A Bold New Life, One Lie can make a huge Difference

[Fox G9]

AAh, that's better. seeing you back on form really is a nice thing. Good stuff.

Oh btw, I'm gonna make a start on that 'special work' for you now, somthing to look forward to

[scarface_the_fox]

Sorry for not reading these chapters sooner
the story sofar is awesome :D i especially loved how you joined friendly into the story

also i think i spotted a bit of a gramatical problem

"reminiscing about the past and Friendly also took the time to get to Roscoe better. "

shouldnt it be -

"reminiscing about the past and Friendly also took the time to get to know Roscoe better. "

This post has been edited by scarface_the_fox on Jul 26 2009, 01:34 AM

[Plucky-Little-Fangirlie]

Man, sorry for not having commented on this for aaaages! ^^" So, better make this a good comment! :D

Firstly, really good job, you're definitely improving as everyine has been saying! I must say, personally I think it's a shame we won't see anymore of Slayer, so you sure can bet I'll be looking out for the sequel! ;) However, loving Starlight, Laika & Slash! ^.^ How cute are they? =D And personally, I've never liked Friendly, so him portrayed in a slightly...mean manner, doesn't really bother me! XD I can see him as being a character to easily 'see red'! *nodnod* But I'm still glad they made up...now I'm just wondering if Bold will ever break his promise not to go back to White Deer Park! hehe I'm watching this space, so keep up the good work! ^^

[AOFW Fox]

Thanks for pointing out the error Scarface, and it has been fixed.

Now today is very special, as it's now been one year since I started posting this fic :hyper: And I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate this than by releasing the next chapter. ^_^ Blimey, I can't believe that it's been one year :o I honestly never thought that I'd get this far into it by now. But hey, I've done pretty well for myself

So quickly, I'd like to thank everyone who's read it so far, and I hope you've all enjoyed it. And huge credit for this chapter goes to Fox G9 for giving me part of the idea for this chapter. ^_^

Chapter 29-Lost Family

Roscoe slowly opened her eyes and yawned. She looked towards the
entrance of the earth and saw that light was filtering in through the
entrance.

Reluctantly, Roscoe got up and stretched her legs before giving Bold a
nudge with her paw. Bold’s eye cracked open to see what was
disturbing him and at seeing Roscoe, he opened both his eyes and
raised his head slightly.

“What’s the matter Roscoe?” asked Bold tiredly as he looked towards
the faint light simmering in though the entrance. “Why are you up so
early?”

“Remember what we discussed last night?” asked Roscoe.

Bold’s forehead creased as he tried to remember the previous evening.

“We were going to take our cubs out for their first proper hunting trip
weren’t we?” he asked uncertainly.

Roscoe smiled and nodded.

“Yes we were.” She said, and she walked away to wake up the cubs.

Bold stood up slowly and stretched his stiff legs, yawning widely as he
did so. As Bold got ready to leave Roscoe woke up Laika, Slash and
Starlight.

“Why are we up so early?” whined Laika as she stood up.

Starlight and Slash also grumbled about having to wake up early.

“Well, when you go hunting it is a lot easier to find prey in the morning
than in the middle of the day…” said Roscoe.

At hearing Roscoe mention hunting, the three cubs stopped complaining
and gave Roscoe their undivided attention.

“…And I thought that today you would like to go hunting with your
father and I.” finished Roscoe, looking at the three. “Would you like
that?”

Laika, Slash and Starlight all nodded vigourously at Roscoe’s offer.

“Well let’s get going then.” said Bold, from the entrance of the earth.

The cubs quickly ran to catch up with him as he disappeared outside.
Once everyone was assembled, Bold and Roscoe lead the way to an
area which they knew would be very likely to contain prey.

Before the three young foxes went off to hunt, Bold and Roscoe gave
them some final pieces of advice and useful tips to assist them in their
solo efforts.

“This is your chance to put everything you’ve been taught to the test.”
reminded Roscoe.

Laika nodded quickly, impatient to get started. Her two siblings
however, where listening to every word carefully.

“And remember, your mother and I will be nearby if you need any help.”
said Bold.

Roscoe and Bold wished the three good luck before leaving them to
hunt by themselves.

=======

Slash sniffed at the ground carefully as he walked closer to the edge of
a clearing. From the scents being carried in the air, there were
pheasant nearby, though Slash wasn’t sure if there were any in the
clearing.

Being careful not to make any noise, Slash lifted his head above the
grass, and was satisfied to see that there were pheasant gathered in
the clearing.

Slash looked around the clearing and selected a pheasant that had
settled down on the ground a couple metres away from the edge.

Slash lowered his head and got himself into position. After getting his
balance and feet perfectly co-coordinated, Slash leapt into the clearing.
The pheasant he was aiming for had no chance to escape his paws as
he pinned it to the ground, the other pheasant instantly flying away in a
mix of shock and fear.

The stricken pheasant thrashed around widely underneath Slash’s paws
before he delivered the killing bite to its neck. The pheasants body
slowly stopped struggling and after a few minutes of holding it Slash let
go.

Slash admired his kill for a few seconds before picking it up and looking
for his siblings to see how their hunting attempts were going.

After a few minutes of searching, Slash noticed some grass move in the
corner of his eye. Slash silently walked towards where he had seen the
movement, and it didn’t take him long to see the distinctive fur of a fox.

As Slash got closer he saw the white flecks of fur that
belonged to Starlight, who was stalking some rats. Not wanting to
disturb her, Slash dropped his pheasant to the ground and waited until
she had made a successful catch.

Within a few minutes, Starlight had managed to catch two rats for her
meal. She picked them up in her mouth and turned around. Starlight was
slightly startled to see Slash standing behind her.

“How long have you been standing there?” she asked.

“Long enough.” replied Slash with a small smile. “You did pretty well
there.”

Starlight smiled at the compliment.

