The great wars of nature reserves. Chapter Ten: Truth and seriousness.


In Farthing land, there is a temporary celebration of all the animal inhabitants and the fox family. And they cheered for their heroes. Least of all little Bold, because it was he who saved Swift's life, before Rollo came to the rescue and fought the wolf, until his master, The Warden, appeared and finally shot the wolf. Both Scarlet and Russet were relieved that little Bold and Silvia had escaped unharmed.

Even little Bold's siblings, Valiant, Rosa and Diamond, were happy to see their mischievous big brother. So were Whisper, Charmer, Windy, old Vixen and old Fox. All the animals are gathered outside Plucky and Scarlet's earth. But they are not alone. No, because the warden's house cat - Ginger, was visiting the fox family. And right now they are having a very long discussion.

Whisper: "How are Plucky and Rollo? Will they be okay?"

Scarlet: "They must have been okay. Oh Plucky..."

Scarlet couldn't help but cry a little, but both Whisper and Diamond try to comfort her as humbly as possible. But Ginger cat was still positive about their question and answered.
Ginger: "Yes, they're fine. Rollo was okay, luckily, because his mate and the puppies were of course worried about him."

Fox: "But Plucky, then?"

Ginger: "Plucky is temporarily in intensive care with my master. He's a little injured in the body, because of the fight he got into."

Swift: "Aha! I see what you mean. But when will he get better, then?"

Ginger: "In a few days, we hope. Maybe until spring. Because we don't know how serious it is with him."

Fox: "No, and we don't know about that either, because we didn't know that Plucky would get into serious trouble with the Silver Fox Clan. Or with the two damned bodyguards on their side."

Little Bold: "Yeah, that's right. But now the evil Tyran's wolf is gone. And you all should have seen how I bit his nose. I'll do the same to Silver's beast. Exactly..."

Swift: "Ah-ah! Slow down, you tough little fox. That last bodyguard, the Beast, is no joke, Bold."

Scarlet: "Swift is right, Bold. Even though you and Silvia went to the sawmill, just to help, I thought it was a good thing you did. But you also have to think about what could happen if you two also end up in worse trouble than the other one."

Swift: "Exactly. You, Bold, have saved my life after all, and I really appreciate that. You are the hero of the day for all of us."

Rosa: "Yeah! Real heroism, brother."

Valiant: "And cunning in the attack, too."

Silvia: "And you're really the bravest I've ever met, anyway."

And right at that, Silvia gave Little Bold a lick-kiss on his left cheek, which made him blush with shyness.

Diamond: "And the shyest too."

After Diamond said that, both Bold's siblings and some animal friends laughed a little at the last expression. Even old Vixen and old Fox smiled with laughter and thought their great-grandson was so cute when he felt so embarrassed. Until old Vixen said something that was true of little Bold.

Vixen: "But little Bold is right anyway. Now there's only one bodyguard left, who is too temporary a threat to us all and our lives. Isn't that right, Fox?"

Fox: "Yes and it's true, Vixen. This Silver's bodyguard, the Beast, is probably going to cause trouble for all of us animals in White Deer Park. Including the Laird's herd."

Hurkel: "That's terrible."

Shadow: "Very terrible."

Mossy: "Oooh, what's going to happen to us?"

Spike: "We'll probably get eaten. At least for us little animals, like me! Ugh! The Beast really scares me."

Measly: ​​"And for me too! Because I didn't dare think about what might happen if they took my beloved Weasel away from me and my children and grandchildren."

Weasel: "Why would you think that, really?"

Measly: "Simple, you're a partial deserter to the Blue Foxes, even though you refused to cooperate with Scarface. He's probably also told Silver everything about you, not just Fox and the big white Stag."

When Weasel thinks about what her mate just said, her eyes widened and she understood what Measly meant.

Weasel: "Help! You're right! I hadn't even thought of that, Measly. Just because I produced Scarface sometimes so... Oh, no! Now this great cat will probably get me anyway! Oh, Measly! I knew we wouldn't have returned here again, especially not after our children were born...! Ooohohoho!!!"

Weasel cries very desperately, she had to embrace herself in Measly's arms, while he holds her and tries to comfort her. But he was also very sad. Even old Vixen feels sorry for Weasel and gets one of her eyes a little teardrop down her cheek.

Vixen: "Oh, poor weasel. I know how you feel. We'll probably find some solution. Am I right, Fox?"

Fox: "Yes, Vixen. Me, Swift and Owl will find a good solution, how we can stop Silver's bodyguard somehow."

Owl: "Yes, of course we will."

Swift: "I know a little bit about the Beast that I've already told you before. But we don't know much about the Beast's life and where he really comes from."

Ginger: "But I do. Because I happened to know about the great cat before."

