The Coming Storm Part III
-Following the Trail: Approaching Noon-
Wolford was following behind the rest of the pack as he vacantly paced along the trail.
The brown wolf had made it his goal to avenge his fallen friend. It was his job to restore Sapper's honor the best he could and do whatever he could to show the Ancestor's that his friend was worthy of acceptance…
But at the moment his quest was feeling hollow and nigh impossible.
The brown wolf was holding a sharp, rabbit-sized stick firmly in his paws.
To him, the item had been nothing more than a twig in his clutches, just a tool used by a lesser species. That was until Julius had made his analysis in their investigation.
Now he realized what he was holding was the weapon that had probably slain his friend.
He stared at the fire-hardened tip of the spear. Crimson stains had soaked into the piece of timber, and because of its proximity from where Sapper had laid, it was likely the very same blood that belonged to him.
His stomach turned as he peered at the cursed tool.
His paws gripped tightly around the wood, and before he knew it the weapon snapped in two and fell into the snow beneath him with a muffled thump. Wolford trudged forward, leaving the sticks as nothing more than a relic of the trail that would soon be covered by the oncoming storm.
These damn longears…
They had taken away his friend. The first to call him by his name, the only to ever stand up on his behalf and the only one to suffer because of it. Sapper had endured so much just for his sake, and his reward was for his life to be unceremoniously cut short.
They had to fight back… They had to take you from me… they had to humiliate you…
Rabbits weren't supposed to win. They weren't supposed to be successful at anything. They were supposed to die for their sake. It was the natural way he had been taught.
But it didn't play out that way.
And now, after all the pain he had endured in his last moments, his friend's suffering would continue. An afterlife marked by a dishonorable death and a bodily desecration from the lowliest of prey.
And that was what troubled the brown wolf now. Wolford embarked on this to avenge his friend and restore his honor, but now knowing that the desecrator was a lowly rabbit of all things… it made the Hunt feel so feeble and vain.
Sure, they would find the desecrator within the day, and yes, they would give it what it deserved, but what did that matter if it was only a little rabbit?
Vengeance on food, how would this restore his honor? He couldn't mull past that terrible question.
He could take justice in his own paws, and he could pray for a thousand hours, but would it make a difference for his friend? Would the Ancestor's ever accept Sapper now?
These thoughts harassed the brown wolf to no end. And perhaps that's why a slight whimper came from his muzzle. He hardly even registered the tears soaked into the fur underneath his eyes…
I'm sorry, Sapper. I should've been there sooner. I should've stood up to Julius when he said to leave you after… but I- I felt so… powerless, I- I was just a little pup again and he-
"Mr. Wolford, are you okay?" A young voice whispered.
He froze in his place, realizing that there was a witness to his emotional weakness.
Dammit!
He had been following behind the others on autopilot, and had momentarily lost control as he reflected on his friend… And now one of the others had caught him being a sentimental wreck.
Ancestors, I can't let Julius know I'm losing it again, not now! Not during the hunt…
Wolford wiped the tear soaked spots under his eyes and straightened up as if nothing had happened. When he looked at the intruder, he came face to face with-
"Antony?"
The juvenile white wolf had apparently fallen back from the front and had made his way next to him.
"What are you doing here?"
Wolford was taken aback by the presence of the scrawny canine. Him and Antony hadn't ever really communicated before. The young wolf had always been skittish around most of the pack outside of his immediate family. And he had always stuck close to Sapper, someone that Julius would obviously not want his pup to hang around. Neither were too familiar with the other.
Bashfully, Antony answered the question, "I- I'm not very good at sniffin' yet… and dad is busy and Marcus told me to stop getting in the way…"
The juvenile's voice tapered off as he gave a tentative look at the pack a short distance ahead of them.
Wolford followed the eyes of the younger wolf. They lingered on the Alpha leading at the front. The pack was moving fairly quickly ahead of them, a great contrast from how he had come to a dead stop when he discovered that Antony was next to him.
