FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter II - From the Sea

A firm thwacking sound woke me up from a deep sleep. My eyes opened wide, and the early daylight filled part of the home without the need for a fire. I almost made the mistake of rolling onto my injured side again. Pain quickly shot through my entire core as I stiffened up.

“Unngnghh!" I grimaced in pain and groaned punitively as I returned to my back. Blowing a sigh, I relaxed before propping myself up with my arms. The pain was somewhat easier than the last time I had woken up. Glancing around, I noticed that the odd sound had stopped.

'Where is she?' I noticed that I was alone. 'Should I get up by myself?' I wondered if that was a smart idea, but the sound of approaching paw steps suddenly caught my ears. The female wolf entered the living space with a few small pelts in hand. She didn't look at me and walked over. I watched her drop them at the edge of the bed. When her canine gaze reached mine, I received a blank, almost annoyed stare.

“You are taking a bath today." She told me.

"What?" I blinked in surprise.

“You're not deaf." Her canine voice was firm and unyielding. "I will bring the tub inside and fill it for you." The wolf then left me alone as I had woken up. I watched her walk away, still unsure if she meant what she had said. An aching pain distracted me for a moment

'Is she crazy?' I thought and starting inching forward despite the lingering discomfort. I let my legs hang over the side before touching the ground. The coolness helped wake up my nerves. I took a full breath to prepare myself.

'I think I can stand on my own again, before she comes back.' I looked up. However, the female wolf re-emerged at that moment, and directly walked up to me. The look in her eyes was never pleasant, but she seemed more unyielding than usual. I felt nervous as the wolf glanced me over.

“What?" I didn't know what else to say.

“I said you're taking a bath. Are you finally ready?" She asked. I blinked in surprise and disbelief.

“I uh-are you-?" My voice was cut off as the wolf reached forward and grabbed under my arms.

“Wait. Easy! Please!" I managed to contain a cry of discomfort as the female wolf pulled me to my feet.

"Stop whining. You are stubborn enough to walk around on your own." She retorted and roughly handled me over towards the entryway through fresh nagging pain. I clung onto her with whatever strength I still possessed until she let go of me. The wolf couldn't carry me far without help.

“Ugh." I leaned onto the wall of the entryway. The pain was making me sweat again, but at least she had half carried me instead of dragging my body instead. Glancing around, I found myself in a new yet small space that acted as an entry room between the larger open doorway and the smaller open entrance that led into the proper living area. I shivered as cool air mingled with the warm air of the home's interior.

“Right here…" The wolf stepped over and pointed at a stool. Directly beside it was a basin of water with steam rising from the top. Thankfully, it was a wooden bucket that I wouldn't have to crawl in and out of. She retrieved a small cloth in hand and pointed at the stool again with a sharp glare in her canine eyes. Compelled to move, I edged over and eased onto the stool.

'Ugh…' Sitting naked in the cold air was unpleasant in every way possible. The wolf was naked too, but it wasn't the same when she was covered in a full winter coat of concealing fur. She wet the cloth in the small bucket and stepped behind me. I watched her suspiciously from the corner of my eye, but it made no difference when my life was in her hands.

A few warm droplets fell onto me, but I shuddered as the warm cloth touched my bare back. I blew a hissing sigh as the cloth scrubbed over my back, just behind my shoulders. The wolf was as gentle as she could be, but I couldn't relax in the slightest. She lifted my arm and washed my side next.

“Is it customary for a human to smell filthy and rotten?" She asked with a wrinkled up nose that revealed the tips of her canine teeth. I unconsciously tensed at the subtle sight of her fangs, but the fearful reaction made my side hurt again.

“Who are you, and what do you want with me?" I asked despite a hiss escaping between my clenched teeth. She ignored my comment and kept washing me. I shivered as the water cooled on my back while a firm wolf hand bathed me from the waist up. I was afraid I could freeze to death when she finally stopped.

“Wash your face." The female wolf handed me the wet cloth and retrieved a dry one. However, I gripped the wet fabric angrily.

“Where is the nearest human village?"

"I don't know." She quickly answered and dried my backside. I grumbled at her, believing her words to be a lie.

“You do know." I managed to retort.

