Roose Hurro
Lovable Curmudgeon
Chapter One...
Forests all over the universe are pretty much the same. Flora. Fauna. Trees and wildlife. Perhaps a river passing through. Perhaps a lake? Meadows filled with flowers. Birds, bees and other things. Yes, other things. Because the universe is a vast place, filled not only with forests - and what comes with forests, pretty much everywhere - but filled with certain creatures, bent on travel. And nothing is better to some travelers than hiking in the woods. Which leads to camping in the woods, in some ways better, some ways worse than staying at a local motel. Better, because staying in the woods is freebie. Worse, because... well, to some travelers, there is no worse. Just different.
Yes, different.
So, when a Door that was not a door, opened by turn of a Knob that was not a knob - yes, when this ear-pop sensation opened up a slice of air, the four traveling creatures who emerged from that slice, that ThreshHold, well, different took on a whole new meaning. Because humanity was not the only sentient, sapient species in the universe. Yes, a very reasonable fact to assume. Remember. Universe. Vast place. Many worlds around many suns. Had to happen. Did happen. With mixed results, in some places. Awkwardness in others. Laughter. Tears. Perhaps some cuts and scrapes and bruises. Life is like that, wherever it comes from. Whatever it looks like. However it...
"Dada!"
Oh, yes, these four travelers. Almost forgot! A rather unusual foursome. Father. Mother. Daugther. Son. Not unusual? Depends on viewpoint. To a human, for instance, quite unusual, though not unusual in a "What is that thing?" way. Or in a way which would invite the liberal use of a barf-bag, either due to the horrible odor, or to all those wiggly tentacles and green drool. Yes, when traveling, you meet all kinds of "people"...
... and these four "people" were at least bilaterally symetrical. No wiggly tentacles. No green drool. Quite nice smell, a bit like a bakery with spiced bread still warm. Two eyes. Two quite generous ears. Four limbs... a tail, to add a fifth. Four nostrils on end of sleek, muzzled snout, to add a touch of the exotic. Feathered shroudruff on the father, to go with fur and scales. Generous fur-tuft on end of mother's and daughter's tails, a detail missing on father and son. Though all four possessed a sensory "badge" on their foreheads.
"Dada!"
"Yes, Hun?"
The father spoke as he lead his family... well, yes, his infant son rode under cover of his shroudruff feathers, presently sound asleep... yes, lead his family into the forest. Lead them with a grin. Him, his mate, his daughter, on all fours. Remember viewpoint?
"You's a'promised!"
Dada grinned even wider, a show of sharp, white, raccoonish teeth. Mother? She rolled her eyes, then halted, and sat back on her haunches. Her mate turned to their daughter and did the same, mindful of sleeping son in his careful movements, clawed hand to muzzle as he cleared his throat. And softly sang...
... "Luuunden's britches faaalling down, faaalling down, faaalling down... Luuunden's britches faaalling down, myyy ferret lady!"
Hun giggled so hard she fell over. Mother watched, eyes turned from daughter to mate with a small yet warm smile.
"My Love, a perfect rendition."
"You think so, Sweetness?" His tail's tip flicked, ears laid back, eyes mock-expectant. "I could sing it again...."
"Yes! Yes!"
A peep sounded from underneath paternal shroudruff. Sweetness moved very close to her Love, swift yet gentle hands slipped under to cup their Very Small One. Their son, now out in dappled forest daylight, blinking, then eyes-wide at this new world. A wiggle, as he tried to look about, his peep-coo-chirp and ruffled fur, yes, seemed an expression of frustration: So much to see! No freedom from maternal hands. Only a few weeks old, still not much bigger than a rat. With all the curiosity of that famous feline. With parents who wouldn't allow him to be killed by such curiosity.
"No, My Love... once is enough for the day." Her tail swept around, its tuft brushing her mate's chest as her arms cradled their tiny child. Who protested for a second or two, until he felt warmth through soft fur, felt the thrum of his mother's Heartstone. Felt and heard her heartbeat. Started falling asleep again.
"Mama, when's is Peeve gonna sings?"
Dada hurked, ruffled mane, chuffed shroudruff against back, then rose back to all fours and continued to lead. Mama stood up on twos, her forelimbs of course presently occupied.
"Honalee, you should not call your brother Peeve."
"And you shouldn't call me Deen until you're old enough to take a mate of your own." Grin over shoulder. "However, feel free to call your mother Thoee soon as you have a boyfriend."
Honalee made an Ick! sound, and covered her face with her tail's tuft, and with both little pawhands. After that display, she bounced after her dada, very girlish laughter ringing in the air, tail up, tuft now a-wave.
