*Tweet* *Tweet* *C** hirp***

The sounds of a sparrow stirred me from my slumber, and although I kept my eyes closed, I became acutely aware of the room around me. Nestled next to me in a warm ball, was the Vixen, having curled up against my side sometime around dawn. Beneath me, the wood floor creaked ever so slightly as I inhaled; my body's continual change in density causing the boards and nails to shift imperceivably. The dusty, musty air of the cottage entered my black nostrils, filling my lungs before my next exhale. Through my closed eyelids, I could see an orange glow from the morning sun beating down on the fur covering my vulpine face.

*Chirp* *Chirp* *Chirp*

My black furred ear twitched, and I finally opened my golden slitted eyes. Raising my head, I looked up at the large hole in the ceiling and the exposed trees showing through it. Perched on a damaged shingle on the edge of the hole, the bird looked down at the room, making as much of a ruckus as it was able.

I turned my attention around the room. All around me, balled up in various tones of orange and rust, were foxes sleeping in their beds or along the floor. Not every fox had a dog bed to rest in, but the ones that did looked like they were sleeping more soundly than the rest of the clan. Careful not to make too much movement, so as not to disturb the Vixen, I gently rested by chin back onto the floor, and tucked my ears back, closing my eyes.

*Tweet* *Tweet* *Tweet*

The sparrow continued its shouting match with the rest of the quiet room. Since I had been turned into a fox, I knew I should have been more nocturnal than I had been, but having this be the result of my first attempt to sleep during the day didn't encourage me. I felt like I had only gotten a handful of hours of rest, and now with the morning birds making their best effort to disturb me, I couldn't find it in myself to return to it. There was too much activity during daylight, and I had a nagging feeling I had to go out and experience this new world.

From across the room, I saw another fox open his eyes and lift his head. An expression of frustration and disgust flashed across his face. Gazing up at the hole, his eyes glowed blue for a brief moment, and then he returned his fuzzy chin to the wood floor. The bird stopped twittering, and hopped back and forth on the shingle a few times, curiously twisting its head back and forth in sharp, erratic motions. With a flutter of feathers beating the air, the bird flapped its wings and descended through the hole, soaring and gliding in a wide circle around the room, to land in front of the fox that had summoned it. Hopping forward a few times, the bird stood on the wooden floor, silently twisting its head in every direction. With a flash of white fangs, the fox lunged forward, maw wide open, and crushed the bird with a small pop. Spitting the bird's corpse out, and licking a loose, downy feather off his nose.

Noticing he had caught my attention, he said with a flick of his tail, I'll eat it later, then curled back into a furry ball, turning his back to the annoying, crumpled bird.

Whether it was the rude awakening, or my fatigue, I found I didn't care about the sudden loss of life before me. All I cared about was the sudden silence that befell the room. No other birds were chirping nearby, and only a light breeze rustling the trees outside broke the uniformity of the soft whimpers of the rest of the sleeping foxes. A sudden urge to go back to bed overcame me, and I closed my eyes again, feeling like I could sleep the rest of the day away.

Next to me, the Vixen stirred, sensing my alertness. I felt her lift her head from her curled ball, and give the orange fur on my side a few affectionate licks.

_You awake now?_she softly whimpered.

I didn't want to be. The day was calling to me to get moving, but I didn't think I could last long if I got up now. Today was my first day of being a fox in the woods, I wanted my mind to be as sharp and well rested as possible. With her curled in a ball against my belly, I gave her my best hug by squeezing her with my arms and short legs, and then flopping my tail over her.

It's too early, I sighed back to her. We were up all night.

Laying her head down where she had licked me, she pressed herself tightly, returning the embrace. _ _

Yes. Sleep more, she exhaled.

In the silence the followed, I relaxed again, feeling slumber start to overtake me once more. As long as the wildlife didn't persistently try to wake me, it was quite soothing in this cottage. It wasn't my house and my bed, but I couldn't shake the feeling of belonging here, surrounded by other foxes, many of which had been human at one point in time.

Despite its fatigue, worry began to creep into my activated brain. I had arrived at the cottage last night with the Vixen; sounds of fox scouts heralding our approach with squeaky howls and yips in the dark of the forest. There were no lights around the structure to welcome our arrival, but with my vulpine eyes, seeing in the dark was not a problem. Scurrying into the hole in the north wall after the Vixen, we had been greeted by a handful of foxes waiting inside, but their attention was focused on the Vixen. I had tried to introduce myself properly, but received a cold shoulder in return. The gossip of my transgressions had preceded me, and it was clear they weren't interested in forgiveness just yet. I had to sulk off to a corner and wait for the Vixen to explain that I was healthy enough to stay with them.

This helped enough to get some acknowledgement from them, but the welcome was tepid at best. Making new friends among the foxes was going to be an uphill battle.

Now, in the morning light, I cracked my eyes open again. The room looked a bit cleaner than the last time I had been here. The debris pile by the door was piled only half way up to the rusted iron ring handle, and the hole in the roof looked smaller. Even the fallen beam didn't look quite so scalable as it had before. Perhaps it was my new perspective as a fox that had changed, but I couldn't shake the feeling I was missing something important in the disparity of my memory. I remembered how the foxes had cleaned the mess in my kitchen while I was in the city. For animals, they appeared to take cleanliness seriously.

I looked over to the fox that had charmed the bird. He had curled into a fluffy orange ball, fur bristling out in a way that made it hard to tell where his tail ended and his head began. Heaving out one last sigh, I closed my eyes again and tried to calm my nerves enough to actually sleep. Right as my consciousness started to slip away into slumber, Tyler burst into the room, making enough commotion to elicit growls, groans, and yaps from everyone sleeping in the den. Claws clacking across the wooden floor excitedly, he gamboled up to me and the Vixen, and started yipping happily.

Inwardly, I groaned, but I kept my eyes shut, hoping he would give up and go away. His foolish behavior was going to get me in trouble with the rest of the foxes, but try as I might, I couldn't pretend that I was still sleeping while he was snorting and sniffing in my ear. An earthy scent filled my dark nose, and I opened my eyes again to see him standing over me. His face was covered in dusty dirt, and his tail was flailing about wildly; its white tip catching the bright sun with each wag. In between us, lay a freshly killed vole.

Did you catch that yourself? I asked with a whimper.

Tyler responded by reaching down and grabbing the dirty rodent in his jaws, tossing his head back and gnawing it slightly to get a better grip on it between his fangs. Taking a few steps back, he started to make muffled squeaks and while looking at me expectantly.

At my side, the Vixen stirred. He want show you. Take outside, she murmured.

I was in no mood to start my day just yet, but if Tyler was going to cause such a ruckus, I didn't have much of a choice. Curling around to put my head to the Vixen, I gave her a reassuring lick and untangled my legs from her so I could rise to all fours. This only excited Tyler more, as he started dashing around in circles, until a fox from across the room snarled out, Shut up!

Come on, Tyler. Let's go outside, I groggily moaned.

Tyler didn't need me to finish the suggestion before making a mad dash for the southern exit hole, claws scraping and scuffing across the wooden floor. The moment he threw himself out of the cottage, the room was suddenly silent again, save for my paws lightly tapping their way out after him. With the commotion ended, there was a palpable relief from the room of resting foxes. More than a few had been silently waiting for him to leave as well. Reaching the portal in the wall, I exited the cottage after Tyler, hoping no one would hold this against me.

The fresh morning air of the outdoors was like a splash of cold water on my face. Sluggishly, I stretched my neck and splayed my paws out under the large oak tree that protected the exit on this side of the den, before trotting after Tyler. He was already fifty feet away, bounding and prancing in the clearing behind the cottage. Stepping out from the shade of the tree and into the morning sun, I carefully followed him, avoiding the absolute minefield of shallow holes dug around the yard, many of which were obscured by sparse ground cover. If I wasn't careful, I was likely to sprain a paw or ankle in the treacherous footing. Noticing my approach, Tyler sped toward me, seeming to fly off the ground any time a hole appeared beneath him, tail wagging merrily.

You look like you're having a good time, I mused aloud to him.

Tyler replied with a loud series of squeaks and yips, and spun around to dart back towards the edge of the clearing, not pausing for even a moment.

Right, you had something to show me, I said, more to myself than him.

Try as I might, I couldn't muster the same raw energy Tyler was exhibiting. So far, I had not seen anyone in the den even attempt to match it. Regardless, I followed his lead, and traipsed across the clearing to the brush on the far side. Tyler had his head thrust into a bush, and was sniffing curiously around, his furry sides heaving rapidly and tail held high in the air.

You find something in there, Tyler? I asked with a curious whine. Smell any more voles?

Tyler shook his tail a few times and then began to pull at something in the bush. Bracing his hind legs against the earth, I watched him pull, tug, and violently yank at something in the bush, until he successfully freed it. Turning around to face me, Tyler brought forth a giant stick. It was over two inches in diameter, and at least as long as he was. He could barely get his jaws around it, but that didn't stop him from gnawing and adjusting his grip on the fallen tree limb. Taking the stick by the middle, Tyler took a few steps forward, offering me the broken end of the fallen forest debris.

Thanks, I hesitantly wagged at him.

I really didn't want to have a log in my mouth, but the longer I resisted taking the end in my jaws, the closer Tyler shifted the jagged splintered end in my face. He was still panting wildly, despite holding a mouthful of wood, and I couldn't miss the hopeful expression in his amber eyes. Finally giving in, I opened my muzzle and gingerly nipped the end being offered to me. I had barely managed to grasp the branch before Tyler let go of his end, and darted off across the back yard. The twisting fall of the log caused me to wince painfully as the far end collided with the ground, sending sharp vibrations painfully up into my fangs.

Ow! I yelped. What's wrong with you?! Ending my outburst with a wide-mawed gekker.

