Part Nine - Arum
"My comfort in my suffering is this: your promise preserves my life." Psalm 119:50, NIV
"Arum! The river is rising!"
"Wonderful! Why won't this embleer rain stop?" grumbled Arum, looking outside. The river had risen suddenly in the last hour, and was now claiming the gently sloping, grassy bank in which their single burrow was dug. The two rabbits had chosen a more lonely lifestyle, rather than being in a warren, mostly for privacy reasons. Now, however, Arum wished that they were in a warren. Crises such as this one could be handled more efficiently with the support of other rabbits. Arum and his mate Mazarine had four tiny nursing kittens to carry to safety, as it was obvious that the river would eventually claim their burrow. They were forced into the difficult task of carrying two kittens each, holding them by the ears in their mouths. This was compounded by the fact that Arum had not been feeling well for the last two days.
As the pair fought their way through the driving rain with their kittens, both parents would occasionally stumble and spill the mewling kittens into the mud. Arum faltered considerably more often than Mazarine as his strength began to fail, despite his hefty size. Both rabbits' spirits began to fall as no suitable shelter could be found. They also could hear the growls of elil in the woods on their side of the river, and these noises seemed to be closing in. When they finally found a way to cross the swelling river, they decided to take the chance.
A tree's roots had been undermined; its collapsed trunk lay straight across the water, half-submerged. Muddy water was surging against the tree, and occasionally a burst of water would crest over the top. The tree would have washed downstream immediately, except that it had fallen across one of the narrower stretches of the river, and its upper boughs had tangled with well-rooted shrubbery on the opposite bank. There were enough roots left anchored in the bank to keep that end secure. Arum saw this and said to his mate, "Mazarine, I'm going to try to cross first. Stay right here and don't follow until I'm safely across. All right?" Mazarine nodded her understanding. Arum picked up his two kittens by their ears and carefully picked his way along and through the tangle of roots until he finally stood on the slippery bark of the trunk. With even greater care, analyzing each foothold before taking a step, Arum edged his way toward the other side.
Just as he was getting to where the upper boughs branched out, he heard a squeal from the bank that he had just left. He turned and saw to his dismay that Mazarine was already trying to clamber towards him, with her two kittens dangling in her mouth. He wanted to yell to her to wait, but couldn't utter a sound while carrying the kittens. Something must have spooked her into chancing the daring crossing prematurely. It was then that more soil from around the base of the tree fell into the river, freeing more roots and causing the tree to suddenly shift and roll.
Mazarine disappeared into the water, still clinging onto her kittens. Arum was also thrown, and clawed blindly for one of the branches, managing to catch one with his left front paw. He hung on desperately, with only his head and paw above the freezing and roiling water. He was helpless as one of his kittens was pulled from the grip of his teeth. Unable to feel grief at this desperate moment, Arum gripped the remaining kitten even more tightly and dug his right front claws into the branch serving as his lifeline. Using every ounce of his ebbing strength, he managed to pull himself half out of the water and onto the branch. He saw that he was only a few feet from the opposite bank, so he forced himself to grasp along the branch until at last he was lying beside it on the bank, clear of the water.
Arum fought every urge to fall asleep right there; he got up again and began plodding up the bank and into the woods, searching for any shelter. His sickness had grown much worse, and this trek required every scrap of strength that he had. His mind was too clouded with exhaustion and shock to come to terms with losing his mate and three of his kittens. His determination to protect his remaining doe, Meadow, was all that drove him on. It was another hour before he found the elusive shelter.
***
As Arum slowly became aware again, he was in a confused dream state. He imagined that he was a kitten again, nuzzling his marli for warmth. He gave no thought to his kittens or Mazarine for the first few minutes. Then, his memory began to register. He remembered the river rising, crossing the fallen tree, slipping into the cold water, and knowing that his mate was gone, as well as all but one of his kittens. Then, he wondered where Meadow was. Next, he remembered seeing the homba and expecting death. He realized even more confusion as he knew that he was still alive. This last thought was complimented by the strong scent of a homba, and this brought him around to waking fully.
