The Road East

A blur of rusty auburn flashed through the trees, bounding towards a cave on the far cliff. He was panting, but only slightly, and every so often he glanced back at a ginger-colored creature trailing after him. He started to slow ever so slightly so that whatever was following him grew closer. Then, suddenly it shot past, reaching the cave in mere seconds.
“Next time, don’t slow down on my account,” taunted the petite orange fox cub as she leaped about with pride.
“Ah, you’ve been practicing?” There was a hint of sarcasm in the young fox’s voice.
“You know it, Callum!” She jumped with glee.
“One of these days father will sign you up for the Woodland Race, Eden.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so!”
Just then an elegant vixen with a long tail and kind eyes emerged from the cave. She sat down calmly and watched her children for a moment before speaking.
“Children, come inside,” she urged. “It’s important.”
“What is it, mama?” Eden sounded concerned.
“Just come inside, I’ll tell you in a moment.” She gestured towards the cave entrance and flicked her tail at Callum, who had been playing with a mouse.
The children, followed by their mother, entered the cave hesitantly. Their father, a strong, stern-looking fellow with dark, almost brown fur, was sitting near the back of the cavern, staring at some markings on the wall.
“Tokali, children, come here.” He turned around to reveal a white snout with a long scar starting at his left ear and finishing right in between his golden-brown eyes.
“Children, do as your father says.” Tokali commanded.
“Eden, Callum we are moving.”
“What? Where?” Callum questioned in shock.
“Tell them, Baeden, tell them!” Tokali looked so excited.
“We are moving to Eston!” Baeden exclaimed, looking expectantly at the faces of his children.
“Why? I don’t wanna move! I like it here. All my friends are here. And that’s all the way across Gecko Lake and through the Spider Fields! Not to mention all the other forests! Why can’t we just stay here?” Callum complained frantically.
“Yeah, mama, I don’t wanna move, either. I can’t walk that far!” Obvious disappointment in her olive green eyes.
“You are not a cub anymore Callum, you can handle it. And Eden, darling, in a mere two months you will be a young fox. I saw how you beat your brother earlier.”
“Oh…” She looked even more discouraged.
“We leave in two days. Say your goodbyes, we won’t be back any time soon.” Baeden got up and sauntered off into another chamber.
Two days later they were on the road to Eston, Eden and Callum grumpily moseying behind their parents. They were on a red dirt path flanked by fields of tall grass. Every so often they would see a rustle in the grass or hear faint voices, but for the most part, they were alone. The sky was a deep, cloudless cobalt color, the sun’s rays streaking through the blue, making the foxes sweat under their thick fur.
The family was silent for a long time until Tokali finally spoke up.
“How are you two doing back there?” She called to her children.
“Fine,” was the grumbled reply, to which Tokali had no answer.
“Look over there!” Eden whispered to Callum.
“What? What is it?”
“See that little toad?”
“Yeah, so what?”
“Let’s go get it!
“Um…ok.”
They tip-toed over to the little pond at the side of the trail, Callum mere inches behind Eden. They hid in the tall, yellowing grass for a moment that seemed to stretch on forever when, suddenly, Eden flew out of the grass and snatched up the grimy toad mid-leap.
“Wow! How did you do that, Eden?” Callum said in awe.
“Practice!” Eden examined the toad for a moment before remembering to apologize.
“Sorry, mister toad. I thought you were someone I knew.”
“Sure, you did. Next time you decide to hurl yourself at some poor toad, make sure it is someone you know.” He hopped away heatedly.
“Let’s go tell mama and papa!” Callum shouted with enthusiasm.
They ran back to the trail, but their parents were no where in sight. They yelled and ran up and down the little dirt pathway, making sure to check the brush at the edges, but their parents were no where to be found. It was getting dark and they saw storm clouds beginning to form overhead. They had to find shelter or they would freeze to death. Without their parents or any idea how far away they were from civilization, they were lost.
“Callum?” Eden gazed out beyond the overhang under which the siblings were cowering.
“What, Eden?” Her brother snapped.
“S-sorry…I-I just wanted to ask you what we should do…”
“How should I know? I’ve never been lost in a storm before,” He replied hastily. “Come to think of it, I’ve never been lost before. Ever.”
“Well, what are we going to do? We can’t just sit here, we have to go find Eston and mama and papa!”
“We can’t do anything right now, it’s already sprinkling. It will be pouring down rain any minute! We would freeze to death or catch pneumonia or something!” Eden couldn’t think of anything to say to this so they sat in silence the rest of the night. Callum didn’t sleep a wink.
In the morning Eden awoke to find Callum gone. He had disappeared. She didn’t understand, she was his sister, he wouldn’t just abandon her like this! She got up and began searching. He wasn’t in the huckleberry bushes, up the tree whose branches drooped over the rock, or hiding in the grass. Eden was just sitting down to begin crying when Callum came into view, carrying a lengthy brown package in his mouth.
“I goff uth thum bweakfatht!”
“What?!” Callum dropped what Eden could now make out to be a large rabbit, its bulky sides and drooping stomach probably facilitating its capture.
“I said, I got us some breakfast.” Callum shoved the carcass towards Eden, I proud grin spread wide across his face.
“Oh! I thought you left me here to die.”
“I would’ve, but mama and papa would kill me.” Callum sneered.
“Wow, I didn’t know your mouth could be as big as your ego. It’s a miracle your entire head doesn’t explode from all the swelling.”
