Changing Their Ways

Chapter 1 - The Meeting

 And when you see her sweet smile, baby,

Don't, think of me,

And when she lays in your warm arms,

Don't, think of me. 

I carried on singing, my audience attentive. An audience of three foxes, a badger and countless wrens. When I finished the song; Don't Think Of Me, by Dido, I frowned at the fox cub sitting on my shoe.

The song didn't matter, but the voice did. 

You can crush us, 

You can bruise us,

You can even shoot us,

But oh-oh, the guns of Brixton

I started into Guns of Brixton, but trailed off, frowning. Something was wrong, but I didn't know what, so I tried to distract myself.

"Meh-la sig parrah, pa meh, sah netalehh dolehpir calen selan lutherisy, masa locapir delas thudeir serripir, nebiella sa sig sellarineir, lalam delas wesat nafa gulapir nafa basa."

It's a wonder, isn't it, that humans call themselves civilised, but many of their songs, no nicer than a nightingale's, sing of blood and guts and gore.

The fox looked at me. She understood the words, as I'd spoken her language, after all, I was Foacen, so could 'Animal - talk', but foxes didn't really understand money, or 'blood and guts and gore'.

Foxes are pretty nice people.

I continued singing, this time Brick by Boring Brick by Paramore.

I was halfway through the chorus, when the fox leapt off my foot and cowered in front of me. I spun round, hearing a yelp of pain. I had hit the fox cub. Regret raced through my mind, but was washed away by the world around me.

I was fox.

Anger, greed, all the things that filled human's heads had been washed away now.

The other pack ran, but I stood firm, and studied the intruder. He was crouched, feral, in front of me, and I smelled the sickly stench of Lienti. The reaction to his smell was purely instinctual, so when I was no-fur it smelt almost good. My eyes ran up his chest, to his flushed face. His white blond hair was wind-swept; he'd been tracking me.  

And his eyes. 

His eyes.

The most brilliant pools of bright blue, flecked with dots of grey, showing his lack of innocence.

But that didn't matter, his eyes were perfect.

With that thought, I found myself human. 

I love those eyes. 

He blinked, batting away the trance.

What was I thinking? Why was I so... instantly obsessed with this boy. And when I say boy, I'm looking for a better word.

He was my enemy. He was Lienti. He was the worst thing a being could be.

And those dots of grey in his eyes were marks of the victims of his murders, pointless, cruel murders.

"Who are you?" I asked, the words skidding from my mouth, and I straightened up from my automatic crouch.

He straightened up before he answered.

"You tell me." I snarled at his arrogance.

The wind picked up, and his scent blew towards me again. I shuddered, wrinkling my nose in mock disgust, even though it was different in this form, when my instincts were muted.

"Oh, and by the way, get some decent aftershave, you stink."

"You mean I stank. I smell good to you now."

"Your aftershave doesn't. Wait, what am I talking about? Shut up Is-." I broke off, halfway through my name. I would learn his first. I would not give anything away. Breathe. "Right. Who are you?" My chin was up, my eyes slits and my glare mean, although my head was in complete disarray.

"If names matter so much, tell me yours. Who are you?" 

"Fine, whatever." I lost my temper with this arrogant boy. "I'm Iseabail. What. Is. Your. Name." The silence lasted, and I cursed under my breath; he had my name. I turned to grab my jacket, stiffly, angered. 

"Thank you, Is-eabail." I turned my back on him. Tricky, when my instincts were yelling at me to stay put and not let my guard down."Bob, at your service. Oh, by the way, nice singing."

I spun round, but he was gone. My shriek echoed through the dark wood, and I swear I could him laugh.