To Keep a Secret From a Fox.

It didn't take them long to reach the source of the noise. There on the ground, not more than thirty feet from the outer gates, lay what looked like the body of an injured Kitsune. Rya placed her bow down and went over to the injured thing. Her coat was covered in mud and blood so that it was impossible to tell what color she was. The only thing that was absolutely certain was it was a female and that she had two tails.

"Tellson, what do you think happened to her?"

Rya asked as she ran her hand over the fox.

Just then, several little yips caused both Tellson and Rya to look over sharply, there standing at the forest's edge were three little golden colored fluff balls.

"Oh for the love of all that is holy Rya don't go getting…."

He sighed as she ran off and was proceeding to squeeze the little thing to death. Tellson sighed. Why do you hate me so... he thought.

"Rya…put it down."

"But he's soooo cute…and…"

"Rya…did you forget his mother is not more than three feet over there rather hurt, and when she wakes up she is not going to be to thrilled that your using her kit for a squeeze toy."

"Oh come on Tell…"

"I am serious Rya."

He said as he went over and snatched up the kit by the scruff of it's neck. Holding it in front of him he made the mistake of looking at it's adorable silver eyes. Dear lord above it's…cute…oi not good not good… Just like that Tellson felt his resolve snap. There was no way that he could turn them out now.

Rya looked at Tellson with imploring eyes.

"Oh now your just fighting dirty."

He said as he looked at the kit in his hand.

"Mmmhmm!"

Rya said smiling brightly at Tellson.

"Fine I'll go round up the kits. Think you can take care of there mother? Your better at healing than I am what with your mother being the one of the village healers and all."

Rya looked at the fox. It was not going to be easy. Rya looked over at Tellson.

"Question where are we going to put them and do we tell the elders or not?"

Tellson looked thoughtful for a moment.

"No we defiantly won't tell the elders - they might be all right 'bout Kurama and his friends but the kits and the mother fox. Rya if they find out we have them to say they are not going to be pleased is the least of our worries. I am not going to lie to you there is a good chance that the elders will order the mother and these…"

he pointed to the kit in his arms.

"…cute things destroyed."

Rya looked at him Tellson he sighed as he could see the fierce protectiveness that shown in her eyes. There was a good reason the men in Magahara never trifled with the village healers. It was said that a healer defending her charge was just like a mother defending her young, both of which you did not mess with if your goal was to live to enjoy old age. Dear lord above did Rya get them in deep this time. Despite his hatred for youkai even he did not believe these things deserved to be at the mercy of the village elders. He knew the moment he laid eyes on the first kit that he would be willing to back Rya up. Now the real question was going to be how well where they going to be able to protect them for…and at what price would this protection come.

"I believe that the western weapons storage silo is empty. Kaleh had it emptied when the new one on the east was built seeing as how it's bigger and can hold more this one is all but abandoned. It might not have windows but the sun will warm it in the day so they don't freeze at night. I suppose both of us will have to take shifts."

Rya ran her hand over the injured fox. Who could do such a thing…Rya thought as she managed to gather the mother up in her arms.

Rya wasn't the strongest girl in the village but certainly not the weakest but the mother fox was nearly her size so it made carrying her awkward. Tellson looked over at Rya struggling and wanted to go over there and help her. But he turned away in search of more of the mother's kits beside the easy three that were out in the open. You never think Rya. If you can't even carry the mother what are you going to do if the village is under attack how will you care for them then you dolt. They're dependant on you now…danm Rya why don't you ever think beyond the moment.Tellson thought as he rounded up the first three.

Rya managed to half carry half drag the mother into the silo where she laid her carefully on the ground. She had fallen twice and the poor mother fox whimpered each time. Somewhere between the woods and the silo she had managed to twist her ankle nicely. Already there was a lovely black and blue mark forming around her ankle. What she needed now was some type of bedding. Now where could she swipe some bedding that no one would miss?

"Of course!"

She said as if to the unconscious fox. There where thick pelts covering the weapons in the eastern shed…if she took them under the pretext of cleaning them Kaleh would be more than happy to give them to her. Her mind set she slowly limped off to the eastern silo.