-------
A bird. At least, it looked like a bird. Flew like a bird. Even landed on a forest tree's branch, just like a bird would. Head cocked, as if it had heard the sound of girlish laughter. Curious. It made a small chirrip, then a twitter as it hopped along the branch. Blinked. And then did, perhaps, an un-bird thing - followed after the unknown.
-------
"Dadda?"
Deen knew that voice. Ever since her brother's birth, he'd taken over her place riding under her father's shroudruff. Couldn't blame her for still wanting that place. She was still in the weaning stage. Yet grown so... Deen felt that zing all fathers feel when their child wants but can't have. At least, not like before. But still...
"Aren't you too old for that, yet?"
"No'sers...." Honalee sniffled. Just a little. Gave her Dada that uppies look, ears back, eyes moist. Hands out as she stood up on twos. What's a father to do?
Shroudruff flared, exposing the cream with yellow chevrons patch underneath. Deen's "father" mark. Honalee brightened, hopped up onto her father's back with vigor, a hug and snuggle her reward in return.
Thoee? Still on twos, following her mate. Quiet, because she now nursed Peet, him suckling on her left milk tongue. Her, being a mother. Her turn to nurse. Deen's turn, next. Him, presently being a father to their daughter in another way. Yes, this is what a father does. What parents do, whatever their species. Well... it does tend to be a "mammal" thing. Yet every parent of every sentient, sapient species cares for their young. Normally. Because the universe is vast, and Life... is life.
Ahem! Remember, differences abound.
This forest. This world. Wind-rustled leaves. Scent of undergrowth, of flowers. And earthy things under leaf-litter aroma. Water-scent. Thirsty. Deen's ears flicked. His eyes caught a movement in the trees. A flit of something. A sense that someone was watching, intent. But water called, and water was where he led, no trouble finding the river, a stream, really, from which he could drink, daughter still on back, half asleep in contentment, even knowing it was for just a short time. Taste of fresh-cold water still on his tongue, Deen spent a moment just basking in the sensation of being alive, stream-side breeze through fur, reliving memories of...
... well, memories of him, Thoee. With daughter on back, mate nearby with son, what it felt like, those intimate moments that result in offspring. Seeing their children born. Seeing them grow. Those first moments, newborn in hands, knowing him and her had made new Life. That overwhelming sense of responsibility. Made his whole body tingle. So happy, so filled with Wonder, he could barely stand it.
But there again, the sensation of other eyes watching. His forehead badge, a brief shimmer. Yes, not only forest trees, but wildlife. One particular, avian member of which tweaked his senses. Something... odd. Slivers, not organic in nature. Distortion in the flow of chi. All four nostrils flared.
"Sweetness? I think the natives are restless."
Thoee had finished nursing, held their son Peet close as she crouched by the stream, reached out with her free right hand, and traced a pattern on the water. Which rose up into her grip and formed a sphere, from which she drank.
"I would expect so, My Love. I believe this world is not familiar with visitors. They seem quite advanced, though... perhaps they just like to keep visitors where they can see them."
Yes, perhaps. Some worlds didn't like outsiders just popping up, unanounced. Visas needed presenting, papers needed signing, fingerprints - if such existed - needed to be taken. And the whole mess needed to be processed. Clearance granted! Or not. Yes, some species are very anal retentive. Even some that don't have an a.......
Oh, sorry, TMI.......
Honalee yawned, made a coo-purr baby happiness sound.
"Is a birdy bird?" Her own forehead badge shimmered as she slipped like a greased ferret from her father's back, stretched, then bounced like a tigger in anticipation of all the fun. She loved finding new things to play with. Yes, indeed!
"It would seem so, Hun..." Grin as Thoee approached. Shroudruff rise and spread. Presentation of his father spot, to receive their son again. Yes, she'd carried him inside during gestation, but after birth, now Deen's turn to carry. Just as he'd carried their daughter, before. And would carry any offspring who came after. If they chose to have three. Or more. Two seemed enough, for now.
And now, thirst slaked and offspring settled, this alien family continued through the forest, Thoee now walking on all fours again, like her mate and daugther now, hip brushing hip, shoulder brushing shoulder with her mate. Her male. Warmth, affection... love... radiating from her whole being. Her tail, entwining with his. Honalee making another ick sound as she bounced ahead.
Birdy bird?
Said curious, inquisitive avian lifeform continued to follow, tried harder not to be noticed, but failed. Slivers inside, sending out their signals.
