The day of the full moon started just like any other. Kids were ushered off to their tiny school, mothers started the daily house hold chores and fathers made their way to their respective jobs.

Everyone in the village had a role to play and every role was important for the well being and upkeep of their steadily growing settlement. Kageyama was no exception to this rule as he slid on his boots and a thick jacket before grabbing his bag. He was supposed to meet up with a few of the others to head down to the river and catch some fish.

Kageyama sighed to himself as he stepped outside, his eyes automatically landing on the Forest of Beasts. His house was at the furthest edge of the village, with his front porch facing the trees. When he and his father had been building it, his parents had argued the placement of the door, but he didn't care. He wanted a view of the forest and a window just wasn't enough.

The hunter stopped and gave himself a few minutes to admire the great forest before he had to head out. Just as he turned to walk away, something flashed in his peripherals. Something orange.

Kageyama stopped dead and turned back to the forest, watching intently. A splash of orange appeared among the green of a tree top and he started walking towards it automatically.

'What… what is that?' The human picked up pace when the spot of colour disappeared, only to reappear in a different tree. He was nearly at the edge of the forest when it disappeared and didn't return.

Kageyama frowned and slowed down, peering into the trees anxiously. He realized he'd dropped his bag at some point, but it was a distant thought as he took his first step past the tree line.

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"Hey, shouldn't Kageyama be here by now?" Asahi looked around at the gathered men, frowning.

"Don't worry about it, he probably just slept in." Iwaizumi said.

"Should someone go wake him?" Yamaguchi asked.

"No, let him sleep. He's had a rough couple of nights." The head hunter said, shaking his head.

Everyone nodded in understanding, only Asahi being unsatisfied. He wasn't sure what, but something about the situation didn't feel right. After all, Kageyama was never one for being late. The brunette bit his lip but tried to push aside the feeling as the group set out for the river.

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Inside the Forest of Beasts was just as magical as Kageyama had always dreamed it would be. The trees were massive, bigger than any he'd ever seen before, and the breeze that rustled the leaves seemed to whisper promises of a better life.

Kageyama stopped and took a deep breath, feeling for the first time in his life like maybe he belonged somewhere. Peace and tranquility seeped into his body, making him wonder how a place like this could put such terror in the hearts of his fellow villagers.

The jolt back to reality was hard and fast when he was reminded suddenly that it wasn't the forest his people feared. It's what was in it. The human froze in place, his heart nearly beating out of his chest as he prayed he was wrong and that he hadn't heard—

Another growl sounded from behind him and if Kageyama were less proud, he'd have peed himself. Instead, he swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. His legs had turned to stone under him, so turning to face the noise was one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

The scene behind him was the same as the rest- thick green foliage and wide tree trunks. He studied anxiously, but couldn't find the source of the growl. He heard it again and thought perhaps he'd just lie down and die when he realized it came from his left.

'I didn't even hear it move!' Kageyama turned only his head, eyes searching desperately for the creature that would no doubt tear him to pieces. He was about to give up the search and resign himself to never seeing the beast when he finally saw them- a pair of molten brown eyes peering at him through the leaves of a dense bush.

Suddenly, he was four years old again and staring into the eyes of the vixen who saved his life. Kageyama could've sworn his heart stopped right then and there when a red fox stepped out in the tiny clearing, very much alive and in the present.

"Y-You…." The human sank to his knees, his mind helpfully pointing out that this fox was most definitely not a female. But as the fox approached, teeth bared but curiosity in those oh-so-familiar eyes, he knew without a doubt that this was her kit.

Kageyama took a moment to ponder the irony of it all; the kit of the fox that saved him would be the one to take his life in the end. The human closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable.

Seconds ticked by.

It felt like he'd knelt there for an eternity when he finally dared to open his eyes. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he found himself almost face to face with the fox and held his breath when it leaned closer, sniffing him.

"I-I promise I don't taste good!" He stammered, still convinced he was going to be killed. The fox jerked its head back at stared at him incredulously, before throwing its head back and—was it laughing at him?!

"Hey! It's a genuine concern!" He defended, before shaking his head at himself. The fox dropped his head back down to look at him, and the brown eyes that he locked onto didn't hold any anger or malicious intent. Instead, the curiosity he thought he'd seen earlier was intensified and there was something else in them too. Something…. Warm?

Their moment of peace was destroyed by a chorus of ferocious growls as two creatures burst in. There was a moment of chaos as Hinata was grabbed by the scruff and pulled away but Kageyama didn't really have time to react when a firm weight knocked him to the ground. He saw pale fur and sharp teeth before he closed his eyes.

Instead of the sound of his flesh being torn apart, there was a sharp yelp. Whatever was on his chest paused in reaction to the sound and before he could open his eyes, something furred was laying over his throat.

When he finally looked, his eyes were bombarded by orange fur and Kageyama realized it was the fox. He was covering his neck and having a fierce stare down with the creature on his chest – another fox of some sort, his mind supplied helpfully.

'Is… is he protecting me…?'

Another growl drew his attention to a lanky wolf that was stalking over to them. His protector growled back and Kageyama watched as the three creatures no doubt discussed his fate. Finally, after what felt like a century, a decision was made.

The wolf and the pale fox backed away and his fox friend stood, crawling off of him.

