Chapter 1: Back to the HighTail

The trio padded up the cobblestone walk, passing by various shops, inns, and taverns as they headed back to the Hightail Inn to relax and sort out the recent events which brought them together in a union that could not quite be called a family. The central figure, short and lithe, was clad in a black wizard's robe with matching black leather boots. His cowl was down against his shoulders; revealing his soft, rounded, boyish face; violet, catlike eyes; and a silvery-white mane of shoulder-length hair, through which a pair of gracefully pointed Elven ears protruded.

Frelic Willowpaw guided his two charges, his newly purchased pets, through the streets of Mistport, occasionally tugging gently on the leashes that were attached to the leather collars clasped around their necks, to hurry them along. Unlike their Master, Shaasta and Hansen wore nothing save their collars, their skyclad bodies; healthy and trim from their previous life of adventure, on display for all to see and admire. Shaasta was in a constant state of blush as her Master paraded her sweet naked body through the seaside town. Like Frelic, she too was an Elf, and the soft features of her face hinted that her Master was also her twin. Her unconventional rescue from the Southern Rose pet shop by her brother had startled and embarrassed her, and amused the proprietor and his Halfling assistant; Frelic handed over a full ten platinum pieces to purchase her, and an additional thirty five gold pieces for the Furling Squirrel known as Hansen, her adventuring companion.

Her excitement at being rescued turned to vehement protests, which were subsequently quelled by the burn of the paddle against her bare bottom, when Frelic informed her that he was going to keep them. Her mind was spinning as she tried to think about this recent turn of events. Never in her entire life had Shaasta ever considered that one day, she would become not only a personal pet, a pet sister even. The naked reality of her new place in life was starting to sink in, as the cool, salty sea breeze caressed the lingering fire in her rump, where the Wand of the Master's had permanently seared her brother's personal mark into her flesh. Still hot, the enchanted brand, a feline paw print with a willow tree in its center, glowed with lines of silver, a sign to all who viewed her soft, round bottom, that her life now belonged to her Master.

In addition to the glowing brand, the Elf girl's bottom possessed another embarrassing feature which served as an additional sign that she had been sold into a life of servitude. Pressed against her nether cheeks, the crimson bloom of a fragrant rose rode like a tail; it was the hallmark of the Southern Rose pet shop, and her Master ordered her to wear it until it was time to sleep. The caress of the flower's thornless stem planted deep up her rectal passage made her very conscious of her femininity and her status as a personal pet. No, not just a personal pet, she decided. At once, the feelings that filled her clarified in her mind, and Shaasta determined that she would serve her Master the way she was trained during her month at the pet shop. Shaasta was now a pleasure pet, and she would live to serve and please her new owner.

Hansen was also lost in reflection on the events of the past month. But unlike his fiery-maned companion, the little Furling Squirrel's, thoughts we focused on ways he could serve, service, and please his new Master. He felt no shame or embarrassment as he padded up the walk, led on a leash by the Elf who had purchased him. His thick, gray, bushy tail held proudly high, revealing his Master's mark on his rump, and the rose planted up his ass, he felt overwhelmingly content and excited at the thought of living the life of a pleasure toy. His excitement was confirmed by the erect shaft that pointed prominently out in front of him from the furry sheath between his thighs.

He looked over the girl walking beside him to his right, the girl whom he had shared many exciting and perilous adventures with, and with whom he had shared many hot passionate evenings with during their travels. This sweet creature had opened his eyes and opened his mind to forms of pleasure he had never considered before, and he was eternally grateful to Shaasta for simply being. He gave her a cheerful smile, coupled with a friendly pat on her soft, smooth bottom; she returned the gestures, and the Elf's warm and loving smile nearly melted the Furling's heart as they continued their walk through the streets of Mistport.

Soon, they reached their destination, a three story, gray, stone building that took up nearly two thirds of the block. The entrance was a single pine wood door in one corner of the building. Above the door was a large wooden sign featuring a painting of a Furling Vixen, down on all fours, with her bottom and tail raised high in the air. Above the vixen, the name of the establishment was painted in bold green letters; this was the Hightail Inn.

"Nice place, you picked, Master Frelic," Hansen chittered, admiring the architecture and especially the sign. "And I swear, that Vixen on the sign looks remarkably like Mistie."

Frelic had gazed at the Hightail's brazen sign many times since his arrival in Mistport, yet strangely, the resemblance to that Vixen he had checked out earlier, with plans to purchase tomorrow at the Southern Rose escaped him until now. The artist had captured Mistie perfectly. The sweet expression on her face, the strawberry-blonde hair, and those soft graceful curves made it obvious who had modeled for the Inn's signage. "Huh, you're right, Hansen," he agreed. "That is Mistie. I'm ashamed that I didn't recognize her when I inspected her earlier today."

