Chapter Two: Storms Story

Chapter Two
Storm’s Story:

       A Fox’s Delight

         I finally got Atrix, the fox pup who had stumbled upon me, to agree to come with me. He would be safer somewhere I could keep an eye on him rather than wandering the woods all alone.  

         “Do you remember where this cave was, Atrix?” 

He nodded his head and pointed to a small path forged by the rabbits and other small rodents of the forest. “That path will lead us to it,” he said.

I nodded my head and playfully nudged him towards it, “Well , let's go back to the cave and see what we can find. What do you say?”  He began shaking with excitement and nodding his head.  “What can you tell me about your pack, Atrix?” 

He looked up at me; he had these bright orange eyes, just like Hojan’s. “Well, there’s mum and pop, of course. They are the slyest foxes you’ve ever seen. They can sneak right into a coop and steal every egg without ever being noticed. Then, there’s my big sister and she is the fiercest creature anyone has ever met. One time she snarled so good a bear ran away! A bear! Can you believe it? She told me the bear was so scared he cried while he was running home.” 

I laughed, “Well who were you playing hide and seek with?” 

He slowed his pace just a little, and I could tell he was in some serious thought. “Well, there are these two hogs who come sniffing around every now and then. They give my whole family trouble, to be honest, and whenever my parents smell them coming they’ll ask if I want to play hide and seek.  And, ya know the best part?  They never ask me to be it!  My sister always volunteers. So, my mum smelled the hogs coming and asked if I wanted to play hide and seek. I said yes and then went to hide.  A long time went by, and when I made it back to the cave there was no one there.  I went all the way to the back and then found myself here! That’s when I saw you.”  

By the time he finished his story, we made it to the aforementioned cave. He put his nose to the ground and began to “sniff” for a scent. 

I laughed, “With your nose that close to the ground, the only thing you’ll ever smell is the grass!” He directed his eyes to me with a questioning look and then began to laugh and roll on the ground with a tuft of grass and dirt stuck to the tip of his snout. I walked up to him and stared at the cave, “So this is it, huh?” 

He rolled onto his stomach, looked up at it, and nodded his head, “Yea, this is it.”

         “Ok, wait here then. I’ll be right back,” I told him as I started walking towards the mouth of the cave. 

“No.”  I heard a small voice squeak from behind me.  I turned around and saw him curled up on the ground. “Don’t leave me,” he said softly as he began to get up.” 

I sighed, “I’ll be right back. I promise.” 

Again he said, “No. I’m coming with you.” 

I rolled my eyes, “Fine, but you do exactly as I say. Got it?” He nodded his head and together we set off into the cave.

         It was cold and dark, but there was no scent of any foxes, not even Atrix. No scent of hogs either.

 “You’re sure this is the cave, pup?” I asked. I felt his breath on the back of my legs.

“Positive, this is the cave I came from.” We pushed ahead and reached the back of the cave. Atrix started weeping, “Where is it?” 

I spun around to see him staring at the wall of the cave, “Where is what?” I asked. 

He looked at me, tears streaming down his eyes, “Where is the entrance to the cave!” he screamed. 

I shook my head in confusion and took a step back from him, “It’s back there, Atrix. We walked through it together, remember?” 

He shook his head, “No there’s two entrances! That’s the back way into the cave! This is the front! This is where I came from! Where is it Storm?”

         “Where are you from, Atrix?” 

He kept weeping, “The Forest! I told you!” He choked the words out through a flood of tears. 

“I know, but describe the forest to me. Was it the same one we just walked through?” 

He began to calm down as he thought. While hiccupping, as pups do after a long cry, “No, The trees here are different and the songbirds were singing differently too.”

I nodded my head and said, “Atrix, you are in a different place. You realize that don’t you?”

         The young fox looked up at me, “Storm am I dead?” 

I gave out a quick huff, “No young pup you are just as alive as you were when you went to hide. You went through. . . well, you see—it seems the cave is some kind of portal. Pup, this is the land of the Oak.”

         “This is that place?” Atrix said in a stunned voice as his eyes grew wide. I nodded my head. He turned and started running out of the cave. I walked calmly followed him, and when I exited the cave I saw him looking all around, eyes as wide as the full moon.

         “My parents would tell me stories of this place and of the great deeds the dogs of Sanctuaries would perform. Do you know the stories?” 

I laughed, “Well, I suppose I know a few fairly well!” 

Atrix nodded and then quickly turned his attention towards me, “Wait. You aren’t. . . You aren’t the Storm. . . Are you?” 

“The very same.” 

He gasped and rolled over, “Wow! I cannot believe I snuck up and almost defeated the mighty Storm!” 

I nudged him with my paw and laughed, “You couldn’t sneak up on a blind elephant!” He laughed, and then we sat in silence for a while, listening to the birds sing their solemn song while letting the light from the Oak wash over us.

         Atrix broke the silence. “Storm, how am I going to get back to my home?” His voice wavered as if he was going to cry. Although, I doubt he had any tears left to cry. 

I answered, “I don’t really know, pup.”

         Within a moment I saw his body stiffened, and he bolted from his spot yelping, “I found one!” 

I hurried after and called out to him, “Don’t go in there!” I lunged and grabbed him by the tail. He let out a terrible screech, but he didn’t go into the brush. I let him go and he furiously swung around.

 “What are you doing? That hurt!” 

I scrambled up and placed myself between Atrix and the forest, “You mustn’t go in there! You hear me? If you go off the path, you will get lost. I can’t tell you when or if you’ll ever come out or where you’ll be.” 

Atrix shrugged his shoulders, “Well, how is that any different than now?” 

I slumped down, “Because now you have me.” 

He huffed and looked away whispering, “But I saw one.” 

I gave him a curious eye, “Saw one what?” 

He looked up at me. “A badger.”

         I shook my head, “What will the badger be able to tell you?” 

Again Atrix shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. But maybe something! Maybe how to get home, or where my parents are.” 

I shook my head, “No, Atrix, he badger won’t know anything. She wasn’t there when you went through the portal, and she doesn’t know you or your parents. She’s more likely to attack you than talk to you.” 

Atrix rolled his eyes. “Well, what do you suggest then? What should we do?”

         I looked him up and down. “How do you feel about joining me on an adventure Atrix?” 

He tilted his head a little to the side and looked off into the forest for a moment. “What kind of adventure?” 

I laughed. “Well, I’m not exactly sure, but it was given to me by a Sentinel. If you join me, and we’re successful, you will be heralded by the Oak! That would be something now, wouldn’t it?” 

Atrix sat up straight. His eyes told the story of a pup daydreaming. You could almost see the procession he saw, and he hummed a familiar tune—the same one we do for all our heroes. He looked at me, “Alright, I’m in. What’s our first step?”

         “We need to find someone first, an old friend.” 

Atrix nodded his head, “Okay, and where is your friend?” 

I smiled, “The Plains of Rot.”