LateNightHacking Louis My Writing

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Outside, the sky was beginning to glow with the pinkish radiance that precedes the dawn. The three creatures inside the fox’s den couldn’t see the sky though, and they could only judge the time by the weariness of their bodies. Nutsy was leaning against Josh’s side. His eyelids began to droop, and soon the squirrel was asleep.

The raccoon watched the gray creature under the blanket and sat lost in thought. What was it? Where had it come from? Why was it here? Yet no matter how he looked at the few facts in his possession, he could come up with no satisfactory answer. When Josh felt himself begin to nod off, he nudged the squirrel to wake him up. Nutsy awoke with a start.

"Your turn to watch Faehlyn," murmured Josh.

Nutsy nodded and stood to stretch. Josh closed his eyes and began to get some much needed rest. Nutsy continued the daylight vigil over the sick creature. He walked over and began to study the patient. Things did not look good. Faehlyn’s breathing was shallow and its color was as dark as ever. Nutsy decided to take the chance to study it more closely. Faehlyn’s fur was incredibly soft and long. The digits on its paws had no claws, just toughened pads. He scratched Faehlyn behind one ear. The rounded ear twitched, swiveling ineffectively. Nutsy smiled a little to himself. He walked back and sat down against Josh.

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A rustle at the entrance to the den startled the sleeping friends. It was evening again. They had both fallen asleep! Something was coming down into the den. Josh rolled and crouched on all fours. He gave a warning growl.

"Back off, ring-tail," came a deep, threatening voice from the tunnel. The blue fox appeared at the entryway. He narrowed his eyes at the raccoon. Josh backed down.

Serin swept into the den. He stopped in front of Faehlyn who was huddled under the blanket. "So this is the mysterious animal you found," commented the fox. He sniffed and prodded with his nose. Faehlyn’s eyes remained closed and its only reaction to the fox’s probing was to shift one paw slightly. "Unique," said Serin. "I have never scented anything like it, neither here nor in my homeland."

"Yes. It’s sick. We found it in a blackberry patch," replied Nutsy.

"It was perfectly white, but after it vomited the berries it has been getting grayer and grayer," added Josh. Serin stared at the raccoon for a moment then nodded.

"We must find a healer," decided the fox abruptly. The other two nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately, I do not know if any healers will attempt to heal an animal as unusual as this. What did you call it?"

"Its name seems to be Faehlyn," supplied the squirrel.

For a while, no one spoke.

"I think I know of a healer who will help us," said Josh. "Madame Vera."

"That shabby old opossum?" said Nutsy with surprise and uncertainty.

Serin turned to the raccoon and glared at him. "We do not need your second rate healer. I’d rather search the forest for a healer myself," said Serin acidly.

"Madame Vera knows more medicine than most healers." Josh countered. "She is old and often has pains in her joints. That’s why she’s not always well groomed. She helped a brother of mine when he broke his leg recently, so she should still be in the area," continued the raccoon. "And she’s a very good healer. My brother probably wouldn’t be able to walk if it weren’t for her. She is a little unconventional, but..." he trailed off with a shrug.

Serin began to object again, but Nutsy interrupted him. "Josh is right," the squirrel said, giving the fox a sharp look. "Madame Vera is probably our best hope."

Serin was silent for a moment, clearly wanting to disagree with the raccoon. "I have never heard of this Madame Vera, but I admit I am still somewhat new here," the fox said slowly. "Go find her immediately and ask her if she will come."

Josh nodded and got up off the ground. The fox and the squirrel watched quietly as the burly raccoon ambled quickly up the tunnel leading outside. Serin saw the ugly slice across the raccoon’s haunch. The wound was beginning to discolor and did not look healthy.

"It seems that thief is in need of a healer himself. What happened to him?"

"Josh is not a thief!" squeaked Nutsy. "Why do you insist on calling him that?"

"Ring-tails are all thieves and marauders," spat out the blue fox. "They are outcasts, preying on civilized creatures like leeches."

"No they don’t!" yelled Nutsy. "I don’t know what things are like where you come from, but here the raccoons are well respected. They look after their own and are helpful to others. Open your eyes."

"We shall see. The ring-tail will show his true colors soon enough," replied the blue fox disdainfully.

Faehlyn whined softly and pawed once at the blanket.

The little squirrel fumed, but held his tongue. The fox would not be convinced, and the argument had disturbed Faehlyn. He hoped fervently that Josh would be successful.

