Written by Sky Lapso, check them out at https://www.furaffinity.net/user/lapso
Who knew being a ranger required social skills?
Not me, Juniper thought bitterly as she listened to the squadron leader droning on from the podium. All around her, the other hopefuls in her training class eagerly clung to the instructions they were being given. To the harengon, however, all she heard was her imminent doom.
She had to find a familiar.
She'd never really considered herself much of a socialite, her penchant for solo living being one of her biggest motivations to become a Ranger. The irony that she, a sentient rabbit, lacked animal handling skills wasn't lost to her. She drew up her hood and listened to the excited murmurs of her fellow apprentices as they contemplated what kind of familiars they'd track down.
"I'm going for a falcon so I can get an aerial advantage."
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm going to try and track down a raven to act as my messenger."
"What about a fox?"
"Oh, or a badger!"
"How about a-"
"How about you guys shut up?!" Juniper snapped at the goblin near her, glaring over at him as her ears flicked in aggravation.
The group went silent as the Huntmaster cleared his throat. "Miss Swiftstep, do we have a problem?"
Fuck me. "No sir, sorry. I was just having trouble hearing you."
The old wood elf on stage narrowed his eyes in an accusatorial glare. "Were you now? Seems you hear just fine when I dismiss you from lessons. Peculiar that you can't hear me when I'm giving lessons."
The harengon felt her stomach drop as the other apprentices laughed, all eyes on her with enough burning delight to set the forest on fire. She swallowed, her rabbit heart picking up a steady run as she was forced to lock eyes with the Huntmaster. "I-" Her voice shook and she went silent.
The wood elf hummed and said, "Allow me to repeat myself only once, Miss Swiftstep. You will be traveling into the valley where you will spend two months alone, free of the Guild's protection, so that you might find and train an animal familiar. You are expected to bond with them and forge a connection of trust and mutual survival. If you return without that requirement being fulfilled then you may as well not return at all. Do you have any questions, Miss Swiftstep?"
"I-"
"No? Excellent. You are all dismissed. Sleep well tonight, apprentices. You leave for your mission at dawn. Keep your wits about you. The forest is filled with great bounty and, with it, great danger. The forest will not differentiate you from any other beasts. Predator or prey? Which will you allow yourself to be?" With that, the Huntmaster turned and strode silently from the stage.
A few of the other apprentices shot cruel grins at Juniper as one of them whispered loud enough for her to hear. "Course we know what she's going to be. Rabbits ain't nothing but prey."
Juniper hummed and looked to the man who spoke, a half-orc built thick and short. Was his name Krish? Krash? Something stupid like that, she couldn't remember. "Harengon, not rabbit. That's like calling tabaxi fuckin' housecats."
"Look, if it looks like rabbit and eats like rabbit then it's a fookin' rabbit." The half-orc scratched at his one good tusk as the small group with him laughed in agreement.
"Given you couldn't catch a rabbit trapped in a snare I doubt you'd know what one tastes like." Juniper rolled her eyes and walked over to him. "How many harengon you snacked on lately?"
"Just yo mum." The group laughed again.
"Well, given she died like twenty years, I'm sure she tasted like centaur shit. Then again, maybe you're into that." Juniper flipped him off and turned to walk away.
The half-orc snorted in anger at her. "Oh yeah? So what you gonna go fuckin tame ya smart ass lump of stew meat?"
No, seriously, what am I going to try and tame? Juniper took a sharp breath in and mentally grasped at the first impressive beast that came to mind. "A dire wolf."
The group ooed behind her. The half-orc laughed and said, "Yeah fuckin right! Ain't no namby fuckin rabbit girl gonna tame a dire wolf. Ain't no one even seen a dire wolf in this valley in a hundred fuckin years. You bring back a dire wolf and I'll eat my own fuckin' knob."
Juniper smirked. "Deal. See you shits in a couple months." Then, before the half-orc could fire off another smartass comment, she took off at a dash towards her camp. A few bounding steps was all it took to fully leave them in the dust.
As she reached her camp, Juniper let out a whine as she looked at all her gear. She hadn't actually had to pack up camp in months and the reality of just how much crap she'd accumulated quickly hit her like a bull.
We'd have help if you weren't such a bitch to people.
"Yeah, well, being a bitch is how I survive." Juniper huffed and walked over to her fire pit. A small incantation was all it took to set the campfire ablaze before the harengon dropped to sit next to it. Packing could be a future her problem.
Right. So why a dire wolf? You know if you come back without on-
"Then there's no point in coming back. Yeah, I know. He just pissed me off and I needed to do something about his smug ass attitude. Aren't you supposed to be on my side, Miss Inner Dialogue?"
Her inner voice snorted. Not when you do stupid shit like promise you'll tame a dire wolf! One of us has to have a survival instinct.
Juniper rubbed her eyes and sighed. "It's not like we haven't seen one before."
When we were ten and it ate a hunk of our ear and clawed an eye out. We're lucky dad had a way to fix the eye.
"I mean, we look badass now." She rubbed the claw scars on her face, closing her replacement yellow eye while her blue eye kept staring into the fire. "Positives."
True.
Juniper chewed her lip for a bit in silent contemplation before shrugging. "I got this. We're a badass ranger who isn't afraid of some dire wolf. We're not the scared kid in the woods anymore. We're going to do this."
We're also nuts and talking to ourselves.
"Oh shut up."
><><><><
Morning came upsettingly early as Juniper tried to pack up her camp. The half-conscious Harengon stumbled about as she wedged things into her travel pack in whatever half-assed way they'd fit. She'd woken up late, as was her usual routine, but the realization almost everyone else had left for the valley already didn't bode well for her.
As she was lashing together the last of her supplies, she heard an unimpressed sigh from behind her. The Huntmaster.
"I'd have thought you'd have the sense to wake up on time for once." The wood elf tsked as he looked down at her. "Have you even eaten yet?'
"I had trouble sleeping," Juniper told him truthfully as she kept her eyes down at her bag. "I'll find something in the valley."
"A bold assumption." The Huntmaster stepped forward and held out his hand as a small bunch of berries appeared from nothing. "Consider this a token of good luck. The forest of the valley is vast and unforgiving. A ranger never misses breakfast if they don't wish to become breakfast."
Juniper glanced up at him before taking the offered berries. "Thank you sir." She popped them into her mouth three at a time until they were gone. Sweet, a little tart, and magically nutritious. One of the few spells every ranger learned, even her.
The hand that had held the berries moved to rest on top of Juniper's head. "I understand you told Mister Gresh and his party that you were going to tame a dire wolf. Is that true?"
"That's the plan." Juniper blushed as the Huntmaster patted her on the head. "I can do it."
"I've no doubt that you can, Miss Swiftstep. You've always been more than capable of success when failure meant death. As I recall, however, the dire wolves in the valley have been hunted to near extinction. None have been seen since when even I was young. If there are any left, they'll be the fiercest of predators and most cunning. Be careful. While I don't particularly approve of your attitude or mannerisms in training, I am rather fond of your spirit and would hate for you to end up in the belly of a beast." The Huntmaster smiled down at her with a rare, warm smile of encouragement.
Juniper felt herself blushing more as she leaned up more into the hand on her head. "Thank you Huntmaster. I'll be safe and I'll return with my wolf. You'll see."
"I'm certain that I shall, yes. Those with everything to prove have the most reason not to fail, after all." He stepped away and gave a small chuckle. "Be safe Juniper Swiftstep."
Juniper stood and slung her pack over her back. "I will Huntmaster."
"Oh, and Miss Swiftstep?"
"Yes sir?"
The wood elf laughed softly. "It may be best to put some clothes on before you go."
Juniper went wide eyed and looked down at herself, realizing just how absolutely naked she'd been the entire time. "Fuck."
"Be as swift as the deer and as fierce as a dragon," the Huntmaster said before he bowed his head and left.
As she watched him walk off, Juniper let out a sigh of frustration.
I have no idea where we packed our clothes
><><><><
Some time later, a fully-clothed and better packed Juniper made her way silently through the forest. The tranquility and comfort that came with people alone helped to ease the fears she'd built up since the night before. It was easy to feel so at home in the forest, to feel like she was just another part of the cycle of nature.
Another part of the food chain.
"Oh shut up." Juniper snorted as she bounded along between the trees as effortlessly as her Harengon legs could carry her. Her eyes scanned the horizon ahead of her, alert to any dangers around her. Thus far she'd found nothing on the path into the valley aside from a few old game trails. Nothing of note. Nothing of danger.
No signs of a wolf.
Juniper tsked at herself before she raced further in and effortlessly leapt across a small river with an excited shout. As she sprinted through the forest, she couldn't help but feel at home again as if she'd never left the fey wilds at all.
The wind shifted and brought Juniper to an abrupt halt in her run. A scent… blood? No, something else with blood on it. Something… insect?
She gasped and somersaulted back just as a large spider dropped from the tree above her, huge fangs now embedded in the ground where she'd stood just seconds before. Juniper was already drawing back on her bow as the spider ripped its pedipalps from the earth, acidic venom sizzling on the ground.
"Sorry, you're not what I'm looking for," Juniper hissed back as she loosed an arrow. As the projectile neared the spider, the harengon called out a command word and the arrow shattered into thorny vines. The plant wrapped itself around the spider, entangled its legs and dropped it to the ground in a thrashing heap.
Drawing another arrow from her quiver, Juniper aimed her shot for the spider's head and fired. The arachnid gave an enraged, pained cry before its body went limp and the forest returned to its silent state.
"That was too close." Juniper drew a dagger from her belt and started toward her catch. "Let's see if there is anything of u-" She froze as she heard a deep snarl from behind her, a predatory sound that made her rabbit heart want to flee in terror. Gripping her blade, she spun to face the monster behind her with a battle cry of her own.
Nothing. There was nothing behind her but forest. Quiet, peaceful, and just a little violated by whatever had been there only a second before.
Turning back to the spider, Juniper shook her head. "I'm hearing sh-" She froze again, wide eyed in terror as she realized the bound up spider was gone as well. "What… the… actual… fuck?" Juniper sheathed her dagger and shook her head. "Nope, not questioning shit. Fuck this." She turned swifty and kept making her way deeper into the forest. "Not gonna think about it."
As the sun began to set later in the day, Juniper found a good clearing to make her camp. There was water a short run away but not close enough to risk wildlife congregating nearby, a few wild potatoes that she could pull and make into dinner, and a good look up at the sky so she could track the weather for the next day. All in all, it was the best she could have asked for. As she stoked the new campfire to life, the Harengon contented herself to rest and plan. After all, she had a dire wolf to track.
A feat which proved a lot more difficult than she'd hoped. The following day and for a half dozen days after, Juniper spent the daylight hours looking for any trail or marks that would indicate anything remotely canine. She moved her camp each night further into the valley, finding somewhere relatively safe to set up. She was almost surprised not to run into any of the other apprentices, not that she wanted to. She didn't need them.
Well, we need something.
Curled up in her tent, Juniper huffed at the voice in her head. "We don't need anything."
Liar. You know what time of the moon cycle it is.
The harengon cursed under her breath as she begged for a cool breeze to pass through the tent. The warmth of the summer night was stifling as she lay there naked, her own body on fire from the inside out. Part of her wanted to simply reach down between her thighs like she had plenty of nights before but she knew it was a pale imitation. It was like wanting sweets but drinking tea with a drop of honey in it.
It's better than nothing.
"Not why we're here. Focus." Juniper took a slow breath in and let it out to calm down. Her legs spread toward the opening of the tent, silently begging for a bit of relief. As much as she told herself to focus, she knew her body would only listen so well.
A rustling outside her tent made her bolt up, hand moving to her dagger nearby. Any thought of her arousal was quickly dashed by the fear of whatever was prowling outside her tent. She couldn't see anything in the dark, any light overhead smothered by the overcast sky. Even the light of the moon couldn't cut through the weather rolling in.
Juniper continued to keep on alert, her eyes focused and her ears swiveling as she strained to listen for… anything. Something to ease her paranoia. A sound she could explain away.
Thunder cracked across the sky overhead, making her scream in panic. She dropped her knife, hurrying to secure the flap on her tent shut. "Dammit, really? Fucking summer showers. Fuck!" She growled in frustration before laying back, a torrent of rain crashing down against the tent around her. It was almost deafening in its intensity as the wind screamed outside.
"Fucking hell." Juniper rubbed her eyes and listened to the sudden storm surge raging outside. "Who pissed off an arch druid, huh? I hate the rainy seasons." As she closed her eyes, she listened again to try and hear anything outside of the storm.
In the end, all she heard was the white noise of the rain as it helped lull her to a restless sleep.
><><><><
When Juniper finally woke up, the storm had long since passed over. The forest smelled rich with the scent of Petrichor, the ground still soft as Juniper crawled out of her tent and took inventory of the damage. Her cooking pots were gone along with the sack of rations she'd suspended in the tree. She growled in annoyance as she searched around for any sign of either of them.
