Brood Hen of Another Flock

Aurys the gryphon drake sat comfortably atop the cliff over his lake, with a nearby waterfall cascading over layers of rock to fill the glade with a light mist that caught the morning light and gave the clearing a gentle opaque haze. This was his territory, and given the rarity of his species he knew it would not be challenged by another gryphon; he also knew that given his size and ferocity no other creatures dared to trespass on his land or become his meal.

The gryphon drake had made quite the life for himself in this glade and the surrounding cliffs, as his home was deep within a cave that had a stream running through it that led to the very waterfall that splashed down into his personal lake. There, he had plenty of fish to eat, plenty of feral game to hunt, and virtually limitless fresh water to drink even without the benefits he got from the gems that could be mined from the depths of his cave that could be sold in town for coin or amenities. To him, this was a paradise.

Aurys rock, his own personal Elysium and the place of many great days and nights.

All was well in and around his magnificent abode, until something strange caught his keen eye over the horizon. A pillar of smoke could be seen billowing up over the treetops, highlighted by a deep red and orange glow coming from near the beach a few kilometers away. To him it looked like a fire or a smoldering explosion, but he didn't recall anything blowing up overnight or he would have been awoken by the noise. No, this was something worth investigating.

But maybe later.

He was entirely too comfortable on his spot on the rock to bother getting up over something that was happening outside of his territory. He had the cave, the stream, the cliffs, the glade, the waterfall, and the lake below as well as a few dozen square kilometers of densely packed tropical rainforest, it made no sense for him to waste time and energy fussing about a fire near the beach. But what if that fire spread? What if it wasn't a fire and it was some tribal beasts encroaching on his lands? What if it was some sort of mysterious fallen star from the heavens?

Too many possibilities, and too much chance for whatever it was causing the smoke to trespass on his lands. Aurys had to investigate the plume and its source, but he wasn't going to be happy about it and wasn't going to waste his energy flying there. No, he would get there on his own time and not stress out about what it was until he was good and ready to stress. This was his land and he would not be co-opted by events beyond his control.

With a reluctant grunt, he got to all fours and spread his wings, giving them a stretch before he was to embark on his mini-journey. Once he felt like he was limbered up, he leapt off the cliff and glided down to the shores of the lake below, gently hopping along the rocks and dirt to slow himself until he burst through the treeline, officially in quest mode. He folded his wings up tight to his body to ensure no vines or thorns snagged his feathers, and off he went trekking through the underbrush.

The gryphon's quest to take him from the comfort of his abode to the point of curiosity through the dense foliage of the forest quickly turned sour, as Aurys came to regret his decision not to fly. He could have spread his wings before leaving the cliff and happily glided to the source of the smoke, but instead had to be petulant in an attempt to not waste any energy, which turned out to be counter productive. In the process of being stubborn, he ended up wasting just as much energy and much more time than he would have had he let the wind carry him, and that didn't take long to sour his mood. What made matters worse was that unless he found a clearing or a meadow of sorts, he was stuck below the thick canopy that served as a barrier between the ground he trekked upon and the sky that he desired.

Aurys hissed at every bird he saw, swiped at every snake, and irritated every bug he could as a way of reminding the forest critters that this was his land and he was the apex predator. They would submit to him one way or another, and he would not tolerate their insolence.

After nearly an hour of steady trotting through the underbrush, he sniffed at the air to smell an unpleasant aroma that he couldn't quite describe. Something was clearly burning, but it wasn't wood and it wasn't meat of any sort. Part of him thought it might have been some other material such as metal or plastic, but it didn't smell like either of those options, either. Still, the scent told him he was close so he kept pressing forth to where the stench was strongest.

Before long he emerged into a round clearing lined by fallen trees all collapsing outward, with a black smoldering pit in the middle that had a thick cloud of smoke emerging from it surrounded by glassed sand, much like the site of a lightning strike. Across from him was what looked like a white orb reflecting the colors of the jungle but flickering between white and green.

All of that seemed peculiar to the gryphon, but what stood out most was a small black and white canine in a short black skirt sitting and leaning against the trunk of a tree, one knee up and eyes trained on Aurys. The black of her body transitioned into the white of her arms and legs and tail with a cute little star pattern, fading from one to another. She stood up as soon as she saw the gryphon entering the clearing, defiant and proud but clearly scared at the same time. She was trying to be courageous, but she was failing, which only made Aurys feel bad for her.

