Jade Fern Grove ori the fox decides she likes forests

For @Grayday

The further north Ori went, the colder she became, so the petite fox about-faced and went back the way she came. As curious as she was about the dropping temperature, the little vixen was already feeling a bit overwhelmed by the foreign nature of the wilds. It wasn't long before she happened upon another forest, albeit one that looked rather different from the last, and she bounded betwixt the trunks to explore the earth below its canopy.

It was a bit silly, of course, because the shade kept the kit fox cooler than she was used to (she might as well have continued north). But these territories were so interesting. There was much more going on underfoot than she was used to in the plains, not to mention what was happening on and in the tree trunks and leaves. The sounds of crickets were familiar, but the patches of moss and the oddly shaped plants on the forest floor were entirely new.

She danced playfully between them, bursting forth into the large patches of sunlight that sporadically made their way to the flat earth of the grove at random to roll around and feel the comfort of heat in her fur. When a snake slithered by in one such moment, she flipped over and pounced.

He wasn't chasing anyone, no matter what Khoe thought. But after their fight, he'd needed to get away. Not for a week or a day, but for a few hours, at the very most. So he crossed the river, washing the oppressive scent of her from his fur, and headed toward the nearby stand of trees where - coincidentally - he'd last seen Adeline.

For a few long minutes, he stood where he'd watched her walk away. There were deep thoughts threatening to take hold of his mind, but he kept from thinking too hard on them, and instead just let the feelings from that night wash over him.

His attention was soon captured by an odd ruckus caused by something up ahead. Thoughts of Adeline leaving him, he ventured forward, drawn in by the sounds of play. Soon enough, fox scent hit his nose, and almost before he could begin to bristle, a fox and a snake seemed to tumble siumltaneously from the bushes several paces ahead of him. Grayday froze in place, eyes glued to the tussle, expression stuck somewhere between amusement and horror.

Ori had erroneously captured the snake too far down its... neck? body? ...so the creature was able to maneuver itself to strike her. It wasn't poisonous, she didn't think, and so the kit fox held her grip -- growling and shaking her head, hoping to break the thing so that she could eat it without worrying about it biting her in return. She was still young, only just freshly independent, and so she was not the most graceful or experienced hunter.

When she noticed the much larger canine watching her, she dropped the reptile immediately. It writhed in anger, perhaps deciding whether it would slither off or try to punish her, as she stood motionlessly and watched the wolf carefully. Sometimes her larger relatives were friendly, but sometimes they saw her as a quick meal.

The wolf's expression shifted quickly toward fascinated pity when the snake struck. He waited for the poor thing to feel the effects of the venom, but the fox seemed no worse for wear. Huh, he thought, somewhat intrigued by the lack of reaction. He almost took a step closer when the fox seemed to notice him and freed the hissing snake from its jaws. Alarmed, Grayday stumbled back several paces.

And still, the fox stood there, apparently not about to fall to the ground as he had done mere seconds after being bitten.

Grayday squinted, realizing that, while the its scent declared it a fox, this creature was unlike any fox he'd ever seen. It's odd, sandy coloration and slim figure set it apart from the red vermin that Adeline hated, and something about the youthfulness in her expression made the male swallow back the knot in his throat and ask, "Didn't it get you?"