"That's not what I'm asking, pup," Wolford paused as he stared expectantly at the little wolf.
Antony was clearly confused by what the older wolf was getting at and didn't know what to say.
The disoriented pup only served to frustrate Wolford further and he lost his temper, "Ancestors! Why are you bothering me, Antony?"
Wolford wasn't intending to sound as harsh as he did, but he was also quite irritated in his emotional state.
However, that didn't soften the blow of his words, and just by looking at the younger wolf next to him, he would have thought he had crushed the juvenile's dreams.
Antony ears splayed to the side as he averted his eyes from the brown wolf. His tail tucked underneath his hind legs as he tried to speak, "I just- I mean, I…"
Antony tensed and stumbled as he struggled to respond to such a harsh reaction to his presence. "I-I wanted… I wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened to your friend Mister Wolford…"
A sigh escaped the brown wolf.
He really didn't want to conversate right now, but at the same time this was a first. No other wolf had offered condolences to him. Even Brute, in all his talks of justice, hadn't verbally offered this kind of condolence.
"Thanks, pup… that… that means something."
And with that small note of gratitude, the tension felt between the two thawed a little.
Silence fell between them as they slowly began following the trail of the group, relying mostly on Wolford's noses to follow behind instead of actually watching the pack ahead of them.
Wolford fell back into his thoughts as he walked on autopilot, setting his own slow pace. He didn't realize the gap building between him and the rest of the pack, and little Antony just didn't seem to care about it.
Honestly, the little wolf was happy walking next Mister Wolford. The brown wolf's slow gate was easier to follow than the quicker pace of the pack, and the silence with the older wolf was much more pleasant than the open coldness Marcus would give him. But even better than both of those, Antony had seen Mister Wolford crying (not that he was happy about him hurting.) He hadn't ever seen another wolf cry before, and it made the little wolf want to stay near to him.
He felt… safe. Safe knowing that another wolf didn't mind showing that kind of emotion. So, Antony was all too happy to walk silently with the older wolf, keeping pace and keeping quiet so Mister Wolford could think… Until he heard another whimper from his walking companion.
It only took that moment of silence for Wolford to be sucked back into his thoughts about his friend. The young wolf's condolences for Sapper were quite disarming, and once the conversation subsided and Antony's unassuming presence was forgotten, Wolford's attention focused on the unfairness of what happened to his friend.
Unconsciously, the water in his eyes built once again, and that ever-telling canine whimper came from his muzzle.
"Mister Wolford…"
And again his thoughts were broken once more by the younger wolf, and with a sigh, Wolford obliged the juvenile,
"What is it, Antony?" He said with a slight bit of annoyance.
"Dad says I'm not allowed to show weakness…"
Wolford's ears perked at those words before he realized the wetness that had moistened his cheeks. Rapidly, he straightened his face and removed the evidence of tears.
Dammit! Hold it together, not in front of one of Julius'…
"I think dad's right. He always is!" The little wolf proclaimed, "I have to be strong… especially since I'm smaller… but…"
Antony turned to face Wolford, as they stopped again, "I don't think being sad makes me weaker, though."
Wolford gave a puzzled look to his new companion.
The white wolf continued undeterred, "I think sometimes being sad makes me want to try harder! Like when Marcus calls me 'ant' because he thinks I'm small and not important… and it hurts a lot… but I know I can do anything he can do if I just try hard enough!"
Antony's ears pinned back ever so slightly as his eyes focused on his brother in the distance, "I mean… even the little ants help their pack…"
Wolford was confused at the scrawny wolf's ramblings, "What are you talking about, pup?"
"I-" Antony glanced around to make sure no one else was listening, not that there would be, the long stops and slow pace of the two made sure of that.
"Don't tell dad or Marcus… but sometimes… I cry too!" Wolford's face was a mortified expression at the admission of crying and his inclusion by the little wolf, not that Antony noticed.