-------
Curiosity kills more than cats, to be honest. But not as many cats as failure, especially when the mouse notices it's being stalked, and the cat starves as a result. Or said mouse leads said cat out onto a roadway, squeaks, said squeak attracts dog, and all three end up roadkill. Sure, it could happen like that. Slivers? Painful, but not usually lethal. And not usually able to send signals. Yes, odd. A bird with slivers. But no pain. Sending signals to.......
-------
Deen lead his family in a roundabout way. They didn't have anyplace specific to go, just a little outing in the woods, away from civilization for a bit, so they could commune with Nature. Yes, capital N. Or capitol N. Either works. Thoee and the kits didn't mind. They didn't even mind the underbrush, the thickets and other tight, narrow spaces forests tend to have when way out in the boonies. Poor Birdy Bird could only catch glimpses. Bits of anatomy here and there. Its masters, desperate for more. Though Birdy Bird had no trouble hearing...
"Are we's a'there yet, Dada?"
Honalee, no longer ahead, bounced beside her father, him now "pinned" between the two females in his life. One, licking his left ear (nibble nibble). The other, asking questions in his right.
"No, not ye..."
Honalee pounced on a bug.
"... not yet."
Difficult keeping track of their avian tail, what with mate being affectionate on one side, energetic daughter being young and full of it on the other. Thoee also found it hard to keep track, but not too hard. Her many skills included multi-tasking. Besides.......
-------
Far away, but not too far, Birdy Bird's masters... well, they didn't exactly sweat, but a few of them were feeling the pressure, enough that they couldn't keep their quills down. A few even licked their bellies, perhaps searching for their belly buttons, so they could crawl in and hide. But those not licking decided to inform their superiors about what was going on, even with little in the way of info. And those superiors decided to send.......
-------
Ahhh, yes!
Deen, with Thoee in cooperative tow, son under shroudruff and daughter following along... yes, Deen meandered his mate and brood to a meadow, grass and flowers and a few scattered saplings. No, not much in the way of cover. But this was fine. An internal sigh, knowing his and his family's little jaunt away from civilization hadn't lasted for even a day, but hey, all part of the adventure! These unexpected twists. Best laid plans of mice and men. Though no mice were involved here, and he wasn't a man. Male, indeed. But not a man. Not even humanoid. But then, not everyone was.
Thoee.
Deen.
Honalee.
Peet.
NISM.......
Forests all over the universe are pretty much the same. Flora. Fauna. Trees and wildlife. Perhaps a river passing through. Perhaps a lake? Meadows filled with flowers. Birds, bees and other things. Yes, other things. Because the universe is a vast place, filled not only with forests - and what comes with forests, pretty much everywhere - but filled with certain creatures, bent on travel. And nothing is better to some travelers than hiking in the woods. Which leads to camping in the woods, in some ways better, some ways worse than staying at a local motel. Better, because staying in the woods is freebie. Worse, because... well, to some travelers, there is no worse. Just different.
Yes, different.
So, when a Door that was not a door, opened by turn of a Knob that was not a knob - yes, when this ear-pop sensation opened up a slice of air, the four traveling creatures who emerged from that slice, that ThreshHold, well, different took on a whole new meaning. Because humanity was not the only sentient, sapient species in the universe. Yes, a very reasonable fact to assume. Remember. Universe. Vast place. Many worlds around many suns. Had to happen. Did happen. With mixed results, in some places. Awkwardness in others. Laughter. Tears. Perhaps some cuts and scrapes and bruises. Life is like that, wherever it comes from. Whatever it looks like. However it...
"Dada!"
Oh, yes, these four travelers. Almost forgot! A rather unusual foursome. Father. Mother. Daugther. Son. Not unusual? Depends on viewpoint. To a human, for instance, quite unusual, though not unusual in a "What is that thing?" way. Or in a way which would invite the liberal use of a barf-bag, either due to the horrible odor, or to all those wiggly tentacles and green drool. Yes, when traveling, you meet all kinds of "people"...
... and these four "people" were at least bilaterally symetrical. No wiggly tentacles. No green drool. Quite nice smell, a bit like a bakery with spiced bread still warm. Two eyes. Two quite generous ears. Four limbs... a tail, to add a fifth. Four nostrils on end of sleek, muzzled snout, to add a touch of the exotic. Feathered shroudruff on the father, to go with fur and scales. Generous fur-tuft on end of mother's and daughter's tails, a detail missing on father and son. Though all four possessed a sensory "badge" on their foreheads.
"Dada!"
"Yes, Hun?"
