circumstance. It had been many days since he had last chewed the ubrick roots. Like Airy, it was only dread and fatigue that was suppressing his desire now.

The sounds of the hunters moved about the clearing, but never approached their hiding spot. Perhaps the Cats did not like the thorns or the smell either. It dawned on Jak then that the reek of the thorn bushes was completely overwhelming his own senses. He couldn't even smell Airy. Neither of them had bathed in nearly a week. They were as filthy and odiferous as they had ever been, yet all he could smell was those beautiful flowers that Airy hated so much. He relaxed knowing that his sense of smell was superior to that of the Cats. If he could not detect scents other than the flowery perfume, then neither could they. After what seemed hours, but were likely only minutes, the Cats moved on, and their snarls moved north and east, diminishing until all was silent.

Tens of minutes more passed before Jak or Airy were willing to move, let alone speak and then only in hushed voices that they could barely hear themselves. Jak whispered first, his snout against Airy's head so that as he spoke, his breath entered her long upright ear. "They're gone for now."

"Will they be back?"

"Maybe. They might find our tracks and know we doubled back, but I think not. We were on rock or in water the whole time past here. I think they may search for a long time before they realize we did not go past this point."

"Do we move on?"

"Not until morning. I think it is too dangerous to move at night any more unless there is no place to hide. I can't fight them in the dark. With our weapons and daylight ... maybe we can defeat them. We'll wait here until morning." Depleted and with nothing to do but sit, both of them immediately fell asleep and slept until sunrise.

Airy knew it was just a dream, but she could not make herself wake up. She was being chased by Cats as she ran about on all fours like a non-person rabbit. Faster and faster she raced leaving the Cats behind, but every time she lost one, another would jump out and nearly grab her with its insanely long claws. On and on she sprinted with an impossible number of Cats nearly catching her until she found herself with nowhere left to run. The canyon loomed up in front of her. Her only hope was to jump it, but it was too wide and too deep. Her legs disobeying her command to stop, she kept running and leapt into the void. Rather than falling, she soared like a bird, farther than she could have ever imagined possible. The canyon walls dropped beneath her in magnificent red, pink and yellow cliffs and spires that stepped downward to depths unseen below. Somehow, she knew that if she just thought the right thoughts and held her body in just the right position, she could continue to glide to safety. Despite her best efforts, less than halfway across that chasm, her heroic leap failed her, as she somehow knew it would. She began to fall, but slowly. Her descent went on interminably, and she didn't fall straight down but at a steep angle that mimicked the slope of the walls of the canyon. Her body never quite collided with the rock walls as she glided dangerously close to them, nearly touching but never quite. It occurred to her that if she did brush against a part of the canyon wall, she would trip and tumble end over end and be broken on the rocks. The thought became action, and she struck the rock and began cartwheeling to her death.

She awoke with the first light of dawn gently illuminating her resting place through a knothole in the stump. The fear she had experienced during every waking moment of every day since she had entered Aserth left her nonplussed by the nightmare. How could a stupid dream possibly be worse than the reality? And now that their invisible enemy had finally at least made themselves audible, she felt more at ease. Trying to avoid an unseen enemy was frustrating to her. She almost relished the prospect of facing the Cats so she could end this cruel race.

For the moment, though, it was enough to be safe here hidden and secure. The Cats had been fooled. That meant that they were not so superior that they could not be overcome if Jak and she were determined and brave. Airy vowed that she was done with fear and would go forth courageously today, prepared for battle. She drew strength and boldness from knowing that Jak would be with her, and she would share her strength with him. Together they were much more than just a Rabbit and a Wolf. They were a team.

Not just a team, though. They were lovers, and it felt exquisite to be sleeping close to Jak again. It was odd having him beneath her like a bed, but so comfortable compared to the hard ground. Jak's arms were wrapped about her waist, her back pressed against his muscular chest, and his snout was alongside her right ear. Slow steady breaths blew back and forth like a deliberate caress. She reveled in the feeling of being cradled in his arms. She wanted to turn around and face him, but the space was too confined. She might be able to stand up if she crouched, and she could get out the crack in the stump if she sidled sideways. Why would she want to leave, though? Wherever Jak was, that was where she belonged.

She felt more rested from this night's sleep than any night since their sheltered bower by the river in Winter pack lands. Thinking of their last day there freed her to relive their first moments of passion together. The sensuous touch of Jak's tongue as it had wandered across her body until it found the place inside of her where no one else had ever been, roused her inner heat, causing her to blush with the warmth of the remembered emotion. While savoring that sweet feeling from days ago lost to count, she became aware that something hard was pressed against her buttocks. Momentary confusion rapidly gave way to an embarrassed understanding.

She whispered quietly, still worried about lurking Cats, "Jak? Jak? Are you awake?" Only his nearly inaudible, rhythmic breathing answered. Airy remembered what the other young does had told her; how the males often woke in the morning with an erection. 'Morning steel' they had called it. Some of the older married does had confirmed this also, saying that that was the only time of day their husbands could get an erection any more. Perhaps this behavior was common among the Wolves, too. The ubrick roots must have worn off at last.

