Deep in an ancient forest, there was a great tree, taller and wider than its neighbors. Winter had stolen its leaves away; its bare branches grasping at the sky like a thousand spindly fingers.

Though there was snow upon the ground, the air was growing warm. A grey rabbit wearing only a simple vest and britches lounged upon one of its great roots, paws folded under her head and long, rounded ears draped over her shoulders.

Using a thick cloak to protect herself from the rough bark, she stretched languidly over it, eyes closed and face toward the sky. As she felt the sun's warmth play over her fur and breathed the fresh, crisp air, she sighed with pleasure.

But, she wasn't alone.

Black-tipped, pointed ears appeared from beside the root, right next to the bunny's head. They swiveled forward, focusing on the dozing rabbit. For a moment, that was all they did, twitching in tune with her relaxed breathing.

The ears began to rise as the creature they were attached to stood to his full height. The sun at his back cast his features in shadows. Green, slit eyes glinted from the darkness as lips pulled back to reveal rows of pointed, pearly white teeth. Paws rose up and flexed, poised to sink their claws into the bunny.

One of the paws happened to pass before the sun, casting a shadow over the doe's face. Disturbed by the lack of warmth, she stirred. Just as her eyes opened, the creature struck.

"BOO!"

"EEP!" Eyes wide, the startled doe jerked away, arms and legs flailing, only to fall off the side of the root and land face first on the snow-covered ground. Her front now covered in dirty snow, she jumped to her feet and turned to face her attacker.

What she found instead was a familiar fox, now lounging upon the cloak-covered branch, eyes closed, with his paws laced comfortably behind his head; exactly as she had been.

Judy glowered. "Nick! Why did you do that!?"

"Oh, for the fun of it, I suppose. You bunnies are just so cute when you're scared," the fox drawled. With his closed eyes and relaxed smile, it looked for all the world like he was simply enjoying the sun's warmth.

Huffing, the doe began to swipe the snow off her vest. "I wish you wouldn't tease me so much," she grumbled crossly.

Rolling his head towards Judy, Nick cracked one eye open just enough to glare at her. "I wish you wouldn't sneak out of the den so much."

Admonishment given, he closed his eye and turned his face back to the sun. "But, I suppose we don't all get what we want. 'If wishes were fishes' and all that."

Judy paused, then swiped the last bit of snow from her britches with a sigh. "You shouldn't worry so much. I'm strong enough to take care of myself."

Eyes still closed, the fox frowned. "Only a dumb bunny would say such a thing. Of course I should worry." Opening his eyes, Nick turned his head to raise a brow at Judy's confused look. "How will a dead bunny pay her debt? As for being strong enough…"

Nick stretched out on the root and turned so he was on his side. Still only wearing his linen pants, the shirtless fox's long, sleek body was displayed. Propping his head up on his palm, Nick gazed at Judy with half-lidded skepticism.

"Strength doesn't mean anything if somebunny is too tired to notice a fox about to have his wicked way with her. Are you as recovered from your peek behind the Veil as you think?"

Blinking at the thought of whatever a fox's wicked way was, Judy still managed to draw herself up to look her host in the eye. "I'm as strong as I've ever been. I could run all the way to Hopp's Hill, if you would just point the way."

"I doubt it," Nick plainly disagreed. He scratched at his hip, bored with this topic. He'd lost count of how many times the rabbit had insisted she was well enough to travel over the last two days.

It was actually why he had left to forage even though his stores didn't need replenishing, to finally have some peace and quiet away from the determined bunny. Upon his return, he'd been annoyed to find her dozing in the open, where any predator might snatch her away. It was that annoyance that had inspired him to play his little trick.

"You'd stop to rest," Nick continued. "Probably fall asleep out in the open and get carried off by an owl."

Judy glared, affronted to be accused of doing something so foolish. "I would not!" Judy stomped her foot for emphasis, her paws fisted at her sides. "I'm not a dullard!"

Nick went from scratching his hip to just above his tail, all the while staring at Judy, half-lidded, uncaring, and unimpressed. "Says the dullard who didn't notice me approach until I shouted in her ear. I might as well call you owl's dinner."

Judy flushed, humiliated by the fox's words, made all the more galling by the fact that they rang true. Nick, the fox, had stalked right up to her and she hadn't even noticed. Still, her pride wouldn't allow her to just accept his words. Crossing her arms, she glared at the ground as she grumbled, "Owls have been killed on sight for as long as anyone can remember. There aren't any left to carry me off."

Finally done with his scratching, Nick draped his arm over his side. "What about that red turkey you little prey are always on about?"

Raising her head, Judy stared at Nick with both brows raised, perplexed. "Red turkey-? You mean the Blood-Crested Eagle? That's a story told to scare naughty kits. A stiff breeze is more likely to carry me off."

"As small as you are, a stiff breeze just might. Nope!" Nick yelled, cutting off Judy before she could respond. The fox sat up on the branch, his feet dangling off the side.

"It's much too dangerous. Unless…" Nick tapped his chin with a clawed finger while his eyes rolled thoughtfully. "...someone was there to grab you before you flew away."

Judy's head cocked in confusion. "What?"

Nick rolled his eyes. Apparently, the only thing flying around here was clever allusions over clueless heads. "I'm offering to escort you home, dumb bunny."