“Pf! What good would that do? You can barely walk on your own without passing out." She pointed out. I frowned sourly as her words made sense. What would I do? I couldn't even crawl a few steps across the floor, let alone alone the grassy and wooded hills and fields. What if more wolves were nearby? What would they do to me? I felt a small chill run up my back that there were likely many other wolves wherever I was.

“Just tell me…" I half mumbled and shivered while she dried my skin. I wanted to get answers out of her, but she wasn't forthcoming. The wolf was tight lipped and stubborn, just like me. Although, she could've been holding back to avoid hurting me. I already knew the village I once called home had been abandoned and burned. That ignited my hatred and recklessness in the first place.

“Skyr? Are you inside?" A deep voice called from outside.

“Yes." She answered without pausing as she dried my back. A subtle cool breeze from outside caused my body to shudder almost painfully as a large figure entered the small space. A mottled grey male wolf wearing a buckskin over his shoulders, and little more than a waist cloth with a belt to cover himself stood tall before the entryway.

I felt the color drain from my face, and completely forgot about the female wolf trying to bathe me. The male was intimidating to look at. He was physically strong, far stronger than any man I had seen before; and strength wasn't merely for appearances. His muzzle had a visible scar just above his nose that reached to his upper white furred lip. Seeing a male warrior from a distance had given me chills before, but seeing one up close while being completely unarmed nearly made me nauseous. I concealed my nakedness the best I could, but it was a futile gesture. Thankfully, neither seemed to care about me.

“What are you doing with the human?" His wolffish voice was deep as green canine eyes glanced over me to look at the female.

“Bathing him. He is anxious and smells." She tersely spoke and finished drying my skin. Her golden eyes looked me over with a fierce gaze only to blink.

“I forgot to wash around his wound. Hold his arm up, or I'll bite it off." Her words made my eyes open up wide.

“Is it infected?" The male questioned without much interest.

“I don't think so." She shook her head, and retrieved another wet cloth. He stepped forward, and I immediately gritted my teeth and lifted my arm. Pain flashed through my body, but I was more afraid of him than the female. The male gave me a curious look but reached out and gently grasped my forearm. His bulky hand would've easily enveloped my own due to the difference in size. The warmth of his padded palm and fingertips wasn't unpleasant though.

“Hold still." The female wolf knelt down beside me, but I paid her little attention even as I felt her preen back some of the bandages. I did not even look at my own wound. The wall of white and light grey fur in front of me slowly rose and fell with every breath he took.

'Would a blade or spear tip get through all that fur?' I wondered if any weapon could harm such a fearsome foe. It felt foolish to challenge a wolf of similar stature to a fight. The female wolf washed my injured side with great care, and caused me very little pain. A dry cloth was used next, and the male let go of my arm once she was done.

“I'll come back later." He huffed before leaving the home altogether.

“I'll be finished soon." The female reassured him.

“You can find me outside then." He stated before leaving without giving me a second glance.

“Impatient." I heard the female mutter to herself before going into the main room again. She soon reappeared with one of the blankets from the bed, and wrapped it around my back. My shivering cold hands clung onto it. I started to sit up only to grunt and struggle. I had enough strength and determination to walk around the interior wall on my own; but I was too cold and shaken up from “meeting" the male wolf.

“Hold on." She knelt down beside me and wrapped an arm under my shoulder. With a little effort the female wolf hoisted me up without making me grumble in agony. I knew she wasn't supernaturally strong, or maybe I was just hopeful that my strength wasn't so far removed like it was with the male.

“Wh-wh-who was that?" My teeth almost chattered from the mixture of cold and fear. She didn't answer immediately and walked me slowly back into the room and towards the bed.

“Hrolf." She spoke the odd name, but in her wolffish voice it nearly sounded like a growl. The wolf helped me lay down in the bed, although I secretly missed her body heat pressed up against my cold body. Shivering, I clung to the fur pelts and blankets to warm myself up as the wolf promptly left me and disappeared from view.

Silence returned with the small fire quietly crackling as it diminished down to mere embers. I shivered in the bed of furs and blankets. The coldness quickly left my chilled body as I regained the precious warmth I had lost. I laid still and contemplated for some time.