The father spoke as he lead his family... well, yes, his infant son rode under cover of his shroudruff feathers, presently sound asleep... yes, lead his family into the forest. Lead them with a grin. Him, his mate, his daughter, on all fours. Remember viewpoint?
"You's a'promised!"
Dada grinned even wider, a show of sharp, white, raccoonish teeth. Mother? She rolled her eyes, then halted, and sat back on her haunches. Her mate turned to their daughter and did the same, mindful of sleeping son in his careful movements, clawed hand to muzzle as he cleared his throat. And softly sang...
... "Luuunden's britches faaalling down, faaalling down, faaalling down... Luuunden's britches faaalling down, myyy ferret lady!"
Hun giggled so hard she fell over. Mother watched, eyes turned from daughter to mate with a small yet warm smile.
"My Love, a perfect rendition."
"You think so, Sweetness?" His tail's tip flicked, ears laid back, eyes mock-expectant. "I could sing it again...."
"Yes! Yes!"
A peep sounded from underneath paternal shroudruff. Sweetness moved very close to her Love, swift yet gentle hands slipped under to cup their Very Small One. Their son, now out in dappled forest daylight, blinking, then eyes-wide at this new world. A wiggle, as he tried to look about, his peep-coo-chirp and ruffled fur, yes, seemed an expression of frustration: So much to see! No freedom from maternal hands. Only a few weeks old, still not much bigger than a rat. With all the curiosity of that famous feline. With parents who wouldn't allow him to be killed by such curiosity.
"No, My Love... once is enough for the day." Her tail swept around, its tuft brushing her mate's chest as her arms cradled their tiny child. Who protested for a second or two, until he felt warmth through soft fur, felt the thrum of his mother's Heartstone. Felt and heard her heartbeat. Started falling asleep again.
"Mama, when's is Peeve gonna sings?"
Dada hurked, ruffled mane, chuffed shroudruff against back, then rose back to all fours and continued to lead. Mama stood up on twos, her forelimbs of course presently occupied.
"Honalee, you should not call your brother Peeve."
"And you shouldn't call me Deen until you're old enough to take a mate of your own." Grin over shoulder. "However, feel free to call your mother Thoee soon as you have a boyfriend."
Honalee made an Ick! sound, and covered her face with her tail's tuft, and with both little pawhands. After that display, she bounced after her dada, very girlish laughter ringing in the air, tail up, tuft now a-wave.
-------
A bird. At least, it looked like a bird. Flew like a bird. Even landed on a forest tree's branch, just like a bird would. Head cocked, as if it had heard the sound of girlish laughter. Curious. It made a small chirrip, then a twitter as it hopped along the branch. Blinked. And then did, perhaps, an un-bird thing - followed after the unknown.
-------
"Dadda?"
Deen knew that voice. Ever since her brother's birth, he'd taken over her place riding under her father's shroudruff. Couldn't blame her for still wanting that place. She was still in the weaning stage. Yet grown so... Deen felt that zing all fathers feel when their child wants but can't have. At least, not like before. But still...
"Aren't you too old for that, yet?"
"No'sers...." Honalee sniffled. Just a little. Gave her Dada that uppies look, ears back, eyes moist. Hands out as she stood up on twos. What's a father to do?
Shroudruff flared, exposing the cream with yellow chevrons patch underneath. Deen's "father" mark. Honalee brightened, hopped up onto her father's back with vigor, a hug and snuggle her reward in return.
Thoee? Still on twos, following her mate. Quiet, because she now nursed Peet, him suckling on her left milk tongue. Her, being a mother. Her turn to nurse. Deen's turn, next. Him, presently being a father to their daughter in another way. Yes, this is what a father does. What parents do, whatever their species. Well... it does tend to be a "mammal" thing. Yet every parent of every sentient, sapient species cares for their young. Normally. Because the universe is vast, and Life... is life.
Ahem! Remember, differences abound.
This forest. This world. Wind-rustled leaves. Scent of undergrowth, of flowers. And earthy things under leaf-litter aroma. Water-scent. Thirsty. Deen's ears flicked. His eyes caught a movement in the trees. A flit of something. A sense that someone was watching, intent. But water called, and water was where he led, no trouble finding the river, a stream, really, from which he could drink, daughter still on back, half asleep in contentment, even knowing it was for just a short time. Taste of fresh-cold water still on his tongue, Deen spent a moment just basking in the sensation of being alive, stream-side breeze through fur, reliving memories of...
... well, memories of him, Thoee. With daughter on back, mate nearby with son, what it felt like, those intimate moments that result in offspring. Seeing their children born. Seeing them grow. Those first moments, newborn in hands, knowing him and her had made new Life. That overwhelming sense of responsibility. Made his whole body tingle. So happy, so filled with Wonder, he could barely stand it.
