Chapter 1
> They say that life is supposed to be unpredictable, that for every low point there is always a high and vice versa.
> For some however problems can arise when life becomes more... static.  When there are no high points to celebrate and no low points to challenge you, just the monotonous grind where each day is the same as the last.
> Your name is Anon, and you live this life one identical day to the next.
> Working a decent but not exactly well paying job, in charge of a team of people who respect you but don't know you.  
> Your routine is work, eat, sleep repeat.  The only change to that line up came when you introduced 'drink self into oblivion' to the mix.  It helped for a while... until you finally burnt out, very publicly and spectacularly.
> A short hospital visit and a leave of absence later here you are.
> Your on your way to your your aunt and uncle's place, deep in the English countryside.
> There isn't much in the way of family left that you haven't some how alienated in recent years but your Aunt Jane still speaks to you, after she heard about your problems she insisted you come and visit.  
> They lived in a great big house well away from anything that could even charitably be called urban, just farms, fields and deep green woods as far as the eye can see.
> It was the perfect place to go and put yourself back together, remote, scenic and (since your uncle owned it all) private.

> Getting out the taxi you take stock of your surroundings.  They live in a what could easily be mistaken for an old country mansion, in truth it was an old residential care home left to your uncle that he had tarted up to look like one.
> You really shouldn't be thinking such unkind things considering you were here as their guest for the next couple of weeks but the proverbial turd in the punch bowl here was spending time with your dick of an  uncle Steve.
> Knocking on the huge, waxed black front door, you try and remember at what point old Steve had gotten under your skin. 
> Your aunt had left home early and went off to University in London as soon as she could.  Dropping her home grown accent and shacking up with her husband to be in a very short space of time.  Within a year they had been married and that was that.  He was a self employed business type who got lucky with some investments, combined with a very generous inheritance from his parents he was able to move out to the countryside and enact his dream of living like a Lord.
> What pissed everyone off was the way he looked down on you, always quick with a putdown or a snide remark he really wasn't all that easy to get along with.  His only saving grace was that he genuinely seemed to love your aunt.

> Your mental meanderings were interrupted by your aunt opening the front door.
> "Oh Anon your finally here!" she gushed.  Pulling you in to a hug she drags you over the threshold.
> "Hi Auntie J..." you just manage to wheeze.  She had a surprisingly strong grip for someone a good head shorter than you.
> "Oh Anon its been too long!  Look at the state of you, all skin and bones!  We'll have to feed you up before we let you go anywhere wont we?"
> It had been a few years since you had last seen her in person.
> Clocking your bags she ushers you in.
> "Leave those here in the hall Anon, plenty of time for unpacking later.  I was starting to worry you wouldn't make it before... Oh lets go find Steven shall we?"
> With that she was off, leading you through the expensive furnishings and overly large rooms towards the rear of the house.  You had no idea what you had almost been late for but it somehow didn't sound like the spell of peace and quiet you'd been hoping for...

> Out in the back garden (or the large field they considered as one) was your uncle, along with a large white tented pavilion and a good few other people.
> You stop and marvel at the sights as Jane goes to fetch Steve.  The large garden seemed to have more functions than just a place to plant a flower or two, on one side sat a sizable chicken coop full of clucking hens and even a few ducks.  On the other side was a large kennels, it looked too big for just a family dog to be living there by itself.  At the very bottom was a stable, the sound of excited whinnying suggested it was at full capacity.
> When Jane returned with Steve you could tell he was not a happy camper.  His bearded face sported a scowl and his flushed cheeks told of an argument just lost.  His cold blue eyes were fixed on you, he was obviously thinking a few unpleasant things right now and you were the target.
> "Oh Anon good news!" Jane cried.  "I've spoken with Steven and he said that he would love for you to come along with him and his friends this afternoon, isn't that lovely!"
> Uh oh.  
> "Come along to what Aunt J?" you ask, dreading the answer.
> "To Steven's little riding party today of course!  I thought you might have come too late but your just in time!  This will be just the thing to help take your mind off... things."
> As you stand there, all confused, Steve finds his voice.
> "It's not a 'riding party' dear its a fox hunt!  A very important one too.  I don't have time to babysit Anon here either, there's plenty of space for him to get lost in around here without involving me!"
> Here we go.
> "Nice to see you again too Steve." you say, a little non plussed by his babysitting comment.
> "Its ok anyway I don't really agree with the whole hunting thing, thanks for the offer but I think I'd rather just get some rest for now."
> Jane is having none of it of course.
> "Nonsense Anon!  It'll be good for you!  Out in the fresh air, getting some exercise... it is just what you need!"
> "Anyway there's no need to worry about foxes, those dirty little things have it coming!  Breaking in here and hurting my dear chicky wickys..."
> She's looking at the heavily fortified chicken coop as she says that last part.
> Not giving either of you a chance to protest further she goes in for the kill shot.
> "Oh Steven..." she whimpers, suddenly clinging on to his arm.  "Oh do let him come, please?  For me?"
> He relents.
> "Oh fine he can come along... but not dressed like that!"
> Your wearing your casual jeans, t-shirt and jacket, not exactly ready to go meet the queen or anything but your not in rags either.
> "Wait what?" you sputter.  "What's wrong with my clothes?"
> "This is a very important event Anon.  Some very influential people are here and it wont do to go trotting around like... that!". He makes sure to give you a slightly disgusted up and down look to make his point.
> "Don't worry!  I know where there's a spare coat and trousers you can borrow Anon, follow me!"
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Chapter 2
> That is how your first day of convalescing began, sitting on a surly old horse named Winston, in a tight fitting red coat and white pants, following your dick uncle across country to kill something you had no desire, or business, to be killing.
> You tried a few times to talk your way out of it but once Steve realised you really didn't want to be here, he really started to enjoy the idea of having you along.
> "Isn't fox hunting illegal now?" you ask hopefully.  Maybe there's someone you can call to put a stop to all this...
> "Supposedly..." chortles Steve.  "If you know the right people however it really doesn't matter!"
> He points to another of the riders to the right.  "See that chap there?  He's actually chief of the local constabulary you know.  If anything he's actually as excited about today as I am!"
> So much for the local plod helping you out then...

> You spend the next hour making steady progress on horseback across your uncle's land.  A large pack of baying hounds lead the way, they are heading towards a large wood off in the distance.
> By the sound if it, they have picked up the scent...
> Despite the pack of hounds charging off towards the trees they didn't immediately seem to find anything.  Either they had just been trained to go barreling in to try and scare something out of hiding or the trail they were following wasn't all that clear.
> After a little while Steve got impatient.
> "This is taking too long, what are those bloody hounds playing at!"
> Before galloping off to see what the delay was he made sure to give you some orders first.
> "Now I know this may be difficult to understand, what with you being a city boy and all, but its important not to distract the dogs too much so you have to stay here ok?  I'll send for you when its time for the blooding!"
> You don't know what a blooding is but you do know that you don't want to find out. 
> As Steve rides off you cautiously try to steer your horse back towards the house, it's not that far and you have a pretty good sense of direction.
> Winston however, has other ideas.  What no one told you was that this particular old horse was actually getting on in years.  He'd lost quite a few of his horsey marbles and was ready for either retirement or the glue factory, he wasn't all that safe to ride anymore.
> Seeing the others ride off he decides to follow, but not in the same direction.  Galloping towards the tree line to the right he takes you out of sight of the group, despite some sharp tugs on the reins and your best "woah there boy" he keeps going.  You have no choice but to cling on for dear life.
> Turns out that just beyond the tree line is a steep slope, leading down deeper into the woods.  Rather than brave it himself though Winston instead stops short and sends you flying forward over his head.
> Tumbling head over heels you fall down the slope, somehow managing to avoid any trees or bone breakages along the way.
> As you come to a stop at the bottom, winded, covered in mud and very lucky not to be dead, you swear you can hear a Neigh of victory from Winston before he runs off.
> You lay there for a time, trying to catch your breath and wondering if coming out here was actually a mistake.
> Movement through the trees suddenly brings you back to reality.  Fully expecting someone from the hunt to come looking, you sit yourself up.
> Instead of a search party however, you are hit full in the face by something large and furry.  The impact sending you back to the ground and the... whatever it was, falling into the undergrowth behind.
> This was really not turning out to be all that peaceful start to your holiday.
> Cautiously sitting back up you try and locate whatever had hit you, it had been too big to be one of the hounds and too fluffy to be one of Steve's friends.
> What you spot however initially fails to compute.
> A large bundle of orange fur, with patches of dirty cream seemed to be sitting in the bushes.
> Is that... a fox?
> Maybe you did crack your head on way down because the creature in front of you doesn't look like it should...
> Its head, although the typical triangular shape you remember from the various pictures seen over the years, was the size of a large wolf's. Much bigger than what a foxes' should be.  
> Instead of standing on all fours it was sitting back on its haunches, its front legs, no wait, ARMS were held out in font of it in what looked like a defensive stance.  A thick layer of cream fluff covered its chest but if you didn't know any better you'd think it was hiding a very... feminine... sort of shape.
> What held your attention however was its 'face'.  It had all the normal features you would expect to see on a regular fox, the 'mask' like colouring of the fur with the auburn (not orange, idiot) pigment covering the long muzzle, eyes and head while the cheeks, lower jaw and below were cream.  Its ears were held down flat but you could see tufts of auburn fur poking out underneath while the back and tips were black.  
> Its eyes though shined an emerald green and sparkled with what you could only describe as a wary intelligence, and another thing, fear.
> Further observations would have to wait as it chose that moment to bear its canine teeth at you and growl.  Those chompers would make short work of your face if this carried on the way you thought it would.
> Shuffling backwards very slowly and raising your own arms up, you try and ease your way out of a mauling.
> "Easy now, no need to get mad, I'm just some lost idiot, no threat to you or anything ok?"
> The growling continued.
> Damn.  Ok think Anon think!
> Opting for more talking for now, you prattle on.
> "Listen, you don't want to eat me ok?  I taste terrible!  Honest!  I'll probably give you gas too!"
> At that the growling stopped and it instead gave you a confused and slightly disgusted look.  Wait... did it just understand what you said?
> As you stare at each other, the unwelcome sound of hounds on the hunt starts getting louder.
> The fox's ears shoot up and it breaks its eyes away from you to look around.
> With a panicked 'bark' it's up and running, on its two hind legs no less, leaving you alone among the trees.
> Realising that this was a once in a lifetime sort of situation, you jump up off your aching arse and start running after it.
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Chapter 3
> It doesn't take long before you catch up to the fox in a small clearing, its sat underneath a large old oak tree, panting heavily.  
> As you come closer it growls again, weaker this time and its broken up by its panting.
> You notice that the fox isn't in the best condition.  Its fur is matted in places with twigs and thorns poking out here and there, as if it's been forcing itself through bushes in a hurry.  It also has a gaunt look to it, a mix of exhaustion and hunger robbing it of any visible vitality.
> This must be the fox your uncle has been chasing.
> As you get a little closer, against any kind of common sense of course, it throws you another surprise.  It speaks.
> "Back (pant) off!" it snarls, in a tired but stern feminine voice.
> Stopping in your tracks you try once more, and fail, to make sense of your situation.
> "You can talk!?!" is about the only thing that you can think to ask.
> Still panting she tries to rise up go her feet (paws? Footsiepaws?) but slumps back down almost immediately. 
> "Come no closer!" she wheezes at you, her energies are obviously spent and the likelihood of her going anywhere right now is very slim.
> The sound of the hunt is getting closer, the hounds are barking up a storm and that stupid little horn Steve had is echoing through the trees.  Their close.
> His comment about the "blooding" floats back up to mind.  The thought of them tearing this creature apart in front of you drives you to sudden action.
> "Listen, their coming.  You've got to hide!"
> She looks at you confused, "What?  Your helping me?"
> The noise of the hounds drew closer still, it wouldn't be long until they broke through into the clearing.
> "There's no time!  You have to hide, now!"
> Looking around reveals no suitable hiding places, nowhere that a trained pack of hunting dogs wouldn't sniff out in a second anyway.  You realise there is still one last option to try, the tree.
> Turning back to the fox you reach out your hand.  "Come on, up there!"
> Instead of following your instructions however, she instead shies away from your hand.  
> "What?  I can't climb up there!" she cries, the prospect of going up the tree seemed to be freaking her out.  "If I climb up there I'll be trapped!  Wait is that what you want?  Your pack couldn't catch me so you want to trick me into waiting for them?
> She's starting to get agitated, her lips are pulling back and it looks like she might start growling again.  Taking a chance, you drop down and look her in the eyes.
> "I don't have the time to explain, I'm not with them, please... trust me."
> Something in your voice seems to convince her and she relents, tentatively bringing her slightly shaking paw up to your waiting hand.
> With a grunt you pull her up from the ground, she's still exhausted so getting her up the tree is not going to be easy.
> First you try giving her a boost up, but she struggles to grip to the bark and slides back down.  You have to get her a little higher to be able to reach the lower branches.
> The dogs will be here any second now so there's no more time.  You give her another boost, but this time instead of waiting for her to try and scramble up you kneel down, reach up and grab hold of her fluffy hips, and lift her up a bit further.
> She gives a little shriek of surprise.  "Ahh!  What are you doing!?!  Get your dirty human hands away from there!!!" she yells.
> Instead of backing down you instead hold tighter.  "Step on my shoulders!" you shout back up from between gritted teeth.  "I can get you a bit higher if you stand!"
> She grudgingly complies and brings her feet up either side of your head, eventually planting them on your shoulders.
> At this point you feel her long bushy tail rest on the back of your head, despite the temptation coming from the depths of your conflicted mind, you resist the urge to look up.
> With everything in place you push back up to a standing position giving the fox a better chance to climb on up.  After a couple of small hops on your shoulders she finally pulls herself up and out of sight... just as the first of the hounds burst through the bushes and charge directly for you.
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Chapter 4
> Moving with almost military precision the pack close in on you, cutting off every avenue of possible retreat.  The scent of their prey led to you, by now they would be ripping apart their furry quarry but finding only a strange human had left them frustrated.  
> The lead hound lunged forward with a snarl causing you to stumble back towards the tree, tripping over the roots in the process and landing once again on your arse.
> Again faced with the very real prospect of a mauling you decide to try talking your way out, it worked last time right?  "Ok good doggies, goooood doggies, wanna play fetch?"
> Grabbing a small stick from the ground you wave it around hopefully, maybe they just want to play a little...  Once again the lead foxhound struck out, snatching the stick from your hand.
> He was a typical English Foxhound, roughly over half a meter tall and coloured with a mix of tan, brown and white fur.  Standing there with his eight other pack mates, and easily snapping the stick between his teeth...  He looked a lot bigger and you felt a lot smaller.
> Before things could escalate further a shout of "Heel!" and a sharp whistle snapped their attention from you.  Coming in from behind was Steve and the rest of his hunting party.  They were on foot so the horses must have been left outside the forest.
> The hounds obediently run back behind their master, sitting on the ground and awaiting further orders, all the while staring daggers at you.
> "Anon?" he shouts, a mix of surprise and anger in his voice.  "What are you doing here?  I said to wait behind until I sent for you, how did you even get here before us?"
> Without giving you a chance to answer he raises his hand up, signalling the group to be silent.  Scanning the small clearing slowly and carefully he finally brings his attention back to you.
> "The hounds led us to this spot for a reason, the beast must be here..."  Looking you dead in the eye he asks his last question.  "Where is it Anon?"
> He's not happy.
> "Where's what?" you ask with a shrug.  "The horse you gave me went nuts after you left and threw me down a hill.  I started walking and ended up here, where your dogs tried to eat me by the way!"
> Your totally reasonable and mostly true explanation does little to calm Steve, if anything it makes him more angry.
> "Do you know what your bumbling tomfoolery has done!?!  The beast has escaped!  Somehow you've interfered with the scent and we've lost the trail!"
> His face is turning red now.
> Putting on your best innocent face you give calming him down another go.  "Its just a fox, these woods are probably crawling with them anyway so what's the problem?"
> "Just a fox? JUST A FOX!?!"
He's starting to spit with every word.
> "There are no more foxes!  Not like this one!  Do you even...!"
> Before he can flip his lid completely another of the huntsmen steps forward.  A short, chubby little man whose only defining feature is an impressive set of mutton chops.
> "Perhaps sir if I may?" he interrupts.  "It may be best to return to the house for now..."
> Steve is still not quite done venting.
> "Months!  Months!  That's how long I've been planning today, just for you...!"
> For a moment you have a small glimmer of guilty hope that he may just give himself a heart attack, its not on the cards today though.  Instead he turns on his heel and storms back up the way he came, the hounds and other hunters all taking the cue to follow.
> The smaller man remains behind however and makes his way over to where your still sitting in the mud.
> "Anon isn't it?" he asks, extending his hand.
> "Yes, thank you Mr...?" you reply as he pulls you up from the ground.  Just as you start to think you've found a friendly face however the situation takes a turn back towards unpleasantly familiar territory.
> As soon as your up he sharply yanks you in closer, nose to nose close.
> "My name is Mr Pilchins." he informs you, and none to friendly either.
> "I'm responsible for the grounds keeping of Mr Steven's land and the tending of his hounds.  I know those dogs and there's no way they could have lost that foxes' scent just by bumping in to you."
> Uh oh.
> "So either you done summit to throw them off or you know where it went.  We been settin traps and that for weeks to wear it down, no way it could of outrun the pack."
> He had a point.  By letting the fox climb up you to get at the tree she undoubtedly left her scent on you.  When the hounds came looking they found you smelling like a scared fox and no sign of their prey, no wonder they were so mad...
> Thinking fast you decide a bit of creativity might be in order here.
> "Listen Mr... Pilchins was it?  I haven't seen any foxes around here today, honest.  The only thing I can think of is that when I got thrown down the hill I landed in something nasty, maybe it was fox shit or something, what do you think?"
> At this point you turn around and show him your mud covered arse.  "Wanna smell?"
> He's not convinced but he doesn't look like he wants to take a sniff of your dirty rump anytime soon either.  
> With a huff he backs off.  "Ugh whatever...  We're headin back to the house right after we find old Winston, if your not up by then you'll have to make your own way back."
> It is starting to get late now, summer is in full swing but the light wont hold forever and you don't fancy walking back by yourself in the dark.
> As he stomps off after the others you take the opportunity to peek up at the tree.  There's no sign of the fox.  Either she's taken the opportunity to slide down the other side and escaped or she's too well hidden for you to see.  You had hoped for the chance to speak with her again but your time was up for today, it was too risky to stay any longer.
> With a heavy sigh you follow on after the others.
> Unknown to you though, from in between the branches, a pair of emerald eyes track your movements.  As you fade from their view a quiet "Thank you... Anon..." drifts out from behind the leaves, and is lost unheard into the approaching evening breeze.
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Chapter 5
> The trip back to the house was thankfully short.  Winston had apparently not made it far after throwing you, he had chosen to celebrate his new found freedom by promptly charging head first into a bush and getting stuck.  At least you didn't have to walk.
> The hunting party had chosen to ignore you for pretty much the entire way, it was awkward as hell but you didn't really feel like talking to anyone anyway if you were honest.
> Once back at the house Steve's mood somehow managed to get even worse.  The big celebration that he'd planned for the evening was unceremoniously cancelled, the food that had been put out in the pavilion was ordered back into the kitchens and the guests (mostly the other huntsmen and their plus ones) sent home.  
> Steve himself left without another word, locking himself away in one of his private rooms.
> With the house empty and the celebrations cancelled, Jane had been left guessing as to what had gone wrong.  She knew enough however that it was somehow down to you.  After showing you to your room she said her goodnights and went to bed.
> You felt bad about how things had worked out for her, she had obviously gone to a lot of trouble organising the festivities celebrating her husband's fox murdering prowess.  She had planned your arrival to coincide with today so that you could be included in it all.  Despite having a good reason for doing so, your sabotage of the hunt had blown up in her face.
> You decided to take your mind off your dark thoughts by examining the room.  In a word, it was bloody huge, ok two words...
> In its past life it had been designed as the place where some old dear was going to live out the last couple years of their life, which had meant of course that it was more like a mini apartment than a bedroom.
> It had its own on suite bathroom, complete with electric shower.  A large closet for your clothes stood in the corner, with a vanity, chest of drawers and even a sturdy old writing desk.  The bed was something else, it was big enough to fit you, your imaginary porn star girlfriend, her two sexy sisters and a couple of hookers too at a squeeze.  Either way it was almost too big for one.
> Before she left your aunt had left instructions to leave your borrowed (and now thoroughly ruined) clothes in a basket outside the door.  After doing so you make your way to the shower to try and wash this crazy day off.
> The hot water was a godsend.  Managing to not just clear the mud from your hair and skin but also leaching some of the pain from your aching muscles.  That damned horse hadn't killed you but he made sure you would remember your encounter with him for a long while after.
> As you scrub your mind wanders back to the forest, to the strange fox creature you met there.  Your mind spun with the memory of her, how she looked, how her voice sounded, how her fluff covered hips felt under your hands...  More than anything though, how such a creature managed to speak to you, in English no less...
> Your musings were again cut short by an unwelcome sound.  Someone was banging on (your thankfully locked) bedroom door.  "Anon?  I know your in there!"
> Oh shit its Steve.
> "We need to have a little chat you and me.  Come downstairs when your done... whatever it is your doing in there!  I'll be in the back rooms.  Don't keep me waiting!"
> By the time you had thought up a good enough excuse not to go, he had already gone.  He had sounded quite angry, and a little drunk...  Oh well, might as well see what he wanted, considering they hadn't just thrown you out as soon as you had got back you owed him that much at least.
---------------------------------
> You found Steve sitting in what was ominously called, his "trophy room."
> It was a large space devoid of any furniture apart from some display cases and two large red armchairs, both pulled up before a large roaring fireplace.  The room was far from empty however.
> Every wall was filled with rows of mounted animal heads.  Each section seemingly arranged by habitat.  In one arrangement were the heads of several big cats, a lion, cheetah, a leopard...  Another had a wolf, a large stag, a bear and so on.  The display cases were full of small stuffed birds, snakes, lizards and the like.  One had a single honey badger, posed like it was ready to leap out at any moment and go for your balls.
> In this little showcase of horror sat Steve, on one of the armchairs cleaning what looked to be a dismantled rifle of some sort, an open decanter of brandy next to him.
> "Ahh Anon there you are!  Do come in and take a seat."
> It sounded more like an order than an offer.
> Eying the dismantled weapon warily you take a seat, the heat from the fireplace putting you on edge.
> Before coming down you had planned a couple of speeches in your head, all designed to calm your angry host down.  Steve gave you no opening to recite them.
> "Can you guess Anon, what my greatest passion is in life?  What floats my boat?"
> Your answer never made it out, he had no intention of actually letting you speak just yet.
> "That's right!  The hunt!"  Spreading his arms wide he motions towards his trophies.  "For the best part of twenty years I've travelled far and wide, over sea and continent, to find the biggest and most challenging creatures of the animal kingdom to pit myself against.  The feeling of man against beast, stalking them in their own habitat, lining up that perfect shot, the sight of the light fading from their eyes...  It couldn't be beat!"
