The fox was a red streak as it ran through the underbrush, the foliage rustled as she sped past. Close behind her a much larger grey beast chased her, intent on it's meal. The fox quickly changed direction as the wolf lunged for it, its sharp teeth just barely missing the fox's tail. The wolf's nostrils flared, the fear scent the fox was giving off was strong.
The fox ran on, hoping to find anything to escape the monster. A tree stump, a knothole, a rabbit den, anything! She just wanted to live. She dodged into a bush, only to flee a second later as the wolf came barreling after her.
The fox ran into a small clearing, lit dimly by the stars high above. It was there that the fox tripped an a rock, letting out a yelp of pain as it fell. It's pursuer came barely past, only to stop and nimbly turn back to its prey. Those two or three seconds were enough for the fox the dart away, the chase starting again.
The fox was growing desperate, its breathing heavy and its legs burning. A faint whiff of smoke was carried on the wind, catching the fox's attention. Smoke meant fire. Fire meant human. Out of desperation the fox readjusted course and sprinted full out towards the fire, pouring every last drop of energy she had in her plight.
The fox flew into another clearing, the fire in sight. She heard the wolf lunge again, the beast trying to catch her before she could get away. She heard the alarmed cry of humans, felt the foul breath of the wolf behind her. As she came within the light of the fire, however, the wolf skid to a halt and barked. The pair of humans yelled and brandished weird, frightening objects. There was a twang and a stick with feathers shot at the wolf, causing the beast to retreat a few steps. Then the wolf growled savagely and lunged at the human who shot at it. The human screamed, and his companion rush to his aid, its shiny weapon flashing in the firelight as it stabbed the wolf once, twice, three times. The wolf let out a yelp of pain before the human plunged his weapon into its neck, ending its life.
The fox watched all of this from the other side of the fire where it had collapsed. She tried to catch her breath, struggling to get to her feet before the men noticed her. She let out a yelp as a hand grabbed her by the scruff of the neck. It was the man with the stick thrower.
The fox kicked and struggled, trying to escape. The man said something to his companion, who came and looked at her. The fox growled and licked her lips. The human reached his hand towards her, but withdrew when she bit at him. The human exchanged a few words, then the human with the shiny thing went inside his den and returned with a piece of meat. He offered it to the fox, speaking in a comforting tone. The other human barked something, and they seemed to argue. Finally the human holding her put the fox down and left into his den, muttering under his breath. The remaining human ignored him and offered the fox the meat again. The fox looked at him distrustingly for a long minute, then cautiously took it from him. She flinched as she felt his hand pet her, but he didn't grab her. He spoke in a calming tone, petting her a few more times before taking his hand away and resting it on his thigh. The fox approached cautiously and licked his hand, then slinked away into the night.
"Damm it Eric, I just don't understand you." Marcus told his companion the next day as they took down camp. "There was no point on saving that animal's life."
"I did not save it." Eric shot back. "I simply gave it a reward before it left."
"It's still a waste of perfectly good meat." Marcus grumbled, tightening down the rope that kept his tent stored away.
"Well, what's done is done." Eric stated, ending the argument. "I saved your life, so at least give me this one off." Marcus was silent, testing the string of his bow with a scowl. Eric sighed. "Come on, let's just get back to the village already." They hefted their packs, the hike back to town a two day trip, so it was best to start soon.
Little did they know, a red fox shadowed them the entire way. The fox nimbly dodged through the foliage, her paw steps soft and light. Human's senses weren't as sharp as most animals, but they were a lot smarter. She had to be careful.
The fox stalked the humans relatively undetected all day, nearly getting caught only once when she startled a crow. The human that fed her had come very close to finding her where she had concealed herself under a fern. After that he appeared to look in her direction occasionally, thought the fox believed it coincidence.
The fox broke of once to hunt halfway through the afternoon, making a meal out of a vole before returning to tracking the humans. By the time she caught up the sun was going down. A mouth watering aroma reached her nose as she approached. Hypnotized, she almost broke cover as she followed the scent. It was so magical, so enticing, it was only the sound of rough male singing that broke her out of her trance. Reminded of her surroundings, the fox approached just outside of the light and looked upon the camp.