“Thank you,” she said, noticing Slash’s pheasant. “It looks like you did
pretty well yourself.”

Slash shrugged modestly.

“Let’s go find Laika and see how she’s doing.” suggested Starlight.

Slash nodded and the two of the set off to find their sibling.

It didn’t take long for Slash and Starlight to find Laika. They found her
waiting with Bold and Roscoe in a small clearing. Slash noticed that there
were a couple of rats at the feet of Laika.

“How did you go?” Slash asked Laika as they got closer.

Laika nodded at her feet.

“I think I did pretty well for my first outing.” She said with satisfaction.

She then noticed Slash’s pheasant and her face turned to one of envy.

“How did you two go on your first hunt?” asked Bold.

Starlight gave an answer that was similar to Laika’s. Slash on the other
hand, just dropped his pheasant onto the ground in front of the two
adults.

“For you two,” he said, indicating the pheasant. “I can’t possibly eat all
this.”

“Thank you Slash.” said Roscoe, pushing her rats towards Slash in
return. “You did very well for your first hunt.”

“Yes, well done on catching a pheasant on your first hunt.” added Bold.

Slash picked up the rats and returned to where he had been standing
next to Starlight.

“Congratulations all of you on such a successful first hunt.” said Roscoe.

The three siblings smiled at each other and gave each other individual
congratulations.

Suddenly, Bold noticed a movement in the corner of his eye. He looked
to his left, and saw a fox observing them a distance away.

Bold quietly mentioned this to Roscoe, who looked at him with concern.

“What do you think he wants?” she whispered.

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” Bold whispered back. “Take the
cubs back to the earth. I won’t be too long”

Roscoe nodded and she departed with the cubs, promising that she’d
save some of the pheasant for him.

=======
Bold waited until they were gone before approaching the waiting fox,
his food clenched in his mouth. As Bold approached him, he noticed that
fox's ribs were starting to show underneath his fur and that he held one of his
paws up to avoid resting it one the ground.

Feeling sympathetic to the fox, Bold pushed one of his rats to the fox.

“Here eat this,” he said to the stranger. “You look like you’re half
starved to death.”

The fox limped forward and sniffed the rat before grabbing it. He
retreated a few feet away from Bold and tore at it ravenously.

“Thank you so much.” said the stranger after he had licked the bones
clean. “I haven’t eaten in over a week.”

Bold regarded the fox silently before nodding.

“What’s you name.” He asked in an attempt to be friendly. “And why
haven’t you been able to eat?”

The fox looked at him.

“The name is Storm,” he replied. “I haven’t been able to eat as a hunter
shot me in the foot, which has reduced my ability to hunt.”

Bold nodded, understanding Storm’s predicament from his own
experience. Storm sighed and gazed into the distance.

“I would have been better off staying in White Deer Park.” He said.

Bold felt his blood chill as he heard where the fox came from.

“I’ve never seen him before though.” thought Bold. “He must have been
a newcomer to the park.”

“My mother warned me of the dangers of coming out here.” continued
Storm. “But I did just what my father did: I just ran out with no thought
of the consequences.”

Bold looked up sharply at that.

“You’re father?’ he asked enquiringly. “Who was your father? What was
he like?”

Storm looked at Bold strangely before shrugging.

“I don’t know much about my father as he died before I was born.” He
said. “But my mother told me everything about him. How she asked him
to go back to White Deer Park to make sure their cubs were safe,
despite the fact this he wasn’t up to the journey and died upon arriving
at White Deer Park.”

Bold said nothing as he realised who Storm was.

“This fox…this is one of my cubs from when I was with Whisper.” He
thought. “And she didn’t even tell them what she put me through!”

“Did Whisper ever tell that she made me go back to White Deer Park?”
asked Bold angrily before he could stop himself. “Against my will?”

Storm looked at him in shock.

“Whisper made you go back to White Deer Park?” stammered
Storm. “Then that mean’s that you’re my…my…”

Storm’s eyes widened as he realised who Bold was.

“…my father.”

=======

Oh dear, look's like Bold's going to be in for it this time. His lucky stars never help him, do they?

Oh yes, for those who enjoy this story, please try reading the joint fic by me and Fox G9 Far Reaches. Also the fic by Plucky-Little-Fangirlie is also worth a read

[Plucky-Little-Fangirlie]

:wtf: Wowie, don't you just keep getting better & better? :D Looking good, what a great cliffhanger to mark a year of this fic! I'm liking Storm, just like his dad huh? hehe Oh, & thanks for the mention! ;) Can't wait to read more!

[Fox G9]

Very nice work there.

Oh and you're welcome, next FR chapter will be a little late though, sorry.

[AOFW Fox]

Thanks for the comments you guys.

Here is the next chapter. Now I'll be honest, this isn't one of the best chapter's I've done, but it definitely isn't one of the worst. But as always, enjoy it.

Chapter 30-Father and Son

Storm looked at Bold in a mixture of shock and awe.

“…My father.” He repeated softly. “You’re my father.”

Bold said nothing, but rather watched as a mix of emotions spread across Storm’s
face.

“I can’t believe it,” said Storm finally. “It just doesn’t seem real…no it can’t be
true…no-one could do that…”

Storm’s eyes widened as he realised that he was rambling to himself and staring at
Bold.

“Sorry about that. Please forgive my rudeness.” He said hastily, and he removed
his eyes from Bold. “I hate to ask, but I just need to confirm it. Are you my
father?”

Bold was taken aback momentarily by how forward Storm was with his question.
He thought about what he should tell the young fox.

“I may as well tell him who I really am.” thought Bold, as Storm sat himself down
and waited. “He seems to have it figured out anyway, so it won’t hurt to tell him.”

“Yes Storm you are right, I am your father.” said Bold. “And in case you don’t
know, my name is Bold.”

Storm took this information in quietly and sighed.