> As he monologued and gesticulated, the pieces of rifle were being expertly reassembled, much to your dismay.
> "After a while though... it got to be very dull.  The larger beasts got put on their endangered lists and the parks only let you hunt the old or sick ones for insultingly high prices... I actually thought about giving it up."
> Another piece clicked into place, hopefully this wasn't going to go where you feared it was.
> "Then Anon, much to my surprise, I found the most challenging prey of all, right here in jolly old England no less!"
> He stopped to take a swig of brandy, none of which was offered in your direction of course...
> "I was out there, in the woods, hunting for the little shit who had stolen away two of my wife's prized chickens when I found them."
> He pointed up above the fireplace using the still detached stock from the rifle, to two horrifyingly familiar shapes.
> Mounted on the wall were two fox heads, larger than a normal fox should be, both with auburn and cream fur, and a pair of shining emerald eyes.
> "What the hell..?" you manage.  Your aware that he's watching closely, judging your reaction.
> "Are those foxes?  They look kinda... big..." you finish lamely.  Hopefully he would mistake your recognition for awed surprise.  A long shot but he was well on his way to drunk town.
> "Not just foxes Anon, a very special breed!  They gave me a hunt like no other!  The body of a beast but an intelligence on par with that of a man!  The challenge of it was like nothing before!"
> The last piece of rifle snapped into position, he held the completed weapon tightly in his hands as he continued.
> "The first one, she ran like the wind!  She dodged every trap, outfoxed my every trick!  When I finally chased her down... that defeated look in those big eyes..."
> He seemed to lapse into memory for a moment, giving you the chance to study his grizzly centrepieces.
> The fox he had pointed to first, the female, struck a striking resemblance to the one you met earlier.  The markings and colourings were almost identical.  Her features however were twisted into what could only be heart wrenching fear, either it was the expression she'd worn as she'd died, or the one the taxidermist had chosen to brand her with.
> Steve continued.  
> "The second one, he was a fighter...  He came to me, tried to turn the tables and make me the prey!  Can you imagine?  Me!"
> He let out a hearty drunken guffaw to this, as you continued to stare at the heads.
> "He actually took down two of my hounds, lured them into his own traps and picked them off one at a time.  A worthy beast but a beast none the less!  In the end I managed to put a bullet in him!  Slowed him down long enough for the pack to do its work!  He looked me right in the eye, right until his last breath..."
> You notice the second head, while darker in colour to the other, had similar markings.  The expression though was the opposite, he wore a face of hate.  His teeth were bared and his eyes, although not the originals, bore into you.
> "I searched high and low for the rest, for a year I scoured these forests, until finally I found another!"
> The rifle was pointing in your direction now.
> "Then you had to go and ruin it.  Months of planning, traps, snares, killing off its food supply, waring it down...  Only for you to spoil it!"
> His almost jolly reminiscence came to an abrupt halt.  His face twisted into something not dissimilar to the dead foxes'.
> "Why Anon?  Why did you have to ruin it?"
> You were starting to feel that things were a bit more dire than you had feared. 
> "Ok Steve... calm it down...  Don't go doing anything silly now..."
> He didn't seem to be listening.
> "I know you saw it Anon!" he spat.  Reaching down to his side he pulled up the red coat you had worn earlier, still covered in mud.  "Look at that!  Look at the shoulder and tell me you didn't see it!"
> On the shoulder of the coat was a very clear muddy paw print.
> Nuts.  Should of thought of that.
> "I didn't see any foxes out there I swear!  That probably came from one of your dogs when they jumped me!"
> He wasn't buying it.  His voice jumped to a scream and the rifle now wavered inches from your face.
> "Don't you lie to me boy!  I know a fox print when I see one!  Where is it!?!"
> Before he could interrogate you any further, or blow your head off, a scream from the doorway stopped him short.
> "Steven what are you doing!?!  Put that down NOW!"
> It was your Aunt Jane.  Thank the gods!
> She rushed over and snatched the rifle away, snapping him out of his rage in the process.
> "I have told you once if I've told you a thousand times, I don't want you messing with your guns when you've been drinking!"
> To his credit he actually looks ashamed of himself.
> "Jane darling... we were just having a friendly chat..."
> She wasn't having any of it.  
> "Enough!  Off to bed with you, now!"
> As Steve skulked off like a chastised child, Jane turns to you, a worried look on her face.
> "Are you ok Anon?  I don't know what's gotten into him... he's usually so relaxed at this time of night...  
> "Thanks Aunt J" you sigh.  "I think its just been a long day."
> "True enough.  Why don't you go to bed and get some rest, I'll clean this up."
> With that you head back to your room, your head buzzing with Steve's story of his favourite kills and of the narrow escape you just had from his wrath.
> Finally laying down in your large empty bed, you think about the fox again and the fate your dick uncle had planned for her.
> You had no plans for what to do here at your aunt's house during your stay, it was just supposed to be a quiet place to hide away and think.
> As sleep slowly comes to you however, thoughts of the fox refused to leave you.  A plan forms, perhaps tomorrow you could head back to the forest.  You might learn more without an angry pack of hounds chasing you around after all...
---------------------------------------------
Chapter 6
> When you awoke the following morning it was with something you hadn't felt in a long while, purpose.
> You had a plan.  
> Step 1 - Find a way to sabotage Steve's hunt again today.  (So far you had considered feeding the hounds laxatives to give them the shits, letting the horses out of their stables and possibly stealing his stupid horn thing... It was a work in progress.)
> Step 2 - Find your way back to the forest.  (A map might help here...)
> Step 3 - Find the fox.
> Step 4 - ??????
> Step  5 - Profit!
> When you made your way down to breakfast however it seemed that the fates had already taken care of step 1 for you.  Jane had greeted you in the kitchen with some cereal and coffee, Steve was nowhere to be seen.
> "Good morning Anon!" she chirped.  "How are you this morning?  Did you sleep well?"
> "Morning Aunt J, yeah I slept pretty well thank you."
> As she busied herself with the dishwasher you sat down and set about eating breakfast.  The fact that your uncle was nowhere to be seen was a little worrying, had he already left early to go on his murder spree?
> "So... no Steve this morning?" you ask as casually as you can.
> "Mmm?  Oh no he wont be joining us today, he got called away back to the city.  Something went a bit wrong at the business side of things and he had to shoot off."
> Score!  Despite your aunt's disappointment you couldn't help but feel a wave of relief.
> "I'm sorry Aunt J, sounds like he's having a bad week...  Anything I can do?"
> "That's very kind Anon but its quite alright." she responds, with a sad smile.  "He's actually going to be gone for a few days so we wont be seeing him for a little while..."
> Double score!
> She wasn't done yet.
> "Actually something else has come up that I need to talk to you about..."
> Uh oh.
> "I had a phone call this morning from your cousin Susan, she's fallen out with that partner of hers again and she's asked me to come down and visit."
> "So your going too?" you ask.  If they are both gone does that mean their sending you back home..?
> She noticed your disappointed look and flashed you a smile.
> "Just for the day Anon, I'll be back by tonight.  I had planned to spend the day here so you're not by yourself but these things happen.  Are you going to be ok here or...?"
> She didn't mind you staying?  Then...
> "Actually I was looking forward to going back out and doing some hiking in the woods.  Its really some very beautiful countryside out there but I didn't get much of a chance to see it yesterday..."
> A look of relief washes over Jane's face.  "Oh that's a wonderful idea Anon!  I was worried about leaving you here by yourself but a nice nature walk might just be what you need!"
> As you finish off your breakfast Jane starts to dig through the cupboards, pulling out a series of tupperware pots  and boxes.
> "Here Anon take these with you!" she exclaims excitedly.
> "Uh what for?" you ask, a bit confused (and slightly concerned) by her sudden enthusiasm.
> "For the food silly!  We have all that left over food from the cancelled party  yesterday that's just going to waste!  Why don't you take some with you and have a little picnic while your out there?"
> The little used and slightly dusty ideas light bulb flickered to life above your head.
> "Really?  That's great Aunt J, thank you.  How much should I take?  I don't want to be too greedy or anything..."
> "As much as you want Anon!  Its not going to get used otherwise, I'm vegan, Steven doesn't eat much of anything either so it will only spoil if left.  Help yourself!"
> Looks like step 3 might just have gotten easier... Finishing off your coffee you get up and go get ready for a little fox hunting of your own...
------------------------------------------------
Chapter 7
> It took you over an hour of walking before the forest from the day before even came in to view.  After securing ample provisions and borrowing a map you had set out on your way.
> On the hunt yesterday you had been on a horse so judging distance had been difficult today but you had a good sense of direction and had clocked some useful landmarks.
> On your shoulder you had your pack, stuffed with boxes of goodies.  If it had just been for you then your manners would only have allowed you to take bare minimum, but your plan to find the fox had required more.
> You were following the unintentional tip Steve had given you during his rant - "Traps, snares, killing off its food supply..."  If the fox was hungry then you could possibly draw it back to you with the contents of your bag, roast chicken, varying sizes of sausage, some glazed ham and a selection of non meaty things in case.
> It took a while but eventually you found your way back to the tree, the beginning of the path marked by the signs of the horses that had waited there.
> Once in the little clearing you set up your temporary camp, spreading a blanket out on the ground and setting out the little boxes.  Opening a few of the tastier (and more fragrant) selections, you sit back against the tree and wait.
---------------------------------------------
> After about an hour, you were getting a little disheartened.
> Nothing had happened.  No sounds of anything sneaking about in the bushes, no stealthy rustling of branches, certainly no mysterious fox creatures skipping up to partake of your picnic anyway...
> You had tried to pass the time by browsing the net on your phone, there was a particular message board that would go ape shit if you told them you'd actually found a fox girl out in the woods, who walked on her two hind legs and spoke...  To your horror however it was not to be.  Your phone showed no bars of signal.  So no internets, no messages and no calls to the emergency services if things went wrong and your throat ended up torn out...
> After a little while more of silence and growing self doubt, you decided to help yourself to the food.  If the fox was a no show then there was little point just packing it all up and lugging it back again, might as well eat what you can.
> After a few bites of ham and a soggy egg and cress sandwich (never eating that again, ugh), there was finally a rustle in the bushes across from you.  Camouflaged amongst the greenery was a shining pair of green eyes.
> Freezing mid bite, you wait.
> A few minutes pass, both of you sitting deadly still, waiting for the other to make a move.
> Its you who breaks the standoff, worried that she will just leave if nothing changes soon.
> "...Hi again." you call out, hoping that she doesn't just bolt at the sound of your voice.  Instead she raises her head out of the bushes, ears pressed down, eyes focused on you.  But she doesn't run...
> A little encouraged you continue.
> "I-it's me, the guy from yesterday?  We didn't get much of a chance to talk  before so I thought maybe..." 
> This wasn't going as planned, your mouth was going dry and your mind going blank.
> "Look!  I brought some food!" you blurt out, lifting up the box with chicken in it.  "I'm happy to share... if you want some that is..."
> For the next few moments, nothing continued to happen.  
> Just as you thought you'd blown it, she took a step out of the bushes.
> She was as you had remembered from yesterday, covered completely from head to foot in auburn and cream fur, standing on two feet but walking on her toes, her body was tense, like she was ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.
> Her voice suddenly broke through the silence, she was no longer out of breath like before, so it was clear and melodic, almost rippling through the air towards you.
> "Why?  Why have you come back here?"
> She narrowed her eyes, obviously not ready to trust you just yet.
> "Your kind come here only to hunt and kill, you take and hurt!  Why are you here?  What do you want!?!"
> She was getting angry, the prospect of throat ripping was getting a bit too real now.
> "I told you, I came here to talk.  I've never met anything... anyone quite like you before and I wanted to know more that's all.  Honest."
> She still didn't look any closer to trusting you, but her eyes kept flicking down to the food and back.  Even with the fur you could tell she was thinner than something her size should be, she was starving.
> Trying a different approach you decide to give bargaining a go.
> "I can tell your hungry so how about this?  I ask some questions, and in exchange for some answers you can have some food.  That way we both get something we want."
> After a few moments she answered.
> "How do I know its safe?  Your kind have left poisoned food out in the woods before.  This might be another trick!"
> "If I wanted to hurt you then why did I help you escape yesterday from the dogs?  The food is fine, if you want I can taste anything here you want first to show you its safe.  Deal?"
> Perhaps if you had offered this bargain on any other day she would have just left, but she was starved, and exhausted, the prospect of a free meal was too much to turn down.
> ...Fine.  I'll answer your questions... but when the food is gone so am I.
> She slowly and warily came closer, stopping just before the edge of the blanket, and waited.
> Here goes nothing...
-------------------------------------------------
Chapter 8
> So... what to ask first...
> "Ok, lets start simple... Can you tell me your name?" 
> She looks at you for a second before smiling.
> "Yes." she answers.  
> When you realise that she has no intention of adding anything else you speak again.
> "What... that's it?  Are you going to tell me what your name actually is or am I supposed to guess?"
> Her foxy smile gets a little bigger.
> "You said that if I answered your question I would get some of that food.  You just asked if I could tell you my name, not what it was... and I answered!  You want to ask what my name is then its going to cost more."
> She was already moving towards the box of chicken.
> "Hey no fair!" you complain.
> She stops short and waits, watching to see what your going to do.
> You realise she's testing you.  Technically she's right, you did ask and she answered.  Sneaky fox...  She's planning on getting as much food as possible while giving the least amount of information away...
> "Ok fine, your right." you admit.  "But a one word answer isn't going to get you a full box of chicken.  Here!"
> You reach over and toss her a sausage from the other box.  She catches it easily but doesn't eat it straight away.  Instead she sniffs it suspiciously, not sure quite what it is.
> To try and show her its safe you grab another one and take a bite.  "See?  Not poisoned."
> She continues to watch for a few more seconds, perhaps waiting to see if you keel over or anything.  When you fail to die however, she takes a nibble.
> A tentative bit of chewing later and the rest of the sausage is quickly down the hatch.  Licking her lips she eyes the rest of the food hungrily.
> "Ok lets try this again, what is your name?  If you answer properly then you get the chicken."
> It doesn't take long for her reply.
> "Fine...  My name is Freja.  Now keep your word!"
> At this you pick up the box of chicken, take a small slice off the top, then hand the rest to her.  She waits until you eat your bit before tucking into hers.
> "Ok Freja... that wasn't so bad.  Well its nice to meet you, my name's..."
> She cuts you off before you could finish, pulling her snout from the quickly emptying box to do so.
> "Anon.  Yes I know who you are."
> This catches you by surprise.  How the hell does she know your name?  You don't remember telling her..."
> Seeing your confusion she smiles once again.
> "I heard you talking to the other one yesterday, from the tree.  He called you Anon right?"
> She was awfully clever for an overgrown woodland critter...
> "Ok... fine.  You know my name.  What I want to know next is this, how can you speak like I do?  I mean did you learn it from somewhere or..."
> She had already polished of the chicken by this point and was looking over the rest, deciding what she wanted next.  Apparently having made her choice she answered.
> "My mother taught it to me."
> For a moment it looked like she was going to hold out on you again, but the chicken must have gone some way to improving her mood as she soon continued.
> "She said that long ago our kind and yours used to live next to one another.  We wouldn't mix but we understood each other, and our places in the world.  Our domain was these woods, while yours was the fields beyond.  In time your people got greedy and took the woods for their own too, driving us into the darker places to hide."
> She looked a little sad reciting all this, but it was bitterness that tinged her voice for the next part.
> "My mother told me that one day our peoples might find peace again, that in order for it happen we must understand your speech as your people will not attempt to learn ours.  She believed this right up until the day she died, when your kind came into these woods and took her."
> The image of the frightened fox head above your uncle's fireplace drifted out to haunt you.
> "I'm sorry to hear that... we're not all like that you know..."
> She hadn't yet reached for the food, after telling you about her mother it looked like she'd withdrawn into herself.
> Picking up the box of ham, you slowly reach over and leave it in front of her, snapping her out of whatever memory she was reliving in the process.
> "Oh... thank you..." she whispered quietly.  Slowly she began to tuck in.
----------------------------------------
> As you continued to ask more questions she seemed to become more at ease with you.  Actually coming to sit down at the edge of the blanket and answering your questions more fully.
> You learnt that she had always lived in this forest, it was where she had been born and where she was bound to stay.  Her parents had told her that it was the home of her ancestors, where their line was to live, and eventually die.  
> You quizzed her on this, confused as to what she meant.
> "So you cant leave?  But if you did go and find another place to live then you wouldn't have to worry about the hunt anymore.  Are there any others like you that you could go live with?"
> "No, my family was the last here in these woods." she responded sadly.  "There may be more out there somewhere, but I wouldn't know where to look even if I did go.  I've been to the edges of the trees and all I could see was empty fields or more of your kind."
> She had a point there, but you found it galling that she was essentially trapped here until Steve finally wore her down.
> She was happily helping herself to the arrayed food items now and was answering your questions as they came.
> "Are there really none others like you here in this forest anymore?" you ask.  "Isn't it lonely?"
> She stopped eating and looked up at you.  "Yes, I am the last and it has been lonely.  Its odd though...  I've spent so long running away from your kind and hiding, but your the only person I've spoken to in what feels like forever."
> Now you feel a bit worse than before.  The realisation that not only was it your kind who had driven hers to almost extinction, but that a member of your own family had made her life so... awful.
> You had more questions to ask, but the food had run out and, you realised looking at your watch, it was starting to get late.  It was going to take a while to get back to the house and you couldn't wait til nightfall.
> She had the same idea. 
> "I must go now Anon.  Its almost the time of day when that other man, the short angry one (Filchins you guessed), starts patrolling through the woods.  He takes one of those dogs with him to look for signs of me.  I have to be back home before he comes."
> You didn't really want this to end.  She had told you much about where she came from and things but you kinda wanted to know more about her as a person...
> "Ok I understand." you sigh.  "I've got to get going too if i want to get back before dark."
> An idea struck you.  "If I came back here tomorrow, with more food, would you come and talk with me again?"
> She looked a bit taken aback by this, like she hadn't been expecting you to actually offer to come back again.
> "What, really?" she stammered.  "Well yes I guess... Why though?  I already told you everything you wanted to know.  What else is there to ask?"
> "Maybe I just enjoyed talking with you and want to do it some more." you answer back, surprising yourself with how quick you'd said it.  "I actually came out here in the first place to go somewhere different, to see new and interesting things...  This is the longest conversation I've actually had with anyone in quite some time too... it was nice."
> She actually looked away from you as you said that last part.  Holding her head down and to the side.
> "I-it was nice... talking to you too Anon...  If you come back here at the same time tomorrow... I'll be here too."
> With that she turned and sped back into the trees.  If it wasn't for the empty food boxes and the odd fuzzy feeling in your chest... you might have believed you had imagined the whole thing and she hadn't been there at all...
> Packing up everything back into your bag, you turn and start making your way back.  It was a long walk but you didn't even notice.  Your thoughts all the way back filled with a fox named Freja, the sound of her voice and the questions you would ask her again tomorrow.
----------------------------------------------
Chapter 9
> Jane was already back home by the time you got back.  She gave you a full rundown of your cousin's relationship troubles as you washed the various boxes and pots from your picnic.  Very little of it actually made it through though, your mind was occupied with... other things...
> The next morning you were up early.  Despite your various aches and pains accrued from your fall and day of hiking, you were eager to get back out for more.
> Lucky for you, your cousin Susan had called to report a new chapter of the ongoing drama that was her life.  Apparently her partner, celebrating their making up, had drunkenly plowed their car into the side of a small church.  Thankfully no one was hurt but of course, she needed mummy to come sort it all out, which meant another day of unsupervised forest wandering for you.
> Your pack once again filled with left over posh party food, you set out for the little clearing in the forest.  It didn't take as long to find your way this time so you actually got there a bit early.
> To your surprise, Freja was already there waiting for you.  She was sat under the tree, eyes closed, stretched out and basking in a patch of warm sunshine.  
> Whether she was just doing a spot of sunbathing or she'd actually dozed off, you found yourself reluctant to disturb her.
> She had her arm behind her head, which was resting against the tree.  Her other arm resting across her middle.  Her long legs stretched out with her furry toes curled into the grass.  The light seemed to dance off her fur...
> As you stand there, gawping, her voice suddenly pulls you from your reverie.
> "Are you just going to stand there enjoying the view or are we going to eat?"
> Somehow you keep from jumping out of your skin.  She's cracked one green eye open and is smiling at you mischievously, obviously pleased to be the one who caught the other unawares.
> "The forest really is very beautiful this time of the morning but you cant let it distract you too much, that's how the hounds sneak up on you..." she quips.  Your not sure if that's what she meant all along or if she's just playing with you.  She's certainly more forward today than yesterday...
> "Uh yeah, beautiful..." you manage to stutter.  Realising that you're still staring at her while you say this you quickly break into an awkward cough, turning away in the process.
> Smooth Anon.
> As you compose yourself she jumps up from the ground and has another stretch.  Standing on her toes she pushes her arms out in front, bending forwards slightly and arching her back in the process, her bushy tail sticks out behind her and puffs out a bit too.
> Shit your staring again.  Choosing not to let your eyes linger (lest toothy justice rain down upon your wicked self) you set about unpacking your bag.  A fresh blanket, the same selection of food as yesterday and a few bottles of water.  You hadn't thought to bring any last time and you'd been parched by the time you got home.  The labels described them as "bottled hydration from the peaks of a dormant volcano, rich in minerals and positive energies", in your mind you've shortened it to "ponce water" but it would do.
> Once your all set up you sit yourself down and prepare for another round of "bribe info from the fox with tasty foods", yeah the name needed more work...
> Freja decided to surprise you again.  Instead of hanging around out of reach and waiting for you, she plopped herself down on the other side of the blanket and grabbed a box.
> "So, what else do you want to know?  I'm sure I told you all the interesting bits yesterday..."
> "Well... you told me about why you live here and where you came from, but apart from your name I don't actually know anything about... you."
> While you had been talking Freja had been trying to stealthily extract some of the food from the box.  At your words though she stops, instead simply sitting there and staring, like she was trying to make sense of you.
> "Me?  Why?  I thought you came here to see 'new and interesting things'.  You've seen everything so what else do you want?"
> You seemed to be confusing her more than anything now...
> "What I mean is... well... what do you do here, you know, for fun?  Apart from picnic food what do you normally eat?  What kind of things make you happy?  That kind of stuff?"
> This time she had taken the opportunity to open the box and start chowing down on the chicken.  When you finished asking your questions however she stopped, put down the food and looked you right in the eye.  She had an odd sort of expression on her face that you couldn't quite place... 
> "That's what you want to know?" she asked.  That foxy smile had returned to her lips.  "Fine, but that stuffs more... personal.  It'll cost more."
> Your mind decides to do a couple of somersaults, on one hand you don't really have any more food to give right now, everything is out on the blanket... Unless... could she mean...?
> Before your deviant mind could fully connect the dots and create something lewd, she continues.
> "So far I've told you lots of things, and you've told me squat.  I don't know who I'm talking to.  If you want more answers then in exchange... your going to answer some of my questions first.  Deal?"
