FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Tobias Severna sat over the edge of the examination table, waiting in the lonesome, Spartan room for Dr. Chris Brownwell. As he awaited the physician, the pronghorn fiddled with his broken horn, partly out of impatience, but mostly out of comfort. It had been a beautiful onyx affair, why, absolutely sharp and gleaming just a few days ago (as Tobias wistfully recalled for the umpteenth time) , until it got callously broken off in that mêlée against those vicious Church Templars.

Darned Templars...a good thing for Prince Malcolm's pigeon to Aesha Hamah...who knew what more would've happened to the Yew people if not for the Prince...

Tobias then trembled fiercely, and not for the cool air seeping in under the door. Being of Yew descent himself, and a University scholar of the various Tribes, he had spent quite some time with his ancestral tribe, along with a rather charming Yew maiden, Falling Star _hamah..._he'd shuddered to think how many more of his people would have been murdered by the Church Templars if not for the royal intervention.

Falling Star hamah...Aesha Humm hamah...I hope you're al-

The pronghorn was suddenly seized with a series of coughing fits; the cold air was suspect. Grasping his iron walking-cane, Tobias stumbled to the washbasin, struggling against his 'civilized' Lehsunian upbringing to lap at the clear water within.

There was a sudden grasping of his elbow. The wheezing stag turned about, and stared wildly into the stern lavender eyes of the familiar mouse nurse, who had hitherto arrived, quite unannounced. 'Drink, and lay back down.' She proffered a mug of a fulsome blue concoction, which the coughing scholar hastily waved away.

'DRINK.'

The voice, despite issuing from one so small, had tones of inherent fearsomeness _concealed within, just like Tobias' mother did when he and his brother had refused their sprouts at the dinner table. There was definitely no disobeying _that voice, thought poor Tobias. Miserably accepting his fate, the pronghorn held his trembling breath, and downed the swill swiftly. Of course, the taste of the blue potion only caused it to rise within Tobias' gorge, but the mouse's firm stare kept it down in his gullet. She took him by the elbow, and gently led him back to the table, whereupon she turned to the washbasin to wash her hands.

Well, _thought Tobias, as he eased back onto the wooden affair,... bleck, it works... but why does it taste so...familiar?_ Indeed, his chest has ceased to hurt, and his coughs had died clean away.

'Mr Severna, I presume?'

'Y..How did y'

'Stop touching your horn this instant, please.'

Tobias' fingers flew to his chest, and clasped with his others. 'Yes, ma'a-

'The doctor will have to check you now. Remove your shirt, please, Mr. Severna.'

'Oh. Oh, of course, right awa-'

Tobias froze, top button already undone. He gathered that the mouse must have heard his name earlier while with Sister Aurelie and Friar Arlowe in attending to the gravely injured Cruff hours before, but for a nurse to request to take his shirt off? Well, that was preposterous! This was not Lehsunia, he had to admit, but Vallara was practically civilization!To have a woman gaze upon his bare body, why that was inconceivable..an outrage! What would he do if she became inflamed with passion at the sight of the male body?

'Well, begging your pardon ma'am...but...'

'Mr. Severna, may I remind you that the rest of your party requires to be checked up upon too? Besides, what if a coughing fit took you again?'

At this Tobias balked. By breeding, he was a gentleman, through and through, but even the gentry had its limits. This mouse-woman had certainly broken through them and beyond. 'Well, be that as it may, ma_'am_, but I think I should be all the better for the coughing without your most brutish, unladylike demeanour.'

For the briefest second, shock, and then a fearsome expression flashed across her features_ (_A trick of the light? _so _thought Tobias) before returning to its regular nonchalance. She turned quickly to the wall, robes fluttering madly in her wake. 'My deepest apologies, Mr. Severna. I have been too preoccupied with your lovely companions, as has been the good doctor. Do, please do remove your shirt; I shall not dare to look; lady's honour.'

Sighing with relief, the pronghorn unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his lithe, wiry frame to no-one, and not a female, in particular.

'Well, where is the good doctor Chris, Ma'am?'

'Dr Chris?' The mouse turned smartly around, smirking. 'Why, she's been here since I've walked in! Good evening, Mr. Severna. I am Dr. Chris Christina Brownwell, at your service.Forgive my unladylike appearance, do.'

Tobias Severna froze. Then with a small 'eep', he gathered his shirt and iron stick and hobbled rather quickly out the door.