Disclaimer: The Fox and the Hound is the property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Studios, not mine.
The Next Political Dynasty: Thanks! There's a little supernatural foreshadowing in this one, so I hope you enjoy!
SunRise19: I know, poor puppy, but at least Tod is in good hands now. Keep reading!
Anonymous but Impressed: Thank you, it was pretty sweet wasn't it? Keep reading!
The Fox and the Hound 3: The Next Generation
Part Two: The Older Years
Chapter Twenty-Six: Voice in the Dark
Swift had been travelling non-stop for several hours now. His leg was still giving him some problems, and he had pondered the possibility of resting—until he thought of Smoky, and that he didn't know how far behind him he was, and the young fox would keep going.
Food was already a problem. It had been quite a while since Swift had eaten, and he was starving. But what with his bum leg, it was difficult for him to catch any food. He may have been bigger, but they were faster!
"So much for being swift," he thought glumly, smiling a little at the stupid pun he made.
It was growing dark, unusual for the middle of the day, so he looked up in between the canopy of the trees and saw the dark clouds forming. A sprinkle fell from the sky and landed on his nose, causing him to sneeze. If it was going to rain, he was going to have to find shelter . . . and soon.
He came across a pile of logs and branches that were bunched together and found an open spot in between them. He figured it would have to do for temporary shelter, and immediately curled up and went to sleep.
Smoky was getting tired. He felt that he was getting closer to Swift with each step, but at the same time he felt as if he were getting farther away. Sometimes he felt that he should just turn around and head back towards home, just let it go. But no, he couldn't do that, he had to avenge his brother's death, had to redeem himself for what he believed was his fault.
He had picked up on the fox's trail, getting himself excited that he was getting close. But then, the scent would get lost and he'd have to find it again . . . wasting precious time. He was in the process of picking it up again when he was interrupted by a rain drop falling on top of his head.
He blinked and looked up, not having noticed that dark clouds had formed over him. He must've been so concentrated in what he was doing that he failed to see that earlier. He felt a breeze pass, a sign that it would start to storm soon. And Smoky for one did not want to be in the middle of a rainstorm, so he knew he would have to find somewhere to stay until it passed.
He looked around him, not seeing anything nearby that would be of any use to him. Boy, being out in these woods alone was kind of creepy. He had never been alone in the forest before, and frankly he wasn't enjoying it much. He missed being with his family, but he knew that he had to keep going . . . wait. What was that noise?
Smoky perked one of his long ears up in the direction that he heard the noise. It sounded like . . .barking? Distant barking? Why did it sound so familiar to him? No . . . it couldn't . . . that was impossible! He was dead!
"Uncle Chief?" he asked out loud, not hardly believing what he was hearing. But it was . . . he could recognize that bark anywhere. Half confused, and half thrilled, he took off running in the direction he was hearing the barking. "I'm comin', uncle, I'm comin'!"
He eventually came across an abandoned old shack, one that had possibly been deserted for years. Yes, he could really hear the barking now. It was coming straight from inside. Smoky busted open the door, tail all a-wag, and rushed in.
"Uncle Chief?" he asked excitedly, glancing here and there in hopes of seeing him. Imagine the disappointment etched across his face when nobody was there . . . except him. Confused, he trotted around, looking under the table, out the window, behind the door . . . nothing. "But—I heard him. I know he was here, I just heard him. There's no way I could've imagined that."
He heard the rain hitting the tin roof over him, a feeling of loneliness going through him, his hopes dashed. He sighed and went over to where some old newspapers were lying about, curled in a ball, and went to sleep . . . all the while wondering about that mysterious barking.
Whoa, is that freaky or what? Hearing your dead uncle in the middle of nowhere and then he suddenly disappears. Yeah, I freaked myself out just writing that, so anyways, more freaky stuff ahead, and not to mention more "survival tips" and then a character from the movie that I haven't yet written in yet. So, keep reading, and please review!!