Sandwalker's Choice: Part III

Characters and Text © 2001, C Sandwalker

The park was rather nice at night. The trees were subtly lit by coloured lights set in their branches, which gave them a sort of party feel.

Grey and I sat at a picnic table underneath a pair of flowering pohutukawa trees, their bright red brush-like blossoms appearing black-purple in the subdued blue light in the trees. "Beautiful, aren't they?" I murmured to Grey over the table, this one specially designed for 'taur-forms. "It's a pity they didn't use red lights. Would have made them seem a little more...natural."

"Um...well, it doesn't really matter what colours they use at night; the flowers are still best viewed in full daylight. Oh, here shi comes!"

We both turned to watch Deepriver hurrying up to us, the streetlights making hir fur a garish shade of orange-red. "There's no rush!" I called to hir as shi moved up the crushed gravel path to where the table stood.

"I know, I know, but I've been too well trained to be punctual." Shi halted beside the table, hauling out the goods shi'd bought. Three pizzas, one with chicken, one with olives and anchovies and the other with heaps of cheese; two 2 litre bottles of lemonade and Coke, plus an order of chips. "Wow, you must eat a lot," I said as shi put the chips on the table.

"Not necessarily. I figured that if you wanted more, there would be." Shi took a place next to Grey, and began to tuck in. Shrugging, we followed hir lead.

After a few seconds shi stopped, and looked at Grey. "Oh! We haven't introduced ourselves, have we?" Shi blushed with embarrassment again. "Oh, dear. I'm Chakat Deepriver, daughter of Longmuzzle and Earthtender." Shi held out a hand awkwardly, as both were a little full.

Grey took the proffered hand, grinning widely. "Chakat Greytail, daughter of Trailblazer and Skywatcher. I'm Sandy's older sister." I nodded in happy acknowledgment of that fact. "We were both sired by the other's mother, if you know what I mean."

"Oh! Really?! I wouldn't have guessed...." Deepriver trailed off, looking down at hir pizza. "But then, who would? After all, it's very rare for siblings to look alike."

"True, true. Don't worry about it. It's a definite pleasure to meet you. I have to admit, I think Sandy was right about you." Grey smiled at Deepriver's expression, which was now somewhere between flattered and chagrined. "Oh? What did shi say?"

I stepped in then, replying with, "I said that you were very good-looking, and that...um...." I looked at Grey, silently asking hir if I should say what I was going to. At hir answering nod, I carried on. "And that I think I like you. A lot." This time it was my turn to blush.

Deepriver stared at me for such a long time, I almost thought hir eyeballs would dry out. Then shi blinked. "I'm...flattered, I think. And...pleased that you think so much of me. I've never heard anyone say they liked me in that way." Shi smiled then, a smile full of warmth. With a quick movement shi came around the table and gave me a strong hug.

"Urk!" I uttered in surprise. I was very taken aback. Shrugging inwardly, I returned the hug. When we pulled apart, I was shocked to see tears in Deepriver's eyes. 'Oy,' I thought to myself. 'This is one seriously emotional chakat.' Returning to the situation at hand, I asked, "What's the matter?"

Deepriver sniffed and wiped hir eyes with the back of hir hand. "Oh, dear. I'm sorry. I don't usually get that emotional, really, but...." Shi sniffed again awkwardly, then delivered another blow to my heart. "I like you too. You're so...so sweet, gentle, loving...." Shi broke down into tears again and clung to me, soaking my tabby fur.

I glanced at Grey, who just stood there with a rather stunned expression on hir face, slice of pizza held halfway to hir mouth. I was sure that shi was thinking the same thing I was: this girl needs some serious loving.

I hugged Deepriver to my body, letting hir shed the tears that had been bottled up for who knew how long, stroking the soft red fur on hir head, moving down the back of hir upper body to where it joined the lower body. Grey put down hir pizza and joined us, clasping both of us in hir embrace.

After about two minutes of being in that position, my chest was getting rather saturated, and I figured we'd better get Deepriver home. "Come on, River," I murmured lightly. "Stop your crying now, love. Let's get you home."

Deepriver nodded in agreement, and pulled away from Grey and me, blotting hir tears with hir hand again. I put the food back in their bags and boxes, and handed them to Grey, who took them wordlessly with a nod of understanding. "Where do you live?" I asked gently.