'Why did she need to bathe me?' I didn't understand. Growing up in a small village, bathing was not viewed as a necessity in the slightest. However, my skin felt cleaner, and I was able to smell the wolf's wild canine scent all over the bed. The wildness of the canine's scent was strange to me.

Who was Hrolf, and how many other wolves like him lived nearby? He was a full head taller than me, and just imagining him made my body shiver all over again. I grumbled and blew an uneasy sigh, trying to calm myself down. In the dim light I spotted a small stack of folded garments with footwear.

“My clothes?" I blinked and finally recognized what I was looking at.

'Have both been there this entire time?' I wondered to myself and carefully walked towards them. It was everything I had been wearing, but my shirt and coat were missing. Seeing a few tiny dark brown reddish stains on the fabric of my pants caused a nauseating chill to run up my back. My side ached in response. I felt glad for a moment that I didn't find my shirt or coat.

'Why would she keep my clothes?' I slowly grabbed the garments and held them up. It took an agonizing amount of time to dress myself. Every wrong little movement had me groaning in pain, but I managed to put on my pants and shoes once again. I paused to let the pain subside.

'What am I pushing myself for?' I asked myself, but I didn't want to answer my own question. I didn't know what the wolf was going to do to me. At any moment she could finish me off where her sword had left off.

'She could be waiting to sacrifice me or something.' I thought but didn't care. There were so many unknowns surrounding me, and yet I was just as stubborn to keep moving. For some reason I just didn't care if I pushed myself too hard. Living didn't seem to matter that much since I should've been dead.

'I want to know why.' I admitted and hobbled over towards the entryway. I passed through the small room where I had been bathed, and reached the dwelling's door. I shivered upon opening the door, and clung tightly to the blankets and fur pelt. Cold air chilled any exposed skin, and my face scrunched up in reaction. My eyes shut from the brighter outside light despite the overcast.

'I have been in the darkness too long!' Once my vision cleared, I blinked and watched a little snowflake lazily fall to the ground. Looking up, flurries gently floating down from the overcast sky in silence. I exhaled and saw my breath fog, but I took in my surroundings with a fair amount of shock.

Small and medium sized homes, primarily longhouses with large thatched roofs, were scattered unevenly but fairly close together like in a village. However, there were only two dozen or so buildings, and it couldn't have housed more than one hundred individuals. Settlements weren't always permanent and it could've been a meager trading post or launching point for further raids. I was in a new wolf settlement that might have been founded a few years ago at most. In the near distance, I could see the edge of the sea before the horizon. I blinked and felt a slight coldness in my chest.

'I'm a long way from my home.' The thought was cold like the winter air and very sobering. I spotted the female wolf and unconsciously tensed as she gradually walked towards me from the bottom of a sloping hill. The canine was still in her bare light cream, brown, and ashen gray fur; but in the brighter outdoors I could see how thick her fur coat truly was. She seemed oblivious to the fact and even the cold as well despite not wearing anything at all. And I was barely staving off the cold with half my set of clothes while wrapped in furred blankets.

She paused for half a step when she noticed me standing outside her home. Her gaze focused as she looked at me and resumed walking. The look in her eyes told me that she wasn't happy finding me right here.

“What are you doing outside?" She asked. “I know you're cold."

“Looking for you." I managed to speak clearly enough. The wolf blew a frustrated sigh and wiggled her nose.

“Can you walk far?" She asked.

“No, not very far." I shook my head. I already felt weak from walking just a few steps outside and standing up on my own.

“Alright. Come with me over here." The female wolf pointed at the end of the little worn path in the grass where she had come from.

“O-okay." I didn't know what the wolf intended, but she didn't wait for me and walked ahead. I pursed my lips and slowly stepped, struggling to walk without hurting myself. Taking steps over the uneven ground was uncomfortable to say the least.

'Why am I listening to her?' I stopped after twenty or so steps and waited as she approached a small stand of trees and brush beside the base of the hill. I felt compelled to find answers, and trudged forward.

“Wait here." She told me, and I watched her meander around the ground. The wolf would pick up various sticks for firewood, snap them for a certain length, and then hand them over for me to carry. I handled as much as I could without losing my grip on the fur blanket.

