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My fur, the color of autumn leaves, bristling and wild in the soft summer winds, caught the sunlight as it shone through the overhanging branches and shimmered like a shaken fire. My paws, tucked possessively at my hips, scanned the other students strewn across the otherwise desolate schoolyard with a practiced nonchalance.\n\nWe were hanging around the yard after the school had just closed for the day. It was a small school, a temporary stop before the vast unknown of college. A year here wouldn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. Yet, my chest felt tight with a tangled knot of emotions.\n\nWe sometimes romanticize youth, forgetting the sharp sting of growing pains. The freedom, yes, but also the vulnerability. Like climbing an apple tree, sitting perched precariously on a branch, the world swaying gently beneath you. The leaves rustling in the breeze, a symphony inviting exploration. To test your senses while the sun slowly sinks below the lush forest of time. A flash of red caught my eye - a perfect apple, ripe and tempting, hanging just within my reach.\n\nHaving just moved from the city, I knew no one here. My old friends, of course, had promised to visit. Their words, hollow echoes in the face of goodbyes. Had they truly meant them? Did I? They were already fading like embers scattered by the wind, another casualty in the ever-shifting landscape of friendship.\n\nI pushed those thoughts away. Dealing with my own problems; the fiery wreckage of my parents' divorce, consumed most of my energy. It had been like throwing water on a burning pan - a spectacular, destructive display. My once carefree spirit had taken a hit. Troubled, rebellious, I saw no need to impress teachers or connect with classmates. I scoffed at them all, preferring the comfort of solitude. It was a path of least resistance, but one that would inevitably lead to future roadblocks. Youth, however... ah, the blissful ignorance of youth.\n\nYet, despite my self-imposed isolation, I couldn't stand to see others bullied. Maybe a part of it stemmed from my own experience with emotional turmoil. Looking back, I realize it wasn't fair. Kits shouldn't be uprooted from their homes and used as pawns in a bitter divorce, especially not during a pivotal year such as school finals.\n\n[center]((()))[/center]\n\nDust swirled in a sunlit clearing on the yard, kicked up by a scuffle beneath the shade of the trees. The air hung heavy with the earthy scent of dry leaves and trampled grass. A hulking wolf, Arcas by name, pinned a struggling leopard to the stone paved ground. A small crowd of my peers were standing close by, watching the turmoil from a distance, their hushed whispers lost in the tension. Bystanders that just watched, never to reach out to help.\n\nArcas' voice boomed, \"Give it up, pipsqueak!?\" laced with a playful snarl that did little to hide the dominance in his posture. He was the undisputed king of the schoolyard, and he wasn't afraid to show it to the other students. The cat struggled against the wolf, hissing at him.\n\nMy blood boiled. It had gone on long enough. I bristled, my fur standing on end as I stepped forward. My voice, sharp with defiance, slicing through the tension.\n\n\"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, coward?\"\n\nThe leopard, seizing his chance to escape from the clutches of the startled wolf, sprang up and darted away. Arcas turned his head to meet my fiery gaze, his muzzle twisting into a surprised snarl. He was bigger, undeniably, muscles seemingly rippled beneath his thick dark fur. Yet, I stood my ground, my bushy tail flicking against the ground, unflinching despite the difference in size between our bodies. \n\nHe flexed his muscles, a triumphant grin flashing across his fangs. \"He challenged me first, ...runt!\" he snapped, his voice laced with a hint of amusement, a playful jab aimed at my smaller stature.\n\n\"Yeah, right!\" I scoffed, ignoring his accusation. Despite my bravado, a flicker of fear danced in my chest. I began circling him slowly, a plan forming in my mind.\n\nI wasn't the smallest fox, but Arcas was definitively larger over me. However, years of sparring with my older brother had honed my fighting skills. \"Bet you can't handle someone bigger than that cat!\" I woofed myself up; taunting him, my voice steely, though still betraying a nervousness.\n\nThe wolf bristled in response, his eyes narrowing.\n\nThe challenge was undeniably accepted.\n\nWithout a moment's hesitation, I lunged first, determined to show him what he was up against. The ensuing fight was a whirlwind of fur and flailing limbs. We grappled, each trying to gain the upper hand, pushing, pulling, and nipping at each other. I snarled, fueled by adrenaline, and felt his muzzle brush past my shoulder.\n\nHe lowered himself, his powerful legs pushing against the ground as he tried to topple me. It worked. I lost my footing and tumbled backwards. I scrambled, turning myself on the ground to regain my balance. He was on me in seconds, pinning me to the ground with his weight. His broad chest pressed against my back, his hot breath tickling my sensitive ears. The smell of excitement and fear coupled with the earthy musk of dust filled the air as I struggled against his hold.\n\nMy peers, standing aghast at the show of dominance, did nothing. This was between wolf and fox, and it was understood by the collective.\n\n\"Give up?!\" he echoed his earlier words, his voice now calm and firm, devoid of the earlier playfulness. His hold wasn't malicious, and I realized something unexpected - he wasn't a bully. He was fighting for something... but what, I did not know.\n\nA strange sense of calm washed over me beneath his hold. It felt... safe? Perhaps even comforting. I conceded defeat, panting heavily, blowing dust up from the stone tiles below me.\n\n\"I-I give up. You win,\" I muttered, my muzzle flushed from exertion.\n\nHe released me, and I wiped the dirt from my muzzle and fur. He extended a paw, offering to help me up. I hesitated for a moment, surprised by the unexpected gesture. Accepting his help, I stood up to meet his gaze.\n\n\"You're a good wrestler, I'll give you that,\" I admitted, continuing to brush off my ragged clothes. The wolf eyed me as he patted his own fur down. He acknowledged my skill, admitting with a reluctant grunt: \"Yeah?, you weren't so bad yourself.\"\n\nSurprise and amusement warred within me. I noticed then the chirping of birds, the wind rustling the leaves, and the vast blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the playground.\n\nAs we sat on the thick ropes strung between climbing towers, several meters above a rubber tiled playground floor, I couldn't help but ask, my voice tentative,\n\n\"How did you get so strong?