Chapter List
Chapter Nineteen
I sat on a soft bed of cloth with a blanket around me. A fire burned in front of me making the area very comfortable. Around me sat several animals. I brought a bowl of water up to my muzzle and drank it all quickly; I was very thirsty and also hungry. I looked at the patient animals. I had asked that I be let to relax a little before answering questions. I set the bowl down and looked each of them over.
�Thank you all f� waiting.� I said to them. They nodded to me.
�No problem. Now, if I may ask, who are you?� I smiled slightly at the kindly tone of the animal�s voice. He was a large tiger, kind of reminded me of Syka.
�My name is Renard, leader of the AFAS.� I told them. Every single one of them looked up from their food at me then cast glances at each other.
�Renard? We�ve heard so much about you and the AFAS. Though, we could never locate your group.� The tiger told me.
�Well, we never stay in the same place for long. Which is why I must soon leave.� This news struck them like a hammer.
�What? Leave? You can�t leave. You must stay to help us! Or at least take as with you! We are barely hanging on to our lives here. You must do something.� He said. I blinked, surprised by how much I meant to them.
�Alright, y� may come with me. But you�ll need t� help when we arrive. Everybody in the AFAS does something t� help our effort.� I told them. They nodded.
�We�ll do whatever we can to help the AFAS.� He said. I nodded and slowly stood up.
�We should get moving then. Emperor Diable�s men will be back. I jus� need directions back t� where we were located. Any of you know where the castle of King James is?� I asked. They looked at me blankly then shook their heads.
�I�m sorry, but we don�t know.� I nodded slightly and sighed. This would be much more difficult now. A fox and a vixen stood up and looked at me.
�Sir, actually, me and my husband do know where it is.� Said the vixen. I looked at them.
�Yes, we do. Three years ago our home was raided and we were sent to that castle. We escaped last month.� Said the fox. I smiled at them happily.
�That�s great. Then we can begin leaving as soon as all o� y� are ready.� I told them. They nodded then everybody stood up and started to get things together.
I stood watch, as the animals got ready for the trip. I glanced back at them and noticed a fox struggling a little with a stake in the ground holding a tent up. I walked over to the fox and looked at him.
�Would y� like some help?� I asked. He looked up at me and nodded slightly. He was only about sixteen. I reached down and took hold of a stake and pulled hard. They were wedged in deep to be safe from storms. I struggled slightly but soon managed to pull it out. The fox soon had his out and we both took hold of another one. Soon all of the stakes were out of the ground. A raccoon woman went to folding the tent up. The fox and me sat down to take a quick rest.
�Thank you, sir.� He said to me. I smiled at him.
�No problem. Wha�s yer name?� I asked him. He looked at me.
�Anthony, sir.� I chuckled lightly.
�Nice to meet you, Anthony. No need to call me �sir� though. Renard will do fine.� I told him. He nodded and looked back at the camp that was being packed up. I assumed he wasn�t much of a talker so I lightly patted him on the shoulder and stood up.
The fire from the camp burned out and we were left in almost complete darkness from the night sky. I looked around, trying to focus my vision. As soon as I could see something was coming right it me. I tried to move but felt two arms wrap around my waist and bring me hard to the ground. I winced and felt a hand at my muzzle. As soon as it touched it though it stopped and moved away.
�Renard?� I heard a voice say out of the darkness. I looked up at the one who had tackled me and smiled widely.
�Damien!� I yelled out. He got off and yanked me up off the ground. A torch was lit and the light soon revealed many arrows aimed right at Damien. His eyes widened and he backed up a little. I blinked then held my arms out in front of him.
��Old it! �Old it! This is a friend!� I told them. They lowered their arrows and Damien let out a sigh of relief.
�Jumpy bunch of friends ye� got here, eh?� I said. I smiled at him.
�It�s great t� see y�.� I told him.
�Well it�s great to see you alive.� Jewell said, walking out from the darkness, followed by Charlie. I smiled and went up and hugged her quickly.
�Jewell! God am I glad t� see you!� she laughed and eased me off.
�Calm down, little fox. You�ve only been gone a day.� She smiled at me. I nodded.
�Yeah, but after wha� I�ve been through it seemed like more.� I said to her. That was when Charlie jumping on me knocked me down once more. I laughed as I fell on my back.
�Renard, you�re alive after all!� He said, his tail wagging happily. After I finally calmed him down we sat around the new fire and I told them what had happened.
�So, now we know where the Emperor�s castle is.� Damien said.
�Yeah, but with Terrance making the calls now back there we-�
�Terrance? Wha�?� I asked, stopping Jewell in mid-sentence.
�He assumed command after what he did to you.� She said to me. I looked at her in confusion, not knowing what she was talking about.
�Don�t you remember? I overheard him earlier. He and two others knocked you out and dumped you off wherever and took your sword. Terrance convinced the others you were dead and they agreed to take the kings out one by one.� She explained. I growled lowly.
�Why would �e do tha� t� me?! I was always good t� �im!� I snarled. Damien patted my shoulder to try and calm me.
�Well, when you get back you can straiten everything out.� Anthony said, taking a seat across from us. I nodded slightly.
�I guess�� I sighed. Tricked by my own friend. I guessed that power had made him a worse of a person. That day after being freed must have been the result of being drunk with freedom that made him happy. What a change.
�Renard?� I heard the vixen from before call. Her and the fox stepped over to the fire.
�I was thinking and I wanted to let you know we won�t be the best guides. Not exactly the easiest place to find in the dark when you haven�t been there in a month.� She said. I nodded and smiled.
�It�s alright, my friends �ere jus� came from there an� will be able t� lea� us back.� I said, motioning to Damien, Charlie and Jewell. The fox and vixen looked over at them and smiled.
�That�s a good thing to know- Jewell!� yelled the vixen excitedly. Jewell looked up at them and her eyes widened. She leapt up and threw her arms around both of them.
�Mom! Dad! I thought I�d never see you two again!� She said happily. I moved away a little to keep from getting hit by Jewell�s tail. The fox and vixen held onto her close. Tears of joy fell from their eyes.
�What happened? Where were you?� asked her father. She looked up at him.
�After I was taken away I was sold to a farm. Renard here helped us all escape the day after I arrived!� she said smiling at me. Her parents turned their attention to me and smiled.
�Thank you, Renard. You�ve brought us back together. How can we ever repay you?� her mother said to me. I smiled at them.
�Don�t worry abou� it. I�m jus� glad tha� she found y� two again.� I said to them. Jewell let them go then turned and hugged me tightly.
�Thank you Renard. If it weren�t for you I never would have seen my parents again.� She said to me. I smiled and patted her back lightly.
�C�mon, it was nothing. Jus� happy t� �elp-� I was interrupted by Jewell suddenly pressing her lips to mine. My ears perked up, I was completely surprised by this. She pulled back and smiled at me.
�I owe you everything, Renard.� She then turned back and went off to talk with her parents. I stood there, stunned. Damien put his hands on my shoulders. I looked back at him, snapped out of my daze. He was grinning at me.
�Looks like our li�l fox boy got his first kiss.� He said with a snigger. I frowned slightly and pushed him away.
�Oh Geoff of me y� oaf.� I said to him. He chuckled and walked off. I stood there for a minute longer, thinking. Later that night we started off through the forest, Damien on my left, Charlie on my right, and Jewell with her parents behind me, followed by the rest of the animals. It only took a couple of hours to reach the castle and I had some business to deal with.