"You know if you're planning on sneaking into some place, limping is not the best way to go about doing it."

Said a silken voice from one of the ally ways.

"Hello Kurama-sama what are you doing here, why aren't you at the festival?"

The silver kitsune came into the light cast by one of the many road torches smirking slightly.

"A better question would be what are you doing here? Your post is on the other side of the compound is it not?"

Rya felt a moment of panic not truly wanting to lie to Kurama, yet not wanting to reveal the foxes either. She remembered what Tellson had warned her about. With every person that new about the injured foxes the more likely it was for word to get back to the elders. And more likely that they would…She wasn't even going to think about that possible out come. Sighing slightly she managed to calm her self down and mask the youkai's ki hopefully before Kurama-sama started to ask her questions that she was not prepared to answer.

"I…I..ah…am getting the blankets from the eastern silo to clean for Kaleh on my time off…yea…"

Rya said. But as she looked up into Kurama's mischievous gold eyes she knew he knew she was lying. Now Kurama was going to toy with her - after all he was a fox.

"Really Rya? That is the oddest thing. I just got done speaking with him not more than five hours ago…and well he didn't mention anything about it. I suppose it must have slipped his mind."

Rya looked away.

"Guess it must have it's no big thing though."

Rya said as she turned to go when she felt his hand grasp her arm. Gone was the playfulness now he was all business.

"Rya how did you sprain your ankle. Why do you want those blankets and why in the world do you smell of youkai?"

Rya looked at him shivered slightly.

"Well I tripped and fell and sprained my ankle to answer your fist question. As for your second one it will help Kaleh out if I do it so he doesn't have to pull off one of the senior officers to clean it. And lastly I had to take care of some low level youkai in the woods."

Which is not a lie…just I am not using the 'take care of' in the conventional context.

Rya thought as he let her go. Kurama frowned. Rya had never hidden anything from him before; it was complete trust between them, a trust that he hadn't had with another since 'she' died. He sighed.

"I know you're lying to me Rya, but alright, I'll play along with you for now. I hope you'll come to me when you're ready. Meanwhile, come with me and we will get your ankle seen to. It's not wise to be walking on it if it's injured."

"That's okay Kurama-sama I will get it seen to latter. Right now I got to get those blankets."

Kurama studied the girls though skeptical golden eyes as she shuffled her feet nervously. Seeming to not care that she was bashing the injured one even more than she normally would. Whatever she's hiding she must be big. Did she honestly think I didn't feel her trying to use that old healer's trick? I only pray that she hasn't bitten off more than she can chew.

"Fine then, take this."

He said as he put a small pouch of herbs in her hand.

"That should help you out a bit, and maybe latter you will tell me what your hiding Rya just remember that I'll be there if you want to tell me anything or if you ever feel that your have gotten yourself in too deep"

He said as he melted back into the shadows, leaving Rya feeling like a she had just lost something very precious to her. He didn't trust her any more. He didn't say that precisely but the sentiment was there she could feel it the thick clouds of miss-trust settle between them and she wondered if things would ever be the same as they where.

About an hour later, Rya had managed to make it back to the silo. Slowly she went about the task of spreading the blankets out on the ground and dragging the water bucket she had over to the injured fox. Slowly, as if she was fletching a bow-staff, she managed to clean off the injured fox's fur. Mostly she looked worse than she was. Her only true problem was a broken paw and a few deep bruises. Taking her eating knife she managed to cut some off some strips from one of the oldest fur blankets. Once that was done she looked at the packet of herbs that sat next to the fox. For once she was grateful that she had run into Kurama when she did. The herbs Kurama used were very potent and normally healed the worst of the user's injuries within only a few days. With most of the festivities just about wrapping up the community fire was all but empty this time of night her task of getting these herbs boiled should be one of the easiest things she did all night…or so she hoped.

Authors Notes: I hope every body still likes the newest chapter. I probably am going to only update twice a week or so. Well till next time. Thanks once again to my beta reader Ellenlome. Any mistakes are solely my own.

Tennyou-

Shout outs. Thank you so much for reviewing BlackRoseVixen05 for your review. And I hope you will continue to like this as it goes on. -

Disclaimer: I don't own never will.