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Chapter Text

The walk to the breeding grounds was long and hard no matter the age of those walking it. Despite it being done once a season every year for the first five years of her life Mirabel had never felt more nervous for the long and steady climb upwards then she felt at the moment. 

Her hooves trod roughly against the rocky pathways and hard packed dirt as she walked with her mothers, grandmothers and sisters; following the long shorn out paths of generations past. Their herd had walked these same trails for decades, for longer than any one of them had been alive, and one day her own descendants would do the same. 

She frowned, looking back as they followed the twisted mountain pathway from the wooded glen to the valley nestled tightly between the mountains. The knowledge that it was a consistent experience of the herd did little to soften the anxiety of the journey and its purpose.

Mirabel gave a little shiver, pulling the soft tattered fabric of her woolen cloak over her shoulder to shut out the chill. It was a cooler spring than normal, a fact her Abuela had lamented over and over as they planned their journey. As the old Dame of the herd it was her Abuela’s job to assess the risks, to decide when to migrate and how to arrange the journey itself. Mirabel had thought that at this point she would not be willing to make the trek and would stay behind with the other older nannies and the females who did not wish to breed or had yet to come into their first heat. Mating was not a requirement for all females. It was a decision one undertook. In fact the only mating one was expected to attend was the first one. 

It was the reason this was her first trek in ten years. Right after her weaning she had been forced to remain in the nursery grounds. The mating was no place for a young female who would do nothing but get underfoot. Then, once the mating was over, her mother would return, sometimes with her father, sometimes not. They would all remain in the nursery grounds until the weather chilled and it was time for the males to return.

 This year would be different though. She would be with the herd during the mating months, something she was both excited and nervous about. 

It was not wholly shocking. For a long time only their mother had gone but their Abuela had remained. Mama and their Tia Pepa had led the females of breeding age while their Abuela remained with the nannies and cared for them. At one time their Abuela had been looking after the four of them: herself, Camilo, Isabela and Luisa. 

It was another reason she was eager for this journey. There were not an overabundance of satyrs her age. Her sisters and prima were older. There were a smattering of one or two other females she knew but was not tied to by anything other than herd relationship, but Camilo, they had been close. Her primo had been born the same season she had and in him she had a ready made playmate. As little lambs they had suckled side by side, interchanging between their mothers. As they had grown they had learned to walk and communicate together. They were playmates from the moment they woke to the moment they slept. It did not matter to her Camilo was larger than she was or his horns were more pronounced then the tiny little buds on her own head. He was fun. He made up the best games and was the best secret keeper. Mirabel could think of no happier time in her life than those days of curling next to her primo and napping in the sunny meadows.

Then Camilo had turned five and had gone with her Mama and Tia and had not returned. She had wept for months following the absence of her playmate. Unlike female lambs the male kids were always at present the mating grounds. Their jobs were to stand lookout while the bigger males mated, tiny little sentries in training for their roles as protector males. It was an important job, to ensure the next generation of the herd was protected at their most vulnerable, but not one that was deemed appropriate for female lambs. 

In her mind it felt cruel. She knew the reality of it. A lost female was a loss of all the lambs she would produce both male and female. The loss of a male was less important, there would always be other males to impregnate them. Males could not whelp, they could not nurse, they could produce no milk. Most males even stopped shedding their wool at maturity. Something the females never stopped doing. They needed the female craft and female and lamb wool to be woven into their cloaks to keep warm. 

The main thing a male could offer the herd was his seed and his protection. 

These were important jobs, Abuela had said when she had asked why Camilo had to go away. Defending the herd was the entire reason the males lived separately from the females for a good portion of the year. The males would stay with the herd when they migrated to the fragrant clover fields of the whelping grounds and then, when the cold time came the males would grow their thick wooly coats and go to the forests to keep the herd safe and ward off the hunters. 

She knew what happened there. Everyone knew. 

The forests were a dangerous place. Her Abuela’s mate, Abuelo Pedro had been taken by a hunter. Brutal creatures with their sharpened sticks that sang in the air and sliced through a Satyrs body like nothing at all. The humans they were called. Horrid monstrous creatures that would take their hides and rip a males horns right from his head, leaving him to be fed on by wolves and all manner of terrible creatures. Sometimes the humans would eat their flesh itself. 

They were creatures from nightmares. Dark stories that kept kids and lambs closer to their mamas when they wanted to wander. But males kept them safe. The males were big and strong with their sharp hooves and sharper horns a solid male could take down a human or two. 

Sbe wondered if Camilo had ever seen one.

She hoped to never see a human. No part of her ever wanted to see that sort of fate close up. Not for her nor any member of her herd. 

They need not fear, Abuela had said. Their valley was well hidden, the mountains were high and the forests were dense. It was only in the winter, when the wide lake that surrounded their home froze and man could walk upon the ice, that they were in danger. It was the reason the males marked the ice, using horns and hooves to weaken it and keep the waters close to the surface. 

Men who fell in the cold waters did not come out of them. 

She trailed behind her Mama and sisters carefully, trying not to draw attention. 

Next to Abuela her eldest sister, Isabela, walked unperturbed by the rocky terrain. Isa was known to be the prettiest of the herd. Even on her third season without whelping there were high hopes that she would breed with the best male and produce beautiful strong lambs. 

Mirabel didn’t doubt any of it for a moment. Her sister had long, lucious black hair that hung to the small of her waist in perfect shining waves. Her flanks were a dark brown black and gleamed with the same soft sheen. In fact the only variant in her lovely uniform colour was a thin line of white around their hooves. Mirabel did not remember their sire too well, as one of the top Bucks of the herd he had to remain in the woods and not venture down into the nursery grounds, but she did remember he had white in his coat. Her horns too were an ebony in colour, shining clean and lovely as was everything about her eldest sister. 

Perhaps the only thing that made things difficult was Isa’s pickiness. Mirabel had heard her Mama tell her Abuela that Isabela was extremely difficult with her suitors. Males who were not to her standards or got too close received a sharp swift kick. She had no problem screaming, bleating or hissing at any of them. Mama had said the last two years the only male who had successfully mounted her had been a big buck named Mariano. Then again Mirabel had heard Mariano was so large he had sired at least three of the lambs born from the last breeding season and had mated even more females than that. She knew personally that he had mated both Isabela and Dolores although neither had conceived. 

Apparently, he had been the only one able to avoid Isabela’s kicks and had been too large and heavy for her to dislodge. Abuela seemed certain Mariano and Isabela would mate in time and rise up to be the dominant male and female of the herd. 

Mirabel didn’t know how she would live in a world where Isabela was in charge. 

She could not recall a time when her older sister hadn’t tried to establish dominance over her. For some reason Isa always seemed to single her out, maybe because they had the same parents or maybe because their Mama babied her so, either way her sister never missed a chance to hiss at her, snap or kick dirt up at her. Truly Mirabel didn’t understand why. She was nothing compared to her sisters. Isabela was gorgeous, and Luisa was one of the most lovely and powerful does in the herd. She was nothing compared to them. She was smaller than Isa but without her sister's strong flanks and flat stomach. She retained the plushness of her lamb fat that her Mama had always said would go away once she was grown. Her breasts were rounder and fuller than Isa’s, making it harder to run, and while her sister had a sleek smooth coat Mirabel did not. Her fur was the same chocolate brown as her Mama’s but with white spots all over her backside and running down her legs. Again, it was something common in little lambs but not so much in adult females. Even her fur itself was not as lovely as Isa’s. She had curls, little tufts that stuck up at odd angles and were impossible to smooth down with the thick boar brushes they used. It was not the tight soft curls Dolores had or even the chocolate finger waves Luisa had. It looked…messy. Untamable. The same as the riotous curls that grew from her head that were so thick her Mama had sheared them off to keep burs from getting trapped in them. Now her hair bobbed at her shoulders, so short that it almost looked masculine, yet another strike against her when trying to attract a mate, according to Isa. 

Still nothing Isa did to her could touch the anxiety if being presented.

It was also a bit nerve wracking being the only female presented to the herd this year. 

The season she and Camlilo had been born had been a hard and long winter. In the end only she among the females had survived while Camilo and two other male kids had lived. It did not happen often but when it did it was considered a tragedy, there were good seasons and bad, such was life. But it resulted in her being isolated for the most part. Dolores, Luisa and Isabela were all close in age to one another. She alone was separated, especially when her playmates had all gone to join the males of the herd. 

All in all the herd was traveling with nearly seven breedable females of her generation. Her Mama and Tia’s generation was more thinned out with losing a few of the females to disease and accidental deaths over the years. In Abuela's generation only three remained.

She looked up and watched as Mama gave a glance back and offered her a soft bleat. Urging her forward. Skittering she hurried to obey, tucking herself to her mother’s side. Her mother wrapped her up in her own shawl, nuzzling to calm her. She knew how these things worked. There was no pressure to breed now. It was her first heat. The idea was she might mate or attract a mate but the main goal was to watch and learn. To see what the mature does did, to see how the rituals were performed. 

To see the breeding act itself for the very first time.

She was to watch the displays, see the males compete with one another to decide which male she might want to grant her attention too. Most females chose Mariano. As the largest and strongest that was no question who the top sire should be. Her mama had lamented that long ago her Papa had Tio Felix had been the top sire and Tia Pepa had high hopes Camilo would have a chance to prove himself soon enough.