Serin stared at his house guest for a good fifteen minutes, lost in his own thoughts. Then he flopped down on the carpeted floor of his den with a soft whumph. Nutsy, who had been watching both Faehlyn and Serin, sat down beside the blue fox. The squirrel didn’t really want to get into a fight with the fox, he just wished Serin wouldn’t be so arrogantly obstinate. Nutsy had no intention of giving in to the fox’s prejudices, but he decided that smoothing a little ruffled fur would take some of the tension out of the situation. He tried to strike up a pleasant conversation.

"Thank you for letting us borrow your den. You really helped out."

"Hmmm, yes. You’re welcome. I’m glad I did."

"So where did you spend the day?"

"I do have other friends, you know," the blue fox chuckled. "Sydnam is a friend of mine. He’s a bachelor, so he always has a little extra room if one of the guys needs a place to crash for the day. He’s a red fox. Very peculiar coloring, if you ask me."

Nutsy shook his head. "Not around here," he laughed. "You’re the one who’s weird, not this Sydnam fox."

Serin just snorted. "Where do you think he is from?"

"Who, Sydnam?" asked Nutsy

"No Faehlyn. I am correct in that he is not from this land, aren’t I?"

"I think so, though I can’t say as I’ve seen every type of creature who lives here. I believe so, yes."

"He has to get well again. I have so many questions!"

"Why are you so interested in Faehlyn?" asked Nutsy. "We can’t even speak its language."

"What? No!" denied the fox. "Finally, after months and months of searching, I have found the key to returning home. Faehlyn must know!" said Serin desperately.

The squirrel was surprised at the vehemence of the fox’s outburst. He mulled over what he knew about the strange blue fox. "You really miss your home, don’t you?" asked Nutsy quietly.

Serin stared at the floor between his forepaws for a moment. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He seemed to sink lower, despite the fact that he was already laying on the ground. "Yes," he replied softly. He sniffed. "Yes I do."

Nutsy put his arm around the blue fox’s neck. The squirrel sensed that the fox had dropped his facade of emotional invulnerability. Maybe Serin was finally ready to talk, thought Nutsy. The flying squirrel hoped he’d finally get to hear the story, not only because he was naturally curious, but because he had a caring interest in his friend’s problems and because he felt Serin needed to get it off his chest.

"I miss my mate. I miss my cubs." Serin sniffed again. "I am so afraid about what has happened to them while I haven’t been there. My son needs a father. My family needs my protection." Serin wept softly.

Nutsy hugged the mournful fox. He kept quiet, waiting for Serin to continue.

"We are not well-to-do, but my family is proud and self-sufficient. Our home is on the frontier, so my family needs my protection from the bandits and lawless creatures that live around us. Who is acting as protector in my stead?" wondered the fox. "The hunting around my home is good, but providing for three cubs is too much for a single parent."

Nutsy tried not to think about ‘good hunting’ and privately hoped the fox would not dwell on it very long.

"Still, our community looks out for its own," the fox continued. "This gives me hope that at least my family will not die of starvation. But my son is coming of age in another month. If his father is not there, my son will be forced to join another family or remain a second class citizen for the rest of his life!" Serin’s voice cracked. After a moment, he spoke again more softly. "I have probably already lost my place in the Council because of my neglect of my family. Elena, my mate, Rora and Kosha, my daughters, and Garren, my son. I miss them so much." Serin fell silent and closed his eyes once more.

Nutsy hugged the fox. He tried to imagine a family of blue foxes, with Serin as the proud and strong father. The squirrel mentally reviewed what little he had heard before. Serin had been hunting and had chased after a hare. When he caught it, he was stupefied to find himself in a strange land where foxes were red and the ground was not covered with snow. He had searched for a way back until he was exhausted, but he had no idea what to look for or where to find it. Finally, after searching for two days without sleep, he collapsed at the foot of a giant oak. When he awoke, a strange looking squirrel was busy asking him questions. Still amazed, he answered the squirrel in stead of eating it and thus made his first friend in this strange new land.

Serin suddenly raised his head. "Do you smell something?"

"No..." The squirrel knew the interlude had passed. Serin was back to his normal self. Still, he was glad he understood the alien fox a little better now.