"Alexandra Drive," shi replied, pointing in the appropriate direction. "Just a couple of blocks away. Um...if it wouldn't be too much trouble...." Shi trailed off, swallowed hard, then continued. "Would you mind if I spent the night with you two? I live in a flat by myself, and I get so lonely. All I have to talk to is a stuffed toy, but he's not one for particularly interesting conversation. All he does is just sit on the chair with an agreeable look on his face."

"Of course you can stay with us!" I said emphatically. "We'd love to have you round." I caught River up in another hug, winking over hir shoulder at Grey, who nodded back, a knowing smile on hir face.

Together we walked the few blocks back to our house. We didn't say anything as we walked. We didn't have to. All that really needed to be said had already been said. Me and River padded leisurely down the footpath, our arms around each other's shoulders. Grey followed a couple of metres behind us, carrying the food. To the average person, we might have looked just slightly odd as a group, but we didn't care.


"Welcome to our humble abode," I said as I opened the front door and stepped in. I grinned as River's jaw dropped in astonishment. "This is...so very different from where I live. This is your own house, you said? How did you afford it? I'm sorry; I shouldn't ask such questions. Oh...."

Grey shut the door behind hir and placed the now rather cold food on the table on top of the books that still cluttered the surface. "Don't worry yourself over it. We inherited it from Trailblazer's parents, who died a little while ago. Now, we really should eat this food. After I've reheated it, of course." Shi retrieved the partially consumed pizzas and went into the kitchen to zap them for a while in the microwave oven.

"Let's eat in the living room," I said, heading in that direction myself. "Oh! Before I do, let me show you the rest of the house." I then proceeded to give River a guided tour of our reasonably spacious home, showing hir each of the three bedrooms, the bathroom and toilet, and the little porch that extended into the back garden. I turned on the lights so shi could see the plants closest to the porch.

"Oh, they're gorgeous!" River cried, seeing the massive hydrangea bushes, one on each side, in all of their spectacular blue and red glory. "Greytail is the green thumbed person. I'm not too friendly to plant life, though I have the odd success." I chuckled at my weak joke. "Shi puts just the right amount of additives to make the bushes as blue -- and red -- as possible."

River was almost hugging the blue bush, burying hir face in the massive square-petalled blooms. "I love these flowers! They're my favourites! And the colour...I've never managed to get mine to this size and shade," shi said, just a tad wistfully.

I came down off the porch to give River another hug. "Grey would be thrilled to pass on some of hir botanical knowledge to you." Pointing off into the darker areas of the relatively expansive garden -- at least it seemed quite large, though I knew it was probably little larger than a hundred square metres -- I told hir of some of the other wonders that resided here, such as the snapdragons, irises, rhododendrons, and even a bird of paradise in a far corner.

"Dinner's ready! Again!" called Grey from the porch door. I followed Deepriver inside, closing the door behind me to prevent the annoying mosquitoes from gaining entrance.

Going into the lounge, I saw that Grey had spread out a large, thick tartan blanket on the floor, presumably to catch crumbs. We sat ourselves down and began to help ourselves to the now piping hot, and still crispy, pizzas, drinking the Coke from cups designed for non-human mouths. We didn't converse much, concentrating most of our attention on feeding our stomachs.

When we had finished and cleaned up, we all lay together, River sandwiched between Grey and me, and watched some comedies on TV. It was really nice to hear hir laugh; it was slightly deep, but highly melodical. I sighed, and leaned against River's upper body contentedly. It was then that I realized that in my mind I'd been shortening hir name to a kind of pet-name.

River seemed to sense that too. Shi turned hir head and looked me right in the eyes, hir own of brilliant amber boring into me, perhaps even my soul. I felt myself getting lost in those eyes, until I blinked and returned to reality. Shi then glanced at Grey, then back to me, as if trying to decide between us. Shi took a deep breath...then dropped the bombshell.

"I have been thinking this through for a couple of days now -- well, ever since you introduced yourself to me, really -- and...I feel that I'm doing the right thing. You've aroused in me a sense of...longing. Longing to be with someone who I like, possibly even love, very much. Chakat Sandwalker...." I held my breath at this point, realising what shi was going to say. "Will you be my Companion?"

Grey gasped, totally bowled over by this very important request of me. My mind raced, trying to assimilate this startling revelation. Since I had first set eyes on hir, I had liked River very much, but I wasn't entirely sure now if I were ready for such a commitment, even one as minor as a Companionship. After all, it had been only yesterday, really, that I had met hir. I personally had never heard of any Companionships being so hurried, and I was frantically racking my brain trying to think of a way to hold off until I was absolutely sure of myself.

