FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The next morning Adelind and I gave the kids their presents. We had been hiding the gifts under the furs we used for a bed,so we'd been sleeping on the rocks for the past few weeks,and it sucked,but was worth it.

We had given Ace a coat of armor made of bones,since he was almost three and it was a Mountain Dragon's right of passage to make and fight in a suit of armor.

Dusk had long complained that he wanted to know more stories,so after a little bit of search at some campsites around the forest,I had turned up some books.

Adelind and I had to collaborate a little bit on what to get Helix,because she was't sure what she wanted,so after some thought(And almost a year of searching),we gave her a fairly new doll I had found during my last solo hunt.

We gave all the kids a few Dragon Berries,this coconut sized,soft berry that every dragon,regardless of species or gender,cloud never get enough of(Adelind and I had to resist the temptation to eat them ourselves),some wild plums and some REAL blankets,left behind by a few guys who had failed to check their stuff after they left the forest.

Ace was the first up,and he went slack at amazement. His wings went limp at his side when the discovered the armor.

"YES,he shouted,IT'S EXACTLY HOW I PICTURED IT!"

His shouts of joy woke the other two,who also went limp at discovery.

"I can't believe I got books,Dusk shouted,I've alway's wanted some!"

Helix was amazed beyond words as she stared at the blue and red doll. "I LOVE IT,she finally shouted.

I looked Adelind in the eye,rubbed her muzzle and said

,"I've never seen the kids so happy."

I watched with my heart full of joy as Ace tried on his armor.

"It fits like it was made for me,I can't wait till my friends see it."

Dusk was already engrossed in his book,resting his head between his small paws,blue eyes firmly affixed on the pages.

Helix,was still staring at the doll,motionless. I walked over to her,

"You okay honey?" I asked.

She didn't take her eyes off the doll,"It's to nice to play with",she said softly.

"I think if you leave on your bed,i said,you cloud play with it,but keep it nice at the same time."

I heard voices outside,

"Guess the company's here,I said,this place is about to be packed."

Sozenn,Cora,our parents,my friend Fireclaw,his mate and cubs,usually spent Christmas with us,thus our den would be packed. The multiple touch downs outside our den confirmed my suspicions.

"Wel"l,I said as Adelind and I walked out,everyone showed up at once."

My parents,Tanulth and Sirath,Adelind's parents,Corinth and Franae,Sozenn,Cora,Fireclaw,his mate Talus and cubs,Nilanth and Kelarth,everyone was here. After exchanging hellos and a suffering through a few embarrassing remarks made by my Mom,Sozenn and I locked heads.

"Honestly,are the two of you STILL fighting?",my Dad asked.

"Yes,I said,and we will continue to do so for the foreseeable future."

Sozenn had a look of pride on his face,I had a gut feeling,but wasn't positive,so I asked.

"What's with the face?"

"Should we tell them,Sozenn asked turning to Cora,whose face had lit up.

Cora was a rare woodland dragon with her colors reversed. Instead of dark green on the top of her body and grey on the bottom,she was mostly grey with a dark green underside. She was especially quiet and very shy,not so much from fear as it was just from having a quiet nature.

"Tell us what,"I asked locking heads with him again and puffing smoke at him.

"That our eggs hatched,he said puffing smoke back at me.

My eyes got wide,"Your a father!?!"

"Yep,Sozenn said proudly,two boys."

I turned to Adelind,who had a wide smile covering her face.

"Congrats Sozenn,I said.

"Come on,I said my smile growing,lets see them!"

Sozenn moved his back leg,revealing two,little dragons with ice blue eyes who were colored like their mother. They each had the makings of two,forward pointing horns and spikes running down their backs. They were so small,they were having trouble walking around in the grass. I lowered myself to the ground,so as not to scare them to death.

"Go,Sozenn said,don't be scared,he won't hurt you."

