I will never understand computers, I'm afraid! I had to call upon the assistance of Miss Li Mei tonight... She says she has no idea how I managed to 'like, break the browser so totally!' - but this is perhaps why I only use the computer for correspondence in the first place...!
I can answer some of the questions you have had myself, so let's start with those first!
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How did you come in contact with Sir Keane, Jeryck?
Where did Sir Keane learn abour Jeryck from?
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It was actually Sir Keane who contacted me! I published a paper on an archaeological site he was interested in, as it correlated to a legend he was researching. It was only recently that we took to exchanging PMs rather than written letters. *smiles* Also his suggestion, of course. I do admit it
is faster, even taking into account my awkwardness with computers!
Hmm... That seems to be the only set of questions I can answer at the moment. If I missed any, I do invite you to ask them again!
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From: Sir Keane
Subject: re: more on Heartface Foxes; yourself
Thanks again for the invitation to visit you in Menewsha, Jeryck! I'll take you up on it as soon as I can, but I do have several trips booked for awhile yet! I'll let you know when-abouts I'll be free and we'll plan something then, all right?
My - the Menewshans are a curious folk, aren't they? Delightful!
I got the first PM from you shortly after you sent it, but since the question related to the behavior and temperament of the heartface foxes, I figured it would be better for a thorough response if I actually studied the creatures longer than the few hours I had up until that point.
Temperament: Extremely friendly! I'm never without at least one by my side - and as many as the entire.... Hmm... What should I call them? A group of normal foxes is called a 'skulk' - but for such creatures, certainly they deserve their own name that is not quite so ominous! I'm quite liking the term 'beat' (as in, "a beat of heartface foxes") - but I'm open to suggestions from the Menewshans! In any case, the entire 'clan', if you will, of heartface foxes numbers seven in the area I'm in. They all appear to get along quite well, even if their coat color changes (there was a minor tussle between two black-coated foxes, but if their coat color change back to white is any indication, they forgave each other easily).
Behavior: As I said - I have seen them change their coat colors. Many times, in fact! Usually the change is for obvious reasons - this one shoved that one out of my lap so they could have their turn, I shooed them out of my tent so I could sleep at night without inhaling fox fur, and so forth. But occasionally they have changed coats with no visible stimulus. This leads me to believe the tales are true and they are intelligent beasts on par with dolphins and the like (if very different, of course!) I believe that they do think over the past and think of the future and, like humans, become happy or sad based on these thoughts.
At night, they like to pile onto me, if I allow it (and I do if the night is cool!), and lacking my human companionship, I've seen them curl together in a pile - usually between the door of my tent and the campfire.
They play together and seem to be trying to teach me a game 'fetch the stick' - but the rules of it seem to be a little more complex than how you might play fetch with a dog! They change color as we play and I'm betting there is a color pattern I'm meant to remember, for if I throw it to the 'wrong' fox, they all stop and walk away, I suppose lacking the means to otherwise tell me I didn't play according to the rules! It makes me feel quite slow, I tell you! Ha ha!
I would like to note one more thing before proceeding to other questions - all seven of the heartface foxes I've interacted with here in the wild appear to be approximately the same age... The full of young adulthood. I have seen no evidence that they get either older or younger, so as far as I can tell, the tales are correct on that matter!
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I got a question about the foxes. o:
Have they been known to change any other colors?
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I have occasionally seen reference to other colors... Though every time it has been from some sort of magic applied to them, usually by a wicked magician, and they've always reverted to normal by the end of the story!
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What kind of shelter do the foxes live in?
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The den I found this little group of heartface foxes seems similar to any fox den a regular fox might make... It's nested in the side of a hill between roots of trees. Though now they seem to prefer my tent or the area around my campsite!
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Do the foxes have any particular abilities?
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I haven't seen any evidence of that yet myself, but in tales, they occasionally have magic of their own or resistance to magic. In general, it seems that they rely on their agility and intelligence, rather than magic!
Although... I believe they
can sense and respond to emotions. The other day, I was feeling quite homesick and they all gathered around me and made comforting sounds and turned black (I presume with sympathy) - this in spite of the fact that I was smiling at them! I did feel better shortly, and they turned white again. I don't necessarily hold with the idea that they removed my feelings of homesickness, or eased it in any 'magical' or 'supernatural' manner - but their attempts to comfort me did work quite well!
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Have the heart-face foxes ever been known to be aggressive?
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Well, indeed they have! When a black fox is in control of someone with magical power and strong emotions, they have been known to be rather vicious!
But in general, even black heartface foxes will only attack if provoked or in defense of someone they care about. I would not worry overmuch if you came upon one in the wild as long as you were not hostile towards them or someone they seemed to be protecting.
Well, this PM seems to be getting rather long! I'll close this with a somewhat shorter tale. Since Jeryck mentioned that you were asking about dragons earlier, I dug up this one about a dragon and heartface fox.
I hope you enjoy!
-S/K3
PS: Jeryck -
In a few days, I'll be moving camp into the mountains and I may not be able to access my internet for several days at a time. Any questions the Menewshans may have should probably be asked before then! Thanks! Tell Cecilia hi for me, please!
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ATTACHMENT:
This is an excerpt from
The Book of Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, and Legends of Menewsha: Volume IV (Fairy and Folk Tales), compiled by and re-written by literary historian, Sir Cassian Keane the Third.
The Dragon and the Fox
My father's father said
his father told him this tale, so now I'll tell it to you! But he was quite the shady fellow, so who's to say it's true?
Once a hearted fox and a dragon met to play. They danced around and swam the sea and did so almost every day.
"What fun this is!" the dragon cried, his eyes so bright and gay. "Indeed," the hearted fox replied, since there seemed nothing else to say.
And what a sight it would have been were we there to see! Who wouldn't like a dragon so green or a fox as white as she?
As with all, the years pass, as much as we try to keep them at bay. But the time had come for the dragon to go far away.
"My mum says I must take my place as a Guardian to us all!" His friend the fox replied, "I'll go with you, for alone, this life would pall."
"I'd like that, my bonny friend!" the dragon was quick to speak. "But the Guardians say that those who need others to be happy must be weak."
"How foolish these great dragons are - that they choose to live apart! Don't they know they greatest strength lies in following your heart?"
The fox's coat then changed from white to black and then she ran away. And try as he might, her friend couldn't call her back and say what he meant to say.
With sadness, the dragon went where he was bid. He learned many things and became strong - only his loneliness he hid.
'Til such time as the Great War was upon us all. It devoured everyone and everything - be they large or be they small.
"Let us send forth our greatest Guardian," the leaders of the dragons decreed. And our friend, now warrior, went where there was need.
The Great War he conquered - the Great War he subdued. The King and Queen were grateful; the warrior smiled and went away to brood.
"I'm unhappy with this life. All I want is my friend." And he looked down the beach - to see the fox at the end!
"I knew you'd think of me once more!" the hearted fox sang with great delight. And her coat shed the black and turned once more to white!
"The Guardians may have their way on where to send me and when - but this dragon will never be apart from the white fox - his friend!"
And what had the dragons to say about all this fuss - what measure did they decide? Well, I saw a dragon once, and on his shoulder a gleaming white fox happily did ride!
