Shaking her head when she heard his voice she blushed slightly at the implication. She opened her mouth to respond when she heard voices outside of the bush. Yanking her head out she saw a rabbit and a raccoon standing there. Standing at her full height she smiled shyly and apologized. "I'm sorry was I in your way?"

"Not if you were going IN that bush," the young Raccoon commented. "A voice I think I've heard before was inviting you."

Smiling in what she hoped was a way that hid her unease at more animals coming around. A thing she learned on the streets is that a large group of animals can possibly draw unwanted attention. she scratched the back of her neck and shook her head. "No, I can't go in the bush One I wouldn't fit and also there is a-"



Pausing in her sentence she frowned slightly and looked at the bush. "... a... uuuh... a... ghost........ in the b-bush?" She fumbled over her explanation feeling her face heat with her superbly unbelievable lie. She was sure that the fox was joking but didn't want to give him away in case he really was trying to hide. Unfortuantely she was terrible at making up things on the fly.

Sam grins and dramatically throws her arms wide.
"Pay no attention to dat fox behind de bush!" she thunders, parodying a popular film. Giggling, she drops her paws and leans casually on her cane.
"It's Sam and Scruff, Lucky. I'd recognise dat yelp o' yours anywhere. What are you doin' in dere anyway?"

~~~~~~~~
"So... Is that it then? Is there anything David needs to sign to make the job official or anything?"

"It's alright, Miss," Scruff smiled, before nipping to her side and looking into the bush with her, "we knows that Fox! And he's eating Barber queues!"

Just hanging out in the shade... that is, if the phox was here in the first place..



Lucky wipes his muzzle off on some leaves
i am?

for him, no.. but there is paperwork for his owner to sign.
AN the foxes owner, if she has one..

laughing nervously she looked at the shorter animals around her. They seemed like thy where really close friends but she wasn't sure how to act. It had been a while since she had interacted with other animals.

Honey!??? Who is it? Did you tell them the phox is out?



*********************************


So what were you two expecting to be payed in? doggie bisquets?

"We know you're in, Lucky," scruff said, poking his head through the bushand blinking. "Hiya!"
---------------------------------------_--------------
"Oh, I think we'd probably prefer cash, sir, but only if it can be afforded."

EEKKKK!Lucky goes.
Hiding behind his big casted tail..
You masher!.. I'm in the shower!!


sure we could do that..
or we could pay in sheep.. you could then start your own herd.. with the added instinctive of protecting them better..

"You're a liar, Lucky - and a bad one at dat! Why don't you come out here and introduce us to your friend?" Sam suggests.

~~~~~~~~
Fletcher bites her tongue to avoid making another snide comment. She doesn't want to cost David his job before he's even started it. Even if she does worry that the guy will take advantage of him. She'll probably raise her concerns with David later.

Lucky pokes his head out of the bushes..
I would lov to do that, deery.
but i don't believe she has tossed her name to me to catch as of yet..

Watching the animals around her interact with each other was interesting to watch. I had been a while since she had a casual conversation. scratching behind her ear she smiled slightly. Looking at the fox in surprise she realized she hadn't. "Oh I'm sorry. My name is Tart. Its Nice to meet you...Lucky?" She guessed having heard the other animals refer to him earlier. "its nice to meet you two too... also."She corrected herself, speaking to the the others.

Lucky crosses his arms, leaning in against the bush. almost defying gravity with this move.
An which type of tart might you be?

"I fear it had best be money," David confessed. "The local merchants woud probably not appreciate me paying for bread with a Lamb."
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"Hiya, Tart," Scruff said merrily. "Didja choose the name yourself? I did mine. I was 'scum' but I's 'Scruff now!" And he gave the strange, wiry, female Canine a hug.

Confused by his question, Tart Scratched behind her ear. "Umm the... me... kind?"Shrugging at Scruff's question she stated "I was given it. My original owner wanted to call me Lady but my other one said I didn't deserve it and called me Tart." She started when Scruff hugged her, looking down at him pressed against her dirty fur. It had been a while since some one touched her. She patted the top of his head smiling awkwardly, though she enjoyed the contact.

"Yes I too think that cash would be more convenient for all of us" Selene replied "So I guess we'll meet you tomorrow with our owners to sign the contract?"

"Ah, well, mine would be absent, Selene," David confessed, "but I can find someone to act in absentia."