The little wolf continued unabated, "But it doesn't mean I'm weak… I think it just means I care, and I think I'm stronger because if I care… I won't give up no matter what anyone says, just like you won't give up for your friend!"
Antony offered a bright, hopeful smile to his brown companion.
If they hadn't already stopped again, Wolford imagined he would be dead in his tracks at this juvenile's speech.
Where the hell did he learn that from. Was the first thing that came to Wolford's brain. It certainly wasn't from the boss.
Everything about Antony was the very definition of 'sentiment,' and knowing that this was the son of the cold and unmoving pack leader made Wolford reel. The brown wolf honestly didn't know what to say to that. And after an uncomfortable moment of silence, Antony couldn't help but press Wolford to start functioning again.
Mister Wolford, a-are you okay? It won't tell anyone you were cry-"
"I wasn't crying, pup!" He asserted firmly. "I'm not weak like that! I don't-"
Wolford's voice died in his throat as he saw Antony's reaction to his response. The happy wagging in Antony's tail stopped immediately with those cruel words. His bright smile faded, and his voice crackled slightly as he answered back to Wolford,
"Yeah…I guess you weren't, sorry for thinking that, Mister Wolford."
Antony wasn't a stranger to rejection, his brother made sure he understood the concept better than most. That did nothing to ease the sting from what Wolford had just said.
When he had seen how sad Wolford had been, the juvenile really thought that maybe him and Wolford could be friends… After all, Antony understood what it was like to be sad, and that made him want to reach out to the brown wolf.
But it looked like friendship was too much to hope for. The familiar word 'weak' told him plenty of what the brown wolf thought about Antony for his emotions.
To Wolford, it felt almost tragic to witness the change in the younger wolf. A downtrodden countenance in great contrast from the highly sentimental, endearing pup just a second ago.
Dammit.
Wolford hated seeing that change. Just a moment ago he wanted to be alone, but now… it almost physically hurt to see the light in the pup trampled by his words. It made him feel dirty to have crushed the happiness out of this juvenile.
And for what? So I'm not ashamed that he saw a tear? I haven't been ashamed about something like that since…
Since Julius…
...Had renamed him Wolford… Trampled on his dreams, crushed that little bit of light out of him as a pup… Back when he was just a juvenile… when he was just a little younger than Antony.
Oh.
It may have been just this single incident, but what Wolford was saying to Antony, wasn't all that different from what Julius had always said to him,
'Tell me Wolford, are you weak?' 'Toughen up, whelp.' 'you're too soft, if you want to be strong you have to let go of those weaker than you.'
Julius' had always called Wolford weak and sentimental, and now he had inadvertently done the same thing to Julius' son, who ironically was just as sentimental as himself.
The brown wolf sighed deeply at his situation. He wouldn't leave it like this.
I'm sorry, pup…
"But if I had been crying," Wolford started, "Just between you and me… maybe it wouldn't have been a bad thing…"
White ears perked as Antony looked up at the brown wolf, shock filling his bright, naive eyes.
A chipperness dared to inflect in his voice as he responded, "Y-yeah! I don't think so either, it just means it's important to you!"
Wolford's heart warmed at how quickly the pup springed back. He supposed he had to be that way with the stern members of his household.
Take every win you can get, I guess.
"You know what, you got heart, pup."
Antony's face turned quizzical, but the smile never left.
"I have heart, what does that mean?"
Wolford didn't even realize he had said that out loud until Antony asked his question, he looked at the bright-eyed juvenile with sincerity,
"Oh, um, it means that you're really strong right here." Wolford replied while putting a clawed digit over the young wolf's chest. "It means you're tough and you'll do what you can for those you care about."
"Woah!" Antony exclaimed, "Y-You really think I have heart?!" He tail wagged again with eager hope.
