Lone Fox

The River

Eliot actually has been really helpful. He is a really good hunter and he can find wonderful shelters.

"So what do you do all day?" He asks.

"Normally I either hunt or walk. There isn't much you can do." I answer.

"So you don't do anything fun?" he asks.

"I guess not. What do you do?"

He stopped walking and sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?" he started smiling.

"What, the river?" I ask turning toward him.

"Follow me." he says, turning.

He didn't wait for me to follow. He started running toward the smell of water.

I rushed after him. Before I could reach him, he disappeared into a line of grass.

"Eliot. Wait up." I yell. I push through the grass to find Eliot besides a slow-moving river.

"Care for a swim?" He asked before he jumped head first into the river.

"Eliot! Get out of there. You will freeze." I say, walking toward the river.

"No way. The water is really warm." he said, swimming in circles. "Get in."

"You're crazy."

"Your loss." he teased, swimming farther out.

I walk forward and put one paw in the water. Eliot hadn't lied: the water was warm. I wade into the water.

"There you go. Now actually swim." he said.

I sit down in the water. "I'm good here."

"Oh come on," he grunted. "The water won't bite." He starts swimming toward me.

He wades up out of the water to meet me. Eliot bites onto my ear, but doesn't hurt me. He tries to pull me into the water.

"Just one little swim." he pleads.

"Fine." I grunt. I stand up and slide into the water. I begin swimming.

"I have never swam before." I say.

"Really? Your a natural at this." he says swimming next a to me.

"Well, unless you count the baths Maddie gave to me." I say.

"Who is Maddie?" he asks, swimming in place.

"That's not important." I say, dipping my head underwater. "The water feels great." I say to change the subject.

"Yep. Maybe we should just live by the river."

"What if it floods?" I ask.

"I didn't think of that." he answers.

"Come on it's getting late. We need to get something to eat before it gets dark."

He swims to the bank and gets out. I follow and shake the water off me.

"You go find us somewhere to sleep and I will hunt." he suggest.

"Okay." I begin to walk into the line of trees. I go up to a little hill. What if instead of finding a shelter, I make a den?

I begin digging in the soft dirt. It isn't long before I have dug a short tunnel. I go out of the den to wait for Eliot.

"Where's the shelter, Ivy?" I hear him say, as he emerges from behind a tree with two rabbits and a mole in his mouth.

"Good job. I made a den." I say going into the entrance of the den.

He follows me. "Nice." he tells me after dropping the prey. "We better get some sleep." he suggest.

"Okay." I lay down I the warm dirt and close my eyes. I feel Eliot lay down beside me. He is warm and I cozy up to him.

I open my eyes and look at him. He is curled up in a ball like me with his nose tucked in. I tuck my head in and close my eyes. Feeling safe for the first time in weeks.