“It’s so strange to speaking to you.” He said finally. “The other strange thing is to
learn that you are alive and well after all this time.”

Bold said nothing. Storm looked at Bold in the eye.

“Father, can you please tell me everything?” he asked. “I want to know the truth
about your relationship with Whisper, about Whisper herself and why you decided
to deceive us all.”

Bold was again surprised by how forward Storm was with this question. He looked
at the young fox carefully as he thought about Storm’s request.

“Should I reveal everything to him?” he pondered quietly to himself.

“And before you choose not to reveal anything to me,” added Storm with a hint of
a smirk on his face. “I think you owe it to me to tell me the truth, seeing how you
were the one to lie to your family.”

Storm’s words stunned Bold as they registered in his brain.

“Damn him for mentioning that!” He thought angrily. “Looks like I have no choice
now.”

“I suppose that I do owe you the truth.” said Bold with a sigh. “However, what I
am about to reveal may contradict everything that Whisper told you. You may not
believe what I’m telling you, but I promise you that it’s the truth.”

Bold proceeded to explain about the situation Whisper had forced him into and
how he had been forced to return to White Deer Park to fulfill his obligation to
their cubs.

When Bold arrived to the part of faking his death, Storm secretly admired the
cunning of this plan and how well it had been executed, not knowing that before
him Friendly had been thinking the same thing a few months before him.

Storm was also astonished about the true reason that Bold and Whisper had
returned to White Deer Park.

“I can’t believe that my mother hid the truth from me…from all of us.” thought
Storm in a mixture of shock and anger. “It makes me wonder what else she’s been
keeping a secret.”

Unlike his encounter with Friendly, Bold did not inform Storm on what had
happened after he had first left White Deer Park and his adventures after he
accomplished his plan.

As Bold concluded his story, he waited for an immediate reaction from Storm. To
Bold’s immense surprise however, Storm just looked at Bold silently, his face void
of any emotions.

“Whisper and my grandparent’s always told me that my father was a bold one, but
I never expected anything at that level.” said Storm jokingly, breaking his silence.

Bold gave a smile at this remark.

“So, do you believe me?” he asked, fearing that Storm would dismiss his words.

Storm turned his attention away from Bold and looked towards the sky.

“My whole life I’ve heard about how brave and how selfless my father was before
he died, and how my mother always loved you.” He said softly as he gazed into
the sun. “Then to hear that everything you’ve been told is a lie.”

Bold said nothing and watched the young fox carefully as Storm closed his eyes
and slowly took a deep breath.

“But then to hear your version of events…it still proves that you were selfless,” He
continued. “But unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.”

Storm shook his head in frustration.

“I can’t believe that mother would do something like that to you.” He growled,
grinding his teeth as he did so. “I perfectly understand that she had good
intentions, but to force you to go back against your will just doesn’t seem right.”

“And then to find out that she only became your mate because of Fox!” Storm
shook his head again. “Whisper lied about so much…It’s like I never even knew my
own mother properly.”

After Storm finished talking, there was silence as the two of them retreated into
their individual thoughts.

“So you believe everything I said?” asked Bold, breaking the silence.

Storm turned his back to look at Bold. He contemplated his father before speaking.

“Any story like that would normally sound very far-fetched.” he said quietly. “But I
know that nobody would trick their family like that and ditch their mate the way
you did without a good reason.”

Bold said nothing as he realised what Storm’s verdict was going to be.

“So father, I believe everything that you have told me.” said Storm.

=======

Bold smiled gratefully Storm when he heard this.

“Thank you my son.” He said as he examined his son again. “I honestly thought
that you wouldn’t believe me.”

As he looked at Storm, the sight of some slightly visible ribs reminded Bold that his
son was probably still famished due to his injury. Remembering that he still had
one rat remaining, Bold pushed it towards Storm.

Storm returned Bold’s smile as he accepted the rat. He muttered a quick word of
thanks before quickly dismantling his second rat in over a week. After licking the
carcass clean, Storm dropped the bones beside those belonging the first rat.

“Thank you again for the rats.” He said to Bold gratefully. “If I hadn’t found you
here I probably would’ve been dead in a few weeks…unless my foot managed to
heal of course.”

“Well, it’s good to see that I probably saved my son then.” replied Bold with a
smile.

Storm laughed at Bold’s comment and thought about Bold’s previous statement.

“As for you not thinking that I would believe you, it’s understandable why you
didn’t think I would.” He said seriously. “Considering that I’ve been brought up
with convinced that you were dead, and with what Whisper told us.”

Bold smiled and nodded.

“All I’m happy about is that you believe me.” He replied. “And I’m happy that I’ve
been fortunate enough to meet you. You seem to have turned out to be such a
polite and well mannered fox.”

Storm looked down at his paws at hearing Bold’s compliment, much to Bold’s
amusement.

“Has there been much occurring in White Deer Park?” asked Bold, thinking about
his family living there.

Storm was silent as he tried to recall the recent events at White Dee Park.

“Well, the Great White Stag died and was replaced by a monster of a stag called
Trey.” He replied. “He’s caused a bit on unrest throughout the park.”

Bold vaguely remembered that Friendly had mentioned that this stag was the
reason for his temporary leave from White Deer Park.

“But he’s nothing compared to the rats that have invaded the park.” continued
Storm. “They’ve been a downright nuisance.”

Bold’s ears pricked up at Storm mentioning the rats.

“A rat invasion?” he enquired.

Storm paused at the enquiry and nodded.

“Yes, a rat invasion.” He said casually. “They started entering the park at the start
of spring, and we’ve been battling them ever as they try to drive us out.”

In Bold’s mind, alarm bells were ringing.

“Tell me everything about the rat invasion.” He said quickly.

Storm looked at Bold curiously before shrugging.

