Vulpine Summer

Fox spluttered and coughed as River Oak threw him out of her waters and onto the muddy bank. He lay there, slightly confused and disorientated, with mud smeared over his face and clogged up his nails. He felt sick, like his stomach was twisted in an awful knot, and his head hurt badly.

'Gods, what happened?' He groaned as he blinked heavily, trying to get rid of the water dripping over his eyes.

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the canopy. The leaves were dark and the sky far above was black as night with the moon hanging like a bright light-bulb in its depths. He furrowed his brow. It had been the middle of the afternoon not long ago. What had happened? Why was it so dark?

He jumped slightly, startled by the silent movement to his side. The roar of the river made River Oak's appearance noiseless. She slipped out of the surface, cradling something close to her chest, and slithered across the earth. Absolon the Sprite clung to her back, whistling tiredly, before letting go to drift into the air. Fox watched as she lay an eerily familiar fox in the long grass.

River Oak remained low, her long claws buried deep in the earth, as she stared with her yellow eyes into the darkness.

'The thief must leave. Take the Bloxham Sprite with him.'

Fox stared at her, suddenly realising Esme Dupont was nowhere nearby. He couldn't see her shape in the rushing water, sprawled on the damp banks or amongst the mottled trees. Her sprite was however. It was floating about, tumbling in the air aimlessly with the Grimoire drifting closely by.

'Where's Dupont?' Fox said as he pushed himself onto his feet unsteadily on the unstable banks.

'Here.' River Oak said, gesturing to the unconscious creature she sheltered.

Fox stared at it in confusion. That was clearly a fox, not a human, but River Oak was a Spirit. She couldn't lie, or so everyone claimed.

Fox shuffled forward and peered down at the fox. It looked oddly familiar. Despite being as wet as himself with the red fur clinging to the body, it looked healthier than most foxes. Its patterning was clear cut and sharp and its body was full of plump flesh; not like the scraggly city foxes. He then recalled the weird fox that had followed him last night and trailed him all the way home; how it acted so aggressively and stared at him with intelligent eyes. Suddenly he realised someone had been listening to his conversation with no about his Task and the Eye. Dupont had been.

Fox cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a little stupid. The Doe had rules for a reason and, in a world of magic where nothing is as it seems, you never knew who was watching and listening.

'This is Dupont? You sure?'

'Yes.'

Fox stared at Dupton's strange glossy figure. 'Why isn't she human?'

'She has been cursed, now take her somewhere safe. The liar knows the Bloxham Sprite is in this one's care. Her domain is being searched along with Tranquil's.'

'But won't she get found with me? I can't keep Wizards from findin' her.'

'She has a rock. Keep it wet. It will keep her hidden.' She gestured to the tiny rock now attached to Absolon. 'Now find a safe place. This one cannot keep the Bloxham Sprite and the thief hidden in her waters any longer.' She said and suddenly reared, pushing herself onto her thick powerful tail. She hissed. 'They come. Leave now!'

Fox, while confused and feeling very lost, didn't argue. He scooped up the vixen that was supposedly Esme Dupont and ran. He didn't know why he did. He had been so relieved when that Wizard arrived. She was going to arrest Dupont and rid him of this ridiculous blackmail. Even now he could just walk away and leave Dupont to be snatched up by the people who were coming and let justice word. But then he recalled how scared Dupont was. She had been red and pale, her eyes watering with fear and her hand shook in his. Instinct screamed at him to get her out. He couldn't just leave her, no matter what his brain said. So he didn't. He did as the River Oak Spirit demanded. As Elenore would say, he was too nice for his own good, especially if he was willing to risk his neck for a blackmailing murderer.

Absolon followed after him, suddenly awake and very unhappy as River Oak screamed angrily behind them. It was an awful cry and shook his bones and set his teeth on edge. Fox looked back and just about saw River Oak take to her waters and raised it up, creating a wave that surged upstream.

'Just what is goin' on.' Fox hissed.

He didn't understand it. The Spirits were always so calm. They never attacked yet they were willing to fight the Wizards for Dupont. It's as if the Grand Wizard's death had turned everything crazy.

Fox barrelled onwards, barely able to see in the bright moonlight. He didn't know exactly where he was but he could hear voices. Shouts and lights, some clearly unnatural, littered his surroundings. Dupont's name was called numerous times. He needed to get out but he didn't know how and carrying about a fox wasn't helping. Despite being small, she was heavy and completely out of it. But Absolon quickly took over. He zoomed ahead, dragging the Grimoire after him, and whistled encouragingly, wiggling his arms to get Fox to follow.

'You land me in trouble, Sprite, and you're dead.' Fox growled.

