Hey everyone, new story on my Patreon for the last week of February, and what a fitting story it is for the month of Valentines Day. This is a story that I suddenly got the idea for right out of the blue when I was thinking about my lovely friend (more than friend technically) open_mind1 who you might remember from my A Visit By a Dire Wolf series.
In this series Eric the Grey is a dire wolf nobleman in the town of Oriona. He has a bit of a close relationship with his servants and one day a new one arrives at his estate named Ash. Eric immediately takes a liking to the young coywolf, but the boy is a little intimidated by the canine's size and status.
Here's a little teaser at it:
The Master's Favorite: New Arrival
By: Ash Cinder
Eric the Grey was the most respected noble in the city of Oriona. Though he was highly revered, he lived alone in his estate at the edge of town. Well, not completely alone, he of course had all his servants to keep him company.
While he was old, he was still very virile, but he wasn't the type to just settle down with a mate of his own. The always charitable dire wolf often let travelers stay with him, where he'd sometimes end up sharing a bed with them if they accepted his advances. Sometimes he'd even become intimate with some of his servants. A few of them considered it a bit of an extra perk for working with him. However, one day one servant in particular caught his eye like no other, a new arrival that began working on his estate in winter.
His name was Ash, Ash Cinder. He was a young coywolf, barely 21 years of age. He had brown and grey fur, with some red head fur going down the middle. His parents had sent him to work for Eric the Grey after hearing such good things about how he treated the servants working under him.
Once Ash arrived, Eric came out to greet his new hired help himself, as was customary for him. When Ash saw his new master for the first time, he couldn't help but be a little intimidated. Aside from the fact that he was a noble of very high class, he was also rather large, being a dire wolf and all, practically towering over Ash.
"So, you're the new help," He greeted.
"Y-Yes sir," the coywolf said timidly.
Eric reached out his large paw to shake Ash's. He sniffed the air slightly and could immediately smell the intimidation the pup was feeling.
"No need to be nervous, boy," The noble reassured, "I may be a nobleman, but I'm not stuck up."
Ash accepted his new master's paw and shook it, showing a smile when he saw that Eric seemed genuine.
"Let me show you to your quarters so you can store your belongings."
Eric turned and led Ash down the hall towards the back of the estate. While they proceeded outside to the servants' living quarters, Eric took the time to get to know his new member of the house.
"So, did you have a long journey getting here?" He asked.
"No, I live in town, only took a few hours to get here." Ash answered.
"Well, though it might not be the home you're used to, I hope you'll be comfortable here during your time working for me."
"I'm sure I will. What sort of work will I be doing every day?"
"Well, what are your strengths?"
"Hm?"
"I like to give my servants work best suited to whatever they're good at."
"Hm," Ash thought about the question, "well, I'm good at sweeping, laundry, outdoor work..."
"What about alphabetizing?" Eric suggested.
"Alphabetizing?"
"I've been meaning to assign a servant to work in my library, reordering my books."
"Uh, sure I could do that."
"Excellent."
After the small talk, they made it to the servant's quarters and went inside. Eric led him to one of the rooms at the end of the hall.
"I believe this one has a bed available," Eric said.
He opened the door, revealing a female tabby and a fox with long vermillion head fur, looking like they'd just finished getting ready for the day.
"Morning Moira, Jamie," Eric greeted them.
"Morning Master Eric," they both replied.
"Meet Ash," Eric introduced the coywolf, "he's the new arrival, he'll be sharing your room. Make sure he feels welcome."
"Of course," Jamie said.
Eric turned his attention back to his new servant.
"Now go ahead and get comfortable, Ash," Eric said, "Get your things sorted and put your uniform on. Once the day starts, have Jamie or Moira show you to the library. I'll be there to show you how to sort the books."
"Yes Master," Ash said to Eric as he left.
Ash put his bag on the vacant bed and began to unpack.
"So, Master Eric will be having you work in the library?" The orange tabby asked.
"That's what he said," Ash confirmed. "He said he needed someone to help alphabetize his books."
"You ever worked for a nobleman before?" Jamie asked.
"No, this is my first time in a place like this."
"Well, you'll like Master Eric," Moira said.
"He seems very welcoming and friendly," Ash said, preparing to put on his uniform.
"You'll get to see just how welcoming and friendly he is once you're here long enough," Jamie said, smirking at the coywolf.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked.
"Nothing, I just mean he usually likes being around us servants more than most nobles." Jamie said brushing his head fur back and giving Ash a wink.
"Uh, okay..."
If you'd like to see more of it before I make it public in a week, please consider throwing a dollar to my Patreon. Would really appreciate it!
open_mind1 who you might remember from my A Visit By a Dire Wolf series.