\"\n\nHe stretched, his black-furred arms extending above him. \"I work on my parents' farm,\" he replied gruffly, his voice ever on the verge of a growl. I saw through his facade, and I think he knew it. He maintained the act, and I chose not to call him out.\n\nA warm smile spread across my face. I felt a connection with him, a shared sense of sadness that resonated within me. I stretched my arms lazily in concert with the wolf, absentmindedly rubbing the pit of my chest as I looked at him.\n\n\"Hey, uh... fox... Faelor,\" Arcas began hesitantly, his gaze first averted from mine. Then he looked at me. Arcas's muzzle widening to a grin, his eyes crinkling at the corners.\n\n\"Want to come see my place sometime?\" he offered.\n\nThe invitation hung in the air, unexpected and thrilling.\n\nMy tail thumped a steady rhythm against the ground. \"Yeah, I'd like that.\" \n\nI yipped at him, catching his eyes as his muzzle was turned up towards me. There was a genuine happiness in his eyes. I didn't know what it all meant at that time. Possibly many other things remain unknown forever. Arcas had never invited someone to his place before; I was the first, he gouged worthy to trust in his predicament. \n\nThis is how I look back on it now, with my own bias probably clouding the information. But since none else can tell of this experience, it will have to do.\n\nI wanted to visit him there. Heck, I'd even figured I would help him with any work on the farm. When Arcas pressed his weight against me during our wrestling match, his muscles rippled beneath his fur. A strange mixture of fear and admiration sparked through me as I struggled against his hold.\n\nI thought without thinking at that time;\n\n\"If I can become just as strong, I can push away my own sadness.\" \n\n\"Let my body carry my mind...\" \n\nIn the time between the invitation, I met up with the wolf everyday after school. We'd hang on the yard, taunting our peers. Strutting around like we owned the place. We delved into the various mysteries of the small village. A forgotten pet graveyard lay on the edge. At the end of a winding dirt road lay an unkempt garden, tools and items strewn across the area as a monument to what moved on. When I reflect back on it now, how desolate the streets were...\n\nThe streets echoed with an eerie silence, devoid of adults except for the occasional figure disappearing into their houses. We, the children, claimed the deserted pavement as our playground, our laughter filling the air as we chased shadows and unearthed hidden treasures in forgotten corners.. A small hidden path alongside a building, leading to a heap of debris that was piled there long ago. Trying to catch tiny salamanders as they scuttled across the broken stones. I could find something magical in almost anything. I watched as my mind fantasized the shadow of a great white werewolf that roamed the bushes along the street, ready to pounce on youths that strayed to far from the path.\n\nSaturday arrived, the sun a blazing disc in the cloudless sky. The paper with Arcas's directions crackled in my hand, the scribbled lines a map to an unknown adventure. How I could find him.\n\nThe road was winding, running through the thick bushes and undergrowth, trees beyond vision as homes lay scattered in between each green paradise. It ran from my village towards a small stretch of nature reservation, laying somewhere huddled in the northern heart of my country.\n\nSurrounding the nature reserve are farms spread over vast grounds. My destination wasn't that far, but it still took me a good while of cycling. Sunlight dappled through the leaves, casting shifting patterns on the path ahead. The air hummed with the chirping of unseen insects, and the sweet scent of wildflowers filled my senses. The song of birds riding on the summer wind and baying of dogs could be heard from front yards as I passed them by.\n\nAfter a while I looked over the scribbled route description. I turned my bicycle into another lane. The road opened up; to my left a large cornfield slid into view. The rows lush, budding with corncobs near ripe for the harvest. Summer was dragging and the farmers were probably giving their crops the very last of the waning suns power, to grow just slightly fatter and ripe. \n\nOn my right stood ample fruit trees, their branches heavy with their spoils. I drove on slowly, reveling in the natural scenery as it opened up before me. Away from my troubled home of shouting and pain. The house where my brother locked himself up in his room, until school started again. The silence of my house pressed in on me, a stark contrast to the cacophony of shouts and slammed doors that had become its recent soundtrack. My brother's door remained firmly shut, a physical manifestation of the emotional distance between us as he tried to deal with all in his own way.\n\nLooking along the road I could see the outlier of someones bicycle laying in the grass next to the road. Coming up towards it, a rush of wind past before me as something flew wildly over my snout, narrowly missing my face. A rogue apple had arced through the air. It landed with a dull thud on the other side of the road, the sound echoing in the sudden stillness.\n\nI yipped as I hit my brakes hard, ducking in late reflex as I swiftly swiveled my muzzle towards where I estimated the offending fruit would have come from.\n\nA laugh could be heard coming down from up higher in the trees nearby. Between the leaves' branches I could spot the outlier of wolf, perched on a sturdy branch, munching on an apple. His ears perked and body aimed down towards me.\n\n\"Come up here, ...runt!\" \n\nEven though I was slightly taken aback, I jumped off my bike undauntedly. Leaving it next to Arcas's. I pushed through the brush encircling the trees nearby, following the wolf's hushed barking, I routed out the tree he was perched in. I took up towards him, grasping his paw as he helped me onto a branch close by. With a flick of his paw, Arcas sent an apple tumbling towards me. I caught it clumsily, my chest still heaving from the scramble up the rough bark. As I settled onto the branch, a wave of wonder washed over me.\n\nArcas observed me while I took in the sight. The view over the cornfields, the green meadows, lush undergrowth and forests in the distance. It all felt almost magical. An escape from the village, hidden in a nature rich environment. I could forget who I was here. The wind whispered through the leaves and played with our fur as we gently swayed together with the movement of the branches. The apple was crisp and fairly juicy, sap running down from my muzzle as I gingerly bit down.\n\nArcas sat in comfortable silence for a moment, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and thoughtful. \"This is where I call home.