Chapter 51: Growing Up Runnel (Part 3)

Freddie Runnel

The six year old coyote pup stared out the window at the rain and sighed, his arm ached again under the cast and the burns on his thigh stung. He was lonely because he had neither of his siblings to play with anymore. This house that his alpha had brought him to was much nicer then the crowded apartment he had lived in before that terrible night. He shuddered as he remembered his grandmother throwing him out of the building's third story window and into the tree before the room was engulfed in flames. Tears threatened his eyes as he mourned his parents, two brothers and his grandmother. But he was a coyote and grandson of a warrior, so he would be strong. No one truly dies he told himself, they just cross over the river to the other side and he will one day join them.

Across the room sat a raccoon, he was slim and wore a traditional long earring, similar to one the coyote's family wore during special occasions. The thirty year old raccoon was restringing an old guitar and the coyote cocked his head as he watched him began to tune the instrument. After a few moments, he began playing a melody and the pup walked over and stared with interest.

"Do you want to learn to play?" asked Freddie Runnel. "Come on over and I'll teach you."

Slowly the pup climbed into the raccoon's lap and strummed the guitar's strings with his good paw, then the raccoon played a cord and the young pup repeated it. After a while he stopped and asked the raccoon, "Are you now my daddy?"

"No Brian," answered Freddie. "You will always be the son of Chuck and Amanda Ravensong, but Chery and I will be taking care of you from now on. You can call me Uncle Freddie."

"Then I'm not part of your family?" asked the pup. His ears drooped and his tail was tucked close to his leg.

Chuckling, the raccoon gently hugged him and replied, "Of course your part of our family, we are of the same pack and the pack always takes care of their own. You are my pack son and I am your pack guardian." To most mammals this statement made little sense, but to a coyote it was perfectly clear.

After a few minutes more, Brian snuggled into the raccoon's arms and asked, "Could you tell me a story? Not a coyote story, but a raccoon story."

Freddie thought for a few moments and then began his story, "A long time ago in the great forest of Sherwood lived Robin Hood and his Merry Mammals. The merriest of all the fox's mammals was a raccoon named Much the Miller's Son…."

It was early in the morning when Chery heard the sniffling coming from the little pup's room. As she entered the room, the pup snarled at her. "Go away, I want my mommy!" he cried into his pillow.

Knowing his wife was never known for her compassionate ways, Freddie slipped by her and into the room. "You know Brian that she's crossed over?" he asked. The pup nodded and sniffled. "It's okay to miss them, your father and mother were good friends and I miss them too."

"I don't want to cry!" he mumbled. "I am the grandson of a warrior, my grandma was a warrior, and warriors don't cry."

"Oh, Brian warriors do sometimes cry," Freddie sighed. "My father had a best friend named Nick Wilde. You knew Mr. Nick, did you know he was the city's first police fox? You know he was a real hero and a great warrior." The pup nodded his head and laid back into the bed. "Let me tell you a story about my Uncle Nick and the day he cried. It was a stormy night in the city…"


Nicky Runnel

"Mummph, Nick I'm cold" complained the rabbit as she tried to scoot herself back into his body for warmth and reached for his tail. Her eyes opened suddenly taking in the sunlit room as she realized that her fox was no longer with her. After over thirty years of marriage she had lost him that cold spring morning almost three years ago. Tears ran down her cheeks as she remembered his bright emerald eyes and that tender silly smirk.

But Judy didn't have time to mourn long, because she could hear the sounds of little paws running down the hallway towards her bedroom. She quickly wiped her eyes and smiled as four bundles of black and grey joy charged through the door, climbed onto the bed, and into her arms. The raccoon kits were excitedly yelling and giggling, "Da says it's time to get up, Aunt Judy. We get to take the train to Zootopia today!"

"Zoo..Zoo..Zootopia!" one of the younger kits chanted before being swept up in the bunny's arms.

"Okay boys, leave your aunt alone so she can get dressed and packed," came a firm voice from the door. Judy looked up at the handsome raccoon standing there with an amused look upon his face. She smiled at him and marvel how much Nicholas Bartholomew Runnel at the age of thirty looked like his father once had. He had those same sparkling eyes and a smile that could melt any heart. She could tell by his faint woodsy scent, and the fact he still wore his tan uniform shirt and green pants, that that he had been out since early dawn doing his rounds. It his job as the Forester of the Great Oak Forest to protect the ancient trees and lands for hundreds of miles around and Nicky took that job seriously.

Stepping into her room, he hugged her and she kissed his cheek as he asked, "How are you doing this morning Aunt Judy? We've got a train to catch in about three hours."

"Nicky I'm perfectly fine for a fifty-nine years old rabbit. Even with this bum leg, I can still outrun anyone in this household including you." She laughed as she hugged him again.

"Oh, you know we raccoons weren't made to run," replied Nicky. "Even Uncle Nick could outrun me and he was in his sixties" His eyes grew sad as he mentioned his late uncle. "But then again I think that old fox cheated." He gave her a smirk that reminded her of her husband's.

"Time waits for no mammal, so hop to it bunny," he laughed as he dodged her play punch and ran out the door.

The rabbit stared out the window, outside the winter sun shone through the trees casting shadows on the ground below. In the distance, she heard a mourning dove calling it's mate. She picked up a photo of her and Nick on their wedding day and held it to her chest. She could also hear the sounds of the raccoon family... her family...preparing for the trip and Judith Laverne Hopps-Wilde smiled as she reflected on what a good life she has had.