One Tail at a Time

He is She

Several times through the night, I change his dressings because they are heavily bleeding, only it isn't until Liang arrives with a new batch of balms, that I have him help me keep the tail in the air  and it is then that I learn something more about him.  The boy has yet to awaken, so I take the opportunity to read his energy levels which is as I suspect.  He couldn't be anymore than a few thousand years old, so just a baby, only with his tail up in the air and out of the way, then he, suddenly becomes a she.

Well I am certainly surprised, because the female foxes are not known to be fiesty.  In fact, they are rather meek individuals save a few of the Queens and one particular Empress.  However the rest will not fight, even if they are being hurt, instead they will look to their male companions to fight for them.   Not even the female children are as fiery as this one, so I am definitely taken aback and it seems that Liang is too because not only was he the one to point out her gender, he is now looking far too flushed which has me sending him back out of the room to fetch my dinner.

Still, it makes no difference whether she is a he or she, the fact remains that she is injured, lost and dependent on me for her survival which only increases my concern for her.  It is one thing for a male to lose his way but an entirely different matter for a female much less a baby who has obviously gotten herself into trouble.

And that once again brings the Sprite to mind.  He too is just as fiesty and according to Die Feng, they are unable to communicate with him at all because it seems as if he is only capable of talking in her fox tongue which I am not knowledgeable in, though I have heard it enough times over the years to recognize it as such.

Which only increases my suspicions that he is of the darkest realms.  Those green eyed sprites are highly intelligent beings, so can learn languages most people would struggle to grasp much less learn to speak, only what he is doing with a female kit who is injured severely has me deciding to wake her up.  I need to learn who she is and get her home quickly while also investigating her little friend.

Now retracting my energy from her deeply sleeping body, I take a seat against the back wall to watch her reaction to Liang who has returned with my dinner.  I have a feeling she is going to attempt to flee which might give me an idea as to which fox tribe she belongs to.  There are so many of them, but they all have their own distinct ways of fighting and the moment her small front paws begin to lightly paw at the pillow, then I quickly set aside my meal to observe.

Im not sure what I expected to see, but the moment she reopens a wound by stretching, then Liang is gently chiding her which immediately sets off a series of demonic hissing and wolfish barking along with an impressive array of head shaking and claw flashes in his general direction.   Her unusual display of aggresstion comes as a complete surprise and for a moment I seriously consider putting her out of her misery and letting her go.  It is clear that she has been taught the ways of the demons and I am so close to ending her life that it takes several deep breaths to bring myself under control.  I truly suspect she may have been purposely released on my mountain as a decoy so my first thought is to close it down only the way looks ready to throw herself off the bed, then I am on my feet.  There is something decidedly unusual about the way she acting, because I have a strong suspicion that it is not natural to her and this thought is her only saving grace, because if there is a Demon out there teaching her demonic tendencies, then I won't find them if I kill her.

Placing the manscript down, I once again rub at my bulging eyes.  I never realized he had been thinking that all this time.  I remember that time most clearly, because I had been afraid, but what I also remember was his eyes and how very tender they had been.  Had they not, I might have died from sheer terror, but they were so soft and gentle, that I immediately took a liking to him.