What she found instead sent her heart racing in excitement. Just behind her tent, still clear and pure in the mud, was a massive paw print. She knelt down and traced a finger along the print with an excited whimper. It was massive, big as her face, and most definitely canine.
"Ooh, I got you now." Juniper smirked and dressed quickly, grabbed her pack, and started on the trail. The fresh tracks wove through the underbrush, leading the Harengon places only an animal or ranger could travel. She kept low, silent, unseen, as she stalked her target. At times, she had to pause and make sure that she hadn't lost the trail or started accidentally hunting something else.
Eventually, however, she realized that the wolf's trail was taking her in a loop back to her own camp. A dread weight began to settle into her stomach as she finished the loop back to her campsite.
Everything was gone. Her tent, her supplies, anything that she hadn't grabbed before running off to track was just gone.
"Fucking dammit! What the fuck?" Juniper punched a tree near her before gripping her now injured hand. "Fuck!"
It had to be one of the apprentices, right? They have to be trying to screw with us. Kresh, or whatever his name is, and that stupid party of his.
"I'll plug him full of arrows, I swe- FUCK! my arrows were still in the tent!" Juniper sighed and slumped back against a tree. "I can't go back for more supplies. They'll fail me on the assignment. Dammit…" She smacked her head back on the tree a few times in frustration. "What am I going to do now?"
A rumble of thunder in the distance told her the answer was to run and find shelter. Juniper pushed herself off the ground with an exhausted sigh and adjusted her pack. "Fucking assholes. If I find them they're fucking dead." As another rumble sounded, closer this time, the Harengon took off in search of shelter.
The rain came down in sheets as Juniper raced through the forest in search of somewhere dry. Her paws slid in the mud, sending her face first into the muck. She forced herself up as she spat out a mouthful of muck. "Seriously, come on…"
The forest lit up as a bright flash of lightning filled the sky. Her eyes had only a second to adjust, to catch the sight of the cave entrance ahead of her, before the world was plunged back into darkness.
Pushing herself up, Juniper bolted for the cave as quickly as she could. She nearly caught the mouth of it with her head but managed to duck inside at the last second. Once safely out of the rain, she pulled off her soaked clothes and felt around for anything she could use to light a fire.
A few dry sticks and a bit of cloth from her healer's kit was the best she could manage. Casting a spell to bring the meager fire to life, Juniper slumped against the cave wall in exhaustion. Everything ached, especially her stomach, and the idea of sleeping on the hard floor did little to comfort her. She managed to conjure a few berries to help with the hunger and the ache but they were nothing compared to a real meal and a bed.
She wasn't even sure when she'd fallen asleep. The crackling of the fire and the haze of the rain wound together like a snare and snatched up her conscious mind. Her dreams were strange, shapeless sensations of warmth traveling along her body. The kind of warmth that comes with curling up in a thick blanket in winter but also a more sensual warmth that ran along her breasts and neck and face. Then down between her thighs until she was gasping and squirming an-
Juniper groaned as she woke up, the chirping of birds outside the cave loud enough to wrench her from her dream. Her body still ached but in different, more frustrating ways. She could still feel that warmth against her, a hand subconsciously slipping between her thighs to finish what her dream had started. She paused, however, as her eyes adjusted to being awake.
All of her stuff was gone. Her pack, her weapons, even her clothes. Gone.
In a panic, she pushed herself up and hurried out of the cave. "Shit! No, come on! Fuck!" She looked around in a genuine state of fear as her legs trembled under her. "Please, no…"
Paw prints, clear as day, led away from the cave towards the heart of the valley. Massive, canine prints of a creature that could have killed her in her sleep but didn't. It just stole her shit.
But why?
Fuck the why! Juniper took off at a run, growling in fury as she raced after the thieving beast. She darted between trees with grace and ease, her lack of material things allowing her to truly be a Harengon in its natural state. She could feel the caress of the wind against her bare body as every step carried her with weightless ease through the woods. Her senses were dedicated to the chase, her nose picking up every rich scent of earth and pine and lurking predator. She deftly dodged past a hungry bear, lept over a group of awakened shrubs, and refused to break her stride.
The trail eventually led her to a vast, crystal clear lake. As she broke the treeline, Juniper slowed to a stop and looked around for any sign of the thief. All around her, the forest grew still and silent until all she could hear was the gentle lapping of waves against the rocky shore. No wolf, though.
Juniper screamed in frustration as she walked to the edge of the lake. Her throat burned from the run and her legs threatened to buckle in exhaustion. She took a seat along the shore with an exhausted, miserable whine of defeat.
"That's it. Fuck it. I quit. If this isn't a sign that I'm supposed to fail then I don't know what is." Juniper cupped her hands in the lake and lifted the water to drink. It was perfectly clear, untouched and unmolested by the industrialization of cities. The taste was pure and soothing, a comforting chill that settled in her core. Once she'd quenched her thirst, she eased her body into the water to rest and soak. "Maybe I should just stay here and save myself the embarrassment."
She let out a long sigh as her body relaxed in the lake, sore muscles welcoming the chance to actually rest. The Harengon couldn't deny how nice the cold water felt against her body after the dream she'd had the night before. After some rest she could hunt a deer or something and try to tan it into leather. Even just a cloak would be enough to at least head back to the training grounds and report her failure. Maybe she could find something easier to ta-
Stones crunched together behind Juniper. She hadn't heard anyone approach until then but, sure enough, something had walked up right behind her. She felt warm breath blow along the back of her head as a shiver of fear ran down her spine. Slowly, hesitantly, she turned in the water to face whatever had snuck up on her.
Yellow eyes locked with hers, making her freeze in place. The lake seemed cold as ice now as Juniper found herself in a staring match with a massive, black furred dire wolf. It had silently stalked up inches from her head, close enough to attack her if it wanted to. Instead, it stood there and looked down at her with a strong, predatory gaze.
Any time she started to move, it would growl in warning. Her flight instinct was screaming at her to bolt, to try and find somewhere she could hide, to do anything other than kneel there like an idiot.
The wolf huffed a burst of warm breath into her face that made her blink and look away. When she did, she could have sworn she heard the wolf chuckle.
"What the hell?" Juniper looked back to the wolf, taking a step back. "What are you doing? Go on! Attack or something."
The wolf snorted and stepped back too, studying her with its eyes. No, that wasn't it… It used a paw to pat the ground in front of it as if it was beckoning her forward.
"You want me to come to shore? Uh…" Juniper arched a brow and hesitated. "Do you understa-"
A growl of annoyance and another pawing at the ground was her response as the wolf sat back and waited.
"Right, s…sorry." Juniper crawled out of the water and up to the wolf. "Hey, uh, did you steal my stuff?"
The wolf snorted and leaned forward to sniff along Juniper's face.
"Hey! What are you doing? Knock it off!" Juniper tried to push him away but the wolf wouldn't budge. Instead, it sniffed along her neck and down to her chest. "Hey, that tickles ya furry brute!"
When its tongue ran along her breasts, she eeped and fell back on her ass. Her ears stood tall and her face burned from embarrassment and confusion. Juniper watched the wolf lean in again and run its massive tongue across her breasts, flicking along her sensitive nips.
Fuck, that feels good.
Instead of a protest, all she could do was give a blissful whine. The warmth that had plagued her the last two nights engulfed her like wildfire as the dire wolf continued to drag its tongue along her sensitive nips. Each flick against her dark, rigid tits elicited another gasp or whine of pleasure.
"Holy shit, is this really happening?" Juniper bit her lip and watched the dire wolf sniff and nuzzle down along her stomach, burying its nose against her. It sniffed lower and pressed a cold nose right between her thighs. As that warm tongue dragged itself against her mound, Juniper shamelessly moaned.
All the Harnegon could do was spread her legs as the dire wolf began to plunge its tongue into her warm, tight depths. Her labia spread as that thick canine tongue pumped into her again and again, making the rabbit woman whimper in ecstasy. It was bliss behind anything she could have given herself and her body begged for it to continue.
When the wolf pulled away, Juniper took the chance to catch her breath and process what was happening. That warmth, that sensation, was just like in the dream she'd had the night before. Worse, just like in the dream, it had stopped before she could get any relief.
As the wolf started to walk around Juniper, she reached and ran her fingers through the fur of its side. She could feel the toned, powerful muscles of the great beast beneath the soft fluff of its pelt. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine as she leaned in to nuzzle him. His warm scent, powerful and primal, clawed at her mind. "I want you. Holy fuck, do I want you."
When the wolf moved to roll her onto her stomach, Juniper finally got a look at just how much of an alpha this dire wolf truly was. Hanging between his hind legs was a canine cock that made her whimper in instinctive submission. Her body burned like a campfire on a winter's night as she saw it swinging between his thighs while he circled behind her.
"Wait, are you… I don't think that's going to fi-"
Her protest was cut off as the massive wolf suddenly stepped over her and pressed her chest into the ground. He gave a rumbling growl that vibrated through his chest and into her body as his entire being consumed her. Warmth and need and virility of a primal beast that knew exactly what he wanted.
That knew exactly what she needed.
As the wolf rolled its hips forward, Juniper felt the tip of its cock spreading her pussy wider than she'd ever been spread before. Her voice came out as a lust drunk moan as the dire wolf sank deeper and deeper into her tight depths. Parts of her that had never been discovered now stretched to accommodate the massive cock of an alpha in his prime.
Every thrust into her was precise and powerful, driving her into the ground as the wolf rutted her. There wasn't build up or a lover's passion, no, there was only the feral need of two beasts who craved the mutual release of one another. It was as if nature itself had manifested just to fuck her senseless into the rocks of the lake shore.
All Junipers could do was moan and cry out in bliss as her body drank in every dominant thrust, the dire wolf claiming her in ways she hadn't even known she needed to be claimed. Her sounds of submission and rapture echoed through the forest around her as her pussy gripped and stroked that primal cock. Her body worshiped him and begged for all he could give.
Then, with a sudden thrust down that forced Juniper's vagina to stretch more than she'd ever imagined it could, the wolf gave her exactly what she wanted. A girthy knot, bigger than her fist, popped into her and forced her over the edge. She screamed as she came, her mind only vaguely aware of the warmth flooding into her core. That copious load of dire wolf cum filled her and soothed the fires of her desire even as the knot kept him from pulling out.
At some point, Juniper's legs had given out but the knot inside of her kept her rear end dangling from the wolf. She breathed out heavily, her entire body trembling from the rush of primal endorphins, as she felt the weight of sleep crashing down on her.
She couldn't remember a time she'd slept so well. Her body still ached when she finally woke up, her pussy still stretched around the dire wolf as it idly pumped into her. She bit her lip and sighed at the bliss. "Holy fuck. That's… that was intense.
The wolf snorted and curled around her to nuzzle her. His tongue licked along her nape soothingly as his cock continued to twitch inside the Harengon.
Looking around, Juniper realized they weren't by the lake anymore. Somehow, they'd relocated into a large den made of earth and tree roots. Along the far wall, in the dim light that poured in from the mouth of the den, she could see all her missing gear.
"Hold up," she said with a small laugh. "Did you steal all my shit just so you could try and fuck me?"
The wolf snorted and gave a single nod.
"That's… twisted but a'ight." Juniper groaned as she tried to get comfortable, not caring how they'd gotten here or even where here was. As she nuzzled into the warm fluff of the wolf's chest, she let out a relaxed sigh. "You know, I was originally sent here to try and find a partner. A familiar, you know? If you want, I wouldn't say no to getting fucked by you again in exchange for you being my familiar? What do you say big guy? Want to travel together?"
"Sure, why not?" the wolf said in a deep, rumbling voice.
Juniper went wide eyed and looked at him in shock. "You can talk?! Are you fucking kidding me?"
><><><><
Two months later, the various apprentices gathered back at the training grounds with their familiars in tow. Most were gathered at the stage as the Huntmaster took roll call.
When he finally got to Juniper's name, he called out for her but was replied to with silence. "Juniper? Has anyone seen Miss Swiftstep?"
Krash snorted and gave a laugh, "Guess the rabbit got turned into dinner for something. Wonder how she tasted?" His party laughed with him while the rest of the apprentices exchanged nervous looks.
They'd seen her, after all, and her familiar.
One of them raised a hand, a young satyr named Tika. "Huntmaster?"
"Yes Miss Farlands?" the old wood elf asked curiously.
"I, uh, I think I saw Juniper a week or so ago, sir. She had this massive dire wolf with her and uh… I think she stayed in the forest."
"Did she now?" The Huntmaster chuckled knowingly. "Wonderful, yes. I'm glad to hear she found someone suited for her. Well, congratulations to the rest of you. You're dismissed." With that, he gave a bow and started off towards his tent.
Somewhere in the distance, a howl rang up from the valley, soon joined by another. A primal song of passion, companionship, and a bright future yet to come.