Tyler didn't look like he understood or cared about my outrage. Returning to my side, his slitted eyes had gone wide with excitement and anticipation and he was staring directly at the stick on the ground, completely transfixed. I had seen that look on many dog's faces before. He was wanting to play fetch with me.

Tyler, I don't have hands anymore. I can't throw sticks for you.

The moment I said "throw stick," Tyler leapt up from his readied position and charged forward excitedly, grabbing the stick in mid stride as he ran by. He paraded around the yard with his head held high, stick hanging out of both ends of his jaws and encumbering his movement. With a quick twist of his neck, Tyler released his jaws and threw the stick. It didn't go far at all, but it did spiral though the air impressively before clattering to the earth, only a mere foot and a half in front of him.

Whoa, I didn't know we could do that, I yipped.

While the distance the branch flew wasn't all that impressive, the fact that Tyler had managed to throw his own stick meant I could try to do the same for him, if I had a smaller one. Casting my gaze around the yard, there were no properly sized candidates lying about, so with a bit of caution, I made for the edge of the clearing, and nosed my way into the thick underbrush, hoping the limb had a smaller cousin hiding there. Behind me, I could feel Tyler following in my wake.

Pushing aside ferns, and other less identifiable forest foliage with my paws, I kept my eyes peeled for any sign of a suitable branch to throw, but the deeper I got, the less I thought I was going to have any success. Occasionally, I would feel a sniff or nip at my tail, causing me to jump for a moment before trudging on. A matter of minutes later, I started to despair from my lack of success, and I decided to turn around. The veritable log that Tyler had shown me was just going to have to do for now. Maybe I could play a game of Keep Away, if I couldn't throw it. Taking a step backwards, I felt my tail slap across Tyler's face as it lashed around from my mounting agitation. He was blocking my retreat from the brush, and wouldn't reverse back with me.

Tyler, I need to back out, I growled behind me, barely able to turn to face him in the thick foliage. His only reply was to snap at my tail again, playfully.

Wishing I still had the meek human Tyler behind me rather than the carefree fox version, I pushed forward reluctantly, quickly finding myself stuck with nothing other than leaves and thin twigs blocking my view ahead. If human Tyler had been in the way, he would have moved aside without an argument, but fox Tyler was completely oblivious when I needed him to pay attention. This limited my options to the brush in front of me, and there were still no sticks large enough to throw for him. I considered returning to the big stick we left in the clearing, but I was stuck between him and at least fifty feet of nearly impenetrable woods. If there was something around here I could use, maybe I could toss it so he'd get out of my way. Searching silently around me for the distraction I needed, I finally noticed the muffled rush of a stream far off into the woods. It didn't take long for its refreshing sounds to get me to notice how sticky and parched my long tongue felt in my muzzle.

C'mon Tyler, let's get some water and I'll find a stick for you later, I chirped back to Tyler, declining to continue reprimanding him, for all the good it would have done.

Pretending to ignore me and prodding his snout at some twiggy branch of a bush we just passed, the offer of water caused his tongue to loll out, and he yipped back excitedly. Lowering his head, he nudged my hindquarters to push me forward faster.

Ow, stop it! I snarled as a branch poked into my chest. There's no path up here!

Tyler didn't seem to care about the logistics of getting out of the brush, but he did stop attempting to shove me ahead.

Continued progress forward was slow, as every new branch and bush had to be nudged aside to make room for the two of us. I was reminded of my first visit to the forest as a human and the difficulties in navigating the underbrush. However, during all that trouble, I still had the Vixen guiding me forward through whatever fox-friendly paths had been carved out for her. This new trail had no such luxuries, and Tyler was far less patient while he needlessly pushed me forward. If I hadn't been as preoccupied with my thirst or blocked by a Tyler that was following with complete disregard of personal space, I would have turned around and looked for a better entry point into the woods. After all, I had started this path because of him and that damned stick.

While the sounds of the stream weren't getting much closer from our slow pace, the ordeal of the forest didn't last much longer. Before I realized what was behind the next bush, I found myself popping out onto a well-traveled game trail. Looking both ways down the trail, it appeared to stretch between the clearing by the den and the steam, or at least something close to it. Cursing my naivety, I trotted quickly towards the sounds of the stream, Tyler merrily in tow. I'll have to throw the stick later into the brush for him a few times to get back at him for putting me through that, I mused to myself.

The game trail was immensely easier to traverse than the underbrush. Hardened trail met my paws as I trotted along, instead of the prickly twigs and thorned bushes Tyler forced me to stand in. Listening for the sounds of flowing water, I padded silently through the woods along the trail. Not even my claws scraped or clacked on the natural surface of the forest, unlike every other manmade road and floor I had been clacking on for the last week. The silence of my movement allowed me to focus on the water ahead, and to keep tabs on the fox following me. There was no telling how far I would have to go to reach the stream, as my vulpine ears had a tendency to make distant sounds appear closer, but before long, the trail opened to a wide, shallow stream.

The moist earth was cold under my pads, and the dark green canopy of trees left the air equally as cool and refreshing. Water only as deep as my paws flowed over a bed of smooth, round river rocks, many of which protruded out of the water far enough that it would have been easy to cross the stream without getting wet. Slowly, I plodded up to the edge of the water, and stuck out my long, dry tongue to lap up as much of the water as I could. As a human, I never would have considered drinking from an open water source such as this, but judging the muddy paw prints littering the stream's shore, this had to be the main water source for the rest of the foxes. If they had been drinking here, then it had to be clean enough for me too.

Water splashed through my muzzle, and quenched my parched throat. No longer did my tongue stick to the large ridges on the roof of my mouth, and the fresh water in my stomach was a cool contrast to my warm fur coat around me. Lifting my soaking white chin from the water and licking my whiskers, I watched as Tyler careened into the stream, splashing the water everywhere, and soaking his fur through.

Tyler! They aren't going to let you back inside if you're dripping wet! I barked at him.

Not to mention, smelling of wet fur, I added to myself, but I didn't know if that was true. My own wet fur hadn't bothered my nose much when I was using the tub back home. Maybe the foxes in the den wouldn't mind as much either.

Tyler continued to splash around in the shallow water, yapping and panting, and occasionally rolling around in the cool water. He either didn't understand or didn't care what the other foxes may think about him coming back and leaking water from his fur in the cottage.

I sat back on my haunches and watched Tyler romp around the water for a bit. He really did seem happy with his dripping fluffy tail wagging high in the air and spraying droplets of water everywhere, but the guilt of what I had done to him panged in the back of my mind. Both of us had been productive members of society before our accidents, and I had taken that away from him. The effort nearly cost my life last night, and if the Vixen hadn't shown up when she did, I would have become Flamestarved by now, if not dead. Yet, I couldn't recall a time where Tyler looked nearly as happy as he did now. Maybe he was the lucky one between us: he didn't have to worry about anything anymore, and without magical abilities, he couldn't hurt anyone either.

Letting out a long sigh through my black nose, I closed my golden eyes and listened to the melody of the stream and the forest. There still were no birds chirping here, but the gentle breeze through the leaves above me added a light rustle to the flow of the stream in front of me. Relaxing further, I let the calming sounds wash over me, prepared to let it whisk me away for a brief nap, but before I could lay down, I felt a presence shift the ground next to me, and my nose picked up a sharp new smell. My slitted eyes snapped open, and I looked down at the disturbance. A beige tabby cat was at the water's edge, gently lapping at the stream, seemingly oblivious to the fox towering over him.

Toby! Come back here, barked a fox from the mouth of the game trail.

The cat lifted his head and met my gaze for a moment, then he slowly turned around and sauntered back to the fox waiting for him, his tail held high in the air with classic feline arrogance. I watched the cat return to the fox, who then ushered the cat behind her with her muzzle, and then took up a defensive stance between me and her cat while eyeing me dubiously.

I recognized her almost immediately. It was the Apartment Vixen.

I'm not going to eat your cat, I barked out towards her. Tyler and I were just getting some water.

Her brow furrowed, and I could see in her expression she finally recognized me as well.

You! She screeched as her hackles rose on her back. Do you have any idea what I've been through because of you?

Furiously quaking, she took several steps forward to close the distance between us, and I retreated a few steps backwards, my rear paw slipping into the cold water behind me, and instantly shocking away any relaxation I had just been feeling. Advancing further into the stream after me, fuming, the Apartment Vixen continued to gekker and bark an obviously rehearsed tirade.

_I've been shot, caged, killed, chased, trapped, hunted, burglarized and vandalized, all while making the longest trek on foot in my life to get my cat back! _

She had closed the gap between us entirely, and I was now staring directly into her open maw as she shouted, each event on her list a sharp bark in my face. Backing away into the stream hadn't slowed her advance, and now I could feel a chill slowly crawl up my spine as the tip of my tail dipped into the cool water.

And after all that, I still had to walk back to where animal control dumped me with an exhausted cat riding my back, only to find I wasn't welcome here! 'This forest is occupied', they said!

By this point, I was practically half way across the stream, and as my paws soaked in the flowing water, the forgotten bite wound from the previous day on my forepaw began to sting. Her paws deep in the shallows, she forced me to the middle of the flowing waterway. Tyler had stopped playing and now was watching the vixen shouting at me. His tail and ears began to droop and cower at the confrontation upstream from him. She lifted a dripping paw up and put it on the fluff on my chest.

And you, she growled menacingly, pushing me back further with her paw and addressing me with cold emphasis, your girlfriend said I could stay if I helped you, but after I did, they give you the star treatment, and then made me sleep outside. I had to dig a hole to sleep in with my own bare-- p-paws, and then get the cat to follow me!

I was too stunned to reply. There was too much to respond to, particularly the part about sleeping outdoors, but I instantly winced at the first thing that came out of my mouth.

Wait, did you say you were shot and killed, separately?

