The world is calm.

A field of overgrown plant life meets the edge of the shadowy wood and stretches far beyond that.

A nameless fox and a small squirrel move side by side into and through the meadow. The foxes black legs move at a light trot and the squirrel moves with small bursts of energy— leaping forward, tail twitching.

A strange pair, but one that brings a sight of companionship, friendship.

Still, there is an air of something...grey about them.

As if the warm sun that falls upon them is an illusion that hides some internal storm.

Ever since the two have left the forest, Treering's been quiet.

You hear the song of small birds, their names escape you just as other things do and you're left tilting your head, ears erect, listening.

You cannot see past the tall grass, but when you look up, you can still see the blue sky above.

A light breeze causes leaves to shift and glimmer...like— '...Ocean waves.'

You...yes you remember that.

A large pool...no a never ending expanse of water. Larger than any acer of land you have ever seen. Deeper than any hole that has ever been dug.

You inhale and the smell of sea air brushes against your nose. You can almost taste the salty beaches.

Your steps falter and you pause.

Your head raises up and you pay the action no mind, staring up at nothing.

The world leaves you and your mind drifts as the image in your mind sharpens, colors saturate and the sandy beaches become real. Your front paw shifts in the fine rocky grains of sand.

You hear it.

You—

"Red?" Sharp, sudden, a pebble thrown into a still body of water. It shatters the images in your mind and brings you back to the surface.

You gasp, pupils blown wide.

"Re-?"

Your head snaps down, Treering looks up at you, small hands reaching out to your fluffy chest.

You stand there and breath.

"....Red? You..." It's— Treering's ears flatten, "You're doing it again."

Your mind is awake, aware, but slow. Your heart is loud in your ears, it isn't racing.

You blink, and smile, look away, "Ah...sorry...this is the third time already..."

Treering sighs and you feel bad. This journey is supposed to be fun but...these memories...they keep popping up with each flowing thought. On one hand, you're glad to remember...on the other, your daydreaming leaves you acting like some...mindless thing. You're luck Treerings here to 'wake' you up each time this happens.

"S-sorry—"

"Hey."

You look back down and Treering is smiling. One of his paws rests on your own.

"It's okay, Sunset~" His nickname calms you and you lean closer, taking a seat. "It's a great thing you're remembering things~!" His energy is picking back up. The way he talks...it's like he's generating happiness itself.

Treering nods to himself, stepping back to really look at you with shining black eyes. He stands straight, with strength, with confidence. As if to assure you he doesn't regret this journey.

"You're still trying to figure things out and...and I'm here to help. But!" He rubs at his face, and looks away. Voice turning low, "Don't think I'm doing this just to help..."

You look down and get caught in Treering's serious gaze.

He rubs at his nose, "Despite our small stature," His voice softens, "The Rikk-chiki-kii are very brave..."

A breath of wind dances by and your small friend looks up to watch slow moving clouds, "I...I'm smaller, slower than my siblings." His back faces you, but you still catch the jerk of his frame. A humorless chirp escapes him. "The day I met you, I thought my weakness had led to my death."

A painful whine slips from your throat.

Treering looks back at you, and blinks as if surprised by your presence, "It's true! A lone squirrel...a weak Rikk-chiki-kii is no match to one of the Kade-raket-chii..er-" one of his ears pull back and he wilts, "One of the enemies to the Drey."

You lean forward, "Drey? Enemies?" 'I'm...?'

Treering's back leg rises and he scratches the side of his head. When he stops, his voice is nonchalaunt. "The Drey...it's the name of our home. A Thrii-chii..kingdom(?) of living spaces all....clustered together." He sighs, "this is harder to explain in Common Hedgerow..."

"Sorr-"

"It's okay!" He waves you off, "Just gotta remember some sounds..."

You nod like you understand, "Right."

"Okay, so the Drey is where we Rikk-chiki-kii live. And..." His tail twitches, "...in the Old Tales...the Kade-raket-chii are the enemies that prey and eat lone Rikk-chiki-kii." Small black eyes meet yours. "In the very beginning, the Rikk-chiki-kii had nothing to fear except the age of leaving this world. Because during that time where frith still spoke to its people as easy as speaking face to face, all creatures lived in harmony. All creatures lived the same way, ate the same food, and greeted each other as equals."

He coughs, "Now the story changed from...animal to animal...but one thing is known. One day, Frith decided to change things to gift each kind of creature something that would make them different from one another."

You...don't get it..."Why though?" You don't feel...it's..."Why make others so different?" Why am I so different from you? "Why some prey on others?" Why did I...?

"Heh," Treering shifts, rubbing the back of his head, "I...I'll tell you what my R'amikchi told me. My grandmother...said...Frith wanted to keep one kind of creature from overtaking the land gifted to all of us. Other than the time when the cold visits and the land gets covered by cold wet fluff...plant eaters don't really struggle with getting what they need to eat."

Cold...wet... "...Snow?" Treering look up at you, and you elaborate, "I mean...the cold fluff, I think it's called...snow."

"Is it? I just call it I-st-rii."

Oh. Yeah his own language...