Then they both heard a shuffle at the entrance to the den. In stepped an old opossum. She was indeed a sight. The years had not been kind to her, leaving a few old scars on her muzzle and torso where her fur did not grow evenly. These were difficult to see, though, because her coarse gray fur was sticking out in all directions like she had been tossing an turning in her sleep all day and had just gotten up. She walked slowly and with a bit of a waddle because of the stiffness of her joints. She smelled of pungent herbs and a little of unwashed opossum. "Someone here is in need of old Vera?" she asked in a grating voice. Unfortunately, her many years had not dulled her voice one bit. "Gracious me!" she exclaimed when she spotted Serin. "A blue fox! What did you do to turn your fur such a peculiar shade? Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself when you did that?" she asked. Josh entered the den after her, looking rather harried.

"No, Madame Vera. I was born this way," was the fox’s low reply. "However, I am not the one you were called for. He’s over there." Serin nodded his head toward the crumpled blanket Faehlyn stirred under the covers

"Oh, the poor dear!" cried Madame Vera and she shambled over to her patient. Old Vera pulled back the blanket and began examining Faehlyn. Nutsy stood across from her, ready to be of assistance. "My, you are a strange one aren’t you," said the opossum as she ran her paws over Faehlyn’s frame. "I think you may have managed to out do even a blue fox! Well, don’t just stand there gawking. Tell me what happened."

"Who? Oh, yes." Nutsy realized the last request was directed at him. He repeated the story of the strange creature in the blackberry bushes.

"Well, obviously blackberries don’t agree with her, do they?" replied Vera. She began to dig in the satchel she had brought with her.

"Her?" asked Nutsy.

"Certainly. Didn’t you notice?"

"No." said Nutsy, abashed. What a thing to miss!

"Hmph. She seems to have gotten rid of most of the berries, but I’ll give her some of this anyway. It doesn’t taste good, but it should adsorb any remaining poison." The old opossum put some black powder from a packet into a small bowl and added water until it became an inky soup.

"You are going to give her that?" asked Serin in disbelief.

Vera gave him a glance. "Certainly! Bottoms up!" With that, she lifted Faehlyn’s head and began to pour the black liquid into her mouth. The startled Faehlyn choked on the unpleasant medicine, and the black elixir dribbled down her chin. She squirmed in Vera’s paws and refused to take any more.

Vera looked to Nutsy. "She must drink this," she said, handing the bowl to the squirrel.

Nutsy blinked in surprise. He looked from the bowl to the quaking Faehlyn. "Josh, come here. Hold her for me." The raccoon did so. He sat down behind Faehlyn and put one arm around her chest, under her arms, and held her to him. With the other forepaw, he rubbed her gently on the head, between the ears. She seemed to calm down in his embrace. Faehlyn wasn’t in any shape to put up much of a fight anyway. Nutsy approached with the bowl, but she pushed him away with a forepaw. "Please, Faehlyn. It’s for your own good. You’ve got to drink it. I know it tastes bad. It even looks disgusting, but it will help you get better. Vera said so and she’s a good healer. It’s just a little bit of black soup. Please, Faehlyn. Just a quick drink and it will be all gone. Then you’ll get all better." Nutsy continued to speak in a reassuring tone as he approached again. Still, Faehlyn pushed him away. Josh put his other arm around her chest, and held her head with his other paw. By reversing his hold, he now held Faehlyn’s arms fast. When Nutsy poured the black liquid into her mouth, she had no choice but to swallow or choke. Nutsy and Faehlyn were both thankful when the bowl was finally empty. The black elixir had gotten on all three of them and seemed to stick to everything.

"Very good!" cackled Madame Vera as she took the bowl back from Nutsy. "I don’t know what else I can give her. With such a violent reaction to simple berries, I would be afraid to give her any of my herbs." She sat beside Faehlyn and continued her examination. Josh held Faehlyn and comforted her as Vera felt her wrist and leaned her wizened head against her chest. The old opossum examined Faehlyn’s eyes, looked in her ears, and pried her mouth open to look at her teeth and down her throat. Vera sat back, finished with her examination. Faehlyn glared at the healer and bared the teeth she had been trying so hard to hide just moments before.

"She seems whole in body," commented Vera. "No broken bones. A few scratches, but I’ll deal with those in a moment. Mostly, she is just weak from hunger. She needs good food, something appropriate for her constitution," she continued with her prognosis. "You, raccoon, go get something out of the creek, a crayfish perhaps. Mr. Fox, I presume you can catch a mouse and bring it back here?" Serin looked indignant but nodded. Nutsy just looked queasy. "As for you, young squirrel, I think bringing her any piece of a plant or tree is out. Could you instead find some beetles or maybe a caterpillar? Perhaps even a snail or a slug would be worth a try. Well, what are you all waiting for? Get going! She’s hungry! Shoo!" commanded the aged opossum in her grating voice.

