Chapter #2 The Visitor

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          Contains: Mild swearing and mild sexual content.
 

          The gray and white furred girl trudges through the thick snow, barely breaking the thin layer of ice en casing it. Her thick heavy pads nearly glide over the white blanket without sinking a hair’s length in. as she continues
          trotting, a fine dust of snowflakes grip onto her thick fur, making the tips of her hairs almost sparkle in the harsh winds, whipping them about every which way. She stops abruptly, and swivels her ears to and fro. She
          sniffs the air, and stifles her breath so that puffs of hot air don’t turn into visible clouds. Her mane fur raises slightly as if she’s being watched.  She turns around, looking at the dead bare brush and trying to see if
          anything’s lurking behind the shadows.  She turns back around and something hits her square in the face. 

          “Poff!” She lets out a squeal and falls over, sinking into the thick snow and leaving her head and shoulders sticking out from under the crusty ice. She suddenly hears cackling coming from the brush. I couldn’t hold it
          anymore.

          “Damn it Taido! Aren’t we a little old for snowball fights?!” She mutters curses under her breath as she shakes the wet snow off her face. I start laughing even harder and step out of the brambles clumsily, convulsing too 
          harshly with laughter to be graceful.

          “The look on your face…*gasp*…. was priceless!!” I collapse on the ground and roll in the snow with utter glee.  

          “You’re so immature!’ she scrunches up her brow in false anger.  I look up at her, my hands tucked closely to my chest.

          “Well at least I’m the same. When did you become such a girl? All whiney and naggy; you sound like my gran-gran!” I grin devilishly at her, feeling the corners of my mouth pull up further by the second.

          “I do not! I’m just sophisticated is all!” I snort loudly, causing a large cold cloud to form.

          “I know that’s a lie! You’re just a pansy! Admit you’re a pansy!”

          “Never! I could beat you easy,” She feigns a snarl and twitches her ears. “If I remember properly, the last time we tussled I whipped you real good!” She sneers.

          I rub my velvety chin hair, as if I had grown face fur overnight in mock confusion.

          “I… don’t recall… Perhaps I just let you win because I’m a gentleman!”

          “Gentleman or not I can still whipped you! And I could do it again if I felt like it!” Her voice grows shrill as she tries really hard not to laugh.

          “Whoa there missy, that sounds like a challenge if I ever heard one!”

          “You’re damn straight it’s a challenge!”  She lunges herself at me, toppling me with sheer force. I struggle to get out of the deep snow bank and spring on top of her, but she recovers just in time to skip to the side like a
          dancing snow spirit. She grabs me by the shoulders and tosses me on the ground. She sits on my chest, forcing the wind out of my lungs in attempt to pin me. She had grown stronger, but so have I.  I hook my toes
          under her fur vest and yank her backwards. We roll around and try to put each other in headlocks laughing like maniacs. I finally get on top of her and sit on her chest. I grab her wrists as she struggles to push me off.
          She finally goes limp, and giggling hard. Harsh air fills my lungs with every sharp breath as I begin to grow weary of playing in the cold. She looks up at me panting and smiles, and suddenly something feels so strange
          about it. My face feels so hot, and my ear tips feel as if they’re about to burst into flames despite the cold air. I swallow as a small lump grows in my throat. Her eyes look so bright in the gray atmosphere, even bluer
          than the sky that I’ve begun to miss. Her soft face curved so roundly, almost childlike despite her age. She looked much more shapely than my spindly frame at the moment, and her head fur, less than shoulder’s length 
          echoed her soft face. She suddenly frowns.

         “Okay you won! Now would you mind getting off of me!?” Her brows furrow over her eyes.

         “Oh, sorry” My face grows even hotter, as I had completely forgotten that I was on top of her chest. She rolls upward and pants a few times.

         “Jeeze Taido, you must be really stocking up on the animal fat. That stuff’s for candles you know?”

         “Oh shut up! You’re a fine one to talk! I thought you were supposed to be mostly fur!” I smile cheekily. She smiles back and helps me up. I shudder, feeling cold, wet and miserable. 

