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Rift (Part 6)

"We are going to make a break for that corner of the field." Rilen pointed a claw to the right hand side of the expanse of wheat. "From there, we can't afford to talk. We will head around the corner of the barn. After that, just follow my lead."

"Got it." I said, crouching low, my gloved fingers touching the grass. Rilen gave the same hand-sign as before. We took off into the wheat. There was less of a path this time. This made it hard to keep quiet with the stalks crunching under my boots. Rilen took the lead, brushing aside the stalks as he went, but taking care to make as little movement as possible that could be seen from the surface.

After a few minutes, it became muscle memory to follow in his wake. When he stopped, it jarred me from my trance. He knelt down in the dirt, looking back at me. He beckoned me over with a waving paw. I got down beside him and looked at him as if to say: "What now?"

Rilen pointed onward, into a thinning patch of wheat. From in-between the stalks, I could see the wooden side of the barn. The sounds of animals could be heard from within. I didn't hear any fox voices though, as much as I wanted to hear more of their accent.

I nodded and Rilen made ready to run again. His ears swiveled this way and that. His haunches rocked backward before breaking out with a little leap. I held the side of my hood up as I started off, hoping it would deter my discovery should any fox see us. The two of us broke free of the field and out into the open. We found ourselves on a dirt path around the unpainted barn. The far corner of the building was near, and Rilen headed for it with pounding boots. With a glance left, I saw the corner of the farmhouse around the opposite corner of the barn. It seemed nobody was there. Shifting my attention back right, I followed Rilen around the corner of the barn.

He kept going until he had reached the other end. There, he looked around the corner, his paws hugging the wood. He waved me up and I followed. I leaned in close to his ear.

"Anything?" I whispered as softly as I knew how. He winced and hushed me with a paw. We looked into each other's eyes and he shook his head: "No". He crouched down low again, and held his paw up like last time. I realized I didn't know what he was doing, or where he was going. I supposed it didn't matter as long as I stayed close.

I expected him to go around the corner, but he ran straight. Ahead, there was a pen with animals roaming around. Beyond that, the woods continued on.

Rilen jumped the fence and continued though the pen, dodging through the animals. They seemed like large lizards with short legs. Their robust bodies sometimes dragged on the ground as their heads followed our progress through their pen with a slow, apathetic gaze.

"My lord Rilen?! Is that you again?!"A voice called from across the field. My head snapped back to see, and I caught a glimpse of a Fox in peasant's clothing, his hands cupped around his snout.

"Run!" Rilen hissed at me, and I turned away from the other fox, only now realizing that turning my head could give me away.

"Your father told you not to go wandering out here! I won't be responsible for that! You better run back to the palace, young one!" The lizards paid us no mind as we crossed the rest of the way through their field. Rilen hoped the fence in one smooth vault. I kept up, albeit slightly less gracefully. With that, we both flung ourselves into the cover of the woods, hiding behind more of those broad leafed plants. I came to a stop and slumped down to one knee to catch my breath. Rilen went a little farther on, but did the same.

"Well..." I gasped, more anxious than tired at this point. "We got through alright at least." Rilen rose from the ground, a distant look in his eye.

"We passed through that one... One more waits, if our luck holds."

"Oh dear..." My heart sank. Then, with a burst of resolve, I heaved myself up to my feet. "Okay then. Lead on, Rilen." To my surprise, a smile crossed his muzzle.

"There you are. You will make it just fine. Getting into the city and staying there will be the hard part." He moved forward, through the ferns and trunks, deeper into the wood. I picked up my pace and followed beside him.

This farm didn't have as many of the lizard creatures, but it did have strange plants growing in large bundles in its fields. They were spherical bushels of thorns with some orange fruit in the center. From our hiding place behind a wagon wheel, we saw a fox laborer poke and prod one of the bushels with a hooked pole, peeling back some of the thorns to look at the interior.