Upon opening his eyes, Arum noticed that whatever his head was resting on was too large to be a rabbit. In the dim light, he couldn't make out the colouring, but the scent was unmistakable. Arum started and squealed, backing away quickly and slamming into the far side of the den. The homba that had served as his pillow woke and looked at him. Arum saw with dismay that this homba was lying between himself and the only exit from the den, which was seemingly a mile away. He caught sight of another homba stretched out along the side, which was now also awake. It was the second homba which spoke to Arum first.
"Glad to see that you're awake. What's your name?"
Arum stammered, his eyes darting between the hombil and the exit. There was no chance of escape, so it was best to play along. Why was he still alive, anyway? "Arum," he said simply.
"Good to meet you, Arum. My name is Mara, and these two are Mark and Carol," she said, nodding to the two cubs who were nursing, then nodded to the other homba, "and that is my eldest, Gina - a year old." She then asked, "And I assume this is your daughter?"
Mara was placing a paw on a rabbit kitten that was snuggled between the two fox cubs. Incredulously, Arum saw that it was Meadow - and that she was nursing, as well. Noticing the expression on Arum's face, Mara continued, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude, but I couldn't find any trace of your mate, and your kitten was crying for milk, so..."
Arum was getting dizzy and lay back down. Gina got up and walked over to him. "Are you all right?" She put her nose to Arum's forehead and added, "Well, your fever is a lot lower. That's a good sign."
Arum was only able to manage a confused string of incomprehensible babbling. He hadn't even considered when he had been searching for shelter while carrying Meadow how he would feed her with Mazarine gone. It would have been some time before she would have been able to eat solid food, and since there was no other food which she could take, she would have starved to death.
In an effort to dispel some of Arum's obvious confusion and shock, Gina asked, "So is this your daughter? What is her name?"
"Yes... Meadow."
"Do you feel like eating anything right now? We've gathered some grass for you. Unfortunately, there's not much else this early in spring."
"Uh-huh," said Arum, his eyes still somewhat glazed over.
At this point, Mara spoke up again. "Take your time, Arum. There's no rush. Get some more sleep if you wish. It's all right. We'll explain everything in the morning."
Nothing can explain this, thought Arum. He winced as a pounding headache redoubled its strength, and glanced again at the exit. Escape was unlikely. Maybe escape is unnecessary. I must've been here for some time and I'm still alive. For all I know, Meadow would be dead right now if not for them - maybe me, too. Maybe it's a miracle from Frith. Maybe these hombil really are friends. Arum froze as he remembered. He, too, had once heard that particular story as a kitten, before he had left his old warren with Mazarine. Oh, let it be. But, why me? Please let it be. He drifted back to sleep.
***
When Arum woke again, his illness had all but vanished - his fever was gone and his headache was almost unnoticeable. Although the misery of sickness was nearly past, he now felt famished. He hadn't eaten properly in at least a day. He then realized again that he was still alive. He began to believe then that he had met the promised friend - or in this case, friends.
It was bright outside, and Arum saw that Gina was not in the den. Mara was, though, dozing somewhat fitfully. Her two cubs and Meadow were snuggled next to her, also sleeping. Arum, fighting his instinct, quietly crept towards the mother homba and whispered, "Excuse me?" in her ear.
Mara started with a yelp and woke the three little ones beside her. They promptly starting crying out. Arum backed away, whispering, "Sorry... Sorry..."
Mara responded with a sigh of relief and a chuckle. "Don't worry about it, Arum. I was just having one of those foxhound nightmares that foxes get every once in a while. Oh, wait - we're 'hombil' to you, right?"
"Uh... yeah, I guess."
Mara chuckled again. "Anyway, what did you want, Arum?"
"I just wanted to know why?"
"Why, what?" Mara knew what, but didn't want to make it seem like it was a big deal.
"You saved my Meadow... Why?"
Mara thought back to what she had told Currant and Fritillary so long ago. She responded, "Because you're not my enemies - you're my friends. I've just always felt that way. Besides myself and my cubs, there isn't any fox I know of that feels the same way. We must seem strange to them, to say the least." She changed the subject, "Arum, have you eaten yet?"