"Anyway, plant eaters only really struggle when food becomes scarce, when the time of cold gives the earth time to rest."

"Rest?"

"Well, plants take a lot from the earth they grow from, so when the cold comes and takes them away, this gives the earth time to replenish itself."

"Woah!" You step closer, eyes glimmering, "Treering! You're so smart!"

"Gh-!" He stumbles back, giving a weak smile, "ah, no no no, I just, learned from my Grandmother...she's very wise!"

You push your point further, "Still! You remember all that, you're awesome!"

Treering chirps out a few bursts of laughter, and you swear you could feel the heat of his body rise. "Th-thanks!"

Your eyes curve and a bubbly feeling fills your chest. You sit back on your haunches, decided to let up. You look up, "I...think I get it."

"Good." You hear. "Now then, the enemies, Kade-raket-chii, were given their gift to help...prevent one speacies from taking too much from the land." He pauses, as if he's...unsure to share his next words, "There's...another reason I learned from the strongest Cher-rah in our Drey." His ears flatten.

'Cher-rah?' You want to but you don't ask what it means. You don't want to interrupt while your friend still chatters on.

His eyes no longer focus, lost as he speaks his thoughts. "The enemies, they also kill...the weak."

Weak...?

"So only the strong survive." You look at you and still his eyes don't exactly meet yours, "Only the strong are allowed to help make the next generation stronger. I-" He pauses, blinking and looks down.

Worry eats at you, "...Hey."

"I've...you've given me another chance. I've never been the strongest..."

"Hey."

"The bravest..."

"Treering."

"But now I can learn to be." He finally looks at you, eyes clear. But his voice comes out...almost pleading, "Right?"

"TREERING!"

A flock of birds take flight, fleeing the grass that surrounds you, their flapping wings fill the clearing, accompanying the echo of your yelping bark.

Your friend stares up at you in shock, his eyes are wide, and he's frozen.

You push past the pain and guilt that hits you at seeing his fear.

Instead, you move forward, quick and low to the ground.

"...It's okay, Treering." You stop for a moment, before brushing your muzzle against his side. His heart can be felt even now. You close your eyes, "Calm down friend."

He's...trembling.

You close your eyes and rub lay down, "Treering...you..." You turn your whiskered face and rub it against him, "You are brave!"

"Wha...what?"

A frustrated growl fills your chest, "Treering...even before my weird dream...before we decided to go on this journey....On the day we first met and I let you go..." You pull back and look at your small friend that lay between your limbs, "You could've left me. You could've ran and never turned back." You need him to believe this, to know what you think. "Instead, you...helped me."

Your little friend looks up at you, lost, mouth open and teeth showing. He shakes his head, "I..No, I-"

You snort, "Treering, I doubt another squirrel, a Grrr-ra?"

"Cher-rah?"

"One of those ones! I doubt any of them would come back and help me. You're brave!"

The squirrel looks away, "Or foolish..."

You can't help it.

You lick his face.

"Gah!" He jerks back, and you follow him, laughing. "Hey! S-stop!"

You do and find him between your paws, having effectively trapped him beneath your face. Like your first meeting.

You grin, things are so...different...

"Red!" Treering laughs.

You stare down at him, "Treering."

The little squirrel quiets, taking in your serious, but warm tone. He looks up at you, a ball of fluff. His head tilts, "Yeah, Red?"

"You did it. Even though you were scared you came back to help me...A fox, a natural...enemy." You ignore the flash of guilt on his face, and give a foxy grin, "You're brave Treering!"

A pause...then...A sniff.

You stiffen and stare in shock as Treering's eyes glimmer, a small squeak escapes him and, "Woah, wait, ah!" You jerk up, stepping from your weeping friend. "I-! I'm sorry!"

Treering sits up, still looking over to you, "I-" Sniff, squeak, "I-"

You wait. Shock keeps you still.

"I'm just..."

Treering get's up and hops over to you, "...You're my friend and..."

You lean down the closer he gets. "...you're so nice...and I-"

You manage to hold still when his small paws come to rest on your snout.

"I don't even..." your small friend is looking down straight at you, eyes swirling with glimmering emotion.

"I want to know your name." He sniffs again, "Not some...made up one...not one of my nicknames..." He looks away, "Your name."

Oh.

Why does that...make you both happy...and sad? You blink. "Treering..."

He looks back and coughs, calming down.

"I love your Nicknames. Please..." You close your eyes, "Don't...stop with the nicknames...they're..." you huff, "...cute..."

"..."

"Pft—!"

Your eyes snap open and black slits land on the squirrel, he's grinning, both paws pressed against his mouth.

His eyes are still glassy, but now he's...smiling. "You're...you're so cute..."

A bubbly feeling fills your chest, "Treering..."

His high pitched chattering laugh is his only response.

---
Note: Was supposed to have them meet Fivver this chapter, but one.) I wanted this out for Easter. 2.) Character did whatever they wanted this chapter lol
Also! I was going to have it reveled that Treering was going to leave after they find the warren, but then the character talked and i changed my mind ^t^;;;

​​​​​​​Next chapter tho O_O they meet!!!