A silken cloth draped down from around his neck, the light threads glistening in the early morning sun. What would she be doing on a day like this, he wondered. Would she be gliding in a boat across that quiet pink lake with its trees that hung their branches down, all the way to the water? Or would she maybe be conversing with one of her colourful courtly friends? A cold wind blew over him as he was lost in thought, and he wrapped himself further in his coat displeased. Fall would be here soon. It was the season of fragrant apples and wolves running through the wheat. The year was sure to be bountiful, the weather was warm and there had been plenty of rain throughout. He had heard an old folktale from the locals, about a wolf deity that protects the earth and gives it life to grow the crops. This year they had made offerings to her that would satisfy even the highest of lords, they would have work aplenty.

As would he.

She was known as the fox at the court, wily and clever. Her wit had far surpassed his since a young age, but it had often gotten her in trouble. She would act unladylike, or childish. Yes, he had always been the mature one, he had always been the one who thought things through slowly. And now he was wondering whether there really had been no other way than to leave his sister with this land and its ominous wolf-deity. She was sly, but the people here had a certain wolfishness to them. A strange nature. It was hard to describe, but it made him uncomfortable, and he had often thought about the irony of leaving his dearest sister, a fox, to them. Moreover, tonight would be a full Moon, tonight those wolves would feast.

___

A small fox darted here and there under the light of the Moon. It hid in the shades of the trees almost desparately and out of breath. The full Moon was the time of the wolves' banquet, it was their time, and sure enough, their howls resounded through the night. Nervously the fox measured the distance to its next shelter. It was being hunted, but tonight was important, it had to make its escape tonight. There was no meaning in escaping alone, and as it had predicted, very few would be in its way. Only the two… three… the rest were wailing far away.

Still, the fox's heart was beating from the noise. The thought alone of so many enemies nearby was almost petrifying. And yet it gathered its strength. It had to go see the girl.

A moment passed and there was silence.

There was danger nearby. They began closing in, as if they knew where it was, as if someone had been listening in on its heartbeat.

It sensed its chances slipping away. It was either now or never. The fox sprang, and in that moment, the flash of a light and the howling of a wolf followed angrily from behind. The race was on. It was practiced in running, but nowhere near as practiced as the wolves who ran through the wheat, sooner or later they would catch up and tear it apart. Frenzied it ran, leaving behind bits and pieces of its fur on the branches and in the mud. But the wolves would not stop. Their barbed fur shone in the light of the Moon as they ran. There was no escape. Finally they had reached the lake. Now the fox had nowhere else to go. It would have to give itself up, and the wolves knew. They closed in, now confident, pushing the poor fox towards the edge of the deep water. Their sneers scared it. Could it really shed its skin? Could it escape its fate here at this lake? The water was cold, the air even colder. Suddenly it could feel as the long wet grass stuck to its legs and bare feet uncomfortably and pricked it. Despite the warm Summer, nights outside were not to be underestimated.

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One of the wolves brought its light up on it and recoiled slightly, in shock. It quickly recovered. Now was not the time to think about why the fox was here, and not its friend that they had expected. They would look for the easier target later. It howled at the fox and roughly walked towards it.

Now or never.

Now or never, thought the fox. This was its one chance. Damp grass was winding up around its legs as if telling it not to go. The wolf was closing in. Only a few steps now. Now or never.

With one final breath, the fox launched back, and fell into the water. The soldiers howled. How dare she! She would not be going anywhere, just as soon as she would come up for air they'd take her back to the castle. A court lady fleeing from the castle was a grave crime and the lord would surely punish her accordingly. They ran to the water. The bottom of the lake was deep at the shore on this side so they could not see her yet, but surely she would have to come up for air. But seconds passed, then minutes. Soon their faces turned to worry. Nobody could stay alive underwater for that long. Had she gotten entangled in her clothes? They had become torn and unwieldy in her escape, and wet they would become heavy. More and more time passed, and they turned from worry to panic. Their lord would be angry, furious even. The loss of one of his favourites would surely not go over well. Frantically they begun undressing and jumping into the water. They shouted and searched, but the lake was deep and the night too dark. Where could she be? Where could she have gone?

______

The sun shone once more on his shawl. It was a present from his sister before she had gone to the lord's court. Theirs was a small but not insignificant family, but after they had lost the war they had been forced to submit to his rule. She had told him to always treasure it and wear it, to remember her by. He knew she had not expected to ever come back. Yet, he had to wonder… had she planned it all out before she had ever left? Perhaps he wasn't the only one who thought things through slowly.

Just then, a solemn voice interrupted his thoughts. "My lord, a message…" The messenger was an older retainer, a man that used to work under his father before he had been killed.

He made a sour face and took the message. It said:

A fox danced at night

under the willow Moon

little did it know

that this month is the month of hazel

He sighed as he finished reading, his face sedated. "That'll be all, thank you." He knew he would never see his sister again.

He sat in a daze for a while, before standing up, and slowly making his way towards the cupboard. There was a torn up paper inside one of the drawers. It had arrived earlier in the morning, just before sunrise. The sender was unknown and nobody had seen the messenger, but the maid had brought it in. He took it out and read it again. It said:

While the wolf runs through the wheat

a foxtail by the water sways in the wind