FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Cold air blew through the forest of barren trees, stinging everything unprepared for its icy chill. The dead of winter was always dangerous, even to the most rugged and adept individuals. A little figure wandered frightfully through the forest without any sense of direction. Cheeks red from the biting cold and eyes watering from the frigid air, a young face panted woefully. Foggy white breath blew into the air. A whimper escaped the boy's lips when he stopped to look around the strange forest.

"I'm lost!" He cried. What had started out as an adventure into the woods had quickly turned into a dangerous scenario. Merely nine years old, Alexander or "Alex" was a complete stranger to the vast wild forests of his frontier home like most humans. Human settlement had recently begun, but was small in number due to harsh winters and rough terrain. With no other siblings he frequently found himself alone to play, but not heeding the words of his mother, he wandered too far out into the woods and lost his way home. A gust of wind startled the boy. The tall trees swayed and barren branches above noisily clacked together like bones. It was a spooky omen of an impending winter storm.

"Mom!" He yelled. "Dad?!" His cries for help were drowned out by the periodic winds and vast emptiness. Panicking, the boy hurried in any direction where he believed a path existed. But it was merely the scenery playing tricks on his eyes. The forest seemed endless in every direction, no matter how far he ran. Whenever a gust shook the forest, the cold air cut through his simple clothes like an icy knife. 'It's so cold!' His teeth chattered as he struggled to keep himself warm. Taking shelter behind a sturdy oak, Alex huddled down to the ground. His coat wasn't meant to break the wind or stay warm very long in the frigid air. He warmed his cheeks and nose the best he could, but the cold nipped his extremities instead. The wind soon died down, allowing him a window of opportunity to move without freezing. Alex rose to his feet and stared blankly ahead. The forest hadn't changed but flakes of white caught his eye.

'It's snowing...' He blinked at the treetops above. Flurries cascaded around him and down to the ground, spurred by the chilling breeze. He watched the dots of white land and stick to the forest floor. Alex always liked watching it snow from his house, but that included a warm room and toasty fireplace. A stiff breeze stirred him to move. He continued wandering through the woods, hoping to reach the rolling plains once again. But as the flurries steadily grew into a snow shower, the chances of finding his dad or anyone that could help him faded away into the silent trees. Watching one land in front of him, he blinked and quickly resumed walking. Facing a blizzard alone would quickly spell his end faster than the cold alone. His eyes watered from the stinging chill as snow faced around him. The sight of snow and towering silent trees was endless, or so he thought.

'Huh?' He paused and blinked. Past the immediate trees a steep hillside with large stones came into view. The boy barely took notice before making out a rocky cliff face ahead. Passing a few more trees, he could see large stone jutting out of an impossibly steep hillside. Peering from around a pine tree, the boy found himself at the base of a natural earthen wall. Covered in fresh snow, rock made up a fair amount of the steep wall, but grass, bushes, and defiant trees managed to find a perch to grow from. Wind whipping at his back, he decided to seek shelter among the stony cliff.

'I need to go somewhere warm.' Alex knew that staying outside in the windy cold after night fall would prove fatal. Walking along the rocky bottom and weaving around the trees, he discovered a gaping mouth of darkness.

'A cave!' He stopped and looked around first. The cave appeared deep and mysterious, but appeared uninhabited. No signs of a wild animal lurking inside, and best of all, it was dry and sheltered from the icy winds. Stepping forward, his breath continued to fog into the air. The grass beneath his shoes turned into stone as he entered the spooky shelter. The entire cave was stone. The walls were smooth, yet jagged in some places. Even the ceiling had small stalactites hanging from above.

'It's still cold...' He folded his arms and looked around the empty cavern. But as a shelter from the wind and snow, it was a much better alternative. Without the biting wind, he could loosen up without fear of freezing to death. Alex turned back and looked outside. The snow had begun falling in earnest. Thick white flakes poured down, blurring everything at a distance. The ground was already coated in a veil of white snow, and the frozen white was covering everything else in sight. Whereas the pitch black darkness before him seemed void, the opposite of the outside forest.

"I need a fire..." He paused as his voice echoed some. However, there was no available wood, only rocks scattered around him. Kicking one, he looked around the cave. 'How far does this go back?' He wondered and cautiously stepped forward. The murky darkness made the hair on his neck and arms stand up. His footsteps created a light echo the further he walked back. The back of the cavern was dark, but his eyes gradually adjusted. One wall appeared slick and wet with just enough light to reflect off. Reaching out, he touched the wall only to retract his hand. 'It's cold!' He briefly shivered and rubbed his hand. The short cavern quickly narrowed, cutting off any further room.

