Tails from echidna's tribe

"Beautiful waterfalls," Tails thought, "I wonder if I can get a closer look?" With these thoughts in mind, Tails stepped off the more well-trodden path and onto a more subtle one. Stepping over roots, he got closer and closer, increasingly enraptured by the sight of these tiny streams of water. Just to see... what could go wrong? Tails spotted a large rock he could stand on, but he still had to walk to reach it. Stepping confidently toward it, thinking the ground was solid, Tails sank into the mud. Feeling resistance, Tails looked down and discovered his feet were sinking, showing no signs of stopping. He tried to lift one leg, but only sank further. After struggling a bit more and sinking up to his knees, the fox cub grew tired and realized he needed help. "Dad!" he cried. "Dad! Help!" Who would have thought that, in addition to traps or fragile floors, Tails would experience the usual instability of the ground near some bodies of water? Certainly not Knuckles. Knuckles left the child out for a walk, which was nothing new, and watered the garden beds while he still could, as winter would soon be coming. Out of the corner of his ear, he heard distant cries calling him, but he didn't pay much attention at first. Although he could discern the cry for help, he could also discern the intonation. Now it sounded like this: "I've run into a problem, and your help would be helpful." There was no need to come to this, because if the fox cub tried, he could handle it himself. This was what happened when he tried to climb a rock or a palm tree. Soon, the cry changed, the frequency increased, and the voice began to sound frightened. At this, the echidna perked up. What had happened? Leaving the watering can, Knuckles ran into the forest, following the sound until he reached the waterfalls. Looking back, he didn't see Tails, which startled him: had he taken a wrong turn? Or had the child drowned? Another call nearby made him feel better. He spotted a path with fresh tracks. He followed them to the waterfalls and found a yellow, eared head sticking out of the mud. "Tails?" the echidna approached the fox. "How did you get this bad?" Tails turned his head as far as he could and babbled pitifully, "I wanted to get a closer look at the waterfalls. Please pull me out." Knuckles moved as close as he could and examined the situation. "Can you pull your hands out?" Tails tried to pull his stuck hand free, which had come loose along with the mud on its fur, and held it out to the echidna. The echidna tugged, and, surprisingly, nothing happened. Even with his other arm, it didn't work. Sure, Knuckles had strength, but he was afraid he'd simply rip the child's arms off with that strength. Realizing he had to act differently, Knuckles cursed in his own language and stepped into the mud with one foot, keeping the fox cub underneath him and his foot from sinking. "What a mud-slinger... It's holding on tight," the echidna leaned down. "Grab me by the neck." Tails raised his arms above his head and grabbed tightly by Knuckles's neck, who in turn grabbed him under the armpits and pulled him toward himself. Slowly but surely, the fox's body emerged, and soon Knuckles pulled his foot onto solid ground and, with a straight back, pulled Tails out, completely covered in mud. The echidna tried to wipe his boot on the grass and noticed that the mud hadn't come off, only clinging to blades of grass. Tails's ears drooped in realization of what was about to happen, especially after the warning glance directed at him. "Pray it comes off." They reached the main path, and Knuckles approached the river, trying again this time to clean his boot. With great difficulty, the mud came off, but only with his hands. "I watered the garden beds..." Knuckles sighed irritably and grabbed the fox cub by the ear, since it was the only clean part of his body. He held him lightly, just enough to keep Tails on track.