The vixen howled with frustration and disgust, and turned back toward the edge of the water, slapping me across the face with her dripping tail, probably intentionally. Tyler returned to his play in the water, splashing it around as he stuck his face in to retrieve a particular stone he spotted. I watched as the vixen returned to the water's edge, and gracefully sat down, gently taking a few laps from the stream after having the fight knocked out of her with my stupid question. Slowly, I returned to the shore, making sure to keep a wide distance between us as I sat down with my tail curled against my leg.

Toby, come drink, she cooed softly to the cat that hadn't left the last spot she nudged him into. It's safe now, she said as she locked her golden slitted eyes with mine, staring daggers.

Obediently, the cat strided forward to resume drinking. His beige fur was brightly contrasted against the dark, damp earth of the stream's edge. I watched silently while the feline finished drinking his fill, and endured a few sideways comments from the Apartment Vixen to her cat about me being too

thickheaded to talk to. Much of her vitriol expended, she began to relax to the sounds of the stream, as I had when I arrived. We sat at the water's edge for some time, taking in the calming effects of the flowing water before she finally broke the silence between us, now staring across the stream at nothing in particular.

_Have you noticed there's no birds in these woods? _ She mused, tension still lingering in her voice as she turned her nose skyward to look at the trees.

I hadn't, I replied, Though, there was one that woke me this morning.

Forests like these are usually teeming with life. A bird here or there isn't normal.

Maybe they are being quiet because there's predators around, I suggested.

She heaved a snort, and returned to her pensive silence. Glancing over, I could see her hackles were finally starting settle down her neck. Downstream, Tyler gave a happy squeak and shot across to the far bank and down another path leading further into the forest. In contrast, Toby unenthusiastically returned to the game trail, taking a backward glance at the vixen with his tail held high, waiting for his master to finish up sitting around the water's edge. I was about to tell her that I should depart as well, and head back to the den to put in a good word for her, when she broke the silence again.

So, why did you do it? Why did you turn me into a fox?

My thoughts on getting her a better place to sleep tonight evaporated, and I felt my ears plaster themselves guiltily back against my neck. There was no good answer to that question, and up until last night, I felt like she had done it to herself when she encountered me on the bus, since she seemed to be in control the whole time. Considering what I now knew, there was no easy way to explain it to answer her question.

Hesitantly, I started, It was an accident, and you weren't the only one it happened to before I understood what I was doing... Wistfully, I stared over to the long grass on the bank to where Tyler was still playing.

She turned towards me as I trailed off, and then turned toward the focus of my gaze.

Oh god, him too? I thought he was a normal fox!

Coworker.

Her ears drooped in dismay, while she stared at the merry Tyler in horror. I rose to all fours, and took a few steps towards the game trail, passing behind the stunned vixen as I prepared to leave her to her silence. Meeting her here was rather uncomfortable, considering what I had done to her.

The vixen looked completely mortified as she watched the gamboling fox across the stream. He collapsed into a panting heap in the long grass, long tongue lolling out of his jaws, finally tuckered out from all the playing.

How? She finally said, unable to take her eyes off the fox. Why is he like that, and not like us?

I tried to stay human, in my own way. It almost worked too, enough so that I convinced myself I could get away with it, I replied solemnly, stopping behind her. Tyler was just an innocent bystander when things got out of control. I didn't change him the normal way.

Finally breaking her gaze on Tyler, she turned around to me, glaring, _Why would you do something that stupid? I figured out on my first day that being a fox meant I had to act like one to survive. _

Old habits die hard, I guess, I shrugged. That, and I had a life I was trying to protect, fox or not. I wasn't ready to throw it all away.

Oh, so you thought it was okay to throw mine away instead? Did you think I didn't have a life too? She scoffed, accusation and seething frustration dripping in her tone.

No, that's not what I meant, I stammered._ I went out to find food, and I found I could do magic. No one told me until that night that using it was dangerous, or had a cost. Instead, I was using it all day, and then... you got in the way, just like Tyler. I'm so sorry._

The words hung on the air while she glowered at me, completely ignoring my apology. A moment later, she pressed with more questions, a look of concern flashing across her muzzle. Tell me about this cost, she stated flatly. Idly, she sat back on her haunches and rubbed her side with her hind paw, looking less like she was trying to scratch an itch, and more like she was trying to use her paw to probe the area.

Resigning myself to her questions, I sat down, setting aside my return to the den. I wasn't the fox that should be teaching her these things, especially after what I had done the last few days. Yet, it was my fault she was here like this. No one told me what the limits of the Flame were when the Vixen changed me. I didn't let her before I ran off. It didn't seem fair to let this vixen fall into the same traps I fell into if I could help it.

I don't know enough about it yet, I said. The Lumberjack Fox was trying to fill me in yesterday, but I think he left a lot out while we both thought I was dying. Pausing a moment to recall his words, I then added, I guess I can show you this.

Looking down at the ground in front of me, I focused on my wounded paw. It was still soaking wet, and the damp, scabby fur around the wound had clumped and matted to where the pink skin beneath my fur was showing. Welling up my desires, I said aloud, I wish my paw wasn't injured.

*WISH*

Blue light filled my vision for a moment, and then began to swirl around my paw like strands of gossamer. Slowly, the bright blue strands flowed around the wound and then into it before it began to dissipate. After the last bits of light faded, absorbed into my paw, the scab came loose, and the attached fur fell out, only to be replaced with new black follicles sprouting from the bare patch. Within moments, my forepaw looked no different than the other, like nothing had happened yesterday. I lifted the paw and tapped it on the ground a few times, testing for any soreness at all. Instead, I felt a familiar tightness of the Void lingering in my gut, but it was faint, and it seemed like it was lessening quickly.

The vixen watched the blue light, transfixed on the demonstration. Looking up from my healed paw, she met my gaze, and asked, And what did that cost you?

I tried to gauge how much of my essence was used from that expenditure, tilting my vulpine head side to side, but the more I focused on the feeling of the void, the harder it was to pin down. Pausing a moment, I replied, Little to nothing, I think.

She cocked her head as I had a few times, trying to understand. So I can heal a small wound for little to no cost. How much do you think it would cost to heal something bigger, like a gunshot wound?

I laughed a hearty gekker at the specificity of the question, You'll have to ask Lumberjack Fox that one. All I know is the Flame can be blue or purple. Everything I did the day you met me was purple, and I guess that was bad. Oh, and don't attack other foxes with it. Lumberjack Fox said that's how the magic reacted when I was trying to transform myself. The light actually turned red that time.

Looking a bit relieved, she stated, Got it. Don't wish myself into being human again and don't get into fights. Anything else I should know?

I hesitated. There was so much more to explain, and yet, I wasn't sure I had the words for it. After a short pause, I settled for what I knew for sure.

_Don't overuse it, whatever you do. I had a choice last night before you found me: become a mindless, feral animal, or turn yet another human into a fox. After what I did to you and Tyler, I wasn't willing to accept either option, and I'm not out of the fire yet. They know I turned you without permission. That's a big no-no, I'm told. _

Is that so, she stated with her ears curled back. Turning her head away from me, she stared at the stream wistfully, watching Tyler panting in the grass on the opposite shore. After a few moments, she snapped back to attention and turned back again.

I don't suppose you know where I can get some breakfast around here for me and Toby, she asked.

The mention of food left a light gurgle in my stomach. I hadn't eaten since yesterday, and microwaved chicken wasn't going to be on the menu today.

There was a vole hole near my house the other day, but that's pretty far from here, I replied. Ask some of the other foxes if there's a place they go to hunt. I think both of us will need to find out sooner than later.

She grimaced, I don't think the other foxes want me around, she said solemnly, her ears drooping to the sides of her fuzzy head.

I've been getting a bit of the same feeling too, I replied. Too many broken rules, I guess. Tell you what, I'll talk to the Vixen about what we can do for you. The foxes should have enough sense to keep you from going out on your own and doing what I did. Pushing you out of the forest isn't going to help anyone.

Her ears perked up sharply, suddenly taken aback, like she wasn't going to accept the insinuation that she could have been as stupid as I had been without an argument, but instead, she lowered them again and quietly agreed with a light nod.

I would appreciate that. Thank you, she replied.

On that note, I turned around and trotted down the trail with my bushy tail flowing behind me, leaving the Apartment Vixen, Toby, and the exhausted Tyler by the stream.

---

The trail back to the den was much easier to traverse this time, now that Tyler hadn't held me hostage in the brush on a fool's errand to find a suitable stick. It was fortunate his natural instincts were lending him have a normal fox life in the forest. I didn't think I had it in me to babysit both him and the Apartment Vixen at the same time while trying to adapt for myself. Just making sure I didn't let the same mistakes I made befall her was going to be a load on my back for the next few weeks. I was responsible for her situation, just like the Vixen was responsible for mine. Perhaps, that is why my Vixen took to me so quickly and was so protective and helpful.

A terrible thought flashed across my mind. What if the Vixen was treating me so nicely out of a sense of duty, much like I wanted to help the Apartment Vixen find her place here? I had no intention of having a long-term relationship with my accidental victim, yet I was already offering to stick my neck out for her. My Vixen had done much of the same for me, but I had assumed she cared about me in some deeper way. In fact, I was starting to count on it. From the moment I found her in my house a few nights back, she had done everything in her power to make me more comfortable as a fox, and my heart began to swell at the thought of her with me. The alternative of taking on this nearly-immortal forest life without her with me sounded impossibly depressing. She had helped me whenever she could, and saved my life last night. If it all was just her sense of duty driving her, I might as well just go back to my house and wait for the next awful thing to happen to me. It couldn't be worse than being stuck here where everyone barely tolerates me. No, I was sure she liked me a lot, and going back to my house only put other humans in harm's way. Banishing my dreary pessimism to the back of my mind, I marched onwards, down the game trail.