“Back away!” She threatened, reaching for a weapon that was holstered on her hip. “Back away or I'll be forced to use this on you!” Her voice was shaking and she kept one hand up for added protection just in case Aurys leapt at her.

In response, Aurys cocked his head to the side and raised both ears in confusion. His eyes were capable of seeing an ant crawling on the trunk of a tree a hundred meters away, he had no problems seeing that the 'weapon' she held was a stick, not anything deadly unless he was a peculiarly paranoid pup. “Go ahead, use that weapon on me.” He dared her as he stepped forward, closing the distance between them. He stood tall next to her, chest fluffed out to look threatening even though he had no desire to attack this unfortunate soul. “See what happens.”

She stood tall in defiance, but then gave in when she realized that Aurys had called her bluff and would not be tolerating any of her threats. She sighed and dropped her hand to her side, revealing the stick that Aurys already knew about. “Sorry, I didn't mean to be petulant.” She apologized, flopping back down to the ground next to the tree. “I'm sort of stuck here and I worry that I may never be able to leave.”

Aurys stood up tall as he stepped around the smoldering black pit to get closer. He was about as tall as she, but he was quadruped so he was quite larger and heavier. “You should not be here, this is my territory.” He lied, trying to scare her off.

The canine hung her head and shook it gently. “I'm sorry about that, I don't want to be in your territory and I'd like to leave, but my ride is currently out of commission.” She gestured towards the flickering white orb. “I hope you don't mind if I stick around until someone rescues me, do you? My name is Milkyway, what's yours?” She got back up and extended a hand to show she had no ill will and didn't wish for any conflict.

“I'm not so sure it's that simple.” Aurys countered as he stepped up close enough that he could touch her outstretched paw if he wanted. “This is my territory, my land, and you are trespassing upon it. I would not be a very dominant or commanding leader of this region if I did not punish you accordingly.” He swooped in and pressed his beak to her shoulder, using his neck muscles to show her how much stronger he was than she.

Milkyway stood her ground, trying her best to fake a smile while it was clear that she was more than a little worried about what that meant. “You're not going to kill me or eat me, are you? I'd much rather stay alive. Perhaps I can offer myself to you as a servant until someone comes to rescue me? Perhaps I can make myself useful so that my presence isn't an invasion but a blessing?”

He curled himself around her, like a cat marking its master. “Well, I don't know if that's good enough, my dear. I'm not in a very good mood at the moment and you've disrupted my morning. I think you have to do a little more than bring me food and clean my den to atone for your transgression.” Once again, he stepped around to in front of her, this time with his tail cradling her chin.

She batted the tail away and tossed the stick to the side. “Or you can not be a primitive beast clinging onto archaic beliefs about territory and you can be a decent gryphon to a total stranger. I know if you showed up on my front porch I'd feed you and help you out.” Then, in an act of either bravery or foolishness, she stepped right up to Aurys and patted him on the neck, running her fingers through his feathers to preen and pleasure him, which greatly took him off guard. “Trust me, I'm no threat.”

The gryphon paused in place, eyes wide and head up high in an attempt to remain dominant and territorial, but the feeling of her fingers running through his feathers made him melt a little inside, a weakness he showed when his body shuddered in delight. Once he was able to shake himself free of this lapse in dignity, he leaned in close to peck at her chest, pushing her back. “You will not disrespect me in my own territory, I will not allow-”

“Sure you will.” She cut him off mid-sentence by leaning back in close to him, wrapping both of her arms around his neck and giving him a gentle hug. “Oh, Poor gryphon! You just need a hug, not a slave!” Her arms squeezed harder as she pressed her cheek and muzzle deep into his plumage, tail wagging behind her as she did so. “So now that you're warm and full of love, tell me your name! Can't be calling you fluffygryph all the time, unless you want me to.”

Aurys' eye twitched and his ear flicked, his tail swishing widely behind him as he tried his best to keep strong. The only solution he could think of was to back away and widen his stance, eyes intense and wings flared out a bit. “I am Aurys.” He said to her in a low, rolling growl. “And I will-”

Milkyway smiled wide and scritched him between the ears, rubbing back and forth until they splayed out and she gave each one a gentle massage. “Well hello there, Aurys! Pleasure to meet you!” She stood up tall, chest out and tail wagging with her hands behind her hips.” So tell me, if you're so keen on punishing me for daring to trespass, then you better be creative, because I could think of a few ways to use me.” She kicked at the sand and walked around him, her eyes locked with his as she circumnavigated the gryphon.