Kageyama sat up slowly when the red fox started to nudge at his shoulder. When the nudging moved to his lower back, he took the hint and got to his feet. The wolf and the other fox growled at him but the red fox seemed to ignore them, instead starting to trot in a seemingly random direction.

A glance over his shoulder told Kageyama the fox was expecting to be followed.

"Right…" The human nodded and started to trail after the friendly fox. The footsteps behind him let him know the other two were also following, but they seemed idle. The journey was tense, but a surge of relief filled him when the trees started to thin and he could see his village once more.

His fox friend stopped walking and watched him expectantly. Panic flashed across the furry critter's face a second before sharp pain erupted across his back, making him cry out and fall to his knees.

The red fox sprung into action, coming to his side and snarling fiercely behind him. Kageyama managed to turn his head to see the pale one –a culpeo perhaps- glaring at him. The look on its face told him clearly that it could've been much worse and he couldn't help but agree. While the pain in his back was bad, he recognized it for what it was.

A warning.

Kageyama looked at the angry fox beside him and carefully put a hand on its back, drawing those brown eyes up to his.

"I'm ok." He said, and ignored the skeptical look he received.

The rustling of the forest told him the other two had disappeared and he took the moment to admire his savior.

'That's the second time a red fox has saved me…' The human thought as he slowly picked himself up off the forest floor.

"Thank you," he said, bowing as best he could with the burning pain on his back. He knew he was losing blood, and he knew if it continued at this rate he'd lose consciousness.

The fox seemed to know as well, as he gave him a little nudge, pushing him towards the village. Kageyama took one last look at the magnificent creature before turning and walking out, leaving the forest and his furry savior behind.

XXXX

It was nearly noon and Kageyama hadn't appeared. Ignoring the assurances of the others, Asahi headed to Kageyama's home to check on him.

He'd just been coming around the house to the front door when something moving through the sea of green grass caught his eye. He looked out into the field that separated their village from the Forest of Beasts and gasped when he realized what he was seeing.

"Kageyama!" He called, jogging towards his friend. The black haired man was walking a little weird, his feet dragging and head hung as he moved. When Asahi made it to him, he reached a hand out to offer support but recoiled when his hand met something thick and warm.

Alarmed, the brunette looked at Kageyama's back and nearly lost his lunch when he saw red blood soaking into the shredded fabric of his friends tan jacket.

"Oh my god! Kageyama, what's happened?!" He asked, even though his brain had already supplied the answer. Without hesitation, he pulled the black haired man's arm over his shoulder so he could take his weight and nearly doubled the pace. He had to get Kageyama to the healers as soon as possible.

As soon as they'd made it past Kageyama's home, Asahi started to call for help. The response was immediate, everyone rushing to his aid. A village man took Kageyama's other arm as someone else rushed ahead to the healers to get them ready.

Their trip through the village was met with gasps and cries of horror as people put the pieces together. They were met at the door of the healers' lodge by Suga, already in his apron and waiting for them.

"Hurry, this way!" The silver haired man led them in to one of three available rooms, gesturing to the bed. The men carefully deposited Kageyama face down on the bed, the black haired man barely holding onto consciousness as blood continued to pour from his wound.

Asahi and the other villagers were forced from the room as the healers set to work, cutting away Kageyama's jacket and shirt. The last thing Asahi saw before the door closed was three gashes spanning diagonally across the space between his friend's shoulder blades.

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That night, after Kageyama had been stitched up and bandaged and was sleeping fitfully in the healers' bed, a small meeting was held.

Everyone was talking; discussing the claw marks on Kageyama's back, debating on whether or not they should be worried.

"That mark wasn't a threat," Ukai Sr. said, cutting over the chatter of those present. "That mark was a warning; the people of our village are not welcome in the Forest of Beasts. Frankly, I'm surprised he even made it out of there."

Everyone looked over to the old man. He was standing in place of Keishin, who was busy preparing a bag to head into the Forest of Beasts.

"I don't agree. A mark like that- it nearly killed him! He survived only because he was found quickly! Those beasts meant to kill him!"

If they'd truly meant to kill him, why go for between his shoulder blades? Why not the neck? Why is the injury on his back the only one?"

No one had an answer to that.

"The fact of the matter is, if they'd wanted him dead, he would be. They may be animal, but don't forget that they are also half human."

Silence filled the room as everyone considered what he said until finally a village elder nodded.

"Ukai is right; we should see this as it is and thank the heavens that the werefolk were forgiving this time."

Murmurs of agreement spread through the gathered village folk.

"My boy… he's been looking at that forest since he was old enough to open his eyes…"

All eyes turned to Kageyama's mother as she dabbed her red, swollen eyes with a handkerchief.

Asahi put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"After an attack like this, he'd be a fool to ever go back in. I don't think you have any need to worry any longer about him."

Everyone seemed to agree with the village elder and the meeting was adjourned.

Meanwhile, in the moonlit room of the healers' lodge, Kageyama lie awake, his head swimming with images of the red fox and dreams for when they'd meet again.

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A/N: Thanks for reading!

Quick notes;

For anyone confused by it; Hinata's fur is orange, not red, but his species is called a Red Fox. So when I refer to him as such, it's not his colour, but species. I was gonna simply refer to him as a fox, but with a second fox in the mix, it got too confusing. I hope that makes sense!

Thanks! Drop a review if you liked it!