Passing the portal of broken brushes Tyler and I had created, my bladder started to clench. Drinking all that stream water before my morning pee was catching up to me fast. For a brief moment, I thought about needing to run home to use the tub at my house as I had throughout last week, but I realized how stupid that notion was immediately. Not only was it too far from here to make it, but I was in the forest, and I was a fox. There was no need for tubs!

Instinctively, I put my nose to the ground and began to sniff around for a spot where I could go. Going here in the middle of the trail seemed rude, as I could smell the tracks of other foxes here. Perhaps they had a dedicated place to use the bathroom? It seemed like a logical thing for civilized foxes to do. Proper waste management didn't have to be a strictly human thing.

I sniffed my way down the trail a few more paces, and right before the mouth of the trail from the den, I caught the powerful scent of fox urine on a nearby tree. Eureka! Fox bathroom located. Filled with pride at how clever I was, I trotted over to the tree with my tail merrily wagging behind me and I lifted my leg against the tree with my eyes closed. The earth was very soft off the trail, and a light breeze softly ruffled my fur and tweaked my whiskers, but I was able to concentrate enough on pretending I was still at home in the tub to relieve myself. Trying not to think about how exposed I was to other foxes showing up for their turn, I finished up quickly, not wanting to be caught in such a compromising position. Right as I put my leg back down, something hot and wet touched the back of my right forepaw, soaking up into my leathery pads. Yipping in shock and horror, I leapt from the spot and did an about-face in midair. Right where I had been standing, the backsplash had run down the tree and trickled along the ground, back onto my paw, dampening the fur underneath.

God damnit, I barked, and quickly started wiping my paw in the earth. There was no tub faucet here to rinse off with, and a quick run back to the stream would mean I seeing the Apartment Vixen again. Peeing myself was embarrassing enough; I didn't need to answer any questions on why I dipped into the stream before running off again. Hastily, I clawed, pawed and dabbed the soil away from the tree, trying to get my soaked paw fur dry again, but there was no hiding the scent left behind.

Maybe no one will notice, I tried to convince myself. With much trepidation, I bent down and sniffed my paw to see how noticeable it was to my own nose. It reeked, but it also reeked of soil and stream water as well. If I could smear some more grass, moss, and any other random ground cover on it before I reached the den, chances were, it would be too far masked to grab anyone's attention in my direction. Taking careful, purposeful strides towards the cottage, I did my best to place my paw on every clump of grass I passed, and clench my pads like I was trying to pick it up. Midway into the clearing behind the den, I heard a voice above me.

Is everything okay down there, kid?

In surprise, I jumped back a few steps and looked up. It was the Lumberjack Fox from yesterday. He was standing on one of the long winding trunks of the oak tree and looking down at me.

Yeah, I'm fine, I barked back up to him, careful to cease my erratic gait towards the building. Bumping into anyone before I got inside wasn't part of my plan.

I heard you yelling out a moment ago, he called down. Carefully, digging his claws into the bark of the tree, he began his descent back to the ground.

Yeah, I--I stubbed my paw on a root, I lied.

Ouch! I've done that a few times, myself, he said empathetically and he leapt to the ground with a light thud. There was one time where it was bad enough that I had to use the Flame to heal the bloody wound. Say, lucky break getting your essence back last night! I'm glad you're still with us.

Uh, yeah, very lucky,_I agreed. Nervously, I sat back and pawed the back of my ear with my hind leg. _ I was almost gone by the time the Vixen found me.

I heard the rumors, he said with a low rumble. She doesn't say much about it, even with her limited vocabulary.

Well, she did find me in the final stages, I said, also dodging the specifics._ I wouldn't be here if she didn't bring that Apartment Vixen with her. _

Ah yes, you should have seen her last evening, the moment that fox rolled in with her cat. I've never seen her quite that excited. Ran off with both of them to find you before anyone else could get so much as a sniff of her.

Much of last night was still a blur, and I had not asked the Vixen about her side of the story yet.

I ran into her down by the stream, by the way. Who should I talk to about getting her a place to sleep indoors? I inquired. She said you guys wouldn't let her sleep in the den.

Now standing before me, the Lumberjack Fox's ears flattened for a moment before he replied. _No need to worry about it right now. Prey like her will find their own place in the woods, soon enough. _

What do you mean, prey? I coughed back, slightly aghast.

Kid, you went through it yourself, and got lucky. What do you hope to do for her?

She seemed fine when I was talking to her, I responded, somewhat confused. I don't think she's going Flamestarved.

Well, give it time, kid, he said solemnly. A fox can't transfer the essence needed to bring you back from being Flamestarved and not go Flamestarved themselves, otherwise I would have helped you myself. We don't need a feral fox in the den, wrecking things. We have enough of a job trying to clean it up as it is, and your Tyler friend is going to be enough of nuisance, for that matter. We are not accustomed to taking on and feeding pets around here.

My heart jumped into my throat. I thought I had cleared last night under the best possible circumstance. No one had to die, no one had to get hurt, and no one had to be changed. Now I was being told that wasn't true; the Apartment Vixen was going to slowly descend into madness, and Tyler was only allowed because I had to take care of him like a pet. I didn't want to have to babysit my rambunctious former coworker, but that would be manageable compared to the Apartment Vixen's fate, if what he said about her was true. I had been a wreck within an hour when I went Flamestarved, but she was lucid as anyone else around here. Beyond the Lumberjack Fox, another fox popped out of the hole in the cottage wall and scurried into the woods, holding something in its mouth.

Did the Vixen know what she was doing when she brought her to me? I asked quietly, doing my best to not betray my feelings of remorse, but I could tell my ears had drooped while taking in this concerning news.

Undoubtedly. The council had spent most of the day scolding her for letting you change that woman. Her arrival meant solving everyone's problems, including yours.

That seems like a very cold way to look at it, I said, turning my head to avoid eye contact. It's not fair to her, after what I put her through.

Kid, you haven't been a fox very long, so your human sensibilities must still be getting in the way. What would you prefer from us? We could do it this way, and have you complain about it, or we could make nightly excursions into human territory, turn everyone we find into foxes, and bring them all back here to share their essence, while still being short enough for one unfortunate fox! You know how easy that would be for us. Be glad that we don't.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, or let the Apartment Vixen suffer, he was completely right. I had boarded a bus as a fox and gone into the city, undetected. If I had wanted to steal the human essence from anyone that crossed paths with me, not a single person could have stopped me. I could have made them beg me to do it. My hackles raised a bit as the realization of the expanse of power I had been given caused a chill go down my spine, as well as the thought of the numerous foxes here all exercising the same restraint. There was nothing stopping the foxes from taking what they wanted.

So why don't you? I asked tersely. Is it your human sensibilities keeping you from doing it?

The Lumberjack Fox furrowed his brow and cocked his head for a moment. Perhaps a bit, he said. Most of us were human at some point, but the real problem is food. _We can't just go shopping with money, or pull a chicken out of a refrigerator and pop it into a Radar Range. We still need to hunt, kid. The Flame makes it much easier, but it does not let us create food from nothing. _

A moment of silence passed between us. Letting out a sigh of defeat, I finally said,So there's no hope for her, just like me yesterday?

Her options are the same as yours were. However, I ask that you not inform her as I did for you. You were meant to be here with us. She is not. It would be best to let her go her own way.

I turned around and looked back at the game trail, and wondered if I should disobey right now to try to help the Apartment Vixen, but I knew it wouldn't help things at all. The best outcome I could hope for would involve someone else getting turned into a fox. After everything I had been through, the Lumberjack Fox's cold deduction was the only real answer.

Now, I was going to say before our conversation turned quite so grim, that I was glad to bump into you, kid, because we need some of your help. Would you mind following me inside?

Defeated, I obediently followed behind him to the small hole in the wall. We both paused a moment to sidestep another fox that was exiting the den at that moment. Again, the fox was carrying something in his mouth, but I couldn't get a good look at it as he darted on by. The Lumberjack Fox entered the hole first, leaving me to follow the fluffy white tip of his tail, through the short tunnel indoors.

Once inside, I was shocked to find the room filled not with sleepy foxes, but a hustle and bustle of busy vulpines. Orange furred bodies darted all around the room. At first, I thought it was all pure chaos with the blur of orange and black running in every direction, but after a moment, I realized they were all busy with a task. Immediately in front of me and the Lumberjack Fox, several foxes were pushing the debris on the floor with their nose, making sweeping motions to consolidate the mess. A few more foxes, one of which suddenly entered from behind us, were grabbing any large chunks of splinted wood or stones they could find in the pile, and then running back outside with the debris clasped in their jaw. On the far wall, from the northern wall I originally crawled through last week, another set of foxes took turns popping in and out through the hole, each carrying a small prey animal they had killed, dropping it off in a growing furry pile of food by the exit. Near the fallen slanted beam in the middle of the room, next to the foxes sweeping with their noses, two foxes had gotten into an argument about something, and were both standing on their hind legs, shoving each other's furry chests while squealing loudly. Up on the raised living area, the dog beds had been stacked as neatly as any fox could manage, and the Vixen, along with a few other foxes stood, overseeing the whole room.

Stop! No fight, one of the foxes called down from their dais.

The two fighting foxes, dropped back to all-fours, and tucked their tails and ears back before returning to a quieter gekker over their disagreement.

I was working with them on the roof, the Lumberjack fox said urgently as he turned to me. S_o, I'll have to catch up with you later, kid. The Vixen is up there waiting for you. I'll have to find out what their disagreement was about before I go back outside, so don't wait for me. _

With that, he bounded around the pile of debris in front of us, and thrust himself in between the other two arguing foxes, his ears tucked back and maw opened wide to join in the three-way gekking.

