TRC - Searching for the Sky Ch. 27

"I understand that you lived out on the plains for a long time but sometimes you seem too knowledgeable," said the mage.

Velt smiled, "Perhaps I need to tell you a bit more about my clan." They started down the other side of the hills towards the woods. "It was founded many, many years ago by a scholar who was originally researching fox-girls. He ended up falling in love with his research subject and became her husband. He even commissioned a house to be built far, far out in the wilderness and away from any human settlements.

"Unfortunately, scholars aren't very world-wise and soon they were struggling to get by. His wife rounded up some of her sisters and invited them to help," she gave him a meaningful glance, "in exchange for the chance to have kits."

Kal chuckled, "His price for continuing to survive was sleeping with a bunch of sexy vixens. Doesn't sound like a bad deal."

"From his journals, he only complained when the demands of the women interfered with whatever he was researching at the time. The women set up a small village around his house and began referring to themselves as a clan. He lived to father the first four generations. However, foxes aren't extremely social animals and as the clan grew, more of us would go off to find their own way in the world, much as I did. Because of that, the village never grew much beyond its original size."

"But he continued doing research the entire time?"

"Yes, he wrote a number of books, all of which are kept in the chief's house, which is a replica of the original one built by the scholar. The original started falling apart from old age many years after he passed away. He recorded enough of his knowledge that it allowed us to come up with the mix of herbs that puts us into heat."

"Can I ask this man's name?"

"Kamil, same as the name of the clan and village."

"Ria," he called out, "Do we have anything in our books by someone named Kamil?"

The sprite thought for a moment, "No, but that just means he isn't a listed on the cover as an author."

"Too bad, I was curious what someone else who loves monster girls might have been like."

"You wouldn't have found out much from one of his books or research papers anyway, they are horribly dry and almost guaranteed to put you to sleep. If you wanted to know more about him you should try to find my old village and read his journals. They get pretty explicit when he's talking about his wives. Of course, if you show up there you will get to know what it's like to be waited on hand and foot by a bunch of horny vixens." As she spoke the thick red fur covering her body vanished leaving only her tail and ears as she brought up her hands and hefted her breasts while giving him a cheeky smile.

Hoots and cheers came from behind them. "Looks like Velt is claiming dibs on you for tonight, Kal!" Graff called out. The mage rolled his eyes at the girl's antics but was secretly very happy to see that Sera's cheering of the fox-girl didn't seem strained or forced in any way.

Ignoring Sera and Graff, the vixen wrapped her arms around herself. "Dammit, that wind is cold without fur!" she exclaimed before her thick winter coat quickly grew back.

Kal glanced at the bumps on her chest, "I could tell." Velt's fur didn't grow from her areola or nipple, which would have been weird, but grew in a manner that it made her breasts appear perfectly smooth. Unless her nipples were hard. Even then, they only showed up as small bumps in the fur which could be brushed aside to expose the rosy teat beneath.

They decided to set up camp in the shrubland that surrounded the woods where either water or nutrients were too scarce for growth of a proper tree but didn't stop them from trying.

Since they still had daylight, Sera and Velt jogged as far around the western side of the woods as they could, the fox's nose and gorgon's serpents trying to detect any potential threats.

"Find anything?" Kal asked as they returned.

"From the smell, a group of wild pigs has had it's run of the place, but nothing more dangerous than that. It's hard to tell with as large as this copse is. We only made it about halfway to the southern edge before starting to run out of light," reported Velt.

"A group of boars isn't a big deal unless they are some giant variety I haven't heard of before. Depending on what we find, do you think this could be your new home?"

"Possibly, if there aren't any nasty surprises and we have a place for water and shelter, then yes. It's large enough I doubt that I could hunt it out of game."

"What about food for me?" asked Graff.

Velt raised an eyebrow, "You can live off eating grass and we are surrounded by plains."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I like to."

"We had enough stocked up before setting out we should be able to make it through most of the winter without you needing to resort to that."

"Ugh, no," said Graff in disgust, "late winter grass tastes awful and I would have to eat a mountain of it just to get by. I'll make do with what I can get now and save our stores for later in the season."

