FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The golden eagle's cry echoed across the barren land. Watchful golden eyes scanned the soil, seeking any signs of life, but observing only the evidence of past carnage and the discarded casualties of war. Bones, long scattered and picked clean, lay half buried in the blood-colored soil, while broken and rusted armor littered their resting places.

Another lonesome cry spilled across the red dust, sending a scavenging reebird back into the safety of its burrow. A cluster of dust devils stirred, rising from the ground as if to challenge the trespasser, but they scattered quickly under her gaze. Her cry was a sound of mourning, carrying the weight of memory with it.

Not many years ago, lush grass and tall reaching trees had covered the ground. Herds of kordox had grazed peacefully in wide open fields while serenaded by the mating calls of amorous insects. But war had come, with its endless appetite.

In the name of conquest, it had devoured the trees, turning them into barricades and ash. Vast armies had trampled the grass and slaughtered the kordox before slaughtering each other. The blood of the slain had cursed the land and stained it crimson. The once fertile soil was left barren, capable of only growing misery and memories.

A final echoing call released the last of the eagle's sorrow before she dropped from the cliff face, gave a flap of her great wings and soared away.

To'roc raised a hand to his face, shading his eyes from the brutal suns. The high screech of an eagle had reached his ears, but the toxic sky was empty. "Eh, Gruk." He called to his companion. "You see anyt'ing up dere?"

The ork grunted and scanned the sky, then shook his head. "Nothing but that bird over there."

Another cry tumbled across the land before To'roc finally spotted the approaching shadow in the green sky. "Wow. It really be a bird, yah. Haven't seen one ah dem in so long." As the pair watched, the eagle began circle above them. To'roc scratched his chin in puzzlement as he tried to understand what could be attracting the animal. The only living creatures left were the little reebirds, and they were too small to make a meal for a large bird of prey.

Lower and lower the eagle circled, her cry echoing loudly in the stillness of the fort. Suddenly, the eagle folded her wings and dived toward the watchers. Gruk remained impassive as his eyes traced the eagle's path, but To'roc scrambled backwards, not wanting to be attacked by a desperate predator. As she came closer to the ground, the great bird spread her large wings and fluttered to a graceful landing. Golden eyes studied the two curiously for a moment, before she let out a series of chirps and whistles.

When the eagle offered no threat, To'roc inched closer. A wild bird would never behave in such a manner, but he thought it was possible the eagle was a messenger bird, As he stepped closer still, he spotted small protuberances atop the eagle's head.

The eagle tilted her head as she looked at the nervous jruu. She offered no threat but clicked her beak questioningly before taking a hopping step in his direction. She then gave her wings a half flap and looked at him expectantly.

To'roc began to extend his hand towards the eagle's feet, looking for a tied on message, when something hanging around the bird's neck caught his attention. He looked up to see a carved wooden talisman resting on the eagle's chest, half obscured by her feathers. Looking back to the eagle's head he saw what appeared to be tiny branching horns growing from the animal's skull. "Druid?" He asked out loud, half to himself and half to the bird.

The eagle cocked her head at his words, then fluffed out her feathers. Before the astonished agwa's eyes, the feathers softend and melted back into the bird's body. The eagle dipped her head and began to grow in size. The eagle's wings spread and elongated, the feathers thickening and fleshing out into fingers. Talons widened and legs stretched until finally a tarin doe stood where the eagle had a moment before. The doe lifted her head to look at To'roc, her golden eyes changed to a pale blue, and offered an awkward smile. "I'm so sorry." She said, her voice thick with a barely restrained giggle. "I always forget that non-druids can't understand me when I'm in my forms."

"What bring yah here, druid?" To'roc asked, his surprise falling into a scowl as he looked over the odd doe.

Her face was painted white in the way of druids, colorful symbols drawn across her cheeks, forehead and muzzle. Her vest looked to be made of the same golden feathers that had covered her as an eagle while her trousers were made of a tanned hide with feather patterns carved into the dyed leather. Feathered gloves matching her vest covered her hands.

"Oh, yes. That." She replied, flashing another awkward smile. "I'm Taiyra Sunmourne." She waited expectantly, but the name meant nothing to To'roc. He continued to scowl at her, waiting for an explanation. "The druid." She added. To'roc's scowl increased. "You... uh, didn't receive a message about me?" She tilted her head slightly.

A soft tinkling sound drew To'roc's attention to the top of the druid's head, and he noticed for the first time that her horns had been shaped into small anters. Tiny trinkets dangled from each tine, jingling softly with her movements. Coiled around the base of her antlers and disappearing into her mane was a slash of green like some sort of plant. The jruu found them to be strangely charming and softened his mood.