\"\n\nA troupe of younger canines appeared, their playful energy a stark contrast to the quietude we shared. They zeroed in on our bikes, poking and prodding with sticks, their laughter echoing through the trees. \"Paws off, pipsqueaks!\" The wolf growled loudly down towards them as he threw his apple on the bicycles. The demonstration caused the group to spring back; eyes, ears and muzzle poking towards us were we sat hidden between the branches. They scattered, having witnessed the wolfish form perched in a tree.\n\nWe spent a while there, chatting softly, nibbling on apples and seeing who could throw them the farthest out over the cornfield. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, carrying the sweet scent of ripening apples over our snouts. We basked in the summers lingering heat. The sun stood high above us, passing its zenith as it started to climb slowly down towards the awaiting twilight. The herald of night.\n\n\"Let's go\" Arcas motioned to me and we moved down from the tree. He led me on as we cycled for a short while, turning on a dirt road that lead up to a farm. Close towards the front yard, he ditched his bicycle and I followed his example. We walked together in comfortable silence, the crunch of gravel underfoot our only conversation. Continuing past the house on our left, I moved alongside Arcas, anticipation building with every step. Long barns and stables made up the brunt of the farm's back area.\n\nI was enjoying myself, just taking in the new surroundings and the farm. The pungent aroma of hay and manure filled my senses, a stark contrast to the stale city air I was used to. My gaze swept across the sprawling farm, taking in the weathered barns and grazing sheep. A sense of peace settled over me as I realized I was finally leaving my worries behind.\n\nBefore long I could hear a soft fluttering like the flapping of wings coming from the roof of a shed nearby. Arcas let out a soft whistle and held his paw up above his head. A jackdaw came swooping down to my amazement. It perched on the wolf's paw with an agile flick of its wings.\n\nMy heart hammered in my chest as I watched the curious bird, its beady eyes flitting between me and the wolf.\n\nThe tiny beak darted around as the corvid eyed me warily from its paw perch. Arcas petted it gently, running a clawed finger over the jackdaws head as he lowered his paw. He stretched slowly towards me, the jackdaw coming closer to my view. My body tensed, my tail frozen in mid-wag as I watched, mesmerized, by the interaction between the jackdaw and Arcas. \"C-can I?\" I whispered under my breath.\n\n\"Yes\", Arcas said, as he held the jackdaw in front of me. I stretched my paw out, brushing tentatively over its head, feeling the smooth feathers below my pads but for a moment.\n\nThe jackdaw figured it had enough and took wing, flapping off to bid in a current of air, high above Arcas.\n\n\"I found it a year ago, ...A nest had blown out from a tree\" The wolf said as he looked up at the bird. \"It never left, so it's my pet I guess.\" Sometimes it even follows me when I go to school.\n\nA pang of envy shot through me as I watched the jackdaw take flight. I yearned for a connection like that, a creature so loyal and unafraid. My mouth slightly agape as I looked up as well. \"That's awesome Arcas, I wish I had a jackdaw\" The wolf smiled at me and then playfully nudged me with his shoulder, a glint of amusement in his eyes.\n\n\"What's a city boy like you got to do with a bird\" He joked as he taunted me.\n\nI protested, wearily as not to show my jealousy too much. \n\nPushing him back in a playful growl; I took him by surprise as I easily toppled him over into the soft grass lining the dirt road. Pouncing, I sat untop of him triumphantly, holding his paws down to the grass. He struggled, snarling in play as I held him just barely contained beneath me. The weight of my earlier worries seemed to melt away under the warm afternoon sun. Here, amidst the verdant fields and our playful banter, the sadness I carried felt distant, a faint echo in the back of my mind.\n\nWhere is the sorrow among this garden of eden, this freedom in the green?\n\nWe continued on, greeted by the farm's ''guard dog'', A lumbering mutt with a perpetually wagging tail lumbered towards us, sniffing my fur with gentle curiosity. It would just lazily lay on the yard nearby the house. Arcas showed me around, a real farmers tour I thought. Taking inside the home, I met Arcas's mother, a sleek black wolfess with eyes that held a lifetime of stories. She ushered us inside. The scent of wood smoke and baking bread filled the air. We each got a fresh small loaf of bread to eat. Very carefully, because I had never had it before, I took a sip of the fresh raw milk before we headed out again.\n\nInto the fresh air, out from the stuffy kitchen. We came around the farm, where long broad rows of plastic sheeting lay in between concrete walled trenches. At the far side of these concrete pens, the last row lay opened with its tarpaulin lose. The wolf beckoned me over as we moved under the large plastic cover.The wind whipped the plastic sheeting above us, creating a rhythmic whooshing sound that filled the air like a lullaby. Hay was stored there, musty scent heavy on my nostrils as we sat atop the first row near the exit. The tarpaulin weaving and whispering just above us as we looked out over the fields stretching out from the back of the farm.\n\n\"This is my most favorite place here\". Arcas said, sighing softly as he gazed out towards the fields. \"I like the view\". I chimed in with him softly, sighing as I looked out over the fields with him. It was cozy there, hidden from view, hidden from the farm and the road. The winds playing with the sheet above us not unlike the comfort playing in a warm bed, pushing the covers up and feeling them slide down over your body.\n\nThe musty hay felt crisp under my paws as I dug my claws into it. \"I wouldn't mind living here...\" I murmured on, my gaze dreamy and sooth. My troubles were far, far away. I felt safe and comfortable, even though the time since I met the wolf in this way was so brief. The connection I had with him so fickle, but seemingly transcending into something.\n\nMy musing was cut short by a low growl from Arcas. He scoffed at me. \"You don't want to live here dumbass\" he said with a snarl, his lips curling up as he licked over his fangs. Arcas's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a sudden coldness. With his lips curled he flashed sharp canines towards me.\n\n\"...You wouldn't last a day here\"\n\nHe continued to growl, the words laced with a harsh honesty.\n\nBut I wasn't daunted by his demeanour the slightest. Looking him straight in the eye, I challenged his bravado. Though I didn't know why Arcas became upset at my expression of the desire to live in this place.