Chapter 8: Saved

Sagepaw cowered underneath the Vine Tangle, disgusted at his own helplessness. He tried to block out the sounds of the foxes' battle but the noises were so loud that he couldn't. Sagepaw tried to press himself into the ground, wanting to fade away into the earth forever.

Suddenly, a familiar scent washed over him. He lifted his head a little bit and inhaled deeply, ignoring the pungent smell of fox. It was the soft scent of a cat, he was sure of it! Sagepaw looked around excitedly, trying to spot the other cat.

"Sagepaw," a voice spoke quietly from the shadows.

The black and white tom pricked his ears forward expectantly; he remembered the smell from his dream.

"Tawnypelt? Is that you?"

The scent drifted closer to him and while Sagepaw couldn't see the mottled pelt of the StarClan warrior, he sensed her nearness. She was watching him, he was sure of it.

"Sagepaw, you must be brave," the she-cat's voice echoed from in between the vines, "you must prove yourself to the Fire Tails."

"How?" murmured Sagepaw anxiously.

"Fight," came the stern reply.

Tawnypelt's scent vanished as quickly as it had arrived. Sagepaw didn't need to look around to know that the star-furred she-cat was gone. He struggled to his feet, the vines nipping his coat. Tawnypelt was right. He needed to fight for the foxes if he ever wanted to belong. He couldn't hide like a kit anymore. Sagepaw took a deep breath and plunged out of the Vine Tangle, a roaring growl leaping from his throat.

The first thing Sagepaw saw was Vorago, pinned to the ground by Furtim, the huge black fox, writhing underneath his weight, trying to bite his paws. Sagepaw forgot the resentment he held against Vorago and recklessly sped towards Furtim, his silvery claws sliding out as he ran.

"What the -" Furtim cried as Sagepaw threw his whole weight at the black fox.

Furtim staggered off Vorago and fixed his gaze on Sagepaw, who was scrambling up from the ground where he had fell.

"Well if it isn't the little kitty," spat Furtim as he circled Sagepaw.

"I'm not scared of you," lied Sagepaw, hissing furiously.

Furtim let out a sharp laugh and suddenly dived at Sagepaw. The tomcat darted to the side, narrowly missing the fox's sharp jaws. Furtim wasn't finished. He skidded around and knocked Sagepaw off his feet with a heavy black paw. Sagepaw tumbled over the grass, his head stinging from the blow. Tawnypelt's words swam back to him as Sagepaw lurched to his feet again. He had to fight! He had to be brave!

"Are you all tuckered out now?" taunted Furtim, "Are you ready to become breakfast?"

"You better tell the rest of the White Teeth about me," Sagepaw suddenly snarled, evaluating the distance between himself and the fox, "because I'm going to cause you a lot of grief."

Furtim didn't have a chance to laugh at Sagepaw's bold statement. The apprentice charged the fox and at the last minute, jumped into the air so he was level with his enemy's face. Time seemed to stop as Sagepaw struck out with his claws at the fox's broad head. Furtim's eyes widened in amazement and surprise as Sagepaw's claws left long slashes on his face and muzzle.

Sagepaw dropped to the ground and swiftly ran into Furtim's legs, knocking the fox to the earth. He smiled at his handiwork. Blood was running down Furtim's face and dripping into his eyes. He was yipping in pain as Sagepaw bit down hard on his front foot. Furtim tried to stand up but Sagepaw seemed to have rendered him helpless.

Backing up away from the still-snapping teeth of the black fox, Sagepaw found himself tripping over a warm object. He flipped over and saw that he had fallen over a huge bushy tail. A fox's tail.

A thin paw slammed down on his chest. Sagepaw's breath was crushed out of him as the fox's claws drew blood. He grimaced. He was in a terrible position; all the fox needed to do was slash downwards along his belly and he'd be finished.

"What did you do to my mate, you little scrap of fur?" growled Dolosus, her amber eyes boring into Sagepaw's fur.

Sagepaw couldn't answer, he was losing air fast now. He felt the blood trickling down his stomach as the vixen pressed down harder.

Just as he felt himself losing consciousness, the paw on his body disappeared and the looming face of Dolosus vanished from his vision. Sagepaw coughed and shakily stood up, wondering where the she-fox had gone. He gasped as he saw Vorago, wrestling with the other fox, biting her neck and pummeling her with her back paws.

Sagepaw's belly was still bleeding and it was beginning to ache as well. Furtim had receded from view; Sagepaw assumed he had retreated. Domito was joining his mate, nipping at Dolosus's tender ears and tail. Finally, the vixen scrambled away from the two foxes and hared away into the brush, not looking back.

Vorago and Domito, panting heavily, glanced around the Vine Tangle, searching for any signs of other White Teeth foxes. They seemed satisfied because they walked over to where Sagepaw was standing, his breaths coming out in muted gasps.

"Are you okay, Sagepaw?" asked Domito, genuine concern in his eyes.

"I-I think so," Sagepaw replied, "it's just my belly."

"Let's take him to Macresco," Vorago suggested, staring at Sagepaw with an odd emotion in her eyes.

Domito nodded and glanced at the tom. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah," Sagepaw said, testing his full weight. He could stand up and walk, but he knew he wouldn't be able to run.

"Alright. I'll walk alongside him. You lead the way," Vorago commanded, jerking her head to Domito, who immediately starting trotting off.

Vorago put her rusty-colored tail on Sagepaw's pelt, and the two began to walk, Vorago guiding the tom, allowing him to lean against her for support.

"So does this mean you don't hate me anymore?" asked Sagepaw dryly.

Vorago glanced down at the cat sheepishly. "I could never hate someone who saved my life. You fought for us, the Fire Tails, back there. And you're not even a fox. You truly are