Once the new top bucks took their place her Papa and tio Felix would be free to go to the whelping grounds and help protect the newborn lambs. It was a huge honour if it happened as it was so rare. Males usually died before they achieved an age where they could retire from breeding. The life they lived in the cold mountains was a lot harsher. Less food and resources, more threats. Not many survived into old age.

It took hours to get to the mating grounds and as they crested the mountain top Mirabel paid close attention. It was a lovely area. A valley with a clear running stream secured between various mountains. A thinned forest covered almost the entire area with the exception of the grazing meadow. There was a canopy of trees to provide cover but beneath it the ground was mostly cleared. She could see the scrapped off bark and the recently scented trees. All around her the female of her herd scattered. She followed along close behind her Mama as Isabela and Dolores went off together, bending low to scent the left markings on the trees. 

As soon as they did she watched as her sister squatted down and urinate at the base of the tree, kicking her hooves in the soft dirt as she did. After a moment she straighted up and strode away, tossing her long hair behind her.

Again Mira wrinkled her nose. She could smell her sister's heat from the distance, the markings she left making it very clear she had come to mate. She watched other females all around repeating the process.

 Only her Abuela and the other Dames did not bother. 

She followed close behind her mother, her little hooves slipping occasionally on the rocky dirt as the group followed the tree markings. 

She smelled the first male before she saw him. Her head tilted back and her nose sniffed at the air, catching the musky scent.

She turned to see him approach through the trees, followed closely by another large male and then a smattering of others. She watched in fascination as the males wound their way through the trees to join families. Even the large male walked up to an older nanny goat, dropped to his knees and pressed himself into her bare chest. Mirabel watched as she pulled his head against her withered breast, cooing noises of love and devotion. The nanny was obviously his mother. 

She watched the reunion with fascination as his mother took the time to introduce him to his sisters that had accompanied her. A necessary precaution. While there were no hard rules against mating family members, mating one's direct siblings or one's own offspring rarely led to a successful conception and therefore equated to a waste of time. 

Her attention was drawn away as a male came up to their group. He was handsome, although older, with smooth brown hair and a lithe muscled body. It did surprise her a bit when he pressed his forehead against her mothers, affectionately cooing at her and nuzzling her. She watched as her Mama tilted her head back and the male immediately began rubbing against her bare throat aggressively. He was scenting her. It took Mirabel a moment to realize it must be her father. She observed their reunion, the way her mother reached up to caress his face and horns. How she made loving noises at the male and how he pressed his entire body to her Mamas. 

Tentatively, she stepped to her mother’s side, studying him. He was a lovely male, very tall with graying hair, a trim long form and brown flanks with white markings that ran along his legs. Mirabel looked down, trying to see behind her and spy her own markings to see if they were like his.

They were almost exactly. Although he had the same smooth look to his flanks as Isa did. 

She made a plaintive noise to him, a see me look at me noise that, hopefully wasn’t as pathetic as Isabela acted like it was. 

He turned his attention to her and stared for a moment before a smile spread across his face. She danced around him as she saw the warmth in his eyes, bounding on her legs and hopping in a happy circle. He leaned forward, nuzzling her affectionately in a way that fully acknowledged their connection before he found his way to her Mama’s side. She snuck in next to him, delighting in the new person who seemed to be pleased to know her when she was roughly shoved forward. 

Stumbling she tumbled down, landing in the dirt before rolling to look up gracelessly. In her spot next to their Papa stood Isa, glaring down with her dark eyes. Her Mama gave her sister a sharp angry bleat, resulting in Isabela rolling her eyes and walking back towards the younger group surrounding the now preening Mariano and the second large male next to him. 

The group had seen the entire thing. Mirabel felt her cheeks burn with shame. Leave it to her sister to embarrass her within the first few minutes of her being there.

Her mother merely rolled her eyes and helped Mirabel to her feet. No one was paying any attention to them anymore. All eyes were on the huge males. Mama whispered to her one was Mariano but the other was his brother Beto. Apparently the second male had come into his own this season and while young was large and impressive.

She frowned. She knew Abuela was not pleased that the two most eligible bucks were brothers. Such things often led to complications. Her Mama had said when she was conceived her Papa and her Tio Felix were the top bucks, resulting in a variety of offspring from their vastly different lines. She knew it was her Mama who had caught his eye and was his favorite. The same with her Tio Felix and her Tia Pepa. 

She looked up to see another male approaching her, younger looking with reddish curled flanks and curled horns. It took her a moment to realize who it was before happiness flooded through her.

She baa-ed happily, all thoughts of Isabela forgotten as she delighted in the appearance of her primo, Camilo.

Despite not having seen one another in a decade she happily bounced over to him on the tips of her hooves. He bleated back happily. 

It had been so long since their happy childhood together, playing in the pastures. He had been adorable even then, with his reddish brown wool and his tight matching curls. He had definitely grown since she had last seen him. He was tall now, not as tall as her Papa but likely taller than his own father, and underneath the still present slimness of youth she could see the hard rippling muscles most of the males possessed, borne of a hard life living on the mountainous ranges of the forests. None of that mattered to her though. What she was most excited about was the still present mischievous smile and the shining green eyes that were the same as they had been all those years ago playing tag with one another before curling together and napping in the sweet grass. 

They pressed foreheads together, her own tiny little horns clacking softly against his larger predominant ones. Those were new. When he had left he had the curved horns his father boasted but they were small and growing. The rack he carried now was strong and heavy. Thick and full. She was certain he could defend with them. She felt her own cheeks heat up at that thought. She tried to banish it in order to enjoy her reunion. She nuzzled against him aggressively, bashing out her affection and delighting in his chuff returns. She felt him pressing his nose to her neck, as if he wanted something. 

Looking at her mother for support she saw her parents smiling at one another, not at all paying attention. So, without guidance, she lifted her neck and bared her throat for her primo the way her mother had for her Papa.

She saw Camilo pull back for a moment, looking at her with both surprised but critical eyes before he dove in the same way her Papa had. Making happy chirps as he aggressively rubbed his face against her throat. 

His thick musk filled the air, soaking her senses and surrounding her with him. She could tell he was scenting her. She wondered why? It didn’t really matter. Abuela had said it was a thing males often did with females they ‘chose’ whatever that meant. When they were little Camilo had done the same thing although his scent had been far less musky. He had always been possessive of her, not allowing the other males of their year to play with her without his presence. 

It did feel good to be with him again. Familiar and welcome.

At least she would have a friend to play with during this entire ordeal. She knew Camilo was unlikely to mate at this first heat either, he wasn’t nearly as large as the other bucks and therefore would remain under the radar for a few years until he was larger and impressive enough to draw females. 

He gave her a last happy nuzzle, looking her up and down in a way she didn’t quite understand before he moved back.

She ignored as he marked a tree nearby, obviously practicing the behavior he had been taught. It was the main reason he had been sent to live with the males under the guidance of his own father. He looked at her expectantly. She went over to the tree to mimic the best she could but that did not seem to be what he wanted. He was waiting for something specific. She suddenly remembered Isabela’s actions. He watched with sharp eyes as she circled the tree and then, tentatively, chose a spot and squatted down, relieving herself. 

She felt a little silly peeing in the open. Normally, in the glen, she would hide away. Careful not to leave a mess and then bathe herself in a nearby stream, or at least wash. Here that did not seem to be the practice. Immediately as she moved away, her primo quickly moved to investigate. He seemed inordinately interested in it but she dismissed all of it. There were reasons she was certain, but she was missing them. It hardly mattered. This was her first spring here, she would learn and watch. 

Whatever he was looking for he seemed to find. He straightened up and moved to her side, wrapping an arm over her shoulder pressing the side of his head to hers. She was delighted. She had missed him so much and told him so in soft baahs and gentle touches between them. He was so different now but the same old Camilo was there, warming her heart. If nothing else this journey was worth it just to see her best friend once again. 

****

As they walked he told her of his time here. Of the scary things he saw and the battles he had witnessed. She paid close attention, her hands tightening against his forearm at his tales. Occasionally she would bump against him, pressing herself to him in comfort. 

Soon they were at the cleared meadow and her Primo pressed his forehead to hers one last time before going to rejoin his family. The majority of the day was spent socializing. Her Papa stayed with them and got to know her. Occasionally others would come by, her half siblings, satyrs sired by her Papa, She did take time to get to know some of them. Smaller herd families were managed by Dames. Her family was with her Mama’s lambs not her Papa’s. Although there was little need to worry about interbreeding as she had no brothers. In all his time his Papa had fathered no bucks at all.  

He did tell her stories. Warnings mostly about what to be careful for and what life was like for males of the herd. She soaked every word up, eager to spend her time learning. 

She had heard that the human creatures that looked a little like them but were oh so dangerous spoke with their mouths. Strange complicated sounds that they pushed out rapidly to convey and communicate. She didn’t understand the need for it when stories could be told in many better ways. With movement and actions, smells and noises. 

So when the group gathered the first night around the big fire created by the males she watched Abuela stand on the stone platform. They sat in their family groups, her Papa pressed against her Mama. Her Tio Flix and her Tia Pepa close together with Dolores and Camilo. Antonio was there as well and she cooed softly as he scampered away from his own family and tucked himself to her side. All the others were females with their very young kids or unattached males with their fathers. 

She snuggled him tightly, reveling in his baby smell and kissing his head softly.

