Chapter Text
“Ajax, don’t get into trouble,” yelped the young fox’s mother.
His siblings huddled around their mother’s legs as she paused to shout at him from their den, nestled deep in the forest and well-hidden beneath the roots of a massive tree. The small fox turned, beaming, to his mother—his blue eyes, reminiscent of his late father’s, shimmering.
“I won’t, mama!” He responded jubilantly.
Then, he bounded off a large tree root and down the hill towards the target of today’s adventure:
The human village.
His mother always told him and his siblings stories about the humans. About their ability to transform the leaves and meat of the forest into scrumptious dishes; their skill in fishing up even the most evasive creatures from the nearby rivers; and the funny clothes they wore on their body, head, and feet.
But she also told them of the humans’ cruelty.
“The humans love our orange fur,” she warned her pups. “So if you see them, you must run away as fast as you can.”
Ajax knew this better than the rest of his siblings, having witnessed their father caught and killed by the humans from the nearby settlement just outside the forest. His father shouted for Ajax to hide as the hunters broke his legs and silenced his cries with a crack to his head. The young fox’s stare never left his father’s body as they hauled it over their shoulders to bring back to their town.
Ajax never forgave the humans for that transgression.
And so, he took out his personal revenge on the humans by stealing from them.
Each day, Ajax would leave his family’s den on the hunt for food to bring back to his siblings.
Only the best will do, he thought, and who better to provide said feast than the humans who owed them so much.
He skirted the village’s outer wall before leaping through a crack between mossy bricks, wiggling his small body through, until he landed in an abandoned alley. He recognized early on in his scouting that the humans did not traverse this path often, and he chose it as his ingress whenever he scavenged the town. He stepped lightly, sticking to shadows and climbing up boxes and windowsills till he was on the rooftops. No one would catch him up here, and the height gave him a good view of the villagers’ whereabouts as he roamed.
And it also gave him ample visibility of his quarry.
Ajax sniffed the air and immediately caught the scent of a honey-soaked pig. He hopped along the rooftops until he was perched above the window hosting the succulent swine roasting above a pit. The pig itself would be much too big for the small fox to haul home, but once the humans sliced off its haunches—that was when he’d strike. He would just have to be patient.
But that was not a trait the young fox practiced.
He paced, bored, along the rafters and his nose and eyes wandered the villagers’ movements as they passed by below him. Then, in the corner of his eye, something caught his attention. A small boy with a red scarf wandered down a lone alleyway, his nose buried in a book and completely unaware of his surroundings. The fox eyed the lovely accessory around his neck, wondering why the humans chose to adorn themselves with such strange items, but also wanting to have it for himself. He glanced at the ham.
It’ll still be there, he told himself before making his way towards the distracted child.
Ajax nimbly maneuvered down a series of crates until he was just behind the boy, matching his pace while he eyed his prize. He imagined how nice the scarf would look wrapped around his own neck and warming up his younger siblings in the coming winter. Now more emboldened with his decision, Ajax waited until the boy halted—engrossed with some interesting passage from his book.
Ajax struck.
In a quick leap, the fox snatched the dangling end of the scarf with his teeth and circled the boy’s feet to unwrap it. The boy—bewildered—flubbed and flinched, falling to the ground and dropping his book nearby. He hardly had any time to formulate words before the fox had the scarf around its own body and was running away at full speed down the alley.
Ajax was ecstatic, his body brimming with adrenaline and head full of glee at his plunder, and as he climbed back up to the rooftops, he indulged in a few little hops to express it.
Good job, Ajax!, he praised himself.
Clearly, the little fox thought he was much more clever than the humans.
Satisfied with his new treasure, he resumed waiting until the butcher finally sliced the pig into manageable portions. It was easy stealing a piece from the windowsill, and soon Ajax was on his way back home with not one but two gifts for his family. He returned to the den and dropped the meat at his mother’s feet, beaming with pride.
But his mother immediately admonished him.
“Ajax! What is that around your neck?” She cried in horror.
