Theea
rise to the occasion
I toss another couple logs onto the fire, brushing ash from my palms as I scan the site. Tools lined up, fall zones marked, everything running smooth—and I can feel myself twitching, waiting for the next thing that might tip sideways. It doesn’t take long.
Marcus looks like he’s wrestling with more than just roots, his body angled strange over the brush. I stride over, boots crunching through the snow—ready to lend a hand—and then stop short, breath catching. “Oh,” I whisper, kneeling down. Little flashes of fur. Kits. A mother fox with her ears flat, eyes sharp with fear. My heart squeezes, and I drop my voice to a low, soothing hum. “Easy, mama. No one’s here to hurt you.”
I bite my lip, glance back at Marcus, and the grin finds me anyway. “Know how to build a cage?”
Already I’ve got a plan. “Grab the branches Deimos is cutting off. We can nail ‘em together—doesn’t have to be pretty, just strong enough to move them safe. We’ll get ‘em settled further out. We’ll leave one side open and use Damien’s rope to tie to the door. One of us will hide with the rope while the other one flushes them into the crate. Then yank the rope, and we've got them!”
Without another thought I head for my backpack where I’d brought some stocking supplies, and I pick some dried meat from it before heading back to keep an eye on the den. My fingers flex against the ground, mind already turning the steps ahead into something doable. I’m not about to let the cabin come at the cost killing fox kits.
Theea gives Marcus instructions to trap the fox family!
Marcus looks like he’s wrestling with more than just roots, his body angled strange over the brush. I stride over, boots crunching through the snow—ready to lend a hand—and then stop short, breath catching. “Oh,” I whisper, kneeling down. Little flashes of fur. Kits. A mother fox with her ears flat, eyes sharp with fear. My heart squeezes, and I drop my voice to a low, soothing hum. “Easy, mama. No one’s here to hurt you.”
I bite my lip, glance back at Marcus, and the grin finds me anyway. “Know how to build a cage?”
Already I’ve got a plan. “Grab the branches Deimos is cutting off. We can nail ‘em together—doesn’t have to be pretty, just strong enough to move them safe. We’ll get ‘em settled further out. We’ll leave one side open and use Damien’s rope to tie to the door. One of us will hide with the rope while the other one flushes them into the crate. Then yank the rope, and we've got them!”
Without another thought I head for my backpack where I’d brought some stocking supplies, and I pick some dried meat from it before heading back to keep an eye on the den. My fingers flex against the ground, mind already turning the steps ahead into something doable. I’m not about to let the cabin come at the cost killing fox kits.
Theea gives Marcus instructions to trap the fox family!
got fears but I face them