"Is this going to be a problem?" asked Kal.

"Not really," said the vixen, "I'll just need to step up my hunting so I'm not using as much of our stock."

"Will that be difficult if you are pregnant?"

"N—," Velt stopped. "Oh my, I didn't think about that," a moment later tears welled up in her eyes.

"I wasn't trying to upset you, really," said Kal, pulling her into a hug that was soon joined by Sera and Graff.

"It wasn't you, Kal. I've just had my heart set on having a kit ever since we started out. But we are missing a couple of weeks worth of gathering because of this trip. We only barely have enough to get by this year, there's no way we could make it if we were both pregnant too."

"We shouldn't be far from where the tower was now. Prentas was a powerful wizard, there's a chance we may find something there. If we don't..." he looked over at the gorgon, "Sera and I may end up spending the winter with you."

Blinking away her tears, Velt looked up at him, "Why?"

"So we can hunt, gather food, and make sure you two are well fed."

Out of the corner of her eye, the vixen saw Sera nod in agreement. "You would do that?"

"I'm not going to let the women carrying my children starve."

"I appreciate it Kal, but don't be an idiot. You can just come back in a year or two when we are established and fulfill your side of the deal."

"I may take you up on that if there is no other alternative but let's wait until we've been to the tower first. Even if we don't find anything inside, I understand that some of the original monster girls are guarding where the tower used to be. Maybe one of them will be willing to help out a neighbor."

Sera's expression was skeptical, "You said they were immortals, do you think they would actually help?"

Kal shrugged, "Not really, but until I know for sure I can at least hope. Tomorrow let's clear out the swine and see if this place is going to be suitable. If not then you may end up settling on the edge of the southern forest where the tower is supposed to be."

"So, this means no kits for either of us?" asked Graff.

Velt pulled away from Kal and wrapped her arms around the rabbit-girl. "No, honey. Unless Kal's tower gives us an answer, he'll have to come back later."

The doe's sad eyes turned toward the mage, "I know it might be kind of cramped, but could we sleep with you two tonight?" She looked over at Sera, "We could really use the company right now."

Kal nodded, "I think the bed can go a size or two bigger."

---

Velt cried herself to sleep while clutching desperately at Graff as Kal held her from behind. Once the vixen drifted off, Graff freed the emotions she had been holding back for the fox-girl's sake and quietly sobbed until she too fell asleep, but with Sera holding her while pressed up against her back.

After the doe was quietly snoring, Sera looked up at Kal, "If we don't find anything at the tower we are still staying the winter, aren't we?" It was more of a statement than a question.

He looked down at the women sleeping between them. "Absolutely."

---

It looks like these guys have been eating well," said Kal as he, Velt, and Ria looked out into the small clearing where they found the herd of wild swine soaking up the sun. Though she wanted to come along, Sera stayed behind with Graff. Despite the doe's insistence she was fine, it was easy to see that last night's revelations weighed heavily on her mind.

Velt appeared to be more of her normal self as they tracked down the pigs but now that their prey was in sight the look on her face told Kal that she was just dealing with it very differently. He wasn't even sure if he could call it a face as her nose and jaw elongated much like Dax's had when she took control of the girls in the slaver's kennels. The fur that normally never touched her face now covered it as her lips drew back in a growl.

"This is mine and Graff's new home," she snarled, her words oddly slurred as she tried to speak with a muzzle instead of a human mouth. Tossing her hand sickle to the ground, she dropped to all fours as her arms and legs shifted from human to vulpine. She now looked like a giant, and very pissed-off, fox. "She and I are going to live here. We are going to raise our children here." She hunched down, her paws shifting in on the ground to find purchase. "Nothing can live that will threaten our kits," she growled, glancing up at him.

He should tell her to stop. He should tell her to calm down and think. He should tell her that he would keep his part of the deal and take care of them for the winter if there was no other solution.

But there was something more in her eyes than grief over being denied children. Instead, he looked at her and said, "I'll back you up if you need it. Go claim your home."