"Yeah, um, sure." The brown wolf responded, puzzled at the growing excitement of his younger companion.
Antony lit up even further and before Wolford knew it, the juvenile grabbed him in a tight hug.
Wolford tensed at the sudden, unexpected interaction.
Wolves… wolves really weren't huggers. Outside of their immediate family it was considered a taboo, and especially in front of the others, and even more so during a mission…
For Wolford in particular, well, he hadn't been hugged since…
When? When was the last time I've been hugged by someone?
Wolford's shock stopped him from returning the hug, but the lack of response did nothing to stop Antony from holding on tighter, or rambling what was on his heart.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I- I, Marcus said there isn't anythin' special about me, but- but you really think I have heart, Mister Wolford!?"
The young wolf held his arms tightly around the brown wolf, and Wolford could see that bright, endearing smile looking up at him.
It was contagious.
Wolford smiled back at the smaller wolf, the juvenile's eartips barely made it up to Wolford's neck, and yet this display showed another kind of strength that he hardly ever saw within the pack.
He really does have heart,
Wolford wasn't having trouble believing that either, in fact he hadn't felt this kind of heartfelt outpouring since…
Sapper.
This pup may not have known it, but he'd been the first one to really reach out to him in such a way since his old friend had stuck his neck out for him when he was just a pup.
It was cathartic in a way. Sapper had befriended him when he was a pup and gave up everything because of it, now this pup seemed to want to befriend him even though he wouldn't really gain anything… and quite possibly get in trouble for displaying such sentimental behavior.
The pup wasn't the strongest, and he had his own problems, but that didn't stop him from checking on someone who he saw was hurting even if it would cost him something to do it…
And then it occurred to Wolford,
He's kinda like you, old friend.
Sapper had given up everything on Wolford's behalf… and this pup was putting himself on the line telling Wolford that he cries and by hugging him. In his own sentimental way, the pup was a lot like his old friend.
Wolford ruffled Antony's head fur with his paw before giving the pup an affectionate pat on the back,
"Hell, you know what, pup," Wolford began,
"What?" Antony asked looking up at the older wolf, still clinging to him with a grip that could match a bear's.
"I think you have more heart than any other wolf I know."
And the brown wolf meant it too. This pup made one hell of a first impression.
"Even… even more than Marcus?"
The brown wolf scoffed, but not at young Antony. That wolf had always been the cruelest to Sapper since he'd been demoted to Omega. Marcus used much of his time enforcing the tradition of the Omega being a 'punching bag,' and didn't have a problem lording his rank over those beneath him.
"Gotta have a heart to qualify for that, pup."
Antony didn't contest that.
The pup had a hopeful look in his eyes as he posed his next question,
"Do you… do you think that one day I can have even more heart than my dad?"
To Antony, there wasn't a better wolf. He was so very different from his father, but he always looked up to him. His dad was a strong, inspiring leader who could take on anything. It also helped that he would keep his brother from harassing him whenever he noticed Marcus' behavior.
The honest twinkling in the naive pup's eyes were a reminder to Wolford how little Antony had really seen of his father outside of the family structures and the speeches to the camp. From what he could tell, Julius was surprisingly kind to the runt.
Still, that didn't change his memories for the last several years… Julius and Marcus were equally heartless when it came to Sapper… And even though Julius was kind to the little wolf, ironically, Antony was also a victim thanks to the cruelty that the Alpha had passed down to Marcus.
But that was neither here nor there. Wolford wasn't about to soil the juvenile's moment, and he could tell Antony craved to hear the encouragement.
"You know what, pup, I think you just might have even more heart than both of them already."
"Woah, I- I don't know about that… dad is soo strong! But- but thanks Mister Wolford."
Judging by the wagging of his tail, The compliment meant a lot to the pup.
"Well, we better get moving pup, we don't want to get left beh- oh, well damn."