The little dragons approached me. Both had looks of fear in thier eyes. The littlest one put his paws on my snout and tried to climb up,realizing he wasn't going too,he locked gazes with me. We stared at each other for a few minutes,then he balled up and went to sleep between my paws. I turned to Adelind,

"Remember when Ace was this small?"

"And we could never get him to stay awake for more than 10 minutes at a time,Adelind asked with a bit of a laugh,yes I do."

"What are their names?",I asked.

"Galzra and Inioth,Sozenn said,that one's Inioth."

For whatever the reason,Inioth reminded me of Ace.

"Enough talk boys,Cora said,let's go inside,my wings are starting to freeze."

"You always were an ice cube,Sozenn said rubbing Cora's muzzle.

"Hah ha,Cora said sarcastically.

"Dad,I said,I need to talk to you."

While the others entered our den,my Dad hung back.

"What's on your mind son,he asked.

"Yesterday,I was teaching the kids how to use fire when Ace found a gun,I studied it for a minute,then I saw something. I was seeing something from the point of view of a human. The thing that freaks me out is that when he spoke,it was with my voice."

Dad looked at me,I cloud tell he was stunned.

"I woludn't worry too much about it son,he said,it was probably just a freak incident."

"That's exactly what Adelind said last night",I replied.

Dad laughed.

"Tanulth,my mom called,get in here!"

"Come on son,Dad said putting a wing around me,let's go enjoy the holidays."

In the den was a maelstrom of unspeakable chaos. Ace had Dusk pinned,Cora,my Mom and Adelind were spreading gossip about other dragons on the preserve,Sozenn and Fireclaw were doing I have no idea(It looked like Fireclaw was trying to convince Sozenn to spar with him,but I coludn't make it out).

"Is this a holiday or what",I asked.

"IT'S THE BEST ONE EVER,Ace shouted.

Much of the day was spent playing games and telling stories. Close to the end of day,I got challenged.

"Tyro,Sozenn said,lets go,right now."

"Do I really have to beat you up twice in the same week?",I asked in reply,Very well,I said taking a stance,your move!"

Sozenn snorted,puffing out a small cloud of black smoke,then he charged me. We crashed heads with a sound similar to a gunshot. The recoil from the impact forced us both back. Sozenn charged me again. With a swipe of my tail,I knocked him off his feet. He crashed to the ground and I pinned him.

"No fair,Sozenn said.

"Yes fair,I said,you lost fair and square."

Sozenn huffed.

"Don't get huffy,I told him,it's what I always tell my kids,don't pick fights unless you know you can win."

Everyone laughed as I let Sozenn up. When the day was done,we all said our goodbyes and returned to our dens. I put the kids to bed because they were all droopy eyed and yawning and because I wanted to have some alone time with Adelind. They were almost instantly out of it all of them were snoring.

"Wow,I said laying beside Adelind and warping her with my wings,that was a holiday to remember."

"It certainly was something,she said placing her head between mine and my paws and warping her tail around mine,I certainly won't forget it."

"Neither will I,I said softly.

A smile covered my face as Adelind and I looked into each other's eyes.

"So when do we tell Helix she's going to be a big sister?"

We had found out we had another cub coming a week or so back. The kids hadn't seemed to notice Adelind was getting a little bigger every day with the baby,or babies,forming inside her. Adelind moved closer to me.

"I say we let them figure out on their own."

"When do think they'll be born I asked"

Mountain dragons birthed differently from all others. Instead of laying eggs,the mother gives live birth. When Ace was born,it had turned the way I looked at things upside down,but by the time Dusk and Helix came along,I knew what I was doing.

"I don't know,Adelind said softly,I felt one kick a few days ago,but I still think I've got a ways to go." "

I continued to look into Adelind's eyes.

The light of the fire reflecting off them,I could see myself in her eyes. Adelind placed her head on my paws and I laced my head on hers.

"What should we name her",I asked.

"I like Kayel",Adelind said.

"I do too,I said putting a wing around her,it's a great name."

Adelind put her tail around mine and I slowly drifted into a deep sleep.