"Nuh." He finally replied. "Don't get much uh anyt'ing heah." He let his eyes drift down again to take another look over the confused doe, her fawn-colored fur already gathering a layer of red dust. "What it say?"

"Hm, well they did warn me that the messengers have been having trouble reaching you out here, but they were sure that one had gotten through." Taiyra said, shrugging off the bad news. "Oh well. I mean, it's not a tragedy that it didn't arrive, right? I still made it here just fine. And I think I made rather good time if I do say so myself. I suppose being able to just up and fly over helps a lot too but I-"

To'roc held up a hand to interrupt the string of babble. "Da message?"

"Oh! Right! I'm sorry." Taiyra giggled softly, her ears flattening in embarrassment. "I tend to get a little sidetracked sometimes. I can go on and on about nothing sometimes. Especially when I'm excited. You know, my grandmother used to tell me I could talk the ears off of a deaf kordox! But yes, the message. Well, it said, er, well I suppose it was supposed to say that I was being sent here to help. I'm Taiyra Sunmourn, by the way, have I mentioned that yet? Oh yes, of course I did. Anyway, I'm supposed to report to Commander To'roc Re'korik. That is you, right? They said you have a blonde mane and you like to paint the tips of your tusks red. So when I saw you from the air, I presumed you were him. You are him, right? Commander To'roc, I mean? Did I say your name right?"

To'roc closed his eyes, trying to sort through the flood of words in order to find the important information. He ignored Gruk's amused grunt, but made plans to chide him about it later."Yes." He said slowly, finally looking at her again. "I be da Commander, yah. But why did dey send yah heah?"

"Oh!" The doe's ears perked up again and she opened her mouth to answer, raising her hand to point at the wall surrounding the compound.

"Ghouls!" The warning shout interrupted her words, causing both of them to turn their attention to the scout. "A whole herd of them! And they're coming this way!"

"Because of those." The doe said.

To'roc ran to the scout's tower to confirm his call. The small outpost burs into activity around him as the other inhabitants readied themselves for the attack. The agua scrambled quickly up the ladder to the top of the guard post and looked out.

A shambling carpet of corpses was rapidly approaching. The rising dust half obscured the oncoming ghouls, but their wordless groans already began to drift to his ears.

"You are supposed to hold them off as long as you can." The doe called from down below, her voice as calm as if she were discussing the weather. "Reinforcements are coming. I'll help as much as I can."

To'roc muttered a curse under his breath, then spun to face the courtyard. Orks and agwa alike scurried with tasks to fortify the outpost against the coming attack. "Secure dah gate! Ready dah rocks! Let's send dese felkahs back to dah dust dey came from, yah!"

His hearts were beating furiously. Venom began to ooze from his skin in preparation for battle. He let out a war cry that was echoed by others, filling the air with a furious roar. To'roc allowed himself a brief smile before leaping down from the sentry tower. He let out another war cry as his feet hit the ground, which was once more echoed by those under his command. It would have no effect on the approaching undead, but it would bring a rush to the blood of those about to face them.

The moaning grew louder as the ghouls continued their forward march, their voices lobbed over the top of the wall like stones to disturb those below. The sentry continued to call out their progress as they came closer. There was nothing for To'roc to do but wait. His limbs began to shake. He had never expected the undead king's minions to make it so far into reclaimed lands, and certainly not so many of them at once. The jruu closed his eyes and clenched his fingers into a tight fist, waiting for the invasion to begin.

"They...They've stopped." The sentry reported uneasily. To'roc opened his eyes again to look up at the posted guard. "Now they're just standing there. Like they're waiting on something."

"What do you mean?" He called up. Something was wrong, the agwa could feel it in his core.

"I mean, they're just... standing there. Just out of effective firing range." The sentry replied. "Almost as if..."

"As if they're waiting for something." The jruu muttered to himself. Suddenly his eyes widened as the realization struck him. "Diversion!"

The wyverns were quick and silent. They swooped down out of the clouds so suddenly that those snatched up in their talons barely had the chance to utter a cry of surprise before being lifted into the air.

To'roc had the air knocked from his lungs as something heavy slammed into his back and sent him pitching forward. His arms were roughly grabbed and the ground fell away from his feet. He watched helplessly as the tide of ghouls finally began to advance on the fort amid the confusion.

He looked up at the creature carrying him higher into the sky. He knew the flying reptilian would drop him to his death once it flew high enough, and his venom would not work fast enough to stop it. Despite the futility of the actions, To'roc began to thrash about, trying desperately to kick or scratch the beast, but succeeded only in wearing himself out.