Perhaps the emotional moment took a lot more time than they realized. The two wolves had fallen behind the rest of the pack… a lot. It wasn't necessarily a big deal, but it was best they make it back before the pack finds anything of importance.
The two wolves began their way to regroup with the others, Wolford keeping the trot a bit slower so Antony could match his pace, and Antony's ever continuous tail wagging remaining as happy as ever.
-0-0-
As Wolford and Antony worked to catch up with the pack, the leaders of the Hunt had so far not taken note of their absence.
They had come across a sight far too interesting. A sight that held the attention of the four wolves present. Julius and Brute were investigating a scene most peculiar: they had found an end to the rabbit's scent, but not necessarily the rabbit.
"It went up this tree?" Brute said contemplatively. "But why?"
The question didn't hang in the air for long, however. The answer was close. So close that they could smell it. Literally.
Julius' nose twitched, a fading, iron scent clung in the air, "What is that, Brute?"
A unique, musky scent was present near the tree the rabbit had climbed on, but that wasn't what first caught his nose's attention. Slowly, he tracked the scent until his eyes locked on the telltale spots of crimson.
"Blood, old friend. It appears something found our rabbit before we did." Brute said as he observed Julius' tracking.
Julius grumbled at this. If they had tracked the desecrator all the way out here just to discover it had become another predator's lunch, well… it wouldn't go over well.
Julius followed the spatters of crimson over to another nearby pine.
The bark had been stained with scarlet trails of the life giving substance, and a pool of congealed blood was present at its base. The smell of the rabbit was present here as well, but it was overpowered by the scent of iron, and the scent of…
Musk. Fox musk.
Julius' nose crinkled at the scent. Disgusting, nasty creatures.
"Tell me Brute, what do you see?" Julius asked his 2nd in command.
"By the smell of it, clearly the end of our rabbit trail is what I see."
Julius hummed at this. The Beta may have been right. The smell of a vulpine overwhelmingly marked the tree, and the blood near and around it painted the story of a struggle: a confrontation that clearly ended awry for a mammal.
However, the scene wasn't one that marked a fox's ambush, and the scent of the rabbit in the tree was particularly astounding.
Why… Why would the longears leave the tree, and… and where are the remains… and the blood trail… it just ends right here?
Something's not right, Julius concluded as he canvassed the scene.
Something wasn't adding up… and it was becoming clear that they needed to figure out what that something was.
We will need to do another investigation… He sighed.
Their success as hunters had always been tied to preparation and teamwork. It was that same preparation that had so perfectly worked against the fledgling rabbit clan, and they would be damned if they didn't adhere to that old wolven practice if a fox was involved.
But still… they didn't have that luxury with a storm threatening them from overhead… Julius didn't like the idea, but success required evolving tactics.
We will simply have to adjust.
"Marcus." Julius called.
The eldest son wordlessly stepped forward to his father.
"As I recall, you requested earlier for something that 'wasn't a waste of your talents.' It appears that we have the opportunity to see just how well of a leader and a listener you truly are."
Marcus' ears perked at that. "A test, father? You know I am more than capab-"
"You have already proven your capabilities as a hunter, Marcus. This will be different."
Marcus bit his tongue at Julius' blatant interruption. He was used to the cut-offs, and light tactics meant to assert dominance. And as much as they annoyed the eldest son, he knew he would have his chance to one day exploit his father's weakness, and when that happened he would lead the pack.
Julius continued, "This will not be a difficult objective, but it will be an assignment that will require leadership, as well as the capability to listen. Can you handle that, whelp?"
To Marcus this was already sounding like a fool's errand, albeit an unusual one. Still, he wanted to see where this would go, "I can."
"Good. We need you and your brother to scout ahead. Follow the scent trail to its conclusion while the main group gets to the bottom of what happened here. However, you are NOT to engage the target until the main team catches up with their findings."
Brute nodded in agreement with the Alpha and tacked on his support for the idea,
"Especially if foxes are involved, nasty tricksters! We need to understand just what we're dealing with here before the assault."