She had been with him for the last few years, caring for him while the breeding females made their journey and she had grown close with him. She winced slightly as he attempted to suckle off of her empty teets, gently pushing him from them all too aware he was doing so for comfort. His Mama still produced milk for him but this would also be the method in which he was weaned. He was all too aware of what was coming and she felt for the little lamb, his dark skin and inky black curls trembling with fear and anxiety. She did not blame him although he was in a much better position than most males. At the age of five, when Camilo had been left with her Tio, he had yet to breed a son. Males were rarer than females and out of all her grandmother’s offspring Camilo had been the first boy of five successful births. Tio Felix had been totally inexperienced with lambs; Antonio arrived a full decade later. He would benefit from the experience. Camilo seemed to have survived well enough and now Antonio would benefit from having two males looking out for him. 

She felt for those males who had no one. They were left to the mercy of the herd. Hoping a male without their own offspring would take pity and take them in. She had heard of more than one lamb dying in a harsh winter when resources were low and males were more invested in ensuring the continuation of their own line opposed to that of a rival male. 

She had heard her Mama and Tia had had a brother and when their Papa had died at the hands of hunters no one had been willing to look after the young lamb. They had seen him the first few seasons following his separation and then never again. Abuela never spoke of him and she had only looked wistfully off whenever he was mentioned. 

As their Abuela spoke she tucked Antonio to her, letting him burrow himself into her lap. His parents merely glanced to ensure he was safe before continuing to cuddle one another, pleased with their own reunion. 

Mirabel took no notice of the males watching her. It didn’t matter in the least. She snuggled Antonio tightly to her, ignoring the annoyed huffing noises Isabela was puffing out behind her. As Abuela told their story. Through sound and motion she reminded them how the males and females would come together and split apart. How their males were strong and defended them. How their females were fertile and grew the herd. The strength of the male muscle is the strength in the female milk. 

Then came the giving of gifts. 

She watched as females from the herd approached the males with thick woolen cloaks. Over the season females collected their woolen sheddings and those of their lambs, weaving the soft offerings into sturdy cloaks for wear. Mirabel watched as her Mama presented her Papa with one as did a few other females, approaching her Papa and handing over cloaks woven from the offspring he had given them. While he had chosen her Mama as his true mate it did not mean he had not sired lambs on other females. She watched the same practice occurred across the way where her Tia Pepa was taking offerings for Tio Felix. She smiled as Tio Felix accepted them gratefully before whispering to her Tia. Pepa’s offering was obvious as her fur and flanks as well as Dolores’ had the rare red colour of fire that only occasionally cropped up in the herd. She handed it over to Tio Felix who motioned sharply and wrapped it around her primo Camilo’s shoulders. Too young to have fathered any lambs of his own it was the common practice for males to cloak their sons in the offering cloaks. Warmth was important in the cold forest winters and without a cloak surely a young Satyr would die of exposure,

The ritual part of the gathering completed the rest of the night was devoted to Mirabel’s favourite practice; frolicking. Various males and females gathered pulling out their horns and pipes, other instruments they began playing while others danced around the fire. 

The wagons containing the harvest of the year were brought forth, wine flowed between the two groups as did milk. She watched as Abuela spoke with her Papa and Tio, organizing the transfer of supplies to sustain the male camp over the winter. Dried foods, soaps and blankets. The females would take back meat that the males had hunted and dried. All manner of supplies went back and forth between the two groups. Young male lambs (there were three this year including Antonio) were allowed to bond with their new male caretakers. 

The other males came to them and began to interact with the younger breeding females, attempting to gain favor. Her Mama, who had never successfully bred after Mirabel's own difficult birth, urged her to dance. She needed little encouragement. She might not be strong like Luisa or graceful like Isavbela but she had no fear of dancing. She twisted and turned, jumping and happily cavorting around the base of the campfire. Soon enough Camilo joined her, showing off his own lovely red wool cloak twirling in front of her. She giggled as he seemed to block off the other two males their age who had attempted to dance with her. One was covered in wool as dark as the night with skin the same colour as her Tio Felix and the other was the exact opposite, bright and light with white gold flanks and long golden hair. She cared nothing for them when her playful primo was about. Instead she smiled as he kept at her, dancing alongside her as he had when they were children, butting his head against her cheek and giving her open mischievous smiles. It was fun to play with him once again. It had been a long time since anyone had wanted to play with her with the exception of Antonio. 

Soon enough the little lamb joined the two of them. While Camilo huffed through his nose at Antonio’s intrusion Mirabel did not care. She loved her tiny primo and the way he wanted to be close to her.

 Soon enough she had stopped her dance, Camilo moved onto other females like his sister and Isabela while Mirabel gathered the little one in her arms and took a space near the caves the males used as a central part of their camps. 

Sleeping areas were divided into female led families. 

She watched as many breeding females offered Mariano and Beto spots at their fire with warm thick blankets, supplies of fresh clovers, fruits and sweet smelling hay beds drizzled with fragrance oils; all attempts to lure them into a sleeping position among their lambs. To win one of those coveted spots as first mate.

She watched as her Papa followed closer behind her Mama ignoring the imploring looks of other Does he had fathered lambs upon at one time or another to stay close to his mate. She was not surprised when her Mama bent low to gather hay and make their beds he was already following, shoving his nose between her legs to sniff at her. She watched with interest as her Mama seemed to freeze, allowing the intrusion with her chocolate tail pulled high to grant him access. Mirabel wondered what her Papa was looking for before she watched him set his hands on her Mama’s hips and mount her.

She paid attention to the logistics of it. They were mates. She would be seeing plenty of mating overtures over the next few days. It was still shockingly simple; she could tell it was not a real coupling. He only gave a few shallow thrusts before separating from her and sniffing again at her Mama’s hind quarters. Her mother seemed to give an amused huff, straightening up to nuzzle against her Papa’s neck and chest, affectionately scent marking him as he returned the gesture.

It was this moment Mirabel felt she was intruding upon. Mating was mating, it was nothing to be ashamed of or even shied away from. But this gentle intimacy between the two of them felt private. If she had been alone she would have left them to it but with a little lamb in arms who was growing heavier by the second it was not an option. 

Mirabel gave a plaintive baa, calling attention to herself and the sleeping Antonio. Her Mama perked her ears up. Maternal instinct won out over mating and she watched her Mama move towards her to nuzzle her gently before doing the same to little Antonio. Her Papa ran an affection hand over her tiny horns, giving her a kind smile as she settled into the nest.

Her Mama and Papa moved off to a different area, likely to mate again, while she snuggled into the soft hay, position her charge close to her to stay warm but secure enough where she wouldn’t get kicked by errant hooves. Antonio had slept with her for years, preferring her gentle attention to even his own Mama’s. 

It was a habit developed while their Mama’s spent time away mating and Mirabel had no issues with allowing the little one to rely on her for care. Her Mama and Abuela believed it showed a good, natural instinct for lambing and, in truth, Mirabel loved caring for the little lambs of their flock. She did look forward to one day having lambs of her own. A natural mother Abuela had said. It was the nicest compliment her grandmother had ever given her.

As she settled in for the night she ran her fingers through Antonio’s thick curls, cooing to him in soothing noises. SHe was certain she would miss him as much as he missed her when they left. Her heart ached for the thought of her little primo cold in the deep winter, calling out for her. She comforted herself with the knowledge Camilo would be there to take care of him. She was certain her older primo would do a good job with Antonio, rearing him up alongside Tio Felix and making him into a strong sturdy male the herd could take pride in.

She cooed softly to him as he turned restlessly, tucking himself against her chest as she drew her cloak over both of them. Tomorrow the courting would begin for true. She was nervous about it but, as she held him, perhaps I wouldn't be too bad. She could stay with Camilo and observe how the rituals went. She smiled at that thought. She would not be expected to breed her own little one for a few more years, she would just enjoy her time with her primo. 

Closing her eyes she laid her head on her arm while the other curled protectively over Antonio. As she slept she heard the other Satyrs coming and going. She did not notice the form of Camilo settling in his own families nest (next to theirs) or the way he sat next to his Papa and hers upright to keep guard. While their eyes were fixed firmly on the cave entrance his were trained on her sleeping form and the way she guarded the little form of his brother even while she slept. 

****

When she awoke she did so in the hot huddle of her family. Antonio was still tucked against her, sleeping with his head just beneath her breasts and his little legs tucked up tightly. She was spooned behind him to keep him sheltered and warm. At her back was Luisa’s hulking form, acting like a living furnace and then, in front of her was her Mama. Her Papa was sitting upright, her Mama’s head in his lap as he faced towards the entrance of the cave. She had heard this was the way. Males would sleep upright to watch over their families. 

Mirabel looked through the dim light of the cave and saw the other males positioned the same way. She could even see her primo Camilo sleeping upright alongside his own Papa, his curled head resting upon Tio Felix’s shoulder. 

She caught herself admiring her primo as he slept. The way the dim dying fire light reflected off his reddish curls. The way his features were a perfect meld of his beautiful Mama and his very strong Papa. His body, while still harbouring the lean thinness of a young male satyr was growing muscle, even now she could see it. Idly, she hoped he stayed healthy and strong. Her heart worried for him in upcoming winters, facing dangers untold while she remained warm and safe in the valley with her Mamas and sisters and the lambs. 