"Er...let me talk it over with Grey first, if you don't mind? There's something that I want to clear up with hir."

River seemed somewhat disappointed in this answer, and I was very quick to give hir a reassuring hug. "Don't worry. It's just a little issue that I'm not quite sure about. I've never been in a Companionship before, so I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. All right?" Shi nodded, a slightly happier smile on hir face. "Grey. My room. Now."

I made sure to shut the door behind Grey when shi came in. "Tell me this, Grey. Do you know of any Companionships that were established within a day or two of the two sides meeting each other for the first time?" I glared at hir with a worried expression on my face.

"Well...I don't really know, to be perfectly honest," shi said, scratching absently at one ear. "The shortest period I've heard of is a week, but there may be others that were formed in less time."

"Oh, dear," I muttered, chewing on a claw. "As much as I like River -- heck, I've even taken to shortening hir name, like I do when I really like someone -- I'm...scared."

Grey quickly came to give me a reassuring cuddle. "Don't be. There's a first time for everything, remember. Just go with what your heart tells you, not what your panicked brain says."

I nodded, feeling a bit better. "You're right. Listen to my heart, not my brain." I took a few calming breaths, which often helped me to think when under stress. "All right...." I took one more breath, let it out slowly, then opened the door.

River was standing in the middle of the lounge when I came back in, and shi was looking rather apprehensive. Was I about to reject hir request to have a loving partner? "We have talked about it, and I am ready to give my answer."

A few seconds of silence passed by before River asked hir question again, with more than a hint of longing in it. "Chakat Sandwalker...will you be my Companion?"

With a small smile on my face I stepped forward and lick-kissed hir muzzle. "Chakat Deepriver, I accept. Yes, I will be your Companion." We caught each other in a very strong, almost rib-breaking hug, not letting go until we needed to draw breath.

Grey chuckled, a wide grin plastered across hir face. "Congratulations, you two. You're definitely made for each other. This calls for some celebration, don't you think?"

I looked at Grey, and noticed hir raised eyebrow. "Oh!" I exclaimed, realising what shi meant. "Yes, you're right there." I turned to face River and said quietly, "River, would you accompany me to my room? If you wish, Grey will attend as well. After all, you've sort of become part of the family now."

River looked a little mystified by my tacit request to consummate our deep liking, maybe even love, for each other. In a flash of insight I realised that if shi'd been keeping contact with other chakats, and possibly other 'taurs, to the barest minimum, then shi might not have had the opportunity to indulge in lovemaking.

"Ah...." I tried to figure out a good way of explaining what was to happen next. Thankfully River let me off the hook by saying, "I must tell you...I've never...done it before. Heck knows I've been ready for years, but...." Shi trailed off, blushing furiously.

"Oh! I see.... Well, this will be a very special celebration then, won't it Grey? A celebration of hir becoming a man? And a woman?"

Grey nodded, and gestured for us to go to my room. We did so, River leading the way. As I passed Grey shi stopped me and whispered something in my ear. "Oh, gods! You...." I giggled as I followed River. What Grey had told me was why River had suddenly grasped the meaning of what shi had said. I hadn't seen hir, but River had, and Grey had signed to her, touching hir sheath with one hand, then patting hirself under hir tail. River had gotten the meaning almost immediately.

I closed my door behind me, leaving just me and River alone together. We embraced each other for a few seconds, then I began to giggle nervously. "What are you giggling for?" River asked.

"I'm nervous," I replied. "I've made love before, plenty of times, but that's always been with my sister, never anyone else. And you're a virgin, so it would be worse for you...."

River pulled back to look deep into my eyes. "I may be inexperienced, but I know what to do. And how else should two chakats prove their love for each other?"

"You have a point," I said, slightly sheepish. I went over to the comfy mattress, and slowly sank down onto it, gesturing with my arm for River to join me.

"Oh, this mattress is so nice," shi murmured when shi was lying down next to me. "Much softer than mine." Shi leaned against me, and we stayed like that for a couple of minutes, partly because we enjoyed each other's company, but also because we were somewhat uncertain on how to proceed.

Finally I just did what Grey would normally do. I gently moved around so that I was facing River, then I pulled hir into a slow, lingering kiss. Shi melted into my arms as our tongues battled with each other gently, until we ran out of breath.

We pulled apart slightly, grinning idiotically at each other, then I bent my head forward, gently taking the nipple of hir right breast into my mouth. Shi shivered with pleasure as I massaged the sensitive tissue with my lips, coaxing forth a slow trickle of milkwater, which I lapped up, savouring the sweet taste of hir.