> Oh she's good.  Not particularly for turning this around on you but because this new deal seems to have you talking while she helps herself to more food...  Not that you mind to be honest, after she opened up yesterday you hadn't really been keeping track of how much food she'd been taking.
> "Ok fine, deal.  What do you want to know?"
> She had already finished her box of chicken and had started in the ham.  You decide to grab a box yourself before she wolfs through it all.
> "Ok... Where do you come from?  I know you came with the hunters yesterday but you don't quite... smell the same as they do."
> "I come from a city, quite away from here." you respond.  It takes a moment before you realise she has no idea what a city is.  "Its... like a big stone forest in a way, except instead of trees there are huge buildings where people live and work.  There are lots of us there so its really noisy, not like here..."
> She thought on this for a moment.
> "Buildings...  Do you mean like the big grey place where the hunters come from?"
> She must mean the house.
> "Yeah kinda, except some are a bit bigger than that, and some smaller.  Each built for something different."
> She continued to question you about the city, what it was like to live there, how many people and so on.  As you tried to explain the concept of city life and how you fit into it she sat and listened to every word, enthralled and amazed by the strange things you took for granted.  
> After a time she stopped you, one line of inquiry in particular hitting a bit too close for comfort.
> "It sounds so weird... but at least with so many of your people there in one place you'd never get lonely I guess.  Plenty of others to keep you warm at night and share your days...  Anon?"
> You had fallen silent for a moment.  Old thoughts coming back unbidden.
> "Not really.  In human society... we don't always come together.  Back there I was always surrounded by people but I didn't really have anyone close.  We have families, friends... partners... but sometimes even when surrounded by lots of people you can end up alone.  Its kind of another reason why I came out here.  Not just to see new things but to just get away from that life for a while.
> "Oh..." she replied glumly.  "When I still had my family here we were never alone.  In the nights we would huddle together to keep each other safe and warm, in the days we would run and hunt and play.  I thought humans were the same..."
> Seeking to change the subject you decide its time for your questions.
> "I just realised that I've been doing all the talking here, time for you to answer my questions I think."
> Next she told you about her life out in the woods.  How in the mornings she would search through the forest looking for new and interesting things, this could be animals and bugs that were not usually seen there, or bits of human stuff that had found its way there somehow.
> In the afternoon she would hunt for the day time creatures such as rabbits, or fish in the stream.  In the evening she would hide, this was when Pilchins would do his rounds, checking if she had fallen into one of his traps or if the dog could find her hiding places.
> In the night she would run free, the darkness giving her the cover to leave the safety of the woods and explore further afield.  She would always return though before dawn, sleeping the rest of the dusk away in her safe places.
> Recently things had been different however.
> "The hunters come now more often." she said sadly.  "The one with the hungry eyes... (that's gotta be Steve), with his hounds he tries to wear me down.  Until yesterday he just sent them to chase me, over and over but never catching, then when I could run no more he knew...  He came with a pack of your kind too and almost had me...  Until you helped Anon..."
> You feel a sense of pride here.  A double whammy of helping her escape and sticking it to Steve at the same time feeling damn good.
> "I was happy to help, I couldn't just let them get you.  Not all of us are like that."
> She had fallen silent now, just sitting there and staring at you again with that strange look...
> "Uh... so... you look like you haven't eaten in a while, what happened to all the rabbits and fish?" you ask quickly, more to break the silence than anything.  Plus a small uncomfortable thought had popped up, what had Steve done to her food supply?
> "Gone." she stated simply.  "They put something up stream, outside the forest, something that lets the water keep flowing but stops the fish from spawning.  I try looking in the night but there's always someone there...
> At a guess you would think they must have set up some sort of net or dam to stop the fish from coming down river.  Probably turned it into his own personal fishing spot too if you knew Steve.
> "Then they did something to the rabbits...  One day they got sick.  The ones I found were bleeding, not from wounds but from the eyes and mouth.  The hunters had put something foul where they lived and they all died.  
> It sounded like myxomatosis, not that your an expert or anything (far from it) but you had heard this story before.  When you were younger you had seen a large colony of wild rabbits pop up outside of town.  It had grown huge until one day they just started dying off of similar symptoms to what she had described.  After a local vet investigated it turned out they had been deliberately infected by a local farmer for pillaging his crops.  Sounds like Steve had the same idea here...
> "Until you came with all this food... I was starving..."
> "I'm happy to be of service!" you reply with a little mock bow, causing her to giggle.
> "What are you doing?" she asks breathlessly between giggles.  
> "Huh?  Just something we humans do sometimes... why?  Is it funny?"
> Pulling her paws (hands?  Whatever...) up to her mouth she tries to stifle hr giggling.
> "Its just... that means something... different to my people.  I never thought I'd see a human do it, especially not to me!"
> Her giggling continued on as you sat there scratching your head, perplexed as to what she could mean.
> Her final question was a bit more difficult.
> "So Anon, if your not living in your city anymore then where do you sleep now?  I would know if it was in the forest..."
> "Ah... well you know the big house where the hunter comes from?"
> She nods.
> "I'm staying there at the moment..."
> A look of shock replaces the smile that was there moments ago.
> "What!?!  Your staying there?  With him!?!  You said that you weren't with them?"
> This was going wrong all too quickly. 
> "I'm not!  I promise!  A member of my family lives there and I'm staying with her that's all."
> She was still a little shocked looking but she wasn't getting up to leave or anything.
> You both sit in silence for a while, finishing up the last of the food.  The mood improved somewhat when you showed her the ponce water, explaining what it was and how to open it.  She was soon laughing again when her attempt to open one ended with you getting very wet...
> Soon however it was time to start packing up.  You had to make your way back to the house and she had to get ready to hide from Pilchins.
> As you packed up though, Freja placed a paw on your arm, causing you to stop and turn to her.
> "I just wanted to say... thank you Anon."
> As you start to speak she silences you with her other paw and continues.
> "I don't just mean for the food.  Its been... nice, really nice just having someone to talk to this last couple of days.  Even if its not in my own tongue, its been so long since I've had anyone to just... speak with."
> You try talking again but her paw (which is covered in a darker, almost black fur you notice) remains on your lips.
> "Would you... maybe come back again tomorrow?  To talk with me some more I mean?"
> Finally free of her soft yet firm touch, you speak.
> "Yes of course I will, I'd like that."
> A bit more slowly than yesterday, she disappears into the woods once again, and you start the slow march back.
---------------------------------------
> Back at the house you stop first at the kitchen to wash the pots.  There's no sign of Jane yet but you notice someone is home as things weren't as you'd left them this morning.  Moving out into the large hall you give a shout.
> "Hey Aunt J I'm back!  Was everything ok with Susan?"
> Instead of Jane's usual chirpy response however, a much deeper, smugger voice answers you from behind.
> "Ahh there you are Anon!  Now where have you been off out to I wonder?  Find anything interesting out there in the woods?"
> Without looking you know its Steve.  The bugger is back home early.
> Several things go through your mind, all of them beginning with F and ending in uck.
-------------------------------------------------
Chapter 10
> Finally turning around reveals your correct, the smug voice did indeed belong to the smug face of Uncle Steve.  Despite his smile however you notice he isn't looking all that great.  There are bags under his eyes, his beard isn't trimmed to its usual smart perfection and his fancy tie is loose, like he's been pulling on it.
> Keeping your face as still as possible you try and remain calm.  He knows nothing about what you've been up to so just play it cool.
> "Oh hi Steve, I didn't know you'd be back yet.  Jane said she wasn't expecting you back for another day or so..."
> Steve was having none of it.
> "Drop the act Anon.  I know you've seen it."
> Your brain hits the panic button but your poker face soldiers on all the same.
> "What do you mean?  It?  I've just been out doing a bit of hiking that's all."
> Change the subject change the subject!
> "No offense but your looking a bit rough around the edges...  Did everything go ok on your trip?  Jane said there was some emergency or som-"
> Steve cut your attempt short.  Stepping forward and getting right up in your face.  The fact that he was actually taller than you added to the intended intimidation.  You see that his jaw is quivering ever so slightly.  This man was on edge and only just holding on. 
> "Enough... Anon." he hisses into your face.  "I'm no fool.  When I track my prey, I have to watch for the smallest signs, for the footprint hidden among the leaves, the broken branch, the bent blade of grass..."
> He very slowly and deliberately reaches towards your chest and plucks something from the jacket, his hand shaking.  Clutching his prize between his thumb and forefinger, he lifted it up to your face.
> "The smallest hair, left behind at the beast's passing..."
> He held few strands of auburn hair, somehow left from when Freja got close to you earlier...  
> Your brain chooses to disregard the panic button and goes for full red alert.  He knows.
> Deciding to drop the act you go for surly defiance instead.  If he thought you were going to break and spill your guts to him then he had another thing coming.
> "Oh." you say, somehow coming across as far more calm than you felt.  " How did that get there?"
> Seeing that you had no intention of reacting, Steve pushes on.
> "If anything Anon I should probably be thanking you..." he starts, pulling away and restoring the smug look from before.
> "For what exactly?" you ask, not sure your going to like where he's going.
> "This here will give me two very valuable things.  The first being the knowledge that the fox is somewhere in walking distance of here, that narrows down the search area a bit."
> A hole starts to open up somewhere inside, bringing with it exactly what he's getting at.
> "Secondly?  This small hair might just give my hounds something more precise to go on when I take them out tomorrow."
> He had pulled a little zip lock baggy from somewhere and dropped his prize inside.
> "Do you know just how sensitive a Foxhound's nose actually is Anon?  This small sample might just give them that extra little hint out there in the woods...  Enough to separate its trail from the other wildlife at least anyway."
> The smug bastard had already planned another hunt for tomorrow, you didn't know if he was telling the truth about the dogs but you wouldn't put it past them.
> "Say that I had seen something out there..." you say slowly, your own hands beginning to shake now.  "What would make you think that I would just stand by and let you go out and kill it?"
> His smile somehow got just a touch smugger as he answered.
> "Do you know why your standing here right now Anon?  Why your not in a nice little hospital bed or perhaps even a body bag?"
> The hell was he on about now?
> "No?  Let me enlighten you then.  Your here because I allow it.  Do you think I called off the dogs the other day before they had at you for your benefit?  There's nothing around my little estate for miles, if I wanted to take you outside and just shoot you I could and no one would be the wiser.  The only reason I chose not to is because of my wife.  For some foolish reason she actually cares about what happens to you, if something... unpleasant... were to happen to you here it would upset her greatly.  Lucky for you I cant let that happen."
> Up until now you had been plotting some sort of violence against this man.  Either with one of the heavy looking ornaments from the other room or just by throttling him with your bare hands...  The mention of you aunt however stayed your plans, for now at least, for her sake.
> Another idea quickly came to mind.
> "You know what?" you ask through gritted teeth.  "I think its best I go take in a bit of fresh air before I say... or do something that we'll both regret.  Excuse me."
> As you walk back towards the kitchen Steve's voice rings back out again.
> "Are you planning to pop down to the woods to try and scare it off perhaps?  Please, be my guest!  It'll only take a minute to get the hounds ready and we will be right behind you!"
> Stopping in your tracks you know he's right.  Any attempt to go find Freja now to warn her would just lead this git to her.  The chances of finding her in the fast approaching darkness were slim anyway at best.  If you stay put for now then maybe you can think up a plan by tomorrow.
> The string of well chosen insults building in your throat never make it past your lips.  Jane chose that particular moment to arrive back home.
> "Oh Steven your back!" she cried, running over and wrapping herself around him in a hug.  "What a nice surprise!"
> While Jane hugged him happily, Steve lost the smug smile and seemed to be genuinely pleased to see her.  Even as he returned the hug and greeting however, his eyes never left yours.  As he began telling Jane about his trip, his eyes told you of all the horrors he had planned for tomorrow.
> Sensing that there was something of an atmosphere, Jane pulled away and looks over to you.
> "Hi Anon, did you have a nice walk today?"
> "Hi Aunt J, yes thanks it was great..." you mumble, unable to shake the feeling of dread that Steve had imparted.
> Looking between the two of you, Jane heaves out a sigh, her expression going serious.
> "Have you two boys been arguing or something?  Is this still about what happened the other day?  I thought you had made up..."
> Steve answers first.
> "Don't worry my dear, there's nothing wrong.  Anon was telling me all about the interesting things he saw out in the woods today on his walk.  Actually he was so eager to go back out and show me something he'd found that he was planning on going again this evening!  I was just trying to talk him out of it..."
> Before you have a chance to respond Jane wades in, tutting loudly and shaking her head.
> "Again Anon?  No no certainly not!  Its getting dark out now.  Plus havnt you checked the forecast for tonight?  There's heavy rain on its way.  It was already spotting a bit when I pulled in to the drive way.  Its out of the question!"
> That was that then.  Even as your shoulders slump in temporary defeat, Steve flashes you a quick smile of smug victory.  Once he's out on his horse tomorrow with his hounds, the chance of you getting to Freja first is almost nil.
> Despite Jane offering to cook up some supper, you make your excuses and turn in for the night.  The prospect of spending the evening in Steve's company, with him silently gloating over you, strangely an unappealing prospect.
-----------------------------------------------
> As you fall back on the bed, images of Freja sunbathing by the tree haunt your mind.  She would be waiting there for you tomorrow, but instead of you it would be a pack of angry hounds pouring into the clearing.  Hounds with her scent already primed to home in on, and that bastard riding behind, armed with his rifle and that damned smug smile...
> A knock on the door breaks you from your depressing thoughts.  You hadn't got undressed yet, just collapsing as soon as you were alone, so you pull yourself up and go answer.
> Its that wanker.  He's looking a lot cheerier than when you saw him downstairs.
> "Hello again Anon!  You left so quickly we didn't have a chance to say goodnight!" he said with a chortle.
> Oh good, he'd come up to gloat.  With the mood you were now in however, the likelihood of him going back down the stairs head first was growing fast.
> "What do you want now?" you snap.
> Your short response seems to please him even more, he knows he's got to you.
> "Just thought I'd give you some friendly advice.  If your smart you'll stay here, in this room tomorrow.  It really wouldn't be a good idea to go wandering around outside.  Not while I'm on the hunt.  If its raining then visibility will be poor, I'm usually a crack shot with my hunting rifle but you know how it is, accidents can happen..."
> As he trails off, you get his message loud and clear.  Stay away from his hunt or he'll shoot you dead and pretend it was an accident.  He's probably said the same thing to Jane already (without the implied threat) so that she will stop you trying to leave too.
> The look on your face is all the answer Steve needs.  With a clap of his hands and a full blown grin, he bids you a cheery "night night Anon!" and heads off back downstairs.
> Locking the door, you take a seat back on the bed and repress the blood curdling scream threatening to erupt from within.  That smarmy fuck had you pinned.  If you did nothing like a good little nobody then... he...
> Nope not happening.
> If you head out tonight then you will in all likelihood just get lost in the dark, and by the sound of the rain now hitting against the window, very very wet.
> If you go tomorrow and interfere with his hunt directly then... boom, headshot.
> There was the original plan...  Try mess with the dogs or horses to slow him down?  For one thing you didn't have a large dog pack supply of laxatives at your immediate disposal and chances are that Steve will be keeping an eye out for potential saboteurs...
> With the prospect of defeat and the violent end awaiting your new foxy friend... your thoughts become more desperate.
> Heading over to the window you open the blinds and peek out into the darkness.  There is a small wooden trellis just below, leading down go the ground.  Your not sure if it could take your weight but it was a possibility...
> With a sigh you turn your attention to the rest of your view from the window.  It was limited to what was in range of the lights from the house, everything else lost in the dark and rain.
> As you go to turn away from the window a sudden flash of movement catches your eye.  Your view overlooked the large back gardens, something had definitely moved down there, just at the edge of the light, over towards your aunt's chicken coop.
> Straining your eyes you just make out a dark figure, partially hidden behind the fence...  As your vision adjusted to the dark you make out what can only be a bushy tail poking out from behind.
> It wad Freja!  But how?  Why is she here?!?  If Steve happened to look out the kitchen window with his rifle then it would be all over!  She'd all but gift wrapped herself for him!
> Amongst all the questions spinning through your head one suddenly silences all the others.  Did she follow you here...?
> As you carefully open the window, intending to call out and warn her off, another more desperate plan pieces itself together, rising out of your jumbled thoughts like a crazy beacon.
> Steve is going to be turning the surrounding countryside inside out tomorrow.  He's not going to leave a single stone unturned, there will be nowhere for her to hide.  There is one place he wont look though...  One place he will be actively avoiding in fact...  Here, in your room...
----------------------------------------
Chapter 11
> So here you are, hanging out the upstairs window of your room, in the darkness and rain, trying to catch the attention of Freja the fox, while not alerting your uncle who could be anywhere downstairs.
> This had proven to be difficult.  Yelling at the top of your lungs wasn't an option, your attempts at "urgent whispering" had failed to make it past the pounding of the heavy rain and Freja seemed to be too focused on whatever she was doing over there to notice your efforts.
> As you begin to despair, another sound cuts through the air, angry barking.
> Either the hounds in their kennels had caught her scent somehow through the rain or, more likely, she had made some sort of noise down there herself which had set them off.  Whatever the reason, the hounds had started kicking off, making a thunderous racket from their nearby kennels.  Is Steve wasn't looking outside already he soon would be.
> From your vantage point you see Freja stand erect in response to the noise and start running off.  Before she can clear the garden though a sudden eruption of light bathes the area in brilliant white.  What look like miniature floodlights set up on the back of the house and down the bottom by the stables have burst to life.
> As a result Freja stops in her tracks, stunned and dazed by the brightness.  If Steve hadn't seen her yet he soon would.  Taking a chance you yell down to her, both cursing the hounds for drowning you out and thankful for masking your voice from Steve too.
> "Freja!  Up here quick!  Freja!!"
> Somehow she hears you, her head snapping to the direction of your voice, squinting her near blinded eyes to try and find where it came from.
> Miraculously she spots you, her panicked features brightening slightly in response.
> There's no time to lose though.  You yell again while desperately waving her towards you.
> "This way!  Quickly before they see you!!!"
> She darts towards you, reaching the wall beneath your window just as a voice you recognise all too well bellows out from the back door.
> "I'm coming, I'm coming!!  This better not be another blasted squirrel!"  Its Steve!
> Your sure its all over, watching with horror as Steve emerges from the house.  Freja crouches down, trying to make herself as small as possible.  
> Striding forwards on to the grass, Steve stops and scans the garden.  Your heart is in your throat as you realise he has his rifle with him.
> Somehow, he doesn't look back towards the house, missing Freja's hiding spot completely.  With a grumble he continues on towards the kennels, yelling obscenities at the still barking hounds all the while.
> "I said I'm coming you noisy little shits!"
> You call down to the cowering fox, a more hushed tone now that Steve's about but she is able to hear you from this distance.
> "Climb up here!  Quickly!"
> Looking up at you she seems unsure.  Considering your asking her to literally climb up into the lion's den she has every right to be suspicious.
> "If your still down there when he comes back he's going to shoot you!  Please!  You trusted me before... trust me one more time!"
> You don't know if it was what you said that finally convinced her or the pleading urgency in your voice saying it but she at last started to move.  With a final fearful glance over her shoulder she grabbed hold the the trellis and started to climb.
> You still had your doubts over if it would have taken your weight but despite a few creaks of protest it stayed in place for Freja.
> As she clambers in through the window to the relative safety of the house, you slam the window shut, locking out the damp night air.  Not a second too soon either, after a poke around and finding nothing, Steve had silenced the hounds with a sharp kick to the ringleaders and was making his way back to the house.
> As Steve drew closer, annoyed by being called out into the rain, he just noticed the blinds in your window slide back into place.  "Ha!" he thought to himself.  "Let that little coward hide and watch from his window!  Tomorrow I'll finally catch my prize, and if he tries to interfere..?"  He patted his rifle affectionately.  "Accidents will happen..."
> Perhaps if Steve had realised what he had narrowly missed he wouldn't have been quite so smug right then, but for now he happily sauntered back to the house, contented that he was master of all he surveyed, unsuspecting of what was to come.
----------------------------------------------
Chapter 12
> With the blinds safely closed, you turn to Freja, a dozen questions fighting within to be asked of her first.
> As you get a better look at her in the lamp light of your room however, they fade away, leaving only one.
> "Freja... are you alright?"
> The vixen was a mess.  You didn't know how long she had been standing out there in the rain but she looked soaked through to the skin.  Her fluffy coat had turned against her in the cool night air, trapping in the moisture and causing her body temperature to fall.  She had her arms wrapped tightly around herself and she was shaking slightly.
> She hadn't yet answered your question, in fact she had started to back away into the corner.  Her eyes were wide and darting around the room, her breath coming quick and shallow.
> Either the narrow escape had freaked her out more than you thought, or the idea of actually standing in the house belonging to the hunter who had tormented her so mercilessly was really doing a number on her nerves.
> "Hey can you hear me?  Are you okay?" you ask again, her lack of a response really starting to worry you.
> As you take a step towards her she reacts, her eyes fix on you and she shrinks further down into the corner.
> "I shouldn't have come here..." she whimpers.  "This is his place... the hunter... the one with the greedy eyes.  I can smell him here, I'm trapped in here and there's nowhere to run!"
> Tears were starting to build in her eyes now, the thought finally occurs to you that she's probably never been inside a human building before, let alone this particular house.
> You drop down slowly so that you are level with her, keeping eye contact you try and reassure her.
> "I'm sorry, I know this must be scary but he doesn't know your here.  I said you could trust me and I meant it, I wont let him find you, I promise."
> She gave a little sniffle but didn't make any attempt to get back up.  The room was certainly warmer than the rainy night outside but as long as she remained wet it would difficult to make her comfortable.
> "Wait right there okay?  I just have to get something real quick." you say gently.  Heading over to the chest of drawers you pull out a large towel, one of a number your aunt Jane had left there in case you needed to shower.  
> Taking the hefty towel back over to Freja you stop in front of her and hold it out.
> "Your soaking wet and this will help you get dry, may I?" you ask softly.  
> Some of her unease changes to curiosity as she eyes the towel uncertainly, but with a small nod of her head she gives you the go ahead.
> Moving closer you unfurl the big towel and drape it over her shoulders.  As she is still down in the corner the big towel covers her almost completely, only her nose is left poking out from the front and her soggy tail from the other.
> After a few moments of silence her voice drifts up from under the towel.
> "Um... Anon?  I don't think its working..."
> Oh right.  She's never actually used a towel before as far as you know.  Another little human thing you take for granted.
> "Oops, sorry.  Your supposed to use it to soak the water up off yourself, uhh... here let me show you."
> As gently as you can, you reach down and take hold of her dripping wet paw.  She's still shaking.
> With the fluffy towel in one hand and her paw in the other you start lightly squeezing her arm to try and soak up some of the wet from her fur.  With dismay however you notice that the patch of towel you were using was coming away really quite filthy.  If she's just been standing out in the rain how'd she get this dirty?
> Pushing on regardless you manage to dry her lower arm and her now warmer paw.  Deciding against continuing on and risk accidently groping the poor girl, you stop there and look back to her face.  She's watching you intently, no longer on the verge of tears at least.
> "See?  Just use it like that to dry yourself and you'll be feeling better in no time."