Minding my possibly reeking paw, I trotted up the stair to the raised living area, and approached the Vixen. Seeing me arrive, she began to swing her tail back and forth, tapping the fox sitting next to her a few times before he got up and shifted a few inches away and out of range.

Mate! She yipped enthusiastically. Good Morning! Fix fox den now.

I arrived next to her and nuzzled her ear affectionately. Keeping my paw behind her, so that her nose wouldn't notice anything while I was so close, I sauntered around her back and sat to her right, overlooking the working foxes with the rest of the watchers.

Yeah, looks like you guys are doing a good job, I said. I noticed things were clearer than the first time I was here. I choked a bit as I finished my sentence, remembering my first moments as a fox. Turning my head towards the broken mirror in the nearby corner, I saw both of us, two normal foxes, reflected in the splintered shards.

The Vixen nuzzled my ear, returning my affection. _ Long time fix. Much more do_, she added as she glanced upwards at the wide hole in the roof.

Casting my gaze upwards at the hole, I asked. _ Is it just me, or did that hole get smaller from last week?_

Cocking her head, trying to gauge it, she replied after a pause, Yes. Much more do.

I turned my muzzle to point at hers. How?_I asked incredulously. _Are you using the Flame for home repairs?!

As if to answer, a bright purple flash flickered from one of the foxes below. Seemingly from nowhere, a breeze picked up within the cottage, and a sizable portion of the rotting, dusty debris rolled toward the hole in the wall I had just entered from.

The fox sitting next to the Vixen, as well as another two on the dais, immediately barked angrily at the offending fox.

No Flame! Stop now!

I dropped my ears back in surprise at the sudden outburst. The Vixen turned to me and whimpered under her breath, Must fix den for all foxes. Hard work with no Flame. Must save Flame for big fix.

Looking back up at the broken roof, I said, No kidding.

Down on the lower area, the Lumberjack fox looked like he was finally having some success with calming the two fighting foxes. None of them had their mouths open in defiance anymore, and now were making frustrated whimpering sounds.

I took Tyler down to the stream and I bumped into that other vixen. She said you made her sleep outside last night. Any chance of making her more comfortable tonight? I remember you promised to let her stay when she saved me last night.

This was the wrong thing to ask. As soon as I had mentioned her promise, she whirled to face me as if I had just bit her, and growled warningly, No! No talk now.

For a moment, I thought I had upset her, but I caught the look of pleading in her slitted eyes as she faced me. I was about to ask when we could discuss it, but beyond the Vixen, I saw the fox next to her had turned his ear towards us while keeping his attention fixed on the scene below. Whether it was her change in tone, or our conversation topic, we had caught his attention, and he didn't look like he wanted us to notice.

I turned my ears back, and replied. Okay, sorry. I didn't know it was a touchy subject.

Turning her own ears back, she reached out and licked my dark nose, Not mad. Bad time.

Deciding to move on from the subject, I asked, So what do you want me to do down there? Lumberjack Fox said you needed my help in here.

Help with books,_said the fox behind the Vixen in a formal tone, finally turning to us and dropping the pretense of ignoring us. Making full eye contact, he stated more clearly, _Your guard fox say you open books. No break book. Show us.

The Vixen turned to face this authoritative fox, but not before I caught the look of frustration on her face after he spoke. No. Not need books now, she retorted.

What books? I asked. The Lumberjack fox and his two cohorts had climbed up part way on the fallen beam, and looked like they were trying to get close to the ceiling near the hole. I thought I was going to help with cleaning and repairs.

Special books. No fox read. No fox open. May break.

I recalled how the Lumberjack Fox had gotten excited when I showed him how to lift paper off of the floor without making a disaster of it, but I thought he was excited about reading novels for entertainment, not something the foxes owned and hadn't touched for fear of damaging it. I hadn't tried my technique on bound books either. There was no way to know if I could do it safely.

Whoa, whoa, I never said I could open special books, I said, lashing my tail as I took a step back. _ I just have a way to pick paper off the floor. _

The fox furrowed his brow. You no books, no use for foxes. Sleep outside.

With a snarl, the Vixen interjected with a guttural, primal sound that didn't quite translate into language for me, but the fox seemed to understand. His expression changed, and he looked slightly defeated.

No. Not sleep outside, he amended. All foxes must help, he continued, casting a defiant glance back to the Vixen. Follow me now. Open books.

The fox turned around, and trotted towards the back of the room, expecting me to follow.

It was hard to tell what the original purpose was for the alcove that the fox led me to, but it was narrower than the wide, open, dual-leveled living space. Perhaps it was a rudimentary kitchen in the past. Now, however, it was stuffed full of debris and various, mostly unidentifiable clutter of broken and destroyed furniture. In the midst of the mess, I could see some chunks of flat wood that looked like it could have been a bookcase at one point in time, but it was buried halfway into the alcove, and there was no clear way to reach it.

Is this going to take long? I asked. I haven't had breakfast yet. I assumed the pile of dead animals was supposed to be food for everyone, but no one had started to eat just yet while they were still working.

He didn't reply, but instead, he shoved his head into a small opening in the wall of garbage, and started pulling at the edges to make more space. Shifting his furry body around to get a better angle at his digging, his flailing tail slapped me gently in the face.

Step back. Too close, came his muffled snarl from within. It sounded more like a threat than a friendly warning. Not waiting for my reply, he shifted his back end to prevent me from getting close to his dig site, and added an extra growl for emphasis.

From where I was standing, it looked like he was trying to protect a cache of treasure from me and everyone else in the room while he retrieved it for himself. However, after a few more tugs, pulls, and frantic clawing and scratches, the remains of some wooden furniture frame shifted enough to create a small hole large enough for a pair of foxes to sneak through.

In, the fox commanded, sitting back and pulling himself away from the opening he created.

I turned around to look at the Vixen a few yards away. Making eye contact, she raised her snout in approval, and then turned around to oversee the work in the rest of the room.

Cautiously, I approached the hole in the wall of debris. Despite the appearance of the pile in the alcove, it wasn't at all a solid wall, and in fact, had a tunnel winding and twisting within it.

_No take so long. Go now,_barked the fox.

Shouldn't you go first? I asked. I don't know where we're going.

He rolled his golden eyes, and stood up, shoving me aside as he crouched down to climb into the hole.

The attitude of this fox was becoming insufferable, but I knew if I were to stay here, getting along with as many of the foxes, especially the foxes in leadership, was necessary. Swallowing my pride, I crept in after him, chasing the white tip of his tail.

The garbage tunnel was very tight, and I didn't think I could turn around if I wanted to. It reminded me of earlier in the day when I was stuck in the woods with Tyler, only this time, it was my turn to snap playfully at the leader's tail. However, I had no illusions about trying it with him. His no-nonsense demeanor told me he wasn't a very playful fox, and would either bite me, or exile me for the attempt. Probably both.

After a few yards of snaking slowly through the tunnel, the fox stopped, his furry body blocking my view of what was ahead.

Here, came a muffled squeak from the other side of the tail in my face. His hind paws lowered on their digitigrade ankles, and then he dug his claws into the wood of the floor, trying to gain as much leverage as the front of his body pushed and scratched against some sort of unseen barrier.

With a loud crash, the barrier fell, and sunlight shone into our hole, silhouetting the fox in front of me with an orange glow around his dark, shadowy form. Wasting no time, the fox trotted out of the hole in front of me, revealing an open area on the far side of the pile we had just crawled through. Extricating myself from the tunnel after him, I found the two of us had reached the back of the alcove.

The area was surprisingly clean for being partitioned off by broken junk. There was a decoratively stained window on the back wall which illuminated the whole chamber with a warm yellow light. To the right of the window was a narrow set of stairs to a second floor, however, like the alcove, it had been blocked with mounds of dirt and debris. To the left, an old gray stone fireplace had been inlayed into the wall. A large iron pot sat in the fireplace, covered in rust from disuse.

I roamed the room, taking in all the sights and smells I could while the other fox sat in the middle of the room, watching me. An acrid smell of dust and rust wafted into my nostrils as I gave the abandoned cookware a sniff. I could sense other smells too, ash from the fires, and possibly a faint, lingering odor of something that reminded me of incense.

Foxes no cook, the fox said, tersely.

I wasn't planning on it, I replied while I looked around the chamber, still trying to get my bearings.

I looked around some more, finally spotting an intact bookshelf next to the stairs. My low vantage point made exploring a room like this quite different than I was used to. Had I still been at my full human height, I would have seen the books at eye level. As a fox, it was less obvious when something was nailed to the wall, up high.

Are those the books you wanted me to read? I asked the fox as I pointed my muzzle upward at the five or so tomes on the shelf.

Yes. Books high so fox not steal, he said, slightly cocking his head, like he was explaining something simple to a child. I watch you get book now.

I didn't know what to say. These were his special books, and he was wanting me to get them down, presumably safely. There was no furniture in the room I could push against the wall, like I had with the chair in my kitchen, and there was no counter under it to stand on to get closer. If I leapt as high as I could, I might be able to swipe a fang or a claw at one of the books, but there was no way of telling what would happen to the book if I tried that. They looked very old, at least as old at the cottage.

Why are you asking me to get them down? I asked. Aren't they your special books?

Your guard fox say you smart fox. I watch.

_Okay,_I said, very unsure of myself. Hopefully, Lumberjack Fox didn't embellish my abilities too much to him.

Moving up against the wall, I stood up on my hind paws, and placed my forepaws against the wood of the wall. Even standing like this, I was half the height I needed to reach the books. I stood there for a moment, reaching out with my long neck and swaying my tail behind me, trying to figure out a good angle of attack. If I tried my leap from here, I would certainly bash my head on the bottom of the shelf plank. Paws to the wall, I turned around to the other fox.

_Is there something you do when you need them down? _

Never take down. Never read. Too special, he replied gruffly, like he was running out of patience.