End.
Who knew being a ranger required social skills?
Not me, Juniper thought bitterly as she listened to the squadron leader droning on from the podium. All around her, the other hopefuls in her training class eagerly clung to the instructions they were being given. To the harengon, however, all she heard was her imminent doom.
She had to find a familiar.
She'd never really considered herself much of a socialite, her penchant for solo living being one of her biggest motivations to become a Ranger. The irony that she, a sentient rabbit, lacked animal handling skills wasn't lost to her. She drew up her hood and listened to the excited murmurs of her fellow apprentices as they contemplated what kind of familiars they'd track down.
"I'm going for a falcon so I can get an aerial advantage."
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm going to try and track down a raven to act as my messenger."
"What about a fox?"
"Oh, or a badger!"
"How about a-"
"How about you guys shut up?!" Juniper snapped at the goblin near her, glaring over at him as her ears flicked in aggravation.
The group went silent as the Huntmaster cleared his throat. "Miss Swiftstep, do we have a problem?"
Fuck me. "No sir, sorry. I was just having trouble hearing you."
The old wood elf on stage narrowed his eyes in an accusatorial glare. "Were you now? Seems you hear just fine when I dismiss you from lessons. Peculiar that you can't hear me when I'm giving lessons."
The harengon felt her stomach drop as the other apprentices laughed, all eyes on her with enough burning delight to set the forest on fire. She swallowed, her rabbit heart picking up a steady run as she was forced to lock eyes with the Huntmaster. "I-" Her voice shook and she went silent.
The wood elf hummed and said, "Allow me to repeat myself only once, Miss Swiftstep. You will be traveling into the valley where you will spend two months alone, free of the Guild's protection, so that you might find and train an animal familiar. You are expected to bond with them and forge a connection of trust and mutual survival. If you return without that requirement being fulfilled then you may as well not return at all. Do you have any questions, Miss Swiftstep?"
"I-"
"No? Excellent. You are all dismissed. Sleep well tonight, apprentices. You leave for your mission at dawn. Keep your wits about you. The forest is filled with great bounty and, with it, great danger. The forest will not differentiate you from any other beasts. Predator or prey? Which will you allow yourself to be?" With that, the Huntmaster turned and strode silently from the stage.
A few of the other apprentices shot cruel grins at Juniper as one of them whispered loud enough for her to hear. "Course we know what she's going to be. Rabbits ain't nothing but prey."
Juniper hummed and looked to the man who spoke, a half-orc built thick and short. Was his name Krish? Krash? Something stupid like that, she couldn't remember. "Harengon, not rabbit. That's like calling tabaxi fuckin' housecats."
"Look, if it looks like rabbit and eats like rabbit then it's a fookin' rabbit." The half-orc scratched at his one good tusk as the small group with him laughed in agreement.
"Given you couldn't catch a rabbit trapped in a snare I doubt you'd know what one tastes like." Juniper rolled her eyes and walked over to him. "How many harengon you snacked on lately?"
"Just yo mum." The group laughed again.
"Well, given she died like twenty years, I'm sure she tasted like centaur shit. Then again, maybe you're into that." Juniper flipped him off and turned to walk away.
The half-orc snorted in anger at her. "Oh yeah? So what you gonna go fuckin tame ya smart ass lump of stew meat?"
No, seriously, what am I going to try and tame? Juniper took a sharp breath in and mentally grasped at the first impressive beast that came to mind. "A dire wolf."
The group ooed behind her. The half-orc laughed and said, "Yeah fuckin right! Ain't no namby fuckin rabbit girl gonna tame a dire wolf. Ain't no one even seen a dire wolf in this valley in a hundred fuckin years. You bring back a dire wolf and I'll eat my own fuckin' knob."
Juniper smirked. "Deal. See you shits in a couple months." Then, before the half-orc could fire off another smartass comment, she took off at a dash towards her camp. A few bounding steps was all it took to fully leave them in the dust.
As she reached her camp, Juniper let out a whine as she looked at all her gear. She hadn't actually had to pack up camp in months and the reality of just how much crap she'd accumulated quickly hit her like a bull.
We'd have help if you weren't such a bitch to people.
"Yeah, well, being a bitch is how I survive." Juniper huffed and walked over to her fire pit. A small incantation was all it took to set the campfire ablaze before the harengon dropped to sit next to it. Packing could be a future her problem.
Right. So why a dire wolf? You know if you come back without on-
"Then there's no point in coming back. Yeah, I know. He just pissed me off and I needed to do something about his smug ass attitude. Aren't you supposed to be on my side, Miss Inner Dialogue?"
Her inner voice snorted. Not when you do stupid shit like promise you'll tame a dire wolf! One of us has to have a survival instinct.
Juniper rubbed her eyes and sighed. "It's not like we haven't seen one before."
When we were ten and it ate a hunk of our ear and clawed an eye out. We're lucky dad had a way to fix the eye.
"I mean, we look badass now." She rubbed the claw scars on her face, closing her replacement yellow eye while her blue eye kept staring into the fire. "Positives."
True.
Juniper chewed her lip for a bit in silent contemplation before shrugging. "I got this. We're a badass ranger who isn't afraid of some dire wolf. We're not the scared kid in the woods anymore. We're going to do this."
We're also nuts and talking to ourselves.
"Oh shut up."
><><><><
Morning came upsettingly early as Juniper tried to pack up her camp. The half-conscious Harengon stumbled about as she wedged things into her travel pack in whatever half-assed way they'd fit. She'd woken up late, as was her usual routine, but the realization almost everyone else had left for the valley already didn't bode well for her.
As she was lashing together the last of her supplies, she heard an unimpressed sigh from behind her. The Huntmaster.
"I'd have thought you'd have the sense to wake up on time for once." The wood elf tsked as he looked down at her. "Have you even eaten yet?'
"I had trouble sleeping," Juniper told him truthfully as she kept her eyes down at her bag. "I'll find something in the valley."
"A bold assumption." The Huntmaster stepped forward and held out his hand as a small bunch of berries appeared from nothing. "Consider this a token of good luck. The forest of the valley is vast and unforgiving. A ranger never misses breakfast if they don't wish to become breakfast."
Juniper glanced up at him before taking the offered berries. "Thank you sir." She popped them into her mouth three at a time until they were gone. Sweet, a little tart, and magically nutritious. One of the few spells every ranger learned, even her.
The hand that had held the berries moved to rest on top of Juniper's head. "I understand you told Mister Gresh and his party that you were going to tame a dire wolf. Is that true?"
"That's the plan." Juniper blushed as the Huntmaster patted her on the head. "I can do it."
"I've no doubt that you can, Miss Swiftstep. You've always been more than capable of success when failure meant death. As I recall, however, the dire wolves in the valley have been hunted to near extinction. None have been seen since when even I was young. If there are any left, they'll be the fiercest of predators and most cunning. Be careful. While I don't particularly approve of your attitude or mannerisms in training, I am rather fond of your spirit and would hate for you to end up in the belly of a beast." The Huntmaster smiled down at her with a rare, warm smile of encouragement.
Juniper felt herself blushing more as she leaned up more into the hand on her head. "Thank you Huntmaster. I'll be safe and I'll return with my wolf. You'll see."
"I'm certain that I shall, yes. Those with everything to prove have the most reason not to fail, after all." He stepped away and gave a small chuckle. "Be safe Juniper Swiftstep."
Juniper stood and slung her pack over her back. "I will Huntmaster."
"Oh, and Miss Swiftstep?"
"Yes sir?"
The wood elf laughed softly. "It may be best to put some clothes on before you go."
Juniper went wide eyed and looked down at herself, realizing just how absolutely naked she'd been the entire time. "Fuck."
"Be as swift as the deer and as fierce as a dragon," the Huntmaster said before he bowed his head and left.
As she watched him walk off, Juniper let out a sigh of frustration.
I have no idea where we packed our clothes
><><><><
Some time later, a fully-clothed and better packed Juniper made her way silently through the forest. The tranquility and comfort that came with people alone helped to ease the fears she'd built up since the night before. It was easy to feel so at home in the forest, to feel like she was just another part of the cycle of nature.
Another part of the food chain.
"Oh shut up." Juniper snorted as she bounded along between the trees as effortlessly as her Harengon legs could carry her. Her eyes scanned the horizon ahead of her, alert to any dangers around her. Thus far she'd found nothing on the path into the valley aside from a few old game trails. Nothing of note. Nothing of danger.
No signs of a wolf.
Juniper tsked at herself before she raced further in and effortlessly leapt across a small river with an excited shout. As she sprinted through the forest, she couldn't help but feel at home again as if she'd never left the fey wilds at all.
The wind shifted and brought Juniper to an abrupt halt in her run. A scent… blood? No, something else with blood on it. Something… insect?
She gasped and somersaulted back just as a large spider dropped from the tree above her, huge fangs now embedded in the ground where she'd stood just seconds before. Juniper was already drawing back on her bow as the spider ripped its pedipalps from the earth, acidic venom sizzling on the ground.
"Sorry, you're not what I'm looking for," Juniper hissed back as she loosed an arrow. As the projectile neared the spider, the harengon called out a command word and the arrow shattered into thorny vines. The plant wrapped itself around the spider, entangled its legs and dropped it to the ground in a thrashing heap.
Drawing another arrow from her quiver, Juniper aimed her shot for the spider's head and fired. The arachnid gave an enraged, pained cry before its body went limp and the forest returned to its silent state.
"That was too close." Juniper drew a dagger from her belt and started toward her catch. "Let's see if there is anything of u-" She froze as she heard a deep snarl from behind her, a predatory sound that made her rabbit heart want to flee in terror. Gripping her blade, she spun to face the monster behind her with a battle cry of her own.
Nothing. There was nothing behind her but forest. Quiet, peaceful, and just a little violated by whatever had been there only a second before.
Turning back to the spider, Juniper shook her head. "I'm hearing sh-" She froze again, wide eyed in terror as she realized the bound up spider was gone as well. "What… the… actual… fuck?" Juniper sheathed her dagger and shook her head. "Nope, not questioning shit. Fuck this." She turned swifty and kept making her way deeper into the forest. "Not gonna think about it."
As the sun began to set later in the day, Juniper found a good clearing to make her camp. There was water a short run away but not close enough to risk wildlife congregating nearby, a few wild potatoes that she could pull and make into dinner, and a good look up at the sky so she could track the weather for the next day. All in all, it was the best she could have asked for. As she stoked the new campfire to life, the Harengon contented herself to rest and plan. After all, she had a dire wolf to track.
A feat which proved a lot more difficult than she'd hoped. The following day and for a half dozen days after, Juniper spent the daylight hours looking for any trail or marks that would indicate anything remotely canine. She moved her camp each night further into the valley, finding somewhere relatively safe to set up. She was almost surprised not to run into any of the other apprentices, not that she wanted to. She didn't need them.
Well, we need something.
Curled up in her tent, Juniper huffed at the voice in her head. "We don't need anything."
Liar. You know what time of the moon cycle it is.
The harengon cursed under her breath as she begged for a cool breeze to pass through the tent. The warmth of the summer night was stifling as she lay there naked, her own body on fire from the inside out. Part of her wanted to simply reach down between her thighs like she had plenty of nights before but she knew it was a pale imitation. It was like wanting sweets but drinking tea with a drop of honey in it.
It's better than nothing.
"Not why we're here. Focus." Juniper took a slow breath in and let it out to calm down. Her legs spread toward the opening of the tent, silently begging for a bit of relief. As much as she told herself to focus, she knew her body would only listen so well.
A rustling outside her tent made her bolt up, hand moving to her dagger nearby. Any thought of her arousal was quickly dashed by the fear of whatever was prowling outside her tent. She couldn't see anything in the dark, any light overhead smothered by the overcast sky. Even the light of the moon couldn't cut through the weather rolling in.
Juniper continued to keep on alert, her eyes focused and her ears swiveling as she strained to listen for… anything. Something to ease her paranoia. A sound she could explain away.
Thunder cracked across the sky overhead, making her scream in panic. She dropped her knife, hurrying to secure the flap on her tent shut. "Dammit, really? Fucking summer showers. Fuck!" She growled in frustration before laying back, a torrent of rain crashing down against the tent around her. It was almost deafening in its intensity as the wind screamed outside.
"Fucking hell." Juniper rubbed her eyes and listened to the sudden storm surge raging outside. "Who pissed off an arch druid, huh? I hate the rainy seasons." As she closed her eyes, she listened again to try and hear anything outside of the storm.
In the end, all she heard was the white noise of the rain as it helped lull her to a restless sleep.
><><><><
When Juniper finally woke up, the storm had long since passed over. The forest smelled rich with the scent of Petrichor, the ground still soft as Juniper crawled out of her tent and took inventory of the damage. Her cooking pots were gone along with the sack of rations she'd suspended in the tree. She growled in annoyance as she searched around for any sign of either of them.
