Sionnach

Chapter the Seventh

Approximately half an hour later Mira stood in the witch's dooryard facing a small red fox. He sat with grace, almost cat-like, staring at her with bright black eyes. He had knocked on the door.
Knocked.
And now he sat here before her, alertly watching her face, as though he were waiting for her to say something.
The girl racked her brain. How does one address a fox? Is one even supposed to address a fox? Weren't foxes supposed to be wily creatures?
This one in particular looked as though it should be wearing a vest and a top hat. Imagine! A fox in a vest and top hat. She supposed she may as well add a waistcoat and a pocket watch while she was at it. She shook her head, laughing. The fox tilted his head, nearly indicating puzzlement at missing out on the joke.
"Why is the door open? And what are you laughing at?" Madge called across the room behind her.
"Nothing. There's a fox out here and --"
"Well, don't be rude! Invite him in, girl!"
"Thank you ever so kindly." the fox said in honeyed tones, slinking elegantly past Mira and into the cottage.
Mira stood in the doorway, mouth agape. Behind her, conversation continued.
"Thank you for coming so quickly, Sionnach. I truly do appreciate it. Tea?"
"Any time, Madge. And don't mind if I do."
"Remind me again how you take your...Girl!" this last bit was addressed to Mira who was still in the doorway. "Get in here and close that door! What are you doing?"
"Sugar, please. I rather think I've given her quite a turn." the fox was clearly amused.
Mira shut the door and turned to face the witch and the fox, her mouth still hanging slightly open. She took in the scene before her. Madge sat hovering over the tea tray, staring at the girl. The fox was perched primly across from the witch, also staring at Mira with an evident level of amusement.
"This is Sionnach?"
"Well, yes." Madge turned her attention back to the tea tray.
"This is Sionnach. Just to be clear, this" she gestured to the small fox in the chair, "is to be my traveling companion through the mountains. Where there are bears and giants."
"And snake oil salespersons." murmured the fox, his tail swishing gently.
Madge shrugged, adding spoonfuls of sugar to a cup of tea.
"You said it yourself, there are no giants."
She passed the cup over to the fox, who shook his head demurely.
"Oh, Madge, you old thing. Might I have that in a saucer? You know I'm still not used to these paws."
The witch grunted and unceremoniously dumped the tea into a bowl after ridding it of its previous contents, sugared pecans that clattered over the tray.
"You codger. You know you're the only one around here that gets away with calling me 'old'." she looked up at Mira. "Sit, child, and do stop that gawping."
Indeed Mira was still staring at the fox, who was now delicately lapping tea from the bowl that had been set on the table before him. Finally she sat, her eyes still on the fox who now stared levelly back at the girl while Madge continued
"Truly I have no idea what the issue is. Weren't you just conversating with a bird?"
Which was true. Mira had not only spoke with a bird at grreat length, but was also just recently introduced to a talking tree that used to be a man. Had, in fact, argued with a tree over his manners and whether or not girls could be wizards. Yet she could not get over the fact that a fox was seated across from her and drinking tea from a saucer.
The fox blinked his inquisitive dark eyes at her and Mira looked away, to the witch, who was eying the girl with no small amount of disbelief.
"I...don't know." she gave a half-hearted shrug. "It's just different, is all."
Madge shrugged herself and passed a steaming cup over to Mira, who gratefully curled her hands around the rational warmth of the tea.
"Well, so long as you mind him when you're out on the trail. Least you won't lose him, what with not bein able to take your starin eyes off him."
The fox raised a dignified paw.
"One moment, madam. I do not believe I have, as of yet, taken on this proposed journey of yours."
It was now Madge's turn to gape. It did not last long before her features rearranged themselves into a scowl.
"Why on Earth would you come here if not to help out?"
It was now the fox's turn to shrug, as well as a fox can manage a shrug. Their shoulders are rather narrow. It was more of a twitch, really.
"Curiosity, I suppose. And you must know that you make the best Earl Grey in all of these wide woods." the fox again lowered his face to the saucer and lapped daintily.
"You know full well that I make the only tea in these woods." the witch's voice was gruff, but she still preened ever so slightly. "Will you take the girl or not?"
The fox clucked his tongue.
"Impatient as ever, dear Madge."
"Well if you won't take her, I need to find someone who will. The pass through the mountains will be snowed in soon enough. I'd rather not wait til the weather changes moods."
"Yes, I meant to inquire -- what are we doing in the mountains, exactly?"
"Traveling to Samson the Wise."
"Well, that's an easy enough task. I should have her back by --"
"And then on to Percival the Magnificent." the witch cut in.
Sionnach tilted his head and managed a quizzical look, prompting Madge to briefly sum up Walter's predicament and the lending of the Oracle. At the finish of her summary the fox shook his head and chuckled.
"You magical types with your spells and divinations. I knew that old Walter's habit of tree turning would get him one day."
"You're not a wizard?" asked Mira.
"Ah, she rejoins the conversation with more than a stammer! No, dear child, I am not. Why would you ask?"
"Only you said that you weren't used to your paws. I thought maybe you had turned yourself into a fox."
Sionnach raised an eyebrow. Up until that moment, Mira had been completely unaware that foxes even had eyebrows.
"Sharp when she wants to be, isn't she? That will certainly come in handy up in the mountains."
"So you'll take her then?"
The fox stared at Mira with great humor in his black glassy eyes, seeming to size her up.

Author's Note

Isn't it a fabulous day?

Reviews

[SweetNutmeg]

Haha, conversating with a bird. I was just wondering the same thing.. jelly doughnuts with a bird, but not a fox drinking tea? Another good installment. I am impatient for the next. I hope you haven't wandered off or lost interest. I don't understand why more people have not read this. Hmph. Well, thank you for another good one.

[JLGottschalk]

Thank you muchly! My interest has not been lost, merely waylaid for a time. As the weather gets warmer I am more easily distracted. Be assured, however, that more is in the works.
I appreciate your continued readership as well as your vote of confidence. Again, thank you!