One of the men was poking the fire with a stick, his eyes lost in the blaze. The other was slowly turning what appeared to be meat on a stick over the fire. The fox did not know what to make of the spectacle.
Eric watched the flames silently, the sound of his companion's singing muffled to him as his mind wandered. The fire danced before him, the glowing embers that lined the branches in the fire seeming to sway ever so slightly. Every now and then he shifted a branch before returning to state at it. An itch tingled on the back of his neck, but he ignored it as he stood vigil over the flames.
Eric was shaken out of his trance by Marcus, who waved a cooked rabbit on a stick in front of his face. He thanked his friend and bit into the meat, the skillfully seasoned flesh causing sparks to fly through his tastebuds. He chewed slowly, for Marcus's cooking was heavenly in itself. He swallowed, the taste lingering for a few seconds. He let out a sigh oh delight, causing the cook to chuckle.
"It's only rabbit man." Marcus said. "Cooked on a camp fire. It's not like I stole it from a king's table."
"More like you stole his chef, interrogated him, and hid the body in a shallow grave." Eric replied. "That, or you're a god and you never told me."
Marcus laughed even more. "Aye, you may bow before me now, mortal. Pay homage to me." He had to duck as Eric threw a bit of meat at him.
Both men fell silent as the undergrowth rustled, something in the shadows rushing after the food. "It seems like the forest awakens to your cooking." Eric said, lacking the amusement. They continued to eat in silence, uneasy with the presence of unseen predators.
Marcus went to bed shortly later, leaving the last of the rabbit with Eric to eat while he stood watch. Eric nibbled on a rabbit haunch as he stared into the night, his bow resting on his lap. He listened intently, determined not to be caught of guard. As the fire burned low, Eric heard the sound of an animal creeping through the grass. Turning to the source of the noise, he could make out the sleek red fur of a fox. He let out a sigh as the animal came into the light.
"You again, huh?" Eric asked. The animal paused to look at him before edging closer, eyeing the last bit of food in his hand. Eric raised the food out of the animals reach. "Ah ah ah, this is mine."
The fox didn't understand what the human was saying, but she wanted the food. Her eyes hungrily followed the food, but she was wary enough to not try taking it by force. She knew that they could kill a wolf, and a wolf could kill a fox. So she sat down and waited, her eyes pleading for food.
Eric stared back at the fox, meeting it's eye and not blinking. He had experience with dogs, so he was sure that he could read the fox. "My food." Eric told the fox, keeping his gaze firm. The fox continued to stare back. Both sides waited for the other to blink first.
It was a battle of wills, Eric's firm will being slowly corroded by the fox's charm. Both sides were determined to get their way. Eric took another bite of the meat and the fox whined, pawing his leg. Eric blinked, the fox's begging stabbing at his heartstrings. With a sigh, Eric took one last bite of his meat before tossing the last bit to the fox.
The fox happily snapped the godly morsel of food out of the air, devouring it greedily. After she finished she approached the human and took a seat next to him, now more comfortable with his presence. She sniffing his hand, licking some rabbit grease from his palm. The human started petting her, smoothing out her fur. The fox sighed, the tension in her muscles releasing. This was nice.
Eric looked down at the fox, amused on how quickly it trusted him. No wonder it nearly got eaten by a wolf. He returned to staring into the dark, absentmindedly petting her. Every now and then she gave a soft coo or shifted, but otherwise she slept. It occurred to Eric that Marcus probably wouldn't take a liking to the fox like he did, and he debated if he should wake up the animal up and chase it away. He chewed on the problem, knowing he couldn't keep her. They had chickens back home after all. Maybe he could hide her in his room, but that could be a problem.
The fox made the choice easy for him. After close to two hours in the company of the human she yawned and stretched, scratching her ear with her hind leg. After a sniff to confirm it was human-friend she rubbed her cheek against him, making sure to mark him with her scent. She then slinked off into the shadows and out of sight. Deciding it was time for him to turn in at last, Eric woke Marcus and crawled into his tent.
The fox came back shortly later, having relieved herself and quenched her thirst. When she came to the edge of the light she suddenly stopped. The human smelled different, meaning this one was not her human. She slowly crept away into the shadows, not wanting to risk being caught by the unfriendly human. Away she disappeared into the night.