What she found instead sent her heart racing in excitement. Just behind her tent, still clear and pure in the mud, was a massive paw print. She knelt down and traced a finger along the print with an excited whimper. It was massive, big as her face, and most definitely canine.
"Ooh, I got you now." Juniper smirked and dressed quickly, grabbed her pack, and started on the trail. The fresh tracks wove through the underbrush, leading the Harengon places only an animal or ranger could travel. She kept low, silent, unseen, as she stalked her target. At times, she had to pause and make sure that she hadn't lost the trail or started accidentally hunting something else.
Eventually, however, she realized that the wolf's trail was taking her in a loop back to her own camp. A dread weight began to settle into her stomach as she finished the loop back to her campsite.
Everything was gone. Her tent, her supplies, anything that she hadn't grabbed before running off to track was just gone.
"Fucking dammit! What the fuck?" Juniper punched a tree near her before gripping her now injured hand. "Fuck!"
It had to be one of the apprentices, right? They have to be trying to screw with us. Kresh, or whatever his name is, and that stupid party of his.
"I'll plug him full of arrows, I swe- FUCK! my arrows were still in the tent!" Juniper sighed and slumped back against a tree. "I can't go back for more supplies. They'll fail me on the assignment. Dammit…" She smacked her head back on the tree a few times in frustration. "What am I going to do now?"
A rumble of thunder in the distance told her the answer was to run and find shelter. Juniper pushed herself off the ground with an exhausted sigh and adjusted her pack. "Fucking assholes. If I find them they're fucking dead." As another rumble sounded, closer this time, the Harengon took off in search of shelter.
The rain came down in sheets as Juniper raced through the forest in search of somewhere dry. Her paws slid in the mud, sending her face first into the muck. She forced herself up as she spat out a mouthful of muck. "Seriously, come on…"
The forest lit up as a bright flash of lightning filled the sky. Her eyes had only a second to adjust, to catch the sight of the cave entrance ahead of her, before the world was plunged back into darkness.
Pushing herself up, Juniper bolted for the cave as quickly as she could. She nearly caught the mouth of it with her head but managed to duck inside at the last second. Once safely out of the rain, she pulled off her soaked clothes and felt around for anything she could use to light a fire.
A few dry sticks and a bit of cloth from her healer's kit was the best she could manage. Casting a spell to bring the meager fire to life, Juniper slumped against the cave wall in exhaustion. Everything ached, especially her stomach, and the idea of sleeping on the hard floor did little to comfort her. She managed to conjure a few berries to help with the hunger and the ache but they were nothing compared to a real meal and a bed.
She wasn't even sure when she'd fallen asleep. The crackling of the fire and the haze of the rain wound together like a snare and snatched up her conscious mind. Her dreams were strange, shapeless sensations of warmth traveling along her body. The kind of warmth that comes with curling up in a thick blanket in winter but also a more sensual warmth that ran along her breasts and neck and face. Then down between her thighs until she was gasping and squirming an-
Juniper groaned as she woke up, the chirping of birds outside the cave loud enough to wrench her from her dream. Her body still ached but in different, more frustrating ways. She could still feel that warmth against her, a hand subconsciously slipping between her thighs to finish what her dream had started. She paused, however, as her eyes adjusted to being awake.
All of her stuff was gone. Her pack, her weapons, even her clothes. Gone.
In a panic, she pushed herself up and hurried out of the cave. "Shit! No, come on! Fuck!" She looked around in a genuine state of fear as her legs trembled under her. "Please, no…"
Paw prints, clear as day, led away from the cave towards the heart of the valley. Massive, canine prints of a creature that could have killed her in her sleep but didn't. It just stole her shit.
But why?
Fuck the why! Juniper took off at a run, growling in fury as she raced after the thieving beast. She darted between trees with grace and ease, her lack of material things allowing her to truly be a Harengon in its natural state. She could feel the caress of the wind against her bare body as every step carried her with weightless ease through the woods. Her senses were dedicated to the chase, her nose picking up every rich scent of earth and pine and lurking predator. She deftly dodged past a hungry bear, lept over a group of awakened shrubs, and refused to break her stride.
The trail eventually led her to a vast, crystal clear lake. As she broke the treeline, Juniper slowed to a stop and looked around for any sign of the thief. All around her, the forest grew still and silent until all she could hear was the gentle lapping of waves against the rocky shore. No wolf, though.
Juniper screamed in frustration as she walked to the edge of the lake. Her throat burned from the run and her legs threatened to buckle in exhaustion. She took a seat along the shore with an exhausted, miserable whine of defeat.
"That's it. Fuck it. I quit. If this isn't a sign that I'm supposed to fail then I don't know what is." Juniper cupped her hands in the lake and lifted the water to drink. It was perfectly clear, untouched and unmolested by the industrialization of cities. The taste was pure and soothing, a comforting chill that settled in her core. Once she'd quenched her thirst, she eased her body into the water to rest and soak. "Maybe I should just stay here and save myself the embarrassment."
She let out a long sigh as her body relaxed in the lake, sore muscles welcoming the chance to actually rest. The Harengon couldn't deny how nice the cold water felt against her body after the dream she'd had the night before. After some rest she could hunt a deer or something and try to tan it into leather. Even just a cloak would be enough to at least head back to the training grounds and report her failure. Maybe she could find something easier to ta-
Stones crunched together behind Juniper. She hadn't heard anyone approach until then but, sure enough, something had walked up right behind her. She felt warm breath blow along the back of her head as a shiver of fear ran down her spine. Slowly, hesitantly, she turned in the water to face whatever had snuck up on her.
Yellow eyes locked with hers, making her freeze in place. The lake seemed cold as ice now as Juniper found herself in a staring match with a massive, black furred dire wolf. It had silently stalked up inches from her head, close enough to attack her if it wanted to. Instead, it stood there and looked down at her with a strong, predatory gaze.
Any time she started to move, it would growl in warning. Her flight instinct was screaming at her to bolt, to try and find somewhere she could hide, to do anything other than kneel there like an idiot.
The wolf huffed a burst of warm breath into her face that made her blink and look away. When she did, she could have sworn she heard the wolf chuckle.
"What the hell?" Juniper looked back to the wolf, taking a step back. "What are you doing? Go on! Attack or something."
The wolf snorted and stepped back too, studying her with its eyes. No, that wasn't it… It used a paw to pat the ground in front of it as if it was beckoning her forward.
"You want me to come to shore? Uh…" Juniper arched a brow and hesitated. "Do you understa-"
A growl of annoyance and another pawing at the ground was her response as the wolf sat back and waited.
"Right, s…sorry." Juniper crawled out of the water and up to the wolf. "Hey, uh, did you steal my stuff?"
The wolf snorted and leaned forward to sniff along Juniper's face.
"Hey! What are you doing? Knock it off!" Juniper tried to push him away but the wolf wouldn't budge. Instead, it sniffed along her neck and down to her chest. "Hey, that tickles ya furry brute!"
When its tongue ran along her breasts, she eeped and fell back on her ass. Her ears stood tall and her face burned from embarrassment and confusion. Juniper watched the wolf lean in again and run its massive tongue across her breasts, flicking along her sensitive nips.
Fuck, that feels good.
Instead of a protest, all she could do was give a blissful whine. The warmth that had plagued her the last two nights engulfed her like wildfire as the dire wolf continued to drag its tongue along her sensitive nips. Each flick against her dark, rigid tits elicited another gasp or whine of pleasure.
"Holy shit, is this really happening?" Juniper bit her lip and watched the dire wolf sniff and nuzzle down along her stomach, burying its nose against her. It sniffed lower and pressed a cold nose right between her thighs. As that warm tongue dragged itself against her mound, Juniper shamelessly moaned.
All the Harnegon could do was spread her legs as the dire wolf began to plunge its tongue into her warm, tight depths. Her labia spread as that thick canine tongue pumped into her again and again, making the rabbit woman whimper in ecstasy. It was bliss behind anything she could have given herself and her body begged for it to continue.
When the wolf pulled away, Juniper took the chance to catch her breath and process what was happening. That warmth, that sensation, was just like in the dream she'd had the night before. Worse, just like in the dream, it had stopped before she could get any relief.
As the wolf started to walk around Juniper, she reached and ran her fingers through the fur of its side. She could feel the toned, powerful muscles of the great beast beneath the soft fluff of its pelt. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine as she leaned in to nuzzle him. His warm scent, powerful and primal, clawed at her mind. "I want you. Holy fuck, do I want you."
When the wolf moved to roll her onto her stomach, Juniper finally got a look at just how much of an alpha this dire wolf truly was. Hanging between his hind legs was a canine cock that made her whimper in instinctive submission. Her body burned like a campfire on a winter's night as she saw it swinging between his thighs while he circled behind her.
"Wait, are you… I don't think that's going to fi-"
Her protest was cut off as the massive wolf suddenly stepped over her and pressed her chest into the ground. He gave a rumbling growl that vibrated through his chest and into her body as his entire being consumed her. Warmth and need and virility of a primal beast that knew exactly what he wanted.
That knew exactly what she needed.
As the wolf rolled its hips forward, Juniper felt the tip of its cock spreading her pussy wider than she'd ever been spread before. Her voice came out as a lust drunk moan as the dire wolf sank deeper and deeper into her tight depths. Parts of her that had never been discovered now stretched to accommodate the massive cock of an alpha in his prime.
Every thrust into her was precise and powerful, driving her into the ground as the wolf rutted her. There wasn't build up or a lover's passion, no, there was only the feral need of two beasts who craved the mutual release of one another. It was as if nature itself had manifested just to fuck her senseless into the rocks of the lake shore.
All Junipers could do was moan and cry out in bliss as her body drank in every dominant thrust, the dire wolf claiming her in ways she hadn't even known she needed to be claimed. Her sounds of submission and rapture echoed through the forest around her as her pussy gripped and stroked that primal cock. Her body worshiped him and begged for all he could give.
Then, with a sudden thrust down that forced Juniper's vagina to stretch more than she'd ever imagined it could, the wolf gave her exactly what she wanted. A girthy knot, bigger than her fist, popped into her and forced her over the edge. She screamed as she came, her mind only vaguely aware of the warmth flooding into her core. That copious load of dire wolf cum filled her and soothed the fires of her desire even as the knot kept him from pulling out.
At some point, Juniper's legs had given out but the knot inside of her kept her rear end dangling from the wolf. She breathed out heavily, her entire body trembling from the rush of primal endorphins, as she felt the weight of sleep crashing down on her.
She couldn't remember a time she'd slept so well. Her body still ached when she finally woke up, her pussy still stretched around the dire wolf as it idly pumped into her. She bit her lip and sighed at the bliss. "Holy fuck. That's… that was intense.
The wolf snorted and curled around her to nuzzle her. His tongue licked along her nape soothingly as his cock continued to twitch inside the Harengon.
Looking around, Juniper realized they weren't by the lake anymore. Somehow, they'd relocated into a large den made of earth and tree roots. Along the far wall, in the dim light that poured in from the mouth of the den, she could see all her missing gear.
"Hold up," she said with a small laugh. "Did you steal all my shit just so you could try and fuck me?"
The wolf snorted and gave a single nod.
"That's… twisted but a'ight." Juniper groaned as she tried to get comfortable, not caring how they'd gotten here or even where here was. As she nuzzled into the warm fluff of the wolf's chest, she let out a relaxed sigh. "You know, I was originally sent here to try and find a partner. A familiar, you know? If you want, I wouldn't say no to getting fucked by you again in exchange for you being my familiar? What do you say big guy? Want to travel together?"
"Sure, why not?" the wolf said in a deep, rumbling voice.
Juniper went wide eyed and looked at him in shock. "You can talk?! Are you fucking kidding me?"
><><><><
Two months later, the various apprentices gathered back at the training grounds with their familiars in tow. Most were gathered at the stage as the Huntmaster took roll call.
When he finally got to Juniper's name, he called out for her but was replied to with silence. "Juniper? Has anyone seen Miss Swiftstep?"
Krash snorted and gave a laugh, "Guess the rabbit got turned into dinner for something. Wonder how she tasted?" His party laughed with him while the rest of the apprentices exchanged nervous looks.
They'd seen her, after all, and her familiar.
One of them raised a hand, a young satyr named Tika. "Huntmaster?"
"Yes Miss Farlands?" the old wood elf asked curiously.
"I, uh, I think I saw Juniper a week or so ago, sir. She had this massive dire wolf with her and uh… I think she stayed in the forest."
"Did she now?" The Huntmaster chuckled knowingly. "Wonderful, yes. I'm glad to hear she found someone suited for her. Well, congratulations to the rest of you. You're dismissed." With that, he gave a bow and started off towards his tent.
Somewhere in the distance, a howl rang up from the valley, soon joined by another. A primal song of passion, companionship, and a bright future yet to come.