"No, but I guess I should."
"Well, there's still that grass for you."
"Thanks," said Arum. The flay was somewhat dry, but one of the more delicious meals he'd had in some time. With his mouth full, he asked Mara, "So, do you just eat this, too?"
"Oh, no, we're fishers." She paused. "Arum?"
"Yes?"
"Where is your mate, anyway?" Mara saw the tears begin to glisten in his eyes, and added, "Arum, I'm sorry. She's gone, isn't she?"
"Yes," Arum sniffed, "She stopped running. The river took her. And three of my young ones. Only Meadow and I survived." Arum lay down, put his head on his paws, and closed his welling eyes.
Mara got up and put a comforting paw on his head. "Arum, I'm sorry," she repeated softly.
Just then, Gina returned with a fish in her mouth. When she saw the scene, she became concerned, asking, "Mother, is Arum all right?"
"He's lost his family, dear, except for Meadow."
Gina echoed her mother's condolences to the weeping rabbit.
Arum looked up and whispered, "You're promised friends, aren't you?"
Mara remembered the same question asked by Currant. There was something more to this, perhaps an explanation. "I don't know. What do you mean?"
Arum related the story of The Promised Friends. Mara and Gina looked at each other. They were beginning to understand why they were the way they were.
***
The four foxes and two rabbits made the den their new home. They spent a lot of time that spring exchanging stories with each other, so the foxes learned many of the El-Ahrairah tales common among rabbits. The foxes made up their own stories, as the traditional hunting tales wouldn't have been appropriate. The fox cubs Mark and Carol and Arum's daughter Meadow enjoyed these stories immensely as they began to comprehend both the lapine and fox tongues.
As summer progressed, Mark, Carol and Meadow became fast friends. They would wrestle together, the foxes being careful not to hurt Meadow accidentally. The three older animals watched and talked about how events were going.
During one late-summer evening, they were within the gaze of several pairs of narrowed eyes. "I knew we should've been checking up on them more often. Can you believe those foxes? This is outrageous! What do you think?" Kate turned to her vixen friends.
"I think we need to keep clear," replied one of her companions, "Whatever they have might be contagious."
Kate's eyes suddenly grew wide. "You, know, I just realized something... Remember that crazy old dog fox we met last spring in the west woods?"
"We've seen lots of those, Kate," said another, "Remember that one just the other day that insisted on chasing that weird black-and-white animal until it sprayed that horrid scent?"
Kate sighed in frustration. "Yes, silly, but pertaining to foxes with rabbits as friends, remember?" She waited impatiently for this to register with them, then added, "The one named Pratt, I believe?"
Her companions all echoed, "Ohhhhhhh..." in unison.
***
Indeed, one year earlier, during one of their forages for news, Kate and her friends had wandered near Pratt's home. When she had asked him for his life story (Kate was definitely not shy), the subject of Mara had come up. Pratt's eyes burned red with rage as he described his rebellious daughter. "Fera and I had two perfectly normal litters, then in our third one, last year, along comes Mara, who refused to eat anything except fish. Fortunately, this year's litter is very normal."
Pratt went on to describe how Mara actually had befriended rabbits - one of which he had had the pleasure of killing. That was the last time that he had seen his wayward one.
Of course, that outlandish tale had been discounted by the vixens as silliness, and they thought no more of it.
***
"There's his Mara," said one.
"Impossible! Pratt said that she was dead!" said another.
"No, he only said that she must be dead," corrected Kate.
"And we thought that he was just making up stories," added the first vixen.
"I've never asked that loner her name, but I'm sure that it's her. Who else could it be? I'm sure Pratt would like to know of this. I wonder if he still lives in the west woods? Hmmm... Who wants to come?"
"Is it far?" asked one of the newest vixens to join the group.
"A few hours' jaunt is all," said Kate, "This should prove interesting." She turned to one of her oldest friends and asked, "Brenda, would you mind staying back and doing some spy work? Listen in and find out what you can. Names, plans, if there's any others like them... We'll be back with Pratt hopefully in the morning." Brenda nodded.