“Let's go back." She carried the bulk of course, and led me on the pathway to her home. I hobbled slowly after her, eager to return to the house's warmth.

“Drop yours right there." She took her armful inside and I gladly obliged by dropping everything in a mess close to the door. I hobbled into the entry room and shivered feebly. I sat down on the stool to catch my breath only to feel a brief jolt of pain.

'I was standing too long!' I grumbled silently until the pain subsided. My gaze gradually lifted and looked towards the left which led into the proper home. I could smell smoke from a fire she was rekindling. I wanted to ask her again why she had saved me, but I was too tired even from helping with the modest chore.

'Does it really matter right now?' I asked myself and sighed. I looked back at the outdoor entryway again. Several moments passed as I rested the best I could in the stool. The vague idea of escape didn't seem as impossible now that I could walk with a hobbling gait. Although, I knew it was foolhardy to have such an idea in my current state. I carefully eased up with a hasty exhale and wrapped the fur blanket tightly around my body. Rather than go in and lay in the bed of furs and blankets, I made my way back outside again.

I slowly stepped out and felt the cold air nip at my face, but the light flurries had largely stopped falling. The echo of an axe splitting wood cut above the cold silence. Without any guidance, I slowly walked through the community towards the sea. My eyes looked around observantly at the structures. A few of the houses had small tilled garden plots, fallow for the winter. A longhouse had a meager wooden fence around one side, indicating that half the interior likely houses livestock of some kind.

'Maybe this is a permanent settlement.' I thought to myself. It made sense given how villages were destroyed and humans fled westward in response. I paused and watched a wolf, most likely a male, carry a few pieces of split wood into a home where smoke rose from an opening in the roof. I was given only a passing glance from the strong warrior before he disappeared inside.

“He looked just as big as-." I took a step only to stop as a much smaller figure emerged from the same home. Covered entirely in dark grey fur, a little wolf pup charged at me, only stopping a mere arm's length away. The wolf pup proceeded to yap annoyingly at me, but I didn't dare strike back.

'If I hit him, then something worse will likely happen to me.' I reasoned. That pup had a mother and a father, and maybe even older siblings. Any one of them could pummel me into a crippled mess. A different wolf emerged from the home's entrance, this time a female with mottled grey fur. The mother barked in annoyance causing the little pup to scurry back home. Left alone once again, I resumed my slow march ahead.

'That was a family.' I realized that I was almost certainly in a new settlement. I briefly wondered how many more existed along the coast before I spotted a large vessel that had been pulled ashore. It was a longship, something I had only heard of before.

'They'll come from the sea, and they'll kill you and me.' I recalled a simple rhyme from another human who had chosen to fight rather than flee. I never saw him again. Wherever the wolves came from across the cold tempest sea, it was thanks to that vessel. I watched the tiny waves slowly lap against the sand. Further offshore in a smaller boat, one wolf was checking a net for fish. Unlike the family, he appeared to be dressed, but I was too far away to be certain.

I meandered towards the left, passing by two houses before tiring out. All of the strength I thought I had left quickly diminished. I needed to sit down or rest. I turned to look over my shoulder, but the female wolf's house was out of sight and felt so far away.

'I should walk back before I-.'

“So you're able to walk already?" A gruff aged voice spoke to me. I turned back and an old wolf wearing a cloak draped over his shoulders was facing me. His facial features were a mixture of grey yet grizzled with white due to his age. His muzzle had a small scar, as did an ear, and one eye was milky white, completely blind. Despite his age, he still looked formidable with only a meager walking stick in hand, especially when compared to my weakened state. His sharp eyes gazed at me with intent.

“Speak up human! I won't harm you." He impatiently spoke.

“Y-yes." I didn't know what to say. “I need to rest." I felt my legs and side ache.

“Come sit down." He waved me over. I hobbled over and around the corner was a small open fire with two roughly cut stout logs to use as seats. I eased down and sighed with relief. My body ached sorely with gratitude. The low fire felt warm and comforting.

I could see along the coastline with no houses to obstruct my vision. A long stretch of moorland extended out before a small hill and span of trees blocked anything further out. Not too far away was a roughly cut stone standing like a pillar with a small mound around it. I could faintly see markings, but that was all from my seated position. The wolf returned and sat down across from me. He grumbled to himself and prodded the low flames with the bottom of his cane.

