LEAVETAKING @Copyright Maureen Lycaon, July 2001. All rights reserved under the Berne Convention. This story may be distributed freely via electronic means, provided no money or other consideration is charged and that the story remains intact as posted, including these notes and the headers. You may also print out a hard copy for personal use. All other rights reserved under the Berne Convention. Charging viewers for access to this file is *expressly forbidden*. Warnings: if you shouldn't be reading this, don't. Author's Notes: This is the opening story for Raeng, one of the main characters in a proposed new furry swords, sorcery and spooge series, "The Three". A faenggahr is the Hahnga word for a Lionen tradition that is almost universal. When young Lionen of either sex are forced out of the pride or village of their birth, they wander as a group, members dying or dropping out as they find villages they hope to earn a place in. Usually each faenggahr has members of only one sex, who call each other faenggahr-sisters (or faenggahr-brothers). It's pronounced "fang-gar", "gar" being pronounced like the name of the fish. Raeng's name is pronounced like the word "rang". Uhli's sounds very like "Ullie". My thanks to Bruce Bagemihl's book "Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity", which offered some tips on same-sex lion sexual behavior; and to Ron, who once again gave his critiquing services. I live for feedback. Send it to: maureen_lcn@yahoo.com . You can visit my archive of erotic stories, including the Precious Cargo series, at: http://vcl.ctrl- c.liu.se/vcl/Artists/Maureen/Stories/Web/index2.html Leavetaking By Maureen Lycaon The two young lionesses crouched low on the hilltop overlooking the road, watching. The hill was part of a long, low ridge running east to west across the treeless steppe. Below that ridge, paralleling it, ran the trade road. Just west of that hill, the road divided: the main road continued westward under the shadow of the ridge, while the other road led north and east, eventually to cross the Baghai River and enter the Common City of Ahpoh'r, barely a day's journey away. The steppe, once a pure emerald-green during the chill rains of spring, was now tinged with yellow as it dried in the summer warmth. In two more months, its color would match the tawny gold of a Lionen's fur. Now, each blade of grass cast a long shadow in the light of the gentle, windless dawn. The only travelers visible on the road were a small caravan of traders, raising a yellow cloud of dust above them in the still dawn air as they journeyed eastward toward the city on horseback and in wagons. By squinting, Raeng could just make out their species; this group was mostly Wolven, with a couple of diminutive Foxen among them, driving horse-drawn iron-wheeled wagons loaded with goods. Wolven guards in leather armor rode before, behind and on each side; now and then the sunlight would flicker off a sword hilt. Beside Raeng, Uhli stirred. Her ears were slightly flattened, her smell acidly tangy, anxious. "I wonder what Ahpoh'r is like, with Hyenan and Lionen living together," she muttered. "The traders told me each species has its own quarters," Raeng answered. "They don't really live all mixed up together like some people think." "But what about the tribes? Do Hahnga live with Aevowree? And do they even have rahee?" Raeng grinned. "You should have talked to the traders, like me." There had been six lionesses in their faenggahr when they had left the village of Airow Gahngeh two months ago -- six young Hahnga, sent out to seek their fortunes, each allowed to take only a travel pack that could be worn over her shoulder, a hunting bow, and the long Hahnga hunting knife that doubled as a weapon. One by one, each of them had seen a village to her liking and left the faenggahr, to seek a place in that village, or else to wander henceforth alone. All except poor Pahlee, who had been killed by that wild steppe wisent they had tried to bring down their first week out. Now only Raeng and Uhli remained, and today they would part ways -- probably forever. Raeng did not waste precious time and energy mourning over her lost companions; she simply accepted it. In places like Airow Gahngeh, where the land already had as many dwellers as the meat herds could feed, the young had to leave the place of their birth and seek lives, or their deaths, elsewhere. "The strong survive" was the saying among Lionen; the young must be tested, must struggle for their place in life. That testing went on throughout life. It had never been any other way. Their journeying had taken them roughly northward, but only Raeng had intended all along to cross the border into the Common Lands. She studied the trade road and its distant travelers a while longer, then turned her head to look at Uhli. "Will you come with me?" Uhli shook her head, her ears flattening still more. "Leave Ohngahr? No." Raeng felt a little knot of sorrow and disappointment form in her belly. She knew most Hahnga didn't share her curiosity about the lands outside of Ohngahr, would never think of visiting a Common Lands city, let alone try to make a life there. Even so, she had harbored some small