The Fox of Wales

Chapter 9

Chapter 9:The Door is Opened to All

The journey to the King would be quite difficult. The human world was beginning to go quite insane. They all wondered where Abigail had gone to and several search parties were sent out into the wilderness. They all avoided the Forest with a passion. The Forest appeared to be wicked and wicked it was. You might say that the human brain added to the hype, making up tales of struggle and death, all occurring under that canopy. Most were false of course. 

"The King will not be expecting us. He believes that I am being held captive by the Oracle." The Eagle said. 

"But he will rejoice when he finds out you are free." The Fox said. 

"He has locked the gates to his castle. If I could tell him I was free, I would.  I'm afraid he sees none."

"You could fly into the castle!" The Fox said.  

"All of our catapults are broken dear Fox! Believe me, we used all of them in a long battle many years ago." 

There came from the woods, a long, shrill toot of a horn. It sounded as if an army was approaching. The Fox quickly raised the alarm. His new allies scrambled behind rocks and trees, trying to remain hidden. The Eagle decided to speak first. 

"Who is it that marches into my fair kingdom? By the sound, I should say you have a least a hundred behind you!"

The footsteps stopped immediately. There were many whispers and chatters from among the group. 

"We are entering your kingdom seeking lodgings for some time. We are worn out and tired after a long battle."

"You shall find it, if you are loyal to his majesty? Whom do you serve?" 

"The High Oracle of course. We have been fighting for him for years and have been kept safe under his watchful eye. Do you not think the same if our glorious leader?" 

The Fox laughed. 

"I would gladly give him to the human pest any day! He is like a stain that must be wiped out." 

There came the sound of swords being drawn. 

"I shall here no more words spoken against my leaders honor, you stinking wretch! Let us see your faces! I'll bet your faces are not as tough as your words!" 

"Let us see you run as the crow flies!" The men started to bark like dogs. They became like the crazed leader they supported. Even common sense was being replaced by a mad frenzy of hatred and vengeance. 

The Fox stepped out first. 

"Peter J! I have never heard you speak in this manner!" Now that the Fox could see the battalion, he was amazed at what he saw. Most of them were young animals of different shapes  and sizes. They all wore the symbol of the Oracle on their shoulders. Their faces were worn and distraught, as if they very thought of seeing the Fox bit into their souls. Their uniforms were just like their faces. There were holes here and there. Entire patches of clothing were missing in some cases. They had seen many things but knew little. Most had never seen their parents, for they had been stolen at a young age. 

"You know what I think about the Oracle. He is a good man. He has always looked out for our village and our people." The Fox had to lie. He had seen the poorest citizens as he was taken to the prison. The Oracle couldn't even feed his own supporters. He talked about money and made promises he couldn't keep. The Fox could not believe he had not been removed long ago. He believed that the villagers kept him in office because of the spark of hope they still had for the future. But then, this begs another question. How long will this hope last? How long could they give up all their wealth to those who have enough already?