The Tale of Alar

Epilogue

The air in the carriage was stifling. If not for the breeze wafting in through the open windows, Alar might well have passed out from the late summer heat. Poor Adam, exhausted from the long ride, had already succumbed. His head rested in the corner and he breathed very lightly. He looked so peaceful that Alar did not bother to rouse him even as they drew to within a mile of their destination. He simply watched his husband with all the loving devotion of a newlywed groom and reminisced over the events of the last year.

It was hard to believe it had been a year since his return from that fateful quest. How time had flown since then! First there had been the celebratory feast at the king’s castle. What a splendid affair that had been, with at least fifty different dishes, most of the names of which completely escaped Alar. And what was more, the celebration had lasted three whole days, at the end of which he had witnessed his dear friend Fagan marry his beloved Princess Ambrosia. Such tears of joy had flowed from the young northern squirrel’s eyes that Alar could not help smiling at the recollection. And of course, Ambrosia could not have been happier either. Both had embraced Alar and kissed him on the cheek. “For,” as Ambrosia had said, “without you, dear Alar, none of this would have been possible.”

The following day, Alar had received his official deed from the paws of the king himself to a 100-acre plot in the southwest of the kingdom.

“Those are the lands from whence my forebears hailed long ago,” the king had told him. “They are very good lands. May you live there and prosper all your days.”

Thereafter, Alar had immediately ridden out to inspect his new property while his father and Adam lodged at the capital. It was indeed a beautiful estate, with wide expanses of fields bordered by a small copse to the west and a large, dense forest to the north. A little stream ran through this northern fringe, and atop the high, sweeping hill near the center stood a run-down little cabin. It was all Alar could have hoped for and then some. Nevertheless, as the cabin would need some renovation and furnishing after being uninhabited for so long, he had decided to return to the capital, and from thence with Ruskin and Adam to Telos for the winter.

During that time, Alar had made necessary arrangements with his newfound fortune. As promised, a large portion went to Father Rufus to help found an orphanage next to the church for the many lost young ones roaming the streets. On some days, he had even volunteered his labor in between his work at the forge and sword practice. As such, on its completion, Father Rufus and the parishioners had agreed to christen it Saint Alar’s Home for Wayward Youths. Though it was ostensibly named for another squirrel of the same name who had lived long before—the one after whom he himself had been named—nevertheless, the young squirrel had actually been moved to tears by the gesture.

Adam had concluded his apprenticeship in the spring, after which he’d volunteered his skills to help in stitching together better quality clothes and blankets for the orphans who inhabited the new structure. Alar, meanwhile, had made the first of several trips out to the estate to make the much-needed renovations for himself and his beloved to move in during the new year. In between, he had managed to get Ruskin settled into his new post as royal smithy, the old one having retired during the winter as planned. For the first time in many years, the old red squirrel was finally debt free, and could actually turn a pretty profit in service to the royal household. Alar had never seen him so happy in all his days.

One thing had led to another, and the early summer passed in a blur of activity. Finally, as the summer had reached its apex, the renovations were completed. Alar had paid his helpers generously, then returned to Telos to fetch Adam and bring him to the capital. There, after a simple ceremony attended by Ruskin, the newly christened Prince Fagan and his wife Princess Ambrosia, and even King Ambrose himself, the two bucks had been formally married by Father Rufus. That moment, the happiest he had ever known, told Alar more than anything that he had finally done it. All those naysayers who had scorned him and his love all their lives, all those difficulties which had plagued them since their kittenhood, and all those foes who had actively sought to kill him on his quest were as naught. Now was his moment to laugh in their face, which he readily did with the assistance of Fagan’s quick, sharp wit.

Thereafter he had said his goodbyes to his friends and relations, both old and new. There were many tears shed, particularly by Fagan, who had come to love his former comrade as a brother.

“We’ll return someday and visit, shall we?” said Alar to lighten his spirits a bit. “Perhaps when we hear that you and Ambrosia have given us an heir.”

“Aye, to be sure,” answered Fagan. “But like as not we’ll never be off on another adventure together again, now we’ve both settled into the matrimonial life.”

“Let’s pray that’s so. If more adventures mean more friends lost, I’d rather miss out.”

Fagan nodded sadly. “Aye. You’re right, I s’pose.”

“Buck up, mate,” said Alar, giving his friend a light blow on the shoulder. “I hear marriage is an adventure all its own, so we won’t die of boredom, I don’t think.”

“Sure enough, ‘tis so.” Fagan smiled at last. “Well, I reckon I’ll see you another time, then. And Alar?”

“Aye?”

Fagan grinned broadly then. “Give your Adam a big kiss for me when you get home, won’t you? I’d do it meself, but me own fair maiden might get a wee bit envious.”

“Will do, mate.”

And with that, Alar had stepped up into the carriage. The driver had closed the door and clambered into place as Alar waved to him through the open window. Fagan had waved back, even as the carriage began moving. Alar could still feel his gaze following the movement of the carriage even after he himself had disappeared from view.