I tired of that breast and moved onto the other, continuing to massage the other with my hand. Deep purrs began to rumble from River's chest, encouraging me to move slightly further afield. My other hand crept around to gently work fingers into the area where hir upper body met the lower body.

The feelings shi was experiencing were wonderfully thrilling, and it wasn't very long before shi came to the first real climax shi'd probably ever had. Shi was panting with the unaccustomed effort, but shi had a radiant smile on hir face. I grinned, thinking to myself, 'If shi thinks that was good, shi's going to love what will come next.'

River surprised me, though, when shi began to reciprocate, repeating the same actions as I'd done on hir. Shi massaged both of my tender breasts, licking first one, then the other, alternating between them. I mewed in pleasure at the attention I was getting, increasing in volume when shi began to suckle at my nipples, drawing from me the nutritious milkwater that all chakats produce.

Hir hands moved to my back, drifting slowly through my fur, running hir fingers along my spine, which caused numerous shivers to race up and down my back, eventually bringing about a massive orgasm that tore my right nipple from hir mouth's gentle grasp. Shi smiled at me as I wound down, drawing me into hir arms.

Hir deft fingers began to roam further, down my belly until they got to my sheath, whereupon they gently stroked it, coaxing my maleness out of its hiding place. Smiling, shi pulled away from our embrace, and smoothly turned hirself around and crouched forward slightly, presenting hirself to me, hir tail moving to the side to afford better entrance, looking over hir shoulder at me.

I smiled back fondly at River then moved to mount hir. My cock quickly found its mark, and with one slow movement I pushed into hir virgin depths. Shi was slightly tight -- from nervousness, I expected -- but not unduely so, and I revelled for a few moments in the silky feel, before beginning the slow strokes that would bring us both to climax.

Shi was purring very loudly as I made tender love to hir, turning hir upper torso so shi could engage me in another passionate kiss. My hands reached around to gently fondle hir breasts again, while my handpaws gently kneaded hir belly.

The moments passed by like hours. Even so, all good things must come to an end, and this was no exception. With a loud yowl of ecstasy I came to my peak, my life-giving seed spurting into hir depths. Barely two seconds later River reached hir climax, hir wonderful vagina clenching around me in powerful contractions, coaxing more semen out of me.

We slowly collapsed down onto the mattress, lying on our sides as we felt our energy slip away. I remained inside hir, enjoying the pleasant feelings that were still wandering through my system. Hir upper body rested upon mine, the vibrations from hir slow purring going through my body in a soothing massage.

After being together like that for several minutes shi said softly, "That was wonderful, Sandy. Now it's my turn to make you happy." With that shi pulled away, and moved to roll me over onto my back. My legs all splayed outward, affording hir a very good view of my femsex.

Shi smiled slowly, then bent hir head down between my legs. I shuddered hard when I felt hir agile tongue caress my vaginal lips, moving deeper to lick my clit. My juices starting flowing almost immediately, much to River's delight. Shi lapped them up almost as fast as they were produced.

Eventually shi tired of that very enjoyable activity and lifted hir head to look at me, a few drops dribbling down hir chin. "Now the fun starts...." Shi moved to straddle my body, crouching down to give my breasts another slow licking, before shuffling back slightly to make hir entry.

I mewed in extreme happiness as I felt the length of River's maleness slide its way into my wet depths until it was completely inside me. Shi didn't move for a few moments, savouring the sensation of being inside another for the first time, then shi slowly pulled out and thrust back in again.

I encouraged River as shi gradually got the hang of things, pulling hir down into a love-filled kiss as shi thrust into me. I found I could still taste some of my juices on hir mouth, and I grinned, gasping as a momentary shiver suddenly ran through my body.

A few seconds later I rose to my climax again, howling in feline bliss as it crashed through my system. River followed, very ecstatically, a few seconds later, hir thick cum splashing into me in forceful jets.

Shi collapsed on top of me, a few trickles of semen still pumping out as shi panted hard. "I'm really...not used to...this much...exertion," shi muttered, giving my face a lick. "Thank you, Sandy."

I smiled tiredly up at River, returning the lick. "You're most definitely welcome, River, dear."

When Grey opened the door later to see how we were, shi found us still together, River on top, me on the bottom, fast asleep. Grinning to hirself, shi closed the door, letting us be.

On to Part 4