Absolon laughed and drifted ahead, glowing and guiding Fox through the trees and finding the safest route for Fox to follow. He stumbled along the path as rocks, roots and rabbit holes all tried to trip him up. He swore at each dip in the earth and stubbing of his boot and grew increasingly irritable. How and why did he end up in all this?

Absolon suddenly squeaked and turned about, causing Fox to walk straight into his balloon body. He swore loudly.

'What?' Fox snapped.

Absolon whirled away and hid behind a very thick tree. He jingled and waved but Fox needed no more encouragement when he heard voices and saw a very large light bobbing through the dark woods.

He ducked away, throwing his back against the lumpy trunk and slipped into the roots. He clutched Dupont to his tight chest, keeping her curled safely in his arms. He shook a little, his nervous fraying at the prospect of being found and dragged off to the Tower dungeons. Magic terrified him, especially when he didn't have his gloves. He might have some kind of chance he had those.

'Breathe.' He muttered under his breath and closed his eyes as the voices grew closer.

A light peaked through the clustered trees, sending beams in Fox's direction but never quite reaching him. It floated about aimlessly, not tied not any lantern or torch. A magical light.

'Is she there?' A timid female voice asked in the exact same pompous tone of Dupont.

'No.'

A screech echoed in the distance, inhuman and filled with rage, causing a flock of birds to crash into the air noisily. Fox clutched Dupont tighter.

'The River Spirit is very unhappy.' The female Wizard said. 'This doesn't feel right. Why would the Spirit attack us?'

'It does not matter. The higher ups want Dupont. We find her and then we can bring some justice to the Grand Wizard.' A man responded without feeling. 'If the Spirits say she didn't do it, she didn't do it. The Council will let her go at their say so.'

The female sighed. 'They should have let her go already by how upset two of our Spirits are.' She muttered and was about to speak further before a firework like bang tore through the night air, disturbing an even greater number of birds.

'River Oak is likely causing problems.' The man said irritably through the scathing panicked cries of crows and songbirds.

'Oh dear.' The female muttered. 'We had better get back.'

Fox stayed very still with his heart in this throat as the light slowly drifted away and the hurried crunching of bracken and twigs died. He didn't move for a few heartbeats after the Wizards had left. Partly because he wanted to be certain it was safe but mostly because their conversation kept whirling about his head.

'If the Spirits' say she didn't do it, she didn't do it.' Fox muttered.

Both River Oak and Lake Tranquil had stated Esme Dupont hadn't killed anyone and that Suellen Denver, whoever she was, was a liar. He looked down at the warm sleeping fox in his arms as he thought of his and Elenore's plan. The plan to obey Dupont and then hand her over to the authorities when Fox had the Eye again. What if she hadn't murdered anyone? But as Elenore pointed out, if she hadn't killed anyone, no harm would come to her. Fox oddly just didn't believe that. She was cursed afterall and curses didn't happen for good reasons.

'Doesn't matter.' Fox snapped to himself.

It didn't. His Task did. His name did. A Wizard caught up in some politics and a big-wig murder didn't. It was part of a world he didn't exist in. He had to focus on himself. Sticking his neck out for someone he didn't know was stupid. He had to stick to the plan.

'Right Absolon. Let's get goin'.' Fox said sharply as he heaved himself onto his feet and readjusted his grip on Dupont.

Absolon drifted away from his hiding spot nervously and peered in the darkness high and low before he set off again, drifting through the darkness like Fox's own magical light. Eventually Absolon stopped as he reached the edge of the woods and was met by the Oak District roads. Fox stopped as his chest heaved and his face grew red.

'Gotta put her down.' Fox said heavily and gently laid out Esme Dupont the vixen beside a thick oak.

He hunkered down beside her and rested his poor numb arms as he looked on at the amber lights of Lakeside. He didn't know what to do now. Beyond this point he'd be pointed out as weird and he didn't know how many people knew about this curse but he also couldn't carry Dupont much further, let alone all the way to his home. Staying here wasn't a smart idea either.

'I need her awake, Absolon.' Fox said, gesturing to the sleeping vixen. 'I need her to carry her own heavy arse.'

Absolon whistled and drifted down to Dupont. He nestled an arm in her warm neck fur and began to glow softly in the dark. Fox watched as Dupont stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing the same impressive honey colour and bright sparkle of intelligence of that fox last night. The same haughty gaze that Esme Dupont gave as she towered over him dress in baggy men's clothing. So the fox last night really had been a person.

Slowly Dupont rose, a little shakily, and stared at Fox inquisitively. She didn't seem surprised that she was a fox but more confused about the time-shift. She kept tilting her head at the black inky sky in confusion.