Sighing, I took my paws off the wall and dropped back to all fours. Casting my gaze around the room for anything I could use, I noticed on top of the debris pile sat a long, thin, L-shaped plank of wood, like half of a large picture frame. Darting over to the pile, I grabbed it by the long end, and marched back to the shelf with it hanging from my mouth, almost hitting the fox in the process. He ducked out of the way and flattened he ears while showing his teeth, but he didn't say anything further to chastise me.

Once back to the wall with the bookshelf, I stood up as tall as my vulpine body would allow, and craned my neck sideways, allowing the plank to bridge the gap to the shelf. Hooking the short end of the plank around the bookend, I pulled with all my might and dropped back to the floor for more leverage.

The results were less than graceful. While I had expected to dodge out of the way from the falling books, I didn't expect all the books to fall on my first attempt, and I also didn't expect to take the whole shelf down with them. All five painfully pelted my back as they descended, followed by an explosive flash of stars when the wooden shelf stuck the back of my head as its anchorings ripped from the old, brittle wooden wall.

I yelped in pain, and teetered away from the wall. Behind me came a concerned yelp from the fox. Blinking back the pain, I turned to him, and saw him run up, no longer keeping his distance.

Why no use Flame? He demanded furiously.

Mistaking his words to suggest I heal the bumps and bruises I just received, I replied, I'll be fine in a minute. No need for the Flame this time.

Flustered, the fox barked loudly. No! Bad fox! Get books down with Flame! You break books.

Taking another moment to shake off the sting on the back of my head, I looked down at the floor around me. All five of the books lay strewn about, each leatherbound with beautiful gold leaf designs etched on the front, and not a single one marred with dents or loose pages breaking free of the bindings.

The Vixen said the Flame was dangerous, I said, taking on a darkly serious tone. After everything I had been through, I knew that using the Flame to get books down from a shelf was a terrible idea. The fact that he was even suggesting it, raised my temper to a cool boil. Glaring, I continued through gritted teeth, You only asked me to get them down, and they don't look damaged to me at all!

The fox glared back at me, his golden eyes practically glowing in the yellow light from the window behind me. His brow furrowed and he glanced down at the fallen tomes around me. Yes, he conceded, I not clear. You new fox. Know next time.

With that said, he nudged past me, and started sniffing each of the books. I leapt out of the way in a graceful arc; I didn't want him sniffing around my paws after my accident outside. He ignored my overreaction, possibly too engrossed with trying to select a book to care about my odors, his wagging tail betraying the excitement he was feeling in the moment. After he cycled through sniffing each of the books randomly a few times, he finally chose one, and nudged it towards me with his nose.

This one. Open book.

Obediently, I pulled the book closer to me where I sat, using my ivory claws to grip the edges, rather than the face of the cover, where I could end up scraping off the gold leaf. Keeping my claws extended, I hooked them around the edge of the book, opposite of the spine, and lifted the cover open.

The fox's eyes went wide with excitement, and he shifted impatiently in his sitting position.

Good fox. Now turn page.

Almost before I realized it, I started to lift my paw to lick it for more friction, but then I realized exactly how much I didn't want to do that right now. My dominant paw had been all over the woods this morning, and despite my best efforts, I could still catch whiffs of my urine on it. Instead of licking it, I decided to sniff the pages of book to see what I could figure out about it. The yellowing parchment wasn't like anything I had used as a human, and my fox nose picked up traces of coppery smelling ink and musty pages from years past. Even if I did dampen either of my paws, the age materials indicated they shouldn't have the trace bits of moisture from my pads on it. I almost certainly would smear the ink: this wasn't office toner being used here.

Gently, I applied pressure with my paw to the inside of the open cover. As the spine was slowly pressed flat against the wooden floor, the pages in the bindings started to lift, leaving wide spaces between each of them as the book began to unfurl out like an accordion. Quickly, the moment I noticed pages with writing on them, I shoved my nose between the lifted pages, and jabbed my other paw down as soon as the space was wide enough. I beamed at the fox for my success, and my tail behind me gave a proud flutter. For a moment, with the astonished look on his face, I thought the fox was going to compliment me for my accomplishment, but before he said anything, he looked down at the open book, and started cocking his head side to side as he read the text.

I let him read for a bit, though he had forced me into the awkward position of holding the book open for him with my paws while he read. The back of his orange fuzzy head blocked most of the page from my view, but after a few minutes, boredom set in, and I tried to read over his shoulder.

Shockingly, the writing on the page was completely alien. Instead of English text, or any other identifiable written language, the page was covered in a series of straight-lined glyphs and pictographs. At a glance, I could see each character had been painted on painstakingly with a fine brush dipped in the author's ink. However, the meaning of each symbol was lost completely on me, and it would have been easier for me to decipher a jumble of all the Asian scripts than what was on the page the fox was reading.

You can read that? I whimpered to the fox.

Yes, he growled back.

What language is that? I don't recognize it.

The fox lifted his head to make eye contact with me. His golden slitted eyes fixed on mine, and he stated flatly. No speak. Hold book now.

For once, I didn't get the same sense of condescension from his words, but he needed my help, and was asking for it politely.

I nodded, and he returned to stuffing his nose into the book. A few moments later, he lifted his head and took a step back.

New page now, he asked.

Again, I applied pressure to the inside of the book cover, and the pages began to lift and flip. Carefully, I placed my paw and muzzle between the next page, and flatted the book out so that the fox could read it. Anxiously, the fox returned to his reading, leaving me to quietly wait for his instructions.

---

An hour passed as we sat in silence. The fox continued to read the bizarre text, only acknowledging my presence when he needed me to turn the page. Every now and then, I'd find myself trying to study the page with the fox, but viewing the passages upside-down only added to the confusion. Try as I might, I couldn't discern as much as a sentence structure on the page. None of this seemed to bother the fox, and despite the questions on my mind, after our last exchange, I wasn't interested in getting back on his bad side by interrupting him.

I felt my stomach gurgle a bit with hunger, but I knew that raw, dead animals were the only thing on the menu, so I tried to focus hard on suppressing the ache and need to eat. Anything that would delay the enviable, as well as distract me from the boredom of being reduced to a foxy paperweight.

_New page now,_said the fox, for the twenty-somethingth time.

Again, I shifted my weight on the open book to cause the pages to spring up. It was starting to get less effective the closer I got to the center of the book. Hopefully, we wouldn't get that far today. It was a big book to read in one sitting. Flattening the new page with my paw, I almost squeaked out in delight. Instead of another two pages of indecipherable text, half of the second page was filled by drawings of a few liquids and plants, each labeled with more of the alien text.

The fox continued bobbing and twisting his head side to side as he read, far less surprised or excited to see pictures than I was. While he continued to read, I peered at the illustrations, looking for anything to bring context to what we were doing with the book. Without being able to read the labels on the pictures, the liquids were a complete mystery to me. There was no way to tell if it was showing water, blood, or tar, but the shading on the drawing left me with the impression it was supposed to be one of the latter two, if anything. What intrigued me most was the plant leaves that were drawn in. I recognized at least two of them. One was of the ferns I had pushed aside this morning when stuck in the woods with Tyler, and another was the leaves from the oak tree outside.

Excitedly, I started to wag my tail. If I could use the labels on the plants I knew, maybe I could start to understand some of the text! Craning my neck around the head of the fox, I tried my hardest to read the words on each of the pictures as "oak" and "fern," but that was a foolish attempt. The text was still written in another language, and without a background in linguistics, I didn't have much hope figuring it out myself.

My thoughts drifted back to Tyler. I had left him resting back at the creek, and surely by now, he would have recovered enough to start causing more mayhem for the rest of the foxes in the forest. Between that, and my hunger, I decided to risk interrupting the fox.

Can we take a break now, I rumbled at the fox. I haven't eaten today.

Blinking heavily, the fox lifted his head from the book, and pointed his muzzle towards the ceiling as he stretched his neck out. Fixing his eyes on me, he said, Yes. Hunter foxes bring food.

Great, I'm starving. Mind grabbing something we could use as a bookma-- I trailed off. The fox had darted past me and crawled back into the tunnel of debris, leaving me holding the book open on the last page he read.

Great, I repeated. Turning my neck each way while holding both my paws on the open book, I cast about, trying to find something nearby I could grab and shove into the pages. Behind me and around ten feet away, I caught a glimpse of some bound strands of hay next to the fireplace, possibly the remains of a broom or brush for cleaning the hearth. I started to lift my paws to go retrieve the makeshift bookmark, but the moment I released my weight from the book, the pages immediately began to lift, threatening to make us lose our spot in the book. Quickly, I slammed my paws back down on the pages and prevented their escape, but this brought me no closer to the bookmark, or getting food.

Lifting my paws gently this time, I watched as the pages slowly began to lift, and tried to estimate how long it would take to lose the page. Looking back over to the fireplace and the strands I had chosen, I decided it would be a close call, but I thought I could run over and grab them before the book lost its spot. Taking a deep breath, and pressing harder on the book to try to give myself an extra fraction of a second, I jumped off the book and propelled my tiny body over to the hearth. Within a blink of an eye, and faster than I thought my legs would carry me, I was over the strands of hay, and reaching down with my fangs to snatch them up mid-stride. Somehow, I didn't think I would be able to grab them as easily as I did while moving so fast, but something in the back of my mind told me this was my hunter's instincts kicking in for once.

There was no time for triumph, however. I now was ten feet away from the book, and the firm bindings on it were causing it to close the pages again. With a desperate squeak, I leapt through the air to pounce on the book, the strands of hay still dangling from my muzzle. Despite my best efforts, I missed the page we had been open on, and flattened the book open to a completely new page, crushing several pages at a time that had been standing up vertically when I hit the book.

Shit! I yelped.