> She actually gives you a little smile, not so much a friendly one though as a mischievous one...
> "I think I get it... but Anon?  I'll need my paw back if I'm doing the rest myself..."
> You still had her paw held softly in your hand, you hadn't realised you were still holding it.
> Quickly pulling away you stand back up and clear your throat.  "Oh crap, sorry I..."
> Her dancing laughter rings out at your sudden embarrassment, very keen to talk about something else you corral the scattered questions from your muddled head and try getting some info.
> "Anyway... what are you doing up here?  I thought you didn't really leave the forest?
> She had started to slowly towel herself dry, or at least her other arm anyway.  As she contemplated your question she chose to simply stay wrapped in the towel.
> "Well... after you left I got curious.  You said that you were here, where the hunter and his pack come from.  I wanted to see for myself if you were telling the truth, so I followed you back."
> So she had followed you here.  Just to see if you were lying or not though?
> "Ok, so you saw I did actually come here like I said I would, but why are you still here?  Sneaking around the garden in the rain?  Your soaked so why didn't you go find somewhere to wait it out or hide?"
> The questions were threatening to keep coming, stopping any answers actually coming back.  With some effort you hold back the rest and wait for her to answer.
> After a little while she spoke again.
> "After I followed you here I had planned to go back but..."  She hesitated.  "I've never come that close to this place before, I decided to stay and look around a bit, see if I could learn anything, especially since you said the hunter was away."
> You vaguely remember saying something along those lines when you spoke to her before.  You had no idea it would inspire her to do some snooping though.
> "I was going to wait until it got dark and then go back, but then I saw those birds... the chickens?  The food you brought me helped but I'm used to hunting for my own dinner.  I just wanted to take one back with me but I couldn't get to it..."
> Then of course the dogs had started barking and Steve went investigating...  Jane had her birds protected with the poultry equivalent of Fort Knox so it was no surprise that getting in hadn't been so easy.  You couldn't help feel responsible for this, she hadn't eaten much of anything for who knows how long so your paltry offerings were only going to tempt her back to the source, and she'd nearly got caught as a result.  She had also gotten soaked in the rain as she'd been unwilling to give up on the chickens...
> With a sigh you move back a bit and sit down on the floor.  Despite your best efforts so far you hadn't actually improved her situation, regardless of your promises there was nothing to stop Steve kicking in the door in the middle of the night if he realised what was going on here.
> With your immediate questions answered you decide to do a bit of explaining yourself.  She may not even agree with what you were plotting so it was best to just come out with it and see.
> "Ok, I need to tell you some things I only just learnt after we met earlier.  The hunter from out there just now?  I wasn't lying about him being away, he was but he was here waiting when I got back.  He came home early."
> She remained silent, waiting for you to continue.
> "When I saw him he told me some things, his plans for tomorrow..."
> Taking a deep breath you steel yourself and just come out with it.
> "He told me that he was going back out on the hunt tomorrow.  He found some of your fur on my clothes and he was going to use it to help the dogs track you..."
> The look of near panic had returned, her eyes started darting about again like she was expecting Steve to suddenly spring out from the shadows with his gun and get her, like some sort of posh bogeyman.
> "Wait, no don't worry!  I have a plan!   ...Sort of..." you say urgently, trying to keep her calm.
> "He's going to be looking all over for you out there tomorrow, but he wont be looking for you in here...  I think that if you hide in here for a day or so then it will buy us some time, at least to try and work out a proper plan anyway...  What do you think?"
> For a while she just sat there, huddled under her towel and still trembling slightly.  Eventually she found her words.
> "Stay here?  Where he lives?  How could that work!?!  He'd find me for sure!"
> "No he wont!  Its risky I know but if you stay here in this room and don't make too much noise we might just pull it off!" you exclaim, a bit more excitedly than you should all things considered, surprising yourself with how much you want this plan to work.
> "All we need to do is keep you hidden long enough for him to start looking somewhere else!"
> She fell back into silence again, turning your hastily stitched together plan over and looking for holes.  After a minute or so she speaks again, uncertainty in her voice now instead of panic.
> "Is this the only way?  Couldn't you do what you did last time and lead them away maybe?"
> "I thought about that but he doesn't trust me, if I go out there tomorrow he's made it clear that he is just as likely to shoot me as he is you.  Its not perfect but this is the best I got."
> Again she falls silent, perhaps trying to come up with something else or...
> "Ok... fine.  I'll stay here.  I can't really explain it but... I trust you."
> Her sudden agreement catches you off guard, leaving you struggling to come up with anything other than "Really?  Well that's great!".  
> Your enthusiasm takes a quick trip to the back seat however, a cute but worrying little sneeze bursts out from under the towel.  Bringing your head back into some semblance of order you realise she's still trembling.  The towel is almost completely soaked through with dirty water now and she still resembles a drowned rat.
> If you don't find a way of getting her cleaned up and warm soon she might end up getting sick or something.  Also, even though this room is not in the same section as Jane and Steve's one it wouldn't go well if one of them happened to walk by just as a Freja was having a foxy sneezing fit...
> You consider plundering the rest of your towel supply to wrap her up in and getting a bit more hands on with the drying (for her benefit, of course) but it would take time to pry the chill from her bones at this rate.  Fur takes longer to dry than bare skin.
> The part of your mind usually reserved for bad (and quickly mentally beat down) ideas sprung to life with a suggestion.  What about the shower?  It would warm her up quickly, wash off that dirt and...
> You cut off the rest of that particular train of thought.  Nope, bad brain.
> Even as you mentally flogged yourself for such impure thoughts, you had to admit the first part had merit.
> As this little debate raged within, Freja was still sitting huddled under the wet towel, instead of the panicked darting however her eyes were slowly scanning the room, taking in every detail.
> "Freja?" you ask quietly, wanting to get her attention but not startle her.  "How are you feeling now?  Are you still cold?"
> She looked back at you and gave another little nod.
> "This thing helped a little but I'm still kinda wet." she said slowly, supressing another sneeze at the end.
> "I have something that might help with the cold bit, it might be a little strange but it should warm you back up faster than anything else.  Do you want to come see?"
> Again she gives a little nod.
> Once on your feet you notice she hasn't really moved, you reach down and offer her your hand.  
> "Its not far, just through that door over there okay?  Let me show you."
> Once she takes your hand you gently pull her up off the floor.  She doesn't make any attempt to pull away once she's up so you keep hold and lead her over to the bathroom...
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Chapter 13
> The little bathroom that, until now, you had all to yourself was not quite as extravagant as the rest of the house.  It was just through a door at the other end of your room so you didn't need to risk going out into the hallway, so there was no dangerof any interruptions. It was furnished with a standard porcelain toilet, small wash basin with mirror, and a reasonable sized shower over in the corner.  It was basic but functional, there was just enough room for two people (or one person along with larger than normal and somewhat soggy vixen anyway).
> Leading Freja in you show her to the shower in the corner.  Her ears are back and she's twitching her head this way and that, trying to make sense of this strange little place and what its all for.
> Letting go of her paw, you take the last step over to the little glass cubical and get ready to switch it on.  First though you turn back and try explain what it is this thing actually does.
> "This is a shower." you begin, gesturing behind you.  "We use these to wash ourselves and keep clean.  It makes hot water so I was thinking you could use it to warm up and get some of that mud off yourself too."
> She looks at you sceptically, obviously not buying your explanation.
> "This... thing makes water?" she asks, a touch of amusement breaking through the last of her unease.  "Why would you humans use such a thing?  Normally when I need to bathe I simply take a dip in the stream, lots of space to swim and no need to trap yourself in such a small space."
> She had a point you guess, nothing quite beats a swim on a warm summers day...  You had not shown her the best part yet though...
> "True." you concede.  "In the stream though I bet you only get cold water or icy, this makes it hot remember?"
> To emphasize your point you reach in and poke the controls.  A stream of water promptly erupts from the shower nozzle, the top notch heating system in this place quickly bringing the temperature up to the needed level.
> The sudden appearance of water startled the vixen, causing her to jump back instinctively and almost trip over her now sodden towel.  Seeing you still standing there however, she slowly tip toes her way back over, sniffing at the steam now rising up from the cubical.
> "What... how...?" she stammers.  "Where is it coming from?" 
> "It gets pumped in underground through pipes, we figured out a way to heat it up pretty quickly too so its ready when we need it." you explain.  "Go on and try it if you want."
> She reaches out a paw towards the stream of water but pulls back at the last second, deterred by the heat radiating from it.
> "I don't think I want to Anon..." she says, shrinking back into her towel slightly.  "Its a bit too weird...."
> Not one to give up too easily you decide a small demonstration might be in order.
> Bringing your own hand up, you hold it under the streaming water.  The temperature was set for hot but not too hot, the warm water passed pleasantly across and through your fingers.
> "See?  Nothing to worry about.  Trust me once you try it you'll probably never want to get out!"
> Emboldened by your display she reaches out again, placing her paw under the water where your hand had been.  With a little "yip!" noise she pulled it back out quickly, causing you to move over to her quickly in concern.
> "Freja what happened?  Are you ok!?!  Did it burn you?"  Your in a bit of a panic now, worrying about what sort of damage you might have just done to her.
> With a giggle however she hold her paw up for you to inspect.  No burns or anything visible through the wet fur.
> "Sorry!" she giggles.  "Nothings wrong, it just took me by surprise is all.  I've never felt water like that before...  Its so weird!"
> With a sigh of relief you step back and drop her paw.  "Don't do that to me!  Seriously, you nearly gave me a heart attack." you chide her, but there's no real anger in your voice.
> After a moment she tries again, leaving her paw in longer this time, flexing her fingers and making a fist.  Its not long before she drops the towel and steps in completely.
> With a gasp she hunches down slightly as the hot water pours over her, clearly not used to the feeling of anything other than cold rain coming down from up high.  Within a few seconds however the heat works its magic, as the chill is chased away she stands up a little straighter, obviously beginning to enjoy the sensation of it running through her fur.
> After about a minute of this you realise that your now just standing in the bathroom staring at a chick showering...  She might be a fox chick but still, those hardwired gentlemanly thoughts beaten into you from childhood onwards compel you to give her some privacy.
> As you make to head towards the door something catches your attention.  The water pooling at the bottom of the shower is almost black, the wet towel on the floor is similarly stained showing you that it wasn't just her arm that was in need of a wash.  If you just left her as is then the hot water alone probably wasn't going to cut it.
> Remembering something Jane had said when showing you around before, you head to the sink and the small cabinet underneath.  Inside is a little bottle of shampoo.  Its not really something you would use but Jane had left it here just in case, it was one of those sensitive types that was supposed to be safe for most people, and even babies to use.  It shouldn't have any negative effects on Freja then hopefully.
> Taking it over to the shower you try get Freja's attention.  While you were distracted she had turned herself around to face you.
> The stream from the shower head was coming down directly onto her fluffy chest, her head was pulled back with her long nose pointed to the ceiling.  The result was that you had a full view of pretty much everything, her fur had been slicked down by the hot water showing off her feminine physique.  
> The puff of fur on her chest had previously hidden everything underneath.  Now you could make out the shape of two perky little breasts, while not huge there was enough there to get a handful... not that that's were your mind is going or anything (note to self, thirty mental lashes for deviant thoughts.  Bad brain, BAD!).
> Eyes heading down despite yourself, you notice her belly is looking thinner than it should.  While she has not quite wasted away to nothing you can tell she's missed more than a few meals, the bottom of her rib cage is easily spotted poking through as her back arches back slightly.  
> While you had some unintentional firsthand experience with them previously, her water slicked hips are a revelation.  With the fur flattened you can see their shape in all their glory, if she got back to a healthy weight again...
> With a shake of your head you try to banish these bad, bad thoughts, and up the number of lashes to fifty while your at it.  Instead you clear your throat and speak up.
> "Uh Freja?  I've got something here that might help you get clean a bit easier...  Its something we use when we shower to wash our hair, and considering your pretty much covered in it..."
> She drops her head back down and opens her eyes, looking at the bottle curiously she ponders your words.
> "Really?  What is it?  How does it work?" she asks, obviously enjoying herself now and curious as to what else there is to experience.
> Trying to keep your eyes on hers ("my eyes are up here Anon!" ringing through you mind), you present the bottle.
> "Well... its this.  You pour a bit on yourself and rub it in, it turns to bubble like stuff that you then wash off with the water.  When your done it will have helped clean you up and it smells nice too."  Looking at the bottle you can see its a lavender edition of the shampoo brand.  Not what you would use on yourself but...
> With a cheeky smile, she suddenly asks "Are you saying that I don't already smell nice Anon?"
> Your on the defensive.
> "Wait, what?  No of course not..!  I mean you do smell nice...  Wait I mean you don't smell bad..!  I mean..."
> As you stumble over yourself trying to untangle your tongue, she gives another of her almost musical little laughs.  Finding your reaction far too amusing.
> "I'm joking Anon!  Oh look, your face has gone all red...  Are you ok?"
> Trying to regain your manly composure, you step forward with the shampoo and hand it over.
> "Oh yeah... fine.  Its just hot in here, with the shower... you know.  I'll leave this here so if you want to use some then just go ahead.  Pull on the bit at the top, turn it over and squeeze some on your hand... uh paw.  I will just be out there."
> With that you spin round and head for the door, time to exit your dozy arse stage right before you make any bigger of an idiot of yourself.
> As you reach the door however, she calls out to you.
> "Wait Anon... don't go...  Can you help me with this... please?"
> Turning back, you look over and see she's half way out the shower, looking over at you with a worried expression.  She doesn't seem to like the idea of being in here alone.  Maybe you could stay for a bit til she's comfortable, then...  Wait...  What?"
> You do a bit of a double take.  Had she just asked you to...?  
> Believing you had misheard what she said, you open your mouth to ask her to repeat herself.  You stop however when you see the shampoo bottle in her paw, held out towards you expectantly...
> After a second of awkward silence you manage to speak.
> "W-what do you mean... help you?  With w-what?"
> She cocks her head slightly.  "I mean I've never used... this... before (she gives the bottle a little shake), can you show me?"
> ...
> Your brain goes through a little system restart, your thoughts going blank for a second before it slowly returns, whirring and clicking back to life.
> "Uh ok...  If you want sure."
> Stepping forward you take the bottle and open the cap.  Holding it towards her.  This is just what she meant, obviously!  Damn it Anon, you and your dirty mind...
> She takes the bottle back and gives the now open end a little sniff.
> "Ohh that smells like the flowers I sometimes find out in the forest!  Thanks Anon!"
> With that she steps back into the shower and squeezes some of the shampoo onto her paw.  With a little frown she starts rubbing the goopy substance into the fur around her belly, giving a little gasp of delight as the bubbles start to appear.
> A little deflated and cursing your deviant mind for taunting you so, you head back out to the bedroom.  While she's showering you can get her a fresh towel from the drawer for when she's done.
---------------------------------------------
> After a few dejected minutes by yourself, she calls out from the bathroom again.
> "Anon?  Can you come here for a minute?"
> She must be ready to come out.  Gathering up the towel you head back in.
> The sight your met with however stops you at the door.  
> The inside of the shower is covered in bubbles.  Freja must have gone to town with the shampoo because all you can see is her head poking out the bubbly mass.
> "Freja?  How much did you use?  I said just to squeeze out just a little, what happened?"
> She has a sheepish look on her face and one of her eyes is closed.
> "I got a bit carried away..." she starts, sounding quite embarrassed now.  "It felt so good that I used a bit more, then it got in my eye and it was stinging and i couldn't see, then I dropped it somewhere and now...  Help?"
> With a sigh you head over to the bubble bound vixen.  Reaching in you switch off the water temporarily and grab the showerhead.  Its one of those detachable ones so you pull it down and point it at Freja.
> "Ok, I'm going to switch this back on and start rinsing this off alright?  If you want me to stop at any time then just tell me."
> She gives a sheepish little nod.
> Switching the water back on you get to work.  On a lower pressure setting you start with her head, rinsing the soap out of her eyes and giving her the chance to rub her fluffy cheeks clean.
> Next you aim over her shoulders, her back turned to you, while she works on her front.
> This continues downwards (with you being careful not to direct the water anywhere too... sensitive, and averting your eyes when necessary).  Your almost done except for her tail, despite blasting it with the showerhead directly the thick coating of fur stops you getting all the soap out as is.
> Freja seems to have blissed out by this point, the act of scrubbing herself down in the hot water totally relaxing her.  It was odd that she didn't mind you being there, heck you were actually spraying the water...
> "Freja?" you ask awkwardly, kind of unwilling to knock her out of her happy state.  "Your tail needs a bit more work."
> Looking down at her wet, soapy tail, she tries to reach down and get a hold of it.  Despite her best efforts though she cant seem to reach it comfortably while in the confines of the shower.  Its not a problem that the average human had to contend with so there wasn't really an allowance built into the design for tail space.
> After a couple of fruitless spins she stops and looks at you, her blissed out look replaced with embarrassment again.
> "Anon...  Do you think... maybe you could... help with my tail?"
> The part of your brain that you just finished telling off starts twitching again.  A few internal threats stops it for now.
> "You want me to wash your tail?  Are you sure your ok with me... touching you like that?  I mean... really?" you finish lamely.  Your really trying to not come across as some sort of pervy human weirdo here but she's really not helping...
> "I trust you Anon." she says with a smile.  "No one has ever touched me... there before... but I don't mind if its you..."
> "O-ok..." you manage to say.  Handing her the shower head you kneel down towards her tail.  She has her back turned to you but she is able to angle the water down behind her.
> Taking a deep breath, you reach out and gently take hold of her tail in your hands.  She tenses slightly and gives a little jump at your touch, spraying you with water in the process.  Your already damp from helping wash off the bubbles so your not too concerned.  She doesn't make any other moves or asks you to stop so you continue.
> As gently but also as firmly as you can, you set about squeezing the soapy water from her bushy tail.  Freja gives the occasional little gasp as you do but remains silent otherwise.  After a few minutes the water runs clean, the task is finally complete.
> You stand up and switch off the water.  Freja is standing there in the cubical still, she's not making any movement towards leaving and she seems to be avoiding your eye.
> Wondering if you maybe hurt her somehow or inadvertently pulled on her tail or something, you take a step back.
> "All done Freja, how do you feel now?" you ask hopefully.
> "Much better Anon... thank you." she replies quietly, still looking down at her feet.
> Yup, you must have accidently touched somewhere you shouldn't have or something.  Her demeanour has definitely changed.  
> "Are you okay?" you ask.  "Did I do something to-"
> She interrupts you, waving her paws out in front of her and splashing water about everywhere.
> "What?  No no no!  Its fine!" she says quickly.  "I'm just getting a bit cold again that's all...!"
> Your not convinced but you decide to drop it for now.  Instead you hold out the fresh big towel and place it over her when she climbs out.  She immediately pulls it in close around herself and heads out to the other room.
> Its a bit of a mess in here, figuring she probably needs a bit of private time to dry herself off and recover from your inadvertently wandering hands, you decide to do a bit of cleaning up.  Apart from the water, bubbles and paw prints about the place, the inside of the shower was coated in mud, fox fur and a few twigs and other detritus washed out of her coat.
> As you get to work, you think to yourself.  About this crazy day, about the fox girl in the other room and about how if nothing else, when this is all said and done, you were going to write a book about the secrets of inappropriate boner control and make millions.
-------------------------------------------------
Chapter 14
> It didn't take you all that long to clean up the mess.  The cleaning stuff you needed was actually kept in the little cupboard under the sink where you had found the shampoo (the reasoning of keeping the stuff you use to wash your hair with the bleach eluded you), so with a little effort you had it back up to scratch.
> Once you were done, you head back into your room to see where Freja had got to.  Not very far it would seem however.
> She had made it made it to the middle of the room before apparently dropping down to the varnished hardwood floorboards, spreading the towel, and trying to roll herself dry on it.  She seemed to be having limited success.
> "What are you trying to do there exactly?" you ask, her flailing arms and legs causing some concern.
> At the sound of your voice she stops short and quickly hops to her feet, looking slightly abashed.
> "Oh Anon!" she cries, slightly out of breathe.  "I was... er... just trying to use this thing to dry off but..."  
> Her fur is sticking out at odd angles and tufts, her rolling around not really succeeding in drying but very much giving the impression she's been pulled through a hedge backwards.
> Her flustered look quickly changes to one of indignation.  Giving a little snort she kicks at the towel by her feet and glares at you.
> "This thing isn't working!  I tried using it like you showed me but I cant reach my back properly and it keeps falling down and, and..."
> Her anti-towel rant is interrupted by your poorly contained laughter.  Despite your best efforts the sight of her getting so worked up over something as harmless as a towel was too much for you to handle.
> "What?  What!?!" she yelled, getting even more flustered by your reaction.
> After a few seconds you manage to get yourself back under control.  Wiping a tear from your eye you turn to the annoyed vixen.
> "Ok ok!  Calm down, I'm sorry!" you say quickly, she looks about ready to lamp you one.  "I've just never seen someone lose a fight to a towel before, not that badly anyway..."
> Your last remark does little to improve her mood.
> "Its not funny!" she grumbles sulkily, a cute little pout creasing her furry features.  "I'm a bit warmer now but no thanks to this silly thing (she gives the offending towel another little kick) I'm still wet."
> This wasn't what you had been going for when you had suggested the shower.  Still, there was one last thing to try.  Walking over to the object of her displeasure, you pick up the towel and offer it back up to her.
> "I can give you a hand if you want?"
> After her reaction in the shower you expect her to decline, to your surprise however, she just gives a little huff and walks forward into the folds of the waiting towel.
> "Fine..." she sighs, in a tone of what sounds like mock defeat.  "Just make it quick, I'm starting to feel cold again." 
> "Well, ok then..."
----------------------------------------------
> What followed, even considering the  events of the last few days, was just plain surreal.
> The vixen simply stood with her back to you, her arms crossed in front, and waited for you to towel her dry. 
> So towel her dry you did.
> Sticking to her back and shoulders to start with, you start rubbing at her fur, being careful not to press too hard and hurt her or go too soft and not actually dry anything.
> Freja for her part, seemed content to stand there and let you do your thing.  With each touch of her fur the smell of lavender drifted upwards, seeming to gently weave itself through your senses.
> Doing your best to keep yourself focused on the task at hand, you realise that you've run out of 'appropriate' places to dry.  Yet she hadn't moved away or anything, in fact she had relaxed somewhat and if you weren't mistaken, closed her eyes.
> Taking a chance you clear your throat and push on.
> "Uh Freja?  Arm?"
> Her only reaction was to lift one of her arms up and point it to the side, apparently quite happy for you continue.
> As you finish, the same is repeated with the other arm, and her tail again (you did your best to be extra careful this time).  You even work gently on the back of her neck, strangely relishing the feel of the longer fur that puffed out there.  As you work she tilts her head to the side, one ear folding down flat while the other sticks up completely, if you didn't know any better it looked like she was enjoying herself...
> Finally you find yourself at an impasse.  To continue would mean venturing into what you would consider very 'private' territory, yet she still hadn't moved...
> "I've finished what I can, all that's left is your front and your legs.  You ok from here?" you ask.
