Chapter List
�Be calm. Please sit.� He said to me. I sat down in the chair next to me and he walked back over to his and sat down. I looked at the table and my stomach ached. Laid out on it was what would seem to us in the barracks as a fine supper; a basket of fruit which included apples, grapes, and pears, there was leftover turkey on a plate, and fresh clean water. I don�t know how long I sat there staring at the food on the table. He saw me looking at the food and smiled.
�Help yourself.� He said to me. I looked at him in disbelief. I knew that he could sometimes be generous but I never expected this. I respectfully took an apple from the basket and bit into it. It was the best tasting thing I have had in a long time. The juices that came from it as I crunched into it were so very sweet.
�I have called you in here to speak with you about this morning�s events.� He said to me, sitting up in his chair. �I was told about it and just wanted to get everything sorted out. I wouldn�t ask them because who knows what they might say.� I looked at him and set the apple down so I could speak to him.
�Well I was out in the fields working by the fruit trees, sir.� I said to him. �I picked up my basket once it was full an� went to empty it.� He nodded showing that he was listening. I glanced down.
�I walked by them an� the next thing I knew I had fallen.� I had decided to leave out the part about them stepping on my tail.
�Go on.� He said to me. I nodded and continued.
�I started to pick up the spilled fruit when my friend came over an�-�
�Who�s the friend?� He asked interrupting me.
�Uh Damien McRalley, sir.� I answered him. He nodded and told me to continue.
�He came over to help an� one of them had struck him away. That�s when I had yelled at them in his defense.� I looked down. He stood up and walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder.
�Do not worry, you have done nothing wrong. You were only sticking up for your friend.� He sighed and walked over to the other side of me. �Although you did speak out of line.�
�Yes sir.� I replied, still looking down at the apple in front of me.
�Now, I will have a talk with Damien and with the two guards. Now return to your barracks.� I nodded and picked up the apple and headed back out of the door, stuffing it into my pocket. Like I said before we at the farm were very fortunate to have this owner as our own.
Once outside the sun had already set and a thin line of light was all that was left on the horizon. I looked at the two guards as they walked over to me and began taking me back to the barracks. I stepped inside after they unlocked the door. They closed and locked it behind me and I walked over to my bed. I looked around at the others in the room. Most of them were asleep. I walked over and sat down at my bed. Charlie was sitting next to Damien on his bed, waiting for me. I sat down and picked my tail off the floor, trying to get some of the dirt out of it.
�So? What happened?� Damien was the first to ask. I let go of my tail and looked at both of them.
�Brian had wanted to speak with me about what had happened.� I told them.
�Is that all?� Asked Charlie.
�Pretty much. He did say he was going to talk to you, Damien, about what happened.� Damien nodded. I pulled the apple out of my pocket; I had only taken one bite out of it.
�Here.� I started dividing it between the three of us with one of my claws. My claws weren�t long so they didn�t bother to remove them. �Brian gave it to me.�
�You lie! Are you serious?� asked Damien. I nodded and smiled at him as I handed the pieces out to them. They smiled thankfully at me and ate the pieces. They basically had the same reaction as I did once I tasted it.
�Too bad we only get stuff like this one day a year.� Said Damien. He was referring to another generous deed that Brian does. He gives us a treat on our birthdays.
�Speaking of which, your birthday is in only two days, right Renard?� Charlie said to me. I nodded to him smiling.
�That it is, Charlie.� I said to him. I sighed and looked up as the lights to the barracks were shut off.
�Well I suppose we should all be getting some shut eye.� Said Damien. Charlie and me nodded. I gave Charlie a goodnight hug and he went to his bed. I rather liked having him as a sort of brother. He was a good kid, full of energy and with so much potential. I smiled to myself and lay down and closed my eyes. It didn�t take long for me to fall asleep.