His energy spent, the agwa fell slack in the wyvern's grip to await his fate. His only hope was to grab the creature's foot or tail when it finally released him. He was distracted by his plans when a golden blur sped past him and an eagle's sharp cry filled his ears.

The agwa was forced to close his eyes when the wyvern suddenly began to spin in a rapid circle, making him dizzy. He was shaken violently and felt the wyvern's grip loosen on his arms while some sort of commotion took place above him. From the screams of both creatures, he surmised that the wyvern was being attacked by an eagle. It could only be the druid.

Unable to tell who was winning, To'roc renewed his own struggle to attack his captor from below, finally managing to land a solid blow to the wyvern's vulnerable belly and causing it to release him.

For a single breath, To'roc felt weightless. If he flapped his arms, he would surely soar off into the sky. Then gravity reinstated its claim, and he began to fall. The jruu frantically grasped at the air for anything to hold on to as he tumbled back down, but there was nothing. A sense of peace began to flow over him as he accepted his fate. He had fought his enemy all the way, and is death would be quick. Honorable. He had served his brethren well and would be remembered for his loyalty. Closing his eyes, To'roc began to recite the old prayer that would allow his spirit to join those of his ancestors long past.

His prayer was interrupted by the prick of claws on his ankle. "Release me yah daft beast!" He yelled furiously, assuming it to be the grasp of the returning wyvern. The claws dug deeper into his skin and his decent begin to slow. Glaring up at his captor, To'rock was surprised to see that it was not the wyvern gripping his leg but a large golden eagle. "Druid?"

The druid in eagle form flapped her wings furiously as she attempted to halt his decent, but her best efforts were only managing to slow his fall a little. The ground was rushing up to meet them at an alarming speed and To'roc was helpless to assist. Blood began to trickle along his leg as talons tore through his meager armor and begin to pierce his skin. The desperate flapping of her large wings was almost deafening.

The ground continued to surge up until, for the second time that day, the jruu had the breath knocked out of his body. The eagle let out an indignant squawk as they both went tumbling to the ground. As the bird rolled across the soil, her form melted away until she was a doe again, laying face down in the dusty soil.

To'roc gasped for breath, filling his sore lungs. As soon as he was able to move again, he rolled over and scrambled to the druid on all fours, crouching low to the ground as he gingerly lifted her into his arms. "Drood! Drood!" He panted, fear exaggerating the slur of his words. "Ju be okay, yah?"

Taiyra blinked up at him, her features slackened in her daze, but then her blue eyes found his and she smiled up at him. "Oh good, you're alright. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to slow us down enough." Her smile faded slightly. "You are alright, aren't you? Anything hurt or broken?"

To'roc shook his head without thought. If every bone in his body had shattered during his fall he'd deny it just to keep from worrying her. "I be fine, yah. Ju hurt?"

The doe shook her head and allowed him to assist her back to her feet. "I'll be fine. But if you'll pardon me..." Taking a step back, she stretched out her arms and lifted her head to look up at the sky. Mere moments later, the golden eagle spread her wings and launched herself back into the air.

To'roc watched her for a moment as she chased another wyvern until she disappeared. Impressed by her bravery, he allowed the ghost of a smile grace his lips before he lowered his gaze to his surroundings.

He found himself still within the confines of the fort walls, shattered bodies littering the ground around him. To'roc shuddered as he thought about how close he had come to being one of them. The wailing of attacking ghouls filled the air. Calling upon years of training, the jruu set is feelings aside for later and grabbed a dropped battle ax as he ran toward the skirmish at the gates. His war cry was flung into the air as he ran, heartening him as the others echoed his call.

For days, the siege continued. The wyverns had long ago been driven away, but the endless army of undead continued their relentless assault, and each hour left fewer to drive them back. Those who were still remaining fought the claim of exhaustion as hard as they fought the ghouls.

To'roc knocked a cresting ghoul back down with a swing of his axe, but another was right behind it. His limbs were growing increasingly leaden with each slash of his weapon. His venom had long since dried, giving his skin a chalky white appearance. He had been fighting nearly non-stop and even his last reserves of strength were running dry.

Mindless puppets, nothing more than the reanimated bodies of the fallen, the ghouls knew no pain, no fear, and no exhaustion. Their movements were slow and jerky, they were easily destroyed, but they had sheer numbers on their side.