End.
Who knew being a ranger required social skills?
Not me, Juniper thought bitterly as she listened to the squadron leader droning on from the podium. All around her, the other hopefuls in her training class eagerly clung to the instructions they were being given. To the harengon, however, all she heard was her imminent doom.
She had to find a familiar.
She'd never really considered herself much of a socialite, her penchant for solo living being one of her biggest motivations to become a Ranger. The irony that she, a sentient rabbit, lacked animal handling skills wasn't lost to her. She drew up her hood and listened to the excited murmurs of her fellow apprentices as they contemplated what kind of familiars they'd track down.
"I'm going for a falcon so I can get an aerial advantage."
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm going to try and track down a raven to act as my messenger."
"What about a fox?"
"Oh, or a badger!"
"How about a-"
"How about you guys shut up?!" Juniper snapped at the goblin near her, glaring over at him as her ears flicked in aggravation.
The group went silent as the Huntmaster cleared his throat. "Miss Swiftstep, do we have a problem?"
Fuck me. "No sir, sorry. I was just having trouble hearing you."
The old wood elf on stage narrowed his eyes in an accusatorial glare. "Were you now? Seems you hear just fine when I dismiss you from lessons. Peculiar that you can't hear me when I'm giving lessons."
The harengon felt her stomach drop as the other apprentices laughed, all eyes on her with enough burning delight to set the forest on fire. She swallowed, her rabbit heart picking up a steady run as she was forced to lock eyes with the Huntmaster. "I-" Her voice shook and she went silent.
The wood elf hummed and said, "Allow me to repeat myself only once, Miss Swiftstep. You will be traveling into the valley where you will spend two months alone, free of the Guild's protection, so that you might find and train an animal familiar. You are expected to bond with them and forge a connection of trust and mutual survival. If you return without that requirement being fulfilled then you may as well not return at all. Do you have any questions, Miss Swiftstep?"
"I-"
"No? Excellent. You are all dismissed. Sleep well tonight, apprentices. You leave for your mission at dawn. Keep your wits about you. The forest is filled with great bounty and, with it, great danger. The forest will not differentiate you from any other beasts. Predator or prey? Which will you allow yourself to be?" With that, the Huntmaster turned and strode silently from the stage.
A few of the other apprentices shot cruel grins at Juniper as one of them whispered loud enough for her to hear. "Course we know what she's going to be. Rabbits ain't nothing but prey."
Juniper hummed and looked to the man who spoke, a half-orc built thick and short. Was his name Krish? Krash? Something stupid like that, she couldn't remember. "Harengon, not rabbit. That's like calling tabaxi fuckin' housecats."
"Look, if it looks like rabbit and eats like rabbit then it's a fookin' rabbit." The half-orc scratched at his one good tusk as the small group with him laughed in agreement.
"Given you couldn't catch a rabbit trapped in a snare I doubt you'd know what one tastes like." Juniper rolled her eyes and walked over to him. "How many harengon you snacked on lately?"
"Just yo mum." The group laughed again.
"Well, given she died like twenty years, I'm sure she tasted like centaur shit. Then again, maybe you're into that." Juniper flipped him off and turned to walk away.
The half-orc snorted in anger at her. "Oh yeah? So what you gonna go fuckin tame ya smart ass lump of stew meat?"
No, seriously, what am I going to try and tame? Juniper took a sharp breath in and mentally grasped at the first impressive beast that came to mind. "A dire wolf."
The group ooed behind her. The half-orc laughed and said, "Yeah fuckin right! Ain't no namby fuckin rabbit girl gonna tame a dire wolf. Ain't no one even seen a dire wolf in this valley in a hundred fuckin years. You bring back a dire wolf and I'll eat my own fuckin' knob."
Juniper smirked. "Deal. See you shits in a couple months." Then, before the half-orc could fire off another smartass comment, she took off at a dash towards her camp. A few bounding steps was all it took to fully leave them in the dust.
As she reached her camp, Juniper let out a whine as she looked at all her gear. She hadn't actually had to pack up camp in months and the reality of just how much crap she'd accumulated quickly hit her like a bull.
We'd have help if you weren't such a bitch to people.
"Yeah, well, being a bitch is how I survive." Juniper huffed and walked over to her fire pit. A small incantation was all it took to set the campfire ablaze before the harengon dropped to sit next to it. Packing could be a future her problem.
Right. So why a dire wolf? You know if you come back without on-
"Then there's no point in coming back. Yeah, I know. He just pissed me off and I needed to do something about his smug ass attitude. Aren't you supposed to be on my side, Miss Inner Dialogue?"
Her inner voice snorted. Not when you do stupid shit like promise you'll tame a dire wolf! One of us has to have a survival instinct.
Juniper rubbed her eyes and sighed. "It's not like we haven't seen one before."
When we were ten and it ate a hunk of our ear and clawed an eye out. We're lucky dad had a way to fix the eye.
"I mean, we look badass now." She rubbed the claw scars on her face, closing her replacement yellow eye while her blue eye kept staring into the fire. "Positives."
True.
Juniper chewed her lip for a bit in silent contemplation before shrugging. "I got this. We're a badass ranger who isn't afraid of some dire wolf. We're not the scared kid in the woods anymore. We're going to do this."
We're also nuts and talking to ourselves.
"Oh shut up."
><><><><
Morning came upsettingly early as Juniper tried to pack up her camp. The half-conscious Harengon stumbled about as she wedged things into her travel pack in whatever half-assed way they'd fit. She'd woken up late, as was her usual routine, but the realization almost everyone else had left for the valley already didn't bode well for her.
As she was lashing together the last of her supplies, she heard an unimpressed sigh from behind her. The Huntmaster.
"I'd have thought you'd have the sense to wake up on time for once." The wood elf tsked as he looked down at her. "Have you even eaten yet?'
"I had trouble sleeping," Juniper told him truthfully as she kept her eyes down at her bag. "I'll find something in the valley."
"A bold assumption." The Huntmaster stepped forward and held out his hand as a small bunch of berries appeared from nothing. "Consider this a token of good luck. The forest of the valley is vast and unforgiving. A ranger never misses breakfast if they don't wish to become breakfast."
Juniper glanced up at him before taking the offered berries. "Thank you sir." She popped them into her mouth three at a time until they were gone. Sweet, a little tart, and magically nutritious. One of the few spells every ranger learned, even her.
The hand that had held the berries moved to rest on top of Juniper's head. "I understand you told Mister Gresh and his party that you were going to tame a dire wolf. Is that true?"
"That's the plan." Juniper blushed as the Huntmaster patted her on the head. "I can do it."
"I've no doubt that you can, Miss Swiftstep. You've always been more than capable of success when failure meant death. As I recall, however, the dire wolves in the valley have been hunted to near extinction. None have been seen since when even I was young. If there are any left, they'll be the fiercest of predators and most cunning. Be careful. While I don't particularly approve of your attitude or mannerisms in training, I am rather fond of your spirit and would hate for you to end up in the belly of a beast." The Huntmaster smiled down at her with a rare, warm smile of encouragement.
Juniper felt herself blushing more as she leaned up more into the hand on her head. "Thank you Huntmaster. I'll be safe and I'll return with my wolf. You'll see."
"I'm certain that I shall, yes. Those with everything to prove have the most reason not to fail, after all." He stepped away and gave a small chuckle. "Be safe Juniper Swiftstep."
Juniper stood and slung her pack over her back. "I will Huntmaster."
"Oh, and Miss Swiftstep?"
"Yes sir?"
The wood elf laughed softly. "It may be best to put some clothes on before you go."
Juniper went wide eyed and looked down at herself, realizing just how absolutely naked she'd been the entire time. "Fuck."
"Be as swift as the deer and as fierce as a dragon," the Huntmaster said before he bowed his head and left.
As she watched him walk off, Juniper let out a sigh of frustration.
I have no idea where we packed our clothes
><><><><
Some time later, a fully-clothed and better packed Juniper made her way silently through the forest. The tranquility and comfort that came with people alone helped to ease the fears she'd built up since the night before. It was easy to feel so at home in the forest, to feel like she was just another part of the cycle of nature.
Another part of the food chain.
"Oh shut up." Juniper snorted as she bounded along between the trees as effortlessly as her Harengon legs could carry her. Her eyes scanned the horizon ahead of her, alert to any dangers around her. Thus far she'd found nothing on the path into the valley aside from a few old game trails. Nothing of note. Nothing of danger.
No signs of a wolf.
Juniper tsked at herself before she raced further in and effortlessly leapt across a small river with an excited shout. As she sprinted through the forest, she couldn't help but feel at home again as if she'd never left the fey wilds at all.
The wind shifted and brought Juniper to an abrupt halt in her run. A scent… blood? No, something else with blood on it. Something… insect?
She gasped and somersaulted back just as a large spider dropped from the tree above her, huge fangs now embedded in the ground where she'd stood just seconds before. Juniper was already drawing back on her bow as the spider ripped its pedipalps from the earth, acidic venom sizzling on the ground.
"Sorry, you're not what I'm looking for," Juniper hissed back as she loosed an arrow. As the projectile neared the spider, the harengon called out a command word and the arrow shattered into thorny vines. The plant wrapped itself around the spider, entangled its legs and dropped it to the ground in a thrashing heap.
Drawing another arrow from her quiver, Juniper aimed her shot for the spider's head and fired. The arachnid gave an enraged, pained cry before its body went limp and the forest returned to its silent state.
"That was too close." Juniper drew a dagger from her belt and started toward her catch. "Let's see if there is anything of u-" She froze as she heard a deep snarl from behind her, a predatory sound that made her rabbit heart want to flee in terror. Gripping her blade, she spun to face the monster behind her with a battle cry of her own.
Nothing. There was nothing behind her but forest. Quiet, peaceful, and just a little violated by whatever had been there only a second before.
Turning back to the spider, Juniper shook her head. "I'm hearing sh-" She froze again, wide eyed in terror as she realized the bound up spider was gone as well. "What… the… actual… fuck?" Juniper sheathed her dagger and shook her head. "Nope, not questioning shit. Fuck this." She turned swifty and kept making her way deeper into the forest. "Not gonna think about it."
As the sun began to set later in the day, Juniper found a good clearing to make her camp. There was water a short run away but not close enough to risk wildlife congregating nearby, a few wild potatoes that she could pull and make into dinner, and a good look up at the sky so she could track the weather for the next day. All in all, it was the best she could have asked for. As she stoked the new campfire to life, the Harengon contented herself to rest and plan. After all, she had a dire wolf to track.
A feat which proved a lot more difficult than she'd hoped. The following day and for a half dozen days after, Juniper spent the daylight hours looking for any trail or marks that would indicate anything remotely canine. She moved her camp each night further into the valley, finding somewhere relatively safe to set up. She was almost surprised not to run into any of the other apprentices, not that she wanted to. She didn't need them.
Well, we need something.
Curled up in her tent, Juniper huffed at the voice in her head. "We don't need anything."
Liar. You know what time of the moon cycle it is.
The harengon cursed under her breath as she begged for a cool breeze to pass through the tent. The warmth of the summer night was stifling as she lay there naked, her own body on fire from the inside out. Part of her wanted to simply reach down between her thighs like she had plenty of nights before but she knew it was a pale imitation. It was like wanting sweets but drinking tea with a drop of honey in it.
It's better than nothing.
"Not why we're here. Focus." Juniper took a slow breath in and let it out to calm down. Her legs spread toward the opening of the tent, silently begging for a bit of relief. As much as she told herself to focus, she knew her body would only listen so well.
A rustling outside her tent made her bolt up, hand moving to her dagger nearby. Any thought of her arousal was quickly dashed by the fear of whatever was prowling outside her tent. She couldn't see anything in the dark, any light overhead smothered by the overcast sky. Even the light of the moon couldn't cut through the weather rolling in.
Juniper continued to keep on alert, her eyes focused and her ears swiveling as she strained to listen for… anything. Something to ease her paranoia. A sound she could explain away.
Thunder cracked across the sky overhead, making her scream in panic. She dropped her knife, hurrying to secure the flap on her tent shut. "Dammit, really? Fucking summer showers. Fuck!" She growled in frustration before laying back, a torrent of rain crashing down against the tent around her. It was almost deafening in its intensity as the wind screamed outside.
"Fucking hell." Juniper rubbed her eyes and listened to the sudden storm surge raging outside. "Who pissed off an arch druid, huh? I hate the rainy seasons." As she closed her eyes, she listened again to try and hear anything outside of the storm.
In the end, all she heard was the white noise of the rain as it helped lull her to a restless sleep.
><><><><
When Juniper finally woke up, the storm had long since passed over. The forest smelled rich with the scent of Petrichor, the ground still soft as Juniper crawled out of her tent and took inventory of the damage. Her cooking pots were gone along with the sack of rations she'd suspended in the tree. She growled in annoyance as she searched around for any sign of either of them.
