Little Talks of Nature

Maisie stumbled her way through the woods with a basket clutched tightly in her arms. It was dawn when she had set out from her family’s cottage, and now the sun was just starting a lazy wake up, its rays stretching across the sky. She had heard of a boy in the woods who could communicate with animals, and she needed his help. She found him beneath the large oak like the rumors had said. He wasn’t exactly what she had expected, and she hadn’t expected much. A boy who was covered in dirt and just barely her height wasn’t it. He scowled as she approached. “What?” He demanded. She bristled at his rudeness. What had she done to deserve the daggers his eyes glared at her? “U-um,” She stuttered. “I need your help…” She laid the basket at his feet and lifted the lid. Inside was a baby fox, curled in a nest of wool blankets. His scowl lessened slightly, but he stilled huffed at her. “And?” She took a deep breath. “I heard you can talk to animals. Is that true?” His eyes narrowed. “Hmph. Go away, I don’t have time for this nonsense.” “Please!” She pleaded, grabbing on to his shirt when he started to turn away. “He seems hurt, and I don’t know what to do. Can you please ask him what’s wrong? There has to be something I can do to help him.” The boy stared at her for a long moment. She couldn’t decipher his gaze, so she held her breath until he sighed and pushed her hand away. “Hey, Fox, what’s wrong with you?” He called. The fox perked up instantly. He let out a small mewl and the boy snorted. “Figures,” he muttered. “So?” Maisie persisted. “The little scamp got himself lost and now he’s homesick,” he said with an eye roll. She couldn’t believe it. Here she was, worrying and caring for him for the past week thinking he had some kind of injury or sickness, but he had just been homesick? She must have looked quite confused, because he laughed at her the moment his eyes reached her face. “Where’d you find him, anyway?” He asked, a hint of humor still lightening his speech. “I found him lying half-dead in a field being poked at by birds. I’ve had him in my care for the past week ever since.” They both took a moment, giggling about the fox’s dramatic outburst and the silliness of her panic. “So, what do we do?” She said finally. The boy regarded the fox. The fox was still fixed on him, letting out little noises from time to time. “Do you know where your mother is?” He asked. He shook his head at the fox’s reply. “Dummy, why’d you go and let yourself get chased by a coyote? Anyway, do you remember what direction you were heading when you were running away? We need to go the opposite way.” At this the fox jumped out of the basket for the first time since Maisie had saved him. He sniffed the air, then turned to face north. The boy gestured to him. “Well, there you have it. You can be on your way now.” Panic surged in her chest. “Wait, I can’t go by myself! I have horrible sense of direction and besides,” she swallowed. “I can’t talk to him. What if we get turned around? I won’t be able to get us back on track like you can.” It was true. She had already gotten lost three times on her way there, her only saving grace being that the large oak was so close she had still been able to recognize her surroundings. He shrugged. “I don’t see how that’s my problem.” Maisie stiffened. She looked helplessly to the fox, whose only response was to spin in a restless circle and mewl. “Please?” She begged, tears welling in her eyes. The boy threw his head back and groaned. “Fine, but it better not take all day.” He marched past her and the fox leapt into action, trotting away. She hurried to catch up, half jogging as she called, “What’s your name?” “Raphael,” he mumbled. She told him her name once she caught up with him. From that point on, they walked in mutual silence as they started their quest.

…

Maisie had often been told to pay better attention to her surroundings. She was always lost in thought, which had produced more accidents than she could count. Now was no different. She narrowly avoided tripping and caught herself only by grabbing hold of Raphael’s sleeve. Unfortunately for her, he wasn’t expecting her to use him and didn’t brace in time for the sudden loss of balance. They collided with the forest floor and he groaned. “Idiot—!” He started, freezing before he even finished the insult. She followed his gaze and opened her mouth to scream. His hand clamped over her mouth before anything could come out. Before them was a giant bear. She’d only ever seen drawings of them in picture books, but she’d heard tales of their size and power before. “Don’t. Move,” he whispered in her ear. When he was sure she wasn’t going anywhere, he slowly rose to his feet, facing the bear. Which was pretty easy, considering that the fear that gripped her obviously wasn’t letting her go anywhere soon. “Hello,” he called out. Maisie tried not to panic when it rose to its back legs, looking directly at them. “We aren’t here to harm, and we’re only passing through. Please allow us safe passage,” he said. How on earth was he this calm? Did it come with the territory as someone who could talk to animals? The bear grunted and Raphael shot a glance at her. “I see, so you’re hungry, huh? I’m sorry for the confusion, I didn’t realize food was in my companion’s basket.” He reached down and tore her basket away, flipping through the contents. “Here,” he said, placing her sandwich on the ground. “We’re going to back away slowly and let you have our lunch. Is that agreeable?” The bear shook its head, like a dog shakes when it’s wet, almost dismissively. Raphael grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. She mirrored his slow backward retreat, hoping nothing was behind her that she was about to hurt herself with. Once he deemed them a safe distance away, he called for the fox who had been silently watching the encounter, and they readjusted their path, giving the bear a wide berth. “Thank you,” she breathed, relief flooding her. “Yeah,” he muttered. Perspiration lined his forehead. “No problem.”

