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Beneath the Southern Cross

Chapter One

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

10thOctober, 2021

All Rights Reserved.

Rennae stepped off the bus, which belched a cloud of vile, disgusting black cloud of diesel fumes as it drove off, a cloud of black flies, dust and particles from its leaky exhaust following. Rennae waved her paw and coughed softly, before she slowly turned in a circle, looking at the road - even if this thing that more resembled a goat track, could be called a road! Then at the small township itself. An outback pub, down the street a few houses, a - post office or so the sign faded and chipped said and next to it a rough, faded wooden and glass box that Rennae figured out must be a public telephone.

Tipping her head back, Rennae felt the heat of the outback sun descend upon her like a hammer. Seconds after the cloud of diesel fumes evaporated, Rennae wished for it to return as it felt like a billion flies descended upon her white fur and nearly drove her mad. Sweeping her paws at them did nothing, except distribute them to other parts of her body.

With an exasperated sigh, Rennae crouched down and picked up her suitcase then turned about and walked across the almost viscous surface of the road surface and towards the shade that was cast from the nearby large building.

"Oof - " Rennae gasped, as it felt like at least twenty degrees cooler here on the verandah of the outback pub as he wished she'd worn her shoes as she could feel her paw pads on her feet almost blistering from the short walk.

Stepping through the doors, Rennae was startled to hear a gruff voice came from the bar.

"Oi!"

"Pardon?" Rennae yelped, ears flattening.

"Hat off inside missy!" Came that voice again. "You born in a tent? Shut the damn door already!"

Sweeping her hat off her pale haired head, Rennae winced and squirmed. She wasn't off to a good start with the local townsfolk. Then again, she was half the world away from family, friends and home - cultures are different down under and what she took for granted back home, might mean something completely different or even non-existent here!

Placing her suitcase down to the side of the door, her newly purchased akubra hat sitting on it, Rennae used her pale furred paws to push back her fringe from her eyes.

"Tourist, aintcha?" Come the masculine voice beside her.

Rennae yelped, she couldn't help it, as large pale paws reached down and took her hat, then turned it upside down and set it back down. Rennae's eyes took in the beautiful mixture of desert red and pale white of the red kangaroo anthro who stood dressed in shorts and a navy blue singlet.

Her eyes widened as she looked at the strong, muscular physique of him - she couldn't help but stare as her eyes went from his three toed feet, up his powerful thighs, then his belly...

"Hey, missy? Eyes are up here - " He snickered, then held out a paw to her. "Name's Bruce, but everyone calls me Blue, or Bluey, pleased to meet you! You must be that big somebody from yank land hey mate?"

Rennae looked up into his brilliant brown eyes, then her ears went flat against her head as she stammered and her muzzle hung open. His scent, powerful, intoxicating, so... masculine...

Gently, he reached up and snickered, closing her open muzzle gently, using the index finger on his right paw.

"Take it all in love," He grinned, then posed and flexed before her.

"Blue, knock it off will you? You'll pop the poor Wolfess' gaskets! Not even here half an hour, and you're all over her like flies on shit!"

"Yeah, yeah - " Blue sniggered. "Pleasure to meet you miss, you need anything? Hit up that grumpy old cattle dog back there, that's John. He runs this place."

"Keep yapping, and I'll tie your ears to the fly redistribution device and turn it up higher!" Come the growl from the blue and grey furred cattle dog who grinned and nodded to the startled Wolfess.

"I'm sorry," Came Rennae's weak mumble. "My name is Rennae, I'm from the Institute of..."

"Take it easy love," Sighed the barman. "Out here darling? We don't care for fancy names and titles and such! Pull up a chair, let me crack you a cold one and take a load off your paws!"

"I...forgive me - " Rennae murmured, feeling so out of place and oh so very alone.

"Hear that pup? Young lass here's got class and manners!" Blue chuckled. "Alright Rennae, lovely name, what would you like to drink? It's on me, least I can do for biting your head off when you first come in!"

"Blow it out your ass Blue!" Shot back the barman, then grinned. "Don't mind the overgrown Joey lass, he's a good bloke. He's meek as a mouse, aintcha you big lug?"

