Looks like you were wrong

A gentle hush lay over the forest as I made my way back toward the guild, with the little black fox trotting alongside me like a silent shadow.

Sunlight trickled through the thick canopy above, casting intricate patterns on the forest floor.

I'd been lost in thought, my mind flitting between the mission, my strange encounter with Thalindra, and the fox's inexplicable attachment to me. It wasn't until the light around me dimmed unnaturally that I noticed something was off.

The usual sounds of the forest the birds' calls, the rustling of underbrush, the buzz of insects had all but vanished.

My senses prickled, and the fox's fur stood on end as if it, too, sensed an impending threat. I slowed, gripping the hilt of my dagger, eyes scanning the trees around me. That's when I noticed shadows moving at the edge of my vision.

Suddenly, a creature sprang from the shadows a twisted amalgamation of fangs, claws, and an eerie, moss-covered hide.