“Well, as I said, they started entering the park at the start of spring.” He
said. “Their leader is some rat named Bully who seems to have decided to organize
them and take over the park.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

“Because Trey’s against us, it’s only been us foxes and a few other animals that
have been attacking them.” continued Storm. “Each time we’ve launched an
offensive, we’ve reduced their numbers significantly. Despite our best efforts
though, there are just too many of them to handle…”

He looked at Bold seriously.

“We’re fighting a losing battle father.” said Storm. “And without me they’re at an
even bigger disadvantage.”

Bold nodded in agreement.

“So why are they attacking?” he asked.

Storm thought about it and shook his head.

“We don’t know why they’ve suddenly invaded the park.” He responded. ”Bully
hasn’t stated a reason. And a defector who joined us also didn’t have an
explanation, except that Bully and the others want to take over the park.”

Bold nodded again and turned towards his earth before walking off as fast as he
could.

“Wait!” called Storm as he limped quickly after Bold. “We are we going?”

“To my earth.” Bold called back, as considered what he would tell Roscoe. “There’s
something that I’ve got to take care of.”

=======

There we go. It really makes you wonder what's going to happen next...I've got a bad habit of doing that, don't I? :lol: ;)

This post has been edited by AOFW Fox on Aug 28 2009, 12:02 PM

[Fox G9]

Wow...I liked, I liked a lot, and I especially like Storm.

What's gonna behappening in future?? *suspence*

[Plucky-Little-Fangirlie]

Once again, a very nice cliffhanger chapter, & great tp read! Totally can't wait for your next instalmemt! :D

[AOFW Fox]

Sorry fore the massive delay folks, but I have been busy this past month with school assignments *shakes fist at History and English* and I have neglected this a bitBut, I hope it's worth the wait, so enjoy! :D

Chapter 31-A Change of Heart

Bold stopped outside the entrance to his earth, panting from the effort he had
made to get back quickly. Storm arrived a few moments later, also breathing
heavily from his efforts to keep up with Bold.

After he had caught his breath Bold went to enter the earth before he
remembered that Storm was still accompanying him. Bold turned around and saw
that his son was standing there and waiting.

“When we go inside, don’t reveal your true identity before I tell you.” Bold
instructed as Storm got closer. “Get to know Roscoe a bit first, because she may
become edgy if you tell her that your Whisper’s cub.”

Storm replied with a nod. Satisfied, Bold continued to make his way into the earth
and he was instantly greeted by Roscoe as she rushed up to him.

“Oh Bold, I was starting to get worried about you.” She said, not noticing Storm as
he followed Bold inside. “You’ve been gone for so long, and I was worried that
something had happened to you.”

The two of them nuzzled each other lovingly.

“Sorry if I worried you Roscoe.” said Bold, feeling guilty that he had made his mate
concerned. “I was just busy talking to this young fox who I met.”

He nodded towards Storm. As Roscoe realised that Bold had company she
instantly turned her head to look at the stranger.

“What’s your name?” she asked politely.

Storm looked at Roscoe, feeling slightly nervous at meeting his mother’s sister.

“The name is Storm.” He replied quietly. “And what’s yours?”

“My name is Roscoe.” She replied, as her eyes flicked over him.

Storm felt slightly uncomfortable as Roscoe slowly looked him up and down
carefully. As Roscoe examined him, her keen eyes instantly noticed the way he
held his injured paw up.

“Did you receive that injury from a human?” Roscoe asked Storm.

Storm looked at her blankly, startled by the sudden question. Roscoe smiled and
indicated his foot with a nod.

“Was that nasty injury to your foot caused by a hunter?” she repeated.

Realisation dawned on Storm as his moment of confusion passed.

“Yes, my injury was caused by a human,” he said hastily, as he tried to recover
from his lapse. “I was running away a large group of them, and somehow one of
them managed to shoot me in the foot.”

A look of sympathy spread across Roscoe’s face. She knew firsthand what humans
were capable of.

“And as a consequence, I’ve been unable to hunt.” continued Storm, and he
looked at Bold. “But luckily your mate helped with that.”

Roscoe looked at Bold and smiled proudly at his kindness. Bold returned the smile
and looked around the earth for the cubs as Roscoe and Storm got to know each
other. After a moment of searching Bold saw that the cubs off to the side of the
earth and were playing happily amongst themselves

Bold watched them for a short period of time before turning back to Roscoe.
Roscoe noted with surprise the serious look on his face.

“Roscoe there’s something that we need to talk about.” said Bold.

Roscoe looked at Bold in surprise.

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

“Before I explain, there’s something you need to know about Storm.” said Bold,
looking at Storm.

Roscoe looked at Storm, who shrugged.

“I suppose I’d better tell you,” he said in a careless manner. “I’m one of
Whisper’s cubs.”

Roscoe gaped silently at the news, unable to comprehend what she was just
informed.

“You’re…one of Whisper’s cubs?” asked Roscoe in disbelief.

Storm nodded slowly. Roscoe turned around to face Bold.

“What have you told him?” she asked, desperation creeping into her voice. “And
how much did you tell him?”

Bold looked at Storm for a moment before turning his attention back to his mate.

“I told him everything he needed and wanted to know.” replied Bold evenly. “I told
Storm what he deserved to know: why I faked my own death, about Whisper,
why Whisper and I returned to White Deer Park and about us.”

Roscoe said nothing as she thought about the information Bold had revealed to
Storm.

“What Bold informed Storm of isn’t that significant,” thought Roscoe, as she looked
at Storm again. “And he seems trustworthy and honest enough, so he’s not
exactly going to run back to White Deer Park to tell everyone.”

Roscoe looked back at Bold and indicated for him to follow her with a movement of
her head. Bold obliged and followed her to the other side of the earth.

“Can we trust him?” Roscoe asked him quietly. “And more importantly, can you
trust him?”

Without any need to consider the question, Bold nodded without hesitation.