>  In your younger days you had no troubles interacting with the fairer sex, as you became more socially isolated however and with your attempts to find that special someone ending in a string of meaningless one night stands, your confidence in yourself had suffered.  So considering your current position, you had started freaking out.  
> Yet again however, she throws you through a loop with her answer.
> "Hmm?  Oh can you do my legs too?  I'll get the rest."
> Ok...
> With that, she grabbed the top part of the towel and started rubbing at the damp plume of fur around her chest.  The rest of the towel hung down by her feet, which meant you had to go down to your knees to reach it.
> As you get to work on her feet/paws, you cant help but appreciate how... dainty they actually are.  The black fur that covered her toes, the strange but almost sculpted way her thin legs curved up towards her knees...  How-
> Ok, no no no!  Stop that right now!
> A mix of emotions suddenly washed over you, complicated by the self doubt locked away within.  You needed to know what was going on, what this situation was exactly.  Here you were, towel drying this fox girl in (what felt like) a most intimate of ways, and you had little idea of how you had ended up here or why she seemed to be happily complicit in it.
> Stopping what you were doing, you decide to ask her.  Making sure not to look up though (from your current position you would have an unobstructed view of her furry nethers...), you pose your question.
> "Freja?  I need to ask, why are you so comfortable with me doing this?  I mean... we only really met a couple of days ago and yet you trust me enough to get this close..."
> She stopped what she was doing and seemed to contemplate your words for a moment.  Eventually she turned around and looked down at you.   Noticing that you were still down on the ground and with your gaze fixed firmly on the floor, she drops down to try and meet it.
> "Anon?" she asks softly, unsure with your sudden change in attitude.  "Look at me."
> You bring your eyes up to hers, surprised by the earnestness you see there.
> "When I was little, it was just my parents and me.  We were the only ones left of our kind here, they wouldn't tell me where the rest had gone.  So growing up we did everything together, went everywhere, so I was never alone."
> She stopped, her gaze now the one falling downwards.  Before you could find the words to try and offer some comfort, she continued.
> "One of my earliest memories is of my mom, she used to bathe me when I was really small.  She always took so much care...  Making sure to get all the mud off after I went playing in the dirt and chasing squirrels..."
> She returned her gaze to yours.
> "I felt kinda like that again with you Anon.  I've been all alone out there in the forest for so long now, it felt... nice, to have someone who cared enough to wash the mud off again."
> "Wow, Freja...  I..." you begin, touched by her honesty.  "I'm glad that you feel you can trust me like that."
> Really not knowing what else to say, you instead return to the task at hand.  One question answered but a whole bunch more already starting to form within.
---------------------------------------------------
> Between the two of you, the task of drying her off is soon complete.  The wet towel hung up with the other one in the bathroom.
> At this point you begin to feel exhaustion creeping up your muscles.  Between the day of hiking and tonight's cleaning and shenanigans, you were beat.  Not to mention that the clock now shows it as just gone 2pm.  That left the issue of sleeping arrangements...
> As you ponder the options, Freja has already found her way over to the bed while exploring the room.
> At first she gives it a sniff, followed by an experimental prod with her paw.  The springy softness seems to fascinate her and she's soon pouncing and bouncing about on it.
> "Woah Freja stop that!  Please not so loud!  You might wake someone up!"
> With another little pout she stops, settling on the covers with her legs out straight.
> "Aww no fun!" she groans, being nocturnal by nature she's probably full of energy you realise with a sigh.
> "We're trying to keep you hidden not announce your presence remember?  Anyway that's my bed your bouncing on."
> She cocks her head.  "Really?  You sleep on this thing?  I can see why...  Its all soft and squishy!"
> An idea strikes you.
> "Ok, if you like it so much why don't you sleep there tonight?  I'll see if there's a spare blanket around here somewhere and camp on the floor.  Then we'll start working out what we're going to do from tomorrow.  How's that sound?"
> She perks up again at the suggestion of her taking the bed.
> "Really?  Sleep on here?  Thanks Anon!  That's great!"
> After a few seconds however, her smile falls and she looks at you with a confused expression.
> "Wait...  Why are you sleeping on the floor Anon?  I thought you said this was where you sleep?  There's plenty of room..."
> "Your my guest." you reply, the gentlemanly conditioning still going strong.  "I cant make you sleep on the floor now can I?  You get the bed and as long as I get to keep one of those pillows then I'll be fine."
> Her ears turn downward again and she has that sheepish look on again.
> "Actually... Anon?" she asks, uncertainty in her voice.  "I was wondering...  Could I sleep with you tonight?"
> Say what now?  If you heard that right then she wants to...
> "Wait what?  You want to sleep with...?  Why!?!" you sputter.
> "Well... remember I said that my family used to do everything together?  Even keep each other warm at night?  I've been sleeping by myself for so long that I just got used to the cold...  If you don't want to then that's ok..."
> Ok, your overreacting again.  Nothing lewd to see here, move along...  She just wants someone to cuddle with...  Despite your loneliness addled brain you can manage that, right?
> Somehow you restore power to your vocal chords, everything having shut down with your tired, overloaded brain.
> "Y-yeah ok... sure.  If that's what you want then that's ok with me..."
> First though you had to do some emergency maintenance.  You were still wet and kind of grubby from the cleaning and her shower so you had to get out of these clothes.  Secondly you normally slept in nothing but your birthday suit so you would need to find an alternative...
> Raiding the drawers you find a clean pair of boxers and a shirt, then head to the bathroom to change.
> A minute later your back.  Freja is still sitting on the bed waiting.  Despite her supposedly being nocturnal, she's actually looking quite sleepy herself.  She even lets out a big old yawn (showing off her dazzling array of sharp teeth in the process...), guess its been a long day for her too.
> Heading over to the bed, you stop at the edge and wait.
> "So...  How are we going to do this?" you ask.  "There's more than enough space in here for two so you can go wherever, if you want to go down the other end then that's fine, whatever is comfortable."
> You climb in under the covers, keeping to the edge so that she has plenty of space to choose from.  Watching you she realises that the covers are for sleeping under and not on.  Quick as a flash she burrows her way inside.
> You don't have long to wait to see where she chooses to sleep.  The spot right next to you.
> Popping up from under the covers at your side, she settles down, her emerald eyes on you.  Your a bit taken aback by this.
> "You want to sleep... there?  I mean with me this close?" you ask incredulously.
> She gives you one of her foxy smiles and answers.  "I told you, we usually sleep together to share warmth.  Cant get that from over there...  What, you worried I might bite or something?"
> Despite a flash of her teeth again, that last part was the least of your concerns.
> "Ok ok fine I get it...  Let me just get the light and we'll see how this goes..."
> With that you hit the switch on the lamp next to you and try to settle down.  No easy feat considering your unexpected bunk mate.
> Despite this however, the fatigue building within couldn't be denied forever.  Its not long before your eyes start to feel heavy and sleep comes to steal you away.
> "Goodnight Freja." you manage to mumble.
> "Goodnight Anon." the vixen responds from the darkness beside you.
> As your consciousness finally loses its impossible battle, you drift off to sleep.  Your dreams filled with wild, yet elegant forms, running through the trees of a familiar forest, the scent of lavender in their wake.
-----------------------------------------------
Chapter 15
> It was with some reluctance that you found yourself rousing from the warm embrace of sleep.  For one thing it was still dark, plus you were feeling like crap from yesterday so an early start was just... no.
> The dim light of the small digital clock on the table told you it was only 4:13am.  Why were you awake at this ungodly hour?  
> Planning on going straight back to sleep you turn over and take a deep breath...
> Lavender...
> With a start you sit up, the scent bringing the nights activities back into sharp focus.  The bed was empty.
> Reaching over you feel around the blankets, just in case Freja is perhaps just underneath somewhere...
> Nothing.  In the spot just next to you however is a warm patch, the place where she had been sleeping.  If its still warm then she cant be far...  Before bed time you did have a quick discussion about the toilet and what to do there if she needed to relieve herself during the night.  Maybe she was in the bathroom?
> From your position on the bed you can see the bathroom door is open, there's no one inside.
> With rising panic you realise the bedroom door is open.  Had she really just...
> Oh no, no no no!  She was wandering the house!  Alone!  What if she woke up Steve?  The whole point of this risky set up was to keep her hidden!  Not deliver her directly to him like a particularly fluffy breakfast in bed!
> Trying not to completely lose your mind, you jump out of bed and head out the door.
> There's no sign immediately outside your room, you decide its worth the risk to quietly call out.
> "Freja?  Where are you?"
> Your voice is barely above a whisper, not daring to go any louder.  There's no answer.
> From what you remember of the mini tour Jane gave you, the left would lead eventually towards the master bedroom.  You would like to think Freja has the sense to not head directly for it, the sense of smell at least.  
> Taking the other route brings you to the top of the stairs.  Everything is dark and silent, no immediate sign of the missing fox on the landing or below.
> The house was too big to go search everywhere, particularly in the dark.  It would only be a matter of time before Steve awoke and started preparing for his hunt, Freja could not be wandering around when that happened.
> As you try and work out where to start your search proper, a creaking from downstairs catches your attention.  It sounded like a heavy door being slowly opened.  It was only a small sound but in the dead silence of the night it felt as loud as a foghorn.
> Whatever she was doing down there, you needed to get her back up to the room and fast.
> Tiptoeing down the stairs as quickly and quietly as you can, you try and find the source of the creaking.  The kitchen doesn't have a door, the various sitting and living rooms are all closed up tight, which left...  Oh no.  Steve's trophy room.
> Hoping against hope you make your way to where Steve had called you but a few days before.  Reaching the door your heart sinks, it has been opened.
> Somehow you manage to squeeze through the gap without opening the door any further, the room is not actually all that relatively big so if she is in here then it shouldn't take long to find her.  You may even get to her before... she... sees...
> In the darkness you can make out a small figure hunched down on the floor in front of the empty fireplace.  The two frozen faces of her parents looking down in silence.
> This was bad.  You make your way over to her, careful not to bump into anything, and try to gauge just how bad.
> She is kneeling on the floor, her head is down and her paws are covering her eyes.  She's softly sobbing into the darkness.  
> "Freja?" you ask tentatively.  "Are you ok?"
> Her sobbing abruptly stops at the sound of your voice, her paws fall down to her lap but she doesn't respond.
> "Freja?" you try again, hoping that it isn't in fact worse than you fear it is.
> Without looking up, she finally answers.  
> "Did you know?" she asks, an edge to her voice you hadn't heard before.
> "I..."  
> Your words fail you.  What could you say?  Yes you did know?  That you brought her to this house knowing that this horror show was under the same roof?
> "I did." 
> Your answer doesn't seem to surprise her.  In fact she lets out a mirthless little chuckle in response.
> "What is this Anon?  What is this place?  Why are my-"
> The volume of her voice had started to rise dangerously, this house was big enough for most sounds to get lost between here and the master bedroom but its better not to tempt fate.  So you decide to cut her off and try calm her down.
> "Listen, I only saw this a short time after we first met, the same day even.  This is what I was trying to keep you from.  I don't want you to end up here too."
> It didn't seem to be sinking in, you couldn't blame her though, you couldn't even begin to imagine how you would react finding something like this.  You still had to try calm her down though.
> "The hunter who-"
> It was her turn to interrupt you.
> "Hunter?  My people hunt!  We hunt because we need to, for food!  This?" She pointed angrily upwards, her gaze didn't follow however and stopped at your eyes.  "This is... wrong!  Its evil!"
> Her voice was reaching greater heights now, she was almost hysterical.
> "Freja please...  Not so loud, they'll hear us!  I'm sorry ok?  I knew they were here but how could I tell you?"
> As the tears flowed freely down her furry cheeks, her eyes conveyed a world of anger, pain and sadness.
> "When I lost my parents, no, when they were taken from me, I would have given anything to see them again.  But this..?  This is... is..."
> She had managed to look up again at the two heads mounted on the wall, a fresh bout of sobbing robbed her lf any further words.
> At this moment you felt completely helpless.  There didn't seem to be any words that could make things right, nothing you could do to ease her sorrow.  The idea of jumping up on one of the chairs and prying the grizzly trophies off the wall flashed through your mind, but somehow you doubted that handing her the stuffed head of her mom or dad would in any way help, if anything it would probably traumatise her even more.
> You reach out to offer some comfort, perhaps just knowing you were there would help?  Or maybe she would go for your throat...
> Before you can find out however, things get markedly worse.  The light out in the hall flicks on and a deep voice shouts "Is someone down there?  If you are you better not be!  I'm armed!"
> Its Steve.  Peachy, just peachy.
> Freja doesn't react, she's still on the floor sobbing uncontrollably.  Either she didn't hear him or she didn't care anymore.
> "Come on!" you whisper urgently.  "He's here!  We have to go, now!"
> The grief wracked vixen didn't seem to hear you.  Her face once more buried in her paws as she cried.
> You could hear Steve making his way down the stairs now, it wouldn't be long before he noticed the open door and came looking.
> Running wasn't an option anymore so hiding was your only chance, unless you fancied taking on your rifle bearing uncle with nothing but your fists and some choice insults about his beard...
> There should be just enough room behind one of the big armchairs to hide you both as long as you kept still.  The problem was getting Freja to follow you.
> The sound of Steve slowly (but not exactly silently) making his way along the hall meant time was almost up.  Only one thing for it then.
> Scooping Freja up in your arms you quickly dart behind the closest chair and drop down to the floor, keeping the vixen held tightly to your chest with your back to the rear of the armchair.
> Just as you duck out of sight, the door creaks open and the light flicks on.  Steve had arrived.
-------------------------------------------
> Steve entered the room, he was dressed in some typical blue stripe pajamas, a red robe and some slippers.  He was also clutching his trusty rifle.
> Slowly he walked forwards to the centre of the room, his eyes darting left and right as he looked for intruders.
> "Anyone in here?" he bellowed.  "If you show yourself now I'll just kneecap you.  If I find anyone hiding then their getting a new cakehole!"
> As you hide behind the chair, you have Freja pulled tightly against your chest.  One arm wrapped around her midsection while the other hand is up against the end of her muzzle.  You don't want to scare her or anything but with the state she was in a second ago you cant risk her drawing Steve's attention.
> You raise your mouth next to her furry ear and breathe a few words.
> "Stay perfectly quiet, if he sees us then run for the door while I distract him.  Got it?"
> She seems to realise the situation she's in, a small nod signals her understanding so you remove your hand.
> Steve was still advancing, he was only a few feet from your hiding place now.  What would you do if he found you?  Looking around you spot a set of pokers next to the fireplace.  That might do the trick in a pinch...
> He stops short of the armchair, standing perfectly still and seemingly listening for any tell tail noises.  You hold your breath, you feel Freja do the same.
> As the seconds tick by and you begin to think he is going to hear you with how loud your heart is beating.
> As little black spots start appearing in the corners of your vision you are once again saved by your aunt.  Her voice calls through from outside the door.
> "Steven?  I've checked the alarms and nothings been triggered.  If someone had broken in then we'd know about it.  Stop messing about in there and come back to bed!"
> With a grumble he turns back around and stomps his way back out the room, switching off the lights and shutting the door behind him as he went.  If you didn't know any better you'd think that he was disappointed that he didn't find anyone to shoot in 'self defence'.
> Its too risky to move straight away, you need to make sure that he's gone back up to his room before attempting to leave.
> Having finally released your held breath, your now sitting on the floor panting.  Freja is still clutched to your chest, even as she pants too you can feel her heart racing.
> Its a few minutes before your breath and your senses return.  You realise that your still holding the vixen.  Releasing your grip quickly, your surprised that she doesn't immediately jump away.  Instead she remains where she is, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
> Her voice suddenly speaking out in the darkness makes you jump.
> "I don't get it." she states simply.
> A little perplexed you don't immediately say anything.  She continues anyway.
> "Why Anon?  That's three times you've hidden me from that man.  Why?  Why don't you hunt me like he does?  Why are you helping me really?"
> "I'm sorry." you begin.  "I'm sorry that I brought you to this place.  That you had to find your parents like... that.  I saw them after we first met, Steve, the hunter, he brought me in here and showed them to me.  He suspected that I'd helped you hide and he wanted to try make me tell him how."
> She was still sitting with her back presses against your chest, listening to your 'confession' quietly.  She had stopped crying.
> You continue.  "When he showed me, when he told me how he...  I decided then and there that I was going to try and help you.  That I would find some way to keep you from ending up here next to them on that wall.  No one deserves this, least of all you."
> She remained sitting there in silence for a few minutes, taking in what you had said.  After letting go of her your hands had fallen down to your sides and rested limply on the floor.  After a moment she reached down and picked up your hand in her soft paws, holding it tightly.
> "Anon I..." she whispered.
> You still had more to say however.
> "I shouldn't have brought you inside the house." you continue.  "I should have found another way to keep you safe, one that didn't make you go through... well, this.  I didn't though, I couldn't.  I'm sorry Freja."
> You were finished.  Your confession and apology now off your chest.  She probably wouldn't want to stay in this house any more.  Who could blame her?
> Freja still had your hand in her paws, she hadn't said anything but was fiddling with your fingers as she sat lost in thought.  The feeling of her strange almost hand like paws intertwined with yours...  
> Finally she answered, breaking the silence once more.
> "Stop apologising Anon, please?  You've done nothing since we met but help me.  This... (she gestured up above the fireplace) isn't your fault, its 'His'.  Thank you".
> She clutched your hand to her chest between her paws and pressed her head back and to the side so it rested against your shoulder.  Despite everything that had just happened, a sense of peace slowly washed over you.  The danger of staying here too long was very real, but you found yourself not wanting this moment to end.
> It wouldn't do to still be here come morning.  With no small amount of reluctance you break the little bubble of peace that had enveloped you both.
> "Freja?  We cant stay here, if you want you can leave in the morning but for now we have to go back to the room.  Will you come back upstairs?"
> With a little sigh she stirs.  "Ok, I know.  Lets go."
> With a final mournful look back towards her parent's remains, she followed you back out through the door and back up to the safety of your room.
> Once there she immediately climbed back under the covers.  You had expected her to have maybe kept her distance after everything but you were too tired now to mention anything.
> You climb back in yourself and pull up the covers.  When the vixen sidles over and presses against you, there's no need to say anything.  
> Pulling her into your arms, you slowly drift off to sleep once more.  Your heart a little heavier, but also buoyed with a warmth not felt before, and a burning hatred for a man called Steve.
----------------------------------------------
Chapter 16
> Once more you found yourself pulled from your slumber.  It was morning, the first light of dawn just barely peeking through the blinds.
> This time it was a commotion outside that had woken you.  A series of shouts and the excited barking of dogs coming from below your window.
> Freja had woken too, she had climbed out from under the warm covers and was peering fearfully out at the source of the noise below.
> Pulling yourself up you head over to take a look.  As you suspected, its Steve, up at the crack of dawn to head out on his carefully planned fox hunt.
> He's down in the gardens among his hounds, dressed once more in his traditional red coat and yelling orders at the unruly pack.
> The groundskeeper Filchins is also there, holding on to the reigns of two large horses from the stables and waiting for Steve.
> You reach over and gently pull Freja away from her hidey spot at the corner of the window.  After all the close calls you've had so far it would be just your luck for her to be seen now.
> "Its ok, your safe up here as long as he doesn't see you."
> She raises her paw up and clutches at your hand, pulling herself closer and in towards your side in the process.
> "How long will he keep looking for me out there?" she asks.  In truth she probably knows the answer, he's been hunting her for a while now already.  
> "Hopefully not that long.  When he can't find any trace of you out in the forest he'll probably think you've moved on or something and look elsewhere."
> "He's been hunting me for so long now it feels like forever..." she sighs sadly.  "After seeing what he did to my..."  She doesn't seem to be able to bring herself to say the actual word, afraid of the images it would conjure up.  "To be this close to him, its just..."
> Your not really that confident that the old git would give up so easily but you feel the slightly cowering vixen needed some reassurance right now more than bleak realism.
> Turning her away from the window, you give her your best 'its going to be ok smile' and pull her in closer.
> "I told you last night, I'm not going to let that happen to you.  Whatever else happens, I promise you that I wont let you down."
> Your small show of reassurance turned into a full blown hug as Freja threw her furry arms around you, shaking slightly as she held back a fresh round of tears.  Despite wanting to stay right here in this moment as long as you can, it really is time to be moving away from the window...
> Even as you pull Freja out of sight, something draws Steve's gaze upwards to where you stood.  He can only see you standing there thankfully, but he decides to give you a sneer and a little wave all the same.
> Not to be out done, you give him a little wave of your own in return, and a particularly smug little smile.  After all, you know his little hunt today will come up empty handed, but he doesn't...
> It has the desired effect.  Steve's sneer turns to a scowl as he wonders what your so happy about.  Still, he's still confident that the day is already his so he turns away and sets about finishing off the preparations.  The rain from last night has stopped but it would have washed away any tracks or scent trails for the dogs to follow.  He had his work cut out for him today.
> You continue to watch until his little war party sets off and disappears from view, just to make sure he's gone.
> With a sigh you turn back to Freja.  She had left your side and jumped back into bed, a bit harder than she needed to so you suspect she was trying to get a sneaky bounce in when you weren't looking.
> "Its still early, so if you want you can go back to sleep for a bit, or if your hungry I can go find you some breakfast?"
> She puts on a deliberate looking 'oh isn't this a hard decision' face as she considers her answer, eventually coming up with a suggestion of her own.
> With her foxy smile back on, she gives, what you suspect, is her most innocent look.  
> "Hmm  I am getting kind of hungry Anon...  Oh I know!  How about you go get some breakfast for us while I just stay here and keep the bed warm?"
> Well you walked into that one...
-------------------------------------------
> After throwing on some clothes you head downstairs, intent on quickly and quietly gathering up some supplies  before beating a hasty retreat.
> Once in the kitchen you make your way over to the fridge, your not sure how much food you can get away with taking but as long as your safely back upstairs before Jane gets up...
> A noise from behind stops you in your tracks.  Someone is sitting at the kitchen table.
> Spinning on your heel you expect to see Steve, somehow having snuck back in to catch you unawares.  Instead however you see Jane.
> Your Aunt is sat on one of the chairs, she's still in her dressing gown and she has her head pressed down on her crossed arms which are resting on the table.  Her face is hidden but you can hear her sobbing heavily from across the room.
> You had set out to avoid her for this morning, intent on getting back to your furry guest.  The sight of your kindly Aunt reduced to such a state however forced a change of plan.
> "Aunt J?" you ask, unsure if she even realised you were there.  "What's wrong?  Are you ok?"
> With a start she almost jumped out of her skin, shooting up and trying to compose herself in a single motion.
> "O-oh Anon!  G-good morning!" she stuttered, a large smile seemingly appearing out of nowhere.  It couldn't hide her red and puffy eyes from where she had been crying though.
> "Has something happened?  I heard you crying..."
> Her smile began to crack, along with whatever resolve she still had.
> You move over and pull her into a hug as she breaks down.  Sobbing uncontrollably once more.
> After a few minutes of this she began to calm down, sitting back on the chair and wiping her eyes with a tissue.