\n\n\"Is that right!... farm dog!\" I sneered at him.\n\nThat was enough. He pounced at me, growling now playfully as another struggle ensued. Under the cover of the tarpaulin we wrestled again. My auburn orange fur streaking past his black coat, over now, claws swiping, fangs nipping. I almost had him this time- but I slipped on the hay, jerking on my side as Arcas slammed into me, twisting my body around so I laid flush on my stomach.\n\nThe wolf straddled over me before he laid himself down on top of me in conquest. I could feel him curve into my back, his hips pressing snugly against mine..\"Y-you..you win!\" I managed to whine from under him. I struggled against him slightly, pressing my butt up against his hips, eliciting another growl from him.\n\nAt that moment, I gave Arcas a glimpse of his true self. Without actually knowing- I knew what he wanted and needed.\nAcceptance from me as his peer, holding a similar feeling close to my heart. Too young to change our predicament.\n\nThere weren't any words. I could feel him softly pant along my ears as he kept me down under him. The wind rustled the plastic sheeting above us and the warmth kept us comfortable in the surprisingly soft hay that I lay pressed in.\n\nArcas bit softly down into my scruff, holding me in place as he started to hump against me. Our clothing acted as a barrier, though, but I could still feel him there... His breath was ragged, blowing along my fur in between his teeth. I didn't resist him, softly pushing back against his hips each time they came down on me, meeting his rhythm. It felt so wrong and so right. Hidden from view, this small enclave was like a tiny world for ourselves.\n\nAfter a while he got off me, moving slightly away to sit on the hay again. I looked at him silently before pushing myself up as well. I seated next to him and we both sat in silence for some time. I didn't know what to say as I just listened how my heartbeat slowly returned back to normal. Arcas muzzle had lowered slightly before. In time he turned to face me again. A playful grin stretched across Arcas's muzzle, but his eyes remained guarded. My brow furrowed in confusion, unsure of his sudden shift in mood.\n\nRemembering now, trying to relive that feeling, that moment. I know the wolf had just put his mask on again. He couldn't show me who he was, well not for long anyway. Through those needy humps under the tarpaulin's cover I felt him, connected with him more and more. I longed for it even though I couldn't grasp those emotions. I didn't know how to feel. The weight of my past experiences pressed down on me, leaving my emotions like a murky pond, swirling and indistinct. Emotions too numb for an experience from beyond. \n\nA deep, gravelly voice boomed across the farm, calling for Arcas with a chilling undertone that sent shivers down my spine. The wolf shot up from the hay, jumping down from the stack before turning towards me.\n\n\"It's time Faelor..., I can't play anymore, I need to work\".\n\nI couldn't persuade him as I offered my help. And it was getting late, true. We moved towards the back of the house and I waited for Arcas as he slipped inside a back entrance. There was a commotion from inside the house and before long the wolf shot back out the door again, half dressed in his farmers overalls. The door was bashed open by a large brown bear. A pair of large rubber galoshes where thrown sharply down, hitting Arcas where he lay on the grass as he tried to finish putting the overalls on.\n\nI felt like an outsider, as if I was invisible watching the moment unfold before my eyes. Frozen in a time and not knowing how to react or what to do. I could only watch on as the wolf that I so recently had been so close to, was scolded at by the bear. I shrank back, feeling like a ghost in the scene. Every word thrown at Arcas resonated within me, a physical ache spreading through my chest. The pain in the wolf's eyes was visible to my soul as the bear kicked him towards the barns. Arcas snarled at the bear.\n\n\"See you tomorrow, ...okay Faelor\"\n\nI heard him call towards me before he moved off towards the barns. The bear scanned his unforgiving eyes over me, returning inside the house without further acknowledging my presence. It was as if I only existed as another weed to this creature. And I was scared, reluctant to move, my breath hitched in my throat.\n\n\"See you tomorrow...\" I choked as I called after Arcas. He disappeared from view.\n\nI was left standing alone on the alien farm. The warmth of the summer sun instantly sucked from the place. The lush green forest, now stood lined with a darkness, ominous and evil exuding from the leaves and the branches. I couldn't hear any more birds singing, the jackdaw was gone. Twilight had come crashing down with a speed around the scene.\n\nI turned and fled away. I wasn't strong enough. My eyes tearing as I rode my bicycle towards my home. As I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, a new kind of darkness pressed in on me, a chilling lonely feeling for the wolf settled deep within my soul.\n\nThe summer passed. I hardly ever spoke with Arcas after that day. He was in another class and our break times didn't overlap. After school I never managed to catch him again. And he never caught me. \n\nThe memory now stills before me when I reach back to that time. It wasn't long before the house that my parents had bought was sold in the divorce' aftermath and I had to move again. Further away, again.\n\nMy new friends had promised to visit. Their words, mirroring hollow echoes in the face of goodbyes. Had they truly meant them? Did I?\n\n[i]They were already diminishing, like embers fading in the whispers of the wind.[/i]\n\n[i][b]Author's note:[/b] This story was born from a real memory nestled deep within. A memory imbued with the warmth of a shared summer. Beneath the shelter of a tarpaulin, amidst the vibrant fields and whispering wind, a friendship unfolded. I was young and couldn't handle the situation. Like the fading embers of a fire, it had left me behind with a sadness, a bittersweet glow and a lingering longing for a connection even though it was brief. Still, the positives from the memory continue to hold a special place in my heart.[/i]", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "I swished my tail with a flick of self-conscious irritation as I strutted across the schoolyard. My fur, the color of autumn leaves, bristling and wild in the soft summer winds, caught the sunlight as it shone through the overhanging branches and shimmered like a shaken fire. My paws, tucked possessively at my hips, scanned the other students strewn across the otherwise desolate schoolyard with a practiced nonchalance.