“Considering who he is and how I’ve gone to great lengths not to have my identity
discovered, it’s actually not a hard question to answer.” He whispered back. “I
believe that we can trust him. Besides, he is still my son, whether or not I’ve
raised him.”

Roscoe nodded her agreement and glanced at Storm, who was watching the cubs
as they continued their game.

“He doesn’t seem like the type to run off on us and tell everyone in White Deer
Park.” observed Roscoe quietly.

Bold and Roscoe moved back towards Storm. Out of the corner of his eye, Storm
saw the two approaching and he turned away from the cubs to face them.

“Please excuse our rudeness,” said Bold apologetically. “We had to discuss an
important matter.”

“Let me guess, it was to decide whether I could be trusted with your secret?”
asked Storm, with a small smirk on his face.

Bold paused at the unexpected accusation before glancing at Roscoe, who in turn
looked down at her paws. Storm smirked again and gave a small laugh.

“It’s okay, considering the circumstances in which you have met me,” He said. “So
I understand why you had to discuss it.”

As Bold and Roscoe heard Storm’s words, they both breathed a huge sigh of
relief, much to Storm’s amusement.

“And I gather that you have deemed me trustworthy?” he asked.

Bold glanced at Roscoe again who nodded.

“Yes, we believe that you are trustworthy.” He confirmed, feeling guilty that he
could have doubted Storm.

Storm smiled at hearing that he had earned their trust.

“I promise you that I will not disappoint you.” He said. He looked at Bold. “Now
that’s over with, I believe that there was something you wanted to discuss?”

Remembering that Bold had wanted to discuss something, Roscoe turned her head
to face Bold’s. Bold shifted slightly under the fixed attention from the two.

“What I’m about to say may seem crazy and unexpected,” said Bold in a quiet and
serious voice. “But I am certain that this is the right thing to do…”

He looked at Roscoe and Storm in turn before continuing.

“I want to return to White Deer Park.” announced Bold.

=======

Roscoe gasped and her eyes widened at Bold’s surprising words. Storm gaped in
shock at the unexpected announcement. An uncomfortable silence fell as Roscoe
and Storm struggled to register what they had just heard.

“Why do you want to go back Bold?” asked Roscoe finally, breaking the
silence. “Why- after struggling to avoid going back and to keep the fact that
you’re still alive a secret for so long- do you want to go back all of a sudden?”

Bold turned his full attention to Roscoe, and instantly noticed the look of concern
in her eyes.

“I know that it seems…well…strange for me to want to go back after so long.” said
Bold, looking away from Roscoe. “But I have my reasons. The main reason is that
my family is in trouble…”

Roscoe shot Storm a sideways glance before looking back at Bold.

“…and I intend to help them.” finished Bold, looking back at Roscoe.

Roscoe said nothing as she digested what she had been told.

“What has Storm told you Bold?” she asked finally, again glancing at Storm.

Bold noticed a slight tone of anger in her voice.

“Storm informed me that there has been a massive rat invasion in the park,” said
Bold, looking at Storm who nodded. “And apparently they’ve been struggling very
badly against them.”

Roscoe thought about the information and nodded.

“Okay, I understand your concern for your family,” she said patiently. “But is
there anything else bothering you? Why do you want to help them?”

“Partially it’s because I’m concerned for them.” Bold replied. “Part of it is because I
believe that I just can’t keep hiding myself from them forever. For so long I have
been living in a mix of lies and deception I don’t think that I can.”

Roscoe thought about what Bold was saying carefully.

“Besides, I can’t keep living in the past and dwelling on what has happened
between my father and Whisper.” continued Bold. “If I’m going to do anything to
redeem myself and return without resentment for my actions, helping them in their
time of need is the best time.”

Roscoe was silent for a few moments before nodding.

“I understand why you want to go back, and I believe that it’s very noble of you.”
She said softly. “So, I will support your decision.”

Bold smiled at Roscoe’s compliment and her promise of support.

“However, we must wait a while so we can make necessary preparations.” said
Roscoe, as she glanced at the cubs before looking at Storm. “And we must wait
until Storm has healed up enough to travel. But for now, let’s relax for a while and
think about this further.”

Bold nodded in agreement with Roscoe’s statement before heading off so he could
finally eat.

======

God, Year 10 english is so useful with my metalanguage :rofl: Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon!

This post has been edited by AOFW Fox on Sep 22 2009, 10:50 AM

[Fox G9]

Ooh, always the last thing you expect to happen, once again you deliver the great work, keep it up.

[Plucky-Little-Fangirlie]

YES! I hoped he'd do it in the end! Go Bold! =D Oooh, this is gonna be good! Can't wait for the next chapter! ^_^

[StarWolf]

yay bold. this is really good. meant 2 b getting my room done but had 2 read this

[AOFW Fox]

Here's the next chapter folks, and it's amazing to think that there are only a few more chapters to go :o But don't worry, they'll be good! Also with this chapter, thank you G9 for a piece of advice you gave me which has definitely helped with this chaprer ^_^

And again I'm sorry for the small delay again, but I've been busy with other things lately. Also I'm going to be busy with exam revision in the coming weeks, so I won't be able to focus on this much. However, I promise that this will be finished before the end of the year.

So for now, enjoy! :D

Chapter 32-The Return

Bold looked at the small group of foxes gathered with him.

“Are you ready to get going?” he asked Roscoe and his young.

The younger foxes nodded eagerly, excited at the prospect of an adventure. Roscoe
simply nodded in response. After receiving their answer, Bold looked towards Storm.

“Are you all right to go Storm?” he asked.

At hearing Bold’s question, Storm lowered his head and looked down at his feet.

“I’m… not going back.” He mumbled quietly.

Bold paused and looked at him in surprise. Roscoe also seemed surprised by Storm’s
sudden announcement.

“Why have you changed your mind about going back?” asked Roscoe.

Storm sighed and raised his head slightly so he could look at them.

