I limp towards the small yelps realizing it sounds like a fox call I peek from behind a tree and can see three little fox pups playing next to their den I don't see their mother but know she is nearby probably getting food for them, I smile at the pups playing chuckling quietly to myself, I sit down slowly and as quiet as possibly not to scare them, I sit watching them as I see the mother fox come back she's a beautiful bright orange with yellow eyes her big bushy tail is long, she is limping on her one paw there is some blood coming from a wound on her lower leg, "hm I gotta help her or she will probably die" I stand up and limp around the area I remember my father telling me that certain plants will disinfect wounds as well as help healing I grunt in pain as I move grabbing a few of the plants "this is all I can find of it" I go back towards the fox den as I see the mother fox laying down in the sun I slowly get closer to them, her eyes open quickly having most likely heard my limping foot steps through the woods, she doesn't get up but the fox pups run into the den quickly
Whitney:"hey momma.. I know you are probably scared and protective of your pups but I only want to help you.." I am about a foot away from her when she tries to stand but yelps in pain and falls back to the ground "shh it's okay momma" with slow steady movements I sit down still about a foot away from her, I grab my dress where it had already been torn and tear several strips of the fabric off I watch as the mother fox jump a little but doesn't move she watches my every movement, I pick up a rock slowly and start to grind the plant into a more of a dry pasta I notice her fox pups are poking their heads out of the den watching me and their mother curiously, I make the paste and then put it onto the strips of fabric. I move a little slower to the mother fox she barks at me and I stop immediately "it's okay here sniff" I hold out my hand and the strips of fabric with the medical paste on them to her she drags herself a little closer sniffing my hand and the strips of fabric she gently nudges my hand as I move it to touch her head she doesn't pull back or bark at me I smile "good girl this will help your wounds heal and not get infected" I gently lift her paw realizing there is a shard of a tooth stuck in the bottom of her paw I gently remove it and wrap the fabric strips around her paw and up her leg I tie it very gently so that eventually it will come lose and fall off. The mother fox looks at me and nuzzles my leg in a thank you I smile and pat her head
"You know something momma you are the first wild animal I've ever been able to help" I smile as I talk to her in a low gentle voice her pups come out and run towards her sniffing me as they start playing and climbing all over me and their mother. "You guys are super adorable" I chuckle and pick one of them up I put his little nose to mine as he licks my nose his tail wiping around happily the mother wolf stands up finally able to walk with the shard of tooth out of her paw I set the pup down as he runs after his mother who is heading towards the den, "goodbye momma fox and babies I'll never forget this moment you trusted me to help you" I smile and the pups go into the den the momma fox stops and looks back at me as if to say goodbye and thank you she then goes into her den and I stand up and limp back to the camp I sit exactly where he left me and wait for only a few minutes when I see him come back setting the wood down along with several fish and a rabbit,
Whitney:"woah how did you manage to catch 3 fish and a rabbit?" I say and look at him a slight smirk on his face
Zul:" it is easy when you have grown up doing it"
I look at him and smile
Whitney:" can you teach me to fish! Please I tried to before but I couldn't hit any of them" I say as I sigh realizing I really am kind of useless I'm wounded can't hunt, can't fish, I can't even walk. Zul gets the fire started and starts to cook two of the fish he then sits beside me leaving a gap between us and looks at me
Zul:"once you have healed I will teach you but you must tell me something first"
Zuls pov: I stand quietly behind several trees watching Whitney as she sits near the fox pups, I can see the back of her as she sits there i eventually see the other fox show up and not long after that Whitney gets up and starts limping around looking for something I move back to stay hidden in the forest, "what is she doing I told her to stay put and she can't even do that" I grumble as I watch her she grabs a few plants and goes back I tilt my head watching her moving so I can see her face and hands she rips her dress even more leaving the wounded leg nearly completely exposed up just before the top of her thigh, I watch her intently as she interacts with the fox and somehow gets the fox to trust her she uses to fabric and plant paste to make a medicated bandage and wraps the fox's paw and leg. I look at her face and see just how happy Whitney is to have helped the fox and see how excited she gets with the fox pups come out and start playing around their mom and her, her beautiful pale skin looks like it's glowing from how happy she looks her smile is wide on her face her cheeks having a slight pink tint on them her eyes a golden brown I find myself completely at ease looking at how happy she is just to help a wild fox and her pups. "I will do anything to see her look this happy again" I mumble to myself as I turn and walk away to go finish gathering wood.