FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

An invitation finds it's way to you one early morning addressed to you from a pen pal you had recently made acquaintance with, a rural community of lapin's and deer's. Unlike what most modern folks use nowadays the invitation is communicated by way of pen and paper, the tone is informal and friendly. Your friend's invited for you to stay in their village for a few days and quite happily you're more than thankful for the opportunity.

Later that day you find yourself in a world far removed from where you stayed. All about you are trees towering into the sky, several of them growing taller than even the largest buildings you know but a sudden shake forces you to look down as a wave splashes against the boat which takes you down a river. The riverbanks are lively with a plentiful number of bright and often beautiful looking plants facing towards the sun shining high above.

The sun's light on the rippling waters catch your notice and you look to the crystal clear waters of the river. The water is near sparkling in the sun and a fish, one like you've never seen darts across your view. "I wouldn't worry about the local life, wouldn't go putting your hand in all the same" Your guide, a Magandie they call themselves, chuckles softly, their arms going back and forth, paddling the boat down the river. True to their word the fish looks colourful but it's cheerful appearance belies it's sharp looking teeth.

"You'll not have seen many like us have you?" The male Magandie smiles to you but there question catches you a little unawares in the midst of your rapture, surrounded by the forest and you turn to them looking a little out of it, regardless however their smile carries a tenderness that puts you at ease. The Magandie don't look so tall, certainly not as tall as you, you'd have thought and reason them to about a meter tall which seems fair given this one's assumed to be older rather than younger judging by their tone and that otherwise grey fur has gone white around their muzzle.

"I've been around sometime myself, we don't have much reason to communicate with the outside world. We have no need but I'm something of an ambassador, learning your mouther tongue. We don't give you trouble and you don't give us trouble. We try to be hospitable to guests and those who take interest in our culture as you've done" What he says is quite right. The Magandie and Walgie species of anthro's have lived in isolation from the rest of the known species for hundreds of years if not millenniums since the preservation of culture is deemed to be of the utmost importance. Over the course of your boat trip you learn the Magandie Ambassador's name is Koroki which your friend mentioned. After a time some huts come into view hidden amongst the canopy of the trees though off to the side their seems to be open clearings for farmland if the village-folk with hoe like tools are anything to go by.

You turn your attention back to the Magandie in front of you as he rows you up to the makeshift dock by which to leave the boat, a small board-walk with a post for tethering the boat. He's short definitely and most akin to a fox or cat back home, two pointed ears and an elongated muzzle both coated in fur. Their clothing seems simple enough, and more likely than not designed to vent heat rather than keep warm. A long sleeveless top, open at the front is draped around his shoulders woven with quite apparent skill. Their bottoms come above their knees to cover their thighs with a wrap of some sorts covering their torso. A thick fluffy tail sways gently behind them In an effort to stop yourself from staring too much you draw your attention back to the board-walk where the other native species of the village, a Walgie calls out to you, whom you vaguely recognise as your pen-pal. A cheerful anthro-morph most like a rabbit. You recall from your letters that her name is Onawo.

You hesitantly call out her name not too sure if it is her or not though she smiles and jumps a little, clapping her paws and giggling with boundless energy and no sooner does the boat pull up to the board-walk is she pulling you out the boat "Hello, hello, hello!!" She shakes your hand with such energy it's hard for the cheer to not rub off and you helplessly smile. "Not everyone here is so good at speaking English but I help you, yes?" You chuckle, nod and smile at your friend who gives you a big unexpected hug, her head coming to your torso. "You are bigger than I imagined from your letters but that is okay you can duck in my house. My family is dying to meet you" She points towards a house, a timber built house that looks cosy and inviting, leaves spread around the top to make it look nicer in addition to the all natural materials it was made with. Onawo near bounces towards the house. Her dress is a little different, a long flowing woven dress down to her ankles, open at the front again with the drapes of material covering her chest. Black dyed bottoms trailing from her waist to her ankles. "Well go on" The older Megandie smiles, not quite showing the same energy gestures towards the house of your pen-pal as he ties up the boat. Not wanting to impose you say a quick goodbye and head on over to the house

Inside you discover it's as cosy as it looked, a small fire pit in the centre of the hut burns brightly and warmly. It looks like there are different areas for cooking, sleeping and so on, though you don't have much time to look around as Onawo presses a finger to your lips and shakes her head. You see that a very elderly looking Walgie sits on a tree stump fashioned into a stool attended by a small semi-circle of children and despite their apparent age the older Walgie seems to speak with great passion accomplished with elaborate gestures. She sees you and smiles, bowing her head a little and gesturing to an empty spot on the floor. "Story time" Your pen-pal grabs your hand and pulls you down next to them in front of the elderly Walgie who continues on with their story after the younger children have done being amused by your outlandish clothing. It doesn't take long before Onawo quietly explains to you that the older Walgie is telling the children an old story about kinship, the tale of two siblings who lost their way in the local woodlands after a falling out who's parents co-operated to find them both and bring the whole family back together after the siblings reconciled. Onawa insists there's more to it than that but explains it'd take far too much time to explain the details and you agree you've gotten the gist of it for now anyway.

After the story is finished the children chitter chatter amongst themselves briefly before running outside excitedly. The elderly Walgie walks up to you and as before speaks in a tongue you can't understand. "She's inviting you to have tea" Onawo declarers, smiling and pointing to a kettle of sorts, fashioned out of iron though you're fairly sure it could be used as cooking pot and at any rate you accept the offer and before long, you find yourself sitting cross legged around the kettle with the elderly Walgie and Onawo. The cup in your hands is almost too small to hold, not to mention the fact the roof is quite low for you, the tea however feels full-bodied, delicious and ever so slightly fruity and after you've finished the elderly Walgie looks at you almost expectantly as does Onawo. You smile at them both and they smile back.

After you've finished having a few cups of tea the two Walgie woman speak to one another and Onawo tells you it's time for bed, you turn to see that between the story and tea the sun's managed to set, leaving outside fairly dark, the village beautifully lit by several braziers placed around in addition to a few bright bugs dancing in the evening air. In the house the children from before are put into beds all in a row and the elderly Walgie speaks a phrase to each before settling down herself "She is wishing each child the night free of nightmares and full of peace" She says, getting you to lay down in what looks like the last bed. You question where she'll sleep but she just smiles and lays down next to you "It is okay, we share almost everything in this community" She smiles gently. You're not sure how comfortable you are sleeping here next to her so openly but she seems content to do so and no one else has so much as raised an eyebrow, the elderly Walgie smiling and saying the same phrase to you as she has the others before closing her eyes. From where you lay, you can see out a hole in the wall in place of a window to the night sky high above, a more than brilliant sight fills your view. Countless, billions, upon billions of stars shining so bright, free of light pollution dance twinkle and shine so brilliantly in the sky, hazy galaxies stretch across the sky and you're fairly certain you can see the glow of other moons, or even planets. Tired, you helplessly yawn however and the night sky goes dark as your eyes fall, your pen-pal assuring you that you'll see the next day before closing her own eyes. The warm evening air lulls you into sleep and you drift into a deep, peaceful slumber