“The Unexpected Hero” (Part 2)

Presuming that you have read Part 1 – please proceed and enjoy!

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They made their way over to the trees and, while Dewey was checking out various scents on the ground, Odessa was flying around looking for mice. He watched her in amazement, for she was quite a large bird, and was so graceful when in flight. He also noticed how silent she was when swooping low over the ground. He thought, I am so glad that I am not a small furry creature around here.

Odessa eventually circled around and landed next to Dewey. “So, how is Jaxon today?” she asked. “The barn is very quiet without him in there.”

“He’s not feeling very good, due to a sore throat,” said Dewey, “but he’ll be back to normal in a day or two. The man-servant is looking after him.”

Odessa smiled. “You know, the man-servant can be really frustrating at times, but he is so good to us. What would our farm be like without him?”

Dewey grinned. “I know,” he said. “He drives me nuts regularly, but he kind of grows on you, doesn’t he? Let’s not tell him about this conversation though. Agreed?”

Odessa was looking rather focused on something a short distance away. “Agreed.”

Dewey knew that something was not right. “What’s up, Odessa? What are you looking at?”

“Something is moving behind that group of trees over there.” She pointed her wing to the area. “It is quite big, and all my instincts are to fly away, but I can’t.”

“Why can’t you fly? Have you done something to your wings?”

Odessa gave him her now familiar ‘I don’t believe you asked that’ look. “Dewey,” she said, “if I fly away, you will be left on your own with whatever that thing is. I have a plan. I will try and get its attention, and when you get a chance, you run back to the farm as fast as you can. Don’t go anywhere though until we are out of sight.”

“Perhaps I should climb up this tree?” said Dewey.

Odessa looked at him. “What are you going to do if that thing can climb trees?”

“Good point.” said Dewey. “Go and do your thing, and I’ll watch!”

Odessa flew over to the area where she had seen the creature, and quickly found it. It looked up at her and snarled. Odessa knew immediately that it was a large fox, and it was not going to be friendly. She flew down to the ground and pretended to be having trouble flying. The fox watched her with great interest, and followed her as she pretended that she could only fly very short distances.

Odessa’s plan was working fine, until the fox suddenly stopped and turned its head to look behind it. She looked to see what had attracted its attention, and her eyes suddenly opened as wide as they could possibly go, for there, not too far away, was Dewey. He was running at a leisurely pace in the direction of the farm, and had not waited as Odessa had instructed.

The fox suddenly turned and started running towards Dewey. Odessa took flight, and within a few minutes, was over Dewey and shouting down, “Find a tree, Dewey! A fox is after you!”

Dewey turned his head to look, but although he could not see the fox because of the tall grasses, he decided to look for a tree anyway. There was a small problem, however. Dewey had left the area where all the trees were, and looking ahead, he could only see one tree. He calculated that it would take him quite a while to reach it.

He looked up at Odessa. “Can you stall him, Odessa? That tree ahead is where I am going!”

Odessa flew up a little higher, so that she could see where the fox was, and was horrified to see how close it now was to Dewey. She then turned, so that she would be coming up on the fox from behind, and pretended that she was mouse hunting. She swooped down very fast and in total silence. Right at the last minute, and as she was passing low over the fox’s tail, she put out her claws and dragged them along its body. The fox whipped around very fast and snapped at Odessa but, fortunately, she was already gaining height. She did that a few more times, and while it slowed the fox down, it would still reach Dewey long before he reached the safety of the tree, unless something else was done.

 

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