The trio lurched to their feet and hurried out on their separate errands. Vera turned back to her charge. "Now, dearest, let’s get those nasty scratches cleaned, shall we?" Faehlyn just clutched the blanket.

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Nutsy was the first to return. He had found a small banana slug and a big black beetle. As he entered Serin’s den, he found Faehlyn and Vera sitting on the blanket. Faehlyn was now a much lighter gray, though not white. She was brushing the old opossum’s fur with her fingers. Vera had a wistful smile on her pointed muzzle. She was clearly enjoying the attention. Nutsy had to admit, Vera looked practically respectable when her fur was not sticking out all over.

Faehlyn looked up. "Nutsy! Reum dai ner se liu’faeh! Cau’ va beneh Vera meydau. Ferra se uopae?"

"Ahh! Glad you made it back," croaked the healer. "Let me tell you, I was quite surprised the first time she tried to disappear from me. I guess I didn’t quite believe your story."

"Everything went O.K. then?" asked the flying squirrel.

"Once I convinced Faehlyn that I wasn’t trying to attack her, she behaved very well," replied Vera. "You’re right. She speaks no language I’ve ever heard."

"Ferra se uopae?" asked Faehlyn again.

Nutsy held out the slug and the beetle, which was waving its legs in the air. Faehlyn wrinkled her nose.

"I guess not," sighed Vera. She took the slug from Nutsy and popped it in her mouth. Nutsy ate the beetle.

"Piquant, with a very pleasant crunch," he quoted, winking at Faehlyn.

"Beeeeeeh! Esu noh se wesmeo," said Faehlyn, disgusted.

Vera was watching Nutsy. "You, young squirrel, need those scratches cleaned as well. Come here."

Vera poured a clear liquid from a vial onto a clean cloth. She began to wipe the dirt and dried blood from the squirrel’s injuries.

Nutsy gasped! What ever she put on the cloth made the scratches burn, though it felt cold where it touched his skin. Faehlyn giggled. Apparently she had been through a similar treatment.

"Now, don’t lick that. It will kill the germs, but I don’t recommend eating it," scolded Madame Vera. "I got this from an old badger. He insisted it was good for wounds. Most of the folk remedies people want me to use are as harmful as the original injury. Why, one family of porcupines wanted me to give their daughter nightshade to bring down a fever! Terrible! I didn’t believe old Bradley at first either, but this one actually works. Wonderful stuff really." Vera chattered on, distracting her patient while she cleaned his cuts and scrapes.

Serin was the next to return. He dropped the dead field mouse in front of Faehlyn. Again, she just wrinkled her nose.

"Oh dear. I do hope Josh brings back something suitable," said Vera worriedly.

Serin just snorted and gobbled down the mouse.

Faehlyn, not as repulsed as the squirrel, moved to sit in front of the fox. "Ge nessana de Faehlyn. Cwerra le nessana?" she asked.

"What is she babbling about?" asked the fox, looking toward the flying squirrel for help.

Nutsy shrugged. Suddenly, Faehlyn’s fur swirled with color again. A moment later she was deep blue with black socks and white on the tips of her ears and tail, just like the fox.

"Cwerra le nessana?" Faehlyn asked again, waving a paw towards Serin.

"I think she wants to know your name," suggested Nutsy. "She changed color like that when I told her my name."

The fox nodded. "My name is Serin," he told Faehlyn.

"Mienaem?"

"No. Serin," said the fox, stressing his name.

"Coooo, Serin," she nodded, apparently understanding. Her fur reverted back to gray, and Faehlyn laid down on the blanket again.

The fox shook his head. "Amazing."

Ten minutes later, Josh arrived with his catch. He had one crayfish in his paw and another in his mouth. Faehlyn’s round ears perked up when she smelled what the raccoon had brought. Josh brought the crayfish over to where Faehlyn was resting and set them down in front of her. She licked her lips to keep from drooling, then took one of the crustaceans in her mouth. After crunching the shell, she began noisily eating, forming a dainty pile of empty shell fragments. Josh watched with surprise at the gusto with which she was eating. Suddenly, she leaned up and licked his nose. Josh ducked away, embarrassed.

"Nengh Josh fe guesponad," she said. "Epu fehw ge deopathey." She smiled at the raccoon, then continued eating.

Josh just smiled back in confusion.