The urge to relieve herself came upon her, pulling herself from her distraction. She wondered if she might be coming down with an illness. She had been peeing a great deal more since they had arrived at the mating grounds then she had ever previously done. Slipping out of the pile of her relatives, Mirabel tiptoed to the edge of the cave and took a quick look around. The morning light was just warming up the sky, making it light enough to see but the heavy fog that had descended in the night made her anxious. 

Her Mama and Abuela had been clear. The closer they got to the forest and then to the heavy raging mountain pass river the more dangerous it was. They were pressed against human territory. There were males patrolling, she knew that, but they were not an infallible safety net. She must be careful. 

She took a few tentative sniffs before necessity moved her forward. She would go quickly, relieve herself and then return to the safety of the cave. 

She moved into the wooded forest, towards the courtship meadow. She could see the rock her Abuela had stood upon and the smoldering remains of the large fire. The place was inherently deserted, a fact she took comfort in. Carefully, she settled to a nearby tree, close enough so she could see both the cave and the wide open space but far enough so she was not openly visible to anyone who walked out of the cave. Squatting low she relaxed and let the stream of urine flow, training her eyes outward, looking for threats. She finished up, intent on getting back to the cave as soon as she could. 

She did not hear the male approaching until she walked into his broad chest. 

The deep inhale caught her off guard. He wasn’t someone she was familiar with, beyond seeing him yesterday in passing. In fact there was nothing distinguished about him; he was adult-male-largish with ashy brown wool and long curved horns. Despite being smaller than Beto or Mariano his physique, appearance and the style of his horns made her think he was perhaps a Guzman or an offshoot of that family. In truth she did not know all the males that well, having been born later and this being her first season.

She lowered her head in submission so as not to anger him and stepped to the side, intent on getting back to the cave and her family.

However, the moment she made to go around him he moved to block her path. She took a tentative step back and watched as he immediately leaned own to sniff at the spot where she had just peed before popping right back up again. She tried to go behind the tree, keeping the barrier between them. It seemed to do little to deter him, in fact Mirabel was certain he was taking her fear and interpreting it as a coy game.

As she came around the tree she let out a sharp cry, projecting her disinterest. She had expected him to back away and let her pass but he did not. Instead he stepped towards her, forcing her backwards again.  

He lowered his body, curving his back and brining his elbows to his chest with his hands out. He was racing her but this new stance made it seem like he was ready to shoot forward and grasp her should she try to escape. The realization sent a tingle of fear and adrenaline down her spine. She made to move again but this time he bumped her backwards aggressively. 

Comparatively much smaller than he was, Mirabel let out a bleat as she toppled over, landing on her back with her legs sprawled.

He was on her in a second, pitching forward, dropping to his knees and shoving his face between her legs. She yelped in shock, attempting to backpedal on all fours to get away from him as he used his nose to push himself into direct contact with her cunt. She had heard about this, about how males checked if a female was in heat but in those lessons she would be inviting the male to do so. 

The moment she felt his tongue run a hot wet stripe over her bare flesh she panicked. 

Kicking out she managed to hit him on the horn with a hoof, forcing him back as she scrambled onto her stomach trying to get away. 

She pulled a high pitched cry as two large hands wrapped around her waist, dragging her back towards him aggressively trying to get his head back between her legs.

She attempted to pull away again, bucking sharply and kicking backwards as she had seen her sister do to ward aggressive males off. This was different though. Those males had been surrounded by the herd. There had been others to stop it if things went too far. There was no one here to stop him, no one here to fight him her.

She had never heard of this happening before, a male not responding to an obvious disinterest on the female's part and forcing it was obscene. She had no idea how to stop him any further than she was. Her screaming, kicking and fighting seemed to be no deterrent at all and very ineffective in comparison to his strength and size. 

The male was too large and too close. She made contact with his knee and she heard the sharp cry followed by his own angry bleat. His hands tightened sharply on her waist, so painfully tight it felt like he was grinding her bones. She felt him press his weight against her back, like the way they had when she was little and used to play with Camilo in the meadows. However this was nowhere near as carefree and fun as her time with her primo. He pressed her down, forcing her into the hard ground face first. She cried out in distress. 

The weight of him bearing down on her was immense. His body eclipsed hers as he bullied her into a prone position, using his broad chest to pin her into the hard earth. He seemed to be either unaware of his weight or simply didn't care about her surviving this encounter. Mirabel screeched in a new terror. She couldn’t breathe. He was too strong to dislodge and too heavy to get a breath with his full weight on her. 

Fear and alarm spiked and she tried to cry out for help. Perhaps her mama and her papa were awake now. Perhaps someone would come. The sound came out as a gasping wheeze, squeezing what little air remained in her lungs out in a weak huff. 

Above her she felt him separating her legs with his own, and then a moment later some hard and wide pressing against her sex.she knew what was coming. Crying out again she began to struggle desperate to get out from under him. His hips flexed forward, not with enough force to breach her but when enough to make clear his intent. She kicked out frantically again, fear and desperation fueling her to struggle as she bucked and twisted in every possible way she could. Her vision blurred as her lungs burned, demanding oxygen but she kept going. Pure adrenaline coursing through her as yet cries were shallow gasps of wheezes escaping into the foggy forest. 

Just as she was about to give up, deliverance came, heralded by an angry screech. She felt the massive weight roll off of her and Mirabel wasted no time scrambling away. Gasping in huge gulps of air, Mirabel used a tree to pull herself upright. After a moment of recovery she peered around her new shield, searching for her savior. 

Camilo stood before the male, breathing heavy and every muscle tensed and ready. He stood between her position and the male, making it clear to her to get to her the male would have to come through him. Her primo's head was low and an angry noise erupting from his throat. A warning sound telling his opponent to back down, that this would end in a fight otherwise. 

The big male pulled up to his full height, snuffing aggressively. Obviously displaying fury at losing his prize at Camilo's hands. 

He was bigger than Cami. Mirabel let slide out from behind the tree to stand a ways behind her protector. She saw his eyes dart to her, before turning back to the threat. Her eyes went wide as the male lowered his head as well, kicking up the rough forest floor in an obviously threatening gesture.

Mirabel hardly had time to process what was happening when both males shot forwards, heads low and flanks flexed.

They connected with a hard clack. The sound was so loud she found herself wincing at how the impact must have felt. Neither male seemed phased though. They backed up, both rearing before surging forward to meet horns again. 

Their horns were different. The big male's longhorns seemed less equipped for the brutal impacts than Camilo's. Her primo's had horns like his own papa; heavy,thicker and curled. Despite his body being more lithe than his opponent she could tell the shape of his horns helped make up that difference. His horns seemed built for impact, stronger in their structure alone where she could see the slight vibrations in other male’s with each hit Camilo dealt out. The coiled design allowed for greater stability with each brutal collision. 

Still they were close to the same height so each hit was met head to head. Mirabel found herself worrying her hands, bleating in distress for her primo. The red tinge of blood began to flow although the fast pace of the fight made it impossible to tell it's source. She could see it splattering on the bare chests of both males as they went at one another again and again, occasionally locking horns and using their arms to wrestle against one another. 

As hit after hit was met with neither submitted she began to worry. The ground was growing wet with red. She could see the crazed look in both their eyes. She knew this went far beyond her. This was dominance. Camilo had challenged a bigger male. He could not rescind the challenge without losing his own status and the larger male was in the same predicament. They were fighting for their place in the herd and she was helpless to stop it. 

Despite her anxious cries her Primo seemed to be holding his own, very surprising considering the male was so much stronger physically. Finally one impact had the larger male back up, lose his footing and topple onto his backside. His face was coated in blood. He seemed lost and dazed as he tried to regain himself before falling again, obviously unable to stay upright. Camilo stood over him, bleating out an angry cry of dominance before turning his back on his opponent and walking back towards her. 

Mirabel could see him. His eyes were also dazed, a lost sort of wildness in their green depths. He had trailed of blood running over his brow and cheeks, soaking through his hair but all in all less than his opponent. She rushed to him. He stumbled back a pace as she hit him, her arms wrapping around his waist and her cries of relief filling the air. She felt him tense for a moment before relaxing, placing some of his weight subtly on her. Mirabel understood and locked her hooves into the earth in a steady stance. Females were made to be able to support male weight, her strong hips and legs were more than able to support Camilo as he regained himself. She felt him wrap his arms around her, returning the embrace before laying his head on top of hers. She could feel his heart pumping, feel his breath coming out in harsh pants. 

She pulled back to look at him. The base of both his horns was bleeding around the place where the horns met his scalp and soaking his red hair a more crimson than his normal fiery color. He had a gash down the side of his forehead that was bleeding profusely and more than a few bruises around his head. She reached up, running her hands over his face, letting her fingertips dance over the quickly bruising skin with a tenderness he seemed to appreciate. He caught her hand in his own, pressing it to his lips before knocking his forehead to hers. 

She understood what he was asking and cooed out her relief at his safety. Her own sense of well being and peace seemed to ease him as she nuzzled against his cheek, anchoring him in her own calm .

She was fine, she told him in soft comforting sounds and gentle touches. 

At that point a crowd had formed. Her mama and papa were there along with Camilo's parents and almost the entire herd. She could see the tears in her Tia Pepas eyes and the hard look her Tio Felix wore a grim look. He had obviously been aware of the stakes in this fight. 