Kate and her companions set off. Each one enjoyed these spur-of-the-moment journeys that helped Kate keep on top of the news in the area. That is one of the reasons that they ran together. But, as fate would have it, they weren't able to lead Pratt back to Mara's home in they way that they had planned.
***
Brenda was able to discern their names just by listening. The mother fox was indeed Mara, and the cubs were Gina, Carol, and Mark. The rabbits were Arum and Meadow. They weren't talking about anything of interest, and Brenda's sudden sneezing fit thanks to some nearby pollen-laden flowers ended her espionage.
Without saying a word, Brenda fled and managed to track and catch up to Kate. "Sorry, Kate, they saw me. But, I know their names, anyway."
"Wonderful, Brenda, now they won't be there in the morning," growled Kate.
Pratt was still in his old den, much to Kate's delight, and was somewhat skeptical to hear of Mara and her family. He was certain that Mara couldn't have survived, let alone have had her own family. Still, he agreed to come along, just in case.
The next morning, even before sunrise, they set out again. Hours later, just before they even got to Mara's den, Pratt stopped, having seen something that caught his hunger's attention.
"Wait! Quiet! Look at that!" Pratt nodded in the direction of a large buck rabbit that seemed to be walking in a daydream state. "This one's mine," he added, quickly springing into a desperate chase.
"Oh, brother!" said Kate, "You know where's his priority is, between finding his daughter and filling his stomach. I guess we'll have to wait for him to come back... Oh, forget it! Let's just go back to our den! If he wants to find Mara, he can find us later!"
***
The following morning, Arum felt that the time was right to tell his friends of his plans. "Mara, we've been thinking..."
"Yes, Arum?"
Arum sighed and looked at his daughter. "Meadow is a few months old now, and she asked me last night why we don't live with other rabbits. I guess her 'warren' instinct is kicking in."
Mara was suspecting where this conversation was leading. "You're thinking of leaving, aren't you?"
Looking away, Arum paused and said, "Yeah, I guess." Another pause, then, "I think it's time. Mazarine and I liked having a burrow to ourselves, but look where that got us... I think it's best to find a warren to live in. But I don't want you to think-"
"Arum, we knew you might go sooner or later, but we left it up to you. I guess last night's visitor was a good motivation, though. It's no good if every fox knows of us. Anyway, I'm glad to see that you want this, trust me. And we don't have to be strangers."
Carol had been laying nearby, resting. Had she not been feeling a little more fatigued than usual this morning, she would have joined her brother Mark and older sister Gina when they had left to go fishing earlier. Her eyes had been closed, but she had heard what had been said up to this point. She lifted her head, looking at the rabbits, and sighed, "Well, we'll miss you two. But, mother's right. We can keep in touch."
"We could introduce you to our warren when we find one," said Meadow hopefully.
Mara winced. "Actually, I think it would be better not to. Remember, as far as I know, besides my family, every fox would love a rabbit dinner. It would confuse the rabbits' instincts if we befriended a whole warren - especially the younger ones. Besides, foxes are more solitary than rabbits." She responded to Meadow's disappointed expression, "Rather, we'll keep our distance and help when we can. Like we did for you."
Arum added, "She's right, Meadow. We'll see each other on occasion. Don't- "
The unmistakable report of a gun ripped the air. Mara and Carol looked at each other. They each knew what the other was thinking: Gina! Mark!
Arum could see the consternation on their faces and offered, "It wasn't them. I'm sure of it."
The reassuring words couldn't help. Tears were building in the foxes' eyes, and the group sat in silence for some minutes, no one knowing what to do or say.
Mark came bounding in just then. "Mother! Guess what?"
"What, dear?" Mara prepared herself for the devastating news, but noted that Mark's tone of voice was much more of excitement than grief.
"Gina's found a rabbit in some rocks by the river, and it won't come out. She wants Arum and Meadow to come."
Mara and Carol looked at each other in obvious relief. Then, Meadow and Arum looked at each other. "Well, what are we waiting for?" said Arum, "Come on, Meadow." The three hombil and two rabbits started off immediately.