There was a hint of a smile in her snarl as her eyes went from human to fox-like. Locking onto the largest boar, she darted out of the forest and into the clearing.

---

The old boar had never seen something like the snarling and snapping fox coming towards him, but it was plain that it wasn't friendly. Lowering his head, his short legs quickly propelled him in the direction of the attacker. As they were about to come together, he brought his head up in hopes of goring the creature with his tusks, but they only stabbed through empty air.

He squealed in pain as a weight came down on his back and sharp teeth clamped down on the back of his neck. Spinning in place, he managed to shake the creature off and even felt a tusk gain some purchase on his attacker's flank but the animal took a large piece of flesh along with it. Opening his mouth, he attempted to bite the creature before it could recover but the nimble fox darted away.

Again, he charged in head-first with almost the same result. But this time as he shook the attacker off his back he felt one of the creature's teeth tear deeply into the large muscles protecting his spine. Feeling wetness begin to soak into the coarse fur around his neck, the large animal took a step back. This creature was here to kill him and he could already tell that it might succeed if this kept going. Squealing out a call to the rest of his family, he turned and bolted for the trees.

---

"Velt!" called Kal, getting the vixen's attention. "Supper?"

Glancing at the retreating boar she nodded. Her teeth may not have caused enough damage to immediately kill it, but if the pig didn't bleed out then it would likely die from infection in the jagged wounds she caused.

Just before the large swine reached the edge of the clearing, a bolt of purple energy pierced its side just above its front leg and continued through until it struck a rib. The large animal stumbled then dropped to the ground, tumbling to a halt. The remaining swine squealed in surprise and darted around the body before disappearing onto the woods.

Kal lowered his arms, silently congratulating himself on a good shot before looking over at the vixen. As the fox-girl got back on her feet her muzzle shrank and disappeared, returning her face to normal while her arms and legs reverted to their human versions. He gave her a questioning look as the fur covering the rest of her body and keeping her warm shrank away, leaving her naked but for her ears and tail. The Vixen's belt had fallen off during her charge as it was no longer able to fit around the more fox-like body

The streaks around her mouth of the boar's blood was expected, but the gash on her side was not. "You're hurt," he held out a hand, "let me take care of that."

Velt slapped his hand away and grabbed the front of his shirt. For a second he thought she was going to kiss him, which would have been gross considering the state of her face, but she stopped just before their noses touched. "Fuck me. Now." Without waiting for an answer, she spun around and bent over in front of him placing her hands on the cold ground.

Kal shook his head. This wasn't how he preferred to do things but he understood she needed this right now as he began undoing his belt.

---

"Sorry about earlier," said the vixen as Kal finished healing the wound on her side. "I'm not sure what came over me, normally I wouldn't dream of taking on something that big on my own. I'm lucky it didn't kill me." She looked away, unable to meet his eyes out of embarrassment, "I'll admit I usually come home excited after a good hunt, but I don't normally get so... demanding."

"It sounded to me like you were doing more than just 'hunting,'" said Kal as the wound sealed up and the healing rune on his back faded. "That's why I didn't join in until you had already driven off the pigs. This is yours and Graff's territory now." Kal grinned, "All I can claim is providing supper."

"Thank you, Kal. I don't think I understood why I acted like that until just now. Whether by luck or coincidence, I've never needed to fight for a place to call mine before. No one bothered the clan, it wasn't necessary when I was wandering the plains, and nothing ever challenged Graff and I at our old home."

"I'll admit that I never really needed to defend my farm from anything like wolves or bears. But after my mother passed, one of the village elders told me that some of the men who attempted to court her as I was growing up might challenge my right to own it. I was ready to fight anyone who would try to take what my mother left me."

"I'm not seeing how the two are the same. You were defending what belonged to you, I just ran off some wild pigs."

"What did you say just before that though?"

Velt thought for a moment, "I said this was mine and Graff's new home." She cringed, "That makes me sound awful, like a raider or a bandit."

