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Chapter Two

Noelle was the first to come to. She scrambled up, shaking her head to regain hearing. It was a stupid instinct, seeing it probably only made the situation worse. She was very relieved to hear her half-prick ears flap against her head. She looked around moaning softly, pain shooting through her back. Everything was different. There were trees, many, many trees. Bushes. A soft dirt ground. And the most discomforting - no other military personell to be seen. Noelle crawled over to Alan. Fear rose, seeing him lie there so motionless. Her paws shook as she reached for his throat, checking his pulse. He was alive. His pulse was racing. Suddenly, Alan started to growl. Noelle flinched, drawing her paw back. Alan shot up, baring his teeth. Noelle scrambled back, frightened. Alan's face softened when he realized who was fondling his neck. He pulled himself over to her and locked her in his arms. "Thank God you are alive," he mumbled. She nuzzled into his chest. "I thought you were the gonner." Alan subconsciously stroked over her head. "Where are we?" Noelle turned her head once more to see if she hadn't been mistaken the first time. "It looks like we're in a middle - European forest." "That can't be. We were in the middle east. We were blown up." Alan paused. "Oh my God, we were blown up..." His eyes frantically searched Noelle's. "Don't be silly. We're not dead." He shivered. "Are you sure?" Noelle cocked her head in disbelief. "Try to get up. Tell me, are you in pain?" Alan started getting up. He felt like a rusty, creaky machine, starting up again after a long period of not operating. He groaned. "Oh my God, I am....fucked." He glanced over to Noelle, clenching is teeth. She had a 'told-ya-so' expression on her furry, blue face. "This place seems off to me. Listen." Alan perked his ears. "I don't hear anything." "Exactly. In a forest like this, there should be a lot of noise. Birds. Insects. Other creepy crawlies. Maybe some deer." He gave her a questioning look. "Hey, my dad is a wolf. I'm programmed to notice these things." Alan sniffed the air. "It doesn't smell like a forest either. It smells clean." A growl started to rumble deep in his throat. "Maybe we're just exhausted from the explosion. Maybe we can't hear or smell like we should. Maybe we should sleep." "I'm not sure we should. I think it'd be more productive to see where we are." Alan sighed and nodded. He knew it wouldn't be of much use to argue with her. He stuck out his paw for her to grab. She took hold of it and he heaved. Noelle didn't get up. "Y'know, this isn't really the best time to be joking around." The growl in his chest was starting to rise. Noelle flattened her ears. "I'm sorry, my legs must have fallen asleep. Let me try again." Alan pulled again and Noelle struggled. "What's wrong?" A tear rolled down Noelle's snout. "I can't feel my legs." Panic rose in both of their throats. "Are you sure?" Noelle's paws shook. She reached down to touch them. She nodded. Alan bent down and pet over her legs too. He looked up to Noelle. More tears rolled down her snout. He knelt down next to her and took her paws into his. "Don't cry, Noelle. I'll carry you." She hugged his neck, burying her face in his fluffy crown of fur. He picked her up, gently cradling her in his arms. He looked up at her, tears streaking her muzzle and cheeks."Thank you, Alan." He smiled softly at her, giving her nose a slight touch with his. He started off, heading east. The sun was rising, they were sure of that. The features of the forest didn't differ much. It was all the same. There were many birch trees. Noelle was too exhausted to notice any wildlife, Alan was too concentrated on his thoughts to think of his surroundings. The travelled two miles, hoping to come to a clearing. There was nothing in sight, besides the many, many trees... They started to worry. Alan let Noelle slide back to the ground. Their eyes met for a brief moment, letting both of their lips quiver into a smile. "Y'know," Noelle started, "I'm hungry." Alan frowned. "I don't know what we're going to do. I'm thirsty too." Noelle turned her head slightly to the side, staring out into the forest. It was useless to try to determine how far anything would be. "Maybe we should just rest for the rest of the day. We'll see what we can do tomorrow." Alan sat down across from her. He fidgeted with his paws. He couldn't bare keeping his thoughts in him much longer. His voice trembled. "I wonder how Celeste is doing." Noelle grimaced. She also wondered how Timothy was. If he didn't know where she was...or if he did know something happened to her, he'd be devastated. She heaved a sigh. "She's probably worried. Very worried." Alan peered over to her, very uneasy with himself. "Mhm." "You don't think so?" "I do." Alan looked down at his paws. It was involountary and a mistake. Noelle lowered her gaze. "What's wrong Alan?" "It's...I don't know. I don't think she'll wait." Noelle raised her brows. "You don't trust her?" "I do." Alan flattened his ears. A growl was building deep in his chest. "Why don't you trust her?" Noelle asked softly. Alan snarled. "I just told you that I do." "You know very well that's not the truth. You know very well that I can feel that that's not the truth." Alan started to show his teeth. Noelle lifted her lips just enough to show her fangs. "Don't get primitive here. Tell me what happened." Alan shivered. Noelle had a wonderful aura about her. Once she showed any sign of aggression, it seemed that the aura would crush anyone who got in her way. Very authorative. "I'm sorry." He mumbled. "It was about a month ago. She went off with a dog. A Hova." Noelle jolted. Timothy was a Hova. "I don't know who it was, I don't know his name. Nothing." Noelle wagged her tail. Her excitement levels were rising. "That's horrible, Alan. I can understand why you are so worried all the time. If it bothers you so much, why don't you just leave her?" Noelle expected him to explode, to say she was a horrible person. To pounce at her with his raving maw. "She's pregnant." A simple yet very compelling sentence. "What?" She was taken aback. It was surprising. "Isn't that just another reason to say adieu?" "Its mine." Noelle's tail wagged a bit faster. "Staying with the mother just for the sake of the child. How noble." Alan sniffed and looked her in the eye. "Do you find this amusing?" "Not really. Why?" "Why are you wagging your tail?" Alan looked at her in spite. "Dogs don't always wag their tails because they are happy. They generally wag when the are excited." "And you told me not to be primitive." Alan grinned. Noelle flattened her ears and looked away. "I can't help it." Alan chuckled, relieved to have changed the subject. He enjoyed going back to simple things like teasing his soul. "Well, your domestication is only half way done. Maybe I should give you some extra lessons in being a civilized anthromorph." Noelle gasped sharply. "You are telling me I am wild? You are a fox! At least I'm half civilized." Her tail thumped fast rhythems on the soft ground. "I didn't say you were wild. I've never seen your wild side." Alan smirked. She let out a soft growl and smiled. "No. No you haven't." Alan laughed. It broke off suddenly with him thumping to the ground. Something brown whizzed by Noelle's head, just brushing her fur. All of Noelle's primitive senses kicked in. She lifted her nose, perked her ears and stiffened. "That was a deer," she whispered.