“What is that?" I looked at the odd stone behind him.

“That's a shrine dedicated to the sea god for safe passage and fair weather across its vast stormy waters." His eyes lifted from the little fire. “All of the wolves you have seen came from across this rough sea. Everyone is thankful for their safe passage and pays respects."

“Where did all the wolves come from?"

“Across the sea." He looked over towards the shore.

“Where across the sea?"

“The land of Angulel where we believe the mother of the world, Nyerthus once dwelled." The names meant nothing to me, but there was a longing in his canine voice.

“Am I the only human in this village?"

“Yes."

“Who is the female wolf… watching over me?" It was strange to say it like that.

“Skyr is the name of the wolf who is caring for you."

“Skyr?" The name sounded odd, yet fitting for the female wolf warrior. “Why didn't she kill me? Why did she spare my life?" I asked but received a stern eye.

“Do you wish for her to kill you?" He retorted. I blinked partially out of surprise from his direct question.

"No..." My answer was a mere whisper. My brow had knitted into a frown. I did not want to admit it, but I was thankful she hadn't killed me. Somehow I felt weaker by accepting that fact.

"How many of the wolves here would have spared your life?" He challenged me. "She could've killed you countless times from your fight with her to every day you fell asleep." The old wolf jabbered at me. "She's taking care of you. Only an idiot would be blind to that fact!" I tightened up and didn't know what to make of the berating he had given me. I didn't have a harsh retort to give either. My teeth clenched as I knew he was right.

“I just want to know why she saved my life." I numbly stated again.

“You need a reason to live before you can figure that out." He stood up, baffling me. "Now leave me in peace. I have work to do." He growled at me and flashed his fangs. The old wolf stood up and turned his back to me. I stared at him for a moment in surprise only to quickly grasp that he no longer wanted my company. I rose up and turned away as quickly as my pained body would allow me.

'What is he talking about?' I gruffly frowned and kept my thoughts to myself. 'Why couldn't that growling old wolf just tell me?' I was bitter and unhappy, trudging along the damp ground. My ears were stinging from the bitter breeze from the winter air by the time I returned to her home. I hurried inside and closed the door behind me. I clung to the furred blanket and shivered for a long moment, alone with my thoughts.

'Skyr…' I thought about the female wolf warrior's name. I didn't know how I should feel about her anymore. I was still angry about my village being burned to the ground, but she had saved me from a worse fate than I had realized. None of the events plaguing the land were necessarily her fault. She wasn't a chieftain with power over a clan. For all I knew she was a lone wolf with no family.

Maybe it didn't matter why she saved me. Why was I clinging to life so stubbornly anyway? Everything I once knew was gone. Nothing mattered anymore. I was just alive, and yet, it still mattered to me.

I eased up from the stool and shuffled over to the inner room's entryway. I peeked inside and wrinkled my nose at the smell of smoke. The darkness was difficult to see through, but the glow of a fire illuminated much of the warmer interior room. I saw a figure seated by the fire, facing the flames. Her ears were already dialed back, able to hear my steps outside without any doubts.

“Where did you go?" She asked. Seeing no reason to hide, I stepped forward towards the fire.

“I walked around." I didn't tell her about the old wolf. She didn't say anything as I eased down near the fire, but remained distant from her. There was a brief silence between us and the crackling fire. I could see the firelight against her face and front, making her fur glow. I stared at the fire like her, but my thoughts were engrossed in what the old wolf had told me.

'How many of the wolves here would have spared your life? You need a reason to live before you can figure that out!' His barking voice rang aloud in my memory. My eyes searched the flames for an answer that I was too cowardly to ask for. I had no idea why I was alive. What did any of this mean? My gaze wandered in the oranges and yellows only to wander. Our eyes briefly met only for the wolf to exhale.

“You still smell bad." Her nose briefly wrinkled.

“You bathed me." I mumbled, but she only wiggled her nose in response.

“I'm about to cook something." She stood up. I glanced over as she started to leave, but couldn't look at her directly. It was mostly from embarrassment.

“Thank you, Skyr." I said knowing that would hear me. She paused before walking out of the room.