Leaving Home for the first time

Looking back, I think I surprised my uncle’s family when I finally announced one morning I was ready to strike out on my own and make an honest living. The living away from home part. It didn’t surprise my father, who I told over the phone a few weeks back. My father lives in assisted living for the elderly animals of the wood, so living with him wasn’t possible anymore. Thankfully, my uncle’s family is large and has plenty of space in their tree for live in relations.
“You’re sure about this?” Yes, I told them. I had been working on the papers to officially change my name and everything. “Well, if you ever need to come back home, our tree is open to you.” My aunt tells me with a smile. “I know what its like to be different. To want to finally strike out in the world and make a mark in it. Please do be careful though.” Don’t worry, I told her. I know the address by heart and will send mail when I can. “I hope you don’t mind if we send you off with something.” She leaves the table and came back with what looked like a knee sized squirrel on a leash. It was so light gray that if my eye for color wasn’t so practiced, I’d believe it was pure white. “I wanted to teach my children how to handle a pet but think I might start simpler.” Handing me the leash, the squirrel and I look at each other.

Don’t worry, I tell her. You’re not going to be eaten. Probably does little to ease her being in the presence of a fox. A predator. On wild terms, she would be eaten, but I admit that hunting outside like a wild animal is not... my most practiced skill. Why would we need to, there’s a store down in the wood that supplied all the food we needed. Don’t misunderstand me, we are wild animals. We just act more civilized. At least thats what I believe. Those humans still don’t trust us when or if we meet up. As I'm packing my knapsack, my hair just falls over my shoulder freely and starts getting in the way. The cleanup and such broke it out of the loose ponytail I had tied the longest amount of my head-fur back into. Its bothersome, but dealable. I wear my fur long for a reason. But summer is touch and go on whether or not I lose my patience and choose to shave it all off.

The thing about silver foxes, I was told when I was a cub, was we always change. No two look specifically alike. Imagine my shock when I'm brushing myself out one day as a teenager and my white fur is coming out in handfuls, only to find black and silver beneath. And the silver grows very fast, turning blonde along the way. Its attention getting, and I'm not sure I like that very much. Most of my family is red, but my father is a cross fox. Black fox with red. I think he mentioned my mother being a silver, but I was too young to keep that in mind much.
Do you mind, I do want to finish packing, I tell the squirrel. She stops petting my hair and backs up a bit, still watching. She's surprisingly bold for a squirrel. Now petting her own tail and rubbing her free paw like she is evaluating the softness of my hair.
+1

"Can't believe mom was gonna let us try to take care of that thing. Cublet would've eaten it." my cousin grumbles to himself.
I can hear you, I tell him. And so can she. Jerking my thumb over my shoulder at the quivering white and gray lump in my tail.
"You're crazy Krist, that thing can't understand a word. Its about as dumb as Beaver." he points out. Uh oh, here we go.
Beaver went into law with his grandfather and father, so he's not as dumb as you say, I corrected him. His right ear quivers. Its a tic he's had since he was a littler cub. My cousin's got a loud and demanding personality, and steamrolls my opinion more often then not. He did get better after we graduated. More ear quivering.
"Yeah right. Have fun with your new rat." he spits in the corner and leaves. His well endowed tail leaving the hole that can be called a doorway last.

The flap of my knapsack finally is ready to be closed. Its not even much. The portrait, an extra clean set of clothing (since humans don't view foxes as equals, they flip out if we walk around naturally) a travel blanket, my old personal grooming supplies, fur clips, my old walk radio, some paper and a pen to write home and to my father with, including a list of addresses, my legal papers to turn into the city hall when I arrive... and a book or two. One's blank, the other is an old favorite novel I love. Its a relaxing thing to do, reading. The knapsack stands open while I pick around the rest of my little hole to myself, seeing if anything else should go with me. Its the stuff on my back and thats about it. Turning around, the panilla has put herself into my knapsack? Just settling herself on top of a blanket.

"Humans would probably compare them to guinea pigs and chinchillas for noises, so if you find a library in the city, look up about those creatures." She approaches and I give her a hug, again. Emotions well up inside my chest, as shes the mother figure in my life, petting my ears gently and tilting my muzzle up with a free paw. "Don't forget Kris, you're welcome anytime you need to escape city life."
Th-thank you, I tell her. Get hold of yourself, I tell myself. She passes me the packages when we break apart and drops a key for the tree door in case I want to visit. "Your uncle has connections to the local news, so you might be able to get a job as a newspaperman or a reporter to make some money to start with?"
No, I don't think I want to do Uncle's kind of work. I dont' know what I want to do yet., I tell her.

The woods arent' even that far from a human settlement. To reach the BIG city though, a human had to take a strange loud thing that was much larger and stronger looking then a station wagon called a bus and ride the bus to the city. I had enough pocket change to afford the fare in my pocket of my travel clothes and maybe a bit in my knapsack, Under Mira. Enough to afford a meal or two. Free food would be essential for me. Just as long as it wasn't birds. I don't like bird meat.
The bus human stares at me when I climb up the steps like a human, my delicate looking fox paws hidden in my favorite pair of human sneakers. Its easier to the pawpad to wear human shoes, although my toes will never be so long as to touch the ends, so I tie them super tight.