The feeling of his member against her, coupled with her memory induced stimulated state, intensified her arousal. Embarrassment melted into, and was consumed by, the fire of passion, which expressed itself as a lustful curiosity. How would it feel inside of her, she wondered. Jak's tongue had left her wanting more. She wanted to wake him up and urge him to make love to her, but that seemed a selfish act. He needed sleep more than she did. She knew that he had stayed awake often to watch for Cats while she had slept. His chivalrous sacrifices only stoked her inner fire hotter like the giant bellows that forged Rikifur's steel.

Unconsciously she slowly began to rub herself against him. She pressed her hips back as far as she could so that his erection was against her pubis. She only became aware of what she was doing when a shudder ran through her body presaging an impending orgasm. Thinking that she was taking advantage of Jak, her conscience said to stop, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She felt naughty; so deliciously naughty. Her underclothes were starting to soak through from her own inner wetness.

A sharp intake of breath alerted her that Jak had awoken. Was he embarrassed? Was he angry? Would he make love to her now that he could, here is this terrible place? She had to know, but the Cats could be about and hear her. Heedless of the danger, she pressed forth in the lowest whisper she could manage, "Jak?" Her voice was quavering and uncertain. Jak misinterpreted this as her being upset with his stiff member poking her behind.

"I'm sorry. I ... uh ... it's kind of an involuntary thing ... in the morning."

"I know. I mean I've been told that. I ... um ... I've been awake for a while."

"Would you like to get up?"

"No," she said a little faster than she intended. "Hold me, Jak." She leaned back into him, and he held her tight. Cradling his wounded white paw, she stroked it tenderly. His snout was against the side of her head, his mouth against her ear again. His warm breath was comforting as it gently kissed her sensitive ears. "I want you inside me, Jak."

"Here? Now?"

"Yes."

"There may be Cats about. The danger ..." Despite his protests, Airy felt no softening beneath her.

"I don't care. Everything we do here is dangerous. We may die today. I don't want to die without consummating our love."

Jak was quiet for a moment. "I want this also, Airy. You can't scream, though."

Airy curled her lips together in shame and her ears folded down. She had screamed underwater at the hot pools when she had masturbated while thinking about Jak. She had screamed when his tongue was inside her. Would she scream again if he did what she wanted? Sensing her discomfort, Jak's left paw travelled down to her wet cleft and slowly began to stroke her. Airy panted with each pass of his finger.

"I could hold your mouth shut. Would you like me to do that?"

Her ears stood back up, and she nodded, afraid to speak. No more words were necessary. Via the mutual understanding that intimately compatible lovers have, they both knew what was coming next. Glad that her pants had been shredded, Airy began to remove her underclothes. Jak lifted her up to make it easy for her. She had to flatten her long ears back when her head nearly hit the roof of the stump cavity. She didn't attempt to remove her surcoat and mail shirt. What was the point? Jak didn't seem to get all that excited over her breasts like the bucks back in Rikifur did.

Jak let her back down and fumbled with his loincloth while Airy hiked up his kilt. His cock stood up when released and pressed between her buttocks. As Jak lifted her up again, Airy grabbed hold of his warm, stiff member and guided him into position. He lowered her slowly back down. His cock was fully erect, large and red. Moisture dripped from between Airy's legs like morning dew lubricating the way.

As Jak slowly entered her, she gasped at the pleasure of it. As promised, Jak's left paw clamped gently but firmly over her snout, snugly holding her jaws shut while still allowing her to breathe through her nose. Jak was strong and easily held her weight with his free right arm as if she were but a kit. As if testing the fit, Jak kept her hovering above him. He was moving too slowly for Airy's needs, so she forced herself down on him, feeling him slide in until her buttocks were resting on his thighs. The suddenness of her unexpected thrust made Jak gasp, and Airy uttered a muffled groan of bliss through Jak's furry fingers when he hilted inside her.

"Ahh," hissed Jak as quietly as he could while Airy began to move slowly up and down on his shaft. She felt so deliciously full every time her buttocks touched his thighs. Though not as nimble and dexterous as his tongue had been, his cock pushed against her insides everywhere at once maximizing the pleasure. When Jak put one finger on her clitoris and began a massage, she instantly exploded in orgasm. She would have screamed if Jak had not held so firmly to her snout. Instead, only a rapturous whine escaped followed by rapid panting through her nose. She bit down on her lip so hard she could taste blood.

