Ella's Wild Beasts

CHAPTER 10

Ella sighed as she put her sore hands in the cool water. The fox sat by her and had its tail laid behind her and slightly around her. She looked up at it with a smile. "You're such a good boy." Then paused. "You know. I don't actually know if you're a boy. Are you a boy?" With that the fox cooked its head her, laid its ears back then turned away with an indignant sneeze. She chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes." She said leaning against his leg earning a few tail thumps.

   Ella thought for a few minutes with her hands in the water. "Do you have a name?" She asked absent-mindedly. "Awoo" "...Well unfortunately I don't understand fox" she said standing again. He stood with her. "Well for now I'll just call you fox. You're very smart I'm sure you'll find a way to tell me one day. Are you still digging your burrow?" She asked noting the dirt on his fur again. Small head bob. "If you're not to busy is there any way you can get me more food today? I don't eat much. Plus if you bring me your food I'll cook it for you too. Cooked food is very tasty." Almost as soon as she asked she got another gentle "Awoo".

   "Thank you Fox. I'm not a very good hunter." She laughed. "Plus I have some stuff to do today she said. The fox nodded again and with that gave her cheak a quick lick and trotting away. She smiled and waved him away as he trotted back to his digging. After she saw his disappear she went back to her fire. She would be away from it for a bit so she added a large log she found, and grabbed some green grass and clean moss she found earlier, then headed back to the pool. She found a shallow spot with a large flat rock that was warm with the sun and stripped.

   She had long felt revolted by her stench and the feel of dirt and mud on her skin. With that Ella dipped her clothes in and out of the water while crouching on the rock.she then took the grasses the had folded into a rough brush and spent some time cleaning. She sighed. It would be better with soap but she had no idea how to make that so she would have to make due. Felling they were as clean as they were going to get she laid them on the rock to dry then slowly lowered herself into the cool water with a gasp. "I miss hot baths." Ella shivered then dunked under water. She spent forty minutes washing, de-tangleing her hair and getting all the sticks out of her hair.

   Feeling sufficiently clean she stretched out on the rock and soaked up the welcome warmth. Feeling like she was being watched she opened her eyes and looked around. Fox was staring at her with another bundle in his mouth from the forest edge. Suddenly feeling self conscious she sat up and brought her knees to her chest blushing deeply. Fox hadn't shifted his intense stare. Suddenly Ella felt very silly. He was a fox. Intelligent or not he was just a fox. She chuckled at her silly reaction and stood. When she turned she heard Fox let out a small growl and quickly trotted towards her never moving its eyes from her. It set the bundle on the edge of the rock then walked right up to her. "Hello Fox." She said with a smile. He leaned in and pressed his nose into the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. After a few sniffs and her standing perfectly still he slowly drew his tongue up her neck. Ella laughed and gave him a small shove. "Stop, that tickles." She said with a smile. With that he turned and sprinted back to his burrow.

   Shrugging she checked her clothes and finding them dry put them back on. She made her way with the bundle back to the fires edge. Poking it with a stick she decided she shouldn't add any more sticks with the log still smoldering away, and opened the large heavy bundle. She was shocked to find three large rabbits inside. She quickly pulled them out and inspected them. Their hide was intact and looked like their necks were broken. She smiled. The hides, once dried, would be very useful. She grabbed her sharp rocks and set to her work.