"You weren't taking over someone's village, just driving away some swine. Unfortunately for them, if they stay in these woods I imagine you will be eating pork fairly often. My point was that, when you made that declaration, this became yours and Graff's territory. After that, you were fighting off any threats, much like I was ready to fight off anyone who tried to take my farm."

"That still feels like a stretch, but I think I see what you mean. We should do something about the boar's carcass."

"If you two don't want to mess with it until later, I can just store it until we get back to camp," offered Ria.

"That might be a good idea," said Kal. "We can go back and bring the tent in here, that way you and Graff can look around and try to find a suitable place for your new home. Also, spending the night should tell us if there are any nighttime predators we may need to deal with." He nodded to the sprite and Ria raised her hand. Kal and Velt were already walking back to camp when the speck of light caught up and dove into the pouch on Kal's belt.

---

"Someone lived here," said Graff as she stared at the man-sized hole in the side of a small hill.

Velt stepped up beside her and sniffed the air, "Whoever it was, they've been gone for a very long time."

Kal was standing behind them and turned to the sprite on his shoulder, "Ria, I need a couple of the light stones." Once they were in his hand, he spoke the command to make them shine before handing them to the vixen and doe. "Sera and I will be out here if you need us."

Almost bouncing with excitement, Graff grabbed Velt's hand and pulled her inside.

"I wanted to see it too," pouted Sera.

Kal looked over at her and smiled, "You will. They gave us our moment the other day. It's our turn to let them have theirs." He held up the canvas square in his hand, "While they're busy, let's find a place to set this back up and maybe take care of that boar as well."

---

"What is she doing?" asked Sera. She was looking toward the girls' new burrow where a loud rhythmic thumping noise was coming from inside. A short while earlier Graff had entered her new home struggling to carry a log that she and Velt had smoothed on one end.

"She's packing the ground. I think Velt is out looking for suitable rocks for a floor and a source of sand to fill in any gaps between them."

"I might start calling her Thumper after this. Shouldn't we be helping them?"

"We will, once they get over this initial excitement and remember we still exist. I saw something that I'm hoping was the top of a large boulder on the way here that may make a nicer floor than rocks and sand."

---

"It's warm," said Graff as she tentatively put a foot onto the floor Kal just finished making for them.

"That's from being shaped, it will cool eventually." The boulder Kal had wanted to use proved to be too small but Velt had seen another over by the pond that supplied water to the surrounding woods that was large enough to finish the area.

"I wish you had mentioned you wanted to do this before I hauled all of those rocks back here," grumbled Velt.

"Don't worry," said the rabbit-girl as she drew the vixen into a hug, "This is good enough for us but I'm going to dig out more space for when we have little ones."

"You're planning on expanding?" asked the mage.

Graff nodded.

Kal turned to Sera, "I think maybe we should hang around another day and make sure they are all settled in before heading out again."

---

"This is amazing!" cried Graff. The stone claws that Kal fashioned to slip over their hands combined with a strength spell, which Kal had to hastily learn the drawn version, was allowing her and the mage to dig out the new area far faster than she expected. Even better was that they only needed to separate the earth they were moving from the surrounding dirt. Piling it onto Kal's new floor meant Ria could store it.

Kal was amazed too but more at the rabbit-girl's sheer speed at digging. He was using quite a bit more power than he expected just keeping up with her. After looking a little more closely, he noticed that there appeared to be some element of magic in her ability.

There was a slight darkening in the room as Velt and Sera returned, blocking the light from the doorway. They had gone out to find a source of clay after retrieving some sturdy woven baskets from Graff and Velt's items.

"Wow, you two work fast," said the vixen.

"Find anything good?" asked Kal without turning around.

"A little, there isn't a lot of clay in the area, but we should still have enough to coat the walls. Unfortunately, that means we will have to bake the inside before moving in."

Kal stopped digging, "You bake your house?"

Velt nodded "We coat the walls and ceiling with a special mixture of mud or clay then bake it as hot as we can for as long as we can. If we do it right then it will harden and won't soak up water as easily."

"Like turning the inside into one huge mud brick?"

"Something like that."

"How long do you think that will take?"

"With you helping we can get it done today."