He hissed a bit but then stopped and lightly chuckled when he realized he was unable to resist her charms. He had come to this clearing to investigate what had happened and he had an intent to be about as domineering as he could, yet here he was melting at the scratches, rubs, and hugs of a chipper canine girl, almost at her mercy. He could tell right from the moment he saw the cute little stars on the fur of her arms and legs that she was quite cute, and she had done plenty to prove that to him. Now all she had to do was say the right thing and he'd give in to her wiles.

“Oh, what's that big gryphon boy? Have I silenced the beast after all his talk of power and dominance? I get the impression that you're just a big softie, putting on a facade to scare people away.” She had half circled and was pretty much directly behind him so she leaned in and lightly yanked at the tuft of fur between his tail and haunches, a casual act that made him hop away and spin as he hissed. She laughed at him. “Oh, come on Aurys, I can already tell you're not going to hurt me, so quit with the displays. I told you I didn't mean to offend or to trespass, and you seem like a reasonable gryphon so let's get to the point where we come to an agreement.”

Aurys kept low to the ground as he crept towards her, long beak coming within inches of her face. It was clear she saw right through him so there was no point in posturing for her, but that didn't mean he had to look weak in the process of giving up the facade. He gave her a peck on the chest again, lightly pushing her back a step as he smiled. “You're right, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm not going to eat you, and I'm not going to force you to leave if you don't have the means to leave on your own accord.”

Milkyway smiled and grabbed at his cheeks to pull herself in closer to him, lightly kissing at the end of his beak as she did so. “Glad to hear it!”

He tugged at her hands, but instead stayed in close, his amber eyes staring deeply into hers.

“So if you're not going to eat me, you're not going to exile me, and you're not going to hurt me, what devious punishment do you have in mind for little old me? Put me in a little maid's outfit and force me to dust your antiques? Oh, I know, maybe you'll put me on a leash and keep me as a pet!” She bent over with her hands cradled under her wagging tail as she pecked him on the beak again. “Whatever it is, I'll happily be yours mister Aurys! At least for a few days.”

“I'm glad to hear that.” He said that with a sultry hiss before doubling back and walking close to her, circling around. “Because I certainly do have a few ideas for how you can properly atone for this trespass. If you're going to be mine for the duration of your stay, then I need to mark you, don't you think?” He made one full loop around Milkyway, then got back to be in front of the canine, exposing much of his body from the flank, including the swollen and engorged sheath the hung between his hind legs. His beak was agape in a devious grin as his feathers all stood on end. Not the way he expected his little excursion to go and he certainly didn't figure she would go along with it, but now he wanted her. In his mind, she was his and there was little she could do about that if she wanted to be allowed here.

Milkyway turned, following him with her eyes as he continued to encircle her. Aurys remained within touching distance, so she kept reaching out to stroke her fingers between feathers and fur, lightly chuckling and giggling all the while. “Why are you still trying to impress me, gryphon? I've made it very clear that I'm yours, did I add a caveat to my side of the agreement that I've somehow forgotten about?” She kept with him, stepping in place so that she was always facing him, her fingers teasing his sides lower and lower until she was gently prodding at his belly. “But you're not going to...mark me in the traditional sense, are ya? Like, lift your leg and soak me?”

“What? No, nothing like that! I have other plans for you.” He assured her. By this point it was clear that she was not going to be deterred, and she wasn't going to shy away from whatever it was Aurys had for her, so he got in even closer, growling lightly as he rubbed his flank along her side. “If you are so willing to offer yourself to me, why are you still protecting your backside?” He kept circling her, going a little faster until he was directly behind her. There, he reared up and pushed her over by putting all of his weight on his front talons, pinning her down by the shoulders. With her on her hands and knees, he stood over her, beak buried in the fur of her neck.

She could have resisted, or flailed, or changed her mind and he would have backed off, as he knew he might have gone a little too far with such an aggressive move, but she didn't. To his delight, she not only didn't resist, but actually leaned back into him, rocking towards his hind end with her tail hiked up and to the side. Desire as he may, he couldn't quite bring himself to go any farther with her.

“What's the matter, gryph? Got cold talons?” She taunted as she slipped out of her skirt and tossed her shirt to the side, leaving her completely nude. “With all that talk of territory and dominance and the like, I sort of figured you wouldn't even hesitate at the chance to make me yours.” While speaking, she parted her legs and widened her stance, pushing back against his bulging sheath as she did so, rump cheeks peeling it away from his moist length.