When the orgasm faded, she took Jak's left paw pulling it forward and off her short snout so she could breathe through her mouth again. With Jak still hard inside of her and slowly massaging her button while she ground downward against his paw, she began to suck on his fingers to keep herself quiet. Maker, I want to scream at the top of my lungs, she thought. The reasoning part of her brain was at least still telling her to be silent as the rest of her conscious self lost control of her body to the act of love. There were more, yet less intense, orgasms for her as Jak licked the side of her face and continued his finger massage. She lost count of how many just as she had lost track of the number of days they had traveled through the Cat lands. Unlike the horror of that journey, this was the greatest delight she had ever experienced. The restoration of balance between pain and pleasure was deeply satisfying.

As Jak began to huff in quick breaths in her ear, she sensed he was ready to reach his climax. She was unsure exactly what to expect. It felt to her that he swelled even larger within her, stretching just inside her vagina like a fist. Great Maker. How big is he going to get? No longer able to move up or down on him, she groaned in pleasure and bit one of his fingers in surprise when she felt him release his warm seed within her. She could feel the jetting sensation of his thick fluid against her cervix. She came again. Wisely, Jak clamped his hand back over her mouth, and it was well that he did or she may have bitten his finger off.

When Jak stopped throbbing and filling her with his cum, she laid back against his chest. Airy shifted her hips hoping to crouch so she could turn and face him. She wanted to kiss him and lick his face the way he had done so tenderly to her when she had been injured by Autumn. Thinking he would simply slide out of her, she had a moment of panic when instead she felt resistance as if he were glued inside her. Pulling up straighter did no good. He wasn't coming out . Becoming worried, she said, "Uh, Jak, we're stuck."

"Hmmm?" sighed Jak contentedly, oblivious to her distress.

She tried lifting off him again with no success. "I'm not kidding, Jak. You are stuck in me. Something is wrong. I don't think this is supposed to happen. No one ever told me about getting stuck together."

"Oh, that? Don't worry. That's my knot. It's normal. It will go away in a little while."

"Knot? What are you talking about?"

"Maybe Rabbit buck cocks are different? I wouldn't know. This is how it is with Wolves. If the female takes the entire penis, knot and all, we stay locked together for a little while after making love; maybe ten minutes or so. There is a swelling at the base of my penis. We call that the 'knot'. Being stuck is called a 'tie.' I wasn't thinking that I would fit all the way in until you pushed yourself down on me. I was holding you back. You are on top. Your fault. Now you are stuck with me for a while."

"Oh." She considered this. It didn't feel bad. Just a bit tight now that she was slowly coming down from the previous high heat of her last orgasm. "Hmm. It's definitely different from what I was told about Rabbit sex. I like it, though. I really do love you, Jak."

"I love you too, Airy."

"That's a first."

"What?"

"You didn't growl the 'R' in my name. You roll your 'R's when you speak, like you're growling deep in your throat. You didn't do it this time."

"Airy. Airy. Airy," he said several times testing the word, and the growl was definitely gone. "You're changing me. Do I sound more like I am of Rikifur now?"

"Yes. You are my captain of the Rikiguard." They were silent for few minutes, content simply to revel in each other's embrace. Jak began to move his paws along her thighs and buttocks until he found her tail and began to play with that.

"What are you doing?"

"Your tail is so short, It fascinates me. It's cute." She wiggled it for him and felt him begin to swell inside her again.

"You really are a pervert, you naughty Wolf. I'm still stuck, and this isn't helping."

"Sorry, I need to stop thinking about how beautiful you are. It's time to go back to you being the Princess-Captain and me being your not so naughty Wolf guide."

"Fine. I order you to release me, Wolf." To his dick she commanded, "At ease soldier. Your princess needs to get out of these blasted Cat lands."

"Yes, Captain. We need to move before the Cats realize they passed us by and return looking for us." Jak began to diminish inside her slowly and finally he lifted her off with a slight popping sound and a final "Ahh" from both of them. Jak's seed was dripping out of Airy, and he was covered in her fluids, so they washed up in the nearby stream as best they could before they got dressed, gathered up their weapons and gear, and began moving north again.

"There is no need for stealth anymore, Captain. The Cats know we are here. We can only hope to outrun them. We will move as far as we can by day."

"You don't have to keep calling me 'Captain'."

Jak simply smiled a mischievous grin. "It helps me, Captain, to stay focused on survival instead of your female charms."

She kicked him playfully in the butt and thought how her whole world had changed in such a short time. She wanted to live now more than ever. Her dream of returning home still lived, but it had been displaced by a greater vision: a future with Jak. She gripped her sword hilt firmly and stood tall. She would not let the fear consume her anymore. If the Cats caught them, she would fight until either they were dead or her and Jak were dead. There would be no compromise.

"Jak, we are a team now. You need to stop shouldering all of the pain, worry and hardship for my sake. I am stronger than I look. I want to contribute to our survival."

Jak grabbed her and kissed her. The suddenness surprised Airy. "Agreed. I've seen you fight. I know you can. We fight together if it comes to that. You can be my strength, and I will be yours."

Airy licked his snout affectionately. "Together, we can defeat anything."

[END OF CHAPTER]