The jruu's axe and gloves were coated in ichor. Severed limbs squirmed at his feet. He had long ago lost count of how many of the creatures he himself had dispatched, and there was still no end in sight. A few feet to his side, Gruk swatted two of the creatures into the air with a swipe of one meaty arm. "Ey, Gruk." He called to his second in command after dispatching another ghoul. "I t'ink we're finally tirin' dem out now, yah?"

The Brun grabbed the heads of two more ghouls and smashed them together before letting the bodies drop back behind the wall, then cast a glance in To'roc's direction. The ork's face had a gaunt and sunken appearance, his thick grey skin scratched and cracking. His red-rimmed eyes also betrayed the exhaustion that pride would never let him admit to. "Yeah." He replied gruffly. "And those paladins are certainly helping too."

To'roc slashed at the top of a head that had just begun peeking over the wall, getting a splash of ichor across his face as the ghoul fell away. "What? What paladeens?" He dared to lean over to get a peek of what lay beyond the wall. A sudden blinding flash of light made him cry out in pain and tumble backwards, falling from the small walkway and thudding to the ground below.

"Those paladins." Came Gruk's monotone reply.

The world was nothing but pain. Unconsciousness melted away like ice, exposing a desert of red agony. The tarin's eyelids fluttered but she couldn't seem to find the strength to open them. Questions began to bubble up in her mind. Where was she? What happened? Where was everyone?

Flashes of disconnected memories rose to the surface of her mind before sinking back into the mire of confusion. There was a battle. Was she in it? Ghouls. So many that they carpeted the land. Wyverns. Falling. A blinding explosion of white pain. Pain that had turned her blood into shards of glass. Pain so deep that it had taken permanent root inside of her, sending out its tendril-like roots to feed on her throbbing aches and taking nourishment from her fractured nerves until it bloomed into a fiery blossom of agony within her chest.

She tried once more to open her eyes, but while they twitched, they still stubbornly refused to open. Moving on, the doe attempted to move her hand next. Her fingers shook as she slowly stretched them out and then curled them back into a loose fist.

The muscles were stiff and sore, but they responded to her desire for movement. So she was alive. Somehow. After moving her fingers, she began to bend her wrists up and down until she could do so without the joints cracking. She then tensed and relaxed her arms. Little by little she stretched and flexed her entire body until her muscles felt loose and limber.

She was just preparing to sit up when a soft noise made her freeze completely. Seconds seemed to stretch into minutes of silence, but nothing more came to the doe's waiting ear. She was on the cusp of giving up when it finally came again. It was a soft rustling sound, barely at the edges of her hearing. It was followed a moment later by the hollow thunk of metal tapping itself. The doe recognized the sound and knew it immediately for what it was. A sentry standing guard.

"Don't be stupid." A muffled voice tickled her straining ears. "It was just the wind."

"Well, maybe we should check again anyway. Just to be sure." A second voice spoke up. "You know what he'll do to us if she wakes up and we don't tell him."

"That cow's never getting up again and you know it." The first speaker snapped. "Guarding it is the easiest damn duty we could draw, so don't go felking it up."

"How am I going to felk it up by doing what I'm supposed to do?" The second voice whined.

"You'll find a way, you idiot. But if it will make you feel better, I'll take a quick look." There was a flapping sound of moving canvas. The doe barely dared to breath in case her rouse was discovered. "See? Look. Sleeping beauty's still right where we left her." Another flap sounded as the disturbed material was allowed to fall back into place.

"Yeah, alright." The first speaker replied, only slightly mollified. "I guess I am just spooking at shadows. I can't help it though, you know? That... that thing in there. I hear it took almost twenty of us just to bring it in."

'Are they talking about me?' The doe wondered, finally managing to open her eyes to mere slits. All she could see was a slow-drifting greyness, like a curtain of mist suspended above her. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the low light, she realized she was seeing dust motes in a sliver of sunlight. Moving only her eyes, the doe began to look around.

"I heard it was closer to thirty. And that was just to get the chains on. Kerjik said they lost several good riders dragging her back here."

She was in a large tent, empty but for herself and the cot she laid on. The floor was bare soil, and the only light came from small gaps in the entrance flaps.

"There's plenty of damn cows in this light forsaken world. I don't know what's so special about this one. Not that this one is too special anymore." The voice continued. "She just lays there. Bet you a week's rations she'll never get up again no matter what he does to her or how many of our prisoners he feeds to her."

Ignoring the barb of the speaker's words, the doe opened her eyes wider, slowly lifting her head to inspect herself in the smokey haze.

"She might... some day. She could be awake in there right now... listening to us."