> "I'm sorry Anon." she sighed.  "I didn't get much sleep last night and this morning... well, I don't know...  Steven has been so on edge these last few days.  All he seems to be able to think about is that hunt of his, its like he's obsessed...  I tried asking him not to go out today, to just spend the day here so that maybe we could all do something together... "
> As she started to sniffle again you stop and try to imagine what Steve's reaction might have been...
> "It was no use though, I've never seen him so... angry.  I've never really agreed with his..." she paused for a second, seeming to take her time forming the next word.  "Hobbies... but this seems different somehow."
> You had to ask your next question, it had been playing on your mind since the first night you had got here.
> "I've seen his trophy room, he told me all about what he... does, on his hunts.  Don't you mind?  I mean you don't eat meat and you love your chickens so why do you go along with it?"
> She remained silent.  Twisting the wet tissue in her hands.
> Just as you give up on receiving an answer, she speaks.  Her voice somehow steadier than before but still wracked with sadness.
> "I don't like what he does Anon.  In fact, I hate it.  I try never to go in that room.  I smile and block out his stories.  I even changed to live pretty much as a vegan just so that I could tell myself that I was offsetting his actions somehow, even only in a small way."
> "Then why-" you begin to ask, not quite seeing how not eating bacon somehow makes up for the two fox heads in the other room.  She interrupts you however.
> "Because Anon, I love him." she stated flatly.  "To you, and a lot of other people too I expect, he comes across as a cruel man.  Quick to anger and full of wrath when he wants to be, like some sort of beast...  To me though he's different.  I see his other side.  He has always looked after me, made sure I wanted for nothing.  He always made time for the children, he went to every school play, he didn't always show it on the outside but he loves us in his own way.  Maybe when you meet your special someone Anon, you will understand.  When you meet your one, it wont matter how anyone else sees them or the things they do, you can only love them as they love you, no more no less."
> You feel oddly touched by her words.  No matter what dark things her husband had done or continued to do, she couldn't help but love him.
> "I'm sorry Anon for dumping all this on you, just ignore me!" she said wistfully, a more genuine smile breaking through the clouds of her sadness now.  "Its just your Aunt getting old and teary.  I'm afraid I will have to pop out again today.  Your cousin Susan still hasn't gotten herself sorted out, she's determined to stand by that silly boy of a partner and if I don't go talk some sense into her she'll probably do something daft!  I hope you don't mind too much, I'll spend some time with you soon for a proper catch-up, promise!"
> You consider pointing out how the speech about love wanting what it wanted clashed with her view of your cousin's relationship but decided against it.
> You give Jane a final hug before she gets up and heads back upstairs.
> After your Aunt left to go get herself sorted out you took your chance to plunder the fridge and head back to your room.  You had been gone longer than planned, hopefully Freja hadn't gone wandering again...
> Upon your return you thankfully find the vixen curled up under the covers asleep.  She had definitely taken a liking to the bed, although it looked a bit messier than when you left, had she been bouncing again?
> Placing your goodies on the desk, you decide to climb back in to bed yourself.  It was still early, you hadn't gotten a full nights sleep and the thought of snuggling back under the covers again with Freja was just too inviting.
> As you lay under the blankets, you turn over Jane's words in your mind.  About how she loved Steve (somehow) despite what kind of a man he was to everyone else.
> You turn and look at the peacefully napping vixen beside you.  The memory of her in your arms such a short time ago coming up unbidden, but not unwelcome.  As you doze, only half awake really, you consider those immortal words that seem to have governed human behaviour since time immemorial.  The cause of some of the world's greatest achievements and of its bloodiest wars.
> "The heart wants what the heart wants."
> Your not sure what you've gotten yourself into here, but you know that you want to see it through, wherever it might lead.
---------------------------------------------------
Chapter 17
> Today was just not your day as far as sleep was concerned, it would be some time later before you realised it but from when you closed your eyes to this new interruption, only about twenty minutes had passed.
> You were in no position to grumble however, no position to do or think much at all in fact...
> You awaken from a soon forgotten dark dream to the feeling of something warm pressed down on top of you.  Not the light and cozy blanket you drifted off to, something heavier that was actually pressing you down into the mattress.
> You open your blurry eyes to find a pair of emerald green ones watching from above.  Slowly you realise that they belong to Freja, she's sitting on top of your stomach, the blanket up over her shoulders, and watching you intently.
> Blinking your eyes doesn't remove the vision from atop you, the feeling of her body on yours also feels too real to be a crazy early morning dream.
> "Freja?  What are you doing?" you manage to ask.  The fact she's sitting there in silence is starting to unnerve you.
> "Good morning Anon." she coos at you, using a tone of voice you haven't heard from her before.  It sounded almost... seductive?  
> You continue to lay there, staring at her.  You try to think up a response, something, anything to break the silence.
> A wicked smile slowly spreads across her face, she can see the effect that her sitting on you like this is having, and she likes it.
> "What's wrong Anon?" she purrs.  "Are you feeling ok?  You look a little flustered..."
> The slight whiff of chicken drifts down to you on her breath, a quick glance to the desk tells you that she's found the goodies you brought up for breakfast.
> Trying your hardest to keep your calm, you try and speak.
> "G-good morning Freja...  Not that I'm worried or anything but... why are you sitting up there on me like that?"
> She leaned forward a little bit, resting her paws on your chest and bringing her face closer to yours.
> "Oh, no reason really...  Do you want me to move?"
> She said that last part in an almost whisper, her bright green eyes locked on to yours.
> Is this happening?  Are you strapped to a bed somewhere in a nice padded cell, reacting to the higher dose of crazy juice the guys in the white coats just jabbed you with?  This cant be real... can it?  This stuff just doesn't happen to you.
> None of these thoughts reach Freja.  Instead you just shake your head a little and manage a breathless "no..."
> With her smile somehow getting more wicked than before, she sits back up and gets herself more comfortable, shifting her hips side to side slightly.  There's a demon slowly clawing its way up inside your shorts behind her...
> "When I was younger..." she starts, bringing her paw up under her chin.  "My mom taught me things.  In case I ever found myself alone she wanted to make sure I knew how to survive.  How to hunt, how to hide...  How to find a mate, and what to do once I had him."
> Despite talking about her mom, she was still smiling.  
> "She knew I might find someone but she wanted to make sure I picked the right one.  Not just any old stray that found its way into our forest.
> "Wait, are you talking about... me?  As in your mate?" you ask, your mouth suddenly very dry.
> She gave a little nod... and a wink.
> "She said to make sure he had three things.  First, he has to be able to provide for me when food is scarce.  To find a way when the ground is bare."
> A little box in your head ticks itself as you think about all the food you brought her...
> "Secondly, he needs to be able to protect me when our enemies come looking, to keep me safe when there's no other way out."
> A second mental tick.
> "Finally?  I have to know that he cares for me.  Not because he has to, or because he wants something from me, but because he wants... me.  Do you want me Anon?"
> "Yes, I do." you answer almost immediately, the confused apprehension seeming to drain away as you stared up into those perfect eyes.
> "I'm not sure your mom was talking about a human when she told you all this..." you say slowly, those last lingering doubts making themselves known in their death throes.
> "No she probably didn't..." she admits, looking away briefly.  Turning back quickly though she has an almost feral intensity to her now.  "But she didn't say it was only one of my people I had to be with either!"
> As she sits back down again, something hard prods her in her rump, causing her to jump up with a little yipe of surprise.
> The sudden shift of weight to your chest very nearly winds you, but Freja isn't surprised for long.  She turns herself around so her back is facing you, still on your chest she lowers her head down towards your now taught shorts.
> You cant see what she's doing down there, your vision has been completely blocked by her fur covered rear.  Her tail is all puffed out and held aloft behind her, perhaps a side effect of her excitement.  Your given a full view of her hidden 'attributes' as a result.  
> Freja either doesn't notice or mind all that much about the position she's put you in.  She's too busy studying a very specific part of you.
> "Anon is this your..."  She trails off mid question, reaching over instead and gently poking at your bulge, causing you to grunt softly.
> Next she starts sniffing at you, a tentative little sniffs, followed by deeper inhales as she really begins to take it in.
> From your position you can see she's becoming more aroused, under the base of her tail the thick fluffy fur thins out and you can clearly see her nethers.   Your treated to the sight of her blossoming lips, with each sniff of your crotch the vixen takes, she gets a little wetter.  Before long she's almost dripping on you, her scent now fills you're senses as much as yours does hers.
> She turns back to look at you, her smile still intact but a hungry look in her eyes, the latter pulling you from your stupor.
> "Show me Anon." she whispers sensually, you don't hesitate to comply.
> With her weight temporarily lifted from your chest, your able to reach down and release your now throbbing hard member from its prison.
> At the sight of you in all your glory she gasps, apparently not quite as prepared as she thought.
> "I-its bigger than I thought..." she mumbles, again pulling in close.  Instead of taking another sniff however, she gives the tip a little lick.
> This causes you to drop your head back down on the pillow and groan again, your really starting to get worked up now but this was all new to her, you cant rush it, even if your balls take a minor shift into the blue spectrum...
> Lucky for you, she seems to have less patience.
> Sitting herself on your legs, her eyes shine as she stares into yours.  
> "Tell me again Anon, tell me that you want me."
> You sit up, eyes again locked with hers.  "I want you Freja." you respond, your own voice now filled with desire.
> She moves a little closer.  "How much do you want me?" she asks, her voice getting husky as she struggles to keep control.
> "I need you Freja." you say this time.  You mean it too, on a level deeper than you understood at the time.
> She reaches forward and roughly shoves you back onto the bed.  Crawling forwards on her knees, she positions herself over you.
> The mood breaks slightly as her sudden confidence dips, she has an uncertain look on her face.  If she stops now your balls might just go beyond blue and turn to stone.
> "Anon?  I know what to do next but... my mom told me how it, you know, works, but the bit at the end?  When your... thing swells up inside and I cant get off?  Do we have to do that part?"
> You sit there puzzled for a second, you dick was about as big as it was going to get short of some major cosmetic surgery so why would she be worried about...
> It clicks.  Your days lurking on a certain image board had taught you that foxes have the knot, it swells up and locks the couple together during mating.  If her mom gave her the fox equivalent of 'home school sex ed' then that's what she would have been taught to expect...
> "Freja, I'm human remember?  My uh... you know (you point towards your waiting erection) doesn't work like that.  What you see is what you get."
> She ponders this for a second before the smile is back.
> "Really..." she whispers.  "Your just full of surprises..."
> Without another word she lowers herself down, slowly but surely she begins to work your length inside...
> Fuck she was tight!  Her burning hot lips seeming to clamp around you as she slowly takes you in.  You reach up and caress her hips as she continues her descent.
> With each inch she shudders. And moans, her paws have found their way back to your chest and her claws are digging in to your skin.  You barely feel it though, the sensation felt lower down overpowering everything else.
> Finally she stops, having taken your length completely up to the hilt.  She's panting softly, with the effort, and so are you.
> "Are you ok?" you manage to ask between breaths.  "I'm not hurting you am I?"
> She seems to come back from whatever trance had taken her, looking down at you with those beautiful eyes of hers.
> "No Anon your not, it just... I've never..., I mean its so..."
> Her answer is cut short by a knock at the door and a familiar voice.
> Anon are you ok in there?  I heard noises and your door's locked.  Did something happen?
> With a panicked look up at Freja, you just about lose your mind.
----------------------------------------
> You try to sit up, intent on somehow trying to hide what's going on in here from your Aunt Jane.  A pair of black furry paws however hold you down.  
> Freja by rights should be more freaked out than you right now, instead however her wicked grin has returned in spades, she has no intention of stopping this.
> You try buy some time.
> "A-aunt J is that you?  I'm ok really, nothing to worry about!"
> You frantically sign at the vixen to climb off.  Instead however she does something completely different.
> Slowly she begins to rotate her hips, as a result grinding your still inserted member around within.
> You have to bring your hand up to your mouth and bite down on your fist to stop yourself from releasing a moan of pleasure.  She still has her eyes locked with yours, it looks like now her blood is up she has no intention of stopping!  Even with Jane standing outside the door!
> Another knock.  "Anon are you sure your ok?  You don't sound fine..."
> Aw hell.  Your caught between a rock and the rolling hips of a horney vixen and there's fuck all you can do!  Think damn it think!
> "No r-really I'm ok!" you call out, really struggling to control the volume of your voice.  "I uh... overdid it yesterday... with the (gasp, goddamn it Freja!) hiking!  Yeah I pushed myself too faa-AAr!"
> That last part broke up as Freja stopped grinding her hips around and pulled backwards causing you to spasm in bearly controlled pleasure.
> Jane still wasn't convinced.
> You really don't sound right Anon.  Do you want me to come in?"
> "N-no no nope!  I'm ok.  I've just got uh... leg cramp!  Yeah leg cramp!  Its bad so I'm just trying to stretch it out..."
> The rest of the sentence dies in your throat as the grinning vixen resumes her grinding, but in the opposite direction this time.
> "Oh you poor dear!" Jane called through the door.  "Let me in and I'll take a look at it for you!"
> Your really losing control now.  The relentless administrations of Freja's burning hot snatch were driving you mad as you desperately tried to send Jane away.
> "I'm not decent!" you yell.  Not really able to think of anything else.  You go back to biting on your hand, not trusting the next thing to come out of your mouth to be anywhere near civil.
> Luckily Jane takes the hint.
> "Ok Anon, I'll leave you to it.  I'm on my way out now to meet Susan down at the magistrates so try and rest up a bit.  Remember to not go out hiking today either!  Steven is out there... riding again.  Don't want to get hurt by accident or anything...  See you later!"
> Finally she was gone.  So you reach up to Freja and finally manage to stop her.
> "Freja... What was that about?  We almost got caught!?!"
> She simply took your hands with her paws and pulled them up to fluffy plume covering her chest.  You find two perky tits hiding within, each with an erect nipple seemingly waiting for your touch.
> "I'm sorry Anon, I couldn't stop.  This feeling, its...  I cant explain it.  I need more!"
> No longer worrying about making a noise she began to lift herself up slowly, moaning loudly as you slide out of her.  
> You squeeze on her furry breasts all the while, rubbing at the hardened nipples with your thumbs.
> As she reaches the point where only your tip remained within, she pulled herself back down.  Her paws gripping onto your arms as she does.
> This continues with increasing speed as she finds her rhythm, going from a slow set of movements to actually riding you cowgirl style.
> Not to be left out, you move your hands back to her hips and start bucking up to meet her as she comes down, hitting home with a wet slap as you collide with her now soaked entrance.
> Its all you can do to keep up with her, despite being a sheltered forest girl raised in solitude, she has the need of a demon whose intent on riding you all the way to hell and back.
> Its not long before you feel yourself getting close, by the way her insides are clenching on you suggests she's almost there too.
> Without any legible words spoken between you, your climaxes hit as one.  Her hips bucking one last time as you release all you have within.  Each of you give a final moan of ecstasy as you ride out the ensuing waves of pleasure.
> Finally your both spent.  Sliding off in exhaustion, she falls to your side and lays there panting.  
> Words fail you both as you lay side by side.  Your hand shakily reaches over and takes hold of her paw, clutching it tightly and feeling her squeeze back in return.
> Eventually you recover enough to move closer to one another, pulling into a tight embrace.
> Its Freja who breaks the contented silence first.
> "That was... that was wonderful Anon..." she gushes.  "I didn't think it would last that long... mom didn't say anything about that..."
> You smile and plant a light kiss on her nose.  "Human remember?" you say with a chuckle.  "I'm full of surprises if you want to stick around and find out..."
> There was no sleep this time.  You both simply lay there together tangled in the sheets, content with each others company.  
> Despite the mad man running around outside and the lack of an escape plan as of yet, everything felt right for the first time in a long time.
> They say time waits for no man, but you were determined to stay frozen in this moment with Freja for as long as possible.  The rest of the world be damned.
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Chapter 18
> After three days of scouring the countryside, Steve had still not found his quarry.
> On the first day, he rode out full of fire and glory.  All obstacles had been removed.  Filchins had set traps across all the places it had been seen lurking before.  The hounds had been given a scent to follow, only from a small tuft of the beast's fur admittedly, but their noses were second to none.  The rain had stopped, leaving clear skies and a fair breeze.  The last thing?  Anon.  That troublesome nephew who had so royally ruined what was supposed to be  a long planned hour of triumph, had been cowed into hiding in his room like a scared child.
> Things hadn't gone to plan however.  Even though the weather had cleared the night of rainfall had wiped any immediate trace of the fox.  The hounds had to start from scratch.  Things only got more frustrating when he found not a single one of the traps had been touched.  It was as if the beast had somehow seen them coming and avoided it all.  They returned home come nightfall, exhausted, frustrated and most infuriatingly of all, empty handed.
> The second day had gone much the same.  There had been no more rainfall so surely the fox would have left a trail during it's nocturnal wanderings for the hounds to pick up on?
> It ended the same as the first, not so much as a sign.  The hounds found no scents among the trees or fields, the traps remained untouched and no tracks were found in the mud around its usual haunts.
> At home things were not much improved.  Anon at least had locked himself away in his room, apparently unable to face his uncle after the show of strength the other night.  Jane however had started asking questions, wanting to know why this whole thing was so important, why he chose to spend all his time hunting animals instead of with her or even their struggling child Susan?  Who was in trouble with the authorities herself now for spitting at the prosecution when they listed the charges against her partner.
> Several hours of arguing had resulted in Steve taking his wife to the trophy room.  He showed her the two fox heads and explained why the third was so important to him.  
> She had not understood.  In fact she had fled upstairs in tears and refused to speak to him for the rest of the night.
> Steve spent the evening in his favourite armchair, swigging on a bottle of expensive scotch from his reserves, staring at the empty space on his wall.  He spent the night there, stewing on his planned success and his current failure.
> The third day was a disaster.  The rain had come back with a vengeance, not only washing away any potential clues but soaking man and hound alike.  
> Despite the protests of his groundskeeper, Steve pushed on mercilessly.  Driving his pack forward through the mud and rain, riding his already tired horse to near exhaustion.
> After a fruitless morning, they had found themselves back at the old tree where they had first found Anon covered in mud.  The hounds milled around almost aimlessly, finding little of interest in the sodden ground.  Half of them had stopped all together causing Filchins to go see what was wrong.
> It was at this time Steve found a clue, something that would eat at him for the rest of the day.  An empty tupperware container, left at the base of the tree.  He recognised it as belonging to a set Jane had bought.  Why was it out here?  It wasn't there when he found Anon before...
> Further thoughts stalled when Filchins reported that some of the dogs were poorly, the rest of the hunt would have to be abandoned.
--------------------------------------------
> Upon returning to the house a vet was called.  The hounds were showing signs of illness.  Either they had been worked too hard and the cold rain had taken its toll, or they had picked up a virus somewhere.  Either way, they were to be medicated, quarantined to their kennels and under no circumstances, taken out hunting again for the foreseeable.
> With his plans scuppered, his prize nowhere to be found and with his wife not speaking to him, Steve was not in the best of moods.
> He retreated to his trophy room for the evening, cracked open another expensive bottle from his reserve, and sat in his chair once again, brooding.
> The pieces of the puzzle were all there.  He didn't know how but Anon had something to do with all this, the paw prints on the coat, the fur on his jacket, and now the pot that Jane had confirmed Anon had used to have a picnic with while out 'hiking' found in the same spot where they lost the fox's trail before?
> As Steve slowly turned the pot over in his hands, he also turned over the evidence in his mind.  Somehow Anon had robbed him of his prize, found some way to hide the beast or lead it out of the area... but how?  He had been locked up here in the house for the last few days and he couldn't have known about his early return or the planned hunt, so how had he managed to do it?
> As Steve slowly drained the bottle of scotch, his thought process started to become less rational.  With each unanswered question spinning through his thoughts, anger began to rise.
> It was late into the night when Steve finally hit crisis point, when he decided to get his answers from the source directly.
> With his half finished bottle in one hand and his rifle in the other, Steve began staggering towards the stairs, a twisted smile on his bearded face.
-------------------------------------------------
Chapter 19
> While Steve had been out searching fruitlessly high and low for his prey, you were happily helping yourself to the spoils in one of his guest rooms.  Well, to be more accurate, the foxy vixen was busy helping herself to you...
> After your passionate wake up call you had spent the morning cuddled up in bed, partly because you had worn each other out with your joint enthusiasm, and because neither of you could bring yourselves to be the one who broke the seemingly endless moment of peace.
> In the end you had both agreed to get up and go explore the house together.  With Jane out and Steve off doing his thing, the whole place was empty.  Despite being here a few days already you hadn't actually seen much outside of the kitchen, the room you're in now and Steve's room of death.
> The two of you walked hand in hand (or paw) through the halls, stopping to peek inside an interesting looking room or take in a particularly bizarre looking sculpture (your aunt had some weird tastes it seemed).
> The little tour you took through the house was less, in truth, about exploring and more about just enjoying each other's company.  Finally able to spend some time together without the worry of someone hearing you or a pack of bloodthirsty hounds bursting through some bushes and attacking.
> The sound of her musical laughter echoed through the empty halls, your crap jokes about whatever came to mind seeming to tickle her in just the right way.
> It wasn't all just walking around of course...  After finding another little bedroom that looked like it hadn't been used for a long time, you both decided to 'christen' it...  The laughter echoing through the house changing to something a bit louder, and primal.
> By the time Jane got home you had tidied up any sign of your shenanigans, including the dirty towels from your room.  Freja let you go long enough to spend some time with your sombre aunt.  Giving you the chance to listen to her woes, offer some hopefully helpful advice and retreat back upstairs before Steve got back.  In your absence however, Freja had worked out how to use the shower by herself.  There was bubbles everywhere...  An early night wasn't on the cards, not that she exactly let you sleep by the time you got to bed however...
> The following days passed much the same way, with you both making the most of the empty house and just loosing yourselves in each other's company.  The specter of what to do next, how to keep her safe once the bubble finally burst, never really left your mind.  Behind the smile you were desperately trying to come up with a genius plan to make it right.  To stop your murderous uncle.  To make sure Freja could live her life safe and happy.  How you could somehow be a part of it...
> As night fell on what would be your final day together in this house, the resurgent rain continued to pound against the windows, and you sat on your bed with your beautiful vixen in your arms, unaware of what was in store.
------------------------------------------------
> It was getting late.  Your aunt had gone to bed early, having argued with Steve about something.  As far as you could tell the man himself was downstairs somewhere, probably in his favourite room.  You had your door locked anyway so he could do what he wanted.
> You were sat on your bed, propped up against the headboard.  Freja was sat with her head resting against your chest, dozing as you ran your fingers through her fur absentmindedly.
> She twitched and made contented little sounds as you worked your magic.  The one time you stopped, thinking perhaps she might have had enough, an adorable little frown found its way to her face and a sleepy grumble signaled her displeasure.  You were still smoothing and twirling her fur a good half hour later.
> You couldn't rest however.  Despite the distinct lack of sleep since she came to stay, you mind still refused to switch off.
> You knew that this couldn't last, that it wasn't an option to stay like this forever.  You were a temporary guest here after all, even if your aunt let you stay longer it was only a matter of time before someone realised you were not in here alone.  It had been pure luck that your cousin Susan's life had gotten crazy enough to draw Jane away for as long as it had.
