I walked through the gate after waiting in line and checking in with the guards. I got the typical warning that the gate would be closed after the twelfth bell. I confirmed with them before immediately turning to the right and heading towards the river.

I walked the river bank to the forest and prepared myself by grabbing the axe I hid out here. Carrying a weapon in and out through the gate would have me asked too many questions, and it was mostly for protection. Truthfully it was a wood axe, heavy, with a hammer on one side, and the other was the expected narrow, sharp axe blade.

Only two things could mess with me here on the peninsula: Skulds or the Wolvir. Though I’ve only once run into a Skuld, and it ran away just as fast as I did.

I continued down the path I had carved through the underbrush before hitting a game trail. I followed the trail until it split and headed up a steep hill. I had to use my hands to keep balance as the incline got closer to being vertical. Looking up, I mapped my way up the stone face that stood in my way. I carefully climbed up and didn’t look down. Falling would result in sliding down the hill and bouncing off the trees on the way to the bottom.

I collapsed as I pulled myself over. Not having a Stratum to reinforce my body really sucks. I lay there, heaving until I got myself under control. I laid there a bit longer before crawling away from the edge and standing up. I slipped between the rocks that hid my destination. I felt the wind settle down for a moment before it merged into a swirl of air that rotated in the copse of trees before me.

I braced myself, knowing what was coming. I looked to the left. The wind helped to mask the thumping as it got closer, and as I turned back to the right, a mass of silver fur blasted into my chest, followed by two more seconds apart.

--

I sat outside the cave that gave off a musky smell. On my lap was a silver fox kit, two more wrestled and played in front of me, and the mother of all three sat to my right as I scratched at her face and ears. I had never seen the kit’s father, and I only met the mother by chance. I call her Lunaris.

Four months ago, while stumbling through the woods, I heard a cry. I followed it and found a hunting trap. It was set up to capture the wild pigs that roamed the forests, but instead of a pig, it held Lunaris. I untied the trap and slowly lowered it to the ground. Lunaris frantically tried to get out as I approached. She nipped at me when I got my hands too close, so I sat in the dirt nearby while she calmed down. Her eyes never strayed from mine while she gnawed at the net.

Eventually, she calmed down enough for me to loosen the net. I kept my movements slow, and as non-threatening as I could. Once I got it open, she took off. I watched her run parallel to the river. I stayed for a while longer before continuing to a spot that I liked to do my fishing.

Lunaris kept an eye on me over the next month as I came out to go fishing. She would show up and catch my attention, coming closer and closer as she realized I wasn’t going to hurt her. I saw her grow large with kits, and I started sharing my catch with her. Once I started sharing, she would spend her time sitting on the bank next to me. This camaraderie continued for four weeks, then she disappeared. I won’t say I wasn’t concerned. She had already gotten herself caught in a trap once. But the concern was misplaced when she showed up the following week.

I had already been fishing for a while when I heard her shuffle up next to me. I turned to her, excited to have her back, and saw her dirty for the first and only time. She looked haggard, but her body was skinny and lithe again. Lunaris nipped at my sleeve and pulled me weakly. It took me a bit, but I gathered she wanted me to follow her. I wrapped up the six fish I had already caught and stuffed them in my bag.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

I had a tough time following Lunaris. She was traveling the game paths, and I was used to the footpaths. The rough and uneven footing, the steep hill, and then the climb had me in stitches on the ledge for more than a bell before I could pick myself up. Lunaris disappeared on me a couple of times, but eventually, she got tired of waiting and started pulling on my pant legs, trying to get me to move.

She led me through the beautiful hidden grove and to the cave where her kits laid sleeping at the edge of her den. I stood there, not knowing what to do as Lunaris sat next to me, looking proud. She swatted me with her tail, and I sat down. I grabbed half of the wrapped fish from my bag and laid them out for Lunaris, and at the same time, she picked up the smallest of the kits, dropping it lightly in my lap.

Its fur was a dull dark gray, and I little rubbed the kit’s head lightly, looking at the tiny thing. I felt it’s tail start moving, and I looked down with a smile before shock hit me. It wasn’t just one tail, but two. While I ran my hands over the twin tails, Lunaris finished her meal and laid down next to me, her tail wagging contentedly.

I kept coming back any chance I could after that.

--

It was the end of the season, and the three kits were starting to get more curious following Lunaris and me out of the hidden grove, but they didn’t yet have the confidence to make the jumps that Lunaris made. I headed to my usual fishing spot where the water teemed with fish and caught four for Lunaris and four for myself before patting her and watching her make two trips taking the fish back to the kits. I packed up, taking my dinner back home.

Three days later, I was on my way out of town, and things were odd. People were heading in and out of the forest using the path I usually took. I caught someone and asked what was happening.

“Turns out we have Silver Foxes in the forest! The City Lord put up a bounty of 500 gold each if caught alive!” The man turned back and hurried to catch up to the people that had been walking with him. I stopped in the middle of the path, trying to think of what I could do, and failing. Moments later, I gave up and sprinted into the forest. I passed groups of people, some carrying nets, some carrying traps. Others obviously had proper Stratum skills, the authority they gave off was palpable, and they usually had a large number of people surrounding them. The forest had never been so packed.

I ran past them all, and their heads turned to watch me.

Once out of the general congregation, I split off, running to the creek that ran down from the hill. I ran up the stream, using that to keep away from the people here to make money. I made it to the hill’s base and climbed up, pulling myself up faster using the trees that grew on the mossy incline.

My heart stopped when I found the manipulated stone that had been grown out of the rock face. It made a stairway up to the ledge, and I ran up it breathing hard. The shelf was bare, so I dashed for the gap in the rocks. I had barely made it through when I heard laughing.

“Welcome, little brother. I must say, I appreciated you making all that money for me with the jobs I offered you over the years. But I never expected THIS windfall.” I burst through the trees and skidded to a stop.

Three stone cages sat there, filled with silver fur. One was larger than the others. I glanced into the largest cell and saw Lunaris’ pleading stare, she was bound to the bottom of the cage by bands of stone. My glare moved to the person standing in the middle of the triangle of cages, Jasper.

“Don’t do this, Jasper. I’ve been caring for them for ages. Please.”

“Oh, little brother. This,” he said with a wave of his arms at the cages. “Was too easy. I’ve heard from my friends in the guard that you have been coming out this way for a while. I finally had a chance to follow you, and you led me right here. It took a bit of planning to make this worth my time. But letting it slip that there were Silver Foxes right outside town took a few days for the bounty to get posted. Now that it’s done, I can finally stop working. I’ll take a wife and live the life of a noble.” His speech was filled with hissing laughter.

With a wave of his arm, the stone traps flowed together, and the stone solidified into a single stack. He grabbed one of the bars and lifted it as if it was weightless. My mouth moved soundlessly. Jasper ruthlessly ground me down at every chance he got.

“What? Nothing to say?” Jasper said with a smirk.

I snapped, swinging my fist at him. He casually lifted his hand and stopped my strike. It was like hitting stone. The skin of my knuckles burst as my fist slammed into the back of his hand. It felt like I shattered my entire hand as blood poured down my arm.

“My turn.” He said with an evil grin as he slapped my face. I spun as I flew back into the tree behind me. Jasper was doubled over in laughter as I laid there, getting my bearings. “You can keep this place. It can be your pretty reminder of the fortune you brought me.”

I laid there in agony as he walked through the trees and out of sight. The slight rumble of stone let me know he was removing his stone steps. Getting down was going to be a pain with my hand this way.

The tears of pain changed to tears of loss. Too weak to stop him, too weak to fight back. I laid there until I passed out from the pain, both physical and emotional.