“I don’t know, but isn’t it great? With this, we won’t need to worry about Teucer getting the shivers this winter.”
His mother nudged him back out of the den.
“Return it immediately,” she ordered. “If the humans find out you stole it, they will come looking for it and kill us all.”
The young fox cowered.
He had not thought of that. It was not his intention to bring the hunters’ wrath back to their home. He pictured his siblings’ and mother’s bodies slung over human shoulders and shivered.
“Okay, mama, I’ll return it,” he replied and scurried as fast as he could back down the hill.
Ajax returned to the alleyway but the boy was long gone. He had no idea how to return the scarf, but he simply must. He sniffed the ground and caught a faint scent that matched that of the scarf around his neck. As carefully as he could, he hid behind objects as he followed the scent’s trail until he reached a home.
This must be where the human child lives, he thought.
Checking up and down the street first, Ajax stepped out into the light and to the front door. He tugged the scarf off his neck and laid it at the doorstep. This would have to be good enough.
He was about to run away when the aroma of a roast chicken caught his nose. Up on the windowsill of the same home was its source, vulnerable for the taking.
We could always use more food, Ajax convinced himself. And besides, the humans still owed his family that much, right?
He hopped up to the windowsill and curled his teeth over a leg when…
“HEY!”
A man’s shout startled the young fox, and he hopped in the air, dropping the chicken off the ledge and to the street below. Large hands grabbed his neck and tail and he flailed desperately to get free. His whines and screams were left unheeded.
“Finally caught you, you little thief! We’ve been looking all over for what’s been stealing our food,” the man relayed while holding the struggling fox taut.
Ajax growled, snapping his teeth in an attempt to bite the hands that held him, but to no avail.
More villagers approached and soon a whole crowd accompanied his captor as they marched to a chopping block. Ajax cried louder.
“Mama! Mama! Save me! Please!”
He cried and cried, even as he was slammed down onto the hard surface and an axe was raised above his head. His eyes caught the glint of the sharp metal and for a moment, he thought back to his father and the resolution he had held in his eyes as he faced his own death.
Ajax, too, would be brave.
He stared down the executioner’s weapon, prepared to meet his fate.
“Good people, what is going on here?”
A deep voice rang out above the crowd, and all heads turned to the pointy-hatted stranger who addressed them. The executioner lowered the axe to his side.
“We caught this fox stealing food. He’s been menacing our village for years, so we’re giving it fair punishment.”
“Is it fair to take a life when all it has stolen is food? Has it harmed any of you in any way?” The deep-voiced man asked calmly.
“Well, no, but…”
“Then, is it fair for you to kill your neighbor if he stole from your home? From your stores? Isn’t there a more appropriate punishment for a thief?”
“We could cut off its feet!” A woman responded from the crowd.
“You could,” the man replied, “but that would be akin to sentencing it to death as well. A fox needs its feet and teeth to survive.”
“What do you propose then, mage?” The executioner asked, slightly agitated.
“Since the creature is unable to pay back what it has stolen, a term of imprisonment is fair. If you do not object, I will take it with me to carry out the sentence.”
The villagers muttered quietly amongst themselves.
“Should we trust him?” One woman whispered.
“I would not want to upset him,” responded another. “He is a mage, after all. He could curse us or cause a blight if we make him cross.”
Eventually, the group settled on a decision.
“The creature is yours,” the executioner relayed to the other man. “Do with it what you will, but if we ever see it in town again, it’s dead.”
The mage nodded, thanking them, then stepped forward towards the chopping block where the fox was firmly held down.
“Do not worry, little one. I will not harm you,” said the man. He reached out to Ajax’s forehead, and though the fox struggled at first, one touch of the man’s hand to his head had him feeling calm. Like floating on clouds.
The hands on his body released him, and he was scooped up by the strange man. Ajax’s consciousness flowed in and out as he felt himself being carried out and away from the busy village, and soon the familiar sounds of the forest surrounded him. He blearily blinked his eyes when the man set him down upon the grass.