hope that Uhli would choose to come with her, that she wouldn't have to face those unknown lands alone. Uhli was the bravest of them, and one of the strongest. It was not unheard of for faenggahr-sisters to make a new life together, after all; that was how most Lines and villages formed in the first place -- if there was empty land for them. Now she had to let that hope go. Not even Uhli would go with her into the Common Lands. She took a deep breath, then slowly began to get up. "You're going now, then?" Uhli asked. "Yes." "Then . . ." Uhli reached up and touched her arm. When Raeng looked down at her, she saw the other lioness's face bore an expression that mingled wistful regret and affection with something more primal. Raeng smiled her reply. She bent down and tugged at Uhli's paw to bring the shorter, more muscular lioness to her feet. "Let's get down the slope," she said. They didn't know the ways of those distant travelers; it would be better to stay out of sight of the road. Holding paws, the two lionesses descended a little way down the south slope of the hill where their packs and weapons lay, putting its summit between themselves and those distant traders. Then they turned to face each other. Raeng, the taller of the two by a few whiskers' breadths, simply looked down into Uhli's golden eyes for long moments, trying to commit her face to memory. Whether they survived and lived long lives of their own or they failed and died, this would be their last time together, and Uhli's face reflected her knowledge of that. Raeng was sure the same poignant knowledge showed in her own eyes. She bent forward and gently touched the tip of her nose to Uhli's broader one, moving her whiskers out of the way. Uhli returned the nuzzle, and Raeng's nostrils were filled with her warm scent, the smell of her moist breath. They both wore the common Hahnga traveling gear: sturdy leather boots that accommodated their half-ditigrade feet and went halfway up the shins; the everyday loincloths that most peoples wore; the female chest-wrap that held their breasts securely while they walked. Had it been winter, they might have worn cloaks and hide leggings along with the loincloths, but in the warmth of early summer there was no need for them. Their lovemaking began with Uhli simply rubbing her cheek against Raeng's. Unbidden, the beginnings of a soft purr rumbled in her throat, to be answered by Raeng's as she moved her own head in response, her paws taking Uhli's shoulders to draw her close. For timeless moments they nuzzled, taking in each other's breath and scent. It was Raeng who made the first move: her paws released Uhli's shoulders, only to return to cup her small breasts under the wrap. Uhli's purr grew louder and took on a demanding note as Raeng's paws went to work, rubbing, stroking, fondling; she arched her back, pushing her breasts into the other's paws. Raeng worked those small nipples gently between her fingers and thumbs until they poked against the fabric of the breastwrap. They stood like that for some time, Uhli with her paws on her hips, back arched as her breasts were played with; Raeng, arms outstretched, caressing. Her own nipples, larger than Uhli's, stiffened with sensual pleasure even without a touch. The shorter, more muscular lioness's purr swelled until it was positively stentorian, mingling with Raeng's answering rumble. At last, she turned around silently, and Raeng untied the knot of her breast-wrap without a word being spoken, letting the cloth fall to the grass. She turned her own back on Uhli, letting her return the favor. The two half-naked lionesses lay down on their sides in the grass, warmed in the golden rays of the rising sun, facing each other, and their nimble paws moved up and down each other's bare tawny-furred breasts. Uhli lowered one paw and rubbed Raeng's belly; Raeng stretched and purred, arms over her head. The muscled lioness extended her claws enough to scratch the skin through the fur just a little, and Raeng actually chirruped with pleasure, a strange little sound like a combination of a bird's chirrup and a hiccup. Still lying on their sides, the two lionesses scratched each other's bellies and breasts with barely extruded claws, and two sets of thighs spread shamelessly wide with the pleasure of it, cat-fashion, their tails undulating in the grass. At last the moment came when the loincloths had to come off, so that their mutual caresses could descend still lower. As they had done with the breastwraps, each lioness carefully untied the thong that held the ends of the cloth to her lover's hips, so that the ends fell limp to the earth. There were a few awkward moments while the loincloths were tugged off entirely and cast aside, but then they were free. They didn't bother about their boots. As usual, Raeng rolled onto her back, and Uhli made the first move. Crouching on all fours, she crawled between Raeng's lean golden-furred thighs and lowered her head, burying her muzzle in the thinner lioness's groin. Raeng stretched and gasped, claws extruding, as the other lioness's clever tongue probed between the small, narrow folds of her nether lips into her vagina. She pushed her hips into Uhli's face in