"Are you going to buy her from Master Varo tomorrow?" Shaasta asked, "She seemed to really want you."

Frelic smiled and nodded, "Oh yes, I will sign the papers for her tomorrow, she will be coming home to WraithHold with us at the end of the week." The wizard held the ends of both leashes in one hand, then removed the round wooden paddle from its hook on his belt. He opened the door to the inn and ushered his pets in ahead of him, giving each of them a firm, loving swat on their bare bottoms as they passed through the entrance and into the inn's dining commons.

The big dining area was mostly empty at this time of the day, much to Shaasta's relief and Hansen's disappointment. A few of the tables were occupied by inn guests, finishing up a late lunch, or relaxing with mugs of coffee, tea, or cold mead and listening to the two bards, young adult gold and white Furling cats, brother and sister, rehearsing for tonight's performance, taking turns as one strummed a tune on an eight-stringed guitar and the other practiced some dance movements.

Flitting about the place was Furling Skunk lass, dressed in a white, lace-trimmed apron over a silky green tunic which draped over the base of her thick tail and provided a stunning view of her plush, furry black and white assets whenever she bent over. She was busy arranging the tables and chairs and wiping them down, dusting the torch sconces in the walls, sweeping the polished wooden floor, and other typical barmaid tasks.

Noticing the trio standing in the doorway, she smiled and padded over to them, her tail and pleasantly wide hips swishing alluringly with her well-practiced feminine stride. She gave Frelic's hand a welcoming squeeze and smiled cheerfully at him, her jade green eyes sparkling with innate friendliness. "Master Willowpaw! I didn't expect to see you back so soon. You were only away for a couple of hours." Her gaze then turned to the two lovely, naked creatures Frelic had in tow, "Oh, I see your hunt must have been a success. I presume these were the two missing kits you have been searching for?"

"Yes indeed, Makae," Frelic replied, returning the cheerful smile and greeting the Skunkette with a kiss on the cheek. "I found them on display at the Southern Rose pet shop." He motioned his two pets to step forward, "The Elf is my sister, Shaasta, and the Squirrel is Hansen, Shaasta's adventuring matey."

The Mephit grinned warmly at the naked, collared, and leashed pair, and gave them both a friendly hug,

"Welcome to the Hightail Inn," she said, "I'm Makae, one of the chamber and barmaids here. Please, come have a seat, and I will fetch drinks for the three of you." She led them to a corner table close to where the Feline bards were rehearsing. Frelic unclasped the leashes from his pets' collars, then stripped himself down to his short, black tunic and matching black knee-high leather boots. He folded the robe neatly and placed it, along with his equipment belt, beneath a chair, then Makae motioned for them to sit, and she took their drink orders.

"Coffee with vanilla cream and a dash of cinnamon, I presume, Frelic?" she asked.

"As always, dear," Frelic confirmed.

"And you two?"

"Coffee sounds good," Shaasta agreed, "with hazelnut and a drop of honey, please."

"And a tankard of honey mead for me," Hansen requested. "And can we get something to eat? I'm ravenous."

"Certainly, sweet cheeks," the Skunkette giggled, "I'll see what we have ready." She spun around gracefully, and sauntered off to the kitchen, her lovely furry bottom jiggling with each step.

Hansen's gaze was locked on Makae's backside until she disappeared through the double doors that led into the depths of the Hightail Inn. He then put a paw to his chest and grinned at his Master and stated the obvious,

"By the Mink, she's one hot little honey."

Frelic smiled back at his Furling pet and nodded, "That she is, dear. That she is, indeed. Makae is a real sweetheart; she is, always cheerful and bouncy, always with a kind word to say, and always ready and willing to lend a paw."

"So, have you boinked her yet?"

Frelic sighed and exchanged an exasperated look with Shaasta, then gave a soft laugh, "Hansen, you are incorrigible," he declared, "Is that all you ever think about?"

"Oh, not at all, Master," he swore, "I do think about other matters... from time to time, but pretty lasses with lovely asses do fill about eighty five percent of my thoughts. So, have you boinked her yet, Master?"

Frelic sighed again and shook his head, "No, I have not," he replied, "I only met her just yesterday when I checked in here."

"Well, I'm sure your chance will come before we head home," Hansen assured him, "It would be a shame for my Master to leave here without getting to bed down with a babe like that first."

"Thank-you for your concern, Hansen," Frelic said, hoping the touch of sarcasm was detectable in his voice.

"No problem," It was evident that the Furling completely missed the sarcastic tone after all, "I only want to make certain my Master is happy. So, have you at least spanked Makae?"

Shaasta was trying hard not to laugh out loud at the persistent intimate questioning her dear friend was subjecting her brother to.