***

"Ouch, ow, ow, ow!" Tails screamed, sitting in the bathtub and clutching the edges in pain as Knuckles scrubbed his back with the washcloth. "It's not coming off! How did you even find this mud?!" the echidna growled. He knew perfectly well he could have torn off his fur, but the mud hadn't even dried on the way. The water was already completely dirty, so the echidna pulled the plug and waited for it to drain. As he did, he examined the changes on the fox cub's body. There was probably only one hair less mud. "It would be easier to just dunk your head in the same mud and pretend you've always been like this!" the echidna threw up his hands, then grabbed more soap and began applying more to his fur. Tails groaned softly at the roughness of his movements, but remained silent. The water had all drained, leaving his body covered in foam. Knuckles left him in the bathtub to soak, slid down the wall, and sat down to catch his breath, closing his eyes. "I'm cold..." Tails finally complained, looking at the open door. “Shut up, Tails. I'm going bald from the heat.” The door was the only outlet in this steam room, since Knuckles never sweated. He opened his eyes slightly and noticed the animals peeking at them. “What do you want here?!” he barked. The animals didn't answer. They stood there for a moment, then went their separate ways. Tails looked at one of the birds: “I want a bird…” The growling of his stomach confirmed his desire. “Would you also like some fried snow?” Knuckles replied sarcastically. He, too, noticed the birds and had an idea: "Maybe we should try some dried worms?" He stood up and went looking for the right jar. Finding it, he went to the tub and poured the contents in. Then he added a few herbs and stirred them into boiled water. The water with this infusion poured over Tails. The bathtub filled to the brim. The process went faster; the dirt finally submitted. Soon the dirt was washed off, but the fur remained slightly black. But Knuckles gave up on it, figuring they'd have time to comb the fur, and the fox cub would shed his own fur. Exhausted, they left the bath and headed into the house to warm up. Knuckles lit the fireplace while Tails sat, wrapped in a towel, in front of it. Then the echidna went into the kitchen and returned with a grape. Sitting down next to him, he plucked one and held it out to Tails. Tails hesitated, looking at the grape and opening his mouth. The sweet juice trickled down his throat, but the taste made him feel nauseous again. Every day, grapes... Every day, Knuckles gives him these grapes... Knuckles feeds him grapes until Tails is full, but Tails began to feel like he wasn't getting enough. His body was craving something else. After eating about five grapes, Tails abruptly began to turn away from the hand, confusing Knuckles. "So, what kind of game is this? Now stop being naughty," he hissed, frowning. Tails shook his head, refusing. "Come on, eat them! The season is ending, there won't be any more grapes!" "(I can't wait...)" Tails thought, feeling tears welling up. "I'm not hungry!" "You said you were hungry!" "I don't want grapes! I don't like them!" he finally admitted. "What do you want then?!" Knuckles was on edge. The fox cub whined and moaned, "A birdie..." Echidna stood up abruptly, throwing down the grapes and leaving the room. The door slammed, and Tails burst into tears. He was afraid he'd angered Knuckles and looked at the grapes. He hadn't wanted to eat them, but now he felt like he simply had to. Knuckles slammed the door and clutched his head, growling. He began pacing, trying to compose himself. He didn't understand what was making him so angry. It seemed as if Tails was being reckless and mischievous out of spite. Or was it just Knuckles overlooking something? Yes, it's a fox cub, not an echidna. Yes, Knuckles himself isn't an adult yet, even though his childhood is long gone. But Tails never complained about grapes. Yes, he was naughty sometimes, but back then, there was no other choice. Now, apparently, Tails is tormented by a different kind of hunger. Having tried that meat, he's definitely addicted and wants to try it again. Disgusting... He'll never give him raw meat. Raw meat... The echidna sank to his knees and went silent. He was ashamed to go back in, but he couldn't stay outside either. He'd made the child cry over some grapes, and now he'd left him alone, especially by the fire... His father would give him a good slap for that, Knuckles thought. Now his plan was this: try to calm down, but if anything happened, come immediately. So he sat and waited. He wiped a few tears from the corners of his eyes when he noticed them... Soon he decided to go inside, even though he hadn't heard anything. The fox cub was asleep in front of the fireplace, having discarded the wet towel. The grapevine was completely eaten. The cub's eyes were puffy, and his breathing was ragged. Knuckles checked the time and remembered that it was currently a child's nap time, so he carefully picked the child up without waking him and carried him into the bedroom. He closed the curtain over the window, creating darkness in the room, and quietly left. Returning to the kitchen, he wondered what he could do to make peace with him. It was clear: the fox cub was hungry. And he needed more than just stuffing his stomach with whatever was available. He wouldn't give him raw meat under any circumstances. But if it was cooked... Knuckles felt the hatch to the basement and wandered down. There were barrels of wine there, which his father had never allowed him to touch. Now, there was no one to forbade him, so he picked up a mug and poured the tart liquid into it. It smelled of fermented grapes, so Knuckles, trying not to sniff, went back upstairs and left the mug. Then he left the house and went to the pond, where there was another hatch leading to a cold cave. Snow had been dragged down from the mountain long ago, and now it was used to store frozen food. The river flowing nearby helped keep it cool. Knuckles savored the coolness of this cave, and then, having recovered, grabbed what he had come for.