“Go home, little one, and do not go back to that village. I protected you once, but I cannot do so again if they catch you,” the human spoke to the little fox, warm kindness in his voice.
Ajax shook his head to restore his senses.
He looked around and found himself in a glade in the forest, far from the village and his own home. In fact, he had never been in this part of the forest. Strange, considering he’d lived here his whole life. How was it that he never found this place before?
In the center of the glade was a well and a simple stone cottage surrounded by a bountiful garden. Blue flowers encircled the house, well taken care of along with the trellises featuring many colorful vegetables. It appeared this human lived out here, alone, in this secluded part of the woods.
The mage returned to his feet and left the fox’s side. He was surprised, however, to find the small creature squeezing between his legs through the open doorway to his home and observing the interior with curious eyes.
“Well, you are welcome to stay for a while if you like,” the man said, laughing slightly. “It has been quite some time since I’ve had guests, so please forgive the mess.”
Ajax sniffed at the many unfamiliar smells in the home. Herbs he’d never encountered in the forest hung to dry on the walls, and strange bottles along the countertops housed all kinds of weird things he’d never seen. He poked his nose in every corner of the home as the mage doffed his cloak onto a hook near the door.
The mage pulled items from his bag and placed them in cabinets and drawers. Ajax watched him as he worked, curious about the human that would save him from an angry mob. Surely, the humans of the village would like him less for his interference?
Done with his chore, the man turned back to Ajax.
“I’ll be starting dinner soon. Would you like to stay to have some?”
Ajax did not understand the question.
The man thought for a second then walked over to a cabinet to pull out some bottles and pouches. Carrying them in his arms, he approached a large cauldron set over a fireplace in the center of the home. With a snap of his fingers, a tiny flame sparked to life in the firewood beneath the pot, and, after a short while, it grew to a sizable blaze. In the cauldron, the mage poured in some liquid, sprigs of various herbs, and a few smelly items from the bottles. Ajax stared curiously at his actions, entranced with the way the human focused so intensely on his task.
Then, after a time, the mage ladled out a portion of the strange-smelling liquid into a mug which he downed after a cooling breath. He swallowed, grimacing.
“Ah… That does not taste very good…” he groaned, and to Ajax’s surprise, he understood it!
Ajax barked in alarm.
“Little one, can you understand me now?” The mage asked, smiling.
Ajax nodded.
How exciting! He thought. A human that talks like a fox!
Ajax hopped around in a circle, tail wagging, at this interesting development.
“Human, my name is Ajax! Thank you for saving me. You’re not like the other humans!” Ajax barked loudly to the mage.
But the man only smiled apologetically.
“I’m sorry, little one. I cannot understand you. My potion only works one way. I will have to do some research before I can make one that works for you.”
Ajax’s ears fell back with disappointment, but only momentarily. After all, a human that spoke fox was great news on its own. Ajax planted his front legs onto the mage’s knees, panting with excitement.
“Don’t worry, human. I’m happy to have met you anyway!”
The mage bent forward to pet the young fox who did not recoil. In fact, Ajax leaned his head upward and hummed sweetly at the man’s comforting touch.
“I’m not sure what you said, but I assume you are pleased with this arrangement,” the mage replied. “As for my earlier question: would you like to stay for dinner?”
Now, that’s a word Ajax knew well.
“Yes! Yes, please!” Ajax yipped, hopping in place. The mage smiled wider, his eyes creasing softly.
“I will take that as a resounding ‘yes,’” he laughed, straightening himself.
Ajax followed the man around the house as he prepared their meal, and he listened intently as the mage told him stories while they rested their full bellies on the porch under the starry night. The human spoke of other lands far beyond this forest—of tall mountains that touched the sky; of oceans crawling with sea creatures; of lands enveloped in dense fogs hiding ancient secrets; and of underground civilizations frozen in time. Each story was fascinating to Ajax, and though he fought for as long as he could, sleep finally overtook his senses as he snuggled up close to the mage without a care in the world.