A Fox's Winter

Mist felt the wind pelt her face as she crawled out of her makeshift den. All she could see around her was a white haze from the swirling snow. She thought about just crawling right back into the den, but then her stomach rumbled, reminding her why she needed so desperately to get out.

Food! She had run out of what food she had stored up days ago, and now her hunger was pressing her to venture out of her den for the first time since the snow storm had hit.

The frost seemed to bite and claw at her sides and face, and her paws stung from the ice crystals that were digging in. She shivered and clenched her teeth. I have to keep… going. She knew she couldn’t stop until she found something to eat – anything! Even just some berries would do for now, but she had gone as long as she could without eating, so now she had to face the freezing cold.

She stuck her head in a log, hoping she might find a mouse or vole, but there was nothing. She shook her head and blinked the snow out of her eyes. Ugh! She continued padding through the snow, sniffing the air for any signs of anything edible, but all she could smell was the frost hanging in the air. This is hopeless! If the cold didn’t kill her, starvation would. 

She pawed at the ground in frustration. The wind came bellowing down on her again, and she crouched, digging her claws into the icy ground. Her fur stuck up as the icy chill washed over her. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but the snow whirling around her. She was afraid she might be buried alive!

Mist felt herself drifting away. Her mind was whirling like the snowstorm around her. She didn’t know where she was anymore, or where she was going to end up.

Mist opened her eyes and looked around dizzily. She was laying on her side, heaving in deep breaths. She felt a piercing pain in her head, and she laid it back down on the ground, but she knew she had to get up. She had to keep going. She was lucky to be alive. For a second, I thought I was going to die….

Mist steadily moved her paws and stood up on shaky legs. She huffed. I can do this. It’s not snowing as hard anymore. The snow was now falling at a much gentler pace, but it was still freezing. Her fur bristled as the chill washed over her.

Mist made her way through the forest, keeping all her senses on the lookout for any signs of food. The white haze had cleared, so she could see better now. The trees cast eerie shadows down onto the snow. She shook out her pelt, and sniffed the air. A strange scent caught her nose. Could it be? She perked her ears up, trying to listen for any sound. Have I finally found something to eat? But it didn’t smell like anything she had smelled before. Wait– Now she realized that the scent was a bit familiar but not recognizable. Enwrapped in confusion, she padded onward, in search of the source of the strangely familiar scent.

Mist cautiously stepped through the snow, unsure if she was doing the right thing in pursuing the scent. What awaited her could either be prey or predator – or perhaps something in between. She couldn’t help it. Her curiosity – and growling stomach – got the better of her.

She came to the edge of a frozen stream. She carefully placed her foot on it to see if it was solid, then heard the sound of snow crunching up ahead. She jerked her head up and was startled to see a dashing white fox with a black tail-tip. She gasped. That’s what I smelled! Another fox! That explained why it was so familiar, yet different. Mist couldn’t remember the last time she had seen a fox since leaving her mother’s side. She had never seen one this color before.

She sat at the edge of the stream, staring at him, wondering what she should do. Should I approach him? She wondered. Or will he attack?

Mist stood up and bowed in submissive playfulness toward him. He raised his eyebrows and gave a small wag of his tail in return. She took this as a sign that he was safe to get closer to. She hesitantly stepped out onto the ice.

“Hello?” She said. “Who are you?” She heard a sudden crunching noise and looked down to see the ice had begun cracking around her. Oh no!

“Careful,” the other fox said. “Go slowly.”

Mist nodded and carefully stepped forward. She was almost on the other side with him when a sudden split in the ice sent her plunging into freezing cold water.

Mist struggled to paddle upwards, but she couldn’t see where she was going. All around her was darkness. She felt a tug as something was pulling her up.

When she realized she was out of the water and on the sheet of snow, she coughed and gasped for breath. Mist opened her eyes to see the other fox right in front of her.

“I’m Haze by the way,” He said.

“You – you saved me!”

“Well I wasn’t just going to let you die,” He said. “But you need to get warmed up now. Come with me to my den.”

Mist followed him to a formation of boulders that had an opening in the middle. Haze went into the opening, and as Mist followed him, she realized they were going deeper into the tunnel. A light shone in through a hole up above, and Mist realized they were in a more open space. She could smell the fox’s scent all around her, and she saw what looked like a nest of leaves and Haze’s fur to the side.

“You can lay down right there if you want,” Haze said.

Mist went to his nest and curled up. Her stomach gave another loud rumble.

“Oh, are you hungry?”

Mist looked at him questioningly.

“I’ll get you something to eat.” Haze turned around and padded through the tunnel. He returned a few minutes later with a branch of berries in his mouth. He threw them in front of Mist. “It’s not much, but it’ll do for now.”

“Thank you,” Mist whispered and dug into the berries.

***

The flowers were blooming – the first signs of spring after a harsh winter. Haze was out hunting, and Mist waited in anticipation for him to get back. There was something she was eager to tell him.

Haze returned with a rabbit in his jaws. “Eat up,” he said when he dropped it in front of her. “The first rabbit I’ve caught since the start of winter. I think we’re in for a spring of plentiful prey.”

“I’m glad!” Mist said. “And I’m glad I have a mate who’s so efficient at hunting.” She looked at him affectionately, and he licked her cheek. “Especially when our family is only going to get bigger.”