We were hanging around the yard after the school had just closed for the day. It was a small school, a temporary stop before the vast unknown of college. A year here wouldn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. Yet, my chest felt tight with a tangled knot of emotions.

We sometimes romanticize youth, forgetting the sharp sting of growing pains. The freedom, yes, but also the vulnerability. Like climbing an apple tree, sitting perched precariously on a branch, the world swaying gently beneath you. The leaves rustling in the breeze, a symphony inviting exploration. To test your senses while the sun slowly sinks below the lush forest of time. A flash of red caught my eye - a perfect apple, ripe and tempting, hanging just within my reach.

Having just moved from the city, I knew no one here. My old friends, of course, had promised to visit. Their words, hollow echoes in the face of goodbyes. Had they truly meant them? Did I? They were already fading like embers scattered by the wind, another casualty in the ever-shifting landscape of friendship.

I pushed those thoughts away. Dealing with my own problems; the fiery wreckage of my parents' divorce, consumed most of my energy. It had been like throwing water on a burning pan - a spectacular, destructive display. My once carefree spirit had taken a hit. Troubled, rebellious, I saw no need to impress teachers or connect with classmates. I scoffed at them all, preferring the comfort of solitude. It was a path of least resistance, but one that would inevitably lead to future roadblocks. Youth, however... ah, the blissful ignorance of youth.

Yet, despite my self-imposed isolation, I couldn't stand to see others bullied. Maybe a part of it stemmed from my own experience with emotional turmoil. Looking back, I realize it wasn't fair. Kits shouldn't be uprooted from their homes and used as pawns in a bitter divorce, especially not during a pivotal year such as school finals.

((()))


Dust swirled in a sunlit clearing on the yard, kicked up by a scuffle beneath the shade of the trees. The air hung heavy with the earthy scent of dry leaves and trampled grass. A hulking wolf, Arcas by name, pinned a struggling leopard to the stone paved ground. A small crowd of my peers were standing close by, watching the turmoil from a distance, their hushed whispers lost in the tension. Bystanders that just watched, never to reach out to help.

Arcas' voice boomed, "Give it up, pipsqueak!?" laced with a playful snarl that did little to hide the dominance in his posture. He was the undisputed king of the schoolyard, and he wasn't afraid to show it to the other students. The cat struggled against the wolf, hissing at him.

My blood boiled. It had gone on long enough. I bristled, my fur standing on end as I stepped forward. My voice, sharp with defiance, slicing through the tension.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, coward?"

The leopard, seizing his chance to escape from the clutches of the startled wolf, sprang up and darted away. Arcas turned his head to meet my fiery gaze, his muzzle twisting into a surprised snarl. He was bigger, undeniably, muscles seemingly rippled beneath his thick dark fur. Yet, I stood my ground, my bushy tail flicking against the ground, unflinching despite the difference in size between our bodies.

He flexed his muscles, a triumphant grin flashing across his fangs. "He challenged me first, ...runt!" he snapped, his voice laced with a hint of amusement, a playful jab aimed at my smaller stature.

"Yeah, right!" I scoffed, ignoring his accusation. Despite my bravado, a flicker of fear danced in my chest. I began circling him slowly, a plan forming in my mind.

I wasn't the smallest fox, but Arcas was definitively larger over me. However, years of sparring with my older brother had honed my fighting skills. "Bet you can't handle someone bigger than that cat!" I woofed myself up; taunting him, my voice steely, though still betraying a nervousness.

The wolf bristled in response, his eyes narrowing.

The challenge was undeniably accepted.

Without a moment's hesitation, I lunged first, determined to show him what he was up against. The ensuing fight was a whirlwind of fur and flailing limbs. We grappled, each trying to gain the upper hand, pushing, pulling, and nipping at each other. I snarled, fueled by adrenaline, and felt his muzzle brush past my shoulder.

He lowered himself, his powerful legs pushing against the ground as he tried to topple me. It worked. I lost my footing and tumbled backwards. I scrambled, turning myself on the ground to regain my balance. He was on me in seconds, pinning me to the ground with his weight. His broad chest pressed against my back, his hot breath tickling my sensitive ears. The smell of excitement and fear coupled with the earthy musk of dust filled the air as I struggled against his hold.

My peers, standing aghast at the show of dominance, did nothing. This was between wolf and fox, and it was understood by the collective.

"Give up?!" he echoed his earlier words, his voice now calm and firm, devoid of the earlier playfulness. His hold wasn't malicious, and I realized something unexpected - he wasn't a bully. He was fighting for something... but what, I did not know.

A strange sense of calm washed over me beneath his hold. It felt... safe? Perhaps even comforting. I conceded defeat, panting heavily, blowing dust up from the stone tiles below me.

"I-I give up. You win," I muttered, my muzzle flushed from exertion.

He released me, and I wiped the dirt from my muzzle and fur. He extended a paw, offering to help me up. I hesitated for a moment, surprised by the unexpected gesture. Accepting his help, I stood up to meet his gaze.

