FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

In a field, under a tree, a young boy sat in the shade; quietly sobbing as the sound of children laying echoed in the distance.

"Hey, what's the matter?" A voice asked.

The boy looked up to see an elven girl looking down at him blue eyes. "Why are you crying?"

"I-I'm not crying," he sniffled wiping tears and snot away as he stood up.

"Well it sure looks like you were," she shrugged.

"I wasn't!" The boy snapped.

"Alright, alright, jeez. No need to get upset," she muttered walking away. "I was only trying to be your friend."

Friend

This made the boy react almost immediately.

"W-wait! Hold on!" He called for her.

The elf stopped to look back and the boy got a good look at her.

She was pale skinned, lithe, and had pointed ears like most of her people. Her blonde hair tied in a neat braid that ran down past her shoulders.

"D-do you really want to be my friend?" The boy stammered to ask.

"Sure," she said with a shrugged. "If you want to that is."

The boy couldn't understand why she would. He was dirty, poorly dressed in tattered clothes that were little more than rags. She was clean, dressed very well, in clothes that appeared to be new.

"My name is Freya Sunbeam. What's your's?" She asked with a smile.

"Derek."

"And your last name?"

"I... I don't have one," he looked away feeling ashamed of the fact he had no family name.

"That's silly, everybody has one," the elf said with a laugh. "What was your father's last name?"

"I... I don't know," he frowned. "I never knew my father."

"Oh... Well what about your mother?" He avoided eye contact.

"Oh..." The elf fidgeted awkwardly. "Do you want to play hide and seek?"

XXXXX

Freya was jostled awake as the horse pulled the cart over a rock in the road. The dwarf driving muttered a curse as they rolled along the rolling hills towards their destination.

Alright then," the dwarf spoke up as the cart came to a stop. "We're here."

The passenger looked up and saw they were still in the rolling hillsides but there a structure of some sort in the no to far distance.

"I'm sorry, but where are we?"

"Where you wanted to be," the driver responded somewhat annoyed.

"I'm sorry but there must be some sort of mistake," Freya chuckled nervously. "You were paid to bring me to the city of Magnolia."

"If you follow the road you'll eventually find it," the man pointed down the way.

"So I have to walk from here then?" She asked in an upset tone. "You were paid to bring me into the city."

"Lady you're lucky I brought you this far," he rebutted. "And you're going to be even luckier if they let you in the gates. From what I hear those animals don't let anyone in."

"Well I have to try," she muttered gathering her belongings together and stepping down from the cart.

"Feh, you guild types are all the same," the dwarf scoffed. "Willing to go anywhere and do anything to make quick coin."

Freya ignored his remark as the dwarf drove his cart away and began walking to what she hoped was the city she sought. The elf was ill equipped for walking long distances as she was carrying two large luggage cases of essentials, a purse of coins and a bag of several dozen documents and papers explaining her business and its legitimacy, as well as a few other keepsakes and items that wouldn't fit in the bags. She trudged on for what seemed like hours in the hot autumn sun, cursing the poor shape of the road which was littered with rocks that dug into the soft soles of her fur lined shoes.

"Filthy, lazy, rotten, little..." She cursed trudging along.

She passed patches of trees and plenty of hills, but still no sign of a town or village of any kind. After awhile she began to wonder if the dwarf was telling the truth at all.

"If I ever see that dwarf again I'm going to wring his stupid fat neck myself," Freya grumbled as she felt rocks digging into her heels again. "I swear who drops someone off right... here..." The elf's voice trailed off as in front of her stood a massive hillside with the road leading straight up it. "You have to be joking."

Freya looked for a way around but there didn't seem to be one, and she couldn't waste time looking for one.

"Okay, okay this isn't so bad," she tried to sound positive. "It's just a hill, and I'm sure the town is there at the top."

