{"sf1_id":1816569,"sf2_id":"dmBZQLzm","title":"metathesiophobia","author":"Earthfox twinwolf","words":514,"posted_at":"2022-02-05T22:40:00.000Z","tags":["Feline","Fox","SheerContest 2022","Wolf"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1816569-metathesiophobia","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/dmBZQLzm","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/9a/4b/9a4bc0da-e229-40de-b9a7-77babe268768","description":"","content":"A young gray wolf walks down the\u0026nbsp;road\u0026nbsp;filled with lush\u0026nbsp;green\u0026nbsp;trees.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;warmth\u0026nbsp;of the\u0026nbsp;sun\u0026nbsp;feeling\u0026nbsp;as if he's being hugged by a\u0026nbsp;warm\u0026nbsp;fire.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;sun's rays dance with the\u0026nbsp;shadows\u0026nbsp;from the\u0026nbsp;leaves,\u0026nbsp;using\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;sounds\u0026nbsp;of the blushing\u0026nbsp;leaves\u0026nbsp;as their\u0026nbsp;music.\u0026nbsp;The only other sound's the\u0026nbsp;light\u0026nbsp;rattling of the remaining chain links from his ankle lock.  \n  \nHe\u0026nbsp;has no idea how long\u0026nbsp;he's been\u0026nbsp;walking\u0026nbsp;down\u0026nbsp;this\u0026nbsp;seemingly\u0026nbsp;endless\u0026nbsp;path.\u0026nbsp;However, to him it didn't matter.\u0026nbsp;This\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;something\u0026nbsp;new\u0026nbsp;to him, something\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;didn't mind\u0026nbsp;taking\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;time\u0026nbsp;with after all,\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;liked\u0026nbsp;this\u0026nbsp;new\u0026nbsp;feeling.\u0026nbsp;He would slowly speak to himself.  \n  \n\"Relic from the past, Chained and bounded long ago, The Lingering Snow\"   \n  \nAs\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;spoke\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;short\u0026nbsp;poem,\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;thought back to\u0026nbsp;where\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;before, a\u0026nbsp;harsh land\u0026nbsp;where\u0026nbsp;there was\u0026nbsp;hardly\u0026nbsp;any green, only the\u0026nbsp;cold\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;gray.\u0026nbsp;The gray wolf walked in line with others,\u0026nbsp;crossing\u0026nbsp;the frozen land.\u0026nbsp;Bound\u0026nbsp;to one another by the\u0026nbsp;ankle\u0026nbsp;as he\u0026nbsp;walked\u0026nbsp;one behind him\u0026nbsp;fell\u0026nbsp;to his\u0026nbsp;knees\u0026nbsp;slowing\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;line\u0026nbsp;down.\u0026nbsp;Before long one of the\u0026nbsp;guards\u0026nbsp;came\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;ordered\u0026nbsp;the tried Canine to\u0026nbsp;stand.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Tried\u0026nbsp;as the fallen canine looked up at the\u0026nbsp;figure, the\u0026nbsp;person\u0026nbsp;obscured by the\u0026nbsp;light\u0026nbsp;spoke again \"stand, you're holding\u0026nbsp;the line,\"\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;said\u0026nbsp;reaching\u0026nbsp;for the\u0026nbsp;whip\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;others\u0026nbsp;looked at the\u0026nbsp;figure\u0026nbsp;then away as the fallen canine struggled to\u0026nbsp;stand.\u0026nbsp;They had been\u0026nbsp;walking\u0026nbsp;in the\u0026nbsp;cold\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;so long.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;figure\u0026nbsp;raises\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;whip\u0026nbsp;up and\u0026nbsp;swings.  \n  \nHowever, before he could\u0026nbsp;finish\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;reflection\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;sound\u0026nbsp;of a\u0026nbsp;twig\u0026nbsp;being\u0026nbsp;stepped\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;brakes\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;train\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;thought.\u0026nbsp;'Never stop\u0026nbsp;moving\u0026nbsp;lest the trackers\u0026nbsp;find\u0026nbsp;him,'\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;thought\u0026nbsp;to himself starting to\u0026nbsp;walk\u0026nbsp;down the\u0026nbsp;long\u0026nbsp;road again.\u0026nbsp;Slowly picking up speed.\u0026nbsp;Slowly\u0026nbsp;going from his\u0026nbsp;walk, to a\u0026nbsp;jog, then from a\u0026nbsp;jog\u0026nbsp;to a\u0026nbsp;run.  \n  \nAs he does so he would think to himself thinking up another poem.  \n  \n\"An sin from kindness, Misguided I confounded. Annoyed with myself\"  \n  \nAs the\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;ran\u0026nbsp;through the\u0026nbsp;woods,\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;would misstep and\u0026nbsp;falls.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;scampers back to his feet hearing others behind\u0026nbsp;him, using trees to\u0026nbsp;keep\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;pursuers\u0026nbsp;at\u0026nbsp;bay.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;would\u0026nbsp;come\u0026nbsp;to a\u0026nbsp;drop, below\u0026nbsp;him\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;river.