************
"My comfort in my suffering is this: your promise preserves my life." Psalm 119:50, NIV
"Arum! The river is rising!"
"Wonderful! Why won't this embleer rain stop?" grumbled Arum, looking outside. The river had risen suddenly in the last hour, and was now claiming the gently sloping, grassy bank in which their single burrow was dug. The two rabbits had chosen a more lonely lifestyle, rather than being in a warren, mostly for privacy reasons. Now, however, Arum wished that they were in a warren. Crises such as this one could be handled more efficiently with the support of other rabbits. Arum and his mate Mazarine had four tiny nursing kittens to carry to safety, as it was obvious that the river would eventually claim their burrow. They were forced into the difficult task of carrying two kittens each, holding them by the ears in their mouths. This was compounded by the fact that Arum had not been feeling well for the last two days.
As the pair fought their way through the driving rain with their kittens, both parents would occasionally stumble and spill the mewling kittens into the mud. Arum faltered considerably more often than Mazarine as his strength began to fail, despite his hefty size. Both rabbits' spirits began to fall as no suitable shelter could be found. They also could hear the growls of elil in the woods on their side of the river, and these noises seemed to be closing in. When they finally found a way to cross the swelling river, they decided to take the chance.
A tree's roots had been undermined; its collapsed trunk lay straight across the water, half-submerged. Muddy water was surging against the tree, and occasionally a burst of water would crest over the top. The tree would have washed downstream immediately, except that it had fallen across one of the narrower stretches of the river, and its upper boughs had tangled with well-rooted shrubbery on the opposite bank. There were enough roots left anchored in the bank to keep that end secure. Arum saw this and said to his mate, "Mazarine, I'm going to try to cross first. Stay right here and don't follow until I'm safely across. All right?" Mazarine nodded her understanding. Arum picked up his two kittens by their ears and carefully picked his way along and through the tangle of roots until he finally stood on the slippery bark of the trunk. With even greater care, analyzing each foothold before taking a step, Arum edged his way toward the other side.
Just as he was getting to where the upper boughs branched out, he heard a squeal from the bank that he had just left. He turned and saw to his dismay that Mazarine was already trying to clamber towards him, with her two kittens dangling in her mouth. He wanted to yell to her to wait, but couldn't utter a sound while carrying the kittens. Something must have spooked her into chancing the daring crossing prematurely. It was then that more soil from around the base of the tree fell into the river, freeing more roots and causing the tree to suddenly shift and roll.
Mazarine disappeared into the water, still clinging onto her kittens. Arum was also thrown, and clawed blindly for one of the branches, managing to catch one with his left front paw. He hung on desperately, with only his head and paw above the freezing and roiling water. He was helpless as one of his kittens was pulled from the grip of his teeth. Unable to feel grief at this desperate moment, Arum gripped the remaining kitten even more tightly and dug his right front claws into the branch serving as his lifeline. Using every ounce of his ebbing strength, he managed to pull himself half out of the water and onto the branch. He saw that he was only a few feet from the opposite bank, so he forced himself to grasp along the branch until at last he was lying beside it on the bank, clear of the water.
Arum fought every urge to fall asleep right there; he got up again and began plodding up the bank and into the woods, searching for any shelter. His sickness had grown much worse, and this trek required every scrap of strength that he had. His mind was too clouded with exhaustion and shock to come to terms with losing his mate and three of his kittens. His determination to protect his remaining doe, Meadow, was all that drove him on. It was another hour before he found the elusive shelter.
***
As Arum slowly became aware again, he was in a confused dream state. He imagined that he was a kitten again, nuzzling his marli for warmth. He gave no thought to his kittens or Mazarine for the first few minutes. Then, his memory began to register. He remembered the river rising, crossing the fallen tree, slipping into the cold water, and knowing that his mate was gone, as well as all but one of his kittens. Then, he wondered where Meadow was. Next, he remembered seeing the homba and expecting death. He realized even more confusion as he knew that he was still alive. This last thought was complimented by the strong scent of a homba, and this brought him around to waking fully.
Upon opening his eyes, Arum noticed that whatever his head was resting on was too large to be a rabbit. In the dim light, he couldn't make out the colouring, but the scent was unmistakable. Arum started and squealed, backing away quickly and slamming into the far side of the den. The homba that had served as his pillow woke and looked at him. Arum saw with dismay that this homba was lying between himself and the only exit from the den, which was seemingly a mile away. He caught sight of another homba stretched out along the side, which was now also awake. It was the second homba which spoke to Arum first.
"Glad to see that you're awake. What's your name?"
Arum stammered, his eyes darting between the hombil and the exit. There was no chance of escape, so it was best to play along. Why was he still alive, anyway? "Arum," he said simply.
"Good to meet you, Arum. My name is Mara, and these two are Mark and Carol," she said, nodding to the two cubs who were nursing, then nodded to the other homba, "and that is my eldest, Gina - a year old." She then asked, "And I assume this is your daughter?"
Mara was placing a paw on a rabbit kitten that was snuggled between the two fox cubs. Incredulously, Arum saw that it was Meadow - and that she was nursing, as well. Noticing the expression on Arum's face, Mara continued, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude, but I couldn't find any trace of your mate, and your kitten was crying for milk, so..."
Arum was getting dizzy and lay back down. Gina got up and walked over to him. "Are you all right?" She put her nose to Arum's forehead and added, "Well, your fever is a lot lower. That's a good sign."
Arum was only able to manage a confused string of incomprehensible babbling. He hadn't even considered when he had been searching for shelter while carrying Meadow how he would feed her with Mazarine gone. It would have been some time before she would have been able to eat solid food, and since there was no other food which she could take, she would have starved to death.
In an effort to dispel some of Arum's obvious confusion and shock, Gina asked, "So is this your daughter? What is her name?"
"Yes... Meadow."
"Do you feel like eating anything right now? We've gathered some grass for you. Unfortunately, there's not much else this early in spring."
"Uh-huh," said Arum, his eyes still somewhat glazed over.
At this point, Mara spoke up again. "Take your time, Arum. There's no rush. Get some more sleep if you wish. It's all right. We'll explain everything in the morning."
Nothing can explain this, thought Arum. He winced as a pounding headache redoubled its strength, and glanced again at the exit. Escape was unlikely. Maybe escape is unnecessary. I must've been here for some time and I'm still alive. For all I know, Meadow would be dead right now if not for them - maybe me, too. Maybe it's a miracle from Frith. Maybe these hombil really are friends. Arum froze as he remembered. He, too, had once heard that particular story as a kitten, before he had left his old warren with Mazarine. Oh, let it be. But, why me? Please let it be. He drifted back to sleep.
***
When Arum woke again, his illness had all but vanished - his fever was gone and his headache was almost unnoticeable. Although the misery of sickness was nearly past, he now felt famished. He hadn't eaten properly in at least a day. He then realized again that he was still alive. He began to believe then that he had met the promised friend - or in this case, friends.
It was bright outside, and Arum saw that Gina was not in the den. Mara was, though, dozing somewhat fitfully. Her two cubs and Meadow were snuggled next to her, also sleeping. Arum, fighting his instinct, quietly crept towards the mother homba and whispered, "Excuse me?" in her ear.
Mara started with a yelp and woke the three little ones beside her. They promptly starting crying out. Arum backed away, whispering, "Sorry... Sorry..."
Mara responded with a sigh of relief and a chuckle. "Don't worry about it, Arum. I was just having one of those foxhound nightmares that foxes get every once in a while. Oh, wait - we're 'hombil' to you, right?"
"Uh... yeah, I guess."
Mara chuckled again. "Anyway, what did you want, Arum?"
"I just wanted to know why?"
"Why, what?" Mara knew what, but didn't want to make it seem like it was a big deal.
"You saved my Meadow... Why?"
Mara thought back to what she had told Currant and Fritillary so long ago. She responded, "Because you're not my enemies - you're my friends. I've just always felt that way. Besides myself and my cubs, there isn't any fox I know of that feels the same way. We must seem strange to them, to say the least." She changed the subject, "Arum, have you eaten yet?"