Fox suddenly realised he didn't know if she understood him. He hoped she would, she seemed to understand his conversation about the Eye and his task perfectly well, but he didn't know how he could understand her. Unless she could talk, there were going to be communication issues.

He rubbed his mouth, a little embarrassed he was about to talk to an animal, and spoke slowly and clearly. 'River Oak wants me to get you away from her home. She says it isn't safe there anymore.'

Dupont's ears flattened unhappily. She seemed to understand him at least.

'I'm gettin' you back to mine. You should be safe there, okay?'

Dupont didn't appear to be ecstatic with the news. Her body shrunk, making itself as small as possible, and she stared at him with little trust. A sigh of despair escaped her muzzle. It annoyed Fox. Would she rather stay where the danger was?

'You can stay if you want. I'm out though. Wizards are behind us and I ain't stayin'.'

Dupont snapped her jaws irritably but stood sharply, shaking her damp fur before staring at him expectantly. She was ready to go.

'Good. Just stay out of sight.'

Dupont yipped irritably and slunk into the long grass, keeping low as she watched him with her bright eyes. Despite now understanding why they were so intelligent, they still rubbed him the wrong way and made his skin crawl.

'Right. This way.' Fox said and set off at a half jog down the road.

At first he kept looking over his shoulder, trying to keep Dupont in his sights and making sure he wasn't being followed, but eventually gave up. The Wizards seemed to be deep in the woodlands as River Oak caused a huge ruckus and he barely saw Dupont, only flashes of red now and then. He had no idea where Absolon was though, he assumed somewhere close by.

The walk home was long, exhausting and stressful. His heart was always in his throat, his body was in constant flight mode and his adrenaline was pumping madly. He was nervous about being found. A Wizard didn't look like the used to, they weren't obvious with massive pointed hats a robes, the looked like any normal folk. He couldn't pick one out unless they had a Grimoire which scared him. An invisible enemy was the worst but he had to trust in this rock the Spirit spoke. Her magic wasn't feeble and so far everyone left him be though. The drunks, the late night shoppers, the couples, the homeless; no-one noticed him. That was some comfort.

He went out of his way to avoid the police though, quickly walking back the way he had come or sharply turning down the nearest alleyway, even if it made him take a longer route. There was no way he was going near the police now and the sight of the blue uniform made him panic slightly. Would this Denver woman remember his face and have it plastered it all over the city and given it to the Bobbies? So far he hadn't seen anything and he checked any newsagents or pub window that had Dupont's warrant. Everyone was leaving him be too. He was just another face in the city. No one important.

'Good.' He thought as he marched onwards with his head bowed, rubbing at the drying mud on his face.

The mud smeared over his features wasn't to last much longer however. Dark clouds gathered and, by the time he had reached his home District, it was pouring. A thick sheen of water gushed from the churning clouds above and soaked anything it touched to the bone. His clothes stuck to his body, his hair became heavy and flat and his skin shivered from the cold. Hunched and miserable, Fox continued marching home, more desperate than ever to get to his messy tiny room.

As soon as he got to the corner pub at the edge of his road, he stopped and huddled beneath a small overhanging roof. He gazed up the narrow alley he had marched through, watching the rain pummel into rock, brick and glass and thicken the puddles filling the potholes. Soon a small shape appeared followed by floating and bounded down the broken path of shabby houses. It was Dupont and the ball Absolon the sprite.

She skittered to a halt beside him and hundled close to his side, trying to get some shelter herself. Her ears were flat over her head, her fur brown from water and her whole demeanour screamed misery. Absolon though seemed to enjoy the rain and twirled about, laughing at how the droplets bounced off this ethereal body.

'Just down here. Not like you don't know already.' Fox muttered, bitterly recalling that she had already entered his home when she burgled from him.

Her golden eyes narrowed haughtily and she made a small sharp noise, almost as if she just tutted at him. He thinned his lips, annoyed, but didn't say anything. He wasn't going to argue with a bleeding fox.

Without asking if she was ready, Fox pushed himself away from the wall and made a break for his home. He barrelled through the summer rain and splashed through deep puddles until he finally reached his home.

He bounded down the steps and found his door in no time, quickly jamming the key inside and shoving it open with his shoulder when it refused to budge. He breathed a sigh of relief once he was in and took a moment to collect himself. He pulled off his boots, hating how they squelched, and squeezed some of the water from his hair.

'Hate rain.' He growled as he fumbled for the switch and flicked it.

Light grew slowly, flickering as the bulb tried its best to charge, and poured a sickly yellow colour over his messy room. In the centre of it was Absolon floating sleepily and, looking very miserable, Dupont. He found it quite eerie how she got into his home without making any noise. He hadn't even noticed her following him.

