FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

-= Complete and Total Disclaimer of all Responsibility for what YOU do =-

If you aren't mentally mature enough to read about various forms of sex, then go away. I don't care what your physical age is, if you're too repressed/undeveloped to be reading about sex, why are you here? This story not intended for use during operation of nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation/communication systems, submarine vessels, nuclear weapons, sharp pointed objects, or any other hazardous activity in which failure could lead to death, injury, property damage, environmental damage or lawsuit. All natural; No preservatives; 98% Fatuity-free. Close cover when striking. Practice safe sex ... practice, practice, practice - until you get it right.

¤º°'°º¤Ø,¸,ؤº°'°º¤

This is the end of the "book" - I hope you've enjoyed it. I also hope you can find this since Yiffstar has screwed up the notification system for new postings!

If anyone would like to have the more-elaborate version (RTF), I would be happy to email it. Just drop me a line.

¤º°'°º¤Ø,¸,ؤº°'°º¤

Chapter Thirteen

Never Forget the Ones You Love

¤º°'°º¤Ø,¸,ؤº°'°º¤

*Badger, Boar, *Bunny, Compassion, Dalmatian, *Love, *Lynx, *No-Yiff, Panther, *Rat, *Relationships, *Revenge, Siamese Cat, *Tiger, *Tribute

¤º°'°º¤Ø,¸,ؤº°'°º¤

Fourth Week, Winter 1, Year 1580

Sitting at a table all the way in the back corner of the Tail of Woe, Fernella was settling a business deal with the three rats of the band. "Agreed then? This problem will be taken care of? And soon?" he asked the lead rat.

"Oh yes. You have to understand - we'd be happy to do it for nothing, but there will be expenses we can't avoid. Ferny, we all know you and we love you, but our contacts ... they don't know you."

"Is this enough?" Fernella slid a wad of moneynotes across. "I honestly don't have any more now, but I can get more ... Really!" He swallowed hard.

"Oh, this will do fine."

"When ...?"

"Probably this week. We have to wait until we can get to our contact to reach the, um, 'agent'."

"Okay, that's fine." Fernella sighed and sat back in relief. Then he jumped slightly, remembering ... "Hey, pass this on, will you?" Fernella handed the rat a square of paper.

~=~

The gaoler shook his head. "I've never seen anyone so thoroughly killed before," he told his partner as they gazed in at the boar's body lying in its cell.

"Must have been something personal."

"Real personal. Huh. Look there."

"What?"

"Look - on the floor over there. Piece of paper ..." He bent and picked it up. Looking it over, he shrugged indifferently and said, "Eh, nothing important. Just someone dropped a receipt marked 'Paid'."

~=~

Fourth Week, Renewal, Year 1580

Everyone who had known David Strianach and could be in Capitol City gathered at the park where he had died.

Pilot Lieutenant Isaac Tufts stepped up to the podium in front of a ten-foot-high rectangular-pillar shape with something round at the top, all covered by a canvas. He'd worn his full-dress uniform today; they were there to honor a former Sailor, after all.

"Friends and fellows. I am not going to make a speech today; we all know what Honored Ser David Strianach did, why he did it, and how he died doing it. We know that he did it fully aware that he'd die.

"Many may not know - I didn't - that it was not the first time he did that. We discovered that Honored Ser David Strianach held a Council Decoration - one of the highest in fact, awarded only to those who unhesitatingly thrust themselves into what is obviously certain death in order to save others. Very rarely do these furrs survive. He earned the first during his service in our Navy. He never spoke of it to anyone."

Tufts stepped aside from the podium. Half a dozen various furrs walked up to it; each spoke for a short time, telling how they had known Honored Ser David Strianach, former Naval Engineer, former Guard at the High Court of Herbivoria, and why they treasured their memories of him.

Then the small crowd parted, being passed through by a huge white-and-black snowtiger in a wheelchair pushed by a black panther. A rose-pointed siamese fem walked beside him, holding the tiger's paw. Those close enough could see that the tiger held a big knotty-looking stick across his lap. A slender dalmatian fem walked behind the panther, carrying a tiny fluffy-haired cat cuddled in her arms.

The snowtiger slowly stood, using the stick to maintain his balance. He took two steps up to the podium - it was obvious that he could barely maintain his balance. The siamese and panther put their arms around his waist. The dalmatian stood close by the siamese's side. It was obvious that the four were struggling to maintain their composure.

The crowd was totally silent as Gordon quietly spoke one sentence: "We're here because David isn't."

Then the four furrs moved back away from the podium, Gordon resuming his seat in the wheelchair.

Clearing his throat, Lieutenant Tufts spoke again. "The details of both awards are engraved on the stone behind me. No furr is ever truly dead until he or she is forgotten. So long as anyfurr remembers and honors the name and memory of a furr, that furr is with us, even after returning to the All." Turning his head to face the white bear standing by the canvas-covered shape, Tufts said, "Captain Berg, your Naval Engineers - Honored Ser David Strianach was one of you for a full, active career - constructed this monument. Please uncover it now -"

The Captain pulled the cover off David Strianach's memorial. It was a four-sided granite plinth. One side had a bas-relief of a grinning Strianach, dressed in his favorite kilt and jacket.

Another had the record of Strianach's Naval career carved in it.

The third had the narratives of the events of the night he died and of how he'd earned his first Coin.

The fourth bore carvings of two engraved scrolls showing the orders from the Combined Council for the two awards of the Coin of Pure Heart - this was almost the first time anyfurr had received the honor twice.

At the top was an upright two-foot-across reproduction of the Coin.

There was no band, there was no parade. Those gathered just stood there for a while, some weeping, then dispersed. Birdy from the Bar of Justice waited until almost everyone was gone, then he walked over and emptied a bottle of Glen MacOwlen onto the base of the Memorial.

~=~

Three days later, there was another ceremony. This one was held in front of the High Court of Carnivoria - not a trial leading to death this time, but instead a matter of life for three furrs who were now over eighteen and legally adults.

Ser Gordon MacIntyger, Ser Lightning Darke and Sera Rayo Mairo gathered under the lifebonding rainbow canopy which signified their being part of the All. They were united in a lifebonding ceremony conducted by Sera High Justice Roamer. She personally braided the three rings made from the longest fur Gordon, Lightning and Rayo had. Lightning's and Rayo's families were all there. Gordon lived alone - he had no family to attend.

The bonded furrs chose a new family name, none of the three wanting to appear "senior" in any way to the other two.

Now they were the Strianach family.

~=~

Not the end ... but rather a Recommencement.