(First scene in a much larger story. To read the rest of the story, please visit the original site where it was posted: [https://www.sofurry.com/view/2110541](https://www.sofurry.com/view/2110541), the castration part is in chapter two for those who wanna rush to read it and not the rest of the story.) 

 

The lonely road crossing deep in the Vynlar Woods was the perfect spot for a roadside inn; three roads converged at that one spot. It helped that one of them was a king's highway, built by the king so he could move troops around his lands. The highway was well-maintained, whereas the crossing roads were merely mud tracks in comparison to the kingdom's wide, stone-covered king's road. The inn had been built almost as soon as the roads, and had passed from one owner to another over the years. The wooden sign, with a white painted rooster on it, had hung there ever since.  


Liam and his buxom wife, Neriah, had been there for almost five years, along with their sons, Remy and Nigel, and their eldest being a daughter named Imelda. It was a lonely life for them at times, especially in the late winter when the number of travelers slacked off. The lads chopped wood for the fires, while Neriah and Imelda made sure the inn was cleaned from top to bottom. They also cooked dinner for them and any travelers who might stop by during those short, cold days. Liam was off to the city; he would return with a wagon loaded with supplies of food and drink.  


It was a late winter evening, and a bitter wind was whistling as it swept down from the tall northern mountains. The frozen ground was littered with a light flurry of newly-fallen snow; the roads were still passable, however, few folks traveled them at this time of year. Nigel had just come back outside after having carried an armload of wood in for the fires. Remy was taking a little rest from splitting; his axe was still buried in the round he had been splitting.  


It was Nigel who noticed the traveler, a figure bundled in furs, striding slowly down the north road out of the mountains. Moving up, Nigel pointed out the lone figure to his brother. Remy had been facing back towards the inn, so he hadn't noticed him. Remy turned, and the two young tigers watched the lone traveler slowly approach. He didn't look like a very wealthy traveler--he wasn't in a carriage, nor did he seem to have a lot of baggage, other than the pack on his back and a few belt pouches. The young feline wasn't that surprised to see the black-furred muzzle; black bears came down out of the mountains all the time now, looking for work in towns and cities. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, other than the time of year. Travel through the mountain passes would have been very difficult; the snow up there was pretty deep this late in the year. Like most of his kind, this bear had wide shoulders, although his belly hinted at a more prosperous standing than that of a dock or warehouse worker. As the stranger drew nearer, the two tigers could see an expensive-looking purple silk robe with bright gold trim along the edges beneath those furs.  


"Hale... and welcome, traveler," Remy called out cheerfully, just like his father always did when a traveler came into the inn. Nigel elbowed his brother in the ribs; there was something he didn't like about this bear. The muzzle bore a kind of tired frown, yet his shiny, dark lips rolled back to reveal a big, white, fanged smile. His fur was greasy, combed back from his shiny muzzle, with snowflakes clinging to his coal-black fur.  


Holding up one paw, the older bear flashed the two felines a wide smile. It was a predatory grin that made Nigel feel intensely uncomfortable. Still, he couldn't help but notice the huge claws on the stubby fingers of his rather broad paws. The bear looked over the pair of young tigers with his beady black eyes, the smile on his wide muzzle acting as a mask hiding the wicked thoughts in his head. Carefully, he probed the minds in front of him, testing each of the two in a subtle manner.  


"Well met... good to see a warm, dry inn," the powerful predator grunted, opening up his fur coat a bit as he left the road to move closer to the pair, both of whom he easily towered over, although the felines were on the tall side for their species. "I've been on the cold, dark road for days... I can hardly wait to get a hot meal in my belly and a soft bed under my back." The furry-muzzled older bear flashed the brother a suggestive smirk as he strolled up closer along the stone-lined path, glancing back over his broad shoulder as if he were afraid of being pursued.  


Luckily, the snow in the mountain passes would be blocking any pursuit for at least a few months. "Of course, I wouldn't say no to a bit of company... if you know what I mean." There was little to no doubt he was slyly inquiring if the inn had a comfort female working there, something many innkeepers provided to make a bit more money off male travelers.  


"You'll find all of that right inside..." Remy answered with a welcoming smile, the rather innocent feline not picking up on the old bear's inquiry about a comfort girl. Remy had led a somewhat sheltered life, whereas Nigel had accompanied their father to the city more than a few times. Staying overnight at inns there, he had learned about the ways that males other than his father ran things.  


"Well, food and a bed anyway," Nigel confirmed as he looked the traveler in the eye, the tiger suddenly feeling the urge to run and hide somewhere. "Dad doesn't allow anyone to have company in the rooms," Nigel snorted, wondering why he was feeling so frightened of this guest--after all, he or his brother could no doubt easily overpower and toss the old bear out if needed. "How in the world did you get through the pass in this weather?" Nigel asked sharply, when the older bear looked him over coldly.  


This one is going to be more dangerous than his brother. The bear thought.  


"I just barely beat the blizzard, but my mount died after I got through," the ursine explained with a grunt as he moved off the road and a bit closer. It was, in fact, the truth; if he hadn't ridden his stolen mount to death, he would never have made it over the pass. "It was just hitting as I started... The pass is snowy and closed for the winter now," he asserted with a grunt, hoping that his enemies would give up the pursuit. Although he had left some bad feelings behind: the chief's son and a dozen more higher-ups neutered, wives pregnant with his offspring, the old shaman dead, young warriors ashamed after the way he had abused them, just to add a little extra to the list.  


"I see... Keep chopping, Remy. I'll show our guest in and get him sorted," Nigel ordered, much to his brother's annoyance. Just because he was a few minutes older, Nigel always tried to order Remy around.  


"What... wait, I've been chopping all morning," Remy protested. They normally split the work, each chopping for a while before switching roles. Nigel had been planning to switch out with his brother soon, and it was true that Remy had been using the axe for a long while. Nigel frowned at his brother for a moment before snorting.  


"Okay, you show him in and get him into a room," Nigel said, moving past his brother to grab the axe handle, thinking that having the tool in his paws might make him feel more secure. "But come right back; we still have two more wood boxes to fill before it gets too dark to see." However, even with a deadly weapon in his paws, Nigel felt an intense thrill of fear as the bear waddled past him. Nevertheless, he couldn't figure out why; the bear had only a small belt dagger and a carved walking stick for weapons.  


"Don't worry, I won't keep yer brother long," the nasty old bruin snickered, clapping a huge paw on Nigel's shoulder in passing. Once again, a shiver ran down his spine even as he watched the fat bear lay an arm over Remy's shoulder. There was nothing overtly mean or aggressive about that action, but it still made Nigel worry about his 'little' brother. Chattering happily to their older guest, Remy seldom got to talk with travelers given that their father generally kept them too busy for such interactions. Revealing in the opportunity, he eagerly asked questions about the lands north of the mountains, while babbling about the inn and his family to the old bear.