"You're a good wrestler, I'll give you that," I admitted, continuing to brush off my ragged clothes. The wolf eyed me as he patted his own fur down. He acknowledged my skill, admitting with a reluctant grunt: "Yeah?, you weren't so bad yourself."

Surprise and amusement warred within me. I noticed then the chirping of birds, the wind rustling the leaves, and the vast blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the playground.

As we sat on the thick ropes strung between climbing towers, several meters above a rubber tiled playground floor, I couldn't help but ask, my voice tentative,

"How did you get so strong?"

He stretched, his black-furred arms extending above him. "I work on my parents' farm," he replied gruffly, his voice ever on the verge of a growl. I saw through his facade, and I think he knew it. He maintained the act, and I chose not to call him out.

A warm smile spread across my face. I felt a connection with him, a shared sense of sadness that resonated within me. I stretched my arms lazily in concert with the wolf, absentmindedly rubbing the pit of my chest as I looked at him.

"Hey, uh... fox... Faelor," Arcas began hesitantly, his gaze first averted from mine. Then he looked at me. Arcas's muzzle widening to a grin, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Want to come see my place sometime?" he offered.

The invitation hung in the air, unexpected and thrilling.

My tail thumped a steady rhythm against the ground. "Yeah, I'd like that."  

I yipped at him, catching his eyes as his muzzle was turned up towards me. There was a genuine happiness in his eyes. I didn't know what it all meant at that time. Possibly many other things remain unknown forever. Arcas had never invited someone to his place before; I was the first, he gouged worthy to trust in his predicament.

This is how I look back on it now, with my own bias probably clouding the information. But since none else can tell of this experience, it will have to do.

I wanted to visit him there. Heck, I'd even figured I would help him with any work on the farm. When Arcas pressed his weight against me during our wrestling match, his muscles rippled beneath his fur. A strange mixture of fear and admiration sparked through me as I struggled against his hold.

I thought without thinking at that time;

"If I can become just as strong, I can push away my own sadness."

"Let my body carry my mind..."

In the time between the invitation, I met up with the wolf everyday after school. We'd hang on the yard, taunting our peers. Strutting around like we owned the place. We delved into the various mysteries of the small village. A forgotten pet graveyard lay on the edge. At the end of a winding dirt road lay an unkempt garden, tools and items strewn across the area as a monument to what moved on. When I reflect back on it now, how desolate the streets were...

The streets echoed with an eerie silence, devoid of adults except for the occasional figure disappearing into their houses. We, the children, claimed the deserted pavement as our playground, our laughter filling the air as we chased shadows and unearthed hidden treasures in forgotten corners.. A small hidden path alongside a building, leading to a heap of debris that was piled there long ago. Trying to catch tiny salamanders as they scuttled across the broken stones. I could find something magical in almost anything. I watched as my mind fantasized the shadow of a great white werewolf that roamed the bushes along the street, ready to pounce on youths that strayed to far from the path.

Saturday arrived, the sun a blazing disc in the cloudless sky. The paper with Arcas's directions crackled in my hand, the scribbled lines a map to an unknown adventure. How I could find him.

The road was winding, running through the thick bushes and undergrowth, trees beyond vision as homes lay scattered in between each green paradise. It ran from my village towards a small stretch of nature reservation, laying somewhere huddled in the northern heart of my country.

Surrounding the nature reserve are farms spread over vast grounds. My destination wasn't that far, but it still took me a good while of cycling. Sunlight dappled through the leaves, casting shifting patterns on the path ahead. The air hummed with the chirping of unseen insects, and the sweet scent of wildflowers filled my senses. The song of birds riding on the summer wind and baying of dogs could be heard from front yards as I passed them by.

After a while I looked over the scribbled route description. I turned my bicycle into another lane. The road opened up; to my left a large cornfield slid into view. The rows lush, budding with corncobs near ripe for the harvest. Summer was dragging and the farmers were probably giving their crops the very last of the waning suns power, to grow just slightly fatter and ripe.

On my right stood ample fruit trees, their branches heavy with their spoils. I drove on slowly, reveling in the natural scenery as it opened up before me. Away from my troubled home of shouting and pain. The house where my brother locked himself up in his room, until school started again. The silence of my house pressed in on me, a stark contrast to the cacophony of shouts and slammed doors that had become its recent soundtrack. My brother's door remained firmly shut, a physical manifestation of the emotional distance between us as he tried to deal with all in his own way.

Looking along the road I could see the outlier of someones bicycle laying in the grass next to the road. Coming up towards it, a rush of wind past before me as something flew wildly over my snout, narrowly missing my face. A rogue apple had arced through the air. It landed with a dull thud on the other side of the road, the sound echoing in the sudden stillness.

I yipped as I hit my brakes hard, ducking in late reflex as I swiftly swiveled my muzzle towards where I estimated the offending fruit would have come from.

A laugh could be heard coming down from up higher in the trees nearby. Between the leaves' branches I could spot the outlier of wolf, perched on a sturdy branch, munching on an apple. His ears perked and body aimed down towards me.

"Come up here, ...runt!"

Even though I was slightly taken aback, I jumped off my bike undauntedly. Leaving it next to Arcas's. I pushed through the brush encircling the trees nearby, following the wolf's hushed barking, I routed out the tree he was perched in. I took up towards him, grasping his paw as he helped me onto a branch close by. With a flick of his paw, Arcas sent an apple tumbling towards me. I caught it clumsily, my chest still heaving from the scramble up the rough bark. As I settled onto the branch, a wave of wonder washed over me.

Arcas observed me while I took in the sight. The view over the cornfields, the green meadows, lush undergrowth and forests in the distance. It all felt almost magical. An escape from the village, hidden in a nature rich environment. I could forget who I was here. The wind whispered through the leaves and played with our fur as we gently swayed together with the movement of the branches. The apple was crisp and fairly juicy, sap running down from my muzzle as I gingerly bit down.