“I just figured that…if I left there for a reason, I don’t see the point in going back.” He
said. “I left there to get away from everything that was going on, so why go back to
it all now?”

Bold was silent for a few moments before nodding.

“Okay Storm, if this is what you want to do, I’m not going to force you to do
otherwise.” He said. “Good luck with everything and I hope nothing befalls you.”

“Thank you and I hope everything goes well for you.” said Storm.

Bold thanked Storm, who nodded in response before turning and disappearing back
into the earth. Feeling slightly disappointed at Storms decision, Bold looked back at
Roscoe and his young.

“Let’s going,” said Bold. “It’s going to be a long journey, so we might want to get
started.”

Roscoe nodded in agreement and she started to walk in the direction of White Deer
Park.

As Bold started to follow them, he remembered something and he looked back at the
earth.

“Goodbye, Crow.” He whispered, thinking of the small area nearby where he had
buried his old friend.

After looking at the area for a final time, Bold turned away and walked after the
others.

=======

“How much further do we have to go?” whined Starlight, as she trudged behind her
parents.

Bold and Roscoe looked at each other and sighed as they heard the question posed
for the twentieth time that day.

“Our feet are getting sore from all this walking.” complained Slash, pausing to shake
one of his paws to emphasise his point.

“And we’ve been walking all day,” added Laika. “Can we please stop soon?”

Roscoe sighed again and looked at Bold.

“I think we should stop Bold,” she said. “We’ve been walking most of the day, and
remember, they are younger than us.”

Bold nodded and looked around for a place to take shelter. After a moment of
searching his eyes feel on a small group of trees and bushes nearby.

“Over there looks fine,” Bold said to Roscoe, indicating the sheltered spot. “It should
provide us with good shelter from the sun.

Roscoe nodded and they made their way towards the . As soon as they reached the
cover of the trees the younger foxes fell to the ground, happy to rest their sore legs.

Bold watched them, amused at their exaggeration. Suddenly, the scent
of another fox nearby caught his attention. Curious, Bold followed the scent around a
tree and found a fox lying there sleeping peacefully.

Bold examined the fox and he instantly recongised the markings on the fox’s face. Not
wanting to wait for the fox to wake up, Bold nudged the fox with his paw. One of the
fox’s eyes cracked open and the fox groaned when he saw Bold standing over him.

“When some-one wants to sleep, it’s rude to wake them,” grumbled the fox, not
recognising Bold as he closed his eyes and sighed. “I was having a good dream mind
you.

Bold said nothing as the fox continued to mutter under his breath and complain about
being woken up. Eventually, the fox reluctantly cracked his eyes open again and
looked at Bold properly. Instantly his eyes widened as they registered Bold.

“Bold?” he exclaimed in shock, before rolling onto his stomach and lifting his head. “Is
that you?”

“Yes Friendly it is me,” replied Bold with a smile. “I didn’t think that I’d be seeing you
again for ages.”

Friendly nodded in agreement before standing up and streching his legs.

“The same goes for you Bold,” he replied. “It quite a pleasant surprise seeing you
again so soon… I actually didn’t expect to see you again.”

“I was thinking the same thing with you,” said Bold. “Why are you heading back to
White Deer Park so soon? I thought you said that you were planning to return around
autumn.”

“That was the original plan,” replied Friendly. “But it turned out that there wasn’t too
much to see, and I was missing my family back at home…especially my mate.”

Bold nodded, knowing himself that being alone without anyone for company could be
hard sometimes.

“And why are you heading back to White Deer Park?” asked Friendly. “Considering
that you faked your own death and all, why the sudden change in heart?”

Bold sighed and looked his brother in the eye.

“I decided to return because I was informed of the rat invasion that was occurring in
the park.” he said. “And I decided that it was time to provide my family with the
support they deserved, and that I just can’t keep hiding and running away from them
forever.”

Friendly said nothing for a few minutes before nodding.

“After seeing you again, I hoped that you would return to White Deer Park one day.”
He said softly. “I’m just curious, who informed you about the situation in White Deer
Park?”

“Do you know a fox called Storm?” asked Bold.

Friendly nodded thoughtfully as he recalled the name.

“Yes, that’s one of Whisper’s cubs,” he replied before glancing at Bold. “Why do you
ask?”

“Because he was the one who told me about the rat invasion.” said Bold. “I met him
when he came to me for support due to an injury.”

Friendly was taken slightly aback at hearing this.

“He left White Deer Park?” he asked, to which Bold responded with a nod. “Well, it’s
not really surprising, considering that he was a lot like you.”

Bold nodded as remembered the similarities between Storm and himself.

“Yes…I noticed that we were alike in many ways,” mused Bold with a smile, before
adopting a serious expression.

“Would you like to travel back to White Deer Park with us?” asked Bold.

Friendly nodded eagerly at the offer.

“Of course I would like to Bold,” he replied. “It would be a pleasure to join you and
your family.”

Happy with the answer, Bold walked back to his family and looked at them.

“Are you ready to continue walking?” he asked them. “We can make it by sunset if we
go now.”

Laika, Starlight and Slash groaned in unison before nodding wearily, all of them worn
out by several days of walking. They slowly stood up, stretching the cramps from
their legs as they prepared for more walking. Roscoe also nodded wearily and got up
from where she has been resting.

After waiting for everyone to prepare themselves, the small band of foxes continued
to make their way to White Deer Park.

=======

A short time into their journey, Slash made his way up to the front where Bold and
Friendly were walking together.

“Father, can I ask you something?” he asked tentatively, feelinging slightly nervous in
the presence of Friendly.

“Yes, of course you can Slash,” replied Bold with a smile. “What do want to ask?”

Slash paused for a moment and glanced at Friendly, who smiled encouragingly at him.

“Well, it’s kind of a question for Friendly as well,” said Slash. “But I want to
know…what is White Deer Park like?”