\u0026nbsp;Without a second\u0026nbsp;thought\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;throws himself over the\u0026nbsp;edge\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;into\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;river\u0026nbsp;as his\u0026nbsp;pursuers\u0026nbsp;grow\u0026nbsp;closer\u0026nbsp;only to\u0026nbsp;see\u0026nbsp;him\u0026nbsp;splash\u0026nbsp;into\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;water.  \nAs he\u0026nbsp;rolls\u0026nbsp;and spins in the\u0026nbsp;water\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;vision\u0026nbsp;fades\u0026nbsp;into\u0026nbsp;darkness\u0026nbsp;as a memory plays in his\u0026nbsp;head.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;As he\u0026nbsp;rolls\u0026nbsp;and spins in the\u0026nbsp;water\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;vision\u0026nbsp;fades\u0026nbsp;into\u0026nbsp;darkness\u0026nbsp;as a memory plays in his\u0026nbsp;head.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;remembers\u0026nbsp;how he would\u0026nbsp;walk\u0026nbsp;down the dirt path\u0026nbsp;going\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;meet\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;father\u0026nbsp;halfway on his\u0026nbsp;home\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;work.\u0026nbsp;A\u0026nbsp;smile\u0026nbsp;on his\u0026nbsp;face.\u0026nbsp;He would scamper down to him\u0026nbsp;would\u0026nbsp;jump\u0026nbsp;into his\u0026nbsp;father.  \n  \nHis\u0026nbsp;father\u0026nbsp;would then\u0026nbsp;grab\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;son\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;embrace\u0026nbsp;him.\u0026nbsp;Always happy to\u0026nbsp;find\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;boy\u0026nbsp;on that same road, heat or\u0026nbsp;cold, rain or snow.\u0026nbsp;His\u0026nbsp;father\u0026nbsp;would\u0026nbsp;see\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;son\u0026nbsp;with a\u0026nbsp;smile.\u0026nbsp;Over\u0026nbsp;time\u0026nbsp;he would\u0026nbsp;teach\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;offspring\u0026nbsp;how to\u0026nbsp;hunt, track, fight and escape people as he got\u0026nbsp;older\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;older.\u0026nbsp;One\u0026nbsp;day\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;father\u0026nbsp;looks\u0026nbsp;at him and\u0026nbsp;says\u0026nbsp;'remember\u0026nbsp;son, if I don't return take care of your\u0026nbsp;mother.' The\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;gives\u0026nbsp;a determined nod at his father\u0026nbsp;walks off down the dirt road.\n\nLike always he\u0026nbsp;waited.\u0026nbsp;A\u0026nbsp;day\u0026nbsp;became\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;week.\u0026nbsp;That\u0026nbsp;week\u0026nbsp;became\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;month.\u0026nbsp;That\u0026nbsp;month\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;year.\u0026nbsp;Over\u0026nbsp;time\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;stopped\u0026nbsp;waiting, the\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;started to\u0026nbsp;help out\u0026nbsp;more and more\u0026nbsp;at\u0026nbsp;home.\u0026nbsp;Helping\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;mother\u0026nbsp;clean,\u0026nbsp;helping\u0026nbsp;with the\u0026nbsp;hunt\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;sparing\u0026nbsp;with others around his\u0026nbsp;home.  \n  \nOver\u0026nbsp;time\u0026nbsp;like his\u0026nbsp;father\u0026nbsp;before him,\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;had\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;go\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;help\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;people\u0026nbsp;defend\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;home\u0026nbsp;from another\u0026nbsp;group.\u0026nbsp;A\u0026nbsp;fight\u0026nbsp;going on for longer then\u0026nbsp;he's\u0026nbsp;known, armed with some\u0026nbsp;armor\u0026nbsp;and a\u0026nbsp;sword\u0026nbsp;at\u0026nbsp;first\u0026nbsp;it was uneventful.  \n  \nOne\u0026nbsp;day\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;found\u0026nbsp;someone scouting their\u0026nbsp;walls.\u0026nbsp;The other person looked up at him.\u0026nbsp;A young feline, no older than thirteen.\u0026nbsp;Scared, unsure as to what\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;would\u0026nbsp;do\u0026nbsp;to him,\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;pointed to the\u0026nbsp;trees.\u0026nbsp;Letting\u0026nbsp;him\u0026nbsp;go, his\u0026nbsp;heart\u0026nbsp;taking\u0026nbsp;over his\u0026nbsp;mind.  \n  \nWith a jolt he wakes up back in reality, he looks around and sees other beings around him\u0026nbsp;As he did so he would see a few felines.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;feels\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;body\u0026nbsp;weaken\u0026nbsp;on him as\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;drifts in and out of\u0026nbsp;consciousness.  \n  \nWhen\u0026nbsp;he's\u0026nbsp;fully\u0026nbsp;awake,\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;finds himself in a\u0026nbsp;cell.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;starts\u0026nbsp;looking\u0026nbsp;around\u0026nbsp;trying to find\u0026nbsp;a way out only to\u0026nbsp;see\u0026nbsp;another canine\u0026nbsp;looking\u0026nbsp;at\u0026nbsp;him from outside.