         “I’m freezing my tail off, I’m going inside.” I grumble, my voice hoarse from the bitter cold air rushing through the lump in my throat.  

         “It’s not all that cold.”

         “Yeah for a giant fluff monster!” She socks me right in the gut and takes off giggling. I double over, trying my best not to make a big deal out of the pain. I chuckle and a little wheeze escapes my lips. I shake off the 
         playful pain and catch up to her; my feet sink a tail length into the snow with each step. I walk right up next to her, rising and falling ungracefully. Via chuckles.

          “You look like a duck.” I snort at her, too cold to reply. We get to the wooded gates of the Village and walk through the large entrance. Trudging thought the snow, now muddy from tribe members walking though it
          repeatedly, we pad over to the sweat lodge. Usually it would be used for bathing, but during the winter it makes a suitable way of warming up . Via sits down on a log seat and quaking like a leaf, as I grab some firewood
          out of the basket on the wall. I toss them into the pit and grab my flint stone out of my pocket, even though there’s already one conveniently placed on one of the stones surrounding the pit. Force of habit I suppose. I
          quickly start a fire and sit down next to her. Her teeth chatter, probably because she’s more wet then cold. Her whole body shivers and she holds her arms protectively. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close to 
          me, trying my best to warm her up.  She puts her head on my chest.

          “Remember when we used to do things like this all the time? Ya know, before you became a dork?” She snuggles herself closer to my fur vest covered torso. 

          “Yeah I remember.” I reply quietly, sighing a little. As it gets warmer, sweat starts to form on my chest. It feels good to sweat like this, almost like it’s cleansing my insides as well as my outsides. I pour some water into
          the pit, steam shoots out and fills the room with a gray cloud.  Water forms on my fur and clothes, mostly sweat. I look over at Via, her tongue hanging out of her mouth and panting, her face drenched in sweat. I pull my
          vest off and whip the water off of it. I stretch my arms and legs, releasing tensions in my stiff limbs. Via takes her vest off and shakes her sweaty hair.  My eyes grow wide as my heart flies up into my throat. She had
          acquired breasts since the last time I saw her in her small attire last summer. I lick my lips nervously, feeling my jaw slack. Stretched over her round fuzzy bosoms is a tattered skin stretched tightly enough to press them
          firmly against her torso. She didn’t have them last summer, or maybe I didn’t notice them before. Suddenly her arms shift a little as she slowly brings her vest up to her chest. I look up at her, abruptly realizing that I
          must have been staring. She brushes her wet hair out of her face and looks down nervously, her face flushing pinker under her velvety white fuzz.

          “I-I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” I clamp my mouth shut and grind my tusks anxiously.

          “It’s okay” she replies in the softest voice, barley above audible sound. 

          “Y-you look… good…” I trail off. I bring my eyes to the ground, refusing to look back up. Uncomfortable and dismayed, I stand up and stretch.

          “I… I-I’m going outside… I’m getting pretty hot.” Ears flatted against my head, I put my vest back on over my arms. I push the door flap over my head and step outside. The blessed cold breeze kisses my sweaty chest. I 
          shudder and walk over to the Gathering Fire. I sit down and shake the muddy snow from my feet. Itching my nose, I try to shake off the awkward memory of Via’s sweaty breasts. My mouth waters as I notice a stew
          cooking in the pit. I sniff it, leaning closer to the pot and hungrily grinding my tusks. I reach out to the wooden spoon when another spoon, wet with boiling stew raps my knuckles. I draw back and look up to see Naina, 
          one of the elders scowling at me. I rub my partially burnt hand sheepishly.

          “Young man, this is for tots not you!”

          “But Naina, I’m hungry!” I whine.

          “Then go get some jerky out of storage, or cook something yourself for once!” 

          “But the stew smells sooooo good! No one makes stew like you Naina!” I pout pathetically. I’m not proud of it. I wasn’t lying though, if that old woman has accomplished one thing in her entire, it was perfecting the recipe
          for xan root and gemling stew. She shakes her head, her neatly braided hair swinging at her sides and her lips puckered in a cheeky wrinkly grin.
 
          “All right, all right. Your flattery has won me over this time. You can have some if there’s any left over from the cubs.”

          “Yes!” I pump my fist in triumph. After some of the cubs had their fill, Naina pours a bowl for me. I shove one spoonful in after another, filling my cheeks with the delicious salty stew. I feel a stinging whack on the back of
          my skull. A stream of warm golden liquid trickles down my chin and I turn around to see that Naina had hit me with her spoon again.

          “Stop horking down your food! You’re not a savage!” I swallow the stew as she continues to scold me.

          “I’m sorry, I’m hungry.” She lifts the spoon to whack me again, but stops dead in her tracks. She stares beyond me, her eyes grow concerned. I look over my shoulder to see a dark gray stout man standing just outside
          the gates, second guessing whether or not he should invite himself in or not. Horace, an older dark brown tribe member with tan ear tips and a damaged tusk sticking out of his lower lip, walks up to him and chats with
          him for a moment. The gray man states something that makes Horace open his jaws wide, his tusks baring menacingly and barks something inconcise. My ears flatten automatically, For Horace was one of those tribe
          members that are quick to anger, the kind of guy that you don’t want to cross on a bad day, lest he clobbers you upside the head. This seemed less like his usual crabbiness; something serious. The gray man strokes his
          well roomed triangular shaped face fur nervously. He continues speaking in a much more tentative manor that previously. Horace grunts and gestures over the Chief’s lodge. The gray man trudges over to the lodge with
          Horace looming over him like a hungry water hawk. They step through the door flap and disappear into the lodge, sending a flurry of curious and concerned chattering amongst the tribe members.  I tilt my head to the
          side, just as curious and concerned as everyone else.  I consider sitting near the entrance of the lodge, but I figure that I might get caught snooping. Just then Via pads up to me.

          “What’s all the gossip about?”

          “I’m not quite sure. There’s a visitor though.”

          “What tribe?”

          “Couldn’t tell. Must be important though.”

          Several minutes pass before either of us speaks.

          “Do you wanna play with marbles?”

          “Why do you even ask anymore? You know you always win!”

          “I dunno, I guess I’m feeling sentimental today. Plus you beat me in the tussle so I wanna whip you where I know I can win!” She grins ear to ear.

          “No… I don’t feel much like it.”

          “What’s the matter? You seem down.”

          I look at her, soot coating the inside of my throat, turning it dry and chalky.

          “Nothing.” My voice barley comes out as a squeak. 

          Just then, as if the Spirits knew how awkward our conversation was the Chief, Horace, and the gray stranger step out. Chief Zane, a reddish-brown man with stripes across his arms and yellow eyes holds up his staff and
          waves it. He calls out with a booming voice.  

          “Gather round! Gather… round!” 

          He immediately catches the attention of all tribe members in the Village.

          “The People of Sauzan’s Peak have recently informed of a great misfortune!”

          Via’s ears perk at the name of her old tribe, her eyes shine with curiosity.

          “It has come to my attention that our neighboring tribe is going through a harsh winter unseen by even their own elders!”

          I look at the gray man and notice how truly thin he is. His eyes look baggy from travel and fatigue, and his pelt hangs loosely from his bony frame.

          “And upon this new knowledge I have decided to give them rights to the plains for hunting game for the time being!”
          The tribe members cry in outrage. 

          “You can’t do that!”

          “Yes! We use those plains for our crops in the summer!”

          “Our medicines!”

          “If they ravage our land then we’ll have to move!” 

          I tighten my jaw in silence, too young to involve myself in conversation, but equally as outraged. Zane stays tight lipped, actually taking in all the complaints into account before speaking.

          “I understand your concern, but the People of Sauzan’s Peak are our closest brothers, who have accompanied us in several battles! It is but fair to aid them in their time of need! I am merely giving them the plains for
          game until winter ends!” He looks over at the gray man, who bows gratefully before being escorted out of the Village. I look at Via with a worrisome glance.

          “Are you okay?” I ask her, feeling concerned about her former tribe.

          “Yes. But I don’t like this,” She sighs,“I feel a storm brewing.” 

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          Contains: Mild swearing and mild sexual content.