The Werebears of Adengaan - Chapter Four

The Werebears of Adengaan

by

MC

 Chapter Four:

It was an exciting day for the young Brunaulf to meet the king. The sights, sounds and pageantry of the Royal Hall captivated his senses. What moved him the most was seeing the honour guard, ten brave men in the service of His Majesty, in shining parade armour flanking the man who rules this prosperous city. Uncle Karn was absolutely beaming with pride at his charge. He had grown up so much in the past five years and time flew so fast. It seemed like it was just yesterday a starving boy begged him for help and now here he was, as tall as himself with a young man's body honed from physical training. He hoped no one spotted the tear of happiness running down his cheek as the young man accepted the charge from King Halben to defend the city should it arise in a time of need. The young man decided then and there he wanted to follow in the footsteps of the man who taught him so much. He hoped someday he could have a place in the honour guard, a man to be looked to and respected. Brunaulf committed himself to register to serve in two years’ time.

Back at the house, The Fealty party for Brunaulf was in full swing, completely packed with people and even spilling out the front door. Uncle Karn had many friends in the city and it seemed to be a non-stop parade of people passing by to give their congratulations to the young man. Brunaulf had a few friends from his archery and equestrian lessons stop by to congratulate him, but he really looked forward to spending time with his many uncles chatting in the dining room and kitchen. He was particularly fond of Garret, a red-bearded blacksmith in the city. He first met the burly man about two years ago when he started equestrian lessons. Uncle Karn took him once to get a set of horseshoes. A man of character and principle, the blacksmith exerted a subtle, but supportive influence together with Uncle Karn in Brunaulf's life. As Brunaulf came into his own, however, he started seeing Garret as more than a blacksmith - he saw his physical traits as the kind of man he wanted to be, and be involved with. Powerful arms from pounding metal and seeing him sweat over the forge working his craft excited the young man. His adopted father knew the young man was gay especially by the way he looked at Garret, but said nothing.

"Ah! There's the man of the hour!" Uncle Karn called from the back of the dining room out of his parade armour and back in casual clothes, "Come here! Have a drink with your Uncles!"

The young man made his way over to a smaller group of three burly men huddled in the corner of the room, each holding drinks.

"But Uncle Karn, I can't, it's against the rules."

The big man smiled, then started laughing quite hard. After a few seconds he brought himself under control, shaking his head with a smile and letting out a bemused sigh.

"What is the rule of drink in this house?"

"No drink for any boy in this house. Ever." came Brunaulf's reply.

Uncle Karn made a show of looking high and low in the dining room as if searching for something. He scanned the kitchen, then turned his attention to the foyer, he even looked under the small table near where they stood, as if he would find what he was looking for there.

"I don't see any boys in this house," the big man replied turning his attention from the foyer back to his protégé and offering a mug of mead to the young man, "Happy Fealty Day, my young man!"

He stared at the mug being offered for a moment before taking it as his own. Peering into the mug the liquid seemed to be an amber colour and smelled quite sweet.

"Mead," Uncle Karn offered, "old Garret here," who made a bow with an exaggerated flouirsh, "makes it in his spare time. He's been sitting on this aging it for almost a year now. Come son, drink!"

"Yes, come Brunaulf, drink with us," Garret prompted.

Soon a chant of "BRUNAULF, BRUNAULF!" echoed through the house. He smiled at his Uncle who smiled and nodded. He took a tentative sip of the brew. It tasted good! He went in for a couple of big swallows to the cheers of everyone in attendance.

So began a memorable night for the young man. There was plenty of food, lots of drinking songs, and revelry filled the air for hours. Uncle Karn made a point of letting the young man feel like a hero for the day, as he should. Though many see this as their one and only opportunity to meet the king, Karn was well aware of the full gravity of the oath. If the young man was old enough to die for this city and the people he loved, he was old enough to be treated like a hero by them this night. Karn let the drink flow freely, encouraging the young man to explore, to socialize as a man, as an equal, with the other men here who at the calling of Their Majesty would have to put their lives on the line next to his. He knew he would have to modify his rules for drink later, but tonight young Brunaulf deserved this night of freedom.

As the night wore on the crowd began to thin and many of Brunaulf's adopted uncles said their final goodbyes and congratulations before heading off into the night. The young man felt like he was on top of the world, cheerfully going from person to person thanking them for being here and hoping to see them again soon as only a drunk seventeen year old can. He even freely gave hugs to a few of the guests before they left to the bemusement of all. As the evening wound to a close the only person left besides Uncle Karn and the young man was Garret.

"Thankz fer teh meed, unkel gawet!" the inebriated young man said giving him a hug, "and thankz fer being teh bestest unkel, unkel kawn!"