He closed the door firmly, watching her like a hawk. He didn't like how she held herself aloft, how she kept her tail so tightly around her paws and how she seemed to glare in distaste at the mess she was surrounded by. It was almost as if the small clear area she sat in was an island she clung to desperately.

'It's messy. I've got it.' Fox snapped and hurriedly began to strip. He wanted the wet clothes of his back and get something dry on and nudity wasn't something he was raised to be modest with, not when you had few clothes.

He didn't notice the flustered appearance of the vixen in his room. Her ears flicked up as he pulled off his shirt, revealing his pale skin and small but muscular build, and how she hurriedly squeezed her eyes shut and averted her snout from his direction. As soon as his muddy wet clothes were chucked in a bucket and something vaguely clean but very dry was on his back, Fox suddenly felt a lot better. His irritation faded a little and his nerves settled. Dupont however was still a little flustered and didn't quite know where to look so gazed at her small tidy spot.

'You can stay here for the next couple of days.' Fox said as he went to his fridge in search of something edible and wrinkled his nose when he realised there was very little. 'We'll leave as soon as the Doe gives me the say so.'

Dupont just stared while Absolon yawned. Without checking with Fox, the sprite settled amongst a pile of clean clothes he had yet to put away and drifted off to slip. The Grimoire and shielding rock floated about him, like two oddly shaped moons, and he was soon snoring. It was an odd sound, almost like a gentle breeze whistling.

The sight, while annoyed him, made Fox realise he needed enough space for Dupont to sleep in. She was a fox now but he didn't know for how long. She had been human during his two meetings with her so he assumed she would become human again.

Fox sighed in despair as he scoured the room and saw no suitable place. 'It's late so have my bed. Sleep in that.'

Dupont turned her snout to his old bed. She tilted her head in judgement, gazing at the thin mattress and the old scratchy blankets covering it. She huffed. He tightened his jaw. Somehow, even without words, Dupont's thoughts were very clear and insulting.

'Or sleep on the floor. I don't care.' He snapped and turned to get the oven going. He wanted warmth and food to fill his hungry belly. That would make him happier. Talking to a pompous vixen wasn't.

As soon as the fire was going and the kettle was full of water and settled on the hob, Fox turned to see Dupont moving. She slowly tiptoed her way to the bed, being careful not to touch the clothes and mess covering the floor, then elegantly bounded onto the bed and winced at the broken springs embedded in it. She turned in a circle and, after finding the springs to be uncomfortable no matter what she did, she pulled the blanket to cover it and settled in her nest.

'Is that fine now?' He wanted to add 'Your Majesty' but he wanted to live the next time she was human. He kept forgetting that she was a Wizard, a Tower Wizard, and could turn his body inside out. He had to keep his tone under control.

Dupont sighed and nestled her nose against her tail. 'It is good enough,' She seemed to say.

Fox shrugged. At least she was out of the way now. Grabbing what was left, Fox managed to put together some kind of sandwich involving old cucumber and cooked chicken he wasn't sure was still safe to eat. As he ate beside the warming stove that boiled hot water in an ancient kettle, Dupont stared. She stared so intensely he found it unnerving. He tried to ignore her but her judging eyes bored in his face as he ate, crumbling his ability to pretend he was alone.

'What is it?' He demanded, snapping swiftly.

Dupont didn't make a noise and just continued staring. Hungrily almost. Fox sighed sharply and grabbed the only sharp knife he had. She was hungry. Of course she was. She hadn't eaten for as long as he had and his stomach was twisting.

He cut his sandwich in half and stood sharply, kicking aside clothes as he made his way to her and placed it in front of her nose. 'I'll grab more food in the morning. It's all I've got right now.'

Dupont sniffed it daintily and, despite looking like she was about to eat something worse than dirt, she opened her long muzzle and scoffed it down. Fox returned to his seat and waited for his water to boil, his stomach feeling barren still. Dupont was happier now though. She was no longer staring at him and was curled in a ball, drifting off to sleep.

He watched her in the corner of his eye, listening to the growing whistling of his kettle, the gentle snores of the odd spirit and cursed Wizard and the rain that lashed against his rattling window.

He didn't feel confident about his new task. The Granite Tower was so far away that he was going to need a miracle to avoid the sheer number of people hunting Dupont down. But it was the next couple of days that concerned him the most. The Ivory Tower had sniffed out Dupont somehow, who's to say it wasn't going to happen again? Who's to say the Ivory Tower wasn't going to send Wizards down to his room in the morning and arrest him?

Fox grunted irritably and snapped off the hob as the kettle screamed. He had to keep Dupont alive so he was just going to make it happen. His future depended on it.