"I..." Rennae whispered, looking intimidated and horrified in equal measure. "This is so different to what I'm used too back home..."

Blue chuckled and gently lay a paw lightly on her trembling paw.

"Easy lass, easy, you're amongst friends here. We Aussies? We're rough, tough, wear underwear made from rusted barbed wire and have pet King Brown snakes! Just stay out from under the big eucalyptus tree out the back, those drop-bears will eat you down to the bones in moments, then eat the bones and..."

Rennae's eyes were like the size of twin moons, her muzzle hanging open and ears flat.

"You're_so_ full of shit Blue!" Laughed the cattle dog barman as he poured a beer in a schooner glass and pushed it over before Rennae. "Don't listen to him love, he's jerking your chain, pulling your tail!"

Rennae looked down at the ice cold beer before her, timidly reaching out and wrapping her paw around it before she sighed and felt the coolness of it through the thick pads on her fingers and palm.

"He's right you know," Blue grinned and slid across a $5 note to the barman, who made change and slid it back. "I'm a bit of a larrikin, a joker and he tells lies, I'm so tough, once a Death Adder bit me on the foot - after three days writhing in agony, the poor thing died!"

Rennae choked and nearly spat out her beer, as she giggled helplessly.

_Somethings never change, I heard that joke, or a variant of it, back home._Rennae thought to herself.

A gentle caress of her left ear snapped her attention back as Blue lowered his fingers, having caressed the delicate feather that hung by a leather cord bound to Rennae's pale hair.

"Sorry, rude to touch, I know," Blue blushed, then looked down at the bar. "Its just...I know it signifies something, but for the life of my hide, I can't think what!"

Rennae put down her beer, then reached up and pulled it over her ear, so it hung in front of it, as she looked sideways at the black tip of the feather.

"This? This is a mark of my clan, identifies me as one of the Swift-Foot tribe, back in America."

"They who and the what?" Blue grunted, then blushed and flattened his ears. "Sorry, that was rude of me."

"Not at all, I understand you're confused. As you here, in Australia, have various indigenous tribes, so do we in the US, naturally, not as many as there once was... I am pleased to be of descended from pure blood stock in my tribe. Ours is one of the dozen or so who are still fully pure blooded and...I'm probably boring you, aren't I? Listen to me just..."

Waving a pale paw, Rennae blushed and hung her head. "I'm sorry."

Blue grinned and gently bumped her with his shoulder.

"It's alright, truly! I'm fascinated by your culture and wouldn't mind learning more about it. I _knew_there was something special about you, the moment you blew in here, lost, bewildered and _so_out of place. A stranger in a strange land, our ways, even our accent, must seem so strange to you!"

"Uh huh..." Grunted the Barman, as he tipped a wink at Rennae. "What this joey lass, he's a smooth one. Kinda cute really, a joey pretending his some big, strong, masculine buck..."

"Hey!" Blue grunted, then flicked his ears and laughed weakly. "Okay, fine, yeah, whatever mate, you keep telling yourself that."

Rennae giggled softly, her nervousness slowly fading, as she sipped her ice cold beer.

"Blue, hop off and get this lassie's gear upstairs to the guest room."

With a grunt, Blue slid off the bar stool, then winked at Rennae, who blushed and looked away, her tail starting to wag from side to side. Effortlessly, Blue gripped her suitcase in one paw and lifted it like it was a feather before he walked off down the hallway, his claws clicking on the floor.

"Forgive me, sir," Rennae murmured, as she put down her beer glass again. "What is a fly redistribution device?"

With a grin that spread from ear to ear, the barman pointed up at the ceiling fan that squeaked and rattled above the bar.

"Give it a day or two miss, and you'll not even notice them anymore, I promise! Now, would you like another? On the house..."

Rennae giggled and blushed, then looked down at the glass, trailing a claw-tip lightly around the edge before she frowned and pondered.

"I really shouldn't..."

Another one appeared before her, as if by magic, then the cattle dog poured himself one and clinked glasses with her.

"Welcome to the outback love, I think you'll do just fine..."

TO BE CONTINUED...