"Taro suskiyya." A voice towards the cave's entrance startled the boy. Another soft sound, akin to footsteps made his little heart quicken.

'What was that?' He froze. His young imagination ran wild with terrible monsters and creatures that could've entered the cave. A loud whipping noise, as if someone was shaking a carpet, reached his ears. Alex's body shook as if a line of ice ran up his spine. Ducking along the edge of the wall, he peered towards the front of the cave. The backdrop of falling snow outside was nearly blinding compared to the darkness. His eyes briefly stung as he searched for an intruder. He couldn't see anything until movement caught his attention. The silhouette of a figure was standing inside the cave's entrance with the falling snow behind it. The figure was crouching by the wall, but Alex couldn't make out what it actually was, friend or foe. Glancing around, there were few places to hide, except by using the darkness behind him.

'I need to hide!' He took a step back, but his heel accidentally kicked a small stone. It noisily clacked over the cave floor. His heart stopped as the clacking lightly echoed throughout the cavern. His eyes darted to where the figure had been seated. 'Where'd it go?' He blinked only to sense movement much closer to him. The figure was standing and facing his direction. Its impressive height made his knees weakly tremble. The glint of a feline eye sent chills through his body. It could see him!

'Oh no!' His entire body quaked in trembling fear. Gradual softly echoing steps brought the unknown figure ever so closer. Alex fell back but couldn't move in fear. 'I want to go home.' His thoughts hoped this was a bizarre dream. The tall figure stopped in surprise. A pair of short round ears stood straight up. Faintly visible facial features of a native feline were becoming clearer. Alex's jaw quivered as the human-like creature knelt down before him.

"Neva hoi." A female voice spoke as a hand was offered to him. Alex nervously kept still, too scared to even cry. "Neva hoi..." She softly spoke and inched closer to the startled boy. Hands gently touched his arms, snapping him from his nightmarish fears. He gasped and breathed heavily, releasing some of his pent up anxiety and fears.

"Wh-who are you?" His voice barely echoed behind him. Her ears flickered at his human voice. She didn't answer, but her gaze didn't waver from him. There was an odd warmth radiating from where she was touching him. Alex looked at the hands on his arms.

"Hohhot?" She softly spoke, snapping his attention back to her.

"I-I don't know." He quivered. "What are you s-saying?" The stranger paused for a moment. A gentle tug on his arms lifted him up.

"Mata houn." She helped pull the jittery human to his feet. Alex stumbled and nearly fell forward as she guided him towards the front of the cave. With more light, Alex could easily see that she wasn't a monster from his imagination, but a native from the forest.

'She's a feline.' He realized a the feline knelt down before him. Her hands touched his clothes and inspected him over. Both had pads, and were covered in fur like the rest of her body. The digits were bulkier and still larger, but very human. They eventually retracted, bringing Alex's gaze to her own. The face of a mountain lion was mere inches from his face. The brusque muzzle of tan and white fur donned whiskers rested below her sharp golden eyes. They resembled paralyzing orbs that drew in his complete attention. Only a blink brought his focus back.

"Uwehasha... Uwe." Her words sounded like a question, but Alex couldn't make heads or tails of what the mountain lion was trying to say. Her striking eyes studied him before unexpectedly leaning forward.

"Uh..." The boy stood still as her nose examined his face, breathing warm breaths of air onto his chilled skin. Before Alex could form the words to speak, her muzzle and cheek brushed over his face. Fur and whiskers caress his skin in an odd demonstration of friendliness.

"Ack!" He wiped away a few lingering hairs from his face. The feline grinned and prodded his front lightly with a finger. "Stop that." He tried blocking her. To his surprise, she laughed with a faint hiss in her voice. The mountain lion sat down and faced him. Without terror gripping him tightly, the boy could see the feline more clearly. Her body was built athletic and strong, able to overpower any human that he knew of. But a thick coat of winter fur softened her appearance. Soft browns of different shades covered most of her body, except for a snowy white trailing down her front. She wore little to his human eyes, but her fur provided much of clothing's necessities. A chest cloth of fur and buckskin loincloth covered parts of her body along with a few tribal ornaments. Her squarish feline face was illuminated by two sharp golden eyes. Behind short round ears, long hair matching her brown fur color descended down almost to the cave floor where a long tail idly rested.

