It was just another day in Gallia; it was humid and sunny as usual.

Lethe didn't know what to do, King Caineghis didn't need anything from her, and she had the entire day off. What would she do? She had never had this much free time before.

Ranulf was busy with things for the king, and Mordecai was off somewhere, probably hunting.

Lethe wandered into the jungle, maybe she could find something to hunt and eat, there was nothing else to do anyway.

She walked past oceans of trees and bushes, seeking out a prey of some kind of bird or rabbit. She liked rabbit most; it was always so tender and more flavorful than any other meat. She wished she could find some, but she had no luck.

The sun was warm, cicadas were even buzzing in the tall trees. The humidity was really high too, Lethe liked it though; and it's why she loved Gallia so much.

She finally passed a tall fruit bearing tree, she looked up and drooled at the sight of the juicy fruit. Transforming into her Laguz form, she climbed up the tree with ease, using her claws to grip the rough bark of the trunk. She pulled off a few of the juicy looking orange fruits and ran back down the tree, then she transformed into her half-Beorc form to enjoy them.

She sat beneath the tree in peace, enjoying her fruit. Meat was her favourite food, but fruit was just as good. She nearly finished before a small furry animal crept up beside her, whimpering. She glared at it angrily, how dare this creature ruin her good feast! Even worse, it looked up at her with beady little eyes, begging for the last piece of fruit in her hand.

She scoffed at it and shoved it away with her arm, "It's mine, find your own." She said coldly.

The small red animal only whimpered more, crawling back to her side. Upon closer inspection, she noticed it was a fox, a baby one at that, a kit.

It held up its paw, still whimpering.

She looked at it, it was covered in blood, its paw was struck by an arrow it seemed.

"Why would a human do this to you?" she asked softly, beginning to feel bad for the little animal. It was still very young, even if she normally hunted and ate these animals, she felt sad that someone would shoot at it like this. She winced a bit as she pulled the arrowhead out from deep underneath it's skin, the little kit seemed pleased that she did so.

The little fox jumped into her lap, startling her.

"No." She said, picking it up and setting it on the ground beside her.

She stood up and began to leave, taking a bite of the last of her fruit.

Unfortunately, she could hear it following behind her, whimpering.

"Go home. Go find your mother." She told it, not looking back at it while she spoke.

It only made it run faster to catch up with her. Lethe rolled her eyes, she didn't want to transform, but this fox was beginning to bother her. She transformed into her cat form and ran ahead of the fox, trying to loose it in the twisty trees of Gallia's forest.

The fox ran just as fast, still keeping up with her.

She finally found the shore, where the ocean met the land of Gallia.

Lethe looked around; she was at a dead end. How could she loose the kit now?

She spotted a rock that poked out a few feet above the rushing tides; it looked slick with algae and difficult to jump onto, though.

"It's worth a shot…" Lethe thought to herself, looking behind to see the baby fox, it had nearly caught up with her. She took a large leap and landed on the rock, her paw slipped as she landed on the slick surface and Lethe stumbled; she quickly took a grip with her claws and looked up at the fox again.

"Just try and catch me now." Lethe smiled to herself, she thought she could just sit there until the fox decided to go home.

The little kit whimpered and its amber eyes glistened with sad tears.

Soon the fox walked into the tide; the waves pulled on the little kit roughly. It squealed as the rushing water tried to pull it in.

Lethe watched, getting a bit worried. It just wanted to be near her; but Lethe just couldn't understand why.

She heard a yelp and shot her head in the direction it came from. The little fox was pulled underneath the water violently! Water filled its lungs and its yelps became gargled and strained.

Lethe gasped in her cat form. It can't swim! She thought; no living thing should die like this! It looked horrible to watch the waves just devour the poor thing!

Thinking quickly, she leapt in the water after it, she swam better in her animal form than her beorc form; but the tides made it difficult to swim in one direction.

Soon the little fox came into sight and she latched onto it with her mouth and carried it back up to the shore.

-x-

Lethe smiled when the little red fox opened its eyes and was greeted by her in her half-Beorc form.

"You're awake." She said. "Good, I thought you had drowned."

She stood up and began to walk away. The little kit whimpered and tried to follow again.

Lethe laughed a bit. "You don't give up do you?"

She scooped the fox up and held it by the fluff of its neck. The fox seemed to bark happily at her.

She laughed at the kit, somehow, it was cute.

"Alright, maybe you can stay with me. It seems I have no choice anyway."

She smiled as the little kit barked happily at her again as she walked home with it in her arms.

-x-

"A fox, you're keeping it?" Ranulf raised an eyebrow at his female companion.

Lethe petted the fox affectionately as he stared at her.

"It wouldn't leave me alone, what could I do?"

Ranulf shook his head and shrugged. "I dunno. It is cute."

Lethe snarled in reply.

"What'd I say?"

"He was hurt by a beorc weapon… And its mother wasn't around either, so…"

The fox drifted off to sleep on her lap.

"What will you name it?" Ranulf asked.

"Naming it? I am releasing it in the morning."

"What, why? I thought you rescued it, thought you liked it."

"It needs to go home; King Caineghis would rather not have food in the castle… Not as a pet." Lethe smiled embarrassingly.

Ranulf shrugged. "Ah well… Good night, Kitsune."

He pet the kit and left the room.

Lethe raised a brow.

"Kitsune…?" So you're naming it now?

She chuckled to herself, looking down at the kit.

"Well… King Caineghis wouldn't mind if I kept you for a few days, right?"

Fin.