Spiderweb Night

for @Caiaphas (something spooky.)

Autumn was glad it was about the middle of Autumn. It was a season that went quickly but she loved it, not just because of her name. She looked around the forest. This was when the stories had gotten a bit spookier when she was little. Stories with spirit foxes called Spider Legs and Blood Moon and Full Moon and Eerie Night. They had been about spirits who believed they could cast spells and hexes. They had used many ingredients and a certain mumble or chant to cast the magic out. She collected some spiderweb from the nearest tree-trunk and, after making sure no spiders were left in it, she wrapped it around her neck in such a way that it looked like a silver scarf. Spiderweb had been a common ingredient in several of the stories, she could recall. She wondered what made it so magical.

thank you for starting!!

After Caiaphas had departed Junior's company she found herself making her way inland rather than to the shore. She had yet to explore all of the Teekon Wilds, and as an Outrider she knew it was her duty to do so, even if it meant separating herself from the pack sometime.

She had not wandered long before the scent of a fox passed her trail -- and she froze, little muzzle canted to the side. The scent was distinctly familiar and with her head hung low in a predatory stance she trotted after the trail, her bright eyes inquisitive as she sought out the familiar creature.

No problem! I don't think I've made any other posts this long on Autumn.

Autumn could hear the footsteps of whoever was behind her. She turned around, and looked the coy-wolf up and down for a moment. She couldn't beleive her eyes! It was the coy-wolf who had had rabies. By now, Autumn knew, if she really had it she'd be foaming at the mouth and running around biting everyone. So the coy-wolf had lied to her too. This only increased her frusturation with it. Well, a thought came to her right fast. I'll pretend I'm dead and am a spirit come back to haunt her, she thought. It sounded absurd but in Autumn's mind she could see it. Of course, all these thoughts happened in less time than it takes to read them, so the fox was not standing there thinking while staring at the wolf, but instead her next move happened quickly like instinct. "Hello Coy-wolf. I am the fox who brought you fish. A few days ago I left the solid world to become a spirit. I drowned in a river. So when I died, I went around and rewarded those who were kind to me. Then I looked on the ones who upset me- you were on this list. I have come back to punish you in the afterlife!" She snarled the final word, a high-pitched sound compared to a wolf's, but nonetheless feirce. She began mumbling something under her breath. It was supposed to be a hex, and it was so mumbled that you couldn't understand. But it was just murmured gibberish. She hoped it sounded to the coy-wolf like she was casting a spell. The trick would work better if the coy-wolf was superstitious, but Autumn didn't know about her. She'd just have to wait and see and hope it would work.

Caiaphas wheeled around suddenly as she heard a crackle of leaves -- the unmistakable ruffle of pinestraw. Her fierce yellow eyes flashed wildly around and she froze in a defensive stance with her hackles raised and paws splayed widely apart.

Her black gums curled back into a sneer as she tested the air, her nostrils twitching in inquisitive bursts. She saw no sign of the fox -- but her shrill voice was plaintive and obvious -- and with a snarl she drove into the under-brush where she believed the fox to be hiding.

She flew through the leaves and passed them in a flurry, sliding sideways as she parted through the stiff briar and fern. There was no fox -- she lifted her muzzle and a command rung forth in the frosty air. "Show yourself, Autumn." She swished her tail irately in the manner of a cat and circled the clearing. "I don't believe you."

She couldn't see Autumn? Even better. She would take this advantage. She quietly found her way up a tree and attempted to hide herself from view. Now she was just a voice from above. "You cannot see me. I am a spirit, remember?" She said, making her voice loud and booming. She plucked at few acorns and, trying to make it hard to tell where they were coming from, she threw them at random angles towards Caiaphas's head. Ok, it wasn't scary, but maybe it was annoying.

Caiaphas' spine arched in a primordial bristle, the fur rough and straight as her hackles flared. She adopted a protective stance, arcing her tail over her hips in aggression. Her blackened gums curled back and she continued to circle, pacing with predatory prowess around the clearing.