"Oh." Judy blinked at the fox in surprise. "Why would you do that?"

Nick smiled patiently, as though he were dealing with a particularly dim child. "You are aware of the debt you owe me, right? You have nothing with you, so won't you have to go home to retrieve something of value?"

"Well… yes," Judy answered slowly. "But, my clan is poor. There won't be much of a ransom."

"That's fine. I'm sure we can find some..." Nick said. His green eyes began to wander down Judy's body. "...arrangement."

Unprepared for this strange shift, Judy held her arms over her chest as though to ward off Nick's gaze. "W-what do you mean?" she squeaked.

Nick leaned forward, prompting Judy to shrink back from his intense gaze. "Has anyone ever told you, you have a nice… vest?"

Judy stared at Nick as though he had lost his mind. "My vest?"

"It looks well made," Nick continued, eyeing Judy's clothes. "Your britches, too. Where do you get that fabric?"

"My clan makes it," Judy answered faintly, utterly bewildered.

"Really?" Nick asked, raising his eyes back to Judy's. "Do you make enough to share?"

Realizing that the fox's interest had not been impure gave Judy some relief. "Yes," she said, sounding more confident than before. "Plenty. It's our main trade."

"Excellent!" Nick declared with a grin. "We'll go to your clan's home together, you can get me a bolt of that fine cloth, and I'll consider your debt paid in full."

After spending weeks together in the same den, Judy no longer feared the fox. He had many poor qualities, his barbed tongue chief among them, but he wasn't dangerous. Other mammals would have let her die, or insisted on her being their servant in exchange for saving her life. Instead, he had taken her into his home and cared for her, asking only for something her family could easily provide in return. Judy knew he could be trusted.

Her family, on the other paw, did not know that. They were fearfully suspicious at the best of times, and so soon after what happened with the wolves, it was far from the best of times. An uneasy feeling grew in Judy's chest at the thought of what they might do at the sight of Nick, causing her to balk at his suggestion.

No, bringing Nick to her home was a bad idea. Telling him that felt like a worse idea. Judy had to convince him not to come without actually telling him.

How? Well, from what Judy had observed of his behavior, the fox slept often and enjoyed lazing about. Maybe she could appeal to his slothful nature.

"Do you really want to walk that far? I really can make it on my own. I'll bring back the cloth," Judy offered, trying to sound helpful.

Nick raised an eyebrow, looking quite incredulous at her suggestion. "What, I'm just supposed to believe you'll come back if I let you go?"

"I said I would," Judy insisted. "There's no need for you to go!"

Tilting his head, Nick took a moment to consider the persistent rabbit before him. Slowly, a sly smirk spread across his lips. "You are not as foolish as I thought."

Judy blinked, feeling like she had swung a fist and missed: confused, surprised, and off balance. "What do you mean?"

"It's never wise to lead a fox to your home. You never can tell what one of those vile tricksters might do."

Eyes wide and ears wilting, Judy stared at Nick in dismay. Fearing she had offended her host, she tried to backtrack. "Mr. Wilde, I didn't- I'm sorry, that's not-"

"No, no. You're right." Nick waved off Judy's stuttered attempts at an apology with a smile. "Trusting is a dangerous thing. I won't ask it of you anymore."

"Mr. Wilde, please-"

"I told you to call me Nick," the fox interrupted.

"Nick. I can explain-"

"No need," Nick said, interrupting once again. "I understand completely. You don't want to go home if it means I come along. That just means you'll have to stay with me a little while longer. I told you I'd point you the way when you were strong enough, and I meant it.

"Good news!" Nick continued, riding roughshod over Judy's attempt to get a word in. "This warm weather has brought you a gift." Leaning back as he spoke, the fox reached for something from behind the root.

When he sat back up, a simple, modest sack hung in his grip. Leaning forward, he shoved it into Judy's paws. "I know you don't like being in the den, so feel free to sit out here and enjoy the sunshine."

Pushing off the root, Nick stood to leave. Before he turned away, he winked at the doe and teased, "No naps though, or I really will start calling you owl's dinner."

Feeling like the worst screw up in the history of screw ups, Judy stared helplessly after the fox as he disappeared around the trunk of the tree.

Once she was alone, Judy's eyes dropped to the little cloth sack in her paws. A sinking feeling in her gut told her she wasn't going to like what she found, but her curiosity would not be denied. A mouthwatering aroma spilled forth, making her nose twitch. Now with a mounting sense of dread, she pulled the bag open.

It was filled with fresh, young sweetgrass; common enough in spring, summer and fall, but a treat in the long, hungry months of winter. Experience told her that, with how much of the ground was still covered in snow, it would have taken Nick hours to fill even this modest pouch.

Judy felt like the scum of the earth and she hated it. She had to redeem herself. There was only one thing she could think to do.

Clenching the little treasure to her chest, the rabbit turned and chased after the fox. They had travel plans to make.


Author's Note: Special thanks to:

SovietMD

Starfang's Secrets

DrummerMax64

BCRE8TVE

Erinnyes

Leroidatboi

For your continued help and support. Thank you for helping me make this a worthwhile story.

P.S. Expect a chapter of EEE in two weeks.