> You were no closer to a plan of action.  Many ideas had formed only to be vetoed for one reason or another.
> Could you maybe smuggle her out of here somehow?  You don't have a license or your own car but you took driving lessons time ago, you could probably drive off into the sunset if you could find Steve's keys...  The problem was that Freja wouldn't leave this land.  It was one of the last things her parents had told her, made her promise, not to leave, not to let the humans drive her from this ancient land.  
> With the option of taking her away off the table you had considered making her home here safer, but how?  How can you stop the hunting for good?  Do you... stop Steve?  Could you kill a man in cold blood to save another?  To save Freja?  
> You look down at the snoozing fox, you listen to the sound of her breath, feel her heart beating in her chest...
> The part of you that normally busied itself with thoughts of self destruction chose to answer.  Yes, yes you could.
> Somehow, just swiping his gun and shooting him didn't seem like the best way to go either.  It would be difficult to look out for Freja from inside a prison cell.
> You could go full Rambo maybe?  Hide in the woods and find ways to sabotage Steve whenever he set foot in the forest?  Build little traps from sticks and dig spike pits and things...
> Sadly you didn't really believe you could do it for long.  Even if it worked you would end up in the same situation Freja was in when you found her, without food and desperate while Steve went back home each night to resupply and come again the next day, and the next, and the next...
> Build a mech suit from tree bark and mud?  Try regain internet access and raise an army of /k/ommandos to come do battle in Freja's name and try slip out before they come looking for payment?
> As your desperation grew, the ideas became progressively worse.
> A furry paw rose up and touched your cheek, startling you out of the mental whirlpool you had lost yourself in.
> "Anon?  What's wrong?  You look so sad..." 
> Freja had woken up, noticed the look on your face and gotten concerned.  You couldn't bring yourself to share your building despair with her, so you smile instead and give her a little peck on the nose.
> "I'm fine sweet, just thinking about something.  Nothing to worry about."
> She doesn't look convinced, but your renewed smoothing of the fur on her side soon has her eyes glazing over with satisfaction.
> Eventually she stops you and sits up, a more serious look on her face.
> "I know what your thinking about Anon, I'm not that naive."
> Your protests are cut short when her paw rises up once more and covers your lips.
> "I know we cant stay like this.  That I'll have to go back out there eventually.  I'm not worried though, right now I'm safe, here with you, that's what matters and I want to enjoy it while we can."
> She rolls herself over so that she's lying on top of you under the cover, her arms snaking around your waist as she rests her head back down on your stomach (she seems to have scooted a bit further down the bed too).
> You rest your hand on her head and just hold her there, the despair wrestling with the new found sense of warmth and belonging that this girl has brought you.  For now at least, the sadness retreats.
> Your cozy moment is short lived.  A sudden banging at the door snapping your attention away from Freja.
> BANG BANG BANG.  "Anon!  I know your in there!  Answer me you shit!"
> Its Steve, he's hammering on the door and he sounds drunk.
> Before you can make a move, the door explodes inwards, buckling easily under the force of Steve's drink powered boot.
> Everything freezes.  Steve is stood in the doorway, his rifle held in one hand by the barrel, a half empty bottle of scotch in the other.  A look of incredulous disbelief cutting across his face.  You are still on the bed, your feet caught under the blankets and Freja still on top of your legs.  The vixen is holding the covers to her, trying to shield herself from the man who has made it his mission to ruin her life.
> The moment shatters as Steve reacts first.
> "Is that-?" he sputters.  "Its here?  In my house!?!  In your bed!?!  ARE YOU FUCKING IT!?!" he roars.
> Of all the things you can do or say in this situation, your brain decides do drop a doozy.
> "...not right now..."
> Steve's face has gone from drunken rosiness, to crimson, and with you last response, a fetching shade of purple.
> He is obviously trying, and failing to find the words to scream at you, but his sozzled brain just cant do it.  Instead he drops the bottle and fumbles with his rifle.
> You realise its now or never, time's up.
> You lunge out of the bed towards Steve, sending Freja spinning off towards the other side.
> You reach him in time to push the barrel away from you.  A thunderous boom erupts from the weapon and a hole appears in the wall barely a foot from Freja's head.
> "Out the window!  Quickly!" you yell back to the frightened fox.  It was open slightly despite the rain, two people spending a lot of time together in a locked room tend to make the air a bit... stuffy, so you had unlocked it.  "Head for the place we first met!  Where we had our picnic!  I'll  meet you there!"
> As Freja makes a dive for the window you focus on Steve.  Even though he's been drinking however, he has the upper hand here.  Your still partly tangled in the bed covers, wrapped around your legs in the rush to get at him.  He is also full of rage and booze, a lethal combination when said person is armed.
> You throw a punch at his snarling face but he barely seems to notice.  He pushes you back and lifts his rifle into the air, not to fire though, he brings it back down towards you at speed, the stock pointed downwards.
> The hard edge connects with your skull, sending stars across your vision and a bloom of pain through your head.
> You fall backwards over the covers and towards the bed.  Even as you fall, Steve is pointing the gun towards the window.  His aim is wavering but he's intent on getting another shot at Freja.
> You hit the side of the bed and then the floor, just as another teeth shaking boom erupts from Steve's rifle.
> Your vision is blacking out, you can feel consciousness fading away, but you make out the sound of glass shattering, and a scream, Freja's scream...  Then you know nothing more as the darkness takes you.
------------------------------------------------
Chapter 20
> Peace.  This is what you came here for.  To find something you didn't realise you were missing.  This sense of peace like no other.
> Your sitting under the old tree, the one where your life first changed for the better.  Freja is there with you.  She's sitting at your side, your backs resting against the hard bark, her paw is clasped in your hand.
> It feels like you've been sitting here forever, the concept of time, or the outside world as a whole even, no longer applies or concerns you.  Your life is complete, it is perfect.
> Freja has her head on your shoulder, she's humming a strange little tune that you've not heard before.
> Something seems off though, some small thing that you cant put your finger on.
> You realise that its the Freja's humming, its out of tune slightly.  Even though you don't know the song it just seems wrong somehow.
> "Freja?" you ask, your voice sounding oddly hollow to your own ears.  "What tune is that?"
> She stops humming, but she doesn't answer.  In fact she's sitting perfectly still, she's not moving at all...
> You turn to look at her, concerned that something is wrong.  Relief washes over you however as the vixen looks up at you, a smile on her furry face.  You begin to frown however, when you see that there's sadness in her big green eyes.
> "What's wrong?" you ask, your unease growing, and a dull ache starting to form behind your eyes.
> Again she doesn't answer.  Instead she lifts her mouth up to your forehead and gently starts to lick.  
> You wince, her smooth tongue somehow simultaneously ice cold and causing sparks of pain.
> You pull away, looking back into Freja's eyes, except their not the brilliant emerald green eyes, full of life , that you have come to love.  Their a dull, lifeless green, made of glass.  They look like the eyes of her parents, hanging up on Steve's wall...
> "Anon..."
> You begin shaking your head as the horror of what your seeing starts to sink in.  "No... no no no no!" you whisper, your voice failing you.
> She speaks your name, but is seems like she calling from far away.
> "Anon..."
> Your throat closes up, you cant seem to answer her, to respond or call her name in return.
> The ache behind your eyes has grown to an almost unbearable pounding.  The light seems to have drained from your surroundings, plunging everything but Freja and the tree trunk into darkness.
> A dry chuckle to your right pulls your pained gaze away from Freja.
> Steve is standing over you, a sneer on his face and his rifle in hand.
> He chuckles again as he raises the weapon, pointing it directly at Freja.
> You hear her voice once more, calling out to you from some distant place.
> "Anon?  Can you hear me?  Anon please..."
> You cant move, you cant speak, you cant even scream.  The rifle sounds, the flash blinding you and sending the world spinning into the dark once more...
----------------------------------------------
> Pain.  Confusing your thoughts and denying all other sensation.  It also means your alive.
> You crack open your eyes, bright light blinding you to your surroundings.  A voice is calling out your name...  "Anon?  Can you hear me?  Say something please!"
> Its not Freja's voice though, is that... Jane?
> As you finally manage to focus you see the worried and tear stained face of your aunt.  She's kneeling in front of you with a small bowl of water and a red piece of cloth, she's been using it to mop your forehead.
"Aunt J?" you croak.  "What happened?  Where's-"
> She didn't let you finish.
> "Oh Anon!  Thank goodness your awake!  I thought that...  Oh I'm just so glad your ok!"
> Your still not able to gather your thoughts.  There's something you desperately need to ask but it continues to elude your battered mind.
> Lookin a little closer at the cloth she was using to dab at your head, you can see its not actually red, the edges are white.  That means...
> You reach up and touch your forehead, a stab of pain triggers as you make contact.  Your fingers come away sticky with blood.
> "Anon please try stay still, your hurt!" Jane chides you.  "I've called an ambulance but it will take time to come all the way out here.  Do you remember what happened?"
> As you look back to her, you see a look of fear on her face, like she knows already what your going to say...
> "It was Steve..." you manage to say.  "He kicked in the door and..."
> The rest of the night's events suddenly sprang into focus.  The gun, the fight, the shot...  Freja!  Her scream!
> Panic grips you.  How long have you been sitting here?  Where was Freja?  Where was that bastard Steve!?!  Did she get away or has he...?
> Your dream also comes screaming back from you memory, her eyes...
> You try pull yourself up.  The pain ripping through your head in response robs your legs of power however and you slump back down against the side of the bed with a groan.
> "Anon!" Jane cries.  "What are you doing!?!  Your hurt you cant get up yet!"
> There are more important things now on your mind than your health however, namely a certain vixen and keeping her beautiful head off your murderous bastard of an uncle's wall.
> Trying again, you manage to pull yourself off the floor and stagger to your feet.  Your head is now killing you but there's no time for self pity.
> A damp breeze draws your attention to the window, where Freja had been heading when you went down.  The glass has been blown out of the frame, rain is blowing in through the hole and soaking the floor.
> Fearing the worse, you stumble over, expecting to see a broken little body down in the garden outside.  Peering out however, you see only broken glass and the crumpled remains of the trellis that Freja had first used to climb up.
> Did that mean she had escaped?  Is the trellis like that because it broke as she climbed down?  Was she hurt?  Had Steve captured her?
> You turn back to Jane, a mix of fear and anger focusing your thoughts.
> "How long have I been here like this?  Where's Steve?"
> Jane seemed to almost wilt under your now steely gaze.
> "I heard the shots about a quarter of an hour ago...  I came running and saw Steve leave.  He was screaming something about foxes...  I couldn't understand most of it!  Then I saw you lying there and I thought he'd...  When I called out to him...  It was like he didn't even know who I was!"
> She started crying again.  Under any other circumstance you would have tried consoling and reassuring her.  Now however you had to find Freja, there wasn't time for anything else.
> "Aunt J please, where did Steve go?  Did you see?  I need to find him, before he does something terrible!"
> She couldn't know that you were talking about Freja, so perhaps she mistook your urgency for concern over Steve...
> "You want to go after him?  But he attacked you Anon!  He's out of control!  I don't know what he'll do!  I've never seen him like this..."
> "That's why I have to stop him!  Aunt J please!"
> With a sigh she gave in.
> "He was heading for the stables, and I heard him shouting for Filchins.  There's a line down there which goes to the groundskeepers lodge, maybe he will be able to calm him down..."
> Or more likely back him up while he chases Freja down you thought...  It was pitch dark out there now so hopefully she could get away, but with two of them out there they had doubled their chances of catching her.  If she had been injured in the fall too...
> "I have to get out there!" you say urgently.  Starting to move to the door.
> "Wait Anon don't!  If Filchins is out there he'll bring him back safely I'm sure!"
> "Considering he's already taken a shot at me tonight I don't think anyone's safe, least of all-"
> Your words are cut short by the sound of a rifle shot, the boom cutting through the night air and made all the more louder by the broken window.
> Jane shrieked in surprise and fear, shrinking back towards the door with wide eyes.
> "Was that Steven?" she asked in a strained voice.  "What could he be shooting at out there!?!"
> You knew damn well what!
> "I'm going!" you shout.
> Quickly you throw on your clothes, you couldn't see your jacket so you would have to leave without it.
> "Wait!" she shrieked again, stopping you at the door.  "You'll never catch him on foot if he's managed to saddle his horse.  There's something down in the sheds that should help, just promise you'll be careful and... stop him before he hurts himself..."
> As you head down to find the sheds, you call back over your shoulder.
> "Don't worry I'll stop him.  He wont be hurting anyone tonight if I can help it."
> No, he wont be the one doing the hurting tonight, on that you guarantee.
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Chapter 21
> Freja ran through the darkness.  Her eyes were well suited to nighttime prowling but the heavy downpour of rain was limiting her vision.  All she knew is that this was the way to the forest, and that somewhere behind her was the hunter, the human known as Steve.
> After Anon had told her to run, she had made her way out the window, retracing her steps from when she first entered.  The boom of the rifle had scared her however, the window exploded around her and she had lept down onto the wooden thing beneath.  It had broken on impact and she had fallen the rest of the way down to the grass.  Nothing had broken but her leg had twisted on impact, causing shooting pains as she put weight on it.
> Despite her injury there had been no option but to run.  Anon said he would meet her at the clearing where they first met.  She trusted he would come.
> Another thunderous boom from behind signalled Steve was catching up, a patch of grass exploding to her right confirmed it.  He had missed every shot so far, swaying on top of his horse as he followed, but the impacts were getting closer.
> She began to worry about Anon, the last she saw of him had been his charge against Steve in the room.  But Steve was here now, hunting her, where was Anon?  Had he...
> With a shake of her head she dismissed that line of thought.  Anon had promised to come.  He WOULD come.  All she had to do was get to the clearing.
> Ahead she could make out the approaching tree line, somehow she had kept ahead of the mounted hunter, even with her aching leg.  She was almost there!
> There was also something else ahead though.  A small figure between her and the safety of the trees.  She couldn't make it out but it looked human...  Could it be Anon?  Could he have somehow made it ahead of them to help?
> A loud bang from the figure stopped her in her tracks, a plume of flame rising up into the sky.  It exploded high in the air, lighting the area in a bright crimson hue.
> She falls backwards onto the ground in surprise and fear.  The flame above slowly drifted down like a second sun, she had never seen such a thing before.  It stripped the darkness away leaving her exposed for all to see.  She didn't know what to do...
---------------------------------------------
> Steve slowed to a trot behind her.  He would have ridden her down if his normal charger had been fit and able.  Instead he had to make do with the skittish old nag Winston.
> Despite being rip roaring drunk, he recognised one of Filchins's flares, and the cowering figure in the field below it.  He had been taking pot shots at it until now, driving the beast towards his waiting groundsman, so they could catch it between them.
> The choice now however was how to finish this.  He had no dogs, no hunting party and, although he would have his trophy as proof of his prowess, no audience to witness his victory.  Only that oaf Filchins who didn't really count being an employee and all...
> He could just shoot it and be done with this once and for all but it felt like a hollow victory.  This little furry bitch had caused far more trouble than she had any right to.  She had escaped at the last moment as he swooped in for the kill (with Anon's help admittedly), leaving him red faced in front of his important guests!  Then she had hidden herself away in the only place he didn't consider looking, his own damned house!
> It didn't end there though, oh no.  She had been in Anon's bed!  They had been mocking him from inside his own home!  Getting up to god knows what while he braved rain and worse to scour the forest!
> She deserved worse than a clean shot to the heart.  Far worse...
> Contemplating what horrors could be conceivably inflicted on a defenceless vixen hogtied in his basement, Steve advanced.
------------------------------------------------
> This was it, there was no where left to run or hide.  The human Filchins was in front, another rifle in his hands pointed and ready.  Steve was slowly moving closer atop his horse from behind.  A particularly cruel smile on his bearded face.
> There was no way to the clearing now, the light above left no darkness to hide herself in.  Freja was trapped.
> She saw herself on the wall, reunited at last with her parents.  What expression would she wear?  Would Anon see her there?  Was he even still...
> Her despaired thoughts were interrupted by a new sound, a strange roar that she had never heard before, not even in her darkest nightmares.
> Behind Steve appeared a strange creature, one glowing eye at the front burning through the darkness.  It moved with incredible speed... she couldn't even see any legs...
> As it draw closer however, she could make out a figure riding on top of the thing.   It's head was adorned with what she first thought was a grimacing skull head, but the face was visible...
> Her heart skipped a beat as she realised it was Anon!  He had some sort of shell covering his head but it was him without a doubt!  How didn't matter but he was here!  He was heading directly for Steve, both man and his strange mount roaring with rage.
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> Somehow you had made it in time, in no small part thanks to Jane.  The sheds had contained a quad bike, apparently Steve had bought it time ago to make traversing his lands that much quicker.  After deciding he preferred his horse however, it had gone to the sheds, where it sat waiting for you to find it.
> You had slipped on the helmet and rode the machine hell for leather towards the general direction of the forest, the chances of finding them in the dark had been slim but the sounds of Steve's potshots had kept you on the right track.  The appearance of a flare in the night sky had drawn you directly to them.
> Now that you were here you could see it all.  What must be Filchins in the distance blocking access to the forest, Freja a little way in front of him, highlighted by the flare, and Steve heading towards her on that bastard horse who threw you before!
> There was nothing for it other than to charge.  You were not armed and he was closing on Freja so ramming speed it was!
> Gunning the engine for all it was worth you head straight for him.  Even as he slowly turned to face you, it was too late.  The engine roared beneath you while you shouted out your own wordless scream of hate at your target.  This was it!
> Or it should have been it.  The fates had one last joke to play however.
> As you powered towards Steve, his crazy old horse reacted to the noise.  Winston turned the other way and reared up, giving his own horsey scream.
> The result was Steve flying a few feet to the left, while Winston pranced to the right.  You screamed right through the middle, missing both.
> As you hit the brakes to try and turn around, a loud booming came from the direction of the forest.  Your head snapped back as something grazed the top of your helmet, sending you flying off the back of the quad bike and the riderless machine spinning off into the dark.
> "I got im sah I got im!" yelled Filchins with joy, proud that he'd stopped your charge.  Even though it had been a glancing blow his rifle shot had achieved its purpose.
> As you came to a rolling halt on the floor, your head spun.  Somehow consciousness stayed with you, but you had only recently received a crack to the head as it was.  The helmet had absorbed a lot of the impact but there was only so much trauma the human brain can take before it shuts down.
> The rain continued to fall, the dark sky obscured by clouds.  The flare finally hit the ground and sputtered out, once again returning the area to the night.
> As you lay there looking up however, you were seeing stars.  The world spun around you and the pain suppressed from before had come back with a vengeance.
> It was then Freja came to you, limping slightly as she ran, standing over you with a rain soaked face, or were those tears...?
> "Anon!" she cried.  "Anon get up please!  Their coming!"
> She pulled your aching form up to a sitting position, you were not sure if walking was an option right now.
> On one side there was Filchins, jogging over towards you shouting "I got im I got im!" over and over as he came.  From the other direction you saw Steve, he was sitting up on the grass.  His rifle was up and aimed towards you, no not you, Freja!
> Your concussed dream from before came back, the sight of Freja smiling sadly while Steve pulled the trigger, you being powerless to stop him...
> Not this time!  
> You throw your arms around Freja's hips and pull her down to the ground.  In the same instant Steve opened fire.
> His shot misses his target, and hits Filchins dead in the chest instead.
> The still happily shouting groundskeeper stumbled back slightly from the force of the hit.  He managed to look down at his chest in surprise before falling wordlessly backwards, dead before he hit the ground.
> You manage to somehow get back to your feet with Freja's help.  If you can get to the other rifle then you have a chance!
> Despite having just shot a man however, Steve hasn't missed a beat.  He had crawled to his own feet and stumbled over.  He still had his rifle.
> With a nasty grin, he leveled his weapon once more.  Not at Freja this time though, but at you.
> "You little fuck..." he slurred.  "You think you've won?  You think this is over?  Well its not!"
> His aim was wavering but there was no way he could miss at this range.
> He pulled the trigger as you tried reaching for it, but nothing happened, except the sound of a dull 'click'.  He was out of rounds.
> He just managed to give you a look of disbelief before you made a grab at the gun and wrenched it from his grip.  The force of your pull sent it flying off into the night, out of your own reach too.  Your vision was getting blurry again and the pounding in your head was almost all consuming.
> Steve threw a shaky punch at you, anger in his eyes and spittle dribbling down his bearded chin.  It failed to connect.
> In response you shove him backwards, hard, sending him flying backwards onto the ground.  Even as you dive on top of him though, he's rolling over and kicking at you.  One lucky shot hits your ribs and knocks the air from your lungs.
> As you lay wheezing on the wet ground, Steve is back up on his knees.  In his hand is a hunting knife.
> The look on his face is pure hate.
> "Going... to fucking... gut you!" He pants.  You cant move fast enough.  He raises the knife to strike...
> His blow never comes however.  Instead a wet thumping noise breaks through the sound of the rain, Steve's eyes roll up and he falls without further sound to the ground.
> Behind stood Freja.  She had a large rock clutched between her paws, she was panting heavily but her eyes were bright and alive.
> She dropped the rock and fell down to her knees at your side.
> "Anon!  I got him!" she cried.  "I got him!  We can go now, back to the forest come on!  Get up!"
> You couldn't though.  Even though you lay still on the ground you vision continued to blur and spin.  The pounding in your head had reached a deafening crescendo.  You were going nowhere.
> "Anon?" she whispered, realising something was wrong.  "Anon come on!  Say something!"
> "Sorry... Freja..." you just about say, slurring your words now much like Steve had, but not because of alcohol.
> In the distance a flashing of blue light could be seen along with the powerful headlights of a big off road vehicle.  It seems Jane had summoned more help after you left, the kind prepared for cross country.
> Freja doesn't move however, she's at your side, your hand clutched tightly between her paws.  Despite your fuddled and battered brain, you have enough sense left to know she cant be here when whoever that is arrives.  
> "Freja, you gotta go..." you say slowly, each word a small mountain of effort to speak.  "Cant find you here, not now.  Go, please!"
> Her bright eyes lock on to yours, defiance cutting through the sorrow.
> "What?  No!  I'm not leaving you here!"
> She too had seen the lights, but she was refusing to budge.
> "I don't know who or what is coming but your mine!  I wont let them take you!  I have my rock!  I'll... I'll..."
> She was fighting back more tears.  It was no use though, you couldn't let them find her, not now.  For all the people out there in the world who would understand, there would always be another Steve too.  
> "Go...  Go back home to the forest, its safe there now...  I'll come back and find you again.  I promise!  Please just go.  Before they see you!"
> With a little sob, her resolve buckled.  She reached down and placed her furred cheek against yours.
> "I'll wait at the tree Anon.  I'll wait until the end of days for you there."
> With a final swish of her bushy tail, she limped off with surprising speed towards the trees.  She got to cover just as the emergency response vehicle came upon the battleground.  The still shining light of the damaged quad bike guiding them in like a beacon.
> Freja watched from the shadow of the trees as the humans found her Anon in the carnage.  As a great metal shape descended from the air to land near by, as they loaded you in unmoving.
