Chapter 26: A Ringtailed Package
Fru Fru promised Jake a special package and Marie arrives as promised. Things finally click with the two lovers.
(For Jake's side of the story, read Chapter 16: The Ring-Tailed Package in Zootopia: A Raccoon's Redemption)
Marie held on for dear life while the large tractor rumbled through the snow. "We're almost there!" the large polar bear, who was driving, yelled back to her as they swayed and bumped. Crawling forward, she slipped into the oversized passenger's seat and adjusted the safety belt to fit her much smaller body. "There's the mountain in front of us and it sure does look pretty in the snow."
"Yeah, I can't believe Jake is up here in all this snow," she giggled. "It sure does look larger than it did on television." The mountain's massive stone dome was very distinct when compared to the mostly wooded mountains surrounding it. When they emerged at the bottom of a large field mostly filled with tents and vehicles, she was amazed at how many coyotes had gathered in one place, there were well over several hundred.
After they reached the hilltop, Kevin brought the tractor to a stop. "Now you need to hide, you are supposed to be a surprise," he laughed. She giggled as she slipped into the back of the tractor and out of sight before Kevin climbed out of the passenger's seat. The sight of the huge white polar bear had caused a great stir among the coyotes since many of them had never seen his likes before.
"Hey Jake, Fru Fru sends her love!" Kevin exclaimed while he reached into the tractor and pulled out four duffle bags which he tossed onto the snow. "Oh and here's your package." He added while he opened the back door and lifted her into the air before he gently set her onto the ground.
"Hi Sugar, did you miss me?" Marie giggled while Jake bounded through the deep snow and hugged her. "I guess you did." Then Jake gave her a deep passionate kiss.
"Get a room!" someone yelled while the crowd of canines excitedly joined them by the tractor. Marie giggled when she was greeted by several of the coyotes who regularly or seasonally worked at her family's farm. Many of the coyote families had worked seasonal jobs on the farm caring for the orchards of apple trees, walnut trees, blueberries, raspberries, and of course the raccoon's favorite food, persimmons. Old Joe and his wife Mary greeted her with a hug. They had arrived the day before from harvesting the last of the winter persimmon crop.
After a short visit, Kevin said goodbye and the tractor rumbled back down the road. It turned out that Mister Big owned the company that was contracted by the local county to plow the roads. After it reached the bottom of the hill, Kevin stuck his head out the window and yelled, "Can someone tell Nick that his police car is in a ditch?"
Surrounded by a crowd of happy coyotes, Jake led Marie towards one of the many campfires and introduced her to Mister Walker and Annie. "Is she your mate?" the elderly blind coyote asked with a grin.
Jake stammered "No…she's my girlfriend…we..we." Marie looked at the flustered raccoon next to her and giggled.
"Why not?" continued the coyote after sipping his coffee. "She smells healthy enough and I like her voice." Marie's ears blushed and Annie giggled while she watched.
"Ah, elder I was wondering if there is a place where Marie might stay tonight?" Jake asked.
"Oh, I had a tent already set up for both of you to share," the coyote replied. "Dear lady, did you know your boyfriend spent the night flipping and flopping in his sleep while muttering your name. It was quite annoying. Finally, my grandson threw another pillow at him, but he just hugged it and then started to purr. I have heard that raccoon kits purr, but who knew a grown adult could too?"
Jake began to protest, but Marie kissed him on the cheek. "So you really did miss me, Sugar?" she giggled. "As for the tent, we'll figure something out. After all, Jake is too much of a gentlemammal to try to take advantage of me but I think that he should be more worried about me than I am about him." While she walked towards the coffee pot, she coyly swished her tail. Everyone glanced at Jake who was just standing there watching her with his muzzle slightly open in surprise.
Near the warm campfire, Marie watched the male raccoon while he went over and placed her bag into the small tent before he joined Nick and Judy as they walked towards the bathhouse. "So have you known Mister Jake long?" a little coyote named Annie asked her after she poured the raccoon a mug of coffee. Annie was smaller than most of the other coyotes and had a reddish tint to her fur indicating that she had a lot of red fox in her blood.
"About eight months," Marie replied. She spent the next hour talking to the charming young coyote and the blind elder.
Returning to camp in his new snow pants and winter coat, Jake tossed his duffle bag into the tent and joined Marie by the fire. Dinner was almost ready and most of the coyotes had gravitated back to the bonfire. They had changed into traditional tartan or striped ponchos and decorative necklaces or medicine bags. Most of the canids, including the males, wore a customary long earring with feathers and beads from their left ear.
Annie approached Jake and Marie, she handed them both two ponchos while she explained that the lighter fleece was worn underneath the heavier tartan pattern wool poncho. She also gave Jake a necklace with two black feathers surrounding a single red stone, telling him that the feathers honored his finding the lost kits and the red stone represented fire, in honor of his being a child of Azeban. She then gave Marie a necklace with decorative beads and a single red stone.