Dropping the hay next to me, I tried to nuzzle out some of the crushed pages. The fox was going to flip out at me once he saw what I did. He was really upset when they had fallen from the shelf to the floor. I didn't know how he was going to react seeing actual damage to his special books. Carefully, I pawed at each crushed page, trying to get them flat enough to close the book safely on them. To my relief, it didn't appear that any of the pages had been torn when I pounced on them, but the book had been in nearly pristine condition when we started, aside from its obvious age.

While I was doing my best to get the pages smoothed out, I tried reading the text again, now that I could view it right-side up. Nothing jumped out at me as recognizable until I reached the last crinkled page.

Depicted with another illustration, like the one of the leaves, a diagram of a man covered the page. Next to the man, and within a circle that surrounded both of them, sat a fox. Between them, there was a crudely-drawn finger pointing from the man to the fox.

A cold chill went up my spine. Even without the ability to read the text, I could tell the fox and the man were meant to be one and the same. It was a book explaining how to turn humans into animals! Frantically, I began clawing at the pages, trying to find any other pictures to explain how this was started, or perhaps a way to reverse the process. Pages and pages of unintelligible text swept past me, and I cared not if my claws were leaving imprints on the pages as I clawed my way through the tome. Occasionally, more pictures appeared on the pages; first was a pair of mating foxes, followed by more diagrams of fox anatomy, with various parts labeled with indecipherable text. More plants, more unidentifiable compounds, local wildlife, and finally, near the back of the book, a full page dedicated to a pair of foxes standing on their hind legs, forepaws together, as if dancing. Behind them, a whole grassy field filled with foxes, and a few disheveled buildings on the horizon.

I closed the book: the page the fox had been reading totally forgotten. The gurgle in my stomach returned, but all I could do was stare out the stained window, stunned by these new revelations. I knew that my encounter with the foxes had evoked some sort of lost magic to change me into one of them, but I didn't expect it to find it documented like this. Seeing it all laid out made it feel so much more deliberate. Half-formed questions started floating to the surface of my mind, but I couldn't quite articulate them to myself. The last picture in the book was haunting me most after what the Lumberjack Fox had said to me. To a casual observer, it would have looked like an embellished wildlife drawing, but I knew what it was trying to tell the reader; every one of those foxes had been human, and not a single human remained in sight.

Be glad that we don't.

From the other side of the wall of debris, I heard a yip from the Vixen.

Mate! Come!

Shaking my head out of its stupor, I crawled into the tunnel to get back to the main area of the structure. Without the other fox in front of me, the tunnel seemed a little brighter, and less foreboding. I let out a sigh of relief as I pulled myself out from the tight exit hole. There was no sign of him in the cottage, and the rest of the foxes had stopped their work, and were now eating or resting around the room, while others created a low hum of chatter as they conversed. Over in one corner, I spotted Tyler gnawing on the carcass of something furry and brown. Two other foxes sat next to him, and didn't seem to mind his presence while they ate. As far as I could tell, they were conversing between themselves, and it looked like they were being friendly to the feral fox, like he was a visiting pet.

To my right, the Vixen trotted up to me, and gave my face a quick, welcoming lick.

Food here now. Eat before it gone.

I looked to the dwindling pile of dead animals behind her. At a glance, it appeared I had the choice between raw, furry ground animals, or raw feathery birds in my mouth. Considering my conversation with the Apartment Vixen earlier today, I was surprised I had that much of a choice. The birds must have been very unlucky to be caught by the foxes today.

Trotting up to the pile, I decided to select a vole for breakfast. I had failed to eat the one given to me the other day, and I didn't think starting a new experience with another prey animal was how I wanted to feed myself right now. As soon as the earthy taste of its fur hit my tongue, I felt the same revulsion kick in.

Ick. Just... Ick.

Drooping my ears and tail, I moseyed back to where the Vixen was standing, and laid down with the animal between my outstretched paws. Reaching out with my neck, I started to prod the food with my nose. Its earthy scent filled my black nostrils, which did little to convince me that I was holding food, let alone the basis of my diet for the rest of my life.

Noticing my trepidation, the Vixen stepped closer to me, and sat down. Leaning in, she whimpered quietly, What wrong? No hungry?

Vixen, I don't know how to eat this, I grumbled back. And more importantly, I don't know how to eat this without throwing up after.

Understanding and concern flashed on her face, and she nuzzled my ear affectionately. Food not cold chicken rocks now. This good fox food.

I know, Vixen, I said._ I just can't get past the smell of dirt and the feeling of its fur in my mouth._

Yes, no good part, she agreed. Bite hard. Food better after bite.

I looked at the brown, mousey rodent between my black paws. In death, it had a doofy look on its bucktoothed face, and its black beady eyes were glazed over. Hunger pains were starting to get to me, but try as I might, eating a raw, dead rodent with a face was impossible.

Turning to the Vixen, I said to her, Look, I wish I could eat this, but I can't push--

*WISH*

Blue light filled my vision, briefly obscuring my view of the Vixen. Quickly turning to the vole, I watched in amazement, and then horror as the face on the vole started to melt off. Within an instant, the whole body of the animal had become too hot for my paws to keep holding, and steam started to erupt from a fissure in the skin on its back. I dropped the vole immediately, and rose back up to all fours, standing over the spontaneously combusting rodent as it cooked itself from the inside out. Next to me, the Vixen gasped, completely speechless at what I had just done to my food. As the vole started to cool off, the smell of cooked meat wafted around the room, catching the attention of nearly every fox around me.

WHAT DO?! The Vixen finally barked out, horrified at the immolated corpse in front of me.

I don't know, I said. I wasn't trying to use the Flame!

Before I could say or do anything more, she thrust her nose into my fur, and started sniffing rapidly. She sniffed at my ribs, followed by the underside of my neck, and finally my ears. Not finding what she was looking for, she bent down and sniffed at the cooked vole, which now resembled a tiny, roasted chicken instead of the prey animal it had been moments ago.

Her inspection completed, she brought her nose to face me, and locked her gaze on mine. Blue light from Flame safe, she stated. You use Flame too much. Very dangerous, she chided.

The wafting smell of cooked meat was starting to make my mouth water. _ I know, and I'm sorry_, I said. _ I didn't mean to make this happen. _

Light blue, you safe, she repeated. Light purple, you stop. New vixens no help you again if you Flamestarved.

I bent down, and started gnawing on the meat in front of me. It wasn't gourmet, but it was immeasurably better than what I had sat down to eat. Between mouthfuls, I asked, Oh yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that other vixen from the apartment. I ran into her outside earlier, and she said she wanted to sleep inside. Can we find a space for her?

Her ears flattened at the question, and she leaned in to whisper her reply. _ Leader Fox say she sleep outside. He think she Flamestarved. _

I took another bite before responding. She didn't seem very Flamestarved to me. How long is it supposed to take?

She no Flamestarved, she quietly rumbled back. _ No tell Leader Fox. More trouble for you._

I chuckled between chewing, some of the vole's bones making a satisfying crunch as I snapped my muzzle shut. Good to know. The last thing I need is that asshole yelling at me for something other than the books.

Ass? Hole? the Vixen said, tilting her head quizzically.

Never heard that one before, have you? I asked with an amused look on my face.

No, she said thoughtfully, but then her bushy tail began to wag excitedly against the floor behind her. _ I like!_

_Well, don't call him it to his face, I don't think he'd like it as much. _

She grunted an acknowledgement, but I wasn't convinced she meant it as an agreement. It seemed that their issues were deeper than whatever I had caused them for the last week. I decided to return to the main topic.

_So, is there anything we can do for the Apartment Vixen for the next few days? _

Council foxes not say no, Leader Fox say no. Must wait. Night warm. She safe. Cat safe. You safe.

Finishing off the last morsel of vole, I stood up on all fours. I guess that's the best we can do right now. Do you have a plan on what to do once Leader Fox figures out that she's not Flamestarved?

I think now, no plan, she said, shaking her head.

Suddenly, without warning, an angry bark came from the southern hole that silenced the whole room. Looking up, I saw that it was the Leader Fox, returning to the indoors, and he was pissed about something. The Vixen and I sat and watched him search the room with his nose to the wooden floor. Every now and then, he would encounter another fox in the way, and he would sniff at them expectantly, until he couldn't find what he was looking for. Lifting his nose from the floor, he caught scent of what he was looking for in the air, and trotted over towards the back of the room with his nose held high in the air. Right as he got up to the debris tunnel, he stopped, and put his nose to the ground again, this time making a bee-line straight for us as his claws clacked loudly on the wooden floor amid the silence of the room.

For a moment, I was sure he was smelling the cooked meat from the vole, but the fury and anger smoldering in his golden eyes as he approached us told me it was something else. Maybe he found out about the Apartment Vixen already?

He reached the Vixen first, and sniffed at her only twice before moving past, and on to me. Before I could do anything, he stuck his nose into my forepaw, and inhaled deeply with a snort. Quickly, I tried to withdraw my paw and threw myself to the floor, covering it with my fluffy chest. He had been close enough to smell my embarrassing accident.

Bad fox! _ He snarled something guttural I couldn't quite catch. _Usurper! Mark own tree! No steal!

I lifted my head, and gekkered back, I didn't know it was your damn tree! Settle down!

Arguing only infuriated him more. He opened his mouth to gekker, but instead of squealing at me, he wrapped his jaws around my open muzzle, and yanked back, tearing the skin on my face.

I yelped loudly, and blood started streaming down my whiskers. He released his grip to withdraw. Looking over the room, I could see the whole congregation staring at me with mixed expressions of shock and horror.

Find own tree, he quietly repeated in a low, dangerous tone, before turning around and tucking himself into the debris tunnel, presumably to try to read on his own without me.

