The Tale of a Dog Hero

Recovery and Loss

Tippy had wandered around the forest, gathering vines, sticks, rocks and other assortments of materials. The first thing she built was a sled. After a long struggle to get Oscar onto it, she took him to a spot she is using to hold all the materials. Once Oscar was safe, she began making a shelter from the sticks and vines. She used the rocks as a base for the sticks so they don't slide, and used the vines to tie up the sticks or fill any gaps. It took most of the day, but she had made a good shelter, a few traps laid around for animals, and a small lit fireplace. She drew the sled closer to the fire and she sat next to Oscar. She stared at the burning wood before falling to her side, and looking at Oscar. The decaying parts of him we're healed when he put on the jacket, but he still hasn't been awake anytime after. She wrapped an arm around him and rested her head on his chest. Tippy managed to fall asleep before being awoken by one of her traps setting off. It was pretty well into the night, but she took a burning piece of wood to find the way to whatever was now caught. Tippy has walked pretty far already before she heard it. A cry of a bird. When she got close enough to it, she realized it was the cardinal bird. "Oh! You poor thing, I'm so sorry." Tippy knelt down and helped free the bird. When it was freed, it backed a few feet away from tippy. "Hey, it's me. Remember? You helped Oscar save me." When it heard the word 'Oscar' it perked up and looked around. Tippy began walking back to her camp. "If you wanna see him, come on. You can follow me." Just then another trap was set off. Tippy turned and began running towards it. When she reached it, she saw that the trap worked. This one had a rabbit in it, with it's head crushed under a rock. The rabbit was at least two feet long, and had grey fur with white patches. "Wow. Lucky you didn't find this trap." The bird was still in the shadows behind her. It responded with a soft chirp. Tippy took the rabbit and walked back to camp. When she made it back, her eyes widened and she dropped the rabbit. "Why are you here? Get the hell away from him!" Zuko was sitting on the sled and looking at Oscars arm. Zuko looked up at tippy, then back down to look at Oscar. "He is dying, you know. The jacket may have saved him from a quick and painful death, but now he is going through a slow and tormenting one. Ah. The cardinal bird. You helped save tippy. Well done." Tippy took a spear and pointed it at Zuko. "How do you know about the bird?" Zuko got up and raised his arms over his head. "Hey, I wasn't spying. My kitsune did a little memory reading for me. I saw what Oscar saw and felt what he felt. Although not physically." Tippy got closer and poked him in the chest. "Ow. That wasn't a necessary action." "Back up! Get away from him." "Alright, alright. I shall be honest. I planned to kill him when I came here, but it looks like he did it for me." Tippy stabbed his shoulder and kept moving Zuko away from Oscar. "Shut up. You wouldn't be able to kill him anyway. Not while I'm here." Zuko's hole in his shoulder healed and he stared at Tippy for a moment. In the blink of an eye, Tippy's spear broke in two and Zuko had a knife pressed against her neck. Zuko leaned close to her ear. "Listen here you may know how to poke a stick around, but in actual combat... You have nothing. If I wanted him to die right now, I would have already killed him while you watched. But if that's what you want, then I can do it. You've tested my patience enough, girl." "I'm sorry. But in the balance of life and death, there are no rules to a fight." Tippy reached down and full palm gripped Zuko's crotch. "Which means, if you threaten my life, then I'm gonna play DIRTY!" She pushed Zuko to the floor and grabbed the spear that had the pointed tip. "So if I 'know how to poke a stick around', then you stand no match against a simple twig." Zuko began smiling and chuckling to himself. "Alright, I'll give you that for my rudeness. But this is the only time I'll let you off for dirtying my clothes. Anyway..." Zuko picked himself up and walked towards the rabbit. "If you want Oscar to live, then you better have a miracle waiting. Well. I could fix him, but where's the fun in a thrilling life or death, huh?" Tippy turned to watch Zuko skin the rabbit and cut up pieces of the meat. "What are you doing?" "What do you mean? I'm hungry." Zuko got some sticks and began spearing the meat to prepare them to be cooked. The cardinal bird had creeped up to Oscar and sat on his legs. After the meat was cooked, Tippy took a few bites before interrogating Zuko again. "How did you find us? What's the big deal about wanting Oscar dead?" Zuko finished cooking his piece of meat before answering. "Mmm. Well, firstly, my kitsune is what guided me here. It told me of Oscar's whereabouts. As for wanting him dead, you will when that day arises. Until then, keep Oscar company." "But if I have to find out later, then why would you want to kill him now?" "I don't know. I haven't seen the reason why yet. But when the kitsune shows me, I will eagerly await it's presentation." Tippy took a bite out of the stick by accident and spit it out quickly. "Hm- so, what is this kitsune you keep talking about?" "Lotta questions huh?... A kitsune is that spirit Oscar sought after, only after he realized the capabilities of it. . I believe he called it a wisp. It goes by many definitions as well. Although, it is called a kitsune, I have come up with a better, more companion, title. I have named it, Eleanor." At the sound of its own name, the kitsune flew out of Zuko's chest and floated around the campfire. "A wonderful entity. It has the power to hold and give the memory of other people to its user. That's how I know so much about Oscar, and my rather sudden interest in him. It's funny actually. Before I even had the kitsune, I had killed him twice. The only reason why he survived, was because Eleanor was forcing visions upon Oscar, warning him of danger. And Oscar still walked up to me. He got lucky though. Nearly died a third time..." Zuko looked down at the fire and tossed his empty stick into the flames. "Hmm. I'll make a deal with you. I shall let you watch Oscar. Watch him grow, fight, hate, and love. But if you die before him, I won't let him live another day after." "Hm." "Tippy. I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice. Take the deal, or if he wakes up, I kill hi-" In the blink of an eye, Zuko was in the air. The cardinal bird chirped loudly and flew in tight circles over the camp. Before Tippy realized what had happened Oscar had pinned Zuko by his shoulders against a tree. "Well, look who woke up. Guess it's time." Tippy stood up and grabbed her broken spear. "It's a deal! Don't kill him!" Zuko looked at Tippy, then back at Oscar. "Aww. That's a shame. Oh well. Off the OUTFIT!" Zuko knocked Oscars arms into the air and punched him into another tree. Just like that, Oscar was out cold again. "Hey, I said deal!" Tippy ran over and crouched beside Oscar. "Whaaat? He isn't dead is he? All I did was knock him out again. Eleanor." Zuko pointed at Oscar, and the kitsune flew into Oscar, then back out to Zuko. "Yeah. He has shallow breaths, and his heart rate is a tad low, but still alive nonetheless." Tippy gave Zuko a look of disappointment before grabbing the sled. Zuko and Tippy got the sled under Oscar, set him back in his spot, and went to sleep. "Goodnight, Tippy. Rest well Oscar." "You aren't gonna kill him while I'm sleeping are you?" "Do I look like the kind of man who breaks promises? I'm better than that. You just have to trust me." "Mmm. Alright. Goodnight, Zuko." Tippy slept with Oscar on the sled, and Zuko set up a sleeping bag from the materials he brought with.