Anzou tried several times to walk away from the body but never made it far. It pulled at him and no matter what ideas and thoughts he tossed around in his mind the same one rose to the surface. He had to take care of it, give it the right way to leave the shore of this world. So Anzou collected a large pile of dry driftwood and circled it around the dead Vulpine. Then, he gently unlatched a golden brooch that held the cloak around his neck. The rest of the clothes had been ruined with the stain and stink of blood.
He tried and then failed to create a blaze with that materials that were around him. Curses, at least what he thought were curses, left his muzzle and a frustration grew. It felt like this should be easy. He could make a fire and in fact it was one of the few things he knew he could do. At least he thought and it was only after many failed tries and the copious use of dry brush did he finally get a spark. Still, it wasn't long before the flames crept up the driftwood and consumed the Vulpine.
He stood there, watching the dancing flames and wrapped the cloak around his neck. The golden brooch shimmered against the high sun and flickering fire. It was in the shape of a tree with branches that ended in jewels and the weight pulled on his neck, but he didn't mind it. It felt like the Vulpine was there, protecting him. He lowered his head in reverence and stood quiet.

“Anzou." He said to himself, getting his tongue comfortable with the name. It felt strange, possibly not even his and not even a name! But it was the closest thing he had to it so it would have to do. He had found a way back to the other side of the cliff, to the beach where he had woken up and collected his clothing, washing them in the lapping water before putting them on with a scrunched muzzle. They still stank and it would be something he'd have to deal with.
Climbing his way out of the beach shrubs he found himself in a grassy plain that stretched almost to the horizon. In the distance he could see hills arcing out of the ground and growing ever larger until their peaks pointed and were dusted with the whiteness of snow. A wind blew through the plains East to West, hard enough to wick up the cloak's oversized folds but gentle enough not to knock down the hood. Feeling that walking with his back to the wind would be best Anzou set out, keeping the sea to his right and the open plains to his left.
Anzou didn't know what he was doing, only that keeping his head on straight and moving were his best bet. Futile things like trying to scream at the ocean and effect its pounding waves or feeling sorry for himself were not going to do anything. So as he walked, thankful for the thick pads on the soles of his furred feet, he pushed every ache and pain solidly in the not helpful section of his mind.
The sun had made its tall arc and long shadows began to grow behind him. Its light began to change from a bright white to a brilliant orange cascading over the sky. Behind him the first of the three moons peaked over the eastern horizon as if excited its time of the day were coming. Anzou had started to form a plan for making some sort of camp and had even started to keep an eye out for well defensible places. Why? Why was his mind defaulting to needing to be discreet or cover his tracks? Why had he wanted to keep the hood over his head? And again, why was such a young Vulpine thinking about these things?
But as he reckoned with them his feet fell onto soft dirt. Not the slightly shifty, course soil that fed the tall grass he'd been walking through. But a soft, almost plush mound that caught his attention. Before him, and repeated several times over beyond, was a large field with rows and rows of some sort of crop making its transition from green to brown. They'd been recently harvested, and that meant other people. A burst of energy had him running through the field. Finally he could get some answers! Anzou thought to himself and after running through two separate fields he found a dirt road with the remains of a fence falling apart on the right side. Anzou stopped and caught his breath, leaning against one of the fence posts. That's when he caught a scent.
It was food. Something wafting on the air with the slight acrid smell of fire with it. Cooked food! He shot his nose into the air and tested several directions to triangulate where it was coming from. After second guessing himself a few times Anzou decided on a direction and started down the path that hopefully lead to it. Fortunately his guess had been correct and after only a few more minutes of walking he could see a lazy trail of smoke rising from a hut in the distance. Any darker and it would have faded into the blackness of the coming night.
Anzou walked up to a large stone masoned house, the whisp of smoke curling out of a short chimney. The thing felt massive, the tips of his ears just reaching the middle point of the loosely fitted door. He approached cautiously before stopping a few paces in front of it. He had no idea who this place belonged to! Something told him that it was probably just a farmer or tender of the fields; but those could be wrong and sounds like those of someone doing the evening chores as their meal cooked hit his ears. Then a silhouette passed by the window. Anzou nearly dropped to the ground but stopped himself. They didn't look out the window, had just passed by and then back again, most likely carrying something to help with dinner. He could make out a muzzle and ears that sat on top of their head like his in the shadow. They were similar to him and it gave him enough reason to get closer.
