Foxfire

Chapter 5

A year later I heard a loud pop. I looked up from playing with some pups. Frowning, I asked them "Did any of you hear where that sound came from." All three of them shrug, then I hear it again from the west. "Go back to your mom now. And if Adolf or Rolf ask, I am... going to investigate some hunting areas." I say, not wanting to scare them. After they leave I head over to the sound, I had started to think that is was my imagination until I heard it again. Closer and much louder. I found a hunting trail soon after and followed it. I had now come to the conclusion that some people were hunting. After following the trail for a while I heard another loud boom, but it wasn't the same as before. This time a long howl of a wolf in pain followed. I started to run, fearing that it was a wolf I knew.

The first thing I saw when I ran around the side of a rock was a gigantic mountain of a man. It looked like he had biceps on his biceps. He was carrying a huge rifle to match his large arms. By the time I saw all of him it was too late to turn around and hide behind the rock and devise a plan. The reason it was too late was because there was another guy with Mt. Man. This guy was a dwarf compared to the giant man. It was Tiny who saw me first. "Hey, where'd you come from?" he whisper yelled "I came. From my. Mother." I say in a normal voice. "Hey, lower your voice will you kid." Mt. man said in a surprisingly quiet voice. "We are trying to hunt here." I look at him with a "really" face. "I couldn't tell. With those, guns and, camouflage outfits. No, I thought, you were having, a party." Mt. man glared at me and I smiled. "So, what are you hunting for, worms?" I insulted, "No, we are hunting for wolves. Didn't you hear it?" Tiny said "Yes, I heard it. I also heard that you have, to have special, permission from fish and game." I say "Otherwise, you are not allowed to hunt here." They look at each other then look at me. "So who's gonna stop us, you?" "I guess, if you really want me too. I could go the nearest, fish and game office and tell them you are, over hunting wolves, rabbits, and deer." I tell them slyly.

Their eyes widen "How did you know we were hunting deer?" Mt. man said "I saw some blood a little ways back, followed it and found the carcass." I say like I don't have a care in the world. Even though I didn't actually know they were hunting deer "Oh, and also, you just told me. 'How did you know we were hunting deer?' It was pretty obvious. Now, should I go and tell Fish and Game, or should I deal with you myself." Again they looked at each other, then at me. "Ooh, that's a tricky one. How about this, you run along home, forget you ever saw us and we don't hurt you." They say like it's the best thing in the world. I look at them with pity, "I'm so sorry, you just made up my mind for me, and you are not going to like it. You choose me. Congratulations, I get to have some fun and, you get to be tortured. Lucky you. Now who first?" Tiny had a smug look on his face. "I can take this kid. Bert, make sure she doesn't take any cheap shots" I put on a shocked face "I would never take a cheap shot." I thought for a moment then said "Unless you count being attacked by wolves as a cheap shot." "What? That would just be dumb luck." I smile "Great, then I'll save that for the big guy, it won't be painful enough for you because, you look like a skinny possum who got run over by a truck. Now, if you stay still, you'll be able to sit down sometime next week. If you move it won't be until about next month, till you have the strength, to blink." Then I punched him in the face. He was instantly out cold. "Hey! Oh, you're gonna get it now. Nobody knocks around Kurt except me." Bert snarled. "Oh, I'm sorry." I say with mock sympathy, "Would you feel better if I beat you up too?" "I think you just got lucky with Kurt. I don't think you can actually fight your way out of a paper bag." "Now that's just rude. I have fought my way out of plenty of paper bags." I jab my elbow into his jut. "Hey, that counts as a cheap shot!" he groans "Oh, so sorry." I say not really feeling sorry. I dodge him a couple more times and each time I punch him in the face, even though I had to reach and he could have punched me if he realized he could. Finally I realized that my punches weren't doing anything, so I did the one thing I hate doing.

I punched him one more time then I put my hands down at my side, closed my eyes and waited. And waited, and waited. After waiting for a couple more seconds I cracked open one eye. Mt. man was just standing there. "Oh come on." I say impatiently "The one time, I give you the opportunity to punch me, you just stand there." He narrowed his eyes "I don't trust you. Why would do that unless you were planning on cheating." He said. "Of course there's a reason. I wouldn't let you hit me without one. Here's the deal, I haven't had a good fight, in a long time, and getting hurt is, part of having a good fight. Now, you wouldn't have been able to hurt me unless you were smarter or unless I let you. So I hit you, then let you have the chance to hit me. You failed. Of course, but I will be nice and give you, another chance. Ok? Now I will stand here with my arms at my side and my eyes closed, so my instincts don't take over, and you actually hit me." I say speaking slowly. This time, after I closed my eyes, he hit me on the side of my head. With a tree branch.

After I got over the shock of what he did I shouted as loud as I could in wolf "Rolf! I need a little help!" I let all the pain from the branch flow into my words. I made it sound as if I was just howling in pain which was the whole reason I let him hit me in the first place. "Ha! Bet you didn't see that coming." Mt. man said with an in your face tone of voice. Just then I heard Rolf answer "What have you gotten yourself into this time? Am I supposed to follow you everywhere you go?" Bert hits me again. "Ha-ha very funny, just hurry. He has a stick!" As Bert hits me again with the branch. I groan "Ya, and I bet you didn't see this coming." With that Rolf jumped on his back and grabbed the stick. "My stick! You beat Andreina with it, nobody beats her without me there chewing off their head afterwards, so this stick is mine." Rolf growls "Aww you're so sweet. Too bad he can't understand you." "He can understand you though. Right?" "Touché, because you can't speak wolf I will tell you exactly what he said 'My stick! You beat Andreina with it, nobody beats her without me there chewing off their head afterwards, so this stick is mine.' Now you better run Bertie-boy because Rolf's getting hungry." With that Bert ran.

After searching for a little while Rolf and I find the wolf that was shot. It was Adolf. I gasp. "Oh no. This is my fault. I should have hurried, if I did I could have stopped those guys from shooting you. I'm sorry." I say bending over him. "Andreina! stop blabbering and help me back to camp, besides it's just my back leg that got hit not my head." Adolf says with a scolding tone. "Sorry, sorry. I'll have to carry you, though. It might hurt."