What she found instead sent her heart racing in excitement. Just behind her tent, still clear and pure in the mud, was a massive paw print. She knelt down and traced a finger along the print with an excited whimper. It was massive, big as her face, and most definitely canine.
"Ooh, I got you now." Juniper smirked and dressed quickly, grabbed her pack, and started on the trail. The fresh tracks wove through the underbrush, leading the Harengon places only an animal or ranger could travel. She kept low, silent, unseen, as she stalked her target. At times, she had to pause and make sure that she hadn't lost the trail or started accidentally hunting something else.
Eventually, however, she realized that the wolf's trail was taking her in a loop back to her own camp. A dread weight began to settle into her stomach as she finished the loop back to her campsite.
Everything was gone. Her tent, her supplies, anything that she hadn't grabbed before running off to track was just gone.
"Fucking dammit! What the fuck?" Juniper punched a tree near her before gripping her now injured hand. "Fuck!"
It had to be one of the apprentices, right? They have to be trying to screw with us. Kresh, or whatever his name is, and that stupid party of his.
"I'll plug him full of arrows, I swe- FUCK! my arrows were still in the tent!" Juniper sighed and slumped back against a tree. "I can't go back for more supplies. They'll fail me on the assignment. Dammit…" She smacked her head back on the tree a few times in frustration. "What am I going to do now?"
A rumble of thunder in the distance told her the answer was to run and find shelter. Juniper pushed herself off the ground with an exhausted sigh and adjusted her pack. "Fucking assholes. If I find them they're fucking dead." As another rumble sounded, closer this time, the Harengon took off in search of shelter.
The rain came down in sheets as Juniper raced through the forest in search of somewhere dry. Her paws slid in the mud, sending her face first into the muck. She forced herself up as she spat out a mouthful of muck. "Seriously, come on…"
The forest lit up as a bright flash of lightning filled the sky. Her eyes had only a second to adjust, to catch the sight of the cave entrance ahead of her, before the world was plunged back into darkness.
Pushing herself up, Juniper bolted for the cave as quickly as she could. She nearly caught the mouth of it with her head but managed to duck inside at the last second. Once safely out of the rain, she pulled off her soaked clothes and felt around for anything she could use to light a fire.
A few dry sticks and a bit of cloth from her healer's kit was the best she could manage. Casting a spell to bring the meager fire to life, Juniper slumped against the cave wall in exhaustion. Everything ached, especially her stomach, and the idea of sleeping on the hard floor did little to comfort her. She managed to conjure a few berries to help with the hunger and the ache but they were nothing compared to a real meal and a bed.
She wasn't even sure when she'd fallen asleep. The crackling of the fire and the haze of the rain wound together like a snare and snatched up her conscious mind. Her dreams were strange, shapeless sensations of warmth traveling along her body. The kind of warmth that comes with curling up in a thick blanket in winter but also a more sensual warmth that ran along her breasts and neck and face. Then down between her thighs until she was gasping and squirming an-
Juniper groaned as she woke up, the chirping of birds outside the cave loud enough to wrench her from her dream. Her body still ached but in different, more frustrating ways. She could still feel that warmth against her, a hand subconsciously slipping between her thighs to finish what her dream had started. She paused, however, as her eyes adjusted to being awake.
All of her stuff was gone. Her pack, her weapons, even her clothes. Gone.
In a panic, she pushed herself up and hurried out of the cave. "Shit! No, come on! Fuck!" She looked around in a genuine state of fear as her legs trembled under her. "Please, no…"
Paw prints, clear as day, led away from the cave towards the heart of the valley. Massive, canine prints of a creature that could have killed her in her sleep but didn't. It just stole her shit.
But why?
Fuck the why! Juniper took off at a run, growling in fury as she raced after the thieving beast. She darted between trees with grace and ease, her lack of material things allowing her to truly be a Harengon in its natural state. She could feel the caress of the wind against her bare body as every step carried her with weightless ease through the woods. Her senses were dedicated to the chase, her nose picking up every rich scent of earth and pine and lurking predator. She deftly dodged past a hungry bear, lept over a group of awakened shrubs, and refused to break her stride.
The trail eventually led her to a vast, crystal clear lake. As she broke the treeline, Juniper slowed to a stop and looked around for any sign of the thief. All around her, the forest grew still and silent until all she could hear was the gentle lapping of waves against the rocky shore. No wolf, though.
Juniper screamed in frustration as she walked to the edge of the lake. Her throat burned from the run and her legs threatened to buckle in exhaustion. She took a seat along the shore with an exhausted, miserable whine of defeat.
"That's it. Fuck it. I quit. If this isn't a sign that I'm supposed to fail then I don't know what is." Juniper cupped her hands in the lake and lifted the water to drink. It was perfectly clear, untouched and unmolested by the industrialization of cities. The taste was pure and soothing, a comforting chill that settled in her core. Once she'd quenched her thirst, she eased her body into the water to rest and soak. "Maybe I should just stay here and save myself the embarrassment."
She let out a long sigh as her body relaxed in the lake, sore muscles welcoming the chance to actually rest. The Harengon couldn't deny how nice the cold water felt against her body after the dream she'd had the night before. After some rest she could hunt a deer or something and try to tan it into leather. Even just a cloak would be enough to at least head back to the training grounds and report her failure. Maybe she could find something easier to ta-
Stones crunched together behind Juniper. She hadn't heard anyone approach until then but, sure enough, something had walked up right behind her. She felt warm breath blow along the back of her head as a shiver of fear ran down her spine. Slowly, hesitantly, she turned in the water to face whatever had snuck up on her.
Yellow eyes locked with hers, making her freeze in place. The lake seemed cold as ice now as Juniper found herself in a staring match with a massive, black furred dire wolf. It had silently stalked up inches from her head, close enough to attack her if it wanted to. Instead, it stood there and looked down at her with a strong, predatory gaze.
Any time she started to move, it would growl in warning. Her flight instinct was screaming at her to bolt, to try and find somewhere she could hide, to do anything other than kneel there like an idiot.
The wolf huffed a burst of warm breath into her face that made her blink and look away. When she did, she could have sworn she heard the wolf chuckle.
"What the hell?" Juniper looked back to the wolf, taking a step back. "What are you doing? Go on! Attack or something."
The wolf snorted and stepped back too, studying her with its eyes. No, that wasn't it… It used a paw to pat the ground in front of it as if it was beckoning her forward.
"You want me to come to shore? Uh…" Juniper arched a brow and hesitated. "Do you understa-"
A growl of annoyance and another pawing at the ground was her response as the wolf sat back and waited.
"Right, s…sorry." Juniper crawled out of the water and up to the wolf. "Hey, uh, did you steal my stuff?"
The wolf snorted and leaned forward to sniff along Juniper's face.
"Hey! What are you doing? Knock it off!" Juniper tried to push him away but the wolf wouldn't budge. Instead, it sniffed along her neck and down to her chest. "Hey, that tickles ya furry brute!"
When its tongue ran along her breasts, she eeped and fell back on her ass. Her ears stood tall and her face burned from embarrassment and confusion. Juniper watched the wolf lean in again and run its massive tongue across her breasts, flicking along her sensitive nips.
Fuck, that feels good.
Instead of a protest, all she could do was give a blissful whine. The warmth that had plagued her the last two nights engulfed her like wildfire as the dire wolf continued to drag its tongue along her sensitive nips. Each flick against her dark, rigid tits elicited another gasp or whine of pleasure.
"Holy shit, is this really happening?" Juniper bit her lip and watched the dire wolf sniff and nuzzle down along her stomach, burying its nose against her. It sniffed lower and pressed a cold nose right between her thighs. As that warm tongue dragged itself against her mound, Juniper shamelessly moaned.
All the Harnegon could do was spread her legs as the dire wolf began to plunge its tongue into her warm, tight depths. Her labia spread as that thick canine tongue pumped into her again and again, making the rabbit woman whimper in ecstasy. It was bliss behind anything she could have given herself and her body begged for it to continue.
When the wolf pulled away, Juniper took the chance to catch her breath and process what was happening. That warmth, that sensation, was just like in the dream she'd had the night before. Worse, just like in the dream, it had stopped before she could get any relief.
As the wolf started to walk around Juniper, she reached and ran her fingers through the fur of its side. She could feel the toned, powerful muscles of the great beast beneath the soft fluff of its pelt. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine as she leaned in to nuzzle him. His warm scent, powerful and primal, clawed at her mind. "I want you. Holy fuck, do I want you."
When the wolf moved to roll her onto her stomach, Juniper finally got a look at just how much of an alpha this dire wolf truly was. Hanging between his hind legs was a canine cock that made her whimper in instinctive submission. Her body burned like a campfire on a winter's night as she saw it swinging between his thighs while he circled behind her.
"Wait, are you… I don't think that's going to fi-"
Her protest was cut off as the massive wolf suddenly stepped over her and pressed her chest into the ground. He gave a rumbling growl that vibrated through his chest and into her body as his entire being consumed her. Warmth and need and virility of a primal beast that knew exactly what he wanted.
That knew exactly what she needed.
As the wolf rolled its hips forward, Juniper felt the tip of its cock spreading her pussy wider than she'd ever been spread before. Her voice came out as a lust drunk moan as the dire wolf sank deeper and deeper into her tight depths. Parts of her that had never been discovered now stretched to accommodate the massive cock of an alpha in his prime.
Every thrust into her was precise and powerful, driving her into the ground as the wolf rutted her. There wasn't build up or a lover's passion, no, there was only the feral need of two beasts who craved the mutual release of one another. It was as if nature itself had manifested just to fuck her senseless into the rocks of the lake shore.
All Junipers could do was moan and cry out in bliss as her body drank in every dominant thrust, the dire wolf claiming her in ways she hadn't even known she needed to be claimed. Her sounds of submission and rapture echoed through the forest around her as her pussy gripped and stroked that primal cock. Her body worshiped him and begged for all he could give.
Then, with a sudden thrust down that forced Juniper's vagina to stretch more than she'd ever imagined it could, the wolf gave her exactly what she wanted. A girthy knot, bigger than her fist, popped into her and forced her over the edge. She screamed as she came, her mind only vaguely aware of the warmth flooding into her core. That copious load of dire wolf cum filled her and soothed the fires of her desire even as the knot kept him from pulling out.
At some point, Juniper's legs had given out but the knot inside of her kept her rear end dangling from the wolf. She breathed out heavily, her entire body trembling from the rush of primal endorphins, as she felt the weight of sleep crashing down on her.
She couldn't remember a time she'd slept so well. Her body still ached when she finally woke up, her pussy still stretched around the dire wolf as it idly pumped into her. She bit her lip and sighed at the bliss. "Holy fuck. That's… that was intense.
The wolf snorted and curled around her to nuzzle her. His tongue licked along her nape soothingly as his cock continued to twitch inside the Harengon.
Looking around, Juniper realized they weren't by the lake anymore. Somehow, they'd relocated into a large den made of earth and tree roots. Along the far wall, in the dim light that poured in from the mouth of the den, she could see all her missing gear.
"Hold up," she said with a small laugh. "Did you steal all my shit just so you could try and fuck me?"
The wolf snorted and gave a single nod.
"That's… twisted but a'ight." Juniper groaned as she tried to get comfortable, not caring how they'd gotten here or even where here was. As she nuzzled into the warm fluff of the wolf's chest, she let out a relaxed sigh. "You know, I was originally sent here to try and find a partner. A familiar, you know? If you want, I wouldn't say no to getting fucked by you again in exchange for you being my familiar? What do you say big guy? Want to travel together?"
"Sure, why not?" the wolf said in a deep, rumbling voice.
Juniper went wide eyed and looked at him in shock. "You can talk?! Are you fucking kidding me?"
><><><><
Two months later, the various apprentices gathered back at the training grounds with their familiars in tow. Most were gathered at the stage as the Huntmaster took roll call.
When he finally got to Juniper's name, he called out for her but was replied to with silence. "Juniper? Has anyone seen Miss Swiftstep?"
Krash snorted and gave a laugh, "Guess the rabbit got turned into dinner for something. Wonder how she tasted?" His party laughed with him while the rest of the apprentices exchanged nervous looks.
They'd seen her, after all, and her familiar.
One of them raised a hand, a young satyr named Tika. "Huntmaster?"
"Yes Miss Farlands?" the old wood elf asked curiously.
"I, uh, I think I saw Juniper a week or so ago, sir. She had this massive dire wolf with her and uh… I think she stayed in the forest."
"Did she now?" The Huntmaster chuckled knowingly. "Wonderful, yes. I'm glad to hear she found someone suited for her. Well, congratulations to the rest of you. You're dismissed." With that, he gave a bow and started off towards his tent.
Somewhere in the distance, a howl rang up from the valley, soon joined by another. A primal song of passion, companionship, and a bright future yet to come.