They offered ponchos to Nick and Judy, and although Nick wanted to wear one, Judy sternly reminded him that they were still on duty and had to wear their uniform jackets.
Dinner was a delicious salmon stew with root vegetables. A lentil, carrot, and turnip green stew was available for Judy and other coyotes like Annie, who swore off meat. One of the male coyotes handed Jake and Marie beers, he also offered one to Nick, who had to decline since he was technically still on duty. The activity around the bonfire was more subdued, with many watching the sun while it began to set in the west.
Marie turned to their blind friend and asked, "What exactly is this ceremony tonight? I'm afraid all I know are rumors that it is a night when coyotes call forth and speak to the dead."
"It's not that dramatic, my dear," Mister Walker chuckled. "It is the night when we honor and remember those who have passed on to the other side. We howl our grief to the Moon, so she can tell the departed that we still remember and miss them. Afterward, we gather back in our tents and tell stories about old friends and family. It is also a night for lovers to love because that pleases our ancestors."
Silently the meal was cleaned up and the bonfire banked for the evening, so it gave only a faint glow. While the full moon rose over the mountain, Annie stepped into the middle of the empty upper field. She raised her paws into the air and began to sing a chant to the moon. Everyone stood in a circle around her and silently watched the little coyote with the pale yellow eyes and when her song ended, one by one or in family groups they came to join her. Together they raised their muzzles to the moon and began to howl. Watching from outside of the circle were a rabbit, a fox, and two raccoons. Suddenly an older coyote walked over to Nick and placed his paws on the fox's shoulders and said, "Come little brother and join us, don't you and your mate have anyone who's passed to remember?" Looking at Jake and Marie he continued, "Come children of Azeban and join us too."
Nick stepped into the circle, still holding his wife close to his side, and thought about his father who had died when he was just a toddler. With tears in his eyes, he lifted his muzzle and his foxy yowl joined the howling chorus. Jake and Marie joined them in the circle. Jake remembered both his parents, but since raccoons never howl he just looked at the moon with teary eyes. After a long while, the coyotes began to silently return to their tents until Annie was left alone again on the field. She lifted her paws once more and sang another chant to the moon before she too returned to her family's lodge tent.
Jake stayed by the smoldering fire, giving time for Marie to change and get settled in before he entered the tent. She looked around the tent, it was what the coyotes called a pup tent and it was just large enough for two canids but more than enough room for the two smaller raccoons. She smiled when she noticed there were several blankets and only one large wolf-sized sleeping bag. This will be interesting, she mused before she stripped naked and climbed into the sleeping bag. Although it smelled slightly like a male coyote, it was warm and more importantly there was more than enough room for what she had in mind.
Finally, he ducked into the tent and crawled towards her. "Sorry about the sleeping arrangements," Jake whispered. "I'll just curl up in the blankets if that's okay with you?" He slipped off his ponchos and laid them aside.
She didn't answer, but instead reached out of the bag and grabbed his shirt with her paw. She pulled him closer before she leaned forward and passionately kissed him. She felt his paws as he embraced her and he suddenly drew back in surprise when he felt her naked fur. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"Sugar, I've never been so sure in my life," she whispered in his ear while she started to unbutton his shirt and pulled it off as he hastily removed his pants and underwear. She sighed when he slipped into the bag and she could feel him naked against her, his cold fur against her warm body. She snuggled her cheeks against his bare chest and her paws reached down and encompassed his raccoonhood. She giggled when she heard him breathe in sharply with a gasp. "You like that, Sugar?"
"Not complaining, but your paws are cold," he whispered as his nose dug into the fur of her neck, he licked and nibbled. She noticed that he had warmed up really fast and was no longer cold.
"You want me to let go?" she giggled. Instead of answering, he pushed her onto her back and climbed on top of her, his paws roaming down her body and making her moan. She was expecting him to immediately mount her, but instead he began licking and nibbling her chest before he disappeared under the sleeping bag. She could feel him kissing down her body lower and lower, finally past her waist, and then his lapping tongue found its way between her legs. None of her previous lovers had ever done what he was doing to her, his mouth found its goal. She moaned while he continued his efforts until finally she shook, gasped, buckled, and groaned in her first of many orgasms that night.
She felt him moving back up her body, still kissing, nibbling, and biting until his head popped out of the bag and he passionately kissed her again. She knew his paw was reaching into his bag to get a condom and almost giggled when he gave a little curse while he struggled to get it out of the package. He finally mounted her, slow at first, using her body as if it was a fine instrument by taking his time to ensure that she was satisfied before he finished.
Afterward, they laid entwined together, panting and snuggling after their endeavors. "Thank you," he whispered.
"That was marvelous," she whispered back while she snuggled against him. The cold had long been banished from their little bit of heaven. Her paws lovingly ran through his fur when she kissed him.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he chuckled. "That was just round one."
They went several more rounds that night before finally, the two lovers slipped into an exhausted and satisfied sleep in each other's arms.
Later that night, Judy's sensitive hearing heard Marie giggling and her whisper, "he really does purr."