"It's a pleasure, Tart. I'm Sam Hopkins." Sam nods, offering a paw.
"You look hungry. Oi, Lucky, whatchoo doin', not sharin' yer food wit' yer lady friend?"

~~~~~~~~
"My parents could do it." Fletcher offers. "They'd make sure to read the contract carefully too."

The rancher looks confused..
Is that some foreign country?

"Ah. What I was saying - and what Fletcher means - is that she knows people who can stand in for my owner," David translated.
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Scruff made his way down to Lucky. "You're not normally stingy, are you?" he asked, "not with a stray asking help?"

We just gots around to meeting up, and getting into the picnic spot


why yes yes i am... AN she hasn't asked for help................ yet

"Oh I hadn't asked for any of his food. I was tempted to... but I hadn't gotten around to begging him for food yet. Tried to avoid it to be honest. Other hungry animals don't share food very well. But if you have the spare foods...."she scratched the side of her head and smiled in a please-give-me-food kinda way.

Lucky opens the case, wafting the smell of BBQ out of the bushes,,
An tosses a rib to the starving doggie
There you go

"Are you sure it's ok though?" Selene asked "Since I don't think your owners ever met one another yet"

Catching the food smiling in thanks. taking a lick of the barbecue she hummed and started to to eat. Rememberng what sh was doing before she had met the fox she asked around the food, "Oh yeah can any of you tell me where the park is? I wanted to take a quick dip, It's been a while since I had a proper soak."

Fletcher shrugs nonchalantly.
"I don't see why not. If David's owner is anything like David is then they'll be pleased to work with him. Besides, Dad's a pastor. No one would double cross or cheat him unless they wanna be damned for all eternity." the doe quips.

~~~~~~~~
"Down dat way, I tink." Sam points. "I haven't actually been dere myself yet dough. What about you, Lucky? You've been here a while, haven't you?"

"I see" Selene smiled awkwardly, a little taken aback by Fletcher's last few words "anyway *ahem* I think that's all we should talk about, thank you for your time sir, have a good day, we'll see you again" she said , signaling for her companion to go as well

You all hurry back now. y'a hear?

Walking down towards the park Nathan was taken aback in when he came back outside. He noticed the note was gone from the door. "The wind must have blown it off" he muttered to himself, desperately suppressing any other possibility he could come up with. Adjusting his scarf he started making moves towards the park since he saw that there was a lake from his window.

Looking in the direction that Sam pointed and nodded. Smiling she chewed on the end of the now clean bone and started walking.
"Thanks for the food and the help. See you around!" She waved and started walking. she really hoped that there was a pond or something. this mud patch was really starting to itch...


having wandered around for about thirty minutes making a couple of random turns here and there she finally found the park. smiling around the small piece of bone that she was still gnawing on she she spied the lake and happily strode right into it up to her arm pits. Crunching the bone like candy she finished it and then dunked her head in underwater. using her paws to scrub at the dirt patches she started to feel the cold water as it penetrated her dense fur. shivering slightly, she waded out until the water was just at her knees and inspected her fur for more visible dirt in her long wavy coat.

"Er, okay. Bye." Sam waves, caught a little off-guard by the dog's abrupt departure.
"So, Lucky... Scruff and I were on our way to check out de park. Wanna come wit' us?"

~~~~~~~~
Fletcher quietly follows Selene. Once they're out of earshot she turns to David.
"So, what do you make of him, David?" she queries.

"Yeah," Scruff said, trying to sneak a piece of BBQ, "C'mon, Lucky, come wandering with us!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"He was not like the farmers back in the U.K.," David said, exhaling and shaking his head after they'd walked a short way.

"Sorry for suddenly leave like that everyone" Selene sighed "Do you think you'll be able to work with him if he's so different ?"

On approach to the pond he noticed a body playing in the pond. As odd as it was, he didn't question it since he saw no signs against swimming in the pond.
Greetings resident of a community that is, on surface appearance, seems rather distant.
He says on approach to the figure in the water.

Looking up, she waved at the other dog. "Oh hello. I wouldn't call myself a resident. I just got into to town today. I have only met a few people so far."

Lucky perks up his ears...
talk about your eat an run..
You would think a she would stay an eat as much as she could beg for..

getting another rib out of the case to munch on...
Lucky starts piling leaves and pine needles upon the case, trying to hide it..
how can i just go running off, and leave this here unprotected?