“Don't tempt me, miss.” He cautioned her, pressing his talon down on her upper back to pin her to the white sands. “I'm not sure if you can handle all a gryphon can offer with that tiny body.”

She shifted in place so that she could twist her neck and look up at him, her hand slipping between her thighs to grasp at his sheath. “But I want to tempt you! Why don't you give it to me and let me find out for myself.” She gave a gentle squeeze and a rub down the shaft, which peeled the skin back enough to expose his tip to the warm air and cool breeze of the beach.

The sudden grip and the combination of sensations triggered Aurys' mating instincts, which meant that he couldn't help himself from arching his spine and slamming his hips to hers. His barbed tip stabbed out from its meaty sheath to poke at her haunches, each barb snagging on fur as he pulled back. His beak opened up to clench down on her neck, holding her in place as he tried again.

In response, Milkyway grabbed at his cock and slid her palm down the underside of his shaft, offering a proper stroke until she got to his sheath only to pull that back and wrap all her fingers around the base of his member. “Now that's a cock I want to feel inside me.” She grunted, struggling to get a word out with his talon on her shoulders and beak around her neck.

Everything she said threw him off guard a bit to the point where it was starting to feel a little ridiculous, but that didn't stop Aurys from taking her invitation to dominate her as she so clearly desired. He thrust right through her cupped hand, stabbing his cock tip to the underside of her tail, missing her sex by a wide margin, so he tried again. His thrusts were powerful and deliberate, but not slow, as each one stabbed at her inner thighs, haunches, tail base, rump, and back to her thighs again, consistently missing but never far from his mark.

“Having some trouble there?” She teased, still grabbing for his member. Her paw was soaked in the gooey, slimy fluids that came from within his sheath to keep his member moist and well lubricated, some of which she used to smear all over herself. She slipped a couple well-lubed fingers deep within her pussy, rubbing at the tender and swollen flesh from inside before pulling mostly out and using her thumb to guide him to her. “You've got me all worked up and now I can't imagine you giving up!”

Though Aurys felt a touch embarrassed about not being able to find his mark at first, he didn't allow that to get him down or discourage him because the carnal desires that his body harbored were taking over his mind more fully with each passing second. Plus, in the back of his mind, he was able to use the excuse that she wasn't quite the right height for someone of his stature, so the angle of her opening didn't make for an easy target.

Still, he couldn't use that as an excuse if she was literally guiding him directly to where he wanted to be. Two of her fingers kept between her lips, spreading her apart while her other hand grabbed for his barbed tip, pushing it between her index and middle fingers, using her digits like a cradle. “Go ahead, Aurys. I promise I won't-”

Once again his instincts took over and he quickly found his mark, tugging her lips up to straighten her loins, immediately slamming into her as hard as he could and plunging every inch of his cock deep into her with one fluid motion. The intensity and sudden nature of his thrust shut her up, cutting her off mid sentence to part her lips and plug her with deliciously well-tapered gryphon cock. As soon as he felt her flesh envelop his every throbbing inch of flesh, he released her neck and stood tall, knowing that if she tried to bolt now all he would have to do is tense his pelvic muscles to splay out his barbs and snag her in place.

But poor Milkyway wasn't truly prepared, which she communicated with a long, drawn out howl of pleasure and distress followed by a full bodied shudder. She was clearly overwhelmed, but that didn't stop her from pushing back until she felt the plump skin of his sheath squeezing in between her rump cheeks to press against her own lips.

Part of Aurys desperately wanted to stop himself, to make sure that poor Milkyway was okay and that he wasn't hurting her, but the rest of him just wanted to slam his hips to hers over and over. It was not hard to figure out what side of him won over.

Her depths were not like another gryphons, as they were tight near the opening but were a bit more roomy the deeper he went, which meant that he wanted to feel as much of his shaft pumping in and out of that tight bit as he could. She knew this, he knew this, and they both seemed to share a silent agreement that she could handle it even if her face twas twisted and contorted, torn between desire and reluctance. This seemed to be all Aurys needed as permission to go on, urging him to start grinding his hips up against hers, pumping his member in and out in slow, methodical motions.