They both laughed at the man, "You're welcome, son!" Karn replied.

"Well, I tink iiii gooo to bedz, now," as he gave them a drunken salute, turned, and slightly staggered toward his bedroom. He broke into song, completely out of key, singing "Iz lovez my Uncle!" over and over. Both of the older men could her him still repeating the same four words from the other side of the door as he flopped into bed.

Both men looked at each other and busted into laughter.

"He's a good kid, you know," Garret commented, "you did a fine job with the boy."

"Man," Karn corrected, raising his glass. Glasses clinked and they both took a sip of their drinks. They chatted for about an hour of days gone by, telling stories about the first time they got drunk and how for Garret it didn't end well, or about their own adventures in early adulthood.

"Well, old brute," Garret said, putting his glass down, "I think it's time I head out."

"Why don't you stay?" Karn asked, "Tomorrow is Rest Day and it’s been a while since we spent time together and… you know we'll have fun. Or has it been so long you've forgotten already?"

Garret pondered it, staring at the closed door to Brunaulf's room.

"The man's drunk," Karn interjected as if reading his thoughts, "he's not going to hear us. I bet we could even get a little rough, if you can handle it."

Garret smiled as the two rose from the table and made their way to the bedroom. It didn't take long for the two of them to strip their clothes and face each other at the foot of the bed. Slowly, each began to paw at the other exploring furry chests, powerful arms, sensitive nipples and erect, leaking cocks. The blacksmith looked into Karn's eyes longingly, and put a thick, calloused, hand behind his head to draw him in for a kiss. Beards and tongues intertwined as each began to enjoy the scents and tastes of the other. Garret turned so that Karn's back was facing the bed before he broke the kiss, picked his black bearded companion up under each arm, and threw him on the bed so he would land on his back.

“Remember the night you chose the path?” the blacksmith asked.

Karn nodded. He knew Garret's style would be to use allegory to convey his desire to be the top. The soldier's nod conveyed two meanings: that he remembered that night, and that he wanted to experience those types of sensations again. Garret, smiling, gently massaged the insides of Karn's sturdy legs, slowly letting them spread farther and farther apart and giving the blacksmith access to the brute's hole.

Slicking up his fingers with precum, he started the ritual Karn always enjoyed from Garret. Sticking a single slicked up finger in Karn's hole, he probed for the prize he sought: the prostate. His efforts were rewarded with a soft, low growl from the furry black brute on the bed. The larger red bear of a man slowly worked both the prostate and the hole, eliciting more growling from below. One thick finger became two, two fingers became three as the feedback increased in intensity and the soldier brute was writhing in ecstasy and leaking precum like a faucet. It was time for the smith to give Karn what he really wanted. Pulling him to the foot of the bed he substituted his cock, glossy with precum, for his fingers in Karn's hole.

Karn was on his back at the end of the bed naked with his legs in the air. Garret was facing him at the foot of the bed, body covered in red hair matching his beard, glistening with sweat, with Karn's feet over his shoulders. The muscular blacksmith, with a body that also obviously appreciated food and drink, was pounding Karn with an even, steady pace. Occasionally he would apply a little too much force and the headboard would tap the wall, creating a thudding sound. Both of them started sprouting more and more hair as if it was becoming fur. Bones snapped and proportions began to change. They looked part human, part animal, somewhere between a man and bear. The intensity of Garret's thrusts intensified as the pheromones from his partner started driving him wild with ecstasy and shifted a little more toward bear form has he continued to pound the soldier brute below him. The red bear's thrusts gained momentum and force, and the sound of the bed hitting the wall went from sporadic to rhythmic. Garret loved the way he felt inside Karn, and the panting growls from his partner let him know the feeling was mutual.

Brunaulf didn't know what time it was when he was roused to consciousness by rhythmic thuds. The room was still spinning slightly so he turned on his side to ease it a little when two more thuds came. Since he was up, he decided empty his bladder in his chamber-pot before going back to bed. That’s when he heard what sounded like Uncle Karn growling. Loud thuds after aroused his curiosity as he quietly opened his door to survey the foyer. Nothing there, but something was happening in Uncle Karn's room. Drunken curiosity getting the better of him, he crept over to the door and bent down to peer though they keyhole. As he bent down and before he could look, he heard the roars of what sounded like two bears from the other side of the door. Curious he quickly looked through the keyhole and his eyes couldn't process what he saw. Two hulking beasts half-human half-animal were at the end of what seemed to be the throes of passion. The scene unfolding before him was too much for the intoxicated boy to comprehend and, completely startled by the situation, drew a sharp breath in loudly almost like a gasp.

