The Reynard

Ensign

I wonder where that little boy went...

Wasn't his name Xavier?

These neko people gather around me and poke and prod me no matter how many times I have to tell them to stop. I guess this is how it's going to be if I want to meet others like them. 

But then you have those elven people. Now those people are nice. They don't poke and prod me. They give me a nice place to sleep and delicious food. Then again they look at me from time to time with terror and -with just a few- anger.

Why the anger I asked them once, but all they did was turn away and leave me alone. I guess that there's something about me that they don't like...maybe it's my hair.

Either way, I leave the house as silently as I can, trying not to attract attention, but they notice anyways and Xavier's friend follows me out.

"Hey...where are you going?" 

"Hm?" I turn around and look at him, trying to figure out what he's thinking, but just like Xavier, I can't tell anything from his facial expression. Is it terror, curiosity, or concern?

"Well, I asked you where you were going..."

"Oh, I'm just going to go outside and see if I can't find Xavier. "

"He needs some space."

"But he's been gone well over four or five hours. I'm just concerned."

Xavier's friend (Tim I think it is) gives off a sigh and I look around then down, rubbing the back of my neck. "I just....I just want to see if he's okay..."

Tim nods and stays where he is, still a bit concerned and glances back at the house, "I probably shouldn't leave my stuff there with his father but...I'll come with you. I can bet that I'm more worried than you are about Xavier."

I nod once, jerking my head down and start out towards the forest. I'm not sure what it is that draws me that way, but there is something about the forest that seems off. Xavier might have noticed it too and went this way when he left the house.

He said something about a territory and boundaries earlier, but I couldn't catch the distance as quickly as I thought I would. Guess now it's all up to Tim to tell me how far out I can go. When I look around, I see a glint in the grass a few feet away and kneel next to it to pick it up. Before I can touch it another glints and I stop what I'm doing to look at it. Is it a trail?

"Ensign...look..." I turn my head sharply towards Tim because of the tone in his voice. I know that tone. I know it because Xavier used it when he first talked to me. Tim is scared.

I see that he is pointing towards something and I look to find an old worn down shack, but it's not old and worn down. The whole thing shimmers like a veil and I grin. "That's just a barrier that someone put up to hide something...probably important if it's on Neko territory."

"But it can't be there...this is owned land."

"Well it may be Neko Territory, but that hasn't stopped Elves from building posts in several spots around the continent." I don't turn back to him to see his expression. I already know what it is because his voice pattern stayed the same as before, just slightly worse. Tim is getting worse with each thing that I say. Guess I'll have to try to lie to him to make him feel better.

"Well... not anywhere here. I'm surprised that they even built one out here."

Behind me I hear Tim take a deep breath and let it out slowly, more calm than before. Guess lying to him worked. I should do that more often- to him- because honestly? The only thing the truth does is get him riled up and scare him out of his wits. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't bring up the war back there in Xavier's house when he was there.

"Yeah, you're probably right...."

"Not 'probably'. I am."

I stand up and go towards the shed and the veil seems to just dissolve away into nothing, leaving behind a small hut that reminds me of something, but I can't figure it out. Something isn't right, like something is off about the whole thing.

Why is it so quiet? Where is all the noise that the forest usually makes?

"Uh....Ensign? Who are they?"