All the animals looked at Ginger cat and became very curious about what he was saying. Old Fox calmly walked up to the last cat and stopped in front of him and asked.

Fox: "Do you know who the Beast is?"

Ginger: "It's a cross between a regular cat and a Lynx."

But then Spike hit his right hand on his head and remembered what it was he had forgotten to say about the Beast before.

Spike: "Oh, bloody! I had forgotten that and started to remember now. Plucky knew about the Beast before, and that it's called a Lynx."

Mossy: "Yes, that's it. Now I remember too. We must have forgotten that name of Lynx, after the wolf tried to catch us last time."

Ranger: "Well, everyone can easily forget themselves, sometimes."

Rebel: "But now it's important to listen to the cat's story."

Ginger: "Very well. It was like this: After Fox howled and lured my master to the sawmill, which he thought was Rollo and Plucky was found, he told a little about the beast that he and I happened to know..."

Ginger cat told all the animal friends, that when he sat in the chair in the ward room, next to the injured fox on the table, with some of the bandages on Plucky's body, they had a nice little chat with each other during the long moments.

Plucky understood that his grandfather had lured the warden to the sawmill, then shot and killed the wolf, to save both Rollo and his friends' lives. But when they happened to mention Silver's deadly bodyguard, who is still alive, it became a comprehensive discussion.

Ginger: "This beast is a wanted lynx mix, who escaped from the Zoology several winters ago."

Plucky: "But the question is when did it happen, anyway?"

Ginger: "Well... it's hard to remember. But I would think it was the day your grandfather and his friends came to White Deer Park."

Plucky: "But how do you know all about it?"

Ginger: "My master had a visit from a man who called himself the military once. And he told him that their experimental animal had apparently escaped from their secret research lab in the Zoology."

Plucky: "What did they do?"

Ginger: "They experimented on a special beast, after they carried out breeding ideas. With a regular, but fairly large and fat-bellied female cat. And a regular, but wild male lynx from another zoo. The breeding went quite well, but after the little kitten was born, this female cat died afterwards. The little kitten was of course taken care of by the zookeepers, but after he grew up, he became somehow different."

Plucky: "Different? What do you mean?"

Ginger: "Well, some of the humans are of course eager to experiment on him. Because according to my master and the military's claims, they were trying to make sure he survived after his birth. By developing such a special anabolic asteroid for animals. And he was the first to get such an injection."

Plucky: "But don't you die from such drugs on the animal?"

Ginger: "Not so much as necessary, exactly. But what I found out, the medication is not that effective, deep down. Most of the animals that humans have tested before died from that injection. And most of the animals survive, but also get an extremely psychotic IQ, and can easily become wilder and more dangerous."

Plucky: "Aha! That explains why the military was chasing Scarlet and me last time. Now I'm starting to understand. Silver and the Beast must have met, after my grandfather and his old friends just arrived at the nature reserve. Silver has been protecting his bodyguard from the military the whole time."

Ginger: "But they also say he's capable of doing anything. And he can hardly be a complete idiot either. If the Beast finds out the real truth from you and your friends, or the silver fox clan for example, he'll probably choose his own path, instead of obeying and following orders any more, of course."

There was a quick silence for a moment, and Plucky pondered over what Ginger cat had told him, and he finally began to realize this fact.

Plucky: "But if it's as you say, and he's just too psychotic, that means we can't possibly trick Lynx in any way. You have to tell my grandfather and our friends all about this. Before it's too late..."

When Ginger cat had finished his story, all the animals began to realize the truth about the Beast's real life. At least old Fox and Swift understood it all.

Fox: "Very interesting. Too high of a psychotic IQ. That doesn't sound good at all to me."

Owl: "No, and I agree with you. Some humans always have such strange ideas these days. But this is absolutely the worst."

Hollow: "Mhm. Owl is right. We really have to be vigilant, in case the Beast shows up anytime, anywhere."

Fox: "Yes, but there's one thing I don't really understand."

Swift: "About what, Fox?"

Fox: "If the Beast is so intelligent, and he and Silver already figured out what we know about their evil plans from the beginning, he should have at least attacked us a long time ago. He's hardly touched Dash, Bolt, and their two cubs. And neither have the rabbit families for that matter. Although I happened to find the big paw prints from the great cat, who are sneaking around here."

Bolt: "You're probably right, Fox. It seemed strange in a way."

Dash: "Yes, absolutely. Because the Beast is a deadly carnivore, it should have gotten to my cubs by now. And it was very lucky that nothing happened to Hasty and Chipper."

Swift: "I also believe what old Fox says. Silver's bodyguard is probably waiting at the right moment. But still, it feels like he's one step ahead, as if someone leaked the information in advance."