She winced a bit as his barbed tip tugged on her flesh from within, but she didn't stop him from going on. All Milkyway could think to do in response was whimper as she looked up at him, forcing a quivering smile. “S-see? I told you I could!” In spite of all odds and the clear subtle bit of discomfort she showed, the pup seemed to genuinely love what he was doing to her and seemed proud of the fact that she wasn't defying him. It was almost like she was plainly eager to serve him, honored even.

Aurys growled and hissed at her, spine tensing in waves as his hips rhythmically pumped in and out of her. His member made gentle squishes of flesh on flesh as each bit of his length tugged on her depths, the rows of barbs catching on that tight rim of muscle that constricted his girth just inside. Much as he knew that the barbs couldn't have been entirely comfortable for her, he wanted nothing more than to feel her flesh squeezing his cock tip, tugging on him and refusing to let go.

Then, just as he was about to pull out entirely, she reached back again to wrap her hands around the base of the member, holding him in place to guide him, as if she knew what he was about to do. “Go ahead.” She urged amidst a whimper. “I want to be yours, and I don't care what that takes.”

He gulped heavily as he slowly tugged out, relishing the sensation of each and every barb snagging on the wrinkles of her pussy walls. He could see the look on her face, but he couldn't allow himself to get too caught up on that if he was going to be the dominant one in this situation; no, he needed to show he owned her and that she was his territory! As such, he had no choice to to offer a few shallow thrusts into her, letting just his cock tip pump in and out of that tight passage just within her, the pressure accentuating the pleasure he got from having his barbs stimulated. Then, when she was finally getting comfortable with his gentle motions, he bucked into her, slamming his hips to hers with a juicy squelch and a spattering of mess from both of them bursting out from her taut pussy lips.

Milkyway clawed at the sand, digging her paws deep in an attempt to find something to get a hold of. She was overwhelmed, but trying her best to save face and fake stoicism as his new property, yet no matter what she did it was clear that she was struggling and she couldn't hide that.

Unfortunately for her, Aurys was at a point where only the physical mattered to him. He was usually the clever type, relying on wits to get his way and enjoying the benefits of his wiles, but once his cock throbbed to full mast he lost himself to the primal beast within him. This was one of those times, as his mind had been completely simplified to only one perfectly realized need, that of a breeder. The more he thrust into her, the more of a mess came out of her, splashing at his thighs to ricochet back against her own hips, soaking the two of them in the process. Neither seemed to mind, even if they were leaving fur between them gummed up and slimy.

Unable to resist, Milkyway slipped her hand back up between her hind legs to smear the mess that they were creating all over her belly, sides, legs, and tail, soaking up the scent that he made in an attempt to mark herself as his. The smell was powerful between them, something she revealed by just how frequently she sniffed at the air followed by a whimper and full body shudder.

As she did this, Aurys leaned down close and preened at her neck, whispering into her ear. “Now be a good breeding hen and give me a full clutch.” Again and again, he slammed his length into her, cock flesh parting her tender lips and splattering their combined cum all over them both. Splashes of seed dribbled down his inner thighs and soaked his hind paws, just as he felt that he was coming to his climax.

Milkyway offered a look of confusion as Aurys made his demand, unable to decipher what it meant. It was clear he was coming to finish and she seemed to feel this, as his cock was throbbing and tensing up to be firmer and thicker with every thrust, the contractions in his loins splaying out his barbs to better snag on her flesh. Naturally, she was more than a little concerned as she felt the needle points of his feline member digging into her walls, but the pleasure seemed to be overriding her natural instinct to be reserved and cautious, as it was not often she got to be with a gryphon.

Aurys didn't know this, though. All Aurys could think about was focusing his thrusts to better take advantage of that tight rim inside her, using it to stroke up and down his member as his pleasure hit its plateau. Then, all at once, he slammed in as hard as he could and reared his head back, screech escaping his beak as his cock pumped blast after blast of his essence deep within his new hen. His entire body shuddered in a series of miniature waves that culminated in his loins, shooting one eruption after another into her depths, building up enough pressure that it started to bubble and trickle out form between his cock and her pussy lips.

She started panting heavily as she felt his barbs splay out one last time, this time wide enough to lock them together. Milkyway could have panicked, wondering what that meant, but the tingling deep within her was too much to overcome and she could only whimper and shudder against the subtle motions of the gryphon's body.

Having finally finished up, Aurys could now properly regain control over his own thoughts and emotions. With that came an overwhelming sensation of guilt, for having so aggressively mated with this canine stranger. Her body was not meant to accommodate the girth and features of his member, and he now knew that they would be stuck together for hours until his swollen cock deflated fully and his barbs would fold back up to their individual grooves, where they would no longer snag on her pussy walls. “So, still happy to be mine?” He asked, whispering into her ear.