He quietly stepped up and brought his curled pads up to rap on the door but just as he was another scent hit him. It was masked by the smell of cooking food, hidden. He at first had mistaken it for a particularly powerful fire but it was clear that wasn't the case considering the size of the house. No, this was something else, something that burrowed deep into his psyche and yelled, no, screamed at him to pull back and run away. Anzou took a few paces back, lowering his arm from the door. Don't. He told himself as his stomach growled. As strong as a motivator food was, the scent, whatever it was, proved a stronger deterrent.
One last look over to the window and Anzou turned. His muzzle immediately faced a monster of a figure, nearly three times his size. The scent returned and overwhelmed Anzou's nose so badly that he cupped his paws over it. It was nauseating and he couldn't do anything but fall back onto his tail, still hidden by the cloak.
“Well slimy slimmer sumpty sally, what's a young cub like you doin' out an about this hour?" The voice was like a tall old tree that had seen many a storm try to fell it, but stood firm with enough give to let what was needed pass through. At first the figure was shrouded in darkness but then leaned down closer to Anzou, letting the dim light from the window hit its face for the first time. Anzou's heart stopped. The terror returned and he scrambled back, digging his claws into the dirt and spraying it towards the figure. He was not a Vulpine. No. He was the worst possible thing that Anzou could have seen; a massive grey furred Canine.
The terror that had been bubbling within him from the start shot from his gut into his mind where a visceral sensation of hate and fear tangled together. Nausea followed and Anzou felt the strength leave his body, replaced with the need to vomit. Any will he had, any ounce of control over his body left and he heaved. Nothing came up, of course nothing came up, he hadn't had anything to eat! Anything to drink!  Instead the sound of illness filled the early night air.
“Tillah!" The Canine called and behind them the door to the stone house opened. “Baruuk! You're late again! Supper is ab-" She stopped short, the words stuck in her throat.
“Cub's sick, quick get him inside!" Baruuk said reaching an incredibly large muscle covered paw towards Anzou, he scurried back a bit more. “It's ok, you're safe now." He said with a gentle whisper but behind Anzou, Tillah hissed.
“Just what do you think you're doing bringing strange cubs to our door!"
“T'was already here! Just standing there like a statue." Baruuk said, keeping his voice calm and orderly. Anzou still kept silent but the Canine's gaze centered back onto him and Anzou got a much better look. He was a creature of earth. Patches of fur had fallen out near the creases on his paws. His pads, unlike Anzou's, were rubbed smooth from decades of hard work. Loose fitting clothes hung to his body and patches of dark grey fur peaked out of every seam along with evidence of patching. His eyes were calm, serene in a way and a deep blue that made Anzou think back to the sea. While his muzzle held enough fangs to bite clean through one of his legs. But nothing he did could sway Anzou's deep seated terror. Tillah circled around Anzou, giving him a wide birth and pulled on her husband's patched clothing.
“Did you not see those lights last night! Strange things are a-happin'n and I want nothin' to do with em!" She whispered to Baruuk at what she thought was out of Anzou's earshot. Either she was a bad judge of distance or Canine hearing was a lot less attuned than Vulpine.
“But he's just a cub, no more than six. Look at his size." Baruuk argued back, gesturing towards him. That's when it clicked in his head, they thought he was a Canine. The cloak and dim light of the moons covered any recognizable features of his face and it was just his diminutive stature and tip of his nose they saw. Anzou kept silent and continued to tremble, frozen in place as they argued. But eventually Baruuk began to win her over with his calm voice and simple gesturing and Tillah sighed.
“Guess some food won't hurt." She murmured and turned towards Anzou for the first time. She was very much like her mate, gigantic and powerful except with a large chunk of her ear missing and cleaner clothing. Baruuk took a few steps towards Anzou and knelt down.