Bold thought about the question carefully. However, he struggled to remember much
about his birth place.

“It’s a place where all animals can live in safety without worrying about humans
harming them.” said Bold eventually. “From what I remember, it is generally a peaceful
place, and everyone tends to get along.”

Bold thought about White Deer Park some more, but he continued to struggle to
remember most of the details. Finally he gave up trying and looked at Friendly for
guidance.

“It’s a great place to live,” said Friendly, instantly taking up where Bold had left off.
“There’s enough food, enough water and everyone lives in harmony. Also there are
no humans to bother us. The Warden is the only exception, but he’s there to help us.”

Slash gave Friendly a confused look.

“A human helping us?” repeated Slash, unable to comprehend what he was hearing.
“A human would never do something like that!”

“I know that it’s hard to believe, but it’s true.” said Bold with a smile. He looked back
at Friendly. “Anything else worth mentioning?”

Friendly thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“There’s nothing much else to say really.” he said, smiling at Slash.

Slash considered everything that Bold and Friendly said before nodding and falling
back so he could walk with his sisters. Bold saw him instantly start talking to Laika and
Starlight.

“He’s probably telling them everything he’s just learnt about White Deer Park.” he
thought.

As the small group continued to make their way to White Deer Park Bold, Roscoe and
Friendly talked freely amongst themselves. However, as they saw White Deer Park in
the distance, Roscoe remembered something that had been bothering her

“Bold, what are we going to do when we get to White Deer Park?” asked Roscoe.

Even though Roscoe didn’t know it, Bold had thought about what he would do when
they reached White Deer Park. However, Bold didn’t feel ready to reveal his plans yet.

“I’ll tell you when we get there,” replied Bold. “I still need to consider some things
before I reveal it.”

Satisfied with his answer, Roscoe nodded and fell silent for the remainder of the
journey, leaving Bold and Friendly to continue talking by themselves.

Not long after, the small group found themselves at the foot of a line of trees. A line
of trees that helped serve as the boundary to White Deer Park.

“I’m back,” thought Bold as a feeling of relief flowed through him. “I’m finally back at White Deer Park.”

=======

Hope you enjoyed the chapter eveyone! And forget to mention, Yay for a chapter on my second forum birthday :bounce:

This post has been edited by AOFW Fox on Oct 12 2009, 11:59 AM

[Fox G9]

You're welcome, I'm just happy I could help with such a great chapter, look forward to the final ones.

[AOFW Fox]

Heres the next chapter, and boy, are we getting close to the end :o And after this chapter, there won't be another release for another 2 and a half weeks as I've got end of year exmas approaching, and I need to focus on them.

But until then, I hope you all enjoy this chapter :D

Chapter 33-Best Laid Plans

Bold stared at the trees, nearly mesmerized by the sight of them.

“I’m home,” he whispered. “I’m finally home. I’ve returned to where I truly belong.”

He continued to act in this manner for a while before Roscoe gently nudged him.

“Bold. We need you to focus,” she said gently. “We need to know what you plan to
do.”

Bold blinked a few times as he snapped out of his trance-like state. He looked around
at the cubs, who were eyeing the trees in awe.

“Is this where you were born father?” asked Starlight. “And where you used to live?”

“Yes Starlight, this is the place where I was born.” Bold replied with a smile.

He turned to Friendly and Roscoe, who were waiting patiently for an answer. Bold
looked around and he noticed that the shadows were starting to get long.

“Since night time is not far away, we will have to delay things slightly.” said Bold. “But
here is what I was thinking: Tomorrow at first light, Friendly will leave us and enter
the park...” Bold turned towards Friendly. “If that’s alright with you, of course.”

“I’m fine with doing that,” replied Friendly. “I planned to return tomorrow anyway, so
it won’t change anything.”

Bold nodded with satisfaction.

“What will be my role in all of this?” asked Friendly.

Bold hesitated momentarily while he ran over the plan again in his mind.

“Your role will be to get information,” he responded. “If you here any information
about an attack or anything that we will be able to assist them in.”

Friendly thought about this and nodded.

“Okay, sounds like a plan to me.” remarked Roscoe. “So, you’re not going to going in
to reconcile with them at all?”

Bold shook his head.

“No, not for the moment,” he replied. “I thought about it, but going in now will
probably cause tension between my family and myself. Not to mention I don’t think
Whisper will be too please to see you accompanying me. However, if we don’t find out
about any possible attacks soon, we’ll go in openly and face them.”

Roscoe considered this information before nodding and looking at Friendly, who was
watching Bold and Roscoe’s cubs examining the fence line.

“What do you think about all this Friendly?” she asked him.

“Well, there isn’t much else we can do,” Friendly replied without turning his head at
her or Bold. “And I believe he’s thought it well enough. Besides, have we got to lose?”

Friendly turned to look at his brother.

“I say we go for it Bold.” He said with a hint of determination in his voice.

Bold nodded at Friendly’s response before turning to Roscoe.

“I’m ready to stand by your side for anything Bold, no matter what happens.” said
Roscoe with a loving smile. “And you’ve thought everything through thoroughly and it
sounds like a good plan. So I say we go for it.”

=======

Friendly woke up early the next day. After taking a few moments to wake up
properly, he got up and quickly walked to where Bold was sleeping and nudged him.
Bold awoke instantly and looked at his brother.

“I’m going to head in now,” whispered Friendly. “I’ll be back by sunset to pass on any
information I’ve managed to receive.”

Bold nodded and muttered a word of good luck to Friendly. Friendly turned away from
the group and headed towards the boundary of White Deer park. He felt a sense of
excitement as he lowered himself to the ground and crawled underneath the fence.

“Im going to see my family again,” Friendly thought happily as he got up and started
trotting towards where his family would be. “And I get to see my Russet again after
so long!”