The two in the bedroom immediately stopped their enjoyment of the afterglow. Two heads snapped looking at the door as their bodies reverted back to a fully human looking form. Uncle Karn looked furious, staring at the young man through the keyhole as if the door didn't exist.

"BRUNAULF!" Uncle Karn bellowed. The young man knew he was in deep trouble when the man used his name with that tone.

"BED! NOW!"

The two men could hear quick footsteps and another door closing. The mood broken, Karn and Garret slid to the top of the bed and drew a light blanket over them.

"He was going to find out eventually, you know," Garret consoled, "it’s not like you could keep this from him forever."

The big man sighed, "No, I suppose not. I just wish it didn't have to be so soon."

"It’s better that he knows now," Garret waxed philosophical, "it gives him time to think, to understand, to appreciate what this kind of life can offer."

"And what does this 'kind of life' offer, Garret?" Karn countered, "A life where you watch some of those you love wither and die while you live on?"

Garret remained silent. There was a scab over the wound Karn was feeling and the blacksmith wasn't about to rip it back off through a poor choice of words. He simply drew the big man in a tight embrace and gave him a kiss on the cheek while they left each other to their own thoughts.

It was a restless sleep for everyone in the house that night.

Karn was the first to wake after a few hours of sleep. He looked over to his large companion and gently started kissing him in different places on his face. The smith roused to consciousness and smiled. Karn put a finger to his lips and turned so his head was near Garret's feet. Without a word Garrret moved down to the soldier's erect cock. Gently they both started sucking each other off, enjoying this simple pleasure in silence. The only noise to escape was a muffled groan when they each released their seed. Each transforming into a half form, balanced between man and bear, they remained in their position for a few golden minutes, enjoying the afterglow and teasing each other's cocks with their tongues. Movement could be heard from Brunaulf's room so they decided to rise, return to human form, and make a simple morning meal in the kitchen.

Brunaulf was slow to come from his room, partially from being shaken at what he saw the night before, partially from the tone Uncle Karn used, and partially because he was hung over. He felt rotten, had a pounding headache, and everything seemed so bright. He did make it to the kitchen table with Uncle Karn and Garret waiting for him.

"Uncle Karn's hangover remedy Juice," Uncle Karn offered the young man, "It will make you feel better."

Brunaulf accepted the juice and sipped slowly, not looking up at his uncle or their guest.

"You're going to feel like hell for a bit," Garret offered, "but it will pass. It’s just your body dealing with the drink."

"I'm never drinking ever again," Brunalf decreed putting down the empty glass on the table.

"I seriously doubt that," Uncle Karn said refilling his glass, "you have too much of me in you, personality-wise anyway." He smiled after the last comment eliciting a smile and a groan of pain at the same time from his ward.

The soldier's smile faded slightly. "So Brunaulf, what's the rule about privacy in this house?"

The young man knew this was coming. "Don't invade your privacy when the door is closed."

"That's right," Karn confirmed, "now, I will take the fact that you have no experience with drink into consideration for your punishment, but we have a more important matter to discuss. Son, you're old enough to understand sex and your sexuality. You're smart enough to have figured out what my preferences are based on who I've shared my bed with, and your preferences aren't exactly a secret to me."

Brunaulf looked up, surprised.

The big man cracked a smile, "Come now, son, this is your Uncle Karn you're talking to. I've watched you grow up from a boy to a man, remember?" Getting a more serious tone and expression, he continued, "What is a secret, at least for me, Garret here, and a few others in the city, is what we are beyond our sexuality."

"You mean what you became last night?" The young man asked.

"Yes". Uncle Karn answered. "You see, there's a, uh... ritual we went through... and..."

There were very few times Karn was at a loss for words when it came to teaching Brunaulf life lessons. This was one of them. He was searching for the right way to express what was going on but seemed to stumble over his own thoughts. He looked to Garret with an expression that asked for help.

"We're werebears". Garret said simply.

"Were... what?" The young man asked, confused.

"Werebears," the blacksmith reiterated, "think of it as a cross between a bear, and a man. Your Uncle Karn and I were both ordinary men at one point in our lives, but we were sought out those who came before us to join their ranks. So we chose to go through the ceremonial process, and transformed into this. It’s who we are."

"We as a group have been around for centuries, if not millennia," Uncle Karn added, "Our numbers are relatively few as it’s, to some extent, uncommon for a man to bear the mark that they're eligible for the change, and we like to keep our presence a secret for various reasons."

Brunaulf was processing this as best as he could through his headache. "So… wait. You mean… you're basically a bear and a human at the same time?"

"An over-simplistic explanation, but yes," Karn confirmed. “Want to see?”

The boy nodded, and the two men started removing their clothes to Brunaulf's surprised expression.