“What's your name little one?" He asked, daring to look into the darkness that was the hood. Fear still held Anzou's tongue and instead he gave a little shake of his head. “Tillah, grab the bread." She gave Anzou another wide birth and back into the house while Baruuk held out his pads, turned out and open. The terror that had been holding Anzou began to wane and his mind started to come back in control of his body. He swallowed.
“Food?" Anzou said, taking a stab at what he thought was the right word in whatever language they were using. Baruuk nodded his head, slowly and calmly.
“Tillah's getting some, don't worry about her. She's really not that mean. Just a little jumpy, that's all." He didn't try to reach in and grab him or force anything, just kept his pads up and open letting Anzou come to him. Did he really need to be that scared? His instincts told him to be but why? He already didn't know what made him think that and perhaps it was something he shouldn't listen to. He raised his small black paws and gripped the hem of the hood. “See, I won't hurt you little one." Baruuk reassured and Anzou let the hood down.
The speed at which Baruuk's face changed and the number of emotions it ran through was terrifying. At first he pulled in a short breath at the sight of the thin muzzle and dirty orange fur before he jerked his pads back as razor sharp claws extended from the tips. Then he heard it, a rumble, one that emanated from within the monsters gut and his muzzle scrunched up into a snarl.
“A Fox!" He barked and the sound of things dropping to the floor rang behind him. Anzou shot up to his feet and tried to make a run for it but one of the great pads stopped him and reached to pluck him from the ground. Anzou did the only thing he could think of; he swiped with his own pads, claws fully extended. He really didn't expect to do much damage against the great Canine but what other option did he have! He connected. Someone else looking upon would have thought Anzou just brushed his tiny pads against the Canine's arm. But the Canine snarled as Anzou's claws tore into his flesh. They weren't deep, mostly due to the size of his claws, but it was enough to send him reeling and giving Anzou an opening to dash away. Yet, another pair of pads came down upon him, grabbing the scruff of his neck and jerking wildly back and forth.
“Silver tongued devil!" Tillah hissed as she shook him. Anzou scrambled his arms and legs, flailing wildly with all claws out in the desperate hope he'd land something. Baruuk snarled as he righted himself, his limp arm hanging to his side. “I bet he meant to steal from us! Kill us in our sleep!" Tillah said and Baruuk agreed.
“Should have listened to you." He said back and got closer to their captive. “Won't make that mistake again." He wound up his good arm and Anzou yelped. Those claws, as long as his own fingers would disembowl him with the slightest of touches, each one like a sword zeroing on its target. No, he had to do something! Anzou kicked back hoping to land some sort of hit onto Tillah's stomach, it hadn't worked but she had moved to avoid it; stepping back.
“Stop moving!" Baruuk snapped.
“Little devil is fistey!" Tillah said. Now! Anzou tried again, kicking back with all his might right as she spoke and this time the heel of his feet landed squarely onto her stomach. Tillah coughed and fell back as all the wind left her. Anzou dropped to his feet and wildly took a swipe at Baruuk, less as an attack and more to keep him at bay. But the attack landed and once again tore through the Canine's rough skin. He wheeled back and Anzou took his chance. He booked it, as quick as his tired little legs would carry as a howl rose to the third moon just now peaking over the horizon.
Anzou ran. Ran as quick and as far as he could, through fields and tall grass, zig-zagging and ducking away. He didn't think anyone was following, didn't think those two would go out of their way to chase him but his instincts told him to run and he never wanted to doubt them again.
As powerful as his instincts were though, a body had a limit and his collapsed as he approached a small irrigation stream on the edge of a distant field. It bubbled with a charming little calmness that Anzou could focus on, keep his mind off of what had just happened. This is the world I'm in. I can't let that get to me! He told himself trying to push what just happened and anything painful into the not helpful part of his mind. He lay there, next to the stream, laying in soft mud and quietly began to cry. There wasn't any holding it back at this point. He was scared and nobody was there. Nobody to tell him it was ok, nothing to cling to. Anzou's pad gripped the brooch and he squeezed tight. His vision blurred with tears and he slowly began to fall into a fitful sleep, almost hoping that the two Canines would find him in the middle of the night.