Poor Fagan, he had thought. Thrust into a life of such great responsibility at such a young age. Much like himself and Adam, really. But he would adjust, of that Alar was certain. He was young and resilient, and would bounce back as he always did. For Alar, the real question to be answered regarded his own future, and that of his new husband, who had gazed at him from across the small space separating them with the most joyful look in his eyes that ever Alar had seen. And in that gaze alone, he had found all the contentment he could ever ask for.

And so, after two days in the carriage, they had arrived on the road beside a little dirt path, which led right up to the door of their new abode. Adam awoke on feeling the bump of the carriage stopping and asked groggily, “Are we finally there?”

“Yes, my love,” answered Alar with a smile. “This is it.”

The driver opened the door for them and allowed both young bucks to step out with their baggage. Alar moved aside to let Adam see their new home for the first time. He could not but grin on seeing his reaction.

“That’s ours?” asked Adam in disbelief.

“Aye. And everything for some distance around besides.”

“Oh, Alar, it’s beautiful! You and your helpers did a wonderful job.”

“It was always nice,” replied Alar humbly. “We just touched it up a bit.”

“Well, I can’t wait to see the touched up inside as well, then.”

“All right.” Alar pulled out a gold coin and tossed it to the driver. “Thank you, driver. Have a safe trip back to Parras.”

The driver accepted the payment with a graceful bow, tucked it into his pocket, then resumed his position in the driver’s seat. “My best wishes to you both!” he exclaimed before applying the reins to the horses. Adam and Alar waved goodbye for a moment before Alar nudged his husband with an elbow.

“Come on, mate. Wait’ll you see the inside!”

Without waiting for him to move, Alar lifted him up in his arms and carried him down the short path toward the door. Adam pretended to resist, but broke into joyous laughter and held on tight. At the door, Alar turned the knob, then nudged it open with his knee. At last, when they were over the threshold, Alar set his burden upon his feet again and closed the door. Adam looked around in wonder at their new dwelling.

The main floor was smooth, polished wood covered largely by a soft green rug. The furnishings were simple and full of rustic elegance: a little table and chair in one corner, and a rocker in another beside the fireplace. There was a separate dining room with a proper table and several chairs around it as well. The windows had genuine glass panes in them too: a thing unheard of in their old neighborhood. And the one in the dining room looked out upon their grand holdings in all their splendor. Adam shook his head.

“It’s great! What a splendid job you’ve done, my love.”

“Aye. Couldn’t just half-ass it where my home and husband were concerned, now could I?”

“No, I suppose not.” Adam kissed him on the lips, then nodded over his shoulder. “And what’s down that way?”

Alar looked to where a short corridor joined the main room, then looked to Adam and grinned.

“Care to find out?”

Without awaiting an answer, he made for the corridor, pulling his mate along by the paw. The corridor was fairly short, but had three doors. Alar pointed to the one immediately on the left.

“That one’s just a closet,” he said, then pointed to the one beyond it. “And that’s a spare bedroom.”

“I see,” said Adam, stepping up to the door on the right. “So that would make this...”

Alar nodded, still grinning. “Our room.”

“Shall we take a look, then?” Adam said this with a mischievous light in his eyes and a couple less-than-subtle flicks of the tail. He opened up and stepped inside. His eyes merely glanced at the little nightstand and the brass lantern set atop it, resting instead upon the beautiful bed along one side of the room. It was a sight practically unknown to the young squirrel until his first stay at the royal palace. Those beds had been larger and more luxurious than this one, of course, but this one was far from scrappy. It beat a pile of straw and blankets by a mile. But most importantly, it was actually his! His and Alar’s, and nobody else’s.

“It’s truly a great thing we have here, Alar,” said Adam. “I could hardly ask for anything more in the world than this.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and bounced a bit upon it. “Ooh! And it bounces too!”

“Aye. Some sort of springs inside it, or so I’m told. Helps you get up quicker in the mornings.” He paused. “Helps with other things too, I hear.”

“Oh?” said Adam, the corners of his mouth rising with ill-concealed excitement.

“Aye. But I’ve yet to find out for myself.”

“Well then, I think it’s high time you did,” said Adam, rising and wrapping his paws about Alar’s neck. He kissed him again, then whispered in his ear, “I’m all yours now, my love.”

That was all Alar needed to hear. He closed the door and turned to Adam. He quickly unfastened his sword belt and lay it aside, then began kissing Adam as they had done so many times before. Only this time, when he placed his paws upon his love’s waist, he did not object. Nor did he stop him from feeling the slender frame of the tailor beneath his thin white cotton shirt. And Adam did not even bat an eye as Alar took hold of that shirt and began untucking it from his breeches.

When this task was complete, Adam momentarily broke off and divested himself of the shirt entirely, allowing Alar’s paws full access to his torso. He was much slimmer than Alar, and not nearly so muscular, but none of that mattered to Alar as Adam’s own nimble paws began unbuttoning his vest. He helped Alar out of the constricting garment, and Alar wasted no time in unbuttoning his undershirt and removing it as well.