As he thought this, Friendly found a scent that belonged to some-one he knew.
Friendly followed the scent eagerly as it lead him to a dense clumb of bushes and the
blue vixen that the scent belonged to. Smiling widely, Friendly quietly walked up
behind the vixen, taking care not to disturb anything on the ground.

“You’re still as beautiful as the day I met you,” he whispered softly in the vixen’s ear.
“And even though I’ve been away for so long, I still love you more than any other
vixen I’ve laid my eyes on.”

The vixen stiffened as she heard the unexpected voice behind her. When the vixen
realised who was addressing her, she turned around to face Friendly.

“Friendly, you’re back!” cried Russet happily, tears of joy forming in her eyes.

Friendly nuzzled Russet lovingly.

“Yes, I’m back,” he whispered in her ear as Russet nuzzled him back. “I’m back for
good.”

The two continued to nuzzle one another as they got used to each other’s presence
once again. Eventually Russet rubbed her head against Friendly’s chest before looking
at him with soft eyes.

“We better get back to your family.” She said finally. “They’ll be delighted to see you
again.”

Friendly nodded and together the two of them set off to Fox’s earth. As they
proceeded to the earth, Friendly and Russet walked they exchanged stories of their
separate adventures during the time that Friendly had been absent.

It didn’t take them long to reach the earth and Friendly quickly caught sight of his
family and the other Farthing Wood animals gathered at the earth. No-one noticed
the two foxes approach, and Friendly heard fox discussing something with the
gathered animals.

“…we have no choice but to commit to a final attack,” said Fox, completely oblivious of
his son’s presence. “Otherwise the rats will easily overrun us and we’ll be forced to
leave...”

Russet cleared her throat loudly to get their attention. Fox looked up sharply at the
interruption and his mouth fell open at the sight of Friendly standing next to Russet.

“Friendly…you’re back!” exclaimed Vixen as she rushed up to her son.

“Yes mother, I’m back where I belong.” said Friendly. He looked around and saw
Charmer standing beside Fox. Friendly inclined his head in her direction. “Good to see
you again Charmer.”

“Same goes for you Friendly,” She replied with a warm smile. “Glad to see you back
alive and well.”

Fox had recovered from his moment of surprise and was contemplating Friendly with a
look of pride and happiness.

“Good to have you home safe and well my son.” said Fox, to which Friendly nodded in
agreement.

“It’s good to be back father.” He replied with a smile.

Friendly then exchanged greetings with Ranger, Whisper and the other animals
gathered there. After all the greetings were completed Fox looked back at Friendly.

“It’s lucky that you’ve returned around this time,” he said seriously. “We’ll need
everyone we can get to help us.”

Friendly raised an eyebrow and he gave his father a confused look. Fox remembered
that Friendly didn’t know what they had been discussing before he had arrived.

“The rat invasion has started to become more difficult to manage, and they’re
numbers are starting to prove too great for us to contend with.” Fox explained. “So
we’ve decided as a community to commit to a final battle with the rats to defeat them
and remove them from the park once and for all.”

Friendly paused and looked at his father with surprise.

“Bold will want to know about this,” He thought. “This is precisely the thing he’ll want
to assist in.”

“Are there any other solutions?” he asked aloud, knowing that his father wouldn’t
fight without good reason.

“Unfortunately, there is nothing else that we can do,” Fox replied with a shake of the
head. “There’s just too many of them now. They’ll overrun us in a matter of weeks.”

Friendly nodded at his father’s answer and Fox continued addressing the assembled
group. After Fox had finished the other animals left and Friendly was left alone with
his family. Friendly spent the rest of the day sharing the stories from his journey, and
listening as they talked about what had been occurring in the park since he had left.

Around sunset Friendly reluctantly excused himself from the company of his family,
stating that he was tired and needed to sleep. After receiving a quick nuzzle and a
promise of food from Russet, Friendly set off towards Russet’s earth. However, as
soon as he out of sight he quickly set off towards the park boundary.

=======

Bold paced impatiently near the boundary of White Deer Park while he waited for
Friendly to return with any important information, the hot summer sun warm on his
back as he did so. Bold paused in mid-stride and looked at the fence, as if he was
expecting Friendly to have suddenly appeared on the other side.

“You should try and relax,” murmured a voice in his ear, causing him to jump slightly.

Bold looked around and saw Roscoe standing behind him.

“Friendly will be here when he’s able to get to us,” said Roscoe softly. “So just try to
relax and get some rest.”

Bold considered Roscoe’s advice before glancing at his young, who were sleeping
peacefully in the warm sun at the base of a nearby tree. He sighed and turned back
to his mate.

“I suppose you are right,” admitted Bold. “Nothing good is coming out of me being so
restless. But I can’t feel relaxed at the moment. I’m so close to my family and-“

A gust of wind blew up and Bold caught the scent of a fox nearby. He glanced at
Roscoe, who was looking at the direction of the park. Bold sniffed again and he felt
relief wash over him as he recongised Friendly’s scent.

A moment later Friendly appeared out of the tree line. He glanced behind him to make
sure that he wasn’t followed before crawling underneath the fence. As Friendly
approached them, Bold noticed a grim look on his face. He instantly knew that his
brother did not have good news.

“There’s going to be a huge fight in a few days between us and the rats,” said
Friendly without waiting for Bold to ask. “And it’s going to be a fight where there's
only going to be a winner."

=======

Hope you all enjoyed that one ^_^ Things certainly are starting to get interesting.

[Fox G9]

Niicee, good set up for a grand finale, and I know as always. You havn't dissapointed in your work

[StarWolf]

been waiting to see more and yay me likey!

[Silver Mist]

Great work AOFWfox. You've certainly improved while I've been away and I've enjoyed catching up on this story. Can't wait for the next chapters and the finale double showdown between the animals of farthing wood and the rats.....and Bold and his family B) Post it as soon as you can. Oh and I hope Storm makes a surprise return. ^_^