Arcas sat in comfortable silence for a moment, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and thoughtful. "This is where I call home."

A troupe of younger canines appeared, their playful energy a stark contrast to the quietude we shared. They zeroed in on our bikes, poking and prodding with sticks, their laughter echoing through the trees. "Paws off, pipsqueaks!" The wolf growled loudly down towards them as he threw his apple on the bicycles. The demonstration caused the group to spring back; eyes, ears and muzzle poking towards us were we sat hidden between the branches. They scattered, having witnessed the wolfish form perched in a tree.

We spent a while there, chatting softly, nibbling on apples and seeing who could throw them the farthest out over the cornfield. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, carrying the sweet scent of ripening apples over our snouts. We basked in the summers lingering heat. The sun stood high above us, passing its zenith as it started to climb slowly down towards the awaiting twilight. The herald of night.

"Let's go" Arcas motioned to me and we moved down from the tree. He led me on as we cycled for a short while, turning on a dirt road that lead up to a farm. Close towards the front yard, he ditched his bicycle and I followed his example. We walked together in comfortable silence, the crunch of gravel underfoot our only conversation. Continuing past the house on our left, I moved alongside Arcas, anticipation building with every step. Long barns and stables made up the brunt of the farm's back area.

I was enjoying myself, just taking in the new surroundings and the farm. The pungent aroma of hay and manure filled my senses, a stark contrast to the stale city air I was used to. My gaze swept across the sprawling farm, taking in the weathered barns and grazing sheep. A sense of peace settled over me as I realized I was finally leaving my worries behind.

Before long I could hear a soft fluttering like the flapping of wings coming from the roof of a shed nearby. Arcas let out a soft whistle and held his paw up above his head. A jackdaw came swooping down to my amazement. It perched on the wolf's paw with an agile flick of its wings.

My heart hammered in my chest as I watched the curious bird, its beady eyes flitting between me and the wolf.

The tiny beak darted around as the corvid eyed me warily from its paw perch. Arcas petted it gently, running a clawed finger over the jackdaws head as he lowered his paw. He stretched slowly towards me, the jackdaw coming closer to my view. My body tensed, my tail frozen in mid-wag as I watched, mesmerized, by the interaction between the jackdaw and Arcas. "C-can I?"  I whispered under my breath.

"Yes", Arcas said, as he held the jackdaw in front of me. I stretched my paw out, brushing tentatively over its head, feeling the smooth feathers below my pads but for a moment.

The jackdaw figured it had enough and took wing, flapping off to bid in a current of air, high above Arcas.

"I found it a year ago, ...A nest had blown out from a tree" The wolf said as he looked up at the bird. "It never left, so it's my pet I guess." Sometimes it even follows me when I go to school.

A pang of envy shot through me as I watched the jackdaw take flight. I yearned for a connection like that, a creature so loyal and unafraid. My mouth slightly agape as I looked up as well. "That's awesome Arcas, I wish I had a jackdaw" The wolf smiled at me and then playfully nudged me with his shoulder, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"What's a city boy like you got to do with a bird" He joked as he taunted me.

I protested, wearily as not to show my jealousy too much.

Pushing him back in a playful growl; I took him by surprise as I easily toppled him over into the soft grass lining the dirt road. Pouncing, I sat untop of him triumphantly, holding his paws down to the grass. He struggled, snarling in play as I held him just barely contained beneath me. The weight of my earlier worries seemed to melt away under the warm afternoon sun. Here, amidst the verdant fields and our playful banter, the sadness I carried felt distant, a faint echo in the back of my mind.

Where is the sorrow among this garden of eden, this freedom in the green?

We continued on, greeted by the farm's ''guard dog'', A lumbering mutt with a perpetually wagging tail lumbered towards us, sniffing my fur with gentle curiosity. It would just lazily lay on the yard nearby the house. Arcas showed me around, a real farmers tour I thought. Taking inside the home, I met Arcas's mother, a sleek black wolfess with eyes that held a lifetime of stories. She ushered us inside. The scent of wood smoke and baking bread filled the air. We each got a fresh small loaf of bread to eat. Very carefully, because I had never had it before, I took a sip of the fresh raw milk before we headed out again.

Into the fresh air, out from the stuffy kitchen. We came around the farm, where long broad rows of plastic sheeting lay in between concrete walled trenches. At the far side of these concrete pens, the last row lay opened with its tarpaulin lose. The wolf beckoned me over as we moved under the large plastic cover.The wind whipped the plastic sheeting above us, creating a rhythmic whooshing sound that filled the air like a lullaby.  Hay was stored there, musty scent heavy on my nostrils as we sat atop the first row near the exit. The tarpaulin weaving and whispering just above us as we looked out over the fields stretching out from the back of the farm.

"This is my most favorite place here". Arcas said, sighing softly as he gazed out towards the fields. "I like the view". I chimed in with him softly, sighing as I looked out over the fields with him. It was cozy there, hidden from view, hidden from the farm and the road. The winds playing with the sheet above us not unlike the comfort playing in a warm bed, pushing the covers up and feeling them slide down over your body.

The musty hay felt crisp under my paws as I dug my claws into it. "I wouldn't mind living here..." I murmured on, my gaze dreamy and sooth. My troubles were far, far away. I felt safe and comfortable, even though the time since I met the wolf in this way was so brief. The connection I had with him so fickle, but seemingly transcending into something.

My musing was cut short by a low growl from Arcas. He scoffed at me. "You don't want to live here dumbass" he said with a snarl, his lips curling up as he licked over his fangs. Arcas's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a sudden coldness. With his lips curled he flashed sharp canines towards me.

"...You wouldn't last a day here"

He continued to growl, the words laced with a harsh honesty.

