To Train a Fox (Midnight Snack)

[Angel]

(Here you go, hon. )

[Midnight Snack]

Isidorous walked quietly through the forest. It was getting on past morning, and he hoped to finish up his rounds and head home in time for lunch. The nights were getting colder, and he expected to start seeing frost in the mornings any day now. It was sunny and bright still, with warm sun shining down through the wide stretching tree branches. Hopefully the good weather would hold and it would be a beautiful day!

Despite the sun, Isi wore a heavy cloak with a deep hood, pulled up tight. The northern forests would never be as warm as the scorched desserts he grew up in. Even the height of summer felt chilly to him.

He had a bow on his back, with a quiver of arrows. Isidorous wasn't expecting anything more dangerous than bunnies, so he hadn't equipped for worse. An of course his luck would run out and make him regret that decision.

A feral snarling brought his meandering attention to a razor's edge in a heartbeat. Sounded like wolves. A lot of them, too. But there shouldn't be any wolves in the forest. It was too early in the season. The yips and barks disagreed. Isidorous turned and sprinted in the direction he heard the sounds. They were hunting something, and it didn't sound like deer.

His hood fell back in his race, revealing a wide, chiseled, and undeniably orcish face. He had one tusk, the other lost many years ago in a fight, and a slightly crooked nose. Cold blue eyes tracked left and right, trying to spot the disturbance as he got closer. His hair was dark as jet, and braided on the sides leaving the top a riotous froth of curls and black waves. Had the wolves actually treed something? Their hunts didn't usually last this long. Or rather, their prey didn't. Isi hoped that if their prey turned out to be something other than a simple animal, they would last long enough for him to get there.

[Angel]

"You damned, dirty mutts!" came a shout from the distance as the orc approached. The voice was distressed, but... Remarkably soft, even as it shouted.

Entering the clearing, he would see its owner. A foxling, tiny in body, but quite beautiful, was stuck in a tall tree, as the wolves snarled, and clawed around it. The fair skinned, red haired boy would stand no chance against the wolf pack; His arm was already bleeding from their claws.

[Midnight Snack]

He had his bow in hand in a second, and an arrow knocked. Isidorous for a brief moment took aim at the lead wolf. But no. Instead, he loosed an arrow that landed a scant inch from it's nose, embedded deep in the tree.

The beast yelped, and fell back, followed by the rest of it's family. Isi sent another two arrows after them to chase them off. They must not have been very hungry, if they gave up so easily as that.

Isidorous only entered the clearing fully once he was sure the wolves were gone. The full sun against his skin felt nice. The color of which gave him away as a foreigner. The rich red-black was only found on desert orcs.

"What happened?" He asked, turning to the wounded foxling. Isidorous slung his bow back over his shoulder, and reached up with to help them down. "Why did they attack?" The little fox hadn't antagonized them, surely. That would have been beyond foolish.

[Angel]

The fox allowed himself to trust his savior, slinking into his hands woozily. Bloodloss was never good for the head, afterall.

"One of the bastards was snooping around my camp. So I chased it off. He and his family came back later to... Lodge a complaint." he grumbled annoyedly. "Thank you." he added.

[Midnight Snack]

"You're lucky you run so fast." Isi snorted, shaking his head. He took the fox's wrist in one hand, looking over his wound. It was still bleeding, but not quickly. Still, it would need to be cleaned.

"How far away is your camp? I'll help you see to this." He said simply.

[Angel]

"My camp is just a sleeping bag and a makeshift tent." he muttered quietly. "My village got ransacked a few days back, and I ran to the woods for protection."

"You won't find medical supplies in it. So we might need to figure something else out."

[Midnight Snack]

"Hmph." Isi sighed. That wouldn't do at all. He debated a moment, before he simply bent, and lifted the petite fox with a quiet 'scuse me'.

"Guess it'll have to be my place." He was already walking. "Those wolves will probably head back there tonight." And there was no way he was just going to leave an injured person lying around to just be picked off later. If he was going to do that, Isi might as well have left the foxling to get eaten in the first place.

"Whats your name? Before I forget to ask again." He added, adjusting his grip a bit.

[Angel]

The boy squeaked softly as he was lifted so easily by the big orc, his face burning softly in an embarassed blush. The eighteen year old was light... Though he was round in all the right places.

"I... My name is Tyler." he said, quietly pressing a tiny bit closer to Isi. He was warm... And big. And tough. And... Orcishly handsome.

[Midnight Snack]

"Tyler." He repeated the name, tasting it on his tongue. Small and light, just like the person it belonged to.

"Isidorous." He said back. "But most just call me Isi. Bit of a mouthful, otherwise." One corner of his mouth quirked up briefly in a grin. Isi was striding back towards the road, and back towards his home. The sooner he got that arm wrapped up, the sooner he could finally relax.