…

Raphael groaned when the first few drops of rain hit them. The group ran from the increasingly intense downpour and took cover in the shelter of a large hollowed out tree trunk. In the tight quarters, the fox had to curl up in Maisie’s lap to fit. Not that she minded, as his extra warmth kept away a good portion of the chill that came with the rain. What she did mind was her closeness to Raphael, who looked just as uncomfortable with it as she felt. As she was stroking the fox’s fur, though, curiosity weighed at her and she asked, “By the way, what’s his name? Do animals have names?” Raphael tilted his head, considering. “They don’t seem to think of each other as humans do. They rely on recognizing each other by their senses more than from a communication standpoint.” “Oh,” she said, frowning. “That’s too bad. I was hoping there was a name I could call him by.” He shrugged at that. “Then come up with one.” She considered this and fell silent, thinking. “What about Beau? Can you ask him if he likes it?” Raphael complied. The fox purred against her. “I don’t know if he understands it, but he seemed to like the sound of it,” he said. She giggled, pleased with hitting the mark. They sat together, watching the rain fall. After a while, she spoke again. “So, how is it you can communicate with animals?” He tensed. She winced a bit but persisted. “Is it… some kind of magic?” Raphael laughed at that. “No, not quite,” he scratched the back of his head, pausing before continuing. “Well, to be honest I don’t really know.” Maisie waited. “I’ve spent my whole life living away from the world in a cabin with my parents. They died last year, though, so I’ve been living with my grandpa. Both of my parents were able to talk to animals, so I thought it was normal. It was only until I met my grandpa and the other villagers that I realized it wasn’t. When other kids got wind of it, they—” he stopped himself, emotion seeming to choke his words. “I don’t like being in the village. That’s why I try to stick to the woods. And even though they can be annoying, at least the animals aren’t all a bunch of bullies.” Maisie grasped his hand and he looked up, surprised. Tears welled in her eyes and she let them fall. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “You’ve had to endure so much, I’m sorry.” She caught a glimpse of tears in his eyes before he jerked his head away, wiping them away as quickly as they had come. After a while, the rain slowed, then ceased. Maisie climbed out, relishing the scent of the forest after a spring rain. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s get this little guy home.”

…

Beau let out little howls of excitement when they finally reached his mother. Along the way, Raphael had stopped and asked the other woodland creatures for help. It was all worth it in the end when they watched the two foxes spin around each other, yipping with joy. His mother rubbed her face against him. She let out a yip at them, and Raphael translated, “She says thank you.” Maisie’s chest warmed and she said, “Of course! I hope I get to see you again one day…” She waved as the pair left, disappearing quickly in the underbrush. She straightened, turning to Raphael. “How about we head home?”

…

About an hour later, they reached the large oak. It hadn’t taken them nearly as long on the return home, considering there weren’t any sudden bear attacks or rain bouts to delay them. Maisie put her hand against the tree, feeling its gnarled trunk that was still moist from that afternoon’s shower. When she turned around, her cheeks heated when she saw Raphael standing there, a single yellow daffodil in hand. His cheeks were also red as he held it out to her. “Thank you—” they said in unison, stopping to let each other speak. They laughed and she said, “You first.” He cleared his throat. “Thanks for listening to me today and, you know, not treating me like a freak.” She accepted the flower and turned it over, trying to stop herself from letting the blush spread to her ears. It wasn’t working. “I’m happy I was there to listen. Thank you for helping me. You didn’t have to, and you even stood up and saved me from that bear. I won’t be able to repay you.” He shook his head, then hesitated. “Can I… see you again?” He asked. Maisie was already nodding. “Of course!” She exclaimed. Before she knew it, she had her arms flung around him in a tight embrace. She had grown to be quite fond of this boy over the short time they’d spent together. Sure, he was rough around the edges at first, but deep down he was sensitive and sweet. She couldn’t wait to see him again. Suddenly aware of her actions, she jumped back, laughing nervously. His mouth was agape, a mixture of shock and embarrassment seeming to still be registering for him. “Well, I’ll see you later!” She called as she ran away, back towards home. She had a feeling that a new friendship was in bloom.