“Do I have much of a choice?” She retorted, chest heaving in a chuckle before she lowered her head to the ground, body tensing up as more pleasure rocked her. “Not that I'd say no even if I did.”

He gave a gentle wag of his hips, each motion tugging on her pussy flesh. “Not really.” He started to explain in a sympathetic tone. “You and I, we're going to be spending some time together.”

“Well of course, darling! I told you I'll gladly serve you for as long as I'm here, this is your territory and I am proud to offer myself to you!” She giggled and wagged her hips before trying to pull off his cock, content with the mating they enjoyed. Only, she quickly found that she couldn't do that and the more she pulled the deeper the barbs caught her loins. “W-wait, what's this?”

Slowly, Aurys purred and applied all of hisw eight on her, pinning her to the ground with his length still swollen and plump inside her. “Like I said, my dear, we're not parting ways for a little while, not until these barbs retract back into me. The more you move, the wider they will go and the longer it will take to let them retract.” He pushed into her again, forcing out a gooey mess of gryphon seed in the process. “So for now, just relax.”

Her eyes started to dart around as she pushed up against his fluffy chest, panic showing through the strength she was trying to maintain. “I-I can't be stuck like this...my body isn't prepared for that!”

“Aren't you a canine? Wouldn't your mate have a knot?” Aurys inquired, confused at her panic.

“Not like this, Aurys! Barbs and knots are not the same thing! A knot swells inside, but it's all smooth and plump and wonderful! Barbs are also nice, but where I come from they don't lock partners together! What am I supposed to do? How long will this last?” Her breaths were growing ragged, her heartbeat intensifying so much that Aurys could have taken her pulse though her loins.

There wasn't much of a solution for her, none that would make things easy for her, so Aurys offered her a solution. It wasn't something he wanted to do because it involved actually taking her into his territory instead of having him just pretend the whole peninsula was his, but it seemed to be the only way his post-orgasm mind could solve the issue at hand. He cradled her belly and torso with one of his large front talons and got to all fours, lifting her up off the ground as sand cascaded over her.

“What are you doing?” She whimpered, cringing a bit as the unbalanced lift shifted her loins.

“I'm going to take you back to my den, where you can ride this out, get comfortable, and maybe get something to eat. I imagine if you crashed here, you're not exactly well stocked with food in that pod over there.” He outstretched a wing to point at the flickering white sphere. “Whatever it is.”

The look on her face made it clear that she was not ready to accept his solution, but the subsequent sigh and roll of her eyes showed that she was defeated and without an alternate answer. “Fine. Fine. You're lucky you're such a gorgeous gryphon or I might not have been willing to let you take me back to your den. So, am I a trophy now?” Her expression shifted a bit to a smile.

“I wouldn't say so, no. But you are going to be spending some time in my territory so for the sake of preserving my allure, I'd appreciate it if you acted like you truly submitted to me.” He took the first few dainty steps towards the treeline, cradling her with one talon while his other three legs moved him along; he was quite careful to not let her slide or slip, because if she fell from his grasp she'd be stopped only by the barbs that anchored his cock inside her past that tight ring meant to lock a knot in.

She seemed to know this, and did all she could to keep her arms and legs up close to her body, tail up and loins relaxed just in case he slipped out. She offered him the lightest of howls as she looked up at him from below his chest plumage. “Don't take this the wrong way, creamsicle, but I'd be your bitch any day, just warn me next time before you force me into an extended mating session due to barbs.”

He bowed gently and smiled. “Duly noted, dear. Now let's get back to my den. It's about an hour from here.”

“Wait, an hour?!” She yipped, eyes shooting open.

Aurys didn't respond, as they had just entered the dense underbrush of the tropical forest. The leaves of the ferns and the bushes would have silenced him had he tried to talk. Instead, he carefully but daintily made his way back through the woods to his own grotto, pausing every few minutes to give his partner – and his front talon – a rest. Though he wished he could have taken flight again, as he had wished upon leaving his home that morning, this time he realized that there were factors beyond his control and it would have been dangerous for both of them to attempt flight. Plus, every step shifted his girth inside her, making every step a more pleasant one than any in his excursion that morning.

There were worse ways to return from a trip than to properly seed a hen from a nearby flock.