But there again, the sensation of other eyes watching. His forehead badge, a brief shimmer. Yes, not only forest trees, but wildlife. One particular, avian member of which tweaked his senses. Something... odd. Slivers, not organic in nature. Distortion in the flow of chi. All four nostrils flared.
"Sweetness? I think the natives are restless."
Thoee had finished nursing, held their son Peet close as she crouched by the stream, reached out with her free right hand, and traced a pattern on the water. Which rose up into her grip and formed a sphere, from which she drank.
"I would expect so, My Love. I believe this world is not familiar with visitors. They seem quite advanced, though... perhaps they just like to keep visitors where they can see them."
Yes, perhaps. Some worlds didn't like outsiders just popping up, unanounced. Visas needed presenting, papers needed signing, fingerprints - if such existed - needed to be taken. And the whole mess needed to be processed. Clearance granted! Or not. Yes, some species are very anal retentive. Even some that don't have an a.......
Oh, sorry, TMI.......
Honalee yawned, made a coo-purr baby happiness sound.
"Is a birdy bird?" Her own forehead badge shimmered as she slipped like a greased ferret from her father's back, stretched, then bounced like a tigger in anticipation of all the fun. She loved finding new things to play with. Yes, indeed!
"It would seem so, Hun..." Grin as Thoee approached. Shroudruff rise and spread. Presentation of his father spot, to receive their son again. Yes, she'd carried him inside during gestation, but after birth, now Deen's turn to carry. Just as he'd carried their daughter, before. And would carry any offspring who came after. If they chose to have three. Or more. Two seemed enough, for now.
And now, thirst slaked and offspring settled, this alien family continued through the forest, Thoee now walking on all fours again, like her mate and daugther now, hip brushing hip, shoulder brushing shoulder with her mate. Her male. Warmth, affection... love... radiating from her whole being. Her tail, entwining with his. Honalee making another ick sound as she bounced ahead.
Birdy bird?
Said curious, inquisitive avian lifeform continued to follow, tried harder not to be noticed, but failed. Slivers inside, sending out their signals.
-------
Curiosity kills more than cats, to be honest. But not as many cats as failure, especially when the mouse notices it's being stalked, and the cat starves as a result. Or said mouse leads said cat out onto a roadway, squeaks, said squeak attracts dog, and all three end up roadkill. Sure, it could happen like that. Slivers? Painful, but not usually lethal. And not usually able to send signals. Yes, odd. A bird with slivers. But no pain. Sending signals to.......
-------
Deen lead his family in a roundabout way. They didn't have anyplace specific to go, just a little outing in the woods, away from civilization for a bit, so they could commune with Nature. Yes, capital N. Or capitol N. Either works. Thoee and the kits didn't mind. They didn't even mind the underbrush, the thickets and other tight, narrow spaces forests tend to have when way out in the boonies. Poor Birdy Bird could only catch glimpses. Bits of anatomy here and there. Its masters, desperate for more. Though Birdy Bird had no trouble hearing...
"Are we's a'there yet, Dada?"
Honalee, no longer ahead, bounced beside her father, him now "pinned" between the two females in his life. One, licking his left ear (nibble nibble). The other, asking questions in his right.
"No, not ye..."
Honalee pounced on a bug.
"... not yet."
Difficult keeping track of their avian tail, what with mate being affectionate on one side, energetic daughter being young and full of it on the other. Thoee also found it hard to keep track, but not too hard. Her many skills included multi-tasking. Besides.......
-------
Far away, but not too far, Birdy Bird's masters... well, they didn't exactly sweat, but a few of them were feeling the pressure, enough that they couldn't keep their quills down. A few even licked their bellies, perhaps searching for their belly buttons, so they could crawl in and hide. But those not licking decided to inform their superiors about what was going on, even with little in the way of info. And those superiors decided to send.......
-------
Ahhh, yes!
Deen, with Thoee in cooperative tow, son under shroudruff and daughter following along... yes, Deen meandered his mate and brood to a meadow, grass and flowers and a few scattered saplings. No, not much in the way of cover. But this was fine. An internal sigh, knowing his and his family's little jaunt away from civilization hadn't lasted for even a day, but hey, all part of the adventure! These unexpected twists. Best laid plans of mice and men. Though no mice were involved here, and he wasn't a man. Male, indeed. But not a man. Not even humanoid. But then, not everyone was.
Thoee.
Deen.
Honalee.
Peet.
NISM.......