However, Marcus' ideals differed greatly from both the Alpha and the Beta, "This sounds like another fool's errand! How is Antony going to be of any use when we find them anyways?"
The growl from Julius snapped all attention to the pack leader. "Your listening skills are already being put into question, whelp! If you cannot lead the most obedient wolf in this pack, and if you cannot obey such a simple task yourself, then you will NEVER be fit as a leader."
Marcus withheld his own growl, One day, father. One day.
It was a mantra the wolf had been telling himself for a while now. He would lead this pack one day, it was his birthright. And on that day, his father would be relegated to a lower position. It would be what was best for the pack, the strongest wolf could finally lead.
"Fine," He answered sharply, "Me and… Antony… will do as you wish."
However, there was one part of the order the son wished to amend, " Father if we are already there we should-"
"No." Julius cut him off.
The disdain in Marcus' eyes surfaced at the abrupt answer, "You don't even know wh-"
This time Brute was the one to stop Marcus in his tracks, "You were going to propose a preemptive strike without the pack, with limited information of the target, and no previous reconnaissance."
Marcus' ears pinned back. A united front. It was one thing to push at his father's power, or Brute's, but another thing altogether to push against both at the same time. He submitted to the order for now.
Julius gave an affirmative nod to the Beta before he finished the argument,
"Our hunts are successful because we work together, Marcus. When we stalk our prey we take into account every available factor. Have you forgotten how we had scouted out the longears' warrens?"
Marcus didn't answer, but he very well knew that a scout from the pack had mapped out when the most rabbits would be outside, how they would defend themselves, and where to watch for stragglers trying to escape.
"This is more serious now, foxes are trader animals, we aren't aware of what crafts and traps he may have acquired. You will wait and observe, understand?"
With an unwilling resignation in his voice, Marcus posed his last question.
"And the storm?"
The threateningly dark skies and uptick in wind, coupled with the need for this secondary investigation, was what was causing Julius to form this scouting party in the first place.
"Hopefully it won't come to that, but if the storm is as severe as we anticipate it to be…" Julius thought it over, "then your leadership will be paramount. It will be difficult but we will track your fresher scent for as long as we can, and if the trail is tarnished by the weather, then we will howl."
Marcus lifted an eyebrow, "And you want us to return the howl? Won't that give away our position to the prey, father?"
Julius gave a wicked grin to his son, "Whether we are hunting fox or rabbit, it will not be oblivious to the oncoming storm. It WILL be holed up for this whiteout, resting in safety… If it panics and runs through the front then I expect you to embrace the targets' efforts of escape with your teeth. If it cowers inside and waits to die, then I expect you and Antony to keep it company until we arrive."
Julius's face returned to its usual stern look, "However, that is the last resort. If the weather holds, then so do you. Understand?"
Marcus gave a terse nod to his father before they began ironing out the details of how he and Antony would proceed forward.
-0-0-
It was about this time in Marcus' and Julius' discussion that Casius noticed a few wolven figures slinking in behind her. She had stood off to the side, along with Marcus before he had been called forward.
Julius and Brute had been hard at work following the trail, much too busy with the important scene before them to notice the wolves slinking behind. And Marcus simply hadn't an interest in the two wolves in the back, both weren't worth his time. That left Brute's mate as the only one to really take note of their absence.
Casius had thought about voicing her concerns about the two's ever slowing pace behind them, however she thought better of it. They had only been out of sight for a few minutes, and the two wolves wouldn't have trouble catching up… Distracting Julius and her mate from making progress just to inform them of a short separation (that was likely just the two wolves stopping to relieve themselves) didn't sound enticing.
"Where have you two been?" Casius whispered, relieved to see the two pack members back. "Julius is revising the hunting strategy."