The mountain lioness was a fascinating sight to see. Even at his age, the boy knew that some humans socialized and on rare occasion intermarried with the neighboring Anthro tribal communities. His dad talked and met with some from a specific tribe in the forests, but he was never allowed to go with him. Despite living among them, he had never seen one in person before.

"Motumqua..." She held her hand face up and palm open. Alex looked at the feline's empty hand suspiciously. The pads were empty and her claws were sheathed. Compelled by curiosity, he took the chance and outstretched his hands. They touched and Alex was surprised to feel warm leathery pads. The feline blinked, and her eyes widened feeling how cold his hands were. "Akechi monoto." She mumbled as her own hands disappeared behind her back. Alex watched as she untied the chest cloth covering her front. "Nemikoho." The mountain lion held up the garment to him. He recognized that the pelt was of a wild animal.

"Is that rabbit fur?" He thought aloud.

"Onahua keka lo." She placed the chest cloth around his hands. Alex felt the odd garment. The rabbit fur garment was incredibly silky to the touch, and both sides were very warm from her body heat.

"They're like mittens!" A grin emerged on the corners of his mouth. The persistent chill began to leave his body as the familiar sensation of warmth replaced it. He silently exhaled and closed his eyes. 'It feels so nice...' His thoughts were completely taken aback by the simple garment.

"Owokosse..." The mountain lioness softly spoke, but Alex was too enraptured by the feline's garment to hear her. She lightly pulled the rabbit fur away, but he was still holding onto it. The light force was enough to unsteady the cold human. He fell forward with a silent gasp. Her legs pulled together and caught him from falling any further, but his hand had already planted itself on the center of her chest to brace for a fall. Alex exhaled with relief, and stared where his hand was. Feeling embarrassed, he retracted his hand but realized how much colder the air was in comparison. He placed his hand back onto the center of her chest where it sunk into the thick tuft of white. Alex lightly grabbed her fur, enjoying its soft touch.

"You're warm..." It wasn't just her garment that was warm! The heat felt really cozy on his hand. He almost didn't realize that the mountain lioness was almost naked. On either side of his hand were small breasts that suited her athletic build well. Feminine buds of flesh were barely visible at the center of each, hidden in her dense fur that he envied.

"You're a lady?" The realization struck the human boy as odd, and he quickly retracted his hand. She lightly chuckled at his curious expression and parted her legs for him to stand up on his own.

"Mehatti weshanu lid." She motioned to the garment and then cupped one breast with a hand. The boy blinked, completely confused to what she meant. "Hobayuna keku." The feline sat up and handed her garment back to him.

"Thank you." Alex wrapped his hands up in the rabbit fur. He was grateful for the simple pelt. His gaze looked outside the cave entrance, and watched the snow pour like spilled flour, blurring everything in the background. The trees and undergrowth he had been lost in were barely a faded afterimage. Yet, here he was, warm in a cave with unexpectedly friendly company. The athletic mountain lioness was sitting against the cave wall, comfortable and content as far as he could tell. Alex was still cold, but not freezing to death anymore. Her golden eyes stared at him, expecting him to speak to her again.

"Who are you?" He asked. Her ears moved at the sound of his young voice. "Are-Are you part of a tribe?" Alex wondered. The mountain lioness's ears dialed around as she studied his expression. "A tribe..." He remembered that she couldn't understand his language, but maybe there was a chance they could still communicate. "I'm Alex." He pointed to himself. "My name is Alex." Her gaze sharpened as he repeated his name.

"Al-echo?" The mountain lioness attempted to sound out the word.

"Who are you?" He asked. The mountain lioness didn't respond immediately. She reached around her neck and untied something. Brining it forward, he saw two ends of a leather string between her bulky fingers.

"Nohtu."

"It's a necklace." Alex stared at the item, but he found something at the end. It was an intricate little wooden carving of a wolf-like figure howling at the moon. "A wolf." His thumbs felt over the odd carving in wonder.

"Amunu ink soho..." The feline started to explain. Alex looked up at her while she hummed in thought. "Anbishwamun." She held her hands up and made an open circle. The mountain lioness then pretended to howl up at her hands.

"A wolf?" He guessed. "So it is a wolf." But he still didn't understand why she wore it. Was it a symbol of her tribe; who she married; her name; or just a simple good luck charm?