Thin ropes held her wrists bound to the cot, but they were loose enough for her to slip her hands free whenever she cared to. Nothing at all held her legs. Her only covering was a thin blanket stretched across her torso.

"Nah, dead as a ghoul, I say. And probably just as mindless."

The doe's ear flicked in annoyance. Slowly and as silently as she could, she slipped her hands free of the ropes before resting her arms back into place, then laid her head back down on the pillow.

"Hush! You keep talking like that and we'll both end up as next week's meal rations!"

'What an odd choice of words.' Slowly, the doe raised one leg, flexing her ankle and knee. If she was going to escape, she couldn't let cramps and stiffness get in her way. Lowering her leg back to the cot, she began to raise the other one. She wondered briefly how long she had been out, but shoved the thought away for later.

"Ain't no one gonna hear me. No one comes anywhere near here if they're not ordered to. I certainly don't." The speaker's voice dropped lower and the doe strained to hear it. "Hey, you ever been this close to a cow before?"

"No, never. They don't even come near my home town to trade."

A popping joint caused the doe to grunt before she could bite back the sound.

"Hey, did you hear that? Did that come from inside? She's never made that noise before."

Gritting her teeth, the doe quickly stretched out her body to resemble her previous sleeping pose, hoping that her captors were too stupid to figure out that she was faking.

"Yeah. It sounded like... Hey, you don't think she's really waking up in there do you? Maybe one of us should go tell him, just in case"

She silently cursed her luck. Letting out a slow breath, the doe forced her tense muscles to relax, although she remained ready to spring into action. One way or another she was going to escape.

To'roc raised a hand to shade his eyes as he scanned the sky. The thick clouds blocked out most of the sunlight but he still had to narrow his sensitive eyes. "Eh, Gruk." He called to his companion. "Yah see anyt'ing up dere?"

The brun tilted his eyes upward without moving his head and gave the sky a quick, disinterested glance. "Nope."

"Yah seen da druid around?" To'roc asked hopefully. Gruk shook his head no. The jruu sighed softly and looked down at his leg. While the wounds had been healed, his ankle still bore the scars of eagle claws and would forever. "Hope she be a'right, yah." He muttered softly.

"She's fine." Gruk replied, his tone flat with boredom.

"Easy fo yah ta say, yah." To'roc snapped, his accent thickening with his agitation. "She dint catch yah out da ver' air! Faced down dah damn air snakes, yah. If dey hurt 'er..." He raised his fist and shook it angrily, then sighed in defeat and allowed his arm to fall limply back to his side.

"Nah, we'd know if she was awake in there. She'd start moving around or say something if she was listening to us."

The doe began flexing her fingers again, keeping the movements small and unnoticeable. Surprise would be her only advantage.

"Maybe. But I still think we should go let him know. Just to be safe."

The doe instinctively knew she couldn't risk scrutiny by 'him'.

"And tell him what, that we heard a random noise that could have been caused by a million different things? It wasn't even a loud noise. Maybe the damn cow's just having a nightmare or something."

"But if she's having a nightmare, doesn't that mean she might wake up?"

There was a loud sigh from one of the speakers. "Fine. If it will shut you up, I'll go check on her."

That was not what the doe wanted to hear. Laying still, she hoped that her rouse would go undetected.

"Be careful! If she really is awake and just pretending..." The quaver of cowardice entered the speaker's voice.

"That is the stupidest thing you've said all day. There's no way she would just lay there and pretend to sleep. She'd be throwing a fit and trying to kill us or something." The flutter of canvas came to the doe's ears, followed by the heavy thump of footseps. "She don't look no different to me. She's still just laying here like a dead fish. Hey, Jeco, you think anyone would even notice if we really were all guarding a corpse? I mean, it's not like we're supposed to touch her or anything right?"

"Well, maybe not at first nobody would notice. But someone might during a shift change. And you know He would know it immediately. And he'd feed us to the ghouls feet first if anything happened to his precious pet."

"Nah, he wouldn't do that. Not like it would be our fault or anything. She was already in pretty rough shape when they brought her in, right? And she's been out for how long now? She's just a corpse who hasn't stopped breathing yet."

It took all of the doe's self control not to speak out or even grind her teeth.

"Malik, what are you doing in there? You've checked on her already. Now get out before you get us both killed! Or worse!"

'Yes, Malik.' The doe directed her thoughts directly at the nosy guard. 'Get out before something happens that you won't like.'

"I ain't doing nothin!" Malik snapped. "Now shut up already before you draw someone's attention."