Wolford hesitated to answer, and instead focused on her latter statement. "Revising the strategy? What do you-"
If an answer from Casius was what Wolford and Antony wanted, that certainly wasn't what they would receive as another voice interrupted Wolford's questioning.
"Antony!" Julius called. "Come here, son."
Antony tensed as he approached his brother and father. Marcus had an annoyed expression as he eyed his younger brother, and Julius maintained his normal dominant features.
The only thing that ran through the young juvenile's mind was the thought that he might have disappointed his dad by trailing far behind the pack\… Surely, his father couldn't know of the emotional moment him and Wolford shared, could he? He really hoped that wasn't why his father had called him forward, he couldn't think of anything worse than disappointing him…
"Antony, you and Marcus will be scouting ahead for the pack."
Ok, Antony could think of one thing worse than disappointing his father.
At the Fox's Den: The Afternoon
Had today been easy for Nick?
Certainly not.
Had it been immensely fulfilling?
Yes. Absolutely, 100%
For the fox, how could it not be? Both sweet moments and sad ones filled the day so far, but each moment brought him and his new family closer together.
The day had started out really well. A wonderful morning where the fox woke up in a warm bed with all the bunnies that he loved. He had an amusingly fun and pleasant time teasing and conversing with his special bunny when she woke up, and even had the chance to teach her a thing or two about cooking!
It was wonderful, it was great and it was his to enjoy.
But the happy moments weren't the only ones that belonged to the fox.
When it comes to your loved ones, you don't only share in the easy, blissful moments, but the moments of stress, duress, pain and everything in between.
It was a package deal, their burdens were his now too.
But the fox was more than willing to take those moments.
His family still felt the effects of having so much of their lives torn away from them, and it was only natural for the kits to fear what the future held. These things were hard to shoulder, but with the right words, a confession of love, and a desire to protect the kits and Judy, Nick put that concern to rest for the kits.
But that concern was still alive in Judy.
Ever since the fox had mentioned a 'plan' she had been wondering just what the fox had that would be such a defense against anyone who would try to harm them.
It was a question that was soon to be asked by the grey doe.
They had eaten a good lunch, and as per usual the kits had overindulged themselves… by a lot… And with the prospects of going outside nonexistent outside of bathroom breaks, the little ones had opted to go into food comas instead.
Three little buns rested peacefully by the fire that had cooked their latest meals. The warmth offered by the gentle flames, the comfort of the siblings next to each other, and the fullness of their bellies ensured another sleepy moment for the kits.
And as they snoozed peacefully, Nick and Judy found themselves tidying up the aftermath of the kits' messy eating.
"Well, Carrots. I think they've just about decimated my winter storage." Nick said to Judy jokingly as he straightened up his sewing table that was cluttered with various scraps of vegetables. "I still don't see how you bunnies can eat so much."
Judy chuckled, "You should've seen them back in our gardens! Day after day, dad would have to shoo them out of the carrot patch," The grey doe stood next to her vulpine companion, following his lead on the pick up, "They would've eaten the whole garden in a day if we'd have let them."
Nick didn't have a hard time believing that in the slightest. The life of a bunny kit wasn't much different from the life of a fox kit. Eat a lot, sleep, play, eat a lot again, and enjoy the time you had with your family…
So much of that was gone for them, a fact that saddened the fox, but one that made him want to try harder for them, and one that made it easy to let the kits enjoy their food comas.
Nick gave a small smile to the sleeping kits resting by their newly discovered comfy spot by the fireplace. It was definitely a desire of his to let them enjoy their childhoods as much as possible. His had been snatched away, and the last thing he wanted for these kits was for that to happen to them as well.
The fox and rabbit continued their short cleaning spree, and after they had fixed it to their satisfaction, the two decided to sit next to each other at the sewing table.
The space offered a nice view of the kits sleeping comfortably, a view that made Nick pull Judy to his side, "Hey Carrots, you did a good job today."
