Forest Dwellers (Redux)

Story by Maverick Skye

I started posting this series here back in Feb 2008...well, since then I worked on it a lot and redid a lot of the chapters. Made the series a bit more interesting as well. So here's the first 9 chapters. Hope you guys enjoy!

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Chapter 1

"Man am I bored..." Whined Maverick, a young fox. "There's got to be something more to do around here." He leaned against a tree and began to wag his silver tail back and forth. Maverick Skye was a fun-loving fox that was a native to this forest. Maverick was born completely different than most forest-dwelling foxes. While most foxes were born with a reddish coat with a white-tipped tail, and black-tipped ears, he was born with a silvery, white coat, and a sky blue tipped tail and ears, not to mention his oddly colored eyes, his left being silver, his right, blue.

He spends a lot of time running around the forest just looking for things to do. Most animals of the forest, especially foxes, feel that because his appearance was so different, and so eccentric, he was an outcast and looked at as undesirable from all others. Eventually though, he seemed to get past that and actually enjoys living his life as a loner. "Ugh...this forest is just so...simple. Anything that I could do here it seems I already did. I need at least some kind of adventure into my life."

"Then it seems you need someone else to hang out with, because you look pretty pathetic by yourself, kid." A young, female squirrel yelled out as she jumped from a branch above him. "And ya know, you really shouldn't talk to yourself, it makes you seem really weird."

Without a moment's hesitation, and on pure instinct, Maverick had begun to growl at the female. "What do you want!? And I'm fine by myself!" He turned from her as his tail stiffened. His time being alone had caused him to be rather defensive around others, not really trusting anybody.

"You also need to work on your people skills. Listen, I know you're that outcast of the forest. But honestly, that doesn't bother me in the least. Besides, I always wanted to meet you." She giggled.

"For what reason do you want to meet me? And it’s just too bad I don't share the sentiment about you!" He snarled.

She began laughing now. "Seriously kid, I think I like you, we'll make a great friendship."

"What the hell?" Maverick was more confused than he was angry. There he was, doing the best he could to actually turn her away from him, but instead, he was actually making her like him more. “You’re not even making any sense to me.”

"The name's Mika," She spoke again. "Mika Elsa. I'm a squirrel from this forest. I've actually been watching you from a distance for a long time now. I just never knew how to approach you. Anyways, you're pretty famous around these parts, aren't you?"

"Infamous...if you ask me." He growled under his breath, still uncomfortable of the prospect of being around other people. "Tell me, why do you continue to talk to me? I'm the outcast for a reason. I don’t exactly play well with others, so what do you want and why do you keep bothering me?”

"What do you mean, 'what do you want!?' I want to actually be your friend, dumbass!" She was getting infuriated with the stubborn fox.

Maverick was completely speechless for once. He closed his eyes looked down and away from the squirrel, and a bit of a scarlet glow spread across his face.

"Seems I finally made a breakthrough. Heh…anyways, tell me, what’s your name kid?”

"It's...it's Maverick. Maverick Skye." He was getting even more nervous as he started to walk closer to him.

"Where do you live anyways? I know you stay somewhere in this forest, but do you have somewhere you call home?" She asked him as she pat him on the shoulder. She looked into his bright oddly-colored eyes. "Its going to rain soon, I can smell the moisture in the air, we can hang out at your place."

"I don't have a home. Does the word outcast mean anything to you? It means cast out. Meaning I have no home, friends, family, nothing but the forest leaves over my head and maybe a tree stump to sleep at when I get tired."

"That really does suck. We need to change that." She suddenly grabbed his paw and pulled him along through the trees. While they were running, he looked about and noticed other forest creatures looking at him with very strong glares in their eyes. He closed his eyes and just let her guide him to wherever she was taking him. All of a sudden he felt a something strong bash him in the face and he was forced to the ground. "What the fuck do you think you're doing with her!?" An unfamiliar voice yelled.

Maverick hesitated to open his eyes and didn't speak.

"I said what are you doing!?" The voice said again. Maverick could feel that whoever it was, was raising his fist to strike him in the face again, but this time, there was no impact. He finally opened his

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