But I wasn't daunted by his demeanour the slightest. Looking him straight in the eye, I challenged his bravado. Though I didn't know why Arcas became upset at my expression of the desire to live in this place.

"Is that right!... farm dog!" I sneered at him.

That was enough. He pounced at me, growling now playfully as another struggle ensued. Under the cover of the tarpaulin we wrestled again. My auburn orange fur streaking past his black coat, over now, claws swiping, fangs nipping. I almost had him this time- but I slipped on the hay, jerking on my side as Arcas slammed into me, twisting my body around so I laid flush on my stomach.

The wolf straddled over me before he laid himself down on top of me in conquest. I could feel him curve into my back, his hips pressing snugly against mine.."Y-you..you win!" I managed to whine from under him. I struggled against him slightly, pressing my butt up against his hips, eliciting another growl from him.

At that moment, I gave Arcas a glimpse of his true self. Without actually knowing- I knew what he wanted and needed.
Acceptance from me as his peer, holding a similar feeling close to my heart. Too young to change our predicament.

There weren't any words. I could feel him softly pant along my ears as he kept me down under him. The wind rustled the plastic sheeting above us and the warmth kept us comfortable in the surprisingly soft hay that I lay pressed in.

Arcas bit softly down into my scruff, holding me in place as he started to hump against me. Our clothing acted as a barrier, though, but I could still feel him there... His breath was ragged, blowing along my fur in between his teeth. I didn't resist him, softly pushing back against his hips each time they came down on me, meeting his rhythm. It felt so wrong and so right. Hidden from view, this small enclave was like a tiny world for ourselves.

After a while he got off me, moving slightly away to sit on the hay again. I looked at him silently before pushing myself up as well. I seated next to him and we both sat in silence for some time. I didn't know what to say as I just listened how my heartbeat slowly returned back to normal. Arcas muzzle had lowered slightly before. In time he turned to face me again. A playful grin stretched across Arcas's muzzle, but his eyes remained guarded. My brow furrowed in confusion, unsure of his sudden shift in mood.

Remembering now, trying to relive that feeling, that moment. I know the wolf had just put his mask on again. He couldn't show me who he was, well not for long anyway. Through those needy humps under the tarpaulin's cover I felt him, connected with him more and more. I longed for it even though I couldn't grasp those emotions. I didn't know how to feel. The weight of my past experiences pressed down on me, leaving my emotions like a murky pond, swirling and indistinct. Emotions too numb for an experience from beyond.

A deep, gravelly voice boomed across the farm, calling for Arcas with a chilling undertone that sent shivers down my spine. The wolf shot up from the hay, jumping down from the stack before turning towards me.

"It's time Faelor..., I can't play anymore, I need to work".

I couldn't persuade him as I offered my help. And it was getting late, true. We moved towards the back of the house and I waited for Arcas as he slipped inside a back entrance. There was a commotion from inside the house and before long the wolf shot back out the door again, half dressed in his farmers overalls. The door was bashed open by a large brown bear. A pair of large rubber galoshes where thrown sharply down, hitting Arcas where he lay on the grass as he tried to finish putting the overalls on.

I felt like an outsider, as if I was invisible watching the moment unfold before my eyes. Frozen in a time and not knowing how to react or what to do. I could only watch on as the wolf that I so recently had been so close to, was scolded at by the bear. I shrank back, feeling like a ghost in the scene. Every word thrown at Arcas resonated within me, a physical ache spreading through my chest. The pain in the wolf's eyes was visible to my soul as the bear kicked him towards the barns. Arcas snarled at the bear.

"See you tomorrow, ...okay Faelor"

I heard him call towards me before he moved off towards the barns. The bear scanned his unforgiving eyes over me, returning inside the house without further acknowledging my presence. It was as if I only existed as another weed to this creature. And I was scared, reluctant to move, my breath hitched in my throat.

"See you tomorrow..." I choked as I called after Arcas. He disappeared from view.

I was left standing alone on the alien farm. The warmth of the summer sun instantly sucked from the place. The lush green forest, now stood lined with a darkness, ominous and evil exuding from the leaves and the branches. I couldn't hear any more birds singing, the jackdaw was gone. Twilight had come crashing down with a speed around the scene.

I turned and fled away. I wasn't strong enough. My eyes tearing as I rode my bicycle towards my home. As I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, a new kind of darkness pressed in on me, a chilling lonely feeling for the wolf settled deep within my soul.

The summer passed. I hardly ever spoke with Arcas after that day. He was in another class and our break times didn't overlap. After school I never managed to catch him again. And he never caught me.

The memory now stills before me when I reach back to that time. It wasn't long before the house that my parents had bought was sold in the divorce' aftermath and I had to move again. Further away, again.

My new friends had promised to visit. Their words, mirroring hollow echoes in the face of goodbyes. Had they truly meant them? Did I?

They were already diminishing, like embers fading in the whispers of the wind.

Author's note: This story was born from a real memory nestled deep within. A memory imbued with the warmth of a shared summer. Beneath the shelter of a tarpaulin, amidst the vibrant fields and whispering wind, a friendship unfolded. I was young and couldn't handle the situation. Like the fading embers of a fire, it had left me behind with a sadness, a bittersweet glow and a lingering longing for a connection even though it was brief. Still, the positives from the memory continue to hold a special place in my heart.", "pools_count": 0, "title": "Embers Fading in the Whispers of the Wind", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "text/plain", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "2", "name": "Nudity", "description": "Nonsexual nudity exposing breasts or genitals (must not show arousal)", "rating_id": "1" }, { "content_tag_id": "3", "name": "Violence", "description": "Mild violence", "rating_id": "1" }, { "content_tag_id": "4", "name": "Sexual Themes", "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "52" }