FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

                When

you get older, you ponder things you didn't care about in your youth. When the

hormones run high, and your muscles are eager for exercise, you have very few

things that occupy your mind. If you're male, you think with your genitals. And

if you're female, well, you think with the same organs. I'm not complaining,

nor am I bitter. I had my time, and it was a glorious one. That was many, many  years ago.                Now,

every day, I would wade to a large flat rock in the middle of the river and

fish. Not the overly complicated way of using a pole, some string and a bent

piece of sharp wire. No, I sat there and used my imagination. If I left my

hairy feet in the water long enough, and especially if I didn't move around,

the fish would come to me. If they got too curious about the wiggling toes or

the undulating fur, I would clamp my feet together and pop them right out of

the water.                It

wasn't a talent that everyone could appreciate. But for a tired old leopard, it

was the most fun he could have anymore. A broken leg that had healed poorly had

done me in for much of anything else. I wasn't the type to hang around the

local villages and their taverns. I wasn't ancient, but I was old enough to not

fit in well with the younger generation of cubs and youths. Old enough too that

the cold of winter bit into me more than it did in my youth. Summer was a

salvation.                I did

have an additional bright spot in my waning days though. It didn't happen every

day, but from time to time I would get a visitor. Her name was Velori. She was

a snow white feline in a class all by herself. She had no spots, and yet her

eyes were green, not the red of an albino. In her face, she was pretty, but to

be honest, like an old cat tends to be, she wasn't the most beautiful I had

ever seen. That face had belonged to my mate, may the spirits rest her soul.                But Velori

would suddenly pop out of the water and sit beside me, watching me patiently waiting

for the fish to come near. She would rarely speak, since she knew that noise

would frighten them away.  She hardly

stayed long either, and when she did speak, it was usually in brief snippets.                 "You

must be a very patient person to sit here for hours to catch fish. Aren't there

easier ways?"                "Yes, I

suppose there are. But if something is easy to do, then everyone would do it.

Besides, why should you remark on such a thing. Look to yourself!"                She

giggled, but upon hearing voices along the bank, slipped into the water and

disappeared from sight. I smiled, thankful for the brief but enjoyable break in

my day. I wasn't anti-social. I was just lonely and feeling out of place; I did

my own thing and stayed out of everyone's way.                Since

you're likely wondering what I was referring to with her, it is this. When she

came of age, she decided to forego all suitors. No, she wasn't one of those who

preferred her own gender. She decided she wanted to have only the best of the

males. She never defined what she meant as best, but she did impose a

challenge. Ever summer, starting at the equinox and ending three months later,

she promised she would give herself to any male who could catch her.                Now, it

was never that simple of course. There were set hours, mostly daylight, so she

could safely get to sleep at night. I smiled at her nerve. Like I said, she wasn't

the prettiest, but she was special and she knew it. So did all the males. For

three years running now she had eluded them, being by the end of the summer fit

and trim and even faster than at the start.                 I never

bothered. Like I said, I was old and tired and content with fishing as well as

the occasional visit by this extraordinary feminine feline. Oh, I won't say

that I didn't get a little rise out of it, in more ways than one, but I was

under no delusions as to my place in her scheme.                Her

visits were almost always brief, for she was constantly on the run. She found

the game to be exhilarating, and her wits were as sharp as any. Today was slightly

different at the outset of her visit. I had my basket half full of fish. It was

submerged, held in place by a cord. I had closed my eyes when I felt a nibble

on my toes. There was no point in opening them as I could do this blind folded.

Try as I might though, I couldn't get this persistent fish where I wanted it. The

slippery piscian was too wily. I opened my eyelids so that I could see what

fish could outsmart me.                It was

long and white and as its head came out of the water, it smiled. "Caught ya

sleeping on the job!"                I

yawned a little and grinned. "I suppose you did. The sun is warm, the water is

cool and I can't just help feeling relaxed."                She

looked around before darting out of the water onto my rock.  "Yes, it is a beautiful day. You should see

all of the fish under the water!"                I

laughed. "The only fish I care about are those I've caught, and those I haven't

caught. If you've seen fish, they'll be a meal some day, if I have anything to

say about it!"                She was

squeezing the water from her fur. It was a little less white from the river

water, but hardly enough to dampen (sorry!) her looks.  She finished ridding herself of the excess

and lay back in the sun.                "Aren't

you feeling brave?" I said, "Or is it the end of summer already?"                "No,

it's still summer. I think that I'll be safe here for a bit."                I

chuckled. "Safe from me anyway. Where are your pursuers?"                She

stretched out in the sun, her long limbs going to the four points of the

compass. Her tail was idly lashing to some internal rhythm.                 "Who

knows. After three years, the game has gotten old. Despite fresh meat added

each year, none has the brains or the speed to match mine. Too bad they weren't

more like you."                "Me?

