Solitude

The Gorse Fox had been walking for about 90 minutes. Some 5 miles or so were under his belt (so to speak).

He mused that he seemed to have the Downs to himself. He had not seen another living soul. (Strictly speaking, he hadn't seen any dead ones either - just in case you were wondering).

As if conjured up by his very thoughts he turned a bend only to be faced with a cluster of crusty ramblers coming in the other direction. They called cheery "Hellos" as they passed, but somehow they had broken the spell.

Turning the bend had also pointed GF directly into the wind as it scoured the Downs. This made the going a little slower than normal as he continually had to wipe his eyes (and nose) as he headed north-east.