Chapter 6: A Short History Lesson

The car ride to Wolfsberg was fairly silent, save for the music playing over the radio. Kody was more occupied with the scenery than with the music, watching the rows and rows of crops pass by the window. The young tod turned to look at his mother and Mister Hubert. The sight made the kit's face contort with disgust. His mother had her hand on the large wolf's, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Bleh," the fox muttered before finally asking, "Are were there yet?"

Josephine's ears perked up at her son's question, the older vixen slowly turning her head to look at her son. It was obvious by the way he looked at her that he was a little disgusted at his mother holding hands with Hubert, something that she knew he'd get over when he started to grow up.

"Not yet, sugar fox," she cooed softly, but her son didn't let up with the questions.

"Are ya sure, mama? How do we knows when we'll get there? Is it like Bunnyburrow, but with more foxes? Why is it called Wolfsberg, mama," the kit asked, barely pausing between each sentence as he bombarded his mother with his own curiosity.

Jo tried to absorb every question before answering. "I'm sure, Kody. I drove this road a long time ago with you," the vixen started to say, but was immediately interrupted by her son.

"But mama, I ain't never been t'Wolfsberg b'fore."

"I don't spect ya to r'member, sugar fox. You was jist a few weeks old. We went not long after ya were born," the older fox retorted in a sweet, motherly tone that somewhat satisfied her son's statement. With the kit contemplating her answer, Jo took the opportunity to reply his other questions. "You'll know when we're there, sugar fox. You'll see lotsa trees along the road and more'n'more lakes'n'rivers."

"Really, mama?"

"Really, sugar. And Wolfsberg ain't like Bunnyburrow but with foxes. It's fulla foxes and wolves, but the middlatown ain't as small. They's got lots of old buildin's, jist like home, but they's gots'em on both sides of the street," Kody's mother said as she tried to accurately recall that visit almost six years ago.

"They's got lots of lovely willer trees errywhere in town, and they's got lots of lovely flowers and vines on all the houses," Jo trailed off, falling back into her vivid memory of the place.

Kody listened intently, absorbing everything she said until she began to trail off. "But mama, why'zit called Wolfsberg?"

The question snapped the older vixen back into reality. In all honestly, she wasn't exactly sure, but then again, she'd never actually asked that question. Jo slowly turned her head to look over at Hubert. "I'z gissin' it's cuz it was founded by wolves," she said or was it asked, the fox's words more like a blending of the two as she looked at her sturdy canine lover.

"That's right, Jo-sef-een," the wolf replied, saving his sweetheart from any embarrassment. "Wolfsberg wuz founded by wolves back in them olden times since the first settlers was mostly wolves. Course, theys almost changed the name ahunnert years back," he said, his attention moving between the road, the vixen, and her son.

"Why'd they wants t'change th'name," Kody piped in, his own curiosity getting the better of him.

Hubert continued his story, as he watched the highway. "Well, bout ahunnert years ago back when Z'topia wuz founded, somea the townsfolk round Wolfsberg, Todsglen, and Meleston didn't like the idear'a being part of a country rule by prey critters, so a bunch of em gots t'gether'n looked at making theys own country."

The two foxes blinked as they stared at the wolf. "Really," Josephine queried in disbelief. She'd never heard of this tale, then again, there might be a reason for it.

"Really," Hubert replied as he continued his tale, "Theys all met up in Wolfsberg t'talk bout the whole thing. Theys threw round all kindsa idears. Some of'm wanted t'call the place Howlandia 'n'rename Wolfsberg to Howlsville. Course, that didn't sit right with erryone, specially since not errybody was wolves. Eventually, erryone greed t'call the new place Sherw'd, course by the time theys got all that hammered out to bring it to the towns, the towns had all greed t'join the new gov'mint. Course, they did like the name Sherw'd, s'that what the county dopted as it's name when the territory became a state."

"I ain't never heard that story before," Jo said as she looked right at Hubert.

"If'n ya wants, daddy's got th'riginal count of the whole meetin'. I'm sure he'll letcha take a gander at it. Course, we cud g'down to th'courthouse. They's gots a whole wing set up bout the histry of the county," the wolf replied, giving the vixen a casual glance.

Jo let out a playful giggle when he mentioned courthouse, though Kody didn't really seem to understand why she was giggling. The vixen gave the wolf a playful shove on his massive forearm before turning her head to look back at her son. "Wouldja like to see the court house, sugar fox?"

"Iz gissin' so, mama," the young tod responded before deciding to ask, "Mama, is we going to an o-tel?"

His mother smiled. Her son still had some problems with h's for some reason, but then again, she wasn't entirely surprised. "Well," the vixen said before turning to look at Hubert, "It was sumthin' I needed t'dress."

Hubert smiled happily, taking his eyes off the road for a brief second. "You ain't gonna stay in no ho-tell Jo-sef-een! We'z gonna stay at mama'n'daddy's!"

"You sure that's a good idear, sugar wolf?"

The massive canine almost melted like a stick of butter when he heard the vixen call him that. "It's a wunderful idear, Jo-sef-een. If'n we'z lookin' at bein' t'gether, we gots t'make sure mama'n'daddy likes ya."

Jo chewed on the side of her lip, her ears flicking and flitting about the top of her head before she finally said something. "All right, sugar wolf."

"Mama'n'daddy'r jist gonna loves ya'll t'pieces!"