"No, I have not spanked her," Frelic again replied, making a mental note to take the impetuous Furling over his knee for a lengthy lesson in manners. "However, I have been able to give her bottom the occasional friendly swat," he admitted.

Hansen nodded, "Well, that's something at least. A sweet, furry bottom like hers is just made for spanking, you know."

"As is a sweet furry bottom like yours," Frelic warned, placing the paddle he purchased right before they left the pet shop on the table; the look he gave him served as a sufficient warning that this time around, the paddling would not be for pleasure, at least not for the pet.

Hansen got the message this time, and let the subject drop, then watched the two feline bards; dressed in thin, buckskin tunics, practicing on the stage, their movements graceful and precise, and the music hypnotic and relaxing.

"By the Mink," he softly swore, "those are a couple hot honeys. Have you boinked them yet, Master?"

Fortunately, Makae returned just in time, and the Squirrel's attention was diverted from the performers to the tray the Mephit set down on the table. She distributed the tankards with their drinks along with a set of ceramic plates, knives, and forks, and placed a pair of large bowls and a platter with a loaf of fresh potato bread accompanied by a stick of butter on the table. One bowl was half filled with steaming, shredded, fried potatoes, and the other was filled with a variety of fresh fruit.

"I hope this can satisfy you for now," she said, "I had our cook, Brindon, go ahead and heat up what was left over from this morning's breakfast; the fruit is from our orchard just outside of town, picked just this morning." She noticed the paddle sitting on the table, and felt the insides of her ears redden, and her cheeks heat up. Suppressing her embarrassment at the thoughts the simple bit of wood caused her to think, she smoothed down the front of her apron, and sat herself down in the one unoccupied chair at Frelic's table.

As the group dug into the food and sipped their drinks, the barmaid started questioning them about their adventures, "So, you found them at one of the pet shops, you said earlier?"

Frelic swallowed the mouthful of perfectly seasoned potatoes and chased it down with a sip of his sweet hot coffee, and nodded, "I was heading to the Thundercloud Tavern, a favorite watering hole among slavers, to follow up on a tip I received last night," he explained, "My route took me past the Southern Rose. And there in the window, displaying her assets, was Shaasta. Needless to say, I did not need to continue on to the Thundercloud."

"What a fortunate turn of luck," Makae commented, "for both you and them. Master Varo and his Halfling are the best fate in this town that could befall anyone taken by slavers. My boss here always sends us to Varo for weekly cleansings, since our work uniforms are a Southern Exposure fashion, and naturally render our bottoms fully exposed. Me and Mistie, when she worked here, always looked forward to seeing Varo and Lilieblume; we didn't look forward to the cleanings, but we always enjoyed spending an early evening with them, such fun people to socialize and hang out with. So how did you get Hansen and your sister out of there? Did you sneak in and spirit them away when nobody was looking?"

Frelic chuckled and shook his head, "No, I'm afraid the rescue was nowhere near as exciting like what you would read in a typical adventure tale or see in a play."

"Well, it was exciting," Shaasta added, but not in the traditional swashbuckling, storm the fortress walls sense." She quietly squirmed in her seat, and her perky bare nipples hardened as she replayed in her mind the entire hot and steamy episode, then she buttered a slice of bread and nibbled on it, following it up with a sip of her coffee.

"Right," Frelic confirmed, then continued the condensed version of their tale, "So anyway, I just strolled right on in, posing as a customer. Varo, Lilieblume, and myself put my sister and Hansen through the whole inspection procedure, short of actually fucking them..."

"Which was most unfortunate," Hansen pouted, then shut up and took a big bite out of an apple from the fruit bowl, allowing Frelic to continue.

Makae coyly fluttered her eyelashes and giggled, "Oh, I bet that felt really naughty," she sighed wistfully,

"I mean, probing and intimately examining your own lovely sister to determine if she is suitable to be a pleasure pet."

Both Shaasta and Frelic blushed at the memories of what went on between them there at the pet shop, as well as at thoughts of what may yet occur between them in the imminently near future. Frelic took another long pull of his coffee and pressed on with his mini epic, "So after they were paddled, petted, and even fisted up the ass, I actually purchased them from Master Varo, complete with bills of sale and certificates of ownership."

Hansen took a swig of his mead, then finished the story, "And here's the twist. After the papers were signed, he stashed them in a pouch and announced that he intended to keep us."

The Mephit's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief at the Squirrel's revelation, "No way. You really are keeping them as your pets?"

Frelic smiled sheepishly and nodded, "Considering how much I paid for them, thirty five gold pieces for Hansen, and ten platinum pieces for Shaasta, there was no way I was going to risk them getting into slaver trouble ever again."