Rilen pointed with two claws to our left, into the open barn. Bales of grain and baskets of the orange fruit lay next to racks of tools. We made a break for the inside, crossing open ground, bent low. My boots make little noise on the dirt and sickly grass. I reached the safety that lay behind the right hand wall of the barn and I pressed my back against it, trying to still my rapid breath. From the other side of the wall, I could hear the rustle of the bushes being prodded by the fox, and the tune he whistled while he worked. We had to get past him, and though the field to the woods on the far side in order to proceed.

I looked over to Rilen, who was also hugging the wall next to me. Our eyes met and I leaned in close to his ear. His eyes closed in exasperation as I did so, again uncomfortable with me whispering to him so close to others. He didn't stop me, so I risked it.

"Are we going through the field?" Rilen nodded, his brow furrowed. I continued. "How?" He took a deep breath and put his nose to my ear. I almost recoiled at the wet touch of his muzzle.

"We will wait until he goes to the far corner of the field. Then we will skirt around the other side, using the bushels as cover." I gave a nod, trying not to cringe at the tickle of his warm breath on my neck. Rilen was the closest to the edge, and he took a glance around the side. I took this time to straighten my hood and push my spilling hair back into it.

We waited here for nearly ten minutes before Rilen put a paw on my shoulder and gave me a nod. His stance lowered as he made ready to run. I did the same. He whipped around the corner without warning, but I was used to it by now, and followed swiftly. Rilen's body seemed to move with effortless grace. He made for the first of the bushels, and we both ducked behind it. He waited for a moment, the whistle of the farmer letting us know he hadn't seen us. Before we moved to the next one in the row, I had a chance to fix my cloak once again. My worst fear was to be recognized as human. Neurotically fixing the hood comforted me in some way.

The further we got from the whistling farmer, the faster Rilen was willing to shift between the plants. My back was getting sore from bending low so long. And although it didn't look as if Rilen's anatomy was suited for running on all fours, he certainly wasn't hampered by keeping his head this far down. Soon we had reached the edge of the wood once again. We entered it with grateful steps, with a cautious glance behind us. It seemed we had escaped any foxes detection for now.

With a few more trees to cut off the line of sight I was able to stand again. I arched backwards with a groan.

"Mmm... That was the last one right?"

"One what?" Rilen pressed on through the ferns, eager to get to our destination.

"Farm. Field. Tricky bits." I jogged to catch up.

"Yes. I think we can avoid cutting through any more."

"It's quite a hike out there to those woods you found me in. Do you do this often?" He chuckled to himself in response as he hopped over a fallen, moss covered log.

"It is a worthy distance. I like it that way. I go hunting in those woods. Sometimes I can even stay out there for the night. It's all about the sense of adventure I suppose." I could relate, at least to the desire to do such things. It was the inspiration for much of my wayside wanderings and illegal activities back home. But this was somehow different. Mine was twisted, dark, and forced by an oppressive and filthy society. His seemed, like his whole being, pure, innocent, and primal. It made me feel unworthy, but I hoped that by being with him I could become cleaner.

"Yeah..." I scolded myself for such a short, meaningless response and searched for better words. "Um... Is it hard for you to get out? From what I've heard, it seems like you're expected to stay shut up in the city. Is that true, Prince?" Rilen slowed.

"That... is correct for the most part. Father is a politician, and a mage. He wants me to be both those things, and be a suitable king. I'm not sure... if I want to be king..." It sounded like the plight of many a fantasy character to me, but he was not finished yet, so I followed, silent and slow behind him. He didn't look back.

"I want to see my country, my house prosper. I want to be a part of that, and aid it however I can. But my place isn't one of a dictator. Deciding the fates of others... My place is in the field, on the streets, in the wilds, on the battlefield... But it seems my fate is sealed... And what right have I to complain?!" He suddenly barked, stopping, his gaze shifting up to me, then down again. I remained silent. He needed to speak, and I was learning more of his situation, which would ultimately help me.

