I.

Copper ran over to his master's side while Todd automatically went to loop his red body around Trixie and Daisy. The hunter brought his gun up, blew the smoke billowing away from the barrel's point and stomped over in his heavy boots to grasp the gray head of the coyote. His dark brown eyes grazed it's body as Copper inhaled the scent of it so that he would have a good memory of it incase there was a next time. When the two looked up, however, they were surprised to his Daisy's mother bearing her teeth at the father fox as he held both children tightly to his side. When Amos stood up straight he turned to look.

Todd wrinkled his muzzle back and exposed his teeth - not far from the pup's neck.

Copper lowered his head, eyes closed in thought, before opening them and heading over towards the threesome. He and his old rival/friend looked at each other briefly before the hound bent down for Daisy. Todd, however, latched his jaws around the suddenly scared pup. Copper growled at him but the fox only continued to cradle her in his curving teeth.

Finally the hound stifled a groan and went over to clasp the scuff of Trixie's neck.

"Daddy?" She asked in a frightened whisper.

Todd watched her sadly as Copper's own eyes grew emotional when he walked off to the side and placed her down. The hunter and adult female dog looked at one another in total beguilement. Once Todd saw that Trixie was safe, he snugly gripped the hound pup with the entirety of his mouth and carried her past her anxiously glowering mother and over to Amos. The man scratched his head at what was happening but stooped for Daisy anyway.

Copper stood loyally with the fox kit beside him for Todd to retrieve her. The little kit, in a silent fit of confusion, swiped a clawed paw up at the hound's muzzle when he lowered his snout again towards her. He suppressed a howl as Todd swiftly gathered her up in his teeth and took off. When Amos went for the gun that he had set aside so that he could get the coyote up by the ankle and carry, Copper moved to position his body over it instantly.

The three - Copper, his daughter and master - turned to see that Todd and Daisy's mother were leering dangerously at each other. When the fox father tried to meet his old friend's eyes, the hound father let his own drift away; this was how it was and they knew it. Daisy and Trixie held each other's gazes for a few moments before the fox kit waved good-bye.

The pup rubbed at her brown nose with a white paw and raised her other paw to wave.

"Bye," Trixie mouthed.

Daisy rubbed hard at her green eyes. "B-bye," she mouthed back; and then smiled.

At that, the fox kit smiled too.

A pup's longing howl could be heard from behind the two foxes as they left.

This was soon accompanied by a louder, longer and lonelier howl.

'Copper,' Todd thought as he picked up speed and dashed through the forest.

...

Trixie looked up with a guilty expression as her father wove his way around the groves of trees, and headed up the grassy path to one of his favorite spots. Todd didn't say anything as he went through some straggly brush and reappeared with her at the top of a hill knoll.

He placed her on the stump with a split opening running down the middle, and gave her a speculative expression. The fox kit flattened her ears to her head and looked down, "Papa I-," when she looked up he had stooped down and now had a red-purple-colored collar in his teeth. Trixie cringed away as he started to slip the fastened loop over her head. "No!"

"All right…" Todd smiled slightly from his grit fangs. "Then you suggest where."

Trixie glanced back at her tail and then spun around excitedly before holding it up to let him slip it on. Her father marveled at the way it loosely fit her while she made a frown at the way it hung. "Papa, I-I like it; it's great. B-But-I," He frowned at all of her stuttering.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know where you're going next time."

She dripped her head. "I'm sorry."

"You mean the world to me," Todd said as she nuzzled the side of her face. "Remember that, Trixie." In a quick leap, the father fox was right beside her and smiling reassuringly.

Lifting her ears and head a little, the fox daughter smiled back.

Together they settled down to look upon twilight hitting the two homes situated around a rickety old fence and burly fir trees. Todd's eyes grew heavy with sleep as his mind grew full of memories. When he looked down, however, he saw that Trixie was shaking a little possibly from their recent ordeal. What were these things? The fox wondered disgustedly.

These things that might have taken Vixie and Big Mama's lives?

To keep his own troubled heart at bay, he nudged Trixie's tail up against her side with his nose. Seeing her nestle into it's softness made his insides melt and his own worries leave.

...

Before Trixie fell asleep every night she would always look up to the stars to see a silvery outline in the shape of a fox. Her father had told her once that his mother had died saving him and, without him knowing, she secretly believed it was her. Or, perhaps, her mother.

To be continued…

~ Lavenderpaw ~