End.
Who knew being a ranger required social skills?
Not me, Juniper thought bitterly as she listened to the squadron leader droning on from the podium. All around her, the other hopefuls in her training class eagerly clung to the instructions they were being given. To the harengon, however, all she heard was her imminent doom.
She had to find a familiar.
She'd never really considered herself much of a socialite, her penchant for solo living being one of her biggest motivations to become a Ranger. The irony that she, a sentient rabbit, lacked animal handling skills wasn't lost to her. She drew up her hood and listened to the excited murmurs of her fellow apprentices as they contemplated what kind of familiars they'd track down.
"I'm going for a falcon so I can get an aerial advantage."
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm going to try and track down a raven to act as my messenger."
"What about a fox?"
"Oh, or a badger!"
"How about a-"
"How about you guys shut up?!" Juniper snapped at the goblin near her, glaring over at him as her ears flicked in aggravation.
The group went silent as the Huntmaster cleared his throat. "Miss Swiftstep, do we have a problem?"
Fuck me. "No sir, sorry. I was just having trouble hearing you."
The old wood elf on stage narrowed his eyes in an accusatorial glare. "Were you now? Seems you hear just fine when I dismiss you from lessons. Peculiar that you can't hear me when I'm giving lessons."
The harengon felt her stomach drop as the other apprentices laughed, all eyes on her with enough burning delight to set the forest on fire. She swallowed, her rabbit heart picking up a steady run as she was forced to lock eyes with the Huntmaster. "I-" Her voice shook and she went silent.
The wood elf hummed and said, "Allow me to repeat myself only once, Miss Swiftstep. You will be traveling into the valley where you will spend two months alone, free of the Guild's protection, so that you might find and train an animal familiar. You are expected to bond with them and forge a connection of trust and mutual survival. If you return without that requirement being fulfilled then you may as well not return at all. Do you have any questions, Miss Swiftstep?"
"I-"
"No? Excellent. You are all dismissed. Sleep well tonight, apprentices. You leave for your mission at dawn. Keep your wits about you. The forest is filled with great bounty and, with it, great danger. The forest will not differentiate you from any other beasts. Predator or prey? Which will you allow yourself to be?" With that, the Huntmaster turned and strode silently from the stage.
A few of the other apprentices shot cruel grins at Juniper as one of them whispered loud enough for her to hear. "Course we know what she's going to be. Rabbits ain't nothing but prey."
Juniper hummed and looked to the man who spoke, a half-orc built thick and short. Was his name Krish? Krash? Something stupid like that, she couldn't remember. "Harengon, not rabbit. That's like calling tabaxi fuckin' housecats."
"Look, if it looks like rabbit and eats like rabbit then it's a fookin' rabbit." The half-orc scratched at his one good tusk as the small group with him laughed in agreement.
"Given you couldn't catch a rabbit trapped in a snare I doubt you'd know what one tastes like." Juniper rolled her eyes and walked over to him. "How many harengon you snacked on lately?"
"Just yo mum." The group laughed again.
"Well, given she died like twenty years, I'm sure she tasted like centaur shit. Then again, maybe you're into that." Juniper flipped him off and turned to walk away.
The half-orc snorted in anger at her. "Oh yeah? So what you gonna go fuckin tame ya smart ass lump of stew meat?"
No, seriously, what am I going to try and tame? Juniper took a sharp breath in and mentally grasped at the first impressive beast that came to mind. "A dire wolf."
The group ooed behind her. The half-orc laughed and said, "Yeah fuckin right! Ain't no namby fuckin rabbit girl gonna tame a dire wolf. Ain't no one even seen a dire wolf in this valley in a hundred fuckin years. You bring back a dire wolf and I'll eat my own fuckin' knob."
Juniper smirked. "Deal. See you shits in a couple months." Then, before the half-orc could fire off another smartass comment, she took off at a dash towards her camp. A few bounding steps was all it took to fully leave them in the dust.
As she reached her camp, Juniper let out a whine as she looked at all her gear. She hadn't actually had to pack up camp in months and the reality of just how much crap she'd accumulated quickly hit her like a bull.
We'd have help if you weren't such a bitch to people.
"Yeah, well, being a bitch is how I survive." Juniper huffed and walked over to her fire pit. A small incantation was all it took to set the campfire ablaze before the harengon dropped to sit next to it. Packing could be a future her problem.
Right. So why a dire wolf? You know if you come back without on-
"Then there's no point in coming back. Yeah, I know. He just pissed me off and I needed to do something about his smug ass attitude. Aren't you supposed to be on my side, Miss Inner Dialogue?"
Her inner voice snorted. Not when you do stupid shit like promise you'll tame a dire wolf! One of us has to have a survival instinct.
Juniper rubbed her eyes and sighed. "It's not like we haven't seen one before."
When we were ten and it ate a hunk of our ear and clawed an eye out. We're lucky dad had a way to fix the eye.
"I mean, we look badass now." She rubbed the claw scars on her face, closing her replacement yellow eye while her blue eye kept staring into the fire. "Positives."
True.
Juniper chewed her lip for a bit in silent contemplation before shrugging. "I got this. We're a badass ranger who isn't afraid of some dire wolf. We're not the scared kid in the woods anymore. We're going to do this."
We're also nuts and talking to ourselves.
"Oh shut up."
><><><><
Morning came upsettingly early as Juniper tried to pack up her camp. The half-conscious Harengon stumbled about as she wedged things into her travel pack in whatever half-assed way they'd fit. She'd woken up late, as was her usual routine, but the realization almost everyone else had left for the valley already didn't bode well for her.
As she was lashing together the last of her supplies, she heard an unimpressed sigh from behind her. The Huntmaster.
"I'd have thought you'd have the sense to wake up on time for once." The wood elf tsked as he looked down at her. "Have you even eaten yet?'
"I had trouble sleeping," Juniper told him truthfully as she kept her eyes down at her bag. "I'll find something in the valley."
"A bold assumption." The Huntmaster stepped forward and held out his hand as a small bunch of berries appeared from nothing. "Consider this a token of good luck. The forest of the valley is vast and unforgiving. A ranger never misses breakfast if they don't wish to become breakfast."
Juniper glanced up at him before taking the offered berries. "Thank you sir." She popped them into her mouth three at a time until they were gone. Sweet, a little tart, and magically nutritious. One of the few spells every ranger learned, even her.
The hand that had held the berries moved to rest on top of Juniper's head. "I understand you told Mister Gresh and his party that you were going to tame a dire wolf. Is that true?"
"That's the plan." Juniper blushed as the Huntmaster patted her on the head. "I can do it."
"I've no doubt that you can, Miss Swiftstep. You've always been more than capable of success when failure meant death. As I recall, however, the dire wolves in the valley have been hunted to near extinction. None have been seen since when even I was young. If there are any left, they'll be the fiercest of predators and most cunning. Be careful. While I don't particularly approve of your attitude or mannerisms in training, I am rather fond of your spirit and would hate for you to end up in the belly of a beast." The Huntmaster smiled down at her with a rare, warm smile of encouragement.
Juniper felt herself blushing more as she leaned up more into the hand on her head. "Thank you Huntmaster. I'll be safe and I'll return with my wolf. You'll see."
"I'm certain that I shall, yes. Those with everything to prove have the most reason not to fail, after all." He stepped away and gave a small chuckle. "Be safe Juniper Swiftstep."
Juniper stood and slung her pack over her back. "I will Huntmaster."
"Oh, and Miss Swiftstep?"
"Yes sir?"
The wood elf laughed softly. "It may be best to put some clothes on before you go."
Juniper went wide eyed and looked down at herself, realizing just how absolutely naked she'd been the entire time. "Fuck."
"Be as swift as the deer and as fierce as a dragon," the Huntmaster said before he bowed his head and left.
As she watched him walk off, Juniper let out a sigh of frustration.
I have no idea where we packed our clothes
><><><><
Some time later, a fully-clothed and better packed Juniper made her way silently through the forest. The tranquility and comfort that came with people alone helped to ease the fears she'd built up since the night before. It was easy to feel so at home in the forest, to feel like she was just another part of the cycle of nature.
Another part of the food chain.
"Oh shut up." Juniper snorted as she bounded along between the trees as effortlessly as her Harengon legs could carry her. Her eyes scanned the horizon ahead of her, alert to any dangers around her. Thus far she'd found nothing on the path into the valley aside from a few old game trails. Nothing of note. Nothing of danger.
No signs of a wolf.
Juniper tsked at herself before she raced further in and effortlessly leapt across a small river with an excited shout. As she sprinted through the forest, she couldn't help but feel at home again as if she'd never left the fey wilds at all.
The wind shifted and brought Juniper to an abrupt halt in her run. A scent… blood? No, something else with blood on it. Something… insect?
She gasped and somersaulted back just as a large spider dropped from the tree above her, huge fangs now embedded in the ground where she'd stood just seconds before. Juniper was already drawing back on her bow as the spider ripped its pedipalps from the earth, acidic venom sizzling on the ground.
"Sorry, you're not what I'm looking for," Juniper hissed back as she loosed an arrow. As the projectile neared the spider, the harengon called out a command word and the arrow shattered into thorny vines. The plant wrapped itself around the spider, entangled its legs and dropped it to the ground in a thrashing heap.
Drawing another arrow from her quiver, Juniper aimed her shot for the spider's head and fired. The arachnid gave an enraged, pained cry before its body went limp and the forest returned to its silent state.
"That was too close." Juniper drew a dagger from her belt and started toward her catch. "Let's see if there is anything of u-" She froze as she heard a deep snarl from behind her, a predatory sound that made her rabbit heart want to flee in terror. Gripping her blade, she spun to face the monster behind her with a battle cry of her own.
Nothing. There was nothing behind her but forest. Quiet, peaceful, and just a little violated by whatever had been there only a second before.
Turning back to the spider, Juniper shook her head. "I'm hearing sh-" She froze again, wide eyed in terror as she realized the bound up spider was gone as well. "What… the… actual… fuck?" Juniper sheathed her dagger and shook her head. "Nope, not questioning shit. Fuck this." She turned swifty and kept making her way deeper into the forest. "Not gonna think about it."
As the sun began to set later in the day, Juniper found a good clearing to make her camp. There was water a short run away but not close enough to risk wildlife congregating nearby, a few wild potatoes that she could pull and make into dinner, and a good look up at the sky so she could track the weather for the next day. All in all, it was the best she could have asked for. As she stoked the new campfire to life, the Harengon contented herself to rest and plan. After all, she had a dire wolf to track.
A feat which proved a lot more difficult than she'd hoped. The following day and for a half dozen days after, Juniper spent the daylight hours looking for any trail or marks that would indicate anything remotely canine. She moved her camp each night further into the valley, finding somewhere relatively safe to set up. She was almost surprised not to run into any of the other apprentices, not that she wanted to. She didn't need them.
Well, we need something.
Curled up in her tent, Juniper huffed at the voice in her head. "We don't need anything."
Liar. You know what time of the moon cycle it is.
The harengon cursed under her breath as she begged for a cool breeze to pass through the tent. The warmth of the summer night was stifling as she lay there naked, her own body on fire from the inside out. Part of her wanted to simply reach down between her thighs like she had plenty of nights before but she knew it was a pale imitation. It was like wanting sweets but drinking tea with a drop of honey in it.
It's better than nothing.
"Not why we're here. Focus." Juniper took a slow breath in and let it out to calm down. Her legs spread toward the opening of the tent, silently begging for a bit of relief. As much as she told herself to focus, she knew her body would only listen so well.
A rustling outside her tent made her bolt up, hand moving to her dagger nearby. Any thought of her arousal was quickly dashed by the fear of whatever was prowling outside her tent. She couldn't see anything in the dark, any light overhead smothered by the overcast sky. Even the light of the moon couldn't cut through the weather rolling in.
Juniper continued to keep on alert, her eyes focused and her ears swiveling as she strained to listen for… anything. Something to ease her paranoia. A sound she could explain away.
Thunder cracked across the sky overhead, making her scream in panic. She dropped her knife, hurrying to secure the flap on her tent shut. "Dammit, really? Fucking summer showers. Fuck!" She growled in frustration before laying back, a torrent of rain crashing down against the tent around her. It was almost deafening in its intensity as the wind screamed outside.
"Fucking hell." Juniper rubbed her eyes and listened to the sudden storm surge raging outside. "Who pissed off an arch druid, huh? I hate the rainy seasons." As she closed her eyes, she listened again to try and hear anything outside of the storm.
In the end, all she heard was the white noise of the rain as it helped lull her to a restless sleep.
><><><><
When Juniper finally woke up, the storm had long since passed over. The forest smelled rich with the scent of Petrichor, the ground still soft as Juniper crawled out of her tent and took inventory of the damage. Her cooking pots were gone along with the sack of rations she'd suspended in the tree. She growled in annoyance as she searched around for any sign of either of them.