The two seated themselves on the edge of the bed, running their paws over each other and twitching their tails in absolute delight. Then their paws began to slide lower. Within a minute they had reached well below one another’s waistlines. They broke off their kiss for a moment to examine the eager gleam in each other’s eyes, and knew without a word that it was time.

Alar rose and prepared to undo his fly, but Adam stayed his paw.

“Let me do that,” he said, deftly undoing the buttons. He helped Alar remove the last of his garments and sat back to admire his husband’s full arousal for a moment. He then undid his own fly and let his pants and undershorts fall to the floor in a single heap, removing a small vial from the pocket first.

“I came prepared,” he remarked, emptying a bit of the vial into his paw.

“Of course you did,” replied Alar, closing his eyes as Adam lathered his fully erect and eager member. He then applied some to his tail hole and set the vial aside, lying back fully on the bed with legs spread apart.

“Come and get it!” he bade with a cheeky flick of the tail.

But Alar needed no verbal invitation, such was his desire in that moment, and he had clambered onto the bed before his mate had finished speaking. At last the moment was here when they could consummate their love. His heartbeat was almost all he could hear as he grabbed his maleness in one paw and pressed forward. Adam took hold of his paw and helped guide him in with a sigh. Alar again closed his eyes against the ecstasy of finally having achieved his fondest desire. His hips were flush with Adam’s rear, and his member lodged firmly in the warm, slick cavern of his mate’s tail hole. It was everything he had imagined and then some as he slowly pulled back, then thrust himself forward again.

Adam’s gasp of pleasure was music to the former smithy’s ears, and he repeated the motion slowly over and over until he had established a rhythm. With this rhythm in place, he leaned forward until his chest was level with Adam’s. He could feel his mate’s p***s emerging from its sheath only to become buried in their soft belly fur. Adam’s moans became a little louder and his breaths deeper. He pulled Alar to him and they kissed with such fire that Alar involuntarily sped up his thrusts.

Everything was so right. Adam wrapped his legs neatly around his lover’s waist and his forearms loosely about his neck, locking them together in this burning embrace of passion. Alar could feel his own heartbeat merging with that of Adam until they became indistinguishable from one another. His loins throbbed harder, urging him to speed up his movements by the second. His breathing grew louder and Adam’s moans grew longer. Things were rapidly coming to a head. Alar’s own head was positively spinning with a hundred different sensations at once, but through it all he felt the warm, steady love of Adam pulsating through his very soul until at last...

“Mmmmmmmph!” he exclaimed without his lips leaving Adam’s. The fire in his loins spread through his whole body as his release came at last. For several heavenly seconds, he truly felt as though he had merged body and soul with his mate, and nothing in the world had ever felt more right. Then, slowly but inevitably, he began to fall from his heavenly paradise. His thrusts slowed down as his member grew more tender until at last he was forced to stop.

He lifted himself off Adam for a second, allowing their chests at last to heave freely with the intensity of their exertions. After several seconds, Alar smiled at Adam, who smiled back in a daze.

“Well,” he spoke. “That was...I don’t know how to describe it, really.”

“Mmm, neither do I,” said Adam dreamily. “But we’ll have plenty of time to find the words.” They kissed once more, then he looked down at his own member. “Still a little more to go, looks like.”

“Or come, you mean,” said Alar.

“As you please, my love.”

And so, Alar applied his paw to Adam’s member. The young buck squirmed with pleasure and moaned delightfully at his practiced strokes. Alar squeezed sometimes more firmly and sometimes more lightly in order to extend his mate’s pleasure as long as possible. Finally, in a voice barely above a whisper, Adam practically pleaded with him to “Finish me.”

Alar happily obliged, and stroked with full force and speed. Adam’s moans reached a crescendo as his muscles contracted and wave upon wave of clear white that was almost invisible upon his already white chest spewed forth. He, too, then drifted slowly back down to earth. Alar licked a little bit of Adam’s semen from his paw and nodded approvingly. Acorns and cherry blossoms: a very pleasant combination indeed.

Finally he slid out of Adam with a satisfying Shhluck sound and reached for a blanket to wipe himself off. He then held it out to Adam, who shook his head.

“I’ll deal with it tomorrow,” he said. “Right now, I just need you.”

Alar tossed the coverlet aside and flopped down beside Adam, who snuggled up close to him, eyes still closed. And there they lay for a long time afterward, drifting in and out of consciousness as the sun receded behind the distant trees. No words were needed to express their joy, and so they remained silent as they lay huddled in one another’s arms, the happiest bucks in the world.

As night fell, and Adam at last gave in to the urge to sleep, Alar looked out the window to the starry sky above and smiled a tired smile.

“Night, mum,” he whispered. “Night, dad.”

Then, after a quick prayer of heartfelt thanks to his maker, he slept like never before.