"No, but I guess I should."
"Well, there's still that grass for you."
"Thanks," said Arum. The flay was somewhat dry, but one of the more delicious meals he'd had in some time. With his mouth full, he asked Mara, "So, do you just eat this, too?"
"Oh, no, we're fishers." She paused. "Arum?"
"Yes?"
"Where is your mate, anyway?" Mara saw the tears begin to glisten in his eyes, and added, "Arum, I'm sorry. She's gone, isn't she?"
"Yes," Arum sniffed, "She stopped running. The river took her. And three of my young ones. Only Meadow and I survived." Arum lay down, put his head on his paws, and closed his welling eyes.
Mara got up and put a comforting paw on his head. "Arum, I'm sorry," she repeated softly.
Just then, Gina returned with a fish in her mouth. When she saw the scene, she became concerned, asking, "Mother, is Arum all right?"
"He's lost his family, dear, except for Meadow."
Gina echoed her mother's condolences to the weeping rabbit.
Arum looked up and whispered, "You're promised friends, aren't you?"
Mara remembered the same question asked by Currant. There was something more to this, perhaps an explanation. "I don't know. What do you mean?"
Arum related the story of The Promised Friends. Mara and Gina looked at each other. They were beginning to understand why they were the way they were.
***
The four foxes and two rabbits made the den their new home. They spent a lot of time that spring exchanging stories with each other, so the foxes learned many of the El-Ahrairah tales common among rabbits. The foxes made up their own stories, as the traditional hunting tales wouldn't have been appropriate. The fox cubs Mark and Carol and Arum's daughter Meadow enjoyed these stories immensely as they began to comprehend both the lapine and fox tongues.
As summer progressed, Mark, Carol and Meadow became fast friends. They would wrestle together, the foxes being careful not to hurt Meadow accidentally. The three older animals watched and talked about how events were going.
During one late-summer evening, they were within the gaze of several pairs of narrowed eyes. "I knew we should've been checking up on them more often. Can you believe those foxes? This is outrageous! What do you think?" Kate turned to her vixen friends.
"I think we need to keep clear," replied one of her companions, "Whatever they have might be contagious."
Kate's eyes suddenly grew wide. "You, know, I just realized something... Remember that crazy old dog fox we met last spring in the west woods?"
"We've seen lots of those, Kate," said another, "Remember that one just the other day that insisted on chasing that weird black-and-white animal until it sprayed that horrid scent?"
Kate sighed in frustration. "Yes, silly, but pertaining to foxes with rabbits as friends, remember?" She waited impatiently for this to register with them, then added, "The one named Pratt, I believe?"
Her companions all echoed, "Ohhhhhhh..." in unison.
***
Indeed, one year earlier, during one of their forages for news, Kate and her friends had wandered near Pratt's home. When she had asked him for his life story (Kate was definitely not shy), the subject of Mara had come up. Pratt's eyes burned red with rage as he described his rebellious daughter. "Fera and I had two perfectly normal litters, then in our third one, last year, along comes Mara, who refused to eat anything except fish. Fortunately, this year's litter is very normal."
Pratt went on to describe how Mara actually had befriended rabbits - one of which he had had the pleasure of killing. That was the last time that he had seen his wayward one.
Of course, that outlandish tale had been discounted by the vixens as silliness, and they thought no more of it.
***
"There's his Mara," said one.
"Impossible! Pratt said that she was dead!" said another.
"No, he only said that she must be dead," corrected Kate.
"And we thought that he was just making up stories," added the first vixen.
"I've never asked that loner her name, but I'm sure that it's her. Who else could it be? I'm sure Pratt would like to know of this. I wonder if he still lives in the west woods? Hmmm... Who wants to come?"
"Is it far?" asked one of the newest vixens to join the group.
"A few hours' jaunt is all," said Kate, "This should prove interesting." She turned to one of her oldest friends and asked, "Brenda, would you mind staying back and doing some spy work? Listen in and find out what you can. Names, plans, if there's any others like them... We'll be back with Pratt hopefully in the morning." Brenda nodded.