Unwilling to continue the spectacle the big buck that had tried to mount her toddled off dizzily towards the Guzman matriarch, hidden away in the crowd of his family. Mirabel noted he must have been the younger brother of Mariano and Beto. A loss that would not please his brothers nor their father. 

Camilo turned to her, hiding his injuries from the eyes of their community by pressing himself to her body, allowing her to continue bearing his weight. She cooed loudly in both sympathy and appreciation for the wounds he had incurred on her behalf, making it clear that he had won the challenge and thereby had risen in the ranks of the herd. He gently butted his horns against her tiny ones, a soft motion that made her blush despite the gore. After a few moments Tio Felix and Tia Pepa sidled up next to them. 

Her eyes met his Papa’s meaningfully. Her Tio nodded, motioning for her Tia to grasp Camilo on the other. Together the two of them managed to ease him subtle enough towards the cave. It was acceptable that both males rest after a challenge. No one was ignorant to the damage that could be inflicted upon any buck in those competitions for mating rights and status. Still, for Camilo to collapse would be damaging to the virtue of his victory. It was important he remained upright and appeared less injured than his opponent. 

He would be taken to Abuela for treatment while the other buck would be treated by his own mother. 

As he was herded from her Mirabel watched as other young females seemed to be staring at his retreating form. They whispered with one another, twittering and giggling. There was something about that she didn't like and she pawed angrily at the rocky ground in irritation. Huffing angrily. 

Soon enough her mama and female relatives came around her, cooing their concern. As the story came out and was conveyed she saw her Mama and Abuela exchange a look. She had little doubt the male would be dealt with although it was unlikely she would be involved. This sort of transgression would be handled between matriarchs although as her primo and a male of her family line Camilo had set out the main form of punishment that would be metted out from the males. She wrapped her arms around her Mama, eager to feel secure and safe. It was easier to see now how that role was no longer hers but she allowed herself one second to cling to her childhood, only too aware how much of a liability it would be here. 

Whether she felt she was to be mated or not that male had made it clear males would not allow her alone to make that decision. She was going to have to make a choice very soon. She watched the retreating back of her primo as he was escorted back to the cave and she knew she was fairly certain of what that choice would be.

****

The day dragged on tedious and slow until the sun hung high in the sky. It was at that point, hours after the early morning duel, she tried to see Camilo. 

She had gathered some sweet raspberries and other fruits to thank him for defending her. She had heard Abuela communicate to the herd that Camilo was to be let alone for the day to rest and recover. An announcement that was let with bags of disappointment from many females and a huff of annoyance from Mirabel. 

The injuries he had sustained were not too serious but he still needed to focus on rest and recovery. She was also there for her Abuela to announce that given his victory he would be allowed the first choice of meat at the feast and would be granted a seat with the full grown males. Whispers ran through the herd. Camilo being given a place of honour so young was impressive, an accomplishment worthy of note. His popularity would sky rocket.  

Mirabel bit her lip in anxiety. It would make him even more attractive to females. What his beautiful eyes and his playful smile didn’t do to attract mates his new status would. She had no doubt he would be sought after this breeding season. He might even sire a lamb or two before the next winter. For some reason the thought brought a tight feeling to her chest. 

Her emotions spurred her forward even against the decree of her Abuela. She crept into the cave on soft hooves. The cave itself was mostly empty by now, all the does and bucks taking part in mating games had no reason to be indoors, especially when time was so limited. 

She knew she should be as well but instead she hugged the wall keeping to the shadows and slinking along the roughly hewn stone walls until she found the nest where her primo was reclined. She watched as her Tia Pepa cooed over Camilo, fussing over him, running her hands through his hair, inspecting his injuries and attempting to feed him. She even offered him her milk. He declined but the action brought an affectionate nudge from Tio Felix as he took her by the arm and led her out back towards the mouth of the cave. 

She waited for the adults to leave before popping out from behind her rocky hiding place. Her eyes trailed on him. He was propped up in a pile of padding and blankets. His head was tipped back and his eyes were closed until she took another step in his direction. Immediately his head jerked in her direction and his sharpened gaze trained on her. 

She tilted her head at him, not certain if he wanted her closer but then, after a moment he eased up sitting with his elbows resting on his knees as she watched him. His curls were a mess, the deep dark colour of blood was clotted around the base of his horns. Mostly he looked tired. 

She let out a little moue of upset as she crept closer to him, allowing plenty of time for him to reject her. Her offerings were set out before him as soon as she was close enough to do so. Mirabel knelt before him, curiously looking at the nest that had been made especially for his recovery. Her Tia had done an excellent job, the hay was clean and fresh. There was some clover set to the side and some dried meat. She spied a small stone carved basin full of water near him, close enough that he could reach over and drink should he have the need but far enough he would not knock it over in his sleep. Reaching down she dipped her fingertips in the water, wetting her hands. 

Her fingers dragged through the cool liquid as she cupped her palm, gathering a small amount and sprinkling it over his head. Camilo pulled back at first, fixing her with an intense look at the unfamiliar sensation of water being dripped over his head. His green eyes searched her, assessing her actions for a moment before he lowered his head, allowing her to do as she pleased. The move was one of blind trust. She felt her heart swell at the implications of the act. For some reason it was accompanied by a sharp throb of pleasure running through her. 

Tentatively she reached out and let the water pool over the base of his thick curved horns. With delicate touches she teased out his bloody curls, taking time to run each one with water before letting it rest upon his hand. She pulled up one of the random blankets around them and dabbed at the runoff. Stopping the pink rivulets from trailing over his brow Slowly, surely, she cleaned up most of the blood. As she moved to drag the wet edge of the blanket over his face Camilo’s hand reached out. Lightening quick he held her west in his fist, an intense look blaring as he stared into her eyes again. 

Mirabel was not sure what to expect but she didn't expect him to turn her wrist in his hand, nuzzling it against his face before delicately licking up and down at her pulse point. She found herself making soft mewling sounds at the contact, moving towards him and pressing her forehead to his as they had before, rubbing them back and forth so their horns softly clacked together. She gets a hum of happiness buzz through her. It seemed a tender parody of the fight he had had hours ago.

She was careful not to disturb his injuries as she began dragging her own little horns up and down the length of his. He groaned softly at the action, letting the sensations of their ribbed lengths rubbing in counterpoint to one another. She communicated her gratitude to him for defending her, her admiration for his strength and the long standing affection between them in soft gentle noises whispered into his olive skin and along the thick tendons of his neck. She felt him do the same. 

She felt his mouth drag over her, whispering a song of longing into her own curls. She knew then that he had missed her as much as she had missed him. He had wanted her on those cold nights when he was curled up alone by the fire while his father stood guard. The admissions ignited something within her; something tight and feral she had never felt before and her coos began impassioned moans, as if his whispers alone were able to spark something within her she'd never felt before. 

She was so enthralled with their actions that she barely noticed when his hands reached out to pull her in, adjusting her so she was straddling his lap with her thick thighs draped over his hips. He titled his head, staring deep into her eyes before angling his head slightly and pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss. 

She gasped at the contact. Pulling back, both surprised and shocked at his actions. She made to move away, trying to separate herself to comprehend just what was happening between them, but the mewling noise he made forced her to stop. His hands held her hips steady, not hard but sternly and she turned to look at him. His face was wide open to her, pupils dilated and emotion was plain to see. There was a certainty there she had never seen before. A new dimension to her playful primo that was serious and strong. She was reminded of the look he had given the buck when he had been growling out his anger. He looked strong, fierce and, above all other things, more than worthy of her affections.

For the first time she looked at him as a male, really looked at him. His physical features, his soft eyes and strong chest. More than that the buck he was becoming. He had jumped to her defense with no thought of his own safety. He could have easily walked away and never placed himself in such a precarious situation where his status would be based on winning or losing in combat for her sake. But he hadn't done that. He had heard her cries and had run to her immediately, he had defended her and incurred injury on her behalf. He was strong in every way that she wanted her own lamps to be. 

She knew, in that moment, she was his. That she would follow him anywhere and everywhere. That their innocent days were dangling on the precipice of what was about to happen next and the next move forever define their new dynamic. Camilo seemed to know it as well. Even in his hazy lust there was a seriousness there, as if he were considering his next move. And then he lifted his hips. 

She gasped. 

His erection rubbed between her swollen sex; hard, smooth and insistent. She arched her back at the sensation, tossing her head in wonton lust. The action forced her teets forward and wIthout any prompting she felt his lips enclose on one nipple, suckling eagerly and aggressively. 

She keened at the sensation, she had no milk to offer him, but the thing his tongue doing, the way it was flicking back and forth across her nipple caused her to baa at him in pleasure. Her hands reached up, digging into his curls and holding him tightly to her breast while the hard shaft between his legs thrust upwards against her. She felt her body react without conscious thought. She ground down against it, earning a cry from him and her own mewl of want as the head of his cock rubbed against something the small pearl of pleasure she often explored in the privacy of her own nest. 

She had never experienced anything like this before. She was beginning to understand now what the fuss was about. She was also coming to suspect that Camilo's intervention might not have been solely altruistic.That thought in and of itself lit something inside her, something that had her hands wrapped around his battered horns and rubbing her swollen, soaked cunt against his hard length back and forth. Her body dragged over his flesh, hot and wet as he moaned and cried beneath her. Muscles in his abdomen bunching and tensing before her eyes as he thrust himself over her heated flesh.  