***

Tails woke up in his room late in the afternoon. He rubbed his eyes and quietly got up. Knuckles wasn't there, but a curious aroma lingered in the air. It smelled of smoke, and also... onions and meat? Pulling the curtain, Tails peered out the window and saw an echidna roasting something by the fire in the distance. Knuckles must have noticed the movement in the window, because he immediately shouted, "Tails! Come here!" Tails ran out of the house and, running closer, slowed down, carefully reading the echidna's mood. He was still tense, but not as irritated as he had been that morning. "Sit down," he said, continuing to spit meat over the fire. The fox cub obeyed and looked at the meat: it had acquired a darker hue from the roasting. and it was bubbling with the sap flowing out and heating up. Some of it dripped onto the dying fire, leaving only smoke. "What is this?" "This is what I can feed you." "It smells delicious." "I hope so..." When Knuckles was sure the meat was cooked, he pulled the stick out of the fire and blew on it. When it had cooled enough, he handed the skewer to the fox. He took the treat and hesitantly took the first small bite. As he tasted it, he felt his eyes light up, and he began to bite harder and harder. "So delicious!" he said, chewing. Knuckles chuckled and pulled the other skewers out of the fire. When Tails finished one skewer, he put it down and held out his hands, asking for more. "I'm glad it's good. But I want to make a deal with you," Knuckles said seriously. "This kebab is a limited supply. I can't cook it for you every day, since there's not much meat. I don't intend to intentionally harm animals, and they know it." "And... what then?" Tails asked hopefully. "I propose this: I can vary your diet for you, because I know you'd have to eat it anyway. I can do without it, even if I'm not averse to kebab, like all echidnas. As for you, I expect you not to let such luxury go to waste and to learn to use the energy you gain wisely." "Like what?" "For example, I'll teach you strength, and then you'll be able to get out of that mud on your own. I'll teach you speed and endurance, so you too can run to the Palace in half an hour. You won't be left helpless if I'm suddenly not around. Do you agree?" The fox listened attentively to the terms. All this for a kebab... or was it just for a kebab? Knuckles had managed to convey the image of so many possibilities, and Tails felt he wouldn't regret it. "Okay... I agree," the little fox smiled as a huge hand extended another skewer. "Why aren't you eating it if you're not squeamish?" "My teeth shouldn't be that sharp," the echidna smiled, looking at the meat. "We echidnas prefer other foods. I'll tell you a secret, our ancestors once had no teeth at all." Tails stopped chewing, disbelieving. An echidna without sharp teeth? "Well, or maybe they were, just not as sharp... It was just that hard times came. Father said that's why we started dying out. Something was always wrong on this island: the water would suddenly disappear, causing a drought, or it would rain constantly, washing away everything... The echidnas starved, died of thirst... until, in desperation, they began eating something that gave them more energy than fruit ever could. Our health improved, and our teeth became sharper. Even though it's just you and me on the island now, not counting our animal friends, if it weren't for this decision, we wouldn't even exist. That's why I don't disdain meat," the echidna finished his story, then quickly switched from a calm to a stern voice. "But not raw. And I won't let you eat raw meat." "But why?" Tails pouted. "Eating raw meat is as dangerous as eating unwashed fruit. People of tribe have died from that too." The phrase sounded like a joke; in fact, Knuckles himself laughed, and Tails joined in. "And you do love grapes, you can't fool me."