Chapter Three
It could never be told how the dog knew which way to go. Perhaps the scent trails he followed told their own story, of ill and injured creatures who had come this way before.
However it was, he burst into the clearing without having wasted any time on detours, barking frantically.
oOo
The Narnian Fox healer Rawlstow, busy arranging supplies in the cave where he treated patients, looked up on hearing the sound of barking rapidly approaching the clearing. There was an urgency to the sound, and he hurried out to see a thin, scruffy dog dash from the woods, still barking frantically.
"Slow down!" he yapped at it in Vulpine. Canine was slightly different than Vulpine, and "wild" animals could never express themselves as clearly as Talking ones in any case. But by concentrating hard, he was able to get the gist of what it was saying.
"Come-come-quick-human-friend-arm-sick-fall-water-face-splash!" The dog danced frantically around him, darting toward him and then back to the woods in an attempt to get him to follow.
"All right, I'm coming; let me just get my things," Rawlstow barked in Vulpine. He hurried to strap on the sporran that held his supplies, then returned to the dog's side and followed it into the woods.
oOo
Franck came to himself slowly, aware of nothing save for the throbbing in his injured arm, and slowly came to the dim consciousness that he was lying on it.
With a groan, he used his good arm to push himself to roll over and lie on his back. But the effort caused a fresh wave of pain, and once more he blacked out.
The next thing of which he was aware was the sound of a dog's barks echoing through the woods. "Otto," he murmured, turning his head weakly in the direction of the sound. So, his friend hadn't abandoned him after all, though unless it managed to find human aid, there was little a dog could do to help him.
But it was no human running at the dog's side; it was an animal, similar to the dog in shape but larger and red.
A giant fox! he realized in horrified amazement.
As it came nearer, he fancied he saw its lips curled back from sharp teeth in a snarl, and wondered why the dog had betrayed him by bringing it here.
As it drew close, he whimpered and turned his head to the side, flinging his good arm over his head to protect his face and waiting for the attack to come.
Next chapter coming next week!
A/N: If anyone has any ideas of a title for this chapter, I'd be happy to hear them! Barbie
I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know! (Note that this story is formatted using British spellings.)
Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie