Wren's POV

"Excuse me?" I said.

"I asked if you needed assistance. Do you?" he said a little louder as he got out of the tree.

Does this guy realize he's not wearing a shirt? The fox turned back to the inside of the tree, it was cold and wet out here after all. It gave one last glance at me and flicked its tail before it left.

"Um..." I tried to think up an excuse.

Should I ask for shelter? There's nowhere better anyways.

"It's raining and I was looking for shelter..." I mumbled.

I was looking particularly for this tree, but apparently you're already here...

"Pardon me? The rain is a bit loud." he asked courteously.

"I was trying to look for a place to get out of this rain!" I yelled.

"Oh. Uh, you can come in if you'd like. There's plenty of space." he said as he motioned toward me.

"Thank you." I said quietly.

If anything happens, I know that this guy is definitely weaker than me. The smell of smoke hit me, but the warmth from fire made me feel at ease. The guy picked up his shirt and buttoned it on. The fox was sitting by the fire and watching me. It had a relaxed pose, but I knew foxes could easily attack at any moment.

"Sorry, my clothes were wet and I had to dry them..." he said a bit shamefully.

Well now I know he has some decency. He was using my special rock for the fire. He had some extra wood piled up and stoked the fire with another log.

"It's alright. Um, do you mind if I use the fire? For cooking, I mean." I said awkwardly.

What else am I supposed to do? I haven't eaten all day.

"Oh sure. It's perfectly fine." he said.

He was looking at me. I'm not sure, but I think he's eyeing my bow and arrows. I'll pretend I don't notice him staring. I grabbed the bag of rabbit meat and pulled out a meaty leg and breast. I put them right onto the rock holding the fire. I made sure the meat was as close as possible to the fire, but didn't touch it. I had some salt with me too, so the other meat can be preserved. The smell of meat made me even more hungry. I heard a small grumble.

I don't think that was my stomach. I turned and saw the guy blushing a slight red and he glanced away. The fox licked it's mouth and seemed like it was crawling a little closer every few seconds.

"Sorry," he said embarrassed. "The fox and I have only eaten berries today." he said while picking up the fox and putting it back next to him.

Oh right. I robbed him of money. And his horse is gone. I wonder how he got the little fox. I kind of pity him...

"Um, I have extra food. You can have some if you'd like. The little guy too." I said.

"Really? Because I'd really like something to eat right now. Thank you." he sounded really happy.

No problem rich guy. I should probably ask his name. I think he called the fox Max. I pulled out 3 more rabbit drumsticks and put it on the fire. I don't think the fox understood us, but from the guy's tone, the fox could tell something happened. It looked excited and licked it's nose.

"Um, my name is Grey. I'm not exactly familiar with this forest... I just found this tree by coincidence." he said.

I tried my best to maintain eye contact. I feel like any moment he'll realize I was the one who attacked him last night.

"My name is Wren. I've been in these woods for most of my life. I've been hunting here for a living." I said.

And I've also been robbing for a living too. The guilt keeps creeping up. I wish the food was finished cooking. I started drumming my fingers impatiently. The guy was petting the fox while flipped over the meat onto the other side.

"Is it tough? Living like this, I mean?" he asked out of the blue.

"You mean hunting? And living in the forest?" I asked before he nodded.

"Well it was difficult at first, but it got a little easier as time went on." I said.

Life just found a way to go on for me. Things changed one day and moved on the next. It was silent for the next couple minutes. The food looked brown enough and cooked. I reached for a leg, but dropped it on the floor. It was too hot. The fox got up and walked over to me. I rolled the meat over to the fox. It sniffed the meat and then licked it. It jumped back with a yelp and started growling.

The fox looked really alarmed and had it's tongue out slightly. I noticed how skinny it was. It must be just as hungry as me, but the food was too hot for it. I giggled a bit and looked at Grey. He was chuckling too. It's been so long since I've heard such a genuine laugh from another person. I felt more relaxed than usual.

"I found the little guy today. I tried setting up a trap for a rabbit, but I caught him instead. He was aggressive at first, but as soon as I fed him, he calmed down and was easygoing. I picked him up on the way to this tree when it started to rain, then I named him Max." he said with a slight smile.

"Wow. Max must really like food." I laughed.

I took the food away from the fire and let it cool down. Then I gave one to Grey.

"Thanks." he said.

"No problem."

We ate without another word. The food must be bland for a rich person like him, although he looked happy just to eat. The fox looked cautiously at the food again. It licked the food and braced itself. When nothing happened, it started devouring the food. We finished all of the food and sat back. It was a good night. I leaned back and lied down. I closed my eyes.

"Good night, Wren." he said.

"Night." I closed my eyes.

I fell asleep with many thoughts on my mind.

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Hey guys! I'm gonna be taking a break this whole week since my computer isn't available. I'm gonna be a bit busy with school tests and more homework coming up. Sorry guys