At one pass the head of his cock caught at the tight hole of her entrance. Electric pleasure danced over her nerves but she delighted more in the noise of surprise he gave followed immediately by a whine of heady desperation. At his reaction she had to force down her own instincts. Her body was telling her to turn, to let him press his face into her sex and then mate her from behind. It was only an act of sheer will power and the awareness that he was still injured that gave her the strength to resist him. He was not supposed to mate at the moment and he had gotten that way defending her. It kept her in place, kept her moving at a steady pace over his length while he quaked between her thighs. Beneath her he was making the loveliest sounds, desperate moaning that had her hips picking up speed. 

She was racing towards something, she was certain of it but she wasn't sure what it was. All she knew was the pleasure each movement gave her, and the enticement his reactions lit in the base of her gut. She wanted his cries. She wanted to drink in his cries and be lost forever with Camilo between her legs, his head thrown back, sweat beading on his brow as his eyes pinched in concentration. 

Finally, one of her glides along his length he bucked his hips in a way that had the hard rounded tip of him push shallowly into her sex. She felt him breaching the tightness of her cunt as the head of his cock was enveloped in her warmth. The stretch, the pressure of him inside her, woke something deep within. In that second she felt her body explode. The intrusion set off a chain reaction that had her screaming out as pleasure surged through every vein. Her body contracted and shuddered, tightening around the head of his cock with every muscle she had in an exquisite grip that felt full and complete. 

Beneath her he let out a matching cry in conjunction with her body gripping him, she felt him flex his hips to push himself as far into her as the angle would allow. Beneath her his thighs strained, the muscles flexing as his body went taunt, leaving him moaning and trembling mess. She felt awestruck at the beauty of him wholly at the mercy of their coupling. There was a foreign sensation of his manhood growing thicker, almost harder, before she felt something wet, hot and viscous pump out of it, shooting over her before overflowing and slowly trailing down her already soaked cunt. 

Looking between them she watched as he pulled his still hard cock away leaving a sticky, thick trail of whitish liquid spilling out of her body and puddling between them. 

She separated from him, suddenly embarrassed and overwhelmed at what they had done.

Camilo immediately moved forward, an expression of distress upon his face, unwilling to let her drift away. He called out plaintively, wanting her to stay, opening his arms to her imploringly. 

She debated it. Part of her really wanted to go back to him, to tuck herself into his lap and curl but she really couldn’t. She wasn’t supposed to be there and she knew it. She also wasn’t quite sure exactly what had happened between her and Camilo but she was certain things between them had changed somehow.  

Unable and unwilling to completely accept what had just occurred she cried out an apology and hurried away.

****

 Rushing out of the caves and moving into the daylight. She nearly bowled over numerous others as she hurried to the nearby streams, shoving herself into the cool water and letting it rush over her haunches. The cool steam felt wonderful on her sore and heated sex as she waded in the stream. 

She reached down to scrub the liquid Camilo had spurted all over her crotch and thighs before it dried into her wool. 

What had happened between herself and Camilo? What had she allowed to happen? Was this what everyone was talking about? But the big question was what was she to do now? 

She had a general idea of what this new experience would mean for her but, on the whole, most females did not breed their first time in the mating grounds. She was certain Luisa had not even mated yet and she knew for a fact her prima Dolores had not bred her first time around. She was to learn by watching her sisters, her Tias, her cousins and all the other females. Even her own Mama. 

However, she knew Camilo would not be new to any of this. 

A new thought occurred to her. One that hadn’t before. Perhaps he was very much accustomed to mating, which was why he had initiated it with her so easily. He had seen it before, in fact he had been seeing it every season since he was five. It might have meant nothing to him, just an act of pleasure to make himself feel a bit better while he was in pain. 

For some reason that thought brought tears to her eyes. 

She would not expect any male mating her to be exclusive to her. It just wasn’t how things were done. But she would have expected her primo to be a little more considered since he was aware of just how inexperienced she was. 

The entire experience felt confusing. Worse, she regretted leaving Camilo. Thinking back to his offer, the open arms that promised a warm embrace, seemed so tempting at the moment. She wanted to go back, to throw herself at him and to wrap herself up in him. She wanted to touch him more and let him touch her. She wanted him to put his hard cock inside her all the way this time and hear his pleasure pour out of his mouth as he took her mind and body apart again and again. 

She would give him time, she decided. She would give him the time to heal and feel better. 

She let the water trail through her fingers before moving towards the riverbank again. She could wait.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on. Mirabel followed the grazing females.She was surprised how much of their time was spent on normal activities. It made a sort of sense. There were not enough males that everyone would be mating at all times. The older dames assigned jobs to the females. Everyone cleared out and aired the hay in their family nests. Some females collected berries, some collected firewood. They groomed one another, especially the smaller lambs. Mirable even found herself teasing out the knots in Antonio’s inky black wool as was usual. Tia Pepa often lost patience with the time it took to manage Antonio’s curls. 

However, it wasn’t as if her thoughts weren’t preoccupied with her Primo or that mating was not on anyone mind. 

She had seen the occasional mating taking place. She had even caught her prima Dolores and the big buck Mariano in the woods together when she had gone to gather firewood for the night. She had watched as he had grabbed her around the hips, nipping at her shoulders and neck. Mirabel had gripped the trunk of the tree as Dolores had nudged him and bumped him.Looking over her shoulder with teasing smiles and wide eyes.

Mariano seemed to be more gentle than anything else, moving around her, teasing her until she turned her back to him, bending over slightly at the waist and looking over her shoulder at him again with a look that made her desires absolutely clear. She watched as the big male grinned moving to stand behind her. It was the first time she noticed his erect penis. She almost gasped. It was very large. Had Camilo been that large? She had not been in a position to see it but she wondered because it seemed impossible that something that size would fit into her or her prima.

Her face felt warm as she watched him hold it in one hand, lining it up properly before pushing in. Dolores’ back arched and she let out a breathy pleased baah followed by a grunt from her mate. His powerful hips thrust against her thick thighs in abandon, picking up speed and strength as her cousin was jilted forward with each flex. Her cousin seemed to delight in each single movement, Mariano seemed to delight in it as well. He caressed her back, dragging his hands up and down her, burring out sounds of happiness and contentment. There was something between them when they interacted that made Mirabel think that perhaps Mariano would chose Dolores as his prime mate. As his true one. 

Mirabel slipped away. THat would definitely upset Abuela’s plans for Isabela. She knew she would do well to keep her thoughts to herself least she cause an upset in the family. 

As she walked back to the meadows she gnawed on one of her nails. Was that what Camilo wanted with her?

Is that what they were meant to do?

She pressed her hands to her red hot cheeks, taking a few deep breaths. She felt hot all over. Her body ached, between her legs ached. The wetness of the river was long gone, replaced by the slick wetness she had felt while rubbing against her primo. Had watching Mariano and Dolores done that to her? It seemed strange. Sex and mating was common. She had seen many of the others mate including her sisters. It wasn’t often worth mentioning, but for some reasons he was feeling different about all of it. 

She paused for a moment to relieve herself on the ground, unable to quell the urge to do so. This time she was a great deal more careful, ensuring no one was around to see her. She was still not settled from the incident that morning. 

She strolled around the grounds, walking between the trees, encountering other herd members, some mating and some not. Luisa was wandering with one of the larger males and she had come upon her Papa with a young female, around her sister Isa’s age, mating. She immediately walked away, not at all eager to watch her Papa in such a state. 

As she returned to the wider meadow grounds where most of the females and males were congregating her eyes immediately caught the flash of brownish red. He was laughing, drinking water from a leather water skin that had been passed to him. He did not look troubled at all by their interaction that morning or by his fight. In fact he looked absolutely care free. 

As she neared them she spied a female, around Dolores and Isabela’s age, approach the group. The doe smiled at the bucks, tossing her long golden hair over her shoulder as she squatted down and peed right in his path. 

Mirabel felt jealous. She watched both Camilo and the two males around him bent low to investigate the female, gently bumping and nudging her as she flirted. 

She knew it shouldn’t be a problem. He wasn’t even doing anything wrong. This was the reason they were here. Still she could not suppress the dark feelings that seeped into her at the sight. 

Oblivious to being watched the female before them presented herself, bending over right in front of Camilo to show off her swollen hind quarters. 

Mirabel couldn’t stop herself. The cry of upset that left her lips was accompanied by a wave of shame. All eyes turned to her but the only ones she met were Camilo's. He looked at her with something she couldn't identify but the image of those eyes staring at her while he mounted the female offering herself to him would be more than Mirabel could handle. The grief it brought on propelled her to whirl around and run into the woods.  

She had no right to demand anything of Camilo, she reminded herself as she felt tears well up in her eyes and dripped off as the trees whizzed by. She had seen her Papa mate with other females just that day! His children were all around her. Her Tio was the same and even Isabela and Dolores might end up with lambs from the same sire. She had heard of some species where mates would be exclusive to own another but it certainly was not their practice.  

Her Mama was clear when she had taught her that mating rarely had anything to do with emotion or feelings. The purpose of the entire process was to pass on traits that each female wanted for their own young. It was the way of the herd. There were not enough males for the all females present. Her primo would have many children over his lifetime and she would have her own with the males she chose to sire her young. 