The moment the white tip of his tail disappeared into the tunnel, the room resumed its low hum of chatter, but perhaps a bit more energized this time. Wasting no time, I focused on the stinging cuts on my face, and wished them healed. No sooner had the light absorbed itself into my muzzle, did I see the Vixen staring at the entrance to the tunnel.

Asshole, she muttered.

---

Thankfully, that was the last I saw of the Leader Fox for the day. Shortly after our altercation, the foxes around the room started falling asleep for a midday nap. I should have been just as tired, if not more so, as Tyler had woken me up early in the morning. However, adrenaline was still pumping through my veins, and using the Flame twice in a matter of a few minutes had taken an uncomfortable toll on me.

The void in my gut was starting to ache a bit, and I wasn't interested in sleeping with it. Noticing my restlessness, the Vixen offered to go outside with me and help me find a tree all to myself.

All tree taken here, she said, offering her advice as we ambled down the game trail towards the creek.

So I'm going to have to cross the creek if I need to pee? I asked, trying to sort through my options.

We see, she said, sniffing the next tree on the edge of the trail. No this tree.

I huffed a sigh. The mid-afternoon sun was casting longer shadows than when I had been here this morning. Among the greenery of the woods and the yellowing light from the sun, the outdoors was exceptionally tranquil, to the point where searching for a tree to pee on felt irrelevant.

Can I pee on your tree? I asked. I won't mean anything by it.

She snorted out a laugh. No. Too strange. We find tree. Many in forest.

_Well, we're too far out at this point. I can hear the stream from here. Once winter comes, I don't want to be trotting out this far in the snow. _

Snow not bad, she said. Get new fur for snow.

Regardless, I think we need to be searching in a different direction. Let's go to the other side of the den.

We both turned around and trotted back to the yard behind the den. Reaching the mouth of the trail, I suddenly had an idea and stopped. The Vixen didn't notice, and kept making her way around the numerous potholes in the yard, toward the front of the cottage.

Vixen, I have a place we can check out, I chirped out to her.

Having caught her attention, I strided over to where Tyler and I had been looking for a stick, and jumped over the initial brush barrier. The foliage was still visibly pressed in and damaged from our excursion, and so reentry was easier than our first attempt at trailblazing. Near the opening, the brush was less dense, so I was able to turn around in the shady underbrush to make sure the Vixen was following. She poked her head into the new space Tyler and had I created.

_Bush, not tree?_She commented as she evaluated the shady tunnel of leaves.

I think there's some trees further in I can use, I said. I didn't know if there was a difference to peeing on trees or bushes as a fox, but their conventional wisdom seemed to prefer the trees. Do you want to follow me in? I asked.

Lifting her forepaw, she crawled gingerly over the brush, and ventured after me.

Just like this morning, it was up to me to lead the way through, but the Vixen was a far kinder companion to my tail. Unlike Tyler, she also made efforts on a second pass for clearing the brush for me, taking time to use her paws to push down the long stems of tall weeds, and nip at other branches so they wouldn't get in my way next time. With the two of us working together, it wasn't long before I could hear the sounds of the stream in the distance.

This is deep enough, I said to her. Enough privacy from anyone else on the trail or at the den.

The Vixen squeaked in acknowledgment as she tried to clear her mouth from a long strand of grass that had stuck to her tongue, licking and wiping it on her face until it freed itself from her maw. No tree here, she said, finally. What do?

Looking around, I could see the white bark of a birch tree a mere ten feet away, and the brush was very thin here in a wider area.

I'm thinking we can flatten and widen this area here, and then make a small path to that tree over there, I said, crouching a little so I wasn't blocking her view anymore.

Plan good, she said, and without another word, she bent down and started digging at the surface of the earth, tilling the soil and destroying the surface brush and grass.

I watched her work for a moment, impressed at how easily her claws exposed the dirt and dug into it, like a hot knife through butter. After a minute, she had converted enough green ground to brown dirt to fill the space beneath her small frame. My astonishment got the better of me, and she stopped after another moment, and looked directly at me.

You help? Not do alone, she asked.

Of course, I blurted out. _Sorry, I was just impressed at how easy you made it look. _

She swished her tail, accepting the compliment, and returned to work, allowing me to try with my own paws nearby.

It was as easy as she made it look. My claws immediately tore up the ground cover beneath me, revealing the cool, moist soil beneath. Next to me, the Vixen was working on widening the spot she had created, but it looked like she was clawing dirt and ripped plants back onto the spot she cleared. Feeling like I could improve on her technique, I got up from the spot I was digging at, and trotted over to the edge of our clearing zone. Hunkering down in my digging stance, and holding my tail above me, I rapidly pawed and clawed at the soil again. Instead of trying to widen my digging area in front of me, I took a step backwards with my hind paws, and kept digging with my forepaws. Within moments, I had a line of dirt exposed as wide as I was, and twice as long.

Hey Vixen, do it like this, I barked over to her before demonstrating my new technique.

She watched for a moment before snorting excitedly and then returned to digging on her side of the area, now with renewed gusto. Together we worked on the clearing, and after most of the green overgrowth had been turned to loose soil, I let her finish up the corners while I worked my way toward the birch tree. Once that pathway was complete, I finished off the job by lifting my leg against the tree, and marked it as my own. This time, I was mindful of any trickling backsplashes.

I merrily trotted the few paces back to our clearing, popping out of the bush that concealed my new path to the tree. The Vixen was laying in the middle of the new area, panting, exhausted from the manual labor she had performed.

Done now? She asked with a flutter of her tail on the soft earth.

Yes, thank you for your help, I said, swaying mine in return. I too, was beat from the work we did, even though we completed it in short order. Not even an hour had gone by.

Flopping down next to her, I gave into panting away my exhaustion on the cool ground. I figured I would get up in a few minutes, and maybe go get another drink from the stream, but before I could regain my stamina, the Vixen shifted next to me, getting up into a sitting position, and then flopping over the top of my orange furry body, cuddling in close. The smell of the moist dirt, and the sounds of the nearby stream transported my mind back to earlier in the morning.

Vixen, I started.

Yes, Mate? She said softly.

Why did you turn me into a fox? I asked, just as the Apartment Vixen had asked me at the stream.

The Vixen lifted her head and rose to a sitting position over me. Looking up to her from on my side, I could see her ears droop a little.

No want say, she said, shyly.

I rolled over to my back, still looking up at her with all my paws tucked close to my torso. _You weren't going Flamestarved, were you?_I asked up to her.

No, no. No Flamestarved, she said, still holding back her ears in embarrassment.

So why did you do it then? Surely the council didn't want to feed another fox like me, I suggested. _ I don't see how they are upset with Tyler and Apartment Vixen eating food, and not me._

Food still in forest. Food for Apartment Vixen, food for Tyler. Not much more food after.

Ok, but how did you get them to grant my permission to be here? Eating your food isn't a good reason to turn me into a fox.

No, she said, shaking her head. Promise my mate to help fix den. Not live in den for long time. Fox need fix now.

And so, you needed more of my essence to get the job done, I finished for her, grimly.

The Vixen gave me a shocked look. No! She exclaimed, her gold eyes going wide and ears perking up to full attention.

So, what then? I asked, rolling to my side and lifting my head to face her. Why am I a fox now?

I--I, she stammered. Resigning herself, her ears drooped again, and she finally said. I think you cute.

What?! I half coughed, half barked. _ I was just sitting on bus stop bench when you approached me. What did I do to make you think that?_

The fur on her cheeks bristled, and she mumbled. Always outside. Always walking to bus stop. Always alone. I think you make good fox. Good mate.

_So that wasn't the first time you followed me, was it? _

No, she admitted_. Follow many times. Try choose or not choose you for foxes._

But you never thought to ask me, or gave me a choice, I said. Flame magic or not, I wouldn't have accepted this.

No. I give choice. You say no. Leader fox say you not leave den.

That's not how I remember it, I rolled onto my back again to get a better look at her standing over me. She looked less embarrassed now and more filled with regret. Yet, I couldn't speak Fox right then, I added.

We stayed like that for a moment before I broke the silence again. Nothing about these revelations had changed anything for me, and I couldn't be angry at her. Far from it. She wasn't with me out of some dire sense of duty. She actually liked me. What's done is done. Even if I wouldn't have chosen this for myself, I will still make the best of it. I forgive you, Mate, I said as I gave her a wink.

Never before had I seen someone looking so sad and depressed immediately explode with such excitement. The moment I called her "Mate," she leapt into the air and came back down on top of me, fluffy tail thrashing, and licking my face as if my life depended on it.

Between her vicious licking of my muzzle and cheeks, I blurted out, Vixen, I--

Hush, she whimpered, now burying her nose into my fur, and then licking and nibbling to groom a spot on my coat. Sleep time now. Satisfied with the job she had done, she rested her muzzle on my ribcage, and closed her eyes, tail still uncontrollably jiggling.

Our conversation had given me the time I needed to rest after the work we did, and the void in my stomach had dwindled down to nearly nothing while we worked. With her warm body pressed against mine, I finally let the fatigue from the day overtake me, and I closed my eyes as well. The last thing I remembered before drifting off was the musty smell of the fresh soil under my nose, and a barely contained squeak from the happy Vixen resting on my side.

---

*Bark* *Bark* *Yip*

I snapped awake, and the Vixen lifted her head suddenly off my side, quickly rising to all fours. The sun had nearly set, and twilight was waning. I looked up to the Vixen, her ears were perked in high alert as she listened.

*Yip* *Yip* *Yip*

_What is it? What's going on?_I growled quietly to her.

Hush, she said, cocking her head, trying to hear the sounds of other foxes barking loudly.

Another series of howls and squeals sounded through the darkening woods, and I saw the Vixen's alert tail start to droop in between her legs.

Scout foxes, she whimpered. They find intruder. New foxes. Many foxes.