The sky was clear and clamoring with the musical confusion of hounds as the hunting party began its crusade. Fox hunting was the favorite pass time of the King, King Brutus X. The thrill of the chase and the sensation of the nostril-flaring steed between his thighs gave his majesty the feeling that he was flying on the winds of God. No one loved the sport more than the King with the possible exception of the King’s favorite hound.
The hound’s name was Uriel, after the Archangel commonly referred to as the patron saint of confirmation. The King was given Uriel on his fifteenth birthday in hopes that the act of hunting would make him into a man. The two became great friends and were practically inseparable. When the Brutus was crowned King following his father’s death he ordered the construction of a gold edged pillow so that Uriel could sit beside him at court.
It was often joked in the kingdom that Uriel was the real ruler and Brutus was simple a Lord Protector who made sure the King was fed.
It was true that even as Brutus and Uriel moved into their older age, the King remained a child at heart, rarely raising his voice or losing his temper, while the hound gained a stoic and some would even say royal attitude.
That aside they both loved to hunt.
When the King had children of his own he would entrust Uriel to watch over them until they were old enough to take care of themselves. Brutus had very little to do with the lives of his children. His eldest son, Goltana, was finally of the age where he could join his father on a fox hunt. He was excited to accompany the King and saw this as an opportunity to finally show his father that when he died, the kingdom would be in good hands.
The hounds bayed loudly as they were led to the sporting grounds. They each could not contain their excitement at being allowed to hunt for the first time after the long winter. Even Uriel, who normally was quiet silent and dignified, was restless. This was something the King took great notice of.
His son, however, was just like the rest of the dogs. He fidgeted on his saddle and continually had to be called back as he rode out ahead of the group.
“But father, I am just so excited!” he protested every time the King ordered him back.
They rode for what seemed to Goltana to be many miles when finally they reached the ancient family hunting grounds. Goltana looked out over the flowing hills and forested patches of the land hungrily, hoping to catch sight of a fox himself. The need to kill a fox and to kill it before any of the lords assembled for the hunt was all consuming. He had to prove to his father that he was a man.
The King gave a silent signal that it was time to begin. The trumpets sounded out a ringing call-to-arms that was echoed by the chorus of baying hounds. They began the hunt.
The party broke into small groups and began crashing through the underbrush as the hounds sensed the red and white occupants within the forest. Goltana kept his eye on Uriel because he knew that if any of the hounds was going to be the first to spot the prey, it would be his father’s favorite.
His father’s favorite. The thought irked him. He was never welcomed at court with open arms as the canine that was sniffing its way through the bushes at this moment was. Whenever Goltana visited the court when his father was doing business his presence was treated like a tolerated nuisance, with dismissing brief glances and stony silence. The dog however was allowed to sit at the King’s right hand and in some instances managed to sway the King’s opinion of a suitor by either growling or greeting the man with a wagging tail.
The dog, in effect, out ranked the young prince.
No matter, he thought, I’ll prove myself here in this wood and then my father will know just what kind of man I am.
He stopped as he noticed Uriel’s ears perk up. The dog was on to something. He turned back and bayed out a message to the King, who was still far behind, and set off at full speed into the underbrush. Goltana could not coax his horse into following so he dismounted quickly and sped off after him on foot.
It was somewhere around here, Uriel was sure of it. He had never failed to be the first hound to encounter a fox since his first. It was that first hunt that instilled the joy of the sport in the hound’s heart. To be matched in a game of wits and strength against a worthy adversary, that was the true ecstasy of life. The fox was a formidable opponent. They were fast, able to disappear from vision in an instant, and had the agility of a cat while maintaining the spirit of a dog. They were also smart, which is what Uriel liked best about them.
The fox had skills that made them damn difficult to track. Such tricks as doubling back over their trail and leaping off of it made the smell problematic to follow. They would climb any tree that they could possibly get up, walk it as far as they could, and then continue on the ground, leaving lesser dogs sniffing around the base of the tree until they realized their prey was long gone.
Uriel had respect for the foxes.
Now he could sense one, not too far away. The trail was still fresh. He could smell the musty odor and every few paces he found a fresh track, the dirt still dark from being overturned. Any moment he would find the fox and then the chase would be on proper. He would find the fox, alert it of his presence and then, after informing the King, begin the chase.
He was close. Maybe within five feet of the fox. He bayed out his message to the King and then charged through the underbrush, ready for action. He popped out of the brush into a small clearing encircled by a group of small dead trees. There was the fox. He growled menacingly and prepared to chase.
But the fox didn’t run. It was lying down, breathing heavily. It turned its face toward Uriel. He could tell something was wrong. He circled around the fox who remained motionless save for its panting. As he came around to its underside the situation became clear to him. The fox was giving birth.
Uriel, was about to continue on when he noticed the expression that the fox was giving him. She seemed to cry out for help with her eyes. Something was wrong. Uriel came closer to the birthing mother. Two pups were trying to come out at once and had gotten stuck. If he didn’t do something quickly the mother along with the entire litter would die.
He immediately set to work, as best he could. He used his paws and his nose to try and manipulate the pups as best as he could. He managed to get them situated just as Goltana came into the clearing.
His eyes fell upon the sight greedily. A mother fox! He was going to get an entire family on his first hunt. Uriel paid no heed to the young prince as he worked feverishly to save the fox’s life. Two of the pups had been born; there was an unknown amount left.
“Good boy, Uriel,” Goltana said. “Move aside now.”
The Prince drew his weapon as Uriel continued to work industriously on the mother fox. He did not move away.
“Uriel,” the young man urged but the hound didn’t even turn to look at him.
Grumbling to himself Goltana bent down to push the dog aside. Uriel wheeled around and snapped at the Prince’s hand. Goltana had only just gotten his hand out of the way in time.
“How dare you!” he reproached “You mongrel! Move out of my way!”
But Uriel simply put himself between the fox and the Prince, growling out his warning that no man would touch this mother. Not while he was there. Taking the meaning, Goltana kicked Uriel. He kicked him hard and he kicked him far, sending him crashing into one of the dead rotten trees that formed the boarder of the clearing. As he was hit, Uriel let out a loud yelp. He could only lay there, stunned as he watched Goltana bring down his sword on the mother fox.
Goltana stood over his prize, puffed full of pride for what he had done. The hunt had made him a man. He leveled his blood stained blade in preparation to kill the pups when a voice from behind him called out:
“What have you done?”
The Prince turned to see the King his father standing behind him. He had heard Uriel’s yelp and come, expecting to see a bear but instead found his son.
“Father!” Goltana cried out happily “Look! My first kill.”
The King said nothing as he pushed passed him. He stood beside the body of the mother fox and knelt down beside it. He put his hand to the animal’s stomach. There was no movement inside. The two pups that had been born lay on the ground next to their mother, crying blindly for their mother’s care.
Uriel pushed himself to his feet and limped to the pups. He lowered himself around them, to give their hairless bodies warmth.
“Father?” Goltana said.
“How could you?” The King replied.
“I…” the Prince stammered in reply.
The king called for his horse. When it arrived he gathered up the fox pups and Uriel into his arms. With his attendant’s help he mounted his horse. He was about to leave when:
“I just wanted to show you what kind of man I am, Father!” Goltana said.
The King paused, heaving a heavy sigh.
“And you have,” he said sadly “You have.”
“I wanted to show you I can be King,”
“You will never be King. Any man who would destroy life simply to display power is not fit to rule.”
And with that the King and his attendants rode off, leaving Goltana behind. The Prince looked down at the body of the fox and wept. Not for what he had done but what he had lost. And that, he knew, is why he would never be King.
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