Chapter Two: In Which, a Bond Strengthens and Grows
He refused to be parted from her during the course of that next week. He cried out for her when she left, whimpered when they were apart, leaped and jumped about when she returned, if he even allowed her to leave in the first place. If he had his own way, Eldora would not even been able to pass water without him hovering around her as she did so. As it were, the vixen was strong of will and character, and though she found Kalikow's actions endearing, sometimes they became a little too much and she had to push him away.
One thing she did permit him to do was help her when she went out hunting. He was young and, though he was excitable, once calmed down he proved to be a most quick and intelligent pupil. He was a couple of moontimes younger than her, but the gap between their ages was not so great according to relevance, and they were more like friends than teacher and pupil.
The rain he had smelled soon fell over a period of three suntimes, soaking the steamy forests and causing all of the prey to go into hiding until the rains retreated.
During those three days the pair ate little but mushrooms, namely what could be eaten of the prey Shroomish without the risk of poisoning themselves.
Eldora also showed the maned-single-tail which berries he could eat to lessen the effects of the Wurmple's toxin. After a few mouthfuls of these berries, which he learned were called Pecha, the venom had all but left his system.
There were many kinds of berries in the forest, and they all did something different to the last one. Oran berries filled you up, Chesto berries gave you energy, Persim berries made you clear-headed, Figy berries made you feel a little sleepy, but comfortably full and Leppa berries gave you stamina.
There were also berries that didn't appear to do anything but taste good, like the red Razz, and there were berries that you should steer clear of no matter how hungry you were, like the fluffy, bitter Durin that no creature had ever dared eat. Kalikow learned how to recognize them all from sight under Eldora's gentle guidance, and soon they were finding ways to make their meals more interesting by chewing up certain berries along with prey.
When the rains retreated, the prey returned and the pair could finally get back to hunting real food again. They mostly caught Taillow, Whismur, Marill and even the occasional Pikachu, small, easy-to-catch prey that made hunting a breeze unless the electric mice tried to fight against the foxes, which happened fairly often and made them rare quarry to obtain.
Stantler were tempting, though far too big for them to handle even when working together. Not only did they have crushing hooves and a powerful kick, but the beads in the centre of their antlers could also render anyone who looked for too long to become entranced and unable to move. A Cheri berry or two would soon cure that, but only if they managed to get them before being trampled to death.
Once, they had managed to corner and kill a rare find, a prickly Sandshrew, though it had been hard work, almost too hard for it to be worth chasing and attacking for over two hours.
While exploring together, they chanced upon a Skitty burrow, full of tiny, mewling kittens. Although they had intended the little kits no harm, the mother Skitty chased them out, her tail rattling, her normally adorable face contorted with rage. They never returned to the burrow while the kits were still under the protection of their mother, but natural curiosity made them watch through the trees as they grew and played.
One day, all of the kittens left to find their own path in the world and the pair never saw them again, apart from the occasional scent marking or claw marks on a tree. The Skitty mother grew and became a Delcatty, and she too was never seen again.
The pair could not say they missed them, but they longed to watch the playfulness of kittens again someday.
After the Skitty family left to explore the wide world, they looked for other sources of entertainment to amuse themselves with in-between hunting periods. At first they tried to do what Kalikow had tried just little under a moontime ago, crack open a pretty little Clamperl, but they soon realised it wasn't any fun and began tormenting the Goldeen in the lake. This too was stopped when a whole shoal began to attack them whenever they arrived.
The most dangerous thing they did was wander into Spearow territory, the home to birds with wickedly curved talons and beaks that also happened to be fiercely territorial. They attacked anything that came along, be it as small as a Wurmple or as large as a Tropius, even though those giant creatures did not live in the forest. So a Vulpix and an Eevee were small fry compared to some of the things they had attacked.
It had started off as an accident more than anything else, really. Kalikow had been stalking a Whismur for over an hour and he wasn't about to give up on it after that length of time. He did not know where Eldora was, as, for once, they were not together.
He followed it for a little longer into strange territory with even stranger scents and odd, white marks on the trees and ground.
He padded into a clearing, completely oblivious to the menace being directed at him from all around. The Whismur turned, giving a terrified squeal and scrambling into the undergrowth. Kalikow tilted his head slightly to the side, ears flicking back as he watched helplessly. He had lost it.
A sudden noise made him freeze as a leaf slowly floated down from above to land in front of him. Fearfully, he gazed upwards, recoiling in fear as blood-red eyes, narrow and hateful, stared at him from the gloom. He took a step backwards and was about to turn tail and make a run for it when a Rattata suddenly burst from the side, dashing across the leaf litter as it ran for its life.
There was the sound of claws scraping against back, low caws, soft feathers upon the air. One-by-one, the Spearow flock plummeted downwards, towards the racing, purple-hued Rattata… and towards the fear-struck Eevee.
Letting out a harsh bark and a growl that rumbled his throat, Kalikow crouched and leapt over one of his approaching attackers, making a break for the trees while yipping loudly, calling for Eldora. Those fearsome talons grew closer and closer as the Spearow drew its claws in front, ready to grab the hapless Eevee… when a burst of bright flames hit it full in the side, charring the feathers black as it squawked and fell to the ground.
Kalikow looked at it with amazement written all over his face, frozen where he stood until Eldora crashed into his side, growling and nudging him, her breath unusually warm.
The Eevee took one look at her before wrapping his teeth around her scruff and yanking her with him, far away from the evil-looking Spearow and the helpless Rattata. They soon made short work of that little rodent. A second later, and it was gone.
They tumbled straight into the den, exhausted beyond all belief. Eldora told him to fetch her a Rawst berry, and he recoiled in surprise. A cure for burns? Had she been hit by that blast of fire he had seen? She refused to answer any of his questions, just begging that he would go and do that simple task for her while she coughed and she panted, neck resting flat on the floor of their den.
Without another word, he left.