"Awahumenu, inchumen huyo." She told him before tying it back around her neck. "Awahu." The feline held it closely to her chest for a moment. Alex only stared at her, completely befuddled.

'It is important to her.' The human guessed. He stepped forward and wanted to look at her necklace again, but his feet nearly stumbled on the uneven cave floor. A hand was quick to grab him again, but this time Alex didn't fall forward. He caught ahold of her arm and ended up standing at her side. 'I fell again!' He felt flustered and angry, but soon took notice of the hand he was holding. The feeling of fur and something skin like was touching him. The boy peered closer at the feline's hand. Covered in fur, the hand was much bigger than his own. Her fingers were bulky and large, but were very similar to his own. However, each had fingertips without fur as well as her palm. Alex touched the main pad in the center of her palm.

"Smooth... Like leather." The sensation did not feel all that strange to him, but it felt mystifying at the same time. All of her fingers suddenly strained forward and revealed clear sharp claws. "Woah..." He stared with wide eyes as the little natural weapons revealed themselves. After a few seconds, they suddenly retracted back. Alex looked up at her, and found that she was intently watching him. The faint grin on her muzzle appeared a little amused with his expressions. He studied the odd anthro face. There was a lot about her that piqued his curiosity. The feline muzzle with whiskers and pink nose were anything but human to his eyes. He looked up at the pair of short ears atop her head. At the slightest odd sound, no matter where it came from, one would turn by itself to hear better.

'What is she hearing that I can't?' Alex looked around the dark dwelling. The mountain lioness moved her hand and pointed outside the cave.

"Nessuwa." She mimicked her fingers like a pair of legs walking. "Ack!" She hugged herself and pretended to shiver. "Moche..." She paused as if in thought. "Behothu nesse m'qua ichinik." Her hands slowly waved over her head as she looked up at the cave's ceiling.

She then cupped her hands and motioned from the cave entrance to herself. "Human." His eyes lit up as she spoke one word that he understood. "Human kachuwim." The lioness pointed at him and then towards the back of the cave. The tribal feline motioned to Alex with a hand. It dawned on the human that she wanted him to speak.

"I... Uh..." He fidgeted, standing before the feline adult, unsure what to say. Her tail rested idly as she patiently waited. "Well... I live in the house by the field and woods." Alex pointed towards the cave's entrance. "I've always lived there." Despite their different spoken languages, she listened to him intently. "I was out playing in the woods. I was having so much fun that I got lost... I couldn't find a way but I saw this cave, so I came inside and looked around. When I walked to the back I heard something, but it was just you." Alex easily remembered the fear that overcame him when he first saw the shadowy figure. "You're kinda scary..." He looked at her feline eyes that resembled two yellow-gold full moons. Alex's gaze returned outside where the snow had already accumulated and blanketed the ground.

"I'm scared..." The graveness and stress of the situation returned to his thoughts once again. He was cold and worried. "I don't know what to do. I miss my mom and dad!" His eyes watered. "I want to go home..." He whined and buried his face into the rabbit pelt wrapped around his hands. Through watery eyes and handfuls of rabbit fur he could see the feline's ears fall back. Her gaze was empathetic towards the human boy's plight. Their was no language barrier preventing her from understanding his emotions like sadness.

"Neva hoi." She coaxed him back with beckoning hands. He stepped forward and felt a pair of hands grab ahold of him.

"Huh?" He was surprised to be pulled into her lap. Alex curled up to fit on her lap. She gently wrapped her arms around him and rested his head beside her shoulder. Tucked under her furry chin, he felt snug and cozy. The mountain lion's fur was nice and warm, like wearing a blanket by a fire. An earthy scent mingled with his nose that reminded him of damp earth and fresh rain paired with something vaguely aromatic.

"Shh... Sh." A hand soothingly rubbed his back. Alex wiped his eyes, and calmed his shaky breathing. From under her fuzzy white chin, the boy watched the snow outside as the light faded, casting everything into darkness. He worried about the snowstorm and making it back home, but he felt much safer in her protective arms.

Pawakinssu sosse

Ana pe huhana

Pawakinssu sosse

ihukula nemaq'lo

She softly sang in a sweet whisper, and repeated the lines. The beautiful words of her tribal tongue were enchanting and mysterious to his young ears.