hungry demand. Uhli's tongue continued to lick, and she felt her clitoris grow warmer, wanting more. Then she got it, as that tongue suddenly began lapping and curling around that swollen lust-bud, sending a gust of greater pleasure through her. More such gusts followed, until they blended into one great storm of bliss, making her gasp, making her moan and stretch, wiggling ecstatically, tail lashing. She rolled half-over onto her side, the instinctive roll of a happy lioness, then squirmed and whimpered in protest as she lost contact with Uhli's mouth. Uhli helped her get belly-up again, paws sliding down on the insides of Raeng's thighs, firmly holding them down and spread, so that Raeng could buck and squirm without breaking away. Raeng's tail lashed furiously as her arousal mounted, her pelvis thrusting itself into the other's face as if to bury her very muzzle in her vagina. That broad wet tongue was everywhere, probing even inside her, and she uttered little moans and hums of pleasure. Her arms were over her head again, and she felt a vague wish Uhli could somehow hold them down too, to restrain her completely. At last she reached the very verge, paws clenching into fists, yellow eyes screwed tightly closed, fangs bared, breath coming in lust-strained, hissing gasps. Uhli vibrated her tongue against her clitoris, and she went over, uttering a harsh yowl as her entire body shook and her vulva convulsed. The muscular lioness hung on, gently licking as Raeng slid down from that peak, nursing the last little quivers of pleasure from her. Only when Raeng had relaxed into a boneless mass did she retreat, sitting up and looking down at her, smiling, licking her damp muzzle. Reviving a little, Raeng opened her eyes and abandoned herself to a good, long feline roll, paws and feet jerking in the air, the boots incongruous against her tawny nakedness. Watching, Uhli uttered a pleased humm-rawr at this tribute to her talent. At last Raeng went limp again, letting herself fall onto her flank. She rested, paws still rhythmically flexing now and then. She didn't move her head, but looked up at her companion from the corners of her eyes. After a short while, Uhli flopped down on her side beside her, her own crotch on a level with Raeng's face. Slowly, Raeng pulled herself closer, until her muzzle nearly touched Uhli's groin -- and then she began returning the favor. Uhli tasted softly musky, yet delicate, a flesh-flower smell. And like a flesh-flower was her vulva, the narrow Lionen labia opening of their own accord and growing darker as Raeng's tongue toyed with them. Her clitoris was smaller than Raeng's own, like a small ruby bead, and when Raeng slurped at it the first time, just a delicate, tentative preliminary suck, Uhli convulsed, uttering a little "Rawr!" As Uhli became more aroused and she was better able to endure the intense sensations, Raeng focused her licking on that clitoris. Her mouth was flooded with the other lioness's musky taste, a primal powerful musk that spoke of all her femaleness, all her sex, all the primitive arousal of female Lionen stretching back across the centuries to the times of the Ancient Ones and the First Coupling of Moroor and the Four Sisters. Tongue lapping greedily, her lean but powerful arms locked around Uhli's thighs, her ears filled with the slurping noises she was making, Raeng suckled on Uhli's vulva and clitoris until at last the other lioness uttered her own orgasmic yowl and shuddered, then fell back. As Uhli had done for her, so Raeng did for Uhli, gently lapping until the other Lionen had relaxed completely, sinking back onto the grass, purring. Only when Raeng released her did she roll, wiggling. The pink tips of her still-swollen nipples poked through her tawny fur of her round breasts. Raeng's paw unconsciously brushed her own left nipple as she watched, a faint throb of remembered lust pulsing through her. Uhli scooted down to get eye level with Raeng, and they held each other as their arousal faded and the sun rose higher in the blue sky, casting its golden light down upon the steppe. At last, by unspoken mutual agreement, they parted and slowly rose to their feet, turning away from each other to pick up their breast wraps and loincloths. Then each turning back to help the other dress. When they were finally clothed again, they paused to look into each other's face one last time. "May Moroor keep you safe, and Ayowluh drive the weakest game your way, sister," Uhli said quietly. "So may they also do for you, faenggahr-sister," Raeng replied. They embraced one last time, burying their muzzles in each other's necks and exchanging smells. There were no tears. They were Lionen. Uhli turned away, stooped to retrieve her travel pack and her weapons. Once she had them, she began walking back down the hillside -- southward, back into Ohngahr. She didn't look back. Raeng watched her silently for a long moment before turning away to get her own belongings. Then she returned to the summit. Descending the hill's north slope, she made her way toward the dusty road to the Common Lands. @Direct comments and criticism to maureen_lcn@yahoo.com . See author's notes above for the URL to my story archive.