Lone Fox

Flowers

Eli wakes me from my slumber by nudging me. "Sorry to wake you. Follow me."

I follow him out the den and into the woods. Few flowers are in bloom, but there is enough to make the ground look beautiful.

"Close your eyes." I do as I'm told. I bite his tail softly enough where I can still follow.

We walk for what seems like a long time. He begins slowing down. He stops me. "Okay. Open."

I am in awe at what I see. I am standing in a field of flowers. All different colors. Bees are buzzing all around us. Butterflies are flying. And I can hear mice and moles running through the flowers.

"Wow." I look at Eli. "This is beautiful. How did you find this?"

"I was chasing a mouse and it ran here. I had your exact face when I saw it."

I walk into the middle. The smell of all the different flowers fill my nose. I close my eyes and remember a time when I was a kit, when my family had come upon a field like this. I remember running around chasing my brother and him chasing me. I remember my mom teaching Shade and I how to hunt. I miss when times were like that. When I believed my family loved me.

Eli walks up beside me. He drops a mouse next to me. "Hungry?"

I nod and take a bite. Slowing taking time to enjoy every bite. After I am done I tell Eli thank you. Then I lay down and roll over onto my back.

Eli does the same. We stare at the clouds until it is dark. Then we look at the stars.

Eli turns his head toward me. I turn my head towards his. Our nose are almost touching. "I need to ask you a weird question," he says.

"Okay." I say hesitantly.

"Have you ever loved anyone?" He says softly.

"Well the only fox, other than my family I have met is you." He shifts his body and moves back a little.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

I turn the rest of my body so that I am laying on my side. I look into his dark brown eyes. I open my mouth but nothing comes out for a long time. "Yes."

I roll over so that my back is facing him. He nudges me with his nose. I stand.

"Ivy." Eli says.

I ignore him and just walk. I walk into the forest. Into the bushes and around trees. I can hear him walking behind me. He does not say anything.

We walk until the sun rises from behind the horizon and color is poured onto the forest floor. The sky turns orange and red. Birds chirp in the distance. Sticks crack underneath my paws.

Why did I have to say Yes? What was I thinking? I am such an idiot.

"Ivy, will you please wait?" he says, running up next to me. "Stop walking."

I obey. "Look.  You don't have to follow me. I will be fine by myself," I say.

"You don't have to be by yourself."  He steps closer to me. He lays his head on my shoulder. I lay my head against his. "I love you, too."

Together we walk back to the field of flowers. We find an old den close to the tree line and sleep there. Together.

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I hope you liked this chapter. I tried to make it a little romantic, but I don't know.
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~A.K