'What is she... saying?' His brow tried furrowing in question, but he felt sleepy. The entire ordeal had left him worn out. His grip around her loosened until he was limp in her lap and arms. It was becoming difficult to stay awake. Her strange words danced around him as she lulled him to sleep. The harder he tried keeping his eyes open, the further her lullaby soothed him to sleep. When his eyes finally closed, they did so peacefully.

Alex stirred without haste or hurry from a full night of sleep. It had been the most pleasant night of sleep that the boy ever had outside of his home. The howling winds and rattling tree branches were no longer echoing through his ears. He wasn't entirely lost within the sheltering cave. Most importantly, he was warm all over. The icy cold air no longer had the boy in a snare. He peeked an eye open. The cave's dark interior hadn't changed, but outside of the entrance the morning light was visible. It was morning!

'It stopped snowing?' His sleepy thoughts guessed. His other eye opened only to find itself covered by a furry arm. He started to move only to feel a hand start rubbing his back. Alex sighed comfortably and settled back down as he remembered the previous evening's events. He felt a great relief knowing that he had made it through the night with little trouble. The mountain lioness shifted, clearly awake.

"Maquiwesu. Tehibicha nebu." She rubbed his back, gently trying to wake him up. Alex yawned, but didn't want to get up just yet. Just when he thought he could sleep for a few more minutes something warm, wet, and rough licked over his cheek and forehead.

"Agh... What?" His eyes opened wide in confusion at the wet sandpaper sensation against his face. Alex looked up only for his forward to be licked by the mountain lion's feline tongue. "Yuck... I'm awake." He grumbled. Golden eyes smiled down at him happily. Her throat rumbled in an amused purr. A few nudges helped him make a move. He crawled out of her lap but instantly sprang to his feet. 'The floor is cold!' He quickly rubbed his hands on his shirt. The rush of cooler air was noticeably felt without having the tribal lioness to snuggle with. She rose to her paws and smoothed out her messy fur.

"Mache nu'wa?" She crouched down before the human. She reached out and held up one of his hands. Alex watched her feel over and inspect his hands and then limbs. Although, he could not help himself from complaining when her padded fingertips touched his face.

"I'm ok." He quietly told her. Her ears swiveled at the sound of his strange tongue but she didn't reply. The feline stood up when she decided he was fine, and retrieved her chest cloth from the cave floor. She faced the cave wall and tied the rabbit fur around her chest. Watching the tip of her brown tail sway, Alex noticed something. Along the cave floor, propped against the wall, were several items. Alex hadn't noticed the equipment she had carried into the cave. He watched the feline crouch down and tie on a sheathed knife around her waist before putting on a pair of short tasseled armbands of squirrel fur. A small leather pouch was last to be tied around her waist. After checking herself over she began walking towards the mouth of the cave.

'Huh?' Alex blinked in surprise, but a furry hand motioned for him to come with her. Alex eagerly followed the feline to the mouth of the cave. The thin layer of powdery snow dusting the entrance of the cave crunched silently beneath his steps. Taking a few steps out of the cave, the boy looked at the forest and cliff side completely changed from the storm last night. The deadly snowstorm left the entire forest in a frozen state of beauty. A thick blanket of snow more than one foot deep covered the forested landscape. The feline standing beside him blended very well into the freshly snowed forest. Her brown and white fur resembled the forest, cliffs, and snow mixed together as a natural camouflage. The gentle breeze ruffled her thick fur and long golden brown hair, but also stirred snow from the branches above them. The scattered flakes blew past them in the cold air.

"Which way are we going?" Alex asked her. An ear flickered at the sound of his voice. She scanned the trees briefly. The feline's mouth parted and her breath exited in faint clouds. The coldness was already starting to nip at the boy's skin.

"Toshum'que." She pointed and then began walking into the snow towards the trees. Alex was quick to follow the mountain lioness. Her legs trudged through the snow as if wading into a stream. The snow stuck to her thick fur, but she seemed immune from its icy chill. Behind, Alex tried walking through her tracks. The forest around him seemed endless as the evening before. The naked trees and thick snow never changed in the slightest to his eyes no matter where they walked. Without a clue where he should go, the human only had the mountain lioness to rely on. After pausing at a tree, the feline was already several strides ahead of him.

"Wait!" Alex called out. The boy had difficulty stepping through the snow. The frozen flakes would fall into his shoes and began to melt against his skin. "Wait for me..." He jumped, kicked, and pushed through the snow as fast as he could. But the work tired him out as she led him through the forest in twisting paths. A brief wind stung his cheeks and ears, causing his eyes to water. The mountain lioness looked over her shoulder at him and crouched down. Alex shuffled through the powdery white to her.