She began to walk again, putting one foot in front of the other confident she could do this, but she quickly realized this wouldn't be easy. A quarter of the way up she could feel the weight of her belongings swaying with each step. At half, her legs felt heavy and tired under all the weight she was carrying. When she reached the peak she dropped her baggage and let out a triumphant whoop.

"First thing we do..." She said trying to catch her breath. "Is secure easier travel..."

"Are you alright miss?" A voice asked.

"Yes... yes... I'm quite alright," she panted looked up and let out a gasp.

Standing before her was a creature that had the body of a human, but the head of a fox and was covered in lush red fur, wearing leather armor that fit tightly around feminine curves.

A Lycan.

"Oops, sorry about that," the creature giggled. "I forget how frightening our appearance can be sometimes."

"N-no, no it's my fault," she said standing up to dust herself off. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't lose my composure like that."

"Well no harm done," the fox shrugged. "Name's Sunflower Meadow."

"Um, my name is Freya Sunbeam," she stifled a laugh and curtsied.

"You can go ahead and laugh, I know it's a silly name," Sunflower shrugged. "But I never really cared for my old one back when I was human."

"No it's not silly it's just a..." She paused to choose her words carefully. "Peculiar name, that's all."

"Well that's kind of you to say that."

"Everything alright Sunflower?" A new voice called out.

The two looked to see another creature approaching. A large grey wolf in chain mail armor.

"Oh we're fine dear," Sunflower waved back with a smile on her maw. "Just making a new friend is all."

"I wish you would address me by my title just once," the wolf sighed.

"Oh fine," she huffs and rolls her eyes. "We're alright Captain Jackson, just having a chat is all."

"And what may I ask; is yet another one of Ebonlocke's officials doing out here? We have enough of you here as is."

"Um, I'm afraid you have me mistaken with someone else," Freya spoke. "I came here on behalf of Merchants' Guild of the Capital to speak with your lord."

"You want to see the Council?" Jackson asked skeptically. "I highly doubt they'll want to see you."

"Dear be nice," Sunflower jabbed him in the ribs. "Besides you don't speak on behalf of the Council."

"No but I do know their opinions on elves... Um, no offense ma'am."

"It's quite alright," Freya said fidgeting nervously. "But I'm sure your leaders will see what we are offering will be not only fair, but beneficial for both of us."

"Um, whatever you say," Jackson shrugged.

"Nathaniel, Dorian could help me carry Freya's thing?" Sunflower chimed.

"Now hold on, I'm the captain here Sun not you," Jackson was annoyed and upset.

"Oh I'm sorry dear," she patted the wolf on the shoulder and pecked him on the cheek. "You can give the order."

"Nathaniel, Dorian, help our guest gather her belongings."

The two other Lycan exchanged puzzled looks but gathered up Freya's bags and luggage.

"You sure did bring a lot of things."

"I suppose I could have done without the personal belongings," she confessed somewhat embarrassed. "But I also brought a case containing many rare plants and herbs for your apothecary."

"Apothe- what now?" Sunflower tilted her head to the side.

"Apothecary," Jackson repeated.

"What's that?"

"It someone who makes potions, balms, tonics, those sorts of things," he answered.

"Oh..." Sunflower nodded slowly. "Do we have one of those?"

"We do not."

"Oh well that's perfect," she yipped excitedly. "Freya can be our A-poof-a-carry."

"Apothecary," Jackson corrected with a sigh. "And I don't think Freya is trained in any form of-"

"Actually I have studied under many alchemists," the elf spoke confidently. "And I know many mixtures by heart."

"Do you now?" The captain sounded surprised. "Well if that's the case maybe the Council will let you stay. We've been fortunate so far but it never hurts to have someone trained in one of the healing arts."

"I'll try not to disappoint."

The elf could feel a fluttering sensation in her chest as they approached a massive gate leading into the city.

"Open the gate!" Jackson shouted to the other side.

Freya took a deep breath as the doors slowly began to open, prepared to face anything that lay beyond.