The Fox Captive

The map in my hands may as well have been drawn by a mole, with how useful it's proven. I look it over once more, as though this time I can recognize my surroundings, and the previous 30 minutes has been spent just missing one detail I haven't noticed yet.

...Nope. I'm completely lost. I toss the map away in my frustration, and let it fall to the ground beside me.

I look to all sides. Left, right, behind, seeing nothing. Then, I look up.

Maybe if I can climb up a tree, I can figure out where I am? I think.

I go to the nearest tree, and put my hands on its sides. There's a branch that's fairly low- if I can get up there, then I can climb up that to reach the rest of the tree. So I pull myself up as hard as I can, and manage to get to the first branch.

There's a start! Now, up to the next-

THUNK!

I land on my butt as I fall down on top of the branch that just broke beneath me. The cold hard ground has welcomed me back, and it seems that going up is not an option with these old trees.

I can't believe this...

I look up at the forest roof. The light pours through the leaves, down to me. Since my backside is in pain from landing like this, I rest, and attempt to take in the peace of the woods.

I should probably pick the map up, take a break, and then see if it makes more sense when I wake up. It's probably the only way I'll figure out where I am...

I turn to look behind, where I dropped the map, only to find leaves, plants, and grass. I can swear I dropped it just here, yet the ground remains distinctly map-less. And so I resign from my search, completely defeated by the trees, captured within their realm. At least this defeat is a good place to take a nap...

I wake up to the sound of a bush rustling. Just to my left, I can see a pair of ears sticking out- orange ears, just like that of a fox. I stand up, and yell out to it.

"Shoo! I'm not dead yet, you're not going to eat me!" I yell, sitting up straight.

"What? I'm not going to eat you!" it yells back, as it stands up tall, revealing beneath the ears lies the face of a human woman.

Surprised that I'm not alone, I stand up.

After making eye contact with me, she crouches back down into the bush, making an "Eep!" sound as she retreats.

"Oh, you're not a..." I stammer. "I'm sorry. What's your name?"

"Uh, I'm Piper."

"I'm Roger. It's nice to meet you," I say.

"Oh! I have your paper," she says.

"My... paper?"

She reaches behind herself and pulls out a bag. As she does this, I see a big, bushy, orange tail sticking out from her back, that matches the ears atop her head.

Questions for later...

"Here," she says, holding out my map.

I take it back into my hands eagerly. Useless as it may be, it's my only chance to find the road again if Piper doesn't know anything to help.

"Thank you for bringing me my map!" I say. "But do you know the way out of these woods? I'm lost. I can't seem to read this thing."

"Oh! I know these woods very well."

"Great. Then could you show me the way?"

I hold the map out to her, displaying its contents.

"Where are we right now?" I ask.