"Thank... you..." He breathed and tapped her shoulder.

"Menuha tathooyoi wan." She quickly spoke and backed into him.

"Huh?" He fell forward and into her back only for a pair of hands to grab his legs. Alex was hoisted up onto her back like his dad used to carry him through the fields when he was little. He clung to her shoulders and leaned forward as she began walking again. She carried him over the snow drifts and through the forest on her back without much effort.

'She must be as tall as my dad!' Alex glanced down at the ground from his perch. A stiff breeze made him huddle up against her warm back. They continued on, weaving through the trees towards somewhere that only the mountain lioness knew of. She suddenly paused mid stride and turned her head slightly left. The boy's ears preened the silent landscape without any luck.

"What is it?" Alex couldn't see anything either, except more trees and snow.

"Motu ohne!" There was excitement in her voice and she hurried in earnest. Alex held on tight as she mushed through the snow and around the trees with impressive speed. While dodging low hanging branches, the scenery changed. Alex realized they had just reached a field, leaving the woods behind.

'Is this my mom and dad's field?' It was hard to recognize anything with all of the snow, but he remained hopeful. The mountain lioness slowed down and looked around as she went into the open. There wasn't much to see other than the rolling field covering in snow and the light grey sky above. Alex looked around the silent field as she lumbered on.

"Aaawoooowoooohhh." A sharp, and not so distant barking howl from ahead greeted them. Figures were visible against the blanket of white snow.

"Chuyuskaya!" The lioness called out. One of the figures waved. Alex stared ahead and tried making out who they were. A tall red furred male husky, a short female red vixen, and a young female wolf around Alex's height were standing alongside a human.

"That's my dad!" He cried out, and began to squirm and clamor on the mountain lioness's back. The tribal feline knelt down and let Alex stand on his own. "Dad!" He broke into a run through the snow towards the bearded man.

"Alex!" The man collided with him in a big hug as the humans were reunited. "I was so worried about you!" He said.

"Dad..." Alex was too happy to say anything else.

"You're not freezing." The father was half surprised.

"No." He innocently shook his head.

"I'm glad that you're safe." There was plenty of relief in his voice. "Your mother and I looked everywhere for you, but the snow came in so quick..."

"The tribal lady found me in a cave." The boy was quick to point at the mountain lioness. His dad stood up and brushed muzzles with the feline. They exchanged a few brief words and used their hands to motion out what their ears couldn't understand. Alex wasn't sure what they were saying, but their smiles gave him a clue. Alex watched the mountain lioness stand by while his dad then shook hands with the male red husky. The canine male was dressed similarly to the mountain lioness, but he was even taller and wore feathers in his long auburn hair. The vixen wore a chest cloth of grey fur, likely squirrel, and a beaded necklace. The young wolf beside her only wore a long loincloth since she was too young to require a chest cloth like her female peers. A quiver over her shoulder and hunting bow in hand indicated what she was hoping to do in the snowy weather.

"Huh?" Alex's gaze met the young she wolf's. Her nose flared as she smelled him from afar.

"Thank you all so much for your help." Alex's dad was elated.

"Happy to help you, Thomas." The red husky's deep voice spoke in broken English.

"What's going on dad?" Alex tugged on his dad's coat.

"They're about to leave." His dad explained. "I hope that you thanked her." Without hesitation, Alex ran over and collided with the feline in a big hug.

"Thank you..." His voice was muffled in her white fur. He didn't want to leave the safety of her fur coat, but he stepped back to say goodbye. She looked down at Alex with a smile.

"Amanehee watathu kue'squm." She spoke softly and patted his back. With those final words, she bid him farewell and began her trek back into the forest. The husky was next to turn and leave followed by the vixen.

"Dad, what does that mean?"

"It means 'you are welcome forever' or something very similar to that." He explained.

"Oh..." The young she wolf was last to turn around, but only after a kind wave. Alex waved back as a hand tapped his shoulder.

"Let's go home." His dad spoke up. "You must be getting cold now. I am getting cold!" he laughed at the fact that he was wearing a thick coat.

"Mhm!" The boy nodded and trudged through the snow along with his dad. He peeked over his shoulder at the figures disappearing back into the woods. Alex wondered how many more times he would run into the tribal people that inhabited the forests around their house, but right now he just wanted to sit by the fireplace for the day.

End... ?