She lifted her muzzle to the chilly air and she could smell the fox -- but her eyes failed her. She pried into logs and fallen boughs, ripped apart piles of leaves with her furious claws -- and even shoved her snarling muzzle down several abandoned holes in the attempt to find her assailant.

When she withdrew her head from the earth an acorn struck her -- with a yowl she flew backwards in a flurry of pewter and silver. Her white teeth grazed the air in a rabid snap and she turned towards the sound of more acorns falling. "Show yourself, you orange menace!" She bellowed into the empty October air -- her voice echoing down the forest and into the swallowing gloom.

"I'm going to show you what the afterlife really is," She snarled, her voice seething with outrage.

She had to keep herself from laughing out loud at the image of the coy-wolf getting hit on the head by a puny acorn. She could see her searching for Autumn, and Autumn did realize that she was searching throughly and quite well. She cackled eerily, and she complemented her self on how well it sounded as it echoed off the trees. "Orange no more, and am now, alas, see-through." She called out in a sad tone. "A see-through menace." She corrected the coy-wolf, still in a mourning tone.

At this point Caiaphas was entirely consumed by two relentless emotions: frustration and chagrin. She continued to wheel about in the forest, upsetting leaves and pine straw until the very floor of the forest itself was scored by her desperate searching.

The fox's voice once more sounded overhead and in a last ditch effort she looked up, her expression corybantic with indignation. The fact that she corrected Caiaphas in her forlorn voice only served to further usher the waif into inconsolable fury -- with a loud snarl she threw herself at the nearest tree and started to claw berserk and wildly up it. "A dead menace in two seconds!" She rejoined with another correction, practically howling as she searched for the clever little creature.

With a jolt Autumn realized that the coy-wolf had begun to climb her tree. She had no time to be stealthy with two seconds and so she leaped non-stealthily to another tree branch on another tree. one two She made a soft thunk as she landed on the next branch. Unfortunately this was something the coy-wolf would probably hear...

Caiaphas had not seen the wild flash of orange -- but she had heard it. She froze mid pose, her narrow arms outstretched against the rough bough of the tree -- the flat of her elbows pressed against the bark.

The wind moved around them and as Caiaphas strained to listen the leaves fluttered by in scratching tumbles. She tilted her head -- her eyes pressed to the heavens with her breath ragged with exertion.

But she did not see Autumn -- and with a low growl she conceded to defeat, slumping to the ground in a miserable heap as the trees shook overhead and the wind wheeled past her.

She could glimpse the grayish wolf's ears perked, straining to hear the fox. Uh-oh. Autumn trembled slightly in fear that the wolf would suddenly charge at her, but instead the coy-wolf slumped to the ground. She honestly was a little scared for her life, as the coy-wolf was definitely fierce, probably strong, and possibly a merciless fighter. So Autumn didn't want to be even glimpsed by her.
She very slowly crept further along the branch towards the tree trunk. She backed up against it very quietly. Autumn made sure she could see the coy-wolf a little through the leaves, so Autumn could see what was going on and when it was safe to leave her post.

do you mind if we archive here? thank you for the thread! autumn is so fun. we'll have to thread again soon!

Caiaphas was too busy sniveling to herself into the leaves to notice Autumn's descent -- and even as the little fox darted closer she remained unnoticed. Too consumed by her own failure to even catch the brilliant orange fox redhanded, Caiaphas rose to all fours. Shaking the detritus from her fur, she gave one last look about her -- and seeing nothing, the little waif struck off towards home.

The walk home, she was tormented greatly by her failure to detect the fox -- but in truth, even if she had caught the vulpine, she had no plan on what she would have done with her. It was these thoughts, however amusing, that accompanied her as she made her way back to the Sound.

Autumn was thankful for the sound of her exiting paw-steps getting further. Whew. Hopefully she wouldn't have to have a run-in with her again. She climbed down from the tree onto the ground. Autumn ran from the direction in which she had headed. She hoped that if she did see her again, she could live to tell the tale.