"What?" Garret quipped, "After last night it’s not like you haven't seen me naked already. Besides I don’t want to ruin my good clothes". Brunaulf blushed, but said nothing.

When they were naked, the young man watched in amazement as the two men started transforming. Fur grew on their bodies, bones cracked, grew, and rearranged and tendons stretched, their mouths pushed out becoming muzzles, ears grew pointy and rounded. In short order there were two rather large bears in the kitchen, one black, one red. They both looked at the amazed young man before slowly reversing the process.

"We've been doing this for a while," Garret explained, "and as you get experience, you get better at stopping halfway in between. Certain things are..." and looked over at Karn with a leering smile, "more fun... that way."

"Anyway," Uncle Karn said, trying to bring the conversation back on track to the point, "It’s impossible to tell when someone is a boy if they are a candidate to become one of us. As they mature, they start to exhibit signs, the most common of which is a strong odor. It’s undetectable to humans, but to another of our kind it’s a powerful aphrodisiac musk. Over the last year or so, I've started to notice it, and Garret has too."

Brunaulf looked at his uncle and then at Garret. They both nodded.

"So, while you have the mark, and are a candidate to join us, joining must be of your own free will with full understanding of all the benefits, responsibilities, and ramifications of that choice."

"If you were to choose this path, the biggest changes you'll see are to your human form body" Garret offered, "You're going to get… big! A lot bigger than you normally would have, like me or your Uncle Karn here. It all depends on how you express the mark and, of course, who helps you on the path. You're definitely going to get hairier, that's inevitable, and a lot hairier; a beard will be a reality for you all the time, the growth is just too fast. Your strength is going to increase and you'll never have to worry about disease. Injuries heal in just a small fraction of the time and ones that would incapacitate an ordinary man, you can recover from completely. If you're intent on being a soldier, this would be a boon for you!"

"But… there's a price…" Karn interjected, "you're going to live longer, a LOT longer, than normal humans. You won't age nearly as quickly. To give you an idea, some of us are hundreds of years old, if not older. You'll have to start your life anew every so often, in a new place with a new past. Your agelessness will be noticed if you remain too long in a place." Karn drew another breath, lowering both the tone and pitch of his voice, "And should you find a unique pair-bond with someone who cannot, or will not join us, you will not have the centuries you hoped for to love them. Both of you, in your own ways, will be forced to make painful, difficult choices."

There was a pause and Brunaulf sensed a tension in the air he didn’t understand.

Garret took Brunaulf’s hand from across the table into his own mighty paw and patted it. "But this isn't something you have to decide today," Garret offered attempting to smooth the subject over, "You have years ahead of you to make the choice… if ever. I know what you've just seen and heard is a lot to take in. Think about it, ask questions of us to help you decide. What I want you to understand most about us is that in many ways, we're a brotherhood and look out for each other. But we’re also a family who love each other in many ways," he slid the big soldier a wink, “Becoming one of us means you have more kinsmen than just your uncles, many more. If you do choose this, we'll will of course help, but know we will love you if you don’t, for as long as you live."

Young Brunaulf tried to take this all in. It was so surreal, as if it were a dream. But he wasn't dreaming. He had watched his uncles turn into bears and back right before his eyes. There were so many questions he couldn't formulate a single one in his mind.

"Son, now that you know this, I need you to keep it secret. This is not going to be a 'rule'. Rules are usually for children to provide structure and guidance. You showed yesterday, before His Majesty and all of us in attendance, that you are a man. A man may be bound by rules, sure, but there is something even more important than rules that binds a man: his word."

The Karn stepped around the table and put a hand on his son’s shoulder.

"My son, give me your word you will never, never divulge what you know about us, what we are or our existence to anyone until the day comes should you decide to join us and you find a candidate. Our safety, our very existence, depends on secrecy. Give me your word, son."

It was so much to expect from the young man. So much had happened to change his world completely in the past day. He felt disoriented and his hangover didn't help. The way that Uncle Karn spoke though, the gravity, the sincerity in his voice... he trusted the man who had saved him from starvation, who had loved and supported him, who had taught him how to live and grow and be the young man he was today. And that trust was implicit. He still didn't completely believe what he was told, but if Uncle Karn wanted secrecy, it would be secrecy.

"You have it, Uncle. My word, bound to you. I will tell no one."

Uncle Karn patted his son on the shoulder and moved back to the other side of the table. He began cutting up sausages and put a kettle on the small wood stove for tea. He switched to a more jovial demeanor as if what transpired last night and this morning never happened.

"You know son," Uncle Karn reminisced while changing the subject, "in my day we didn't have hangover tea. We had to drink pickle juice!"

Brunaulf gagged a little to the amusement of the two bears.