Kate and her companions set off. Each one enjoyed these spur-of-the-moment journeys that helped Kate keep on top of the news in the area. That is one of the reasons that they ran together. But, as fate would have it, they weren't able to lead Pratt back to Mara's home in they way that they had planned.
***
Brenda was able to discern their names just by listening. The mother fox was indeed Mara, and the cubs were Gina, Carol, and Mark. The rabbits were Arum and Meadow. They weren't talking about anything of interest, and Brenda's sudden sneezing fit thanks to some nearby pollen-laden flowers ended her espionage.
Without saying a word, Brenda fled and managed to track and catch up to Kate. "Sorry, Kate, they saw me. But, I know their names, anyway."
"Wonderful, Brenda, now they won't be there in the morning," growled Kate.
Pratt was still in his old den, much to Kate's delight, and was somewhat skeptical to hear of Mara and her family. He was certain that Mara couldn't have survived, let alone have had her own family. Still, he agreed to come along, just in case.
The next morning, even before sunrise, they set out again. Hours later, just before they even got to Mara's den, Pratt stopped, having seen something that caught his hunger's attention.
"Wait! Quiet! Look at that!" Pratt nodded in the direction of a large buck rabbit that seemed to be walking in a daydream state. "This one's mine," he added, quickly springing into a desperate chase.
"Oh, brother!" said Kate, "You know where's his priority is, between finding his daughter and filling his stomach. I guess we'll have to wait for him to come back... Oh, forget it! Let's just go back to our den! If he wants to find Mara, he can find us later!"
***
The following morning, Arum felt that the time was right to tell his friends of his plans. "Mara, we've been thinking..."
"Yes, Arum?"
Arum sighed and looked at his daughter. "Meadow is a few months old now, and she asked me last night why we don't live with other rabbits. I guess her 'warren' instinct is kicking in."
Mara was suspecting where this conversation was leading. "You're thinking of leaving, aren't you?"
Looking away, Arum paused and said, "Yeah, I guess." Another pause, then, "I think it's time. Mazarine and I liked having a burrow to ourselves, but look where that got us... I think it's best to find a warren to live in. But I don't want you to think-"
"Arum, we knew you might go sooner or later, but we left it up to you. I guess last night's visitor was a good motivation, though. It's no good if every fox knows of us. Anyway, I'm glad to see that you want this, trust me. And we don't have to be strangers."
Carol had been laying nearby, resting. Had she not been feeling a little more fatigued than usual this morning, she would have joined her brother Mark and older sister Gina when they had left to go fishing earlier. Her eyes had been closed, but she had heard what had been said up to this point. She lifted her head, looking at the rabbits, and sighed, "Well, we'll miss you two. But, mother's right. We can keep in touch."
"We could introduce you to our warren when we find one," said Meadow hopefully.
Mara winced. "Actually, I think it would be better not to. Remember, as far as I know, besides my family, every fox would love a rabbit dinner. It would confuse the rabbits' instincts if we befriended a whole warren - especially the younger ones. Besides, foxes are more solitary than rabbits." She responded to Meadow's disappointed expression, "Rather, we'll keep our distance and help when we can. Like we did for you."
Arum added, "She's right, Meadow. We'll see each other on occasion. Don't- "
The unmistakable report of a gun ripped the air. Mara and Carol looked at each other. They each knew what the other was thinking: Gina! Mark!
Arum could see the consternation on their faces and offered, "It wasn't them. I'm sure of it."
The reassuring words couldn't help. Tears were building in the foxes' eyes, and the group sat in silence for some minutes, no one knowing what to do or say.
Mark came bounding in just then. "Mother! Guess what?"
"What, dear?" Mara prepared herself for the devastating news, but noted that Mark's tone of voice was much more of excitement than grief.
"Gina's found a rabbit in some rocks by the river, and it won't come out. She wants Arum and Meadow to come."
Mara and Carol looked at each other in obvious relief. Then, Meadow and Arum looked at each other. "Well, what are we waiting for?" said Arum, "Come on, Meadow." The three hombil and two rabbits started off immediately.
************
