The swinging motion stopped, as did the strange man's footsteps. Gently, he placed the bag down. Shan could feel the cold of the floor seeping through it to his fur. Once again he was lifted up, allowing him to see the face of his captor. It was furrowed with curiosity. "Beautiful creatures, foxes. Don't you think?"
Oh, no, Shan thought. Maybe he's going to make me into a coat, like Cruella deVille. She kidnapped animals as well. He flinched away from the hand that reached out to touch his fur, snapping at it when it came closer. The movement made the eagle tattoo twist on his arm, looking almost like it was ready to take flight.
The man sighed. "Please calm down, Shan."
Wait. How does he know my name?!
"Has anyone ever told you that confusion looks rather silly on a fox's face?" There was laughter in those blue eyes now. Laughter, and something else, something that nearly made Shan want to … trust the man?
"Please listen to me, if you can. My name is Owen. I'm a teacher at a very special sort of school. You may have realised by now," he looked pointedly at Shan's foxy shape, "That you're pretty special yourself. We'd like to offer you a place at this school. It would really help you, I think, and I also think you'd like it there."
Shan breathed a sigh of relief. This guy might be crazy, but that didn't sound much like an evil villain's I'm-going-to-kill-you-soon sort of monologue. Heck, maybe he was even telling the truth! Any new school would be better than this current one, as long as Seth wasn't there (and it wasn't like he was a stranger to moving).
Owen sat down in front to Shan, allowing him to see past him and into the room around them. It appeared to be the inside of a van, small and metal and cold.
"I can see you're considering it. Thank you." He took a deep breath. "I need to apologise again for effectively kidnapping you." Should that be fox-napping, Shan wondered. "There were some rather nasty-looking boys about to walk round the corner, and I needed to speak to you as soon as possible. Speaking to a fox is bound to attract attention, especially since these particular boys seemed to think a fox had something to do with your escape from them."
Fear filled Shan. He hadn't considered what escaping from Seth would do to his temper. Up till that point he had just been another target, someone small to thump. Now it might get personal.
Owen noticed this. "It's okay, really. They have no idea where - or what, for that matter - you are at the moment." He gestured to a blanket in the corner. "Do make yourself at home. I'm going to drive us to your dad's house and tell him about the scholarship we're offering you. His say is important in this too. Hopefully you'll feel able to join us for the conversation?"
Still tangled in the net, Shan rolled over awkwardly. Owen laughed and unwrapped him, his hands rough and calloused yet gentle. Slowly, as the noise of the engine grew and the van began to move, Shan curled his tail around his nose and fell asleep.