"Why should I complain..." There was a hint of grief in his voice now. "Thousands of foxes would kill to have my position, let alone my fathers. Am I truly so spoiled? Can I be of any use to anyone? Why shouldn't I just serve my purpose? Would it be so bad?" He looked as if he noticed me staring at him for the first time.

"I'm so sorry..." He apologized.

"No, don't be. I pushed the issue. It's my fault. I didn't know it was so..."

"Don't think on it. Let's keep going." He resumed his normal pace.

"I mean..." I cursed myself for pushing it after I had already admitted I had done it before. "Your fate is in your own hands, yes? What's truly keeping you?" Rilen gave a sigh.

"My father has chosen a bride for me. Her parents, nobles, would be fools to refuse the match, and to make matters worse, she at least makes good show on having true feelings for me..." He shook his head. "What am I to do but accept? That or run, flee the kingdom. But what good does that do? It labels me a coward. And I would deserve it, blast it." I hardly knew what to say. The problem was not as simple as I first took it.

"Well... I know it's not my place to pry. I thought I might try and help a bit. I know nothing of the workings of this world... But it just strikes me that this is really something that causes you a lot of worry, and that you could do something to change it, even if it's not something as rash as fleeing the kingdom... That's all." He stopped again and put a paw on my shoulder. Saying nothing for a moment.

"I know. I didn't expect any more from you, Eswin Ritter. I am weak for confiding in you, but you are kind to listen." I simply gave a nod.

Rilen told me to get down, so I did, kneeling in the ferns. We slowly approached the edge of the wood. I caught a glimpse of tall structures through the trees. The sound of voices, and the clatter of activity was faint but there.

"Have we made it?" I asked.

"Yes. This is Istra, the capital of House Escovir." He knelt next to me. "I may move in freely. I know I'll get scolded for leaving the city again, but you cannot be seen." I nodded with a nervous expression.

"Didn't you say you had a plan of some sort?"

"I do. And the first phase starts now, if you're ready." I was beginning to feel some apprehension. Ready for what?

"I got the feeling that this involved magic when you spoke of it earlier. What does this entail, exactly?" Rilen was wringing his paws together, concentrating on them.

"Well, I just asked myself, what is our problem here really? The problem is, you're human. Or at least look human." His paws started to shimmer like heat off of blacktop. I didn't like where this was going.

"Al... right..." I shifted my weight in the ferns, ill at ease. "So what are-"

"Now don't get scared just yet. I lack the power and skill to change your physical form, but I think I can manage a second rate illusion. Let's see how much of a fox we can make you..." Rilen took my face in his paws and massaged under the eyes, the cheek bones, and forehead, but most of all, he focused on my nose and mouth. In fact, he spent a good deal of time, brow furrowed, pinching my nose and picking at my lips. Then he withdrew with a smile. I felt no different, but he said it was an illusion.

"Are you finished?" I asked, feeling very self-conscious.

"I think so." He snapped his claws and something rusty orange appeared near the bottom of my vision. It was a fox's snout. I gasped and made to touch it. Rilen held my wrists away from it.

"I don't think you should touch it... I think it could hold it, but let's not test it unless we have to." He stopped and surveyed his handiwork. "He he. You're handsome with a face like that. And believable too, since the rest of you is covered in leather." I was still curious as to the nature of the spell.

"So, this is just a perception you've created? You didn't change anything?" His brow furrowed again.

"Yes, it is. Hmm... your mouth moves, but it's a tad off... I'm sure no one would notice in passing, but face to face might be risky. I will have to work on it. Hold still for me would you?"

"Oh, yeah, sure..." He worked on my mouth a little more, every once in a while, asking me to speak for him so he could link my real mouth with the illusion. Soon enough, he found it passable.

"That's about as good as I know how to make it. Stand up and look around." I got up, turning my head from side to side, watching my muzzle move with me against the green forest floor. It was an odd feeling, even though it wasn't real. It had a certain appeal.

"Wait!" Rilen took me by my hips. I was surprised, but who was I to question him?

"What is it?"

"I forgot your tail." He moved behind me and set to work. I couldn't help but feel a bit silly...