I'm not in this contest young lady."                "I

know. I mean more like when you were my age. I know the stories. They say you

were the fastest and most cunning cat in the valley."                "Key

word; was."                She

smiled. "True. Time has a way of ruining everything. They say your mate was a

beauty beyond compare... if I'm not being presumptuous."                 I

smiled back. "Those were the days. And no, you're not being presumptuous. She

was the finest feline anywhere. I was lucky to gain her favor."                Velori

had rolled to be on her stomach. She was sitting up on her elbows. "Sounds like

you two had quite the romance. I would give up this entire contest to find

someone as perfect as you!"                My

heart beat a little faster at the flattery. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I told

myself. Just listen and be good. "I'm not perfect Velori. I have a bum leg, and

I have a touch of gray around my muzzle. Not to mention, I'm not fit enough to do

anything useful anymore."                 "That's

too bad. I wish it could be some other way." She swung around to a sitting

position. She rested her paw on mine. It seemed small and delicate, reminiscent

of my mates. I gulped a little, fighting down any thoughts I was having. I

didn't want to frighten her off. Then my fishing would be even more boring. But

my heart was quickening and my blood pressure was climbing.                 She

smiled at me in a way that made my heart slow to a stop. Time itself seemed to

slow. I was feeling uncomfortable. Pleasant, yes, but uncomfortable

nonetheless. She patted my paw and I instinctively flipped it over to grasp

hers. I missed the simple things like that. My mate had been gone a few years

now, and the emptiness was constant.                She

smiled even larger. Her teeth gleamed in the sunlight. "You have a strong

grip."                "I can

let go if you want..."                "No, I

think I like it. Can I see how strong you are?"                I

wrinkled my brow. "It's nothing like in the old days. But if you want to try it

out, just don't whine if I hurt you." I gave her a squeeze until she grimaced

and tried to pull away. It didn't work. She was stuck in my grasp.                I

loosen up my fingers. She held onto me with an admirable grip of her own. She

sighed and smiled.                "Well,

I'm glad that's over with."                I felt

hurt. "But you said you wanted to find out how..." She put a finger to my lips.                "I know

what I said. I couldn't get loose. Therefore, I was caught in your grip. Your

grip... That means that I now have a mate of my own, both one of my choosing, and

one worthwhile of my time."                I

choked back a flood of emotion. "But I can't become your mate!"                She

pointed to the bank, where a few of the elders were watching. "They watched you

hold me fast. You caught me. Or am I so ugly that you wish to have nothing to

do with me?"                I felt

a rise in a region that was normally dormant. "Uh, are you sure about this?"                She

leaned up and kissed me. "Oh absolutely!"                She

climbed into my lap. I warned against it.    "Uh, you probably shouldn't do that

you know!"                She

kissed me soundly. "Shut up. Neither of us are getting any younger, and I for

one would like a taste of what you gave your first mate. For all accounts, she

used to howl to the moon."                I could

feel the blood finding its way to a long dormant organ. What had been mere

hints at other times was becoming a fully fledged erection. She was quick to

notice.                "Now

that's what I'm talking about!"                By the

time we were done proving our commitment to each other, the moon was out, and

the crowd that had gathered had broken up and gone home. The entire population

of males shook their heads in dismay and wondered at my luck. I was so tired

that we slept out in the middle of the river the rest of the night. Oh, did I

say sleep? No, there was little sleep to be had this night.                I did

finally ask her why she chose me. Her answer somewhat surprised me.                "I

would come and sit with you for as long as I could. Not once did you try to

grab me or do anything inappropriate. You're grip is still plenty strong. You

could have had me any number of times, but you never tried. I thought maybe you

weren't interested, but I realized you were just being a gentleman. And that

was when I knew I had to have you. And as you have proven to me on my mating

night, you still have a lot of life left in you. I think I chose well."                Who was

I to argue?