"You seem to be a hit Josh!" said Nutsy. "She wouldn’t touch anything we brought. It must be your roguish charm. Or maybe it’s the mask. I bet chicks dig the mask," he teased the big raccoon.

"That’s enough out of you, you little rascal," scolded Madame Vera. "Josh, come here and let me fix those scratches up for you."

Josh sat patiently while the opossum cleaned the cuts on his face and shoulders. When she saw the deep claw marks on his haunches, she gasped in surprise. "Oh my! These are bad. I will have to lance these and drain the wound, then I’ll have to sew it closed if this is to heal properly. How you managed to do this to yourself is beyond me." Madame Vera pulled a long needle out of her satchel. Josh stared with apprehension as she dipped it in her vial of antiseptic.

"YOUCH!" he yelped as she pierced the wound.

"If you don’t hold still and relax, this will hurt even more," scolded Vera.

"How do you expect me to hold still when you’re jabbing a spike into my leg?" the raccoon snarled. "Damn that hurts!"

Vera stopped to consider for a moment. Then she fished around in her satchel again and came up with a vial of amber colored liquid. She pulled out the stopper and sniffed the contents. Satisfied, she handed it to Josh. "Drink a little of this. It should dampen the pain."

The raccoon looked at the vial for a moment, then drank the entire contents in three swallows. He gasped, breathing as if his throat were on fire. "What is that stuff? By my mother’s tail! I’ve been poisoned!" He coughed and gasped again. "Nutsy, why are there three of you? Whoa! Who’s spinnin’ th’ room?" Moments later, the big raccoon had passed out.

"You weren’t supposed to drink the whole thing! Tch. Tch. Tch," scolded old Vera at the now unresponsive raccoon. She quickly returned to work. This time Josh didn’t move when she poked the needle into the injury. Nutsy and Serin watched with morbid fascination as she opened up the scabbed over wound and cleaned it out. Faehlyn was asleep under the blanket, oblivious the world around her.

Aged paws skillfully sewed the lacerated skin back together. Finally, Vera completed her work. "He’s going to have a nasty headache when he wakes up tomorrow. Have him chew on this, and it will ease the pain." She handed Nutsy a short length of cord formed from thin pieces of bark braided together. Next, Vera turned to the blue fox. "OK. You’re next. Where are your injuries?"

"I am perfectly fine, Madame. Not a scratch, I assure you."

The opossum gave him a searching look. "Where were you when the rest of these ruffians were getting scraped up?"

"Not with them. I didn’t find out about all of this until I got home."

"If you don’t let me attend to those scratches, they could get much worse."

"I’m telling you, I’m fine. No injuries."

"Hmph," grunted the opossum, not entirely sure. "Well then, my work here is through. I must be on my way, another family is waiting for me. It’s a three day trip and I’ve already lost one day already," said Madame Vera as she gathered her vials and needle and cloths and placed them back in the satchel. "Make that raccoon take it easy on his leg. A few days of bed rest would do him wonders, but I doubt that will happen. Good luck to the young lady. You should have her drink lots of water. It will help her remove the poisons from her blood. I hope she enjoys it here in our forest. And for goodness sakes, don’t let her eat any more blackberries!" Madame Vera called out as she waddled slowly out of the den.

"Good evening, Madame Vera, and thank you for your help!" the squirrel cried out after her.

Serin’s sharp ears could barely hear Vera muttering to herself as she walked away from the den. "Blue foxes and gray fluffballs. What next? A jackalope?"

It was now quiet in the den. Josh and Faehlyn were both asleep. Serin was also laying down, but his head was up, surveying the room. Nutsy walked over and scratched his friend’s ears. Serin closed his eyes and tilted his head.

"Looks like I have house guests again," said the blue fox drolly.

"Yup. But I think there’s enough room for everyone to sleep here, don’t you?"

"I suppose so." Serin yawned widely.

Nutsy had to yawn himself. "Well, I better clean up these crayfish shells."

"Thanks," said Serin, slightly surprised.

The flying squirrel scooped up the pile of shells in his arms and carried them up the short sloping tunnel and out of the den. He tossed them under a huckleberry bush a few yards away from his tree and scampered back to the den. He returned to find Serin asleep as well. "Something tells me it must be bedtime," Nutsy chuckled to himself. He tiptoed between Serin and Faehlyn and laid down next to Josh. Nutsy wanted to be next to the big raccoon so he could give him the medicine when he awoke. The flying squirrel curled up in a ball and wrapped his tail over his head, though this was more out of habit than out of a need to keep out the cold. Soon he too was asleep.