Judy was getting used to the fox pulling her up to him. He had pulled her into his lap on several occasions in the past few days, she found herself leaning closer each time he did it.
She leaned into his tunic, searching out the familiar smell of violets, "You too, Slick."
The two sat in companionable silence, enjoying the warmth from each other as well as the sweetness of watching the peaceful slumber of the kits.
Judy didn't desire to break up the tranquil moment, she wanted nothing more than to relax against him until the kits woke up with their second wind of energy. But she had a question for the fox, one that had been niggling at her mind since he had told them that he had a plan if something bad were to happen.
It wasn't her fault for wanting to know, she had always been a doe of action, a scout with the desire to defend and protect. It wasn't all that surprising when she broke the moment with her question,
"Nick, when we were talking to the kits this morning…"
The fox honed in on her tone, he already had a feeling where this was going.
"You said something about a plan…"
"Yes… I did say that. A secret plan." The fox stood up from the table and padded to the other side of the den to where he kept his wintry supplies.
Judy wasn't having that, though. She followed the fox to his enclave.
"Nick, I need to know what the plan is. If we're ever in trouble I need to know everything I can do to help."
Nick dug through the cluttered supplies in the wall, shuffling around the various items he had stored in the cubby hole. "C'mere, Carrots."
"Nick, I'm not hungry, I need to know what the pla- wait what's that?"
The fox gave her a small smile. "It's part of the plan, can't you tell?"
The enclave held much of Nick's supplies for the winter, so it only made sense that it was a large spot, but Judy hadn't anticipated the room for a false entrance on the backing of the space.
This was her first good look at where he kept his supplies, and taking a peak in the hole was something else.
"That's… a tunnel?"
He gave another small smile, "Dad always said you have to be prepared for whatever."
She hadn't expected another way out of his den, nowhere outside had she seen another entrance to it.
As if the fox knew what she was thinking, he began talking. He never was one for actual secrets, anyways.
"It goes out towards the river. Still have a bit of a run to reach it, but I figured if I was ever chased by something stronger than me, I could always swim across. Of course, it's frozen right now, so it wouldn't really wash away any of our scents, but it's still the best option to get away…"
Judy was astounded by this revelation, "H-how did you…"
"Hide it? Since I don't use it, it just kinda hides itself this time of year, plus, I stitched together a little covering to help conceal the outside. so unless you just know where it is…"
As shocked as Judy was about the secret exit, she still felt a bit… underwhelmed about Nick's 'plan.' Even rabbits had multiple exits on their burrows… But that didn't help her family…
"Nick, this is good… But that's not really a plan."
"No, it's not." The fox agreed before digging back into his storage. He dug out various items, what looked to be smaller spears, presumably for fishing, bits of spare cloth, food, and something else… Something strange.
"This is the plan."
Judy had never seen such a thing before, whatever the fox was holding wasn't a common item in nature. It appeared to be some sort of crude, clear container, and even stranger was the thick, viscous, purple liquid that shook around inside.
"Wh-what is that?
"Something I bought from a weasel years ago, still comes around once in a while to trade, really likes my stitch work, I guess."
Nick held the bottle reverently in his paws, "He said it saved his life from a wolf attack before."
Judy was already cautious of the item Nick was holding, "H-how do you know he was telling the truth?"
"Well, he's not the nicest guy that's for sure," Nick started, "But he's the leader of the biggest pred trading caravan in these parts. They call him the Duke of Trade. He might be kind of sleazy, but he doesn't outright lie about his merchandise."
This was beginning to become a little much for Judy, but she still needed to know how this strange vial would help them fight off something as bad as a wolf attack.
"Nick, how- what is this even supposed to do?"
"The Duke said it was a poison that'll stop any predator in his tracks, from a weasel to a wolf. Real fast acting, apparently, says they won't know what hit 'em!"
The fox handed the vial filled with the purple liquid to the rabbit,
"He calls it Nighthowler."