The doe felt the light touch of fingers at the side of her neck as the guard sought out her pulse. It strained her already taxed willpower and she struggled not to lash out. The stench of Malik's breath suddenly filled her nostrils as he leaned over her, breathing into her face. Her throat began to constrict as she tried not to cough. Finally the hand pulled away from her neck and hope filled the doe. Perhaps he would just go away and she could slip away unnoticed after all.

"Malik?" Jeco called out. "Hey, what are you doing in there?"

"These cows sure are ugly close up." Malik called back. "And you should see what this one did to its horns. It's crazy. They really should have drowned this ugly heifer when it was born. Would have been doing it a favor."

Fury began to surge up in the doe as she felt the nosy human guard grab the base of one horn and give her head a rough shake. Her hands curled into fists and she couldn't help but grit her teeth tightly together. Her rage continued to build, coiling like a snake preparing to strike. As her head was lifted and dropped roughly back to the cot, the doe barely maintained her charade. She thought about how satisfying it would be to crush the idiot's skull between her fingers.

"Gods curse us both, Malik, get out of there already!" Jeco whispered loudly.

"What? You still think I'm going to wake her up?" Malik said back. "I could carve my initials onto her forehead and tan her hide into leather and she still wouldn't wake up. I keep telling you. This damn cow is long gone. Hey! What the-"

The doe's eyes snapped open and focused on the human staring back down at her. Before he could step back, her arm shot out, gripping him around the throat. The man tried to cry out in alarm, clawing at her fingers, but the tarin only tightened her grip. Never taking her eyes from the man's face, which was already discoloring as he choked, the doe sat up and pulled him closer. "I am many things." She whispered softly, "But I am not... a cow."

"Malik?" The other guard called from outside. The doe's eyes snapped to the closed flaps of the tent. "Hey, stop fooling around in there already. Someone could show up at any time!"

Malik's struggles grew weaker and more sluggish. Shifting her gaze back to him, the doe tightened her grip until she felt his windpipe collapse. "I'm afraid Malthamus will have to find a new lackey." She said softly to the dying man before releasing him. The man collapsed to the ground and lay still, no further concern to the doe.

"Malik? Is everything ok in there?"

Ripping off the blanket, the doe looked around her again in search of a weapon. Her memory was slowly returning along with her strength. "He's getting sloppy." She whispered to herself before climbing off of the cot. A quick search of the dead guard brought nothing of any use to her.

"Come on now, Malik, you've taken this far eno-"

The second human ducked his head into the tent. A flash of the tarin's fist was all he saw before being consumed by the black void of unconsciousness.

'Need to move fast, now.' She thought frantically. 'He'll sound the alarm any moment.' Tearing through the tent flaps, the doe took only a quick glimpse at her surroundings, then ran away from the camp as fast as she could.

Gruk growled and bared his sharp teeth as he laid his forhead against his upraised palm. "Not another one."

To'roc glared at the ork. "What ju mean, not anodder one?" He snapped, his accent thickened nearly to the point of incomprehension. "I'm not allowed ta worry about oddas now, yah?"

"You're already over that tree hopper you were pining for last week?" The brun asked.

"Well she-"

"And that yrga you swore was your soul mate?"

"But she-"

"And those high elf twins back in the city?"

"Ah, they-"

"And that human woman we found out was really a-"

"Ok, yah big lug! I get yah point, yah!" To'roc interrupted. "But... dah drood, she be different."

"Different like that bruha with that-"

"I say ok a'ready!"

The doe's large hooves kicked up dust with every step, choking her and stinging her eyes. Despite her discomfort, she refused to slow her pace. She was exhausted and sore, her body protesting the sudden strain, but she could already hear the calls of alarm sounding behind her. They knew that she'd escaped and they wanted her back. He wanted her back.

Sheer force of will kept the doe in her stride. There was nowhere for her to hide for a rest. To stop was to admit defeat. The twin suns crawling high across the sky stared down in harsh judgment of her weakness. Lowering her head, the doe forced herself onward, despite the growing heaviness of her limbs.

Stumbling, she fell to the ground, more dust billowing up to clog her already dry throat. Tired. So tired. All she wanted to do was lay there and rest, even as she struggled to breathe. "No." She rasped harshly, drawing strength from the word. Reaching out, she dug her fingers into the baked soil and pulled herself back to her feet. Barely able to keep upright, she continued to run.

Blindly she forced herself onward, unable to see the high walls of a fort in the distance. A sudden call of alarm reached the doe's ears, making her pause and wearily raise her head toward the sound. For the first time she noticed the fortified walls in her path. The alarm call came again, and a large gate was opened.