> With her vow held firmly in her heart, she retreated back to her ancestral home, feeling more alone than ever before.  
> This time however something was different.  Through the sorrow and loss that had come with losing her parents there had been nothing else but survival.  This time, she had a promise to hold on to.  The words of the human from the clearing.  "I'll come back and find you again.  I promise!"
-------------------------------------------------
Chapter 22
> Damn.  Your head...  It feels like there's a pair of angry cyborgs in there duking it out in some crazy cage match, fighting over what's left of your brain.  Must be a Thursday morning...
> Wednesday is your late shift, typically you get home late, grab whatever you have left in the cupboard and drink yourself to sleep.  The following morning is still a work day so less time to recover so typically your hangover is that much worse.
> Today though its really bad.  Must have tried mixing the dregs into a crappy cocktail again...
> Something's different this time though.  You can hear voices, bangs and clatters...  You must have passed out somewhere else other than your pokey little home.  Maybe if you keep your eyes squeezed shut it will all just go away...
> A familiar scent stalled your clouded thoughts... lavender?
> Your aching brain goes into a full cold restart.  Memories bombard you seemingly from all sides.  Screaming through the dark and rain, the sneering bearded face of Steve, the feel of soft fur against your cheek... and the smell of lavender...
> Your eyes finally snap open, your head still hurts like holy hell and a bright light blinds you.  None of it matters though.  You have a promise to keep.
> You find that your movement is restricted however.  A blanket tucked in tight traps your legs, your right arm is strapped up with the plastic tubing of a drip and your left?  Connected to a metal rail by handcuffs.
> As your eyes adjust to the light, you see that your in a spartan hospital cubical.  Drawn curtains block your view of anything else, but to your right, through a gap where the rings had torn and never been repaired, you see whoever is in the next bed had a vase of flowers next to their bed.  Lavender poking out from the bouquet.
> How long have you been here?  What happened to Steve?  To Freja?  The last thing you remember was the sight of the vixen running for the tree line...
> As you begin pulling at the cuffs, a nurse comes in.  When she sees your awake however she stops short and turns to beat a hasty retreat.
> "Wait!" you cry.  "Don't go!  Please!  How long have I been in here?  Why-"
> Its no use, she mutters a rushed apology and bolts.
> You don't have long to wait however, she soon returns with a doctor... and a police officer.  The owner of the handcuffs it seems.
> They refuse to answer your questions until they've checked your vitals and given you the once over.  The officer waited patiently in the background until they were done before taking over and ushering them out.
> "Good morning Mr...Anon is it?"
> "Just Anon." you reply shortly.  "Listen, I need some answers here.  Why am I chained to the bed?  How long -"
> Your frustration continues to build as he silences you with a raised hand.
> "Im D I Short.  I need to ask you some questions about the events that brought you here.  Anon, three nights ago you were involved in-"
> Your turn to interrupt.  "What I've been here that long!?!  What-"
> A loud "Ahem!" stops you short.  He obviously didn't appreciate the interruption.
> "As I was saying sir, you were involved in a serious incident three nights ago on the grounds of your Aunt and Uncles' estate.  A firearm was discharged and a man perished.  I need you to tell me what happened.  As the only eye witness..."
> Only what?  Does that mean Steve is...  
> Considering the circumstances, attempting to leap from your bed to do a happy little jig would be ill advised, particularly in front of the officer...
> As you put on your best solemn face, he continues.
> "We have had time to gather and review the evidence and have a good idea of what happened.  What I need is for you to give a statement as to what you saw and your part in it."
> That must mean that they have found the rifle, the quad bike and Filchins, but what about Freja?  Did they spot her?  Is she in a cage or lab somewhere or is she out there still?  Waiting for you to drag your lazy battered arse out of bed and come find her?
> You decide the best thing to do is tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  Omitting every last detail about Freja of course...
> You told him everything.  How Steve had been out hunting the first day you arrived and started acting all weird and angry when he thought you had somehow spoiled it.  How he had drunkenly threatened you with his rifle that night.  How he had threatened you again a couple of nights later and outright assaulted you shortly after.  You had gone after him for your Aunt Jane's sake on the bike, hoping to stop him doing something stupid.  You had been too late however.  You arrived only to get caught in the middle of a gun battle between your drunken uncle and the late Mr Filchins.  The last thing you remember was being knocked down by another blow to the head and the sight of Steve falling from his horse...
> After taking your statement, you had hoped the officer might have answers to some of your questions.  Instead, after finding your story satisfactory, he took his cuffs and left.  Apparently they had worked out the same thing from the scene.  Yes Steve had his head caved in by Freja's 'rock solo', but there was nothing to say he hadn't hit his head on said rock after falling from his horse...  Who would even find a few fox prints out in the country side suspicious anyway?
> Despite being free to go however, things were looking bad.
> On the plus side, Steve had managed to knock you unconscious with his blow to your head but either he had the upper body strength of an eighty year old or your skull was particularly thick.  You had avoided any serious brain injuries, they wanted to keep you in for observation but you could leave anytime if you just signed some forms.
> The negatives?  You had left all your things back at the house.  Your wallet, ID and cash.  All you had when they found you was your phone.  It had signal now thankfully but little battery left.  The indicator was at 8%.  The screen was also cracked to hell, you could still get some reaction from it but dialing out was a no go, as was retrieving any of your numbers from the contacts...
> The nurse chirpily told you that they had left it on after you had been admitted so that when your family called they could answer and tell them where you were.  There were zero missed calls...
------------------------------------------------
> With some clothes donated from the lost and found along with your somehow still soggy shoes, you found yourself sitting outside the hospital.
> Things were grim.  You had no money, no id (so the local branch of your bank would tell you to piss off if you tried accessing your account) and worst of all, no idea of where you were in relation to the house or forest.  Oh, and your head still hurt like a bastard.
> Even if you tried walking all the way back, you had no idea what direction to go.  You didn't even know the address off by heart so asking for directions to a "big looking house in the country side somewhere" wasn't going to work that well.
> Your head thumping, you start to think about Freja.  Where was she?  Was she ok out there?  It didn't sound like the police had found her and the newspaper sticking out of the bin didn't mention anything about a large anthro fox being found.  Instead it was talking about the most recent political scandal and how fucked we were over Brexit again.
> Would Freja wait for you in the clearing?  It had been days since they carted you away and likely longer before you could return.  Would she be ok finding food with Steve gone?  Was there any left to find after the number he did on the forest to try starve her out?
> The never-ending train of questions threatening to split open your pounding head came to an abrupt stop.  A single thought, a memory, cutting them all away.
> "I'll wait at the tree Anon.  I'll wait until the end of days for you there."
> She would be waiting.  You had promised to meet her there.  Fuck this.  Even if you had to ask every last person in this stupid place, find a computer and google map the fuck out of the local countryside, round up a bunch of stray dogs and make a crazy dog sled with a shopping trolley, you would find out how to get back there and you would make it to that tree.
> Your new found conviction suddenly found itself replaced with panic as your phone started to ring.  The broken screen said it was Jane, but you were down to 3% power now and the little green symbol to accept the call wasn't responding.
> Either she would ring off or the phone would die before you spoke to her at this rate.  A quick flash of inspiration took you however, a long forgotten function coming to mind activated by a little button on the side.
> Hoping it wouldn't kill the battery, you tried, desperation making you less than... civil.
> "CORTANA YOU BITCH ANSWER THE FUCKING CALL ALREADY!!!!"
> With a disgruntled chirp, it complied.
> "Anon?  Is that you?"
> Success!  You silently promised to be less abusive to your phone in future.
> "Aunt J its me!  I'm here!"
> "Oh Anon!" she cried.  "I've been so worried!  Where are you?  They wouldn't tell me anything..."
> You didn't know who 'they' were but this was your chance to get back!
> "I don't have much time, my phone's almost dead and I've got no money or anything.  I'm outside the hospital, St Phillips I think.  Could you come get me?"
> "I cant right now Anon..." she replied sadly.  "I'm not home right now and its a bit too far for me to drive from where I am."
> Your heart sank.
> "I can send a taxi for you though, to take you back to the house if that's ok?" she continued, snapping you from your fresh bout of despair.
> "That would be perfect Aunt J!  Thank you!"
> She wasn't done however.
> "I wont be back until later though Anon, I'm with Steven right now.  If you let yourself in using the spare key I keep in the chicken coop then I'll be there by tonight."
> With that your phone died.  The last of the power was gone.
> Did she just say Steve?  The cop said that...  No he cant still be...  Can he?
> The wait for the taxi was torture.  Your mind now tormenting you with images of Steve chasing down Freja while you were trapped in your hospital bed.  The fact that he shot a man dead should mean he was arrested though surely?  Then again...  You remember his boast from that first hunt, where he claimed the head of the local police force was there to enjoy the festivities.  How close were they?  Would he get off with shooting a man?  The hell was taking this bloody taxi so long!!!
> Eventually it came.  As it slowly made its way from the urban maze out into the familiar green country roads, all you could think about was Freja, and the truly evil things you would do to that bearded fuck if he hadn't had the decency to actually die that night.
-----------------------------------------
Chapter 23
> When you arrived back at the house it was roughly about 2pm.  The taxi had been prepaid by Jane so it left straight after dropping you off.
> It took you a few minutes to find the key among the chickens but not too long.  Once inside you went straight up to the room you had been staying in with Freja.
> It was as you left it except for a wooden board up over the broken window.  The wall still had a bullet hole in it and the bed was a mess but your things were still here.
> You quickly change into some proper clothes (the donated shirt from the hospital had what looked like a creepy bard or something on the front which just freaked you out to look at), and another pair of shoes.
> You head next down to the kitchen.  The stuff from the cancelled party had either been all used up or had gotten thrown out so there wasn't as much to choose from.  You stuff what you can in your bag and head out the back.
> Jane would be back tonight she said, so you should have time to go find Freja and come back again before she gets here.
> The trip to the forest took longer than planned.  You still hadn't recovered from your injuries and your energy levels were far from back to normal.  Still, you had a lady waiting so there could be no slacking today.
> Eventually you find your way back to the clearing.  The old tree standing where you remembered.
> Your heart raced a mile a minute as you looked around for her, for Freja.  After a few circuits of the clearing however, you find... nothing.
> You tried calling out her name, yelling at the top of your lungs until they ached and your throat was raw.  Nothing.
> You sit down and wait.  Perhaps she was off hunting for food?  You remember her saying that Steve had killed pretty much everything here but there might be fish further upstream.  Maybe she just had to go further afield.
> You waited.  Your mind turning over all the while, concocting theories about where she was, what she could be doing, what fate might keep her from you...
> In the end, she didn't come.  No emerald green eyes watching you from the trees, no sneaky movements from the bushes, no hidden vixens waiting up the tree...
> It was getting late.  Jane would be back soon, you had to leave or things would go wrong all over again.  You needed to make sure your aunt was ok too but you also needed to know where Steve was.
> Hope hadn't completely died in you, so before you left, you dropped your food laden bag at the foot of the tree.  She said she would be here...  You would come again, she would know you had been here when she saw the bag, when she came back from wherever she had gone...
------------------------------------------
> You arrived back at the house less than ten minutes before Jane got there, just barely managing to clean up your muddy shoes before she walked in through the door.
> Although its only been a few days since you last saw her, she looked nothing like the woman you remembered.
> Her face was drawn and had more lines on it than you remember, there were bags under her eyes and she seemed to have shrunk slightly, like her whole posture had been crushed down by an enormous weight.
> "Aunt J!  There you are!  What happened, are you ok?"
> She almost looked like she could manage a smile at the sight of you but it faltered half way there, instead she burst into tears and would have toppled over if you hadn't caught her.
> "Oh Anon..." she sobbed.  "Its all gone so wrong!  I don't know how we ended up here like this...  Everything was fine and then... this!"
> As she continued sobbing you gently pulled her over to a chair and sat her down.  One hot cup of tea later and she had calmed down somewhat.
> "Thank you Anon." she sighed.  "I have so many questions about what happened that night, and I'm sure you have some too."
> For the next little while you tell her what you told the officer.  Carefully filling in the gaps while not mentioning the involvement of Freja.  
> When you were done, it was time for your questions.
> "What happened to Steve?" you ask, more bluntly than intended but you needed to know.  With Freja missing you needed to know where he was in case he was still after her.
> She hesitated for a moment before answering.
> "He's... at a private hospital.  A good while away but with his condition he needed the best care available and he has insurance cover...".
> "What happened to him?" you ask.  You don't want to push too deeply in case you upset her further but...
> "He hit his head on something when he fell that night...  The doctors said that there was a bleed inside his brain, with all the alcohol in his system it made it worse so... so..."
> She began to cry again, but she needed to get it off her chest so continued.
> "They had to operate on him.  They had to cut part of his skull away to relieve the pressure.  He still hasn't woken up and they think there's almost certainly some brain damage...  They wont know until he wakes up but...  The police are there too.  They said he shot Mr Filchins!  They said that he might be charged with... murder!"
> She lost out to her uncontrollable sobbing once more, your arm around her shoulders did little to ease her sorrow.
> The thought of Steve spending the rest of his days as either a vegetable, locked up in prison, or even both should be filling you with joy.  Your heartbroken aunt however tempered your mood somewhat, that and your missing vixen.  If Steve was down then where was Freja?
> The rest of the night was spent consoling Jane and trying to get more information about the situation.  Turns out the mysterious 'they' that had stopped her from contacting you initially was the rest of her family.  They had rushed down as soon as they had heard the news and immediately blamed you for everything.  They had forbidden her from speaking with you.
> Then why was she?  Turns out they had lost interest after the first couple of days.  When they realised that Steve was comatose but alive, and that Jane was not giving up power of attorney to anyone anytime soon, they made their excuses and went home.  Leaving her alone at his bedside.
> They hadn't been idle in their time here though.  Your other cousin Michael, very much his father's son, had taken it upon himself to screw you over for your part in his father's current condition.
> He had pasted the whole sorry story far and wide across social media.  Telling the world how you were somehow responsible for everything and how it was all to try and con his mother out of her estate or something.
> You weren't that active online in that sense, but your colleagues were, your neighbours were, also the rest of your family...
> In the coming days pretty much everyone but Jane would distance themselves, block or outright disown you.  Everyone except Jane.
> That night you slept in another guest room.  With Steve gone you had managed to get access to the WiFi, he had apparently switched it off after you arrived to stop you 'sponging'.  The fact he had an unlimited data plan just proved how much of a petty twat he was.
> Still, it probably would have been better to have stayed cut off.  Your phone was charging and active again, updates and messages were starting to pour in, all condemning you.  Your damaged phone meant you couldn't respond, just watch as the uncaring world you came from slowly tore you to shreds.
> Instead, you switch off your phone and go to sleep.  Your dreams take you to a familiar clearing, an island of green in the middle of the darkness.  You sit under the tree and wait, you wait until the end of days. 
---------------------------------------------
Chapter 24
> You awoke early the next morning.  Your dreams had kept you from a full nights sleep but your head felt a little less painful at least.
> You intended to maybe sneak out before Jane woke up, do a quick run over to the forest and see if Freja had reappeared.
> Jane was already up however.  She was sitting at the kitchen table, still in her dressing gown and looking like she had slept less than you...
> Your attempt at a cheery good morning stalled when you saw what she was doing.  She had an ancient looking laptop open, and she was looking at her social media page.
> She would of course see all the crap your cousin, her son, had wrote.  Would she believe him like everyone else?
> She flipped it shut when she realised you were there, pasting an unconvincing smile on her face and turning to greet you.
> "Good morning Anon, did you sleep well?  Your still looking a bit peaky..."
> "Its ok Aunt J." you say sadly.  "I know what they're writing about me.  I saw it on my phone last night."
> There was an awkward silence, neither of you knowing how to proceed.
> Jane spoke first.
> "I don't believe it you know.  What they're saying.  I was here that night.  I saw you run out there after him, risking your life to try and stop him."
> Your surprise must be pretty obvious if her sudden smile is anything to go by.
> "Don't worry Anon.  I'm not going to throw you out or anything."
> You sit down heavily.  The weight of the last few days catching up with you.
> "I don't know what to do Aunt J.  It just feels like I've lost everything all over again.  You invited me up here and now its all gone wrong...  Its like everything I touch just..."
> Its her turn to console you now, patting your back as it all comes out.
> "I... the other thing is...  I lost something, out there in the woods the other night.  Something really precious to me.  Its gone and I don't know if I'll be able to find he-... it again.  Now I'm worse off than before and I don't know if I can even go back home again because of all... this."
> You wave your hand at the laptop to indicate what you mean.
> Jane surprises you again however.
> " Anon, I've been thinking about that..."
> You look over to her confused.
> "After everything, after all that's happened its going to be too much to take care of this place and all the surrounding land by myself...  I have a proposition for you if your interested?"
-----------------------------------------------
> A couple of hours later you were once more making the trip into the woods.  The discussions with Jane still buzzing around your head.
> You arrived at the clearing with trepidation, if Freja wasn't here this time then...
> There was no sign of the vixen.  Your heart sank.
> As you move over to the tree however, something catches your eye.  The bag you left yesterday...  Its moved.
> Running over you flip it open and find the food gone, all the containers empty and returned to the bag.  Then she was here!  She must have taken the food!  But where is she now?  Why isn't she waiting here...?  Did she maybe... give up and go?
> The thought that she had given up hope and disappeared into the woods for good crushes you.  Its been less than a week but...  You should have found a way back sooner!  You should have come straight here from the taxi and not faffed about with clothes and food!  You should-
> Your mental recriminations were rudely interrupted by a heavy mass landing on your back, sending you sprawled onto the grass.
> You end up somehow rolled on your back and pinned in place, a furry something straddling your stomach.
> It was Freja!  You open your mouth to speak but a furry paw thwacks you across your nose first.  Looking up at her face, you can see she's angry.  Furious in fact.
> "You!" she shouts.  "I've been waiting here for days!  Days!  Do you know what that's been like?  First hiding from all those other humans as they took you away?  Then all the other ones who came and poked around everywhere looking for things on the ground?  I waited here like I promised and you decide to turn up and leave again the one time I go looking for food!?!  I found that bag and thought you were here!  But you weren't!!!  Now your here and I'm so...  So...!!"
> She had tears in her eyes now, in those big green eyes that you feared you would never see again.  At end of each sentence she thwacked you again with one of her paws.  There was no real power behind them but they successfully stopped you from getting a word out edge ways.
> She only stopped when you started laughing.  Staring down in disbelief as you bawled your head of.
> "What?  What are you...?  WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING!!!"
> A few more (slightly harder) thwacks soon helped you get your composure back.  With tears in your own eyes, you gaze up at the fuming vixen and smile.
> "I thought I lost you.  I thought I'd never see you again!  Yet here you are!  All angry and beautiful!"
> At that she stopped with the hitting.  Her face broke with fresh tears and she threw herself forwards to wrap you in a tight hug.
> "Don't do that to me ever again!  You hear me!?!"
> She was still mad, but you had a plan to change that.
> "Freja?  Can you let me up for a minute?  I've got something to ask you."
> Reluctantly the still tearful vixen removed herself from your chest and helped you up.
> "Tell me, do you know where the groundskeeper lived?"
> She gave you a suspicious look, not quite sure why you would ask.
> "Yes... not that far from here actually.  But why?  I avoid that place, its where he makes all those traps to catch me...
> You smile again.  "Can you take me there?  Its important.  Trust me."
> With an annoyed swish of her bushy tail, she instead crossed her arms and stood her ground.
> "What's this about Anon?  You disappear for days and days, then you come back and want to go there of all places?"
> You reach over and gently stroke her cheek.
> "Do you trust me Freja?"
> She doesn't hesitate.
> "Yes, yes I do."
> "Then take me there, please?  Then I'll tell you everything."
-------------------------------------------
> When Freja brought you to where the late Mr Filchins had been living, you were actually quite amazed.  It was a little woodland cottage, complete with thatched roof, shuttered windows and a little garden out back.
> It would have been a thing of beauty... if it wasn't for the poor state that it's previous occupant had left it in.  It needed some renovation work done to undo the neglect, and the pile of rusted bear traps was a cause for concern but...
> Finally her patience ran out.
> "Ok Anon we're here.  Now what's this about?  Why did we come here?  I haven't seen that man here recently, not since that night but-"
> You gently put a finger to her lips, stopping her anxious stream of questions.
> "Steve is gone.  So is the man who lived here."
> Her stunned silence gives you the opportunity to continue.
> "Steve shot him dead that night, he didn't survive.  As for the hunter himself?  He wont be coming back either.  That knock to the head you gave him did a number on his skull, plus our people don't take kindly to those who kill other humans.  You wont have to worry about him again."
> Freja stood there in silence, either not quite believing your words or just too overwhelmed to say anything.  
> Finally however, she spoke.
> "Their... gone?  No more hunts or traps?  You mean it?"
> "Yup!  That's not all though."
> She gave a little gasp as you took her two paws in your hands.  You gaze into those perfect eyes, and share the news that burned away within.
> "Jane offered me something.  With everything that's happened she won't be able to look after things by herself.  She wants me to live here, in this old house, and take on the grounds keeping.  If I moved in here... if I lived here...  Would you... live here with me too?"
> At first you began to worry that it was too much, the part of your brain responsible for doubt went into overdrive as Freja didn't answer.  
> It was soon sent screaming back to its cage however.
> "Oh Anon...  Yes!  Yes! A hundred times yes!"
> She grabbed you into another hug and began dancing around you.  The fact that she had actually said yes had stunned you for a second, but soon you returned her embrace and danced with her, only stopping when you were both out of breath and in danger of falling over.
> The two of you stayed outside that little house for hours discussing your plans for the future.  It wasn't yours just yet though, so eventually it was time to go back to Jane's.  
> You walked back to the house hand in hand, nothing to fear now, inside the forest or out.  It would take time before the little place would be ready but until then?  You were sure there was another little trellis underneath the window of your room Freja could use to come pay you a visit...
---------------------------------------------
> It did indeed take time to clear out the little house in the woods, but it was worth it.
> You happily moved what little stuff you had from your old home over to the new, said your goodbyes to your now less than friendly neighbours and quit your old job.  You got a lot of dirty looks and comments made behind your back as you left, but you couldn't care any less and left with a smile.
> Once set up in your new home, Freja moved in.  Quickly growing to love the place despite its history, probably because she had gotten used to living indoors as your hidden guest.
> Your new job involved tending to the boundaries of the estate, maintaining hedgerows and crumbling old walls.  You tended to the horses for Jane but the dogs were all re homed, no need for hunting hounds anymore.
> In the mornings you woke in the arms of the woman you loved, during the day you did what jobs needed doing before walking peacefully through the trees with Freja where she showed you all the secret places of the forest, unseen by human eyes for time unknown.  In the nights you snuggled by the fireplace, telling each other stories of your peoples.
> Life was finally perfect.  There was still the chance of Steve maybe waking up one day, but there was also the chance a pillow might accidentally fall over his face and stop him breathing too...  So you didn't worry about it.  
> What started as a particularly hairy fox hunt, had ended in the only way it could.  In the arms of your loving foxwife.
End.