Windy: "But who could have done it?"

Swift: "I don't know exactly, Windy. You and I got here before winter, and I don't think Weasel can do it. Especially not when she and her family are being threatened with death."

Whisper: "That's true."

Charmer: "Yes, indeed, I can agree with you on that."

Friendly: "And for me too."

While everyone pondered for a while, Little Bold came to think of the dream he had earlier, and how he and Grandpa met. With these thoughts on it, Little Bold finally said.

Little Bold: "Why don't you ask my grandfather about it."

Friendly: "Big Bold? My dead brother?"

Ranger: "You can't mean it, little Bold."

Fox: "For once, I agree with Friendly and Ranger. Your grandfather, Big Bold, was dead a long time ago. If you know what I mean, little Bold?"

Little Bold: "Yes, I know. But he lives inside me, in my dream world, where we met for the first time. He was some kind of spirit fox."

Now all the animals' eyes widened a little. Especially the fox family, and they could hardly believe their ears. But Whisper calmly walked up to her grandson and asked him seriously.

Whisper: "Did you meet your grandfather in your dream when you were sleeping?"

Little Bold: "Yes, of course. Even my dad met him as a spirit fox, he believed in me."

Whisper: "Ah, I see. But what did your grandfather tell you?"

Little Bold: "He thinks I should help my friends' lives, and also save my dad, by following the oath of the heart, just like he did once with you, grandma. He did it for the love of you and for the cub's future."

Whisper: "Is it really true, little Bold?"

Little Bold nodded to grandma, and Whisper sat down in front of her grandson and was a little taken aback. Even all the animals were completely silent for a while and continued to listen to little Bold's truth.

Little Bold: What my grandfather did, when he withdrew to die and left you alone with his family, was neither a mean nor a stupid thing of him. He did it for the sake of my father and aunt, and he loved you so much, grandma. And he also loved his family who asked him for forgiveness before he died. And I finally began to realize that what I said before, what you all thought of my grandfather, was wrong of me. I was wrong. I was wrong... Sob! Sob!

The little dark red adolescent fox with his big scar on his left cheek felt more and more distressed and despaired about his conscience and was about to cry. His eyes filled with a little tears of sadness and said in a sad voice.

Little Bold: "Can you ever forgive me..."

Finally, little Bold's eyes were closed really tight and he cried in despair. Some of the animals' eyes filled with tears of sadness at little Bold's true story. Even old Vixen, Scarlet, Charmer, Windy and Russet had their eyes filled with tears of sadness. Old Fox bowed his head down and felt guilty for everything. And Swift really felt sorry for him, as did Silvia and his siblings.

But finally Whisper felt she should give her grandson the great comfort. She crept a little closer to little Bold and let him embrace her with his left cheek lying against her hairy chest, while her forelegs and paws were wrapped around him. Then she began to hug her poor grandson humbly, with her head down and looking at little Bold and also told him the truth.

Whisper: "Of course you're forgiven, little Bold. You have his blood and I believe in you. I should have told your grandfather a long time ago that I loved him so much. And I wanted to be his mate forever here in White Deer Park. But his one injured hind leg has made him very ill. And I couldn't do anything to save him, even though I tried to help him stay healthy."

Little Bold: "I can understand what you meant, Grandma. And I feel sorry for you too. But if you believe in love for my grandfather, and he is in your heart, you can surely see him in your dream world too. Like me and my dad did."

Whisper: "Thanks, little Bold. I'll think about it."

Little Bold's mother soon walked up to her crying son and Whisper and asked him out of pure curiosity.

Scarlet: "Was he really the one who asked you to go to the sawmill, to save your father, Plucky?"

Little Bold opened his one healed eye to his mother and stared at her honest gaze and answered.

Little Bold: "Yes. In fact, I did it out of kindness for you, Mom. You and Dad have always been so happy together, before me and my siblings were born."

Scarlet: "Oh, Bold, my little one."

Scarlet's eyes filled with tears again, but this time of joy. Whisper let her front legs and paws release little Bold, since she had finished comforting her grandson. And little Bold was nuzzled by his loving mother on his right cheek, she also gave her caring son a few licks.

Now everyone feels much better happy again. And old Fox and old Vixen looked at each other and smiled with happiness. Even Swift, Silvia, Rosa, Valiant, Diamond, Windy, Charmer, Ranger, Friendly, Russet, Rebel and many more of the fox family also became happy. But one who was also the happiest of all, is understandably Ginger cat, who was already on his way back to his master's house.

But he had to stop for a while and listen a little from the fox family and sighed a little from their sentimental conversation. But still he felt that he had to return home. But what will happen later to all the animals in farthing land, and who leaks the information to Silver or the Beast, you will all know next time.

TO BE CONTINUED.