What she found instead sent her heart racing in excitement. Just behind her tent, still clear and pure in the mud, was a massive paw print. She knelt down and traced a finger along the print with an excited whimper. It was massive, big as her face, and most definitely canine.
"Ooh, I got you now." Juniper smirked and dressed quickly, grabbed her pack, and started on the trail. The fresh tracks wove through the underbrush, leading the Harengon places only an animal or ranger could travel. She kept low, silent, unseen, as she stalked her target. At times, she had to pause and make sure that she hadn't lost the trail or started accidentally hunting something else.
Eventually, however, she realized that the wolf's trail was taking her in a loop back to her own camp. A dread weight began to settle into her stomach as she finished the loop back to her campsite.
Everything was gone. Her tent, her supplies, anything that she hadn't grabbed before running off to track was just gone.
"Fucking dammit! What the fuck?" Juniper punched a tree near her before gripping her now injured hand. "Fuck!"
It had to be one of the apprentices, right? They have to be trying to screw with us. Kresh, or whatever his name is, and that stupid party of his.
"I'll plug him full of arrows, I swe- FUCK! my arrows were still in the tent!" Juniper sighed and slumped back against a tree. "I can't go back for more supplies. They'll fail me on the assignment. Dammit…" She smacked her head back on the tree a few times in frustration. "What am I going to do now?"
A rumble of thunder in the distance told her the answer was to run and find shelter. Juniper pushed herself off the ground with an exhausted sigh and adjusted her pack. "Fucking assholes. If I find them they're fucking dead." As another rumble sounded, closer this time, the Harengon took off in search of shelter.
The rain came down in sheets as Juniper raced through the forest in search of somewhere dry. Her paws slid in the mud, sending her face first into the muck. She forced herself up as she spat out a mouthful of muck. "Seriously, come on…"
The forest lit up as a bright flash of lightning filled the sky. Her eyes had only a second to adjust, to catch the sight of the cave entrance ahead of her, before the world was plunged back into darkness.
Pushing herself up, Juniper bolted for the cave as quickly as she could. She nearly caught the mouth of it with her head but managed to duck inside at the last second. Once safely out of the rain, she pulled off her soaked clothes and felt around for anything she could use to light a fire.
A few dry sticks and a bit of cloth from her healer's kit was the best she could manage. Casting a spell to bring the meager fire to life, Juniper slumped against the cave wall in exhaustion. Everything ached, especially her stomach, and the idea of sleeping on the hard floor did little to comfort her. She managed to conjure a few berries to help with the hunger and the ache but they were nothing compared to a real meal and a bed.
She wasn't even sure when she'd fallen asleep. The crackling of the fire and the haze of the rain wound together like a snare and snatched up her conscious mind. Her dreams were strange, shapeless sensations of warmth traveling along her body. The kind of warmth that comes with curling up in a thick blanket in winter but also a more sensual warmth that ran along her breasts and neck and face. Then down between her thighs until she was gasping and squirming an-
Juniper groaned as she woke up, the chirping of birds outside the cave loud enough to wrench her from her dream. Her body still ached but in different, more frustrating ways. She could still feel that warmth against her, a hand subconsciously slipping between her thighs to finish what her dream had started. She paused, however, as her eyes adjusted to being awake.
All of her stuff was gone. Her pack, her weapons, even her clothes. Gone.
In a panic, she pushed herself up and hurried out of the cave. "Shit! No, come on! Fuck!" She looked around in a genuine state of fear as her legs trembled under her. "Please, no…"
Paw prints, clear as day, led away from the cave towards the heart of the valley. Massive, canine prints of a creature that could have killed her in her sleep but didn't. It just stole her shit.
But why?
Fuck the why! Juniper took off at a run, growling in fury as she raced after the thieving beast. She darted between trees with grace and ease, her lack of material things allowing her to truly be a Harengon in its natural state. She could feel the caress of the wind against her bare body as every step carried her with weightless ease through the woods. Her senses were dedicated to the chase, her nose picking up every rich scent of earth and pine and lurking predator. She deftly dodged past a hungry bear, lept over a group of awakened shrubs, and refused to break her stride.
The trail eventually led her to a vast, crystal clear lake. As she broke the treeline, Juniper slowed to a stop and looked around for any sign of the thief. All around her, the forest grew still and silent until all she could hear was the gentle lapping of waves against the rocky shore. No wolf, though.
Juniper screamed in frustration as she walked to the edge of the lake. Her throat burned from the run and her legs threatened to buckle in exhaustion. She took a seat along the shore with an exhausted, miserable whine of defeat.
"That's it. Fuck it. I quit. If this isn't a sign that I'm supposed to fail then I don't know what is." Juniper cupped her hands in the lake and lifted the water to drink. It was perfectly clear, untouched and unmolested by the industrialization of cities. The taste was pure and soothing, a comforting chill that settled in her core. Once she'd quenched her thirst, she eased her body into the water to rest and soak. "Maybe I should just stay here and save myself the embarrassment."
She let out a long sigh as her body relaxed in the lake, sore muscles welcoming the chance to actually rest. The Harengon couldn't deny how nice the cold water felt against her body after the dream she'd had the night before. After some rest she could hunt a deer or something and try to tan it into leather. Even just a cloak would be enough to at least head back to the training grounds and report her failure. Maybe she could find something easier to ta-
Stones crunched together behind Juniper. She hadn't heard anyone approach until then but, sure enough, something had walked up right behind her. She felt warm breath blow along the back of her head as a shiver of fear ran down her spine. Slowly, hesitantly, she turned in the water to face whatever had snuck up on her.
Yellow eyes locked with hers, making her freeze in place. The lake seemed cold as ice now as Juniper found herself in a staring match with a massive, black furred dire wolf. It had silently stalked up inches from her head, close enough to attack her if it wanted to. Instead, it stood there and looked down at her with a strong, predatory gaze.
Any time she started to move, it would growl in warning. Her flight instinct was screaming at her to bolt, to try and find somewhere she could hide, to do anything other than kneel there like an idiot.
The wolf huffed a burst of warm breath into her face that made her blink and look away. When she did, she could have sworn she heard the wolf chuckle.
"What the hell?" Juniper looked back to the wolf, taking a step back. "What are you doing? Go on! Attack or something."
The wolf snorted and stepped back too, studying her with its eyes. No, that wasn't it… It used a paw to pat the ground in front of it as if it was beckoning her forward.
"You want me to come to shore? Uh…" Juniper arched a brow and hesitated. "Do you understa-"
A growl of annoyance and another pawing at the ground was her response as the wolf sat back and waited.
"Right, s…sorry." Juniper crawled out of the water and up to the wolf. "Hey, uh, did you steal my stuff?"
The wolf snorted and leaned forward to sniff along Juniper's face.
"Hey! What are you doing? Knock it off!" Juniper tried to push him away but the wolf wouldn't budge. Instead, it sniffed along her neck and down to her chest. "Hey, that tickles ya furry brute!"
When its tongue ran along her breasts, she eeped and fell back on her ass. Her ears stood tall and her face burned from embarrassment and confusion. Juniper watched the wolf lean in again and run its massive tongue across her breasts, flicking along her sensitive nips.
Fuck, that feels good.
Instead of a protest, all she could do was give a blissful whine. The warmth that had plagued her the last two nights engulfed her like wildfire as the dire wolf continued to drag its tongue along her sensitive nips. Each flick against her dark, rigid tits elicited another gasp or whine of pleasure.
"Holy shit, is this really happening?" Juniper bit her lip and watched the dire wolf sniff and nuzzle down along her stomach, burying its nose against her. It sniffed lower and pressed a cold nose right between her thighs. As that warm tongue dragged itself against her mound, Juniper shamelessly moaned.
All the Harnegon could do was spread her legs as the dire wolf began to plunge its tongue into her warm, tight depths. Her labia spread as that thick canine tongue pumped into her again and again, making the rabbit woman whimper in ecstasy. It was bliss behind anything she could have given herself and her body begged for it to continue.
When the wolf pulled away, Juniper took the chance to catch her breath and process what was happening. That warmth, that sensation, was just like in the dream she'd had the night before. Worse, just like in the dream, it had stopped before she could get any relief.
As the wolf started to walk around Juniper, she reached and ran her fingers through the fur of its side. She could feel the toned, powerful muscles of the great beast beneath the soft fluff of its pelt. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine as she leaned in to nuzzle him. His warm scent, powerful and primal, clawed at her mind. "I want you. Holy fuck, do I want you."
When the wolf moved to roll her onto her stomach, Juniper finally got a look at just how much of an alpha this dire wolf truly was. Hanging between his hind legs was a canine cock that made her whimper in instinctive submission. Her body burned like a campfire on a winter's night as she saw it swinging between his thighs while he circled behind her.
"Wait, are you… I don't think that's going to fi-"
Her protest was cut off as the massive wolf suddenly stepped over her and pressed her chest into the ground. He gave a rumbling growl that vibrated through his chest and into her body as his entire being consumed her. Warmth and need and virility of a primal beast that knew exactly what he wanted.
That knew exactly what she needed.
As the wolf rolled its hips forward, Juniper felt the tip of its cock spreading her pussy wider than she'd ever been spread before. Her voice came out as a lust drunk moan as the dire wolf sank deeper and deeper into her tight depths. Parts of her that had never been discovered now stretched to accommodate the massive cock of an alpha in his prime.
Every thrust into her was precise and powerful, driving her into the ground as the wolf rutted her. There wasn't build up or a lover's passion, no, there was only the feral need of two beasts who craved the mutual release of one another. It was as if nature itself had manifested just to fuck her senseless into the rocks of the lake shore.
All Junipers could do was moan and cry out in bliss as her body drank in every dominant thrust, the dire wolf claiming her in ways she hadn't even known she needed to be claimed. Her sounds of submission and rapture echoed through the forest around her as her pussy gripped and stroked that primal cock. Her body worshiped him and begged for all he could give.
Then, with a sudden thrust down that forced Juniper's vagina to stretch more than she'd ever imagined it could, the wolf gave her exactly what she wanted. A girthy knot, bigger than her fist, popped into her and forced her over the edge. She screamed as she came, her mind only vaguely aware of the warmth flooding into her core. That copious load of dire wolf cum filled her and soothed the fires of her desire even as the knot kept him from pulling out.
At some point, Juniper's legs had given out but the knot inside of her kept her rear end dangling from the wolf. She breathed out heavily, her entire body trembling from the rush of primal endorphins, as she felt the weight of sleep crashing down on her.
She couldn't remember a time she'd slept so well. Her body still ached when she finally woke up, her pussy still stretched around the dire wolf as it idly pumped into her. She bit her lip and sighed at the bliss. "Holy fuck. That's… that was intense.
The wolf snorted and curled around her to nuzzle her. His tongue licked along her nape soothingly as his cock continued to twitch inside the Harengon.
Looking around, Juniper realized they weren't by the lake anymore. Somehow, they'd relocated into a large den made of earth and tree roots. Along the far wall, in the dim light that poured in from the mouth of the den, she could see all her missing gear.
"Hold up," she said with a small laugh. "Did you steal all my shit just so you could try and fuck me?"
The wolf snorted and gave a single nod.
"That's… twisted but a'ight." Juniper groaned as she tried to get comfortable, not caring how they'd gotten here or even where here was. As she nuzzled into the warm fluff of the wolf's chest, she let out a relaxed sigh. "You know, I was originally sent here to try and find a partner. A familiar, you know? If you want, I wouldn't say no to getting fucked by you again in exchange for you being my familiar? What do you say big guy? Want to travel together?"
"Sure, why not?" the wolf said in a deep, rumbling voice.
Juniper went wide eyed and looked at him in shock. "You can talk?! Are you fucking kidding me?"
><><><><
Two months later, the various apprentices gathered back at the training grounds with their familiars in tow. Most were gathered at the stage as the Huntmaster took roll call.
When he finally got to Juniper's name, he called out for her but was replied to with silence. "Juniper? Has anyone seen Miss Swiftstep?"
Krash snorted and gave a laugh, "Guess the rabbit got turned into dinner for something. Wonder how she tasted?" His party laughed with him while the rest of the apprentices exchanged nervous looks.
They'd seen her, after all, and her familiar.
One of them raised a hand, a young satyr named Tika. "Huntmaster?"
"Yes Miss Farlands?" the old wood elf asked curiously.
"I, uh, I think I saw Juniper a week or so ago, sir. She had this massive dire wolf with her and uh… I think she stayed in the forest."
"Did she now?" The Huntmaster chuckled knowingly. "Wonderful, yes. I'm glad to hear she found someone suited for her. Well, congratulations to the rest of you. You're dismissed." With that, he gave a bow and started off towards his tent.
Somewhere in the distance, a howl rang up from the valley, soon joined by another. A primal song of passion, companionship, and a bright future yet to come.
End.