There was no reason for her to be so upset about it. Yet she was. She could not shake the hurt deep inside her that only hours ago she had been writhing on his lap as they took these new steps together but once she had left he had moved on almost immediately. But it didn’t make sense to her that she would mean nothing to him. He had rushed to her defense when he hadn’t needed to. He had been hurt trying to protect her. Granted it had elevated his status but it had been a huge risk, not one many males were willing to take.  

She wanted to believe that she was special to him. He had been her first friend. He had been her protector for far longer than they had been adult Satyrs. She had spent nights curled together with him. They had nursed side by side and had laughed and played together in some of her happiest memories.

A realization hit her. She wanted that again. 

Mirabel stopped, hand against a tree as everything her heart had been telling her over the last two days came full circle in her mind. 

She had been eager to see Camilo more than she had been eager to find a nameless buck to mate with. She had not even really looked at another male in her two day at the mating grounds while all the other young females were socializing, trying to pick the best sire for their lambs. She had looked at little Antonio and imagined lambs like him with reddish brown wool and the same gentle face. Those had always been the lambs she imagined in her mind. The ones she thought about when she imagined being a mother.

The realization hit her like a rock to the head. She was in love with her primo. 

As if summoned by her thoughts she heard him call through the forest. A bleat of searching. He had followed her. 

Turning in place she took a moment to realize she was outside of the normal wooded grounds. Farther than any of their kind would normally travel. These were the areas that started to get rocky, if she were to continue she would leave the mating grounds completely and be in the mountains that surrounded their paradise. An area that might be safe but man but only because it was so dangerous in every other way. 

 She heard him call again, this time hearing a bit more panic in his voice. 

She scanned the forest and then spied him. He was standing at the ready, his eyes seeking her out . She stood and watched, wide eyed, as he stormed up to her. He seemed angry, furious even. She yelped when he grasped her hard and pulled her to stare at him. 

She could easily see his distress. His eyes were wide with both fear and upset, his cheeks flushed with the rush to get to her accompanied by his heaving chest were obvious signs that this had not been an easy chase for him. 

Even as she tried to figure out her next move she felt a tinge of respect hit her; he had been an entire meadow behind her. She knew she was lighter on her feet and females were traditionally faster runners than males. Yet he had caught her, he had pushed himself and was now staring her down in a way that made him feel much bigger and stronger than she was. She felt herself flush all the way to her chest; his hard hunches, his body toned and muscled from the harsh winters was never more obvious than it was now. She looked up at him through hooded eyes offering a gentle smile as her hands moved up to cradle her face. This time she was the one who brought her mouth to his. She was the one that inhaled his gasp and used the surprise to deepen the kiss. 

She held him tenderly in her hands as their mouths met again and again. She loved how vocal he was, how each whimper and moan was more from him than her despite the kiss inciting zings of pleasure that would demand satisfaction sooner rather than later. She pushed him back, breaking the kiss and enjoying the look of shock he had as he was pressed against the nearby tree. She roughly pushed her body against his, capturing his mouth again as she began rubbing herself against him. She could feel his body responding to her, felt his excitement at the initiative she was taking. She reached up, something inside her inciting her to be more aggressive with him. She gripped his hair in her fist and pulled back, exposing his throat to her eager mouth. 

She felt her centre burn with desire, soaking her so thoroughly down her legs and smearing onto his growing erection. The nudge of the solid flesh bobbing between her legs made her hungry. 

Her instincts were crystal clear in their messaging. The warmth she had felt, the flushing and the urinating. The way she had hated his paying attention to another female. She had him now at her mercy and despite all the uncertainty that still warred in her heart she knew she was certain about her feelings for Camilo. 

Mirabel backed away a few paces from him looking at him before turning around. Her tail wagged enticingly as she peered over her shoulder, bending at the waist to allow him a clear view of her swollen, hot sex. 

She heard him inhale, deep gasping breaths as the tiniest trickle of urine slipped out of her, just enough to project the rich pheromones it was imbued with. She tried to remember what she had seen in the matings she had stumbled upon. What Dolores had done to entice Marinao. A part of her worried she might not be doing it right. She called out to Camilo plaintively, a noise she knew he recognized that would draw him over. 

It took only a few moments before she felt him near her, his hands reverently touching her hips and flanks. The hot strip of his tongue licking her was a surprise but a welcome one. He hadn’t been in a position to do that when they were in the cave but she could tell by the way he repeated the action and the noises he was making he had found what he was looking for and what she knew full well. She was in standing heat. She was ready to be bred. 

His mouth latched onto her sex, licking and sucking, drinking down the slick pouring out of her. Even as he was bent over she could feel him maneuvering her, switching spots so her hands were against the firm trunk of the tree as he squatted down to better feast on her. The hot peak of her pleasure came quickly, quaking through her limbs and causing a keening cry to erupt from her lungs as she hugged onto the tree for dear life.

After a moment he pulled away from her. She whined at the bereft feeling, while the pleasure had left her more relaxed the need for him had risen. She cried in distress at her unfulfilled need to mate. 

Immediately he moved to comfort her, baahing at her comfortingly as his body pressed against hers. She felt his hands drag up and down her waist, tickling against her soft wool, but to her surprise, he didn’t simply mount her. He pulled her upright, moving away from the trees to one of the nearby rocks so he could sit down and sit her on his lap. 

Confused but more than willing to allow him to care for her she followed his lead. He positioned her to straddle him face to face as they had been before in the family caves. She tilted her head in confusion but still returned the soft smile he was giving her. He reached down, drawing her head down to pull her into a passionate kiss. 

She mewled into the contact, enjoying the soft sensation of his lips against hers as his mouth opened to explore hers. Her orgasm had left her increasingly wet but less frantic. The reprieve allows her to indulge him, willingly letting him show her what he wanted. He touched gently, dragging his finger tips along her warm skin, she gasped into his mouth when his thick hard length came into contact with her swollen sex. Instead of pulling back from him this time she rose up, her eyes meeting his as she reached down to angle him so that the head of his head rubbed enticingly against her soft lips. She dragged his length through her hot sex, soaking it in her ample slick. With little preamble she lowered herself on him, impaling her eager body on the hard stalk of his cock . The contrasting sensation of her swollen, esger body being forcibly parted by his solid flesh was almost as pleasing at the picture he painted as she eased onto him. Her eyes were glued to him as his head was thrown back in ecstasy. A loud bleating cry escaped him as her body embraced him. She felt her own cry bubble in her throat as his flesh settled deep inside her. 

She was a little shocked he fit. 

She took a moment to pause, letting her body adjust. She could feel him hot and heavy inside her in a way nothing else had ever been before. He was both wide and long, pressed so deeply in her she could feel the tip of him push insistently on the very edge of her limits in a sensation that was note quite pleasure but not pain either. Mirabel shifted, gasping as the warm weight of his balls pressed against her backside incited a delight that was more mental than physical. It was a heady thought that, at the moment, they could not physically be more connected. Their bodies were merged into one in a moment of extreme vulnerability. This was not the mating she had see of females pressed against tress, not even looking at their mates. This felt…intimate.

From their position they could see one another’s reactions. She could look into his wide dilated pupils, feel the way his chest rose and fell as he panted in excitement and he bit his lip to keep of crying out. It was not a safe position to mate this way, it left them both vulnerable to approaching threats, but Mirabel found herself completely unwilling to change it. She wanted to look at him and she wanted him to look at her. Being able to see the desire in his eyes was worth every single risk they were taking. It was a choice she would make again and again. 

She felt everything begin to compound inside her, the physical sensation of his member so deep inside her coupled with the wave of affection she felt washing over them had her petting his hair and running her hands over his horns in an attempt to distract herself from being overwhelmed to the point of tears.. Beneath her he cried at the sensations, digging his fingertips into her hips in a herculean effort to allow her body to adjust to him. Her touches drew his attention and he began kissing her, his hands and mouth roving over every inch of flesh he could reach. 

She cooed, tentatively rocking back and forth, testing the feeling of his cock within her. Immediately he matched her pace, his own hips thrusting up to meet her with controlled force that seemed near painful if his expression was anything to go by. Empowered by his obvious care Mirabel planted her hooves on the ground beneath them, using her support to rise up and drop herself back down, allowing her greater control while still giving Camilo the ability to press himself into her as she descended it. As they kept going the movements began more aggressive on both their parts. She could feel every inch of him dragging along her inner walls, pulling back before pressing in over and over. The friction felt absolutely perfect.. Soon enough there was no more fear as she bounced on his lap with complete abandon. His legs spread, allowing him more power to push upwards while also exposing her heated sex. HIs hands dove down, his fingers toying with her exposed flesh while his cock continued to spear in and out of her so fast it seemed to blur. Her hands pulled at her own hair before holding onto his horns to steady herself as their speed increased. 

Each pass created an electric excitement within her until she was frantically rubbing over him, His thrust became harder, stronger, negating her ability to control as she gave up supporting herself and just allowed him to ride his lap. The only sound between them were gasps and pants, accompanying the harsh wet slapping noises of their flesh coming together and pulling apart at the rapid pace Camilo was setting. Front her perch on his lap she looked down at him, their eyes met. Lust was there but something else overshadowed it. She cooed a noise of pure love towards him, unable to restrain herself from it. His face broke open like the dawn, exquisite happiness bathing him like sunlight. He grabbed her hair roughly dragging her mouth to his. He plundered her as assuredly as he was doing the same to her insides. They seemed to go on much longer than any of the other matings she had observed until finally the tightening coil within her exploded. 