The doe narrowed her eyes, spotting orks come rushing out and heading in her direction. Some of them rode on the backs of hyolfs, and all of them were heavily armed. They gave out and aggressive cry as they spotted her. "Aw hell." The exhausted doe muttered.

"Tha drood, she be... different somehow, yah?" To'roc pined. "You an me, we fightas. We know battle, is in our blood, yah. But she gentle, yah? Gentle, but....strong." He clenched a fist as he spoke to emphasize his point.

"Druid?" Gruk asked as he cut his gaze in his companion's direction.

"Yes da drood!" To'roc exclaimed in exasperation. "Das what I say, yah? Dah drood. She be da one. She be like ... like a del'cat cactus flowa, yah? Rare and del'cat and-"

"I'm really not as delicate as I look, to be honest. But I'm flattered that you think I'm beautiful." Taiyra replied with a soft giggle.

To'roc spun around, surprised to see the object of his obsession standing behind him. Her clothes were dulled with dust, but she bared not a single visible injury from her part in the seige. "Where yah been?" He asked harshly, his voice sharper than intended in his embarrassment. His features and voice both softened before he continued. "We ain't seen yah since dah sky snakes, yah?"

The doe giggled softly, her voice lyrical in the smitten jruu's ears. "Sorry about that. I was so busy tending to the wounded I haven't been able to get away until now. After all, I was the only healer here until the order of Mystra showed up."

"Paladins and dey gods." To'roc replied in mild disdain. "Too many ordahs. But I just be glad yah okay. My life be owed to you, drood Taiyra."

Taiyra giggled again and rested a hand on the agwa's arm. "Well, then how about you pay me back with a drink at the tavern tonight? I'd consider that an adequate reward."

To'roc smiled and covered the doe's hand with his own. "Be me honuh."

Taiyra gave a nod, then reluctantly pulled her hand free before walking away. As the jruu watched her go, he vowed silently to himself that not even the king of the undead himself would keep him from making their date.

"Do you fear us now, MidKnight?!" Sneered one of the orks. They circled around their prey like hunting hyolfs, growling and flexing threateningly.

The doe lifted her head slowly. One eye was swollen almost completely shut. Dark blood trickled from the corner of her other eye. She coughed and spit a mouthful of pink froth into the dust. "Why would I be afraid of weak a bunch of cowards like you?" She snarled, her voice raspy. "Malthamus wouldn't even turn your carcasses into ghouls. You'd just be left to rot in the-"

Another kick to the doe's ribs silenced her and sent her into a coughing fit. "Cowardly weaklings? Your master murders females and children in their sleep and you dare use those words to us?"

The brun reared back his leg for another kick and aimed for the doe's unprotected side. Her eyes flashed with anger and wrapped her body tightly around his leg, throwing him off balance. Her fist slammed into the back of his knee, causing the brun to cry out in pain before crashing to the ground.

None of the gathered orks could react in time to prevent the doe from climbing atop her fallen antagonist, pinning him to the ground by his throat. "I won't tell you again." She snarled furiously. "I have no master." A quick, harsh twist and the ork's neck broke with a loud crack, his head twisting around to an unnatural angle. "I serve no one but myself!"

The orks closed in and the doe launched herself at the nearest enemy, her mouth open wide as her terrible cry tumbled across the barren land.

"So yeah, I gotta... I gotta... Um, what was I, uh, talking about?" Taiyra waved her hand in the air as she spoke, nearly knocking over the collection of clay mugs scattered across the table. Her words were slurred heavily with intoxication.

"You say yah leave tomorrow, yah?" To'roc answered coolly as he sipped his own crude brew. His black eyes narrowed as he ducked her swinging arm.

"Right! Yeah! That was it. Right." The druid slurred, casting her own gaze randomly around the room. "Yeaaaaaaahhhhhhhh." The word dragged out until it became nothing but a groan. "Um... I guess there's a reason I don't drink too often, huh?" She smiled and suddenly leaned forward to rest her head on To'roc's shoulder, her small antler-shaped horns cutting into his own bristly mane. "What was I saying again?"

To'roc smiled and patted the doe's head gently, then took the mug from her fingers and set it on the table. "Time for sleep, yah?" Gently, he wrapped his arm around the doe's back, resting most of her weight against him as he helped her to stand.

"But I'm not tired yet!" Taiyra protested, her arms wrapping loosely around the jruu's thin neck. "And I didn't even finish my drink." Her lips and ears drooped in a pout. She swayed heavily as she rose, despite the jruu's aid in balance, reaching for her mug. "Oh my. Maybe I drank a little more than I thought. How many did I have anyway?"