\u0026nbsp;A small\u0026nbsp;fox\u0026nbsp;no\u0026nbsp;taller\u0026nbsp;than four feet\u0026nbsp;tall, the\u0026nbsp;fox\u0026nbsp;looks at\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;and nods.\u0026nbsp;\"Hello, my\u0026nbsp;name\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;Fin, how are you?\"\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;didn't reply.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;just\u0026nbsp;looked at the smaller fox and\u0026nbsp;said\u0026nbsp;\"I\u0026nbsp;want\u0026nbsp;to go home.\"\n\nThe\u0026nbsp;fox\u0026nbsp;looked at him \"Okay so where do you\u0026nbsp;live?\u0026nbsp;\"he\u0026nbsp;asked\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;wolf, after a\u0026nbsp;bit\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;replied \"substratum\u0026nbsp;village.\"\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;fox's\u0026nbsp;ears\u0026nbsp;lay down as\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;spoke\u0026nbsp;\"That village\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;gone, it's been\u0026nbsp;gone\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;two\u0026nbsp;years\u0026nbsp;now\" the\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;blinks unsure of\u0026nbsp;what\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;heard.\u0026nbsp;\"What\u0026nbsp;do\u0026nbsp;you\u0026nbsp;mean\u0026nbsp;gone?\"\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;fox\u0026nbsp;goes\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;telling\u0026nbsp;him\u0026nbsp;what\u0026nbsp;happened, a\u0026nbsp;war\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;lasted\u0026nbsp;ten\u0026nbsp;years\u0026nbsp;ended with the\u0026nbsp;fall\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;substratum.\u0026nbsp;As\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;fox\u0026nbsp;spoke\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;refused\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;take\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;what\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;said\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;refused\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;believe\u0026nbsp;such a\u0026nbsp;change.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;fox\u0026nbsp;shakes\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;head\u0026nbsp;\"I\u0026nbsp;know\u0026nbsp;it's hard.\u0026nbsp;I'm\u0026nbsp;sorry,\u0026nbsp;part\u0026nbsp;of the pact says we can't\u0026nbsp;keep\u0026nbsp;you\u0026nbsp;here though, so\u0026nbsp;you\u0026nbsp;are\u0026nbsp;free\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;go\u0026nbsp;but at least\u0026nbsp;let\u0026nbsp;me.\"\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;barked\u0026nbsp;no in defiance.  \n  \nThe\u0026nbsp;fox\u0026nbsp;packed\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;some\u0026nbsp;new\u0026nbsp;clothing to\u0026nbsp;wear.\u0026nbsp;His last clothing ruined from the\u0026nbsp;fall,\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;would\u0026nbsp;rush\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;substratum\u0026nbsp;wanting\u0026nbsp;to go home.\u0026nbsp;Wanting\u0026nbsp;some\u0026nbsp;familiarity.\u0026nbsp;When\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;saw\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;was home\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;went down to the village only to\u0026nbsp;see\u0026nbsp;ruins.\u0026nbsp;As\u0026nbsp;memories\u0026nbsp;played\u0026nbsp;in his\u0026nbsp;head, it dawned on him, his\u0026nbsp;mother.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;would\u0026nbsp;then\u0026nbsp;start rushing down to where his\u0026nbsp;house\u0026nbsp;should be only to\u0026nbsp;see\u0026nbsp;it was\u0026nbsp;crushed.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;wanted to\u0026nbsp;say\u0026nbsp;a poem to\u0026nbsp;help\u0026nbsp;him calm down, but couldn't as\u0026nbsp;reality\u0026nbsp;started to set in.\u0026nbsp;From\u0026nbsp;behind\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;heard\u0026nbsp;someone\u0026nbsp;say\u0026nbsp;'Hey'\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;turned\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;see\u0026nbsp;Finn\u0026nbsp;holding\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;hand\u0026nbsp;out \"follow\u0026nbsp;me, I can still\u0026nbsp;help\u0026nbsp;you.\" The\u0026nbsp;fox said looking into the wolf eyes, The wolf sees the determined look in the foxes eyes as Finn sees the uncertain look in his.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;takes\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;fox's\u0026nbsp;hand, as\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;did\u0026nbsp;so\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;noticed, the\u0026nbsp;cold\u0026nbsp;on his\u0026nbsp;iron\u0026nbsp;around his\u0026nbsp;ankle\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;gone.\u0026nbsp;\"Hopefully, we'll\u0026nbsp;find\u0026nbsp;them,\u0026nbsp;so\u0026nbsp;tell\u0026nbsp;me your\u0026nbsp;name?\"\u0026nbsp;Finn asked, as\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;looked back at the\u0026nbsp;wolf\u0026nbsp;who\u0026nbsp;replied\u0026nbsp;\"my\u0026nbsp;name\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;Felix.\"\n\n  \n  \n\n"}