Mirabel cried out frantically as her entire body seemed to contract and tense around him. Her end brought on his as he let out sharp bleats and calls before thrusting himself so deeply in her she was sure he had pushed past whatever barrier existed within her and was unloading directly into her womb. She felt the thick flesh of him grow even harder and hotter as he flexed within her, biting down on his lip and letting out desperate cries as she felt him release over and over for minutes on end. 

She held on tightly to him as his body spasmed and trembled until all movement between them subsided. A thin sheen of sweat covered them both as the sounds of the forest around them came back to their senses. Birds chirped, the leaves rustled and their soft combined panting provided a sound track for their afterglow. For a good long time they just sat together, still connected tight and panting. OBviously unwilling to be parted.

Eventually Mirabel found herself climbing off of him, careful mauevering herself to push up on unsteady legs.. As she rose, his softened member slipped out of her leaving a solid stream of white dribbling out of her, falling onto Camilo’s lap and then to the forest floor to create a small puddle beneath her. 

She looked down, tilting her head at it. Camilo seemed more concerned about it. He looked at the puddle to her and back again as if the idea of the liquid leaving her body was distressing to him. SHe looked as well. THere was a great deal more than she remembered their being earlier in the morning and this was not simply smeared over her sex and the wool of her thighs. What Camilo had left was deep within her. Softly flexing her internal muscles she watched as more poured forth. He let out a distressed bleat, looking back and forth from her to the puddle before shooting his hand forward and cupping it around her sex, as if the act itself could keep it from falling out. Smiling, she merely reached over and took his hand from her body and laced his fingers with hers. Drawing him up and into a soft kiss was natural, delicate. She nuzzled against his chin, tucking herself to him. 

She felt him sigh in relief, as if her affection outside the mating act was a sort of balm to his soul. 

As they walked slowly back to the meadow they came upon other Satyrs. All the others seemed to note their hands connected and the way their fingers were intertwined. When they encountered larger males she smiled when Camilo draped his arm over her shoulder and held her so tightly to his hip that she had trouble walking. His intent was absolutely clear. He was laying claim to her and her heart soared because of it. As they passed by their parents and siblings all eyes shot to them. She watched as Camilo did not falter, merely pressing himself to her as firmly as possible, rubbing his scent on every possible patch of skin she had exposed before kissing her soundly. 

Later that night, when they went to the cave she had no reservations about abandoning her family nest and following Camilo to a spot between their two families, clear of any other couples. Her mother and Tia smiled at her and she was nudged into preparing a space, laying down some dry straw as she had seen her mama do and layering blankets over it. Once completed Camilo had grinned at her and settled himself against the rock, propping himself up so he could see the mouth of the cave just as his father did. 

She watched as her Tio and Papa walked to him and whispered something to him, patting him on the back and nuzzling him affectionately as he remained in his place. Then, after a moment he opened his arms for her. 

Mirabel bounced into his embrace. All too aware of what it meant. They would be together. She would be his mate. There would be other females he bred with and other children he sired but she would always be the one he cared about. So just as her Mama snuggled up against her Papa and her Tia did the same to her Tio Felix Mirabel tucked herself securely under Camilo’s chin. She felt him tilt to drop kisses against her forehead and she cooed happily in his embrace. 

Everything about this was strange and new but, for the first time since it had all started, Mirabel was happy at the prospect of being a full grown doe. 

FIVE SEASONS LATER….

Mirabel smiled as she made the now familiar climb up the rocky paths to the breeding grounds, walking in front of her Mama and closely behind her Abuela. The weather felt cooler than usual and it worried her that, perhaps, this either had been cruel. She tugged her woolen clock tighter over her narrow shoulders and tried to thick positively. 

She turned when a startled baah called her from her revere. Her eyes settled on the small lamb with her own piebald colouring of white, brown and black. Thick brown curls a shade more red than her own were pulled back and braided tightly as the form of her daughter, Marisol, who was glaring at the two little males currently rough housing on the narrow path. The boys, Carlos and Christian, both possessed their father’s deep reddish brown colours, his green eyes and his curls. In fact they were so similar to their sire it was a joke among the females that her mate had laid his claim by sending the small versions of himself to remind her of him when he was gone. She had always laughed at that but delighted that her boys looked so similar to their father. However, their penchant for mischief had been inherited as well and it took all the herd females time and energy to keep the two bucklings out of trouble. Her own sharp bleat put both in their place and they scurried back to her side, walking obediently with her. Their little playmate, a midnight black lamb of the same age, bounced back to his mother’s side. Her primo Dolores gave her a nervous look. 

Her first season had been a shock to everyone including herself. Mating at such a tender age was rare but not unheard of, especially when both of the partners were as well acquainted with one another as they had been. That one season she had been the only female to mate with Camilo. Both so young and so inexperienced even his higher ranking status had not been enough to draw another female to him. Neither of them had too many expectations placed upon them at their age, both keenly aware that pressure to breed never started but a Satyr's 20th season. So breeding was for fun. Days were spent chasing one another, frolicking and fucking whenever they felt like it and nights were spent curled together baahing love in their small nest. 

It had been a shock when, months later in the nursery grounds, it became clear Mirabel had conceived. 

The entire herd had been surprised. The last female to find herself bred on her very first heat was her own Abuela. Granted the amount of time the two of them had spent locked together made their situation seem almost expected, still the actual occurrence was rare. Their grandmother had taken it as a sign that Mirabel was to be the next Dame of their herd. A belief further cemented when Mirabel had whelped three little lambs instead of the normal single birth. With the mind blowing birth of two healthy males and one female, celebrity status followed both herself and Camilo by the time the next season rolled around. 

In the following seasons her mate had been in high demand. It had taken a lot of support from both her mother and Tia to quell the upset but her Camilo’s absolute devotion to her in all other things overcame the jealousy of his mating other females. Even then, while he successfully fathered a few lambs each subsequent season, no other female ever matched his success with her. Especially when her first brood was three and she and Camilo conceived a second time and, again, birthed multiples. Behind her Mirabel watched as both her mother and Tia held each of her younger lambs. The small doelings had Camilo’s colours but we're speckled with lovely little white faun spots. Both had her Tia Pepa’s fiery red hair but instead of curls it fell it smooth straight waves; the girls were twin delights of the herd. Both two seasons old and still nursing. They would make the journey three more times before being left with their elder sister. 

Camilo had been relieved for more females. While the males he had sired on her were his only sons the more males a Buck sired the more he would be responsible for when they came of age. It was the reason for her nerves. Her triplets were five seasons old now. She would be leaving the males with Camilo for their first winter. This would also be the last time their Marisol saw her father and brothers until she was old enough to breed. It would be a strange time for their little family. 

As they crested the mountain top she took a few paces before she saw him. He was always there waiting for them. To her absolute relief he looked good, last years cloak a rainbow of their lambs wool hung heavily around his broad shoulders. A few more scars drew light lines over his sculpted chest but it was nothing for her to be wholly concerned about. Now, at twenty seasons he was coming into his own. He was taller than even her own Papa, his body had filled out into solid flanks, defined muscles and strong arms. His horns were thick and curled, standing out from his tight reddish brown curls. They were much longer now and pulled back tightly with a leather thong. She would shear them during their time together but he liked having either her or his Papa do it. His hair grew so quickly it wasn’t reasonable to keep it short. He looked every bit the strong male he was supposed to be. A top buck through and through. It was only a matter of time before he took on full leadership of the males of the herd. 

He bounded over to Mirabel, moving with strong grace before pausing in front of her and pressing his forehead tightly to hers, murmuring noises of love and longing. 

She returned his embrace, letting her fingers trail over the thick woolen cloak before tilting her head, kissing softly upon his lips. She felt him smirk beneath her touch before grasping her waist, dipping her down and plundering her mouth. 

Baahs of disgust surrounded them and he brought her back up, cocking an eyebrow and looking down at their assembled brood. The triplets danced around him on tiny hooves, both the boys bumping into him, looking so much more like junior versions of their sire now that they were standing next to him. He patted both their heads before reaching down and scooping Marisol into his arms, nuzzling her gently. Mirabel smiled. He had a soft spot for their does. He always had.

He lowered the little doeling back down and watched as the males ran off towards the meadow, her bleating after them, the picture of innocence. It was only a moment when Mirabel felt Camilo come to embrace her from behind, pulling her back to his chest and chuffing against her neck and shoulder. She felt his hands tracing down her waist to rest against her womb, pressing against it softly and leaving little doubt as to what his attentions towards her were. With any luck there would be more lambs for them this season. Perhaps more daughters to help their mother when they herd returned to the nursery grounds. Perhaps more sons for him to raise to help defend the herd.

She baahed her love, pressing against him once more as their mothers joined them, handing over the twin girls. Camilo nuzzled against the tiny little heads, smiling at their affections. All around them couples paired off. Lambs rushed off to see their fathers. Males returned to their female relatives and the herd reunited. 

Nothing else mattered, Mirabel knew that now. The love of her mate, the caring of her children and tending to the next generation was what was important. Mirabel knew she would need to go to Abuela soon, to lead and learn but now, at the moment, she just revelled in the feeling of being whole once more with Camilo at her back and the future in front of them.