To'roc glanced at the table, counting the empty red clay mugs and realizing that almost all of them were his own. "Almost two."

Taiyra giggled and wrapped her other arm back around the agwa's neck before hiding her face. "Oh my, I guess I really should... Um... what was I talking about? Oh yeah, I was telling you how I'm leaving tomorrow. So I gotta get some sleep." Her breath was warm against To'roc's skin, making him shiver. She lifted her head again."Would you help me find my room?"

To'roc nodded and moved slowly, careful to keep the druid on her feet and helping her find her balance when she stumbled. He had to pause often to let her rest, even with such small steps, and the doe's close presence excited him in ways he was glad she was too drunk to notice. Tiny sparks surged through him every place their skin touched, and the soft tickle of her breath across his throat and sensitive ear made him quiver with delight.

Taiyra was slightly steadier on her feet by the time they reached the door to her room, but she continued to lean heavily against her companion, much to the jruu's delight. He was reaching for the handle of her door when an explosion of sensation made him freeze in place, his eyes widening in surprise and arousal. The drunken doe was lipping playfully at his ear.

To'roc let out an involuntary sigh and tilted his head in her direction. His legs began to weaken as pleasurable shivers coursed through him. After a moment he shook his head to liberate his ear and clear his mind. "Yah not be wanting ta do dat, yah? Come now, almost dere."

Taiyra let out a small displeased whine and To'roc felt an emotional tug. If things were his way, he would deny her nothing. She could ask for the head of the undead king himself and To'roc would attempt to fetch it for her. Or at least try to find a similar way to impress her.

As he opened the door to her room and carefully led her inside, he allowed his other hand to roam just a little lower on the doe's body, his thin fingers stroking the soft fur of her side. The bed was little more than a wooden frame built around a pile of straw, loosely covered with a thick blanket of woven kordox hair. To'roc's own bed offered far less luxury. "Easy does it, yah?" He murmured, easing the druid down onto the blanket. "Gonna hate da mornin, yah?" As his arms began to ease back, he let his fingers linger a few moments longer than needed. Already his body mourned the loss of her warm presence and a familiar ache began to fill him. With a sigh, he finally released her and began to straighten back up, but was surprised to find himself held back.

Taiyra's arms were still ringed around his neck, and she seemed to have no intention of letting go. To'roc reached up to gently pull at her wrists, but the doe only tightened her grip and pulled him closer. Glassy blue eyes stared up at him through an alcoholic haze. "Stay with me." She pleaded sleepily, nuzzling his forehead with her nose.

To'roc's breath caught in his chest at her words. Sha had asked him to stay with her. Surely that was justification enough for him to be found in her bed come morning. His presence had been requested. No doubts about it. It would all be completely innocent and harmless. He would just be there to protect her through the night.

If he was honest with himself, however, To'Roc didn't know how long it would remain harmless and innocent. He already longed for her with a deep ache in his chest. When the doe tugged on his neck again, he was forced to bring his hands to the bed frame to keep himself from falling on top of her. "Yah makin it hard ta say no, yah?"

"Then don't." She slurred, uncoiling one arm to grab his leg and pull him on top of her. To'roc yelped as he fell forward, the straw crackling with his added weight. "I don't want to be alone tonight." Before he could scramble back to his feet, Taiyra's hands moved to his cheeks, the light caress of her thumbs along the base of his tusks sending him into a near frenzy of erogenous pleasure. Leaning her head forward, her muzzle slipped easily between his long tusks, which caressed either side of her broad throat.. When her lips met his they had the softness of velvet. To'roc groaned lustfully into her mouth, his arms wrapping around her body as he settled on top of her.

The jruu's heart fluttered in his chest. He wished he could remain in that moment of time with his doe forever. When she began to delicately nibble on his bottom lip, he began to shudder. "Ahkay, I stay." He whispered, his voiced strained as he did his best to control his impulses.

The doe squealed in excitement and kissed him again, harder than before. To'roc closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss. Images flashed through his mind almost faster than he could process them; He would ask her to stay with him. Ask her to be his mate. She would happily accept. He imagined falling asleep beside her every night and waking with his fingers tangled in her mane every morning. Imagined her standing beside him when the end of the war was declared. There could be no offspring from their union, but there would plenty of orphans in need of a loving home. Together, they would return to his home, his tribe, and together they would declare their paring to the-

All thoughts of the future were suddenly wiped from To'roc's mind as he felt the doe's thick fingers fumbling with the laces of his trousers.