Fox & Wolf of the Godswood

A Godswood Short; A fox and a wolf are settling a disagreement in the traditional manner when fox discovers an OSHA violation.

The land was full of shadows. These shadows were long and deep, as they were cast by the trees. Taller trees than any mortal human had ever seen. This was a place where the idea of a “tall tree” wasn’t the same as it is in other places, because this land had never seen a forester’s axe, or the hum of machines and “progress.” 

If trees could exist as an Apex predator, this land would be full of Apex Trees. 

Some of these trees actually *were* Apex predators, but that, is a different story. 

The canopy of this forest was so thick of branches and leaves that it blotted out the sun from reaching the ground. It was amongst these massive roots that a lone fox ran. And this fox was in a hurry.

Now calling this ‘fox’ a fox is only by it’s proximity to the appearance of a fox that we humans might know. It looks like a fox, walks like a fox, and talks like a fox, but is, in this land of giants, a bit large to be a fox as we would think of one. But since there were no humans around to pedantically call this fox out for being too large, we’ll allow it the name.

It bounded across the root filled landscape like an athlete in it’s prime. Or as any being would if they were convinced that their status of “Being on the menu” was currently under debate. 

It was.

A massive (compared to the fox but not the trees) wolf smashed through the landscape like a bull in a china shop. But with significantly more attitude. It was like the bull knew the shop owner, and he owed the bull money. AND, if the shop owner didn’t pay soon, there would be knees involved. And a barbecue. 

They raced through the land, in the primordial dance of prey and predator. A dance this land had seen a billion of trillions of times before. The trees watched in silence, as they always did. This wasn’t their dance.

The fox leapt through the air, it’s mobility and grace continuing to give it the edge. It landed softly on the ground, and prepared to leap again. 

But the ground gave way.

With a surprised “errrk?!” the ground collapsed and the fox fell down a hole into the waiting earth below. This is not something that usually happens to the fox. He’s quite graceful and clever. A new level of panic beset the fox as he fell into the darkness of the enveloping earth. 

The wolf, overjoyed by it’s good fortune, as it hadn’t eaten in some time, ran up to the hole and prepared to gloat over its supper, the fox. 

But when the wolf arrived at the hole, it paused. It gazed, with a wisdom unlike that of any wolf you’ll likely meet in your lifetime, into the hole. An expression, that one more familiar with the facial expressions of humans than wolves might call a frown crossed it’s face. It stared into the hole for a time. And then, it’s frown still upon its face, turned around and walked away. 

This hole had no bottom. Who makes a bottomless hole? That’s a huge safety hazard for everyone. Including trees.

In the forest, the bottomless hole waited. 

The trees watched it with interest… and wariness.  

They had seen it’s kind before.

…

On the other side of the bottomless hole, Fox awoke to find himself in a different forest. Only the trees were tiny. Barely trees at all. They were twigs! And as the Fox wandered through this baby forest, he came to the edge of it. 

This was a new experience for Fox. An “end” to the forest. He had never considered such a possibility before, and wasn’t sure he liked it.

But beyond the end of that forest was something even more amazing. 

It was a city. Of grey rock and strange colours. The noises of coughing trolls and shrieking insects echoed out from this city. But more excitingly… This city wasn’t full of giants, like all the other cities he’d seen before. 

Fox grinned. He wondered what food the small ones ate. 

…

The people of the city bustled as they always do, and in their bustle, did not notice the tall red haired man that wandered into their city. 

They should have.