“Ooh, ouch. Anyways, we should eat and get moving. At least we know the general direction to go in. Eston is to the east, and east is where the sun rises. Its morning so the way the sun is now is where we go.”
“Ok, sounds good to me. Let’s go.” They inhaled the rabbit and began their journey home.
Nearly a day after leaving their little shelter, the foxes were strolling along when they ran into a little, wart-infested bullfrog.
“Excuse me, sir. Do you happen to know the way to Eston? We’re lost and that’s where our parents are going. Can you help us?” Eden tilted her head to the side as she watched the little creature hobble across the path. He paused a moment before speaking.
“Why, yes ‘lil lady, I do know where Eston is. As a matter-o-fact that’s where I’m ‘eadin’. Care to join meh?” The frog had a strong Southern accent.
“You would do that? Oh thank you!” Eden looked up at her brother for approval.
“Well…I guess it’s alright. We don’t have anything to lose, really.” Callum sighed heartily.
“My name’s Jeremiah! ‘Ow ‘bout you fine folk?”
“I’m Eden, and that’s my big brother, Callum.”
“Eden, eh? Well I once ‘eard a story ‘bout a people called ‘erself Eden. Wanna here it?”
The next day the three animals had been walking for over two hours. They were coming up on a river that ran for three miles in each direction and decided to stop for a rest after crossing. There was a fragile rope bridge, like a horizontal ladder running across it. They decided that Jeremiah would go first, then Callum, then Eden so Callum could help them cross. Jeremiah began hopping carefully from rung to rung, making sure not to jump unless he had a good footing and was nearly halfway across when Callum took his first step onto the bridge. He slowly placed one paw in front of the other until he was halfway across and Jeremiah had reached the opposite shore. Eden felt only a little unsure about this and decided that then was as good a time as any. She hesitantly placed her right paw on the first rung, feeling a little more confident when it didn’t break. It was monotonous work, but she finally reached the half-point with some ease. But then, out of no where, there was a thunderous cracking sound and the rung she teetered precariously on snapped, sending her straight into the white-water rapids of the river.
“Eden!” Callum shouted after her, chasing her from the shore. “Look up ahead, there’s a branch there, try and grab on!”
Eden did her best to move into the path of the branch and, when it came time, she latched on and held with all the muscles in her body. Callum and Jeremiah rushed to her side shouting for her to ‘hang on’ and ‘don’t let go, we’ll get you out!’ She watched as Callum searched the banks for anything he could use to get her out of there, but it was useless, the banks were bare. Finally, he just climbed up the little tree and cautiously made his way to the end.
“Grab on!” He shouted over the noise of the crashing water. Eden did as she was told, reaching up to wrap her front leg around his. With great difficulty he managed to pull her up out of the water and onto the branch. They then retreated to the safety of land.
“Don’t you do that again! Ever! You scared me half to death, Eden!” Callum bellowed. “I was so worried.”
Three days later the trio had conquered the Golden Forest, gone over the Blue Sky Bridge, and were rounding on Gecko Lake. They were less than a day away from their destination, resting by a small patch of trees next to a tall cliff that was almost completely surrounded by water, when they heard a low growl emanating from a patch of bushes nearby. Callum whispered for Eden to get behind him and she obeyed. Then there was a crash and an animal popped out of the bushes, rolling on the ground before raising himself up to reveal a long, sharp set of teeth stuck into an ugly, overlong wolf face. Eden could make out flecks of flesh caught between his decaying fangs. She backed up, cowering against the rock face behind her.
“Mmm, mmm. Little foxy cubs all ready for the eatin’. This’ll be an easy catch!” He growled.
“S-stay away from us!” Callum sounded as scared as he looked.
“Oh, to ask me that now would be unfair, I’ve only just gotten a taste of fear, now I just need a taste of you!” He pounced. Eden couldn’t watch. She closed her eyes so tightly it hurt, keeping them shut for whole minutes before she realized that she wasn’t dead. She reluctantly opened her eyes to see the wolf and her father rolling around on the ground. Her mother was shushing Callum and waving Eden over to them. Jeremiah was hopping about around the mass of fur, trying to help Baeden but having very little success.
Finally, after what seemed like days of scratching, biting, gnawing, and poking, the fight was over. The wolf scuttled away with his tail between his legs, while Baeden stood there panting, head bowed.
“Papa, that was so awesome! I didn’t know you could fight like that!” Callum raced over to meet his father.
“I didn’t get this scar looking pretty, son.”
“Darlings, lets go home.” Tokali looked graciously down at Jeremiah. “And you, you helped them?”
“Yes’m.”
“You come with us. You can ride on Baeden’s back if you like.”
“Thank ya, ma’am, but I couldn’t. T’wouldn’t be polite for me-“
“To not accept our offer; please come, maybe stay with us a while.”
“Well, I can’t say no to ‘ospitality. I guess I’m gonna hafta come with you folks.”
“I guess you will.”
“Mama?”
“Yes, Eden?”
“I guess it wouldn’t be too bad to live in Eston. We made it this far, it would be silly to turn back now.”
“You are right, it would be silly.” Callum agreed.
“Well, I’ll tell you what, you’re doin’ well already, Freddy!” Jeremiah chuckled.
“Would you look at that?” Tokali remarked as they went around the bend.
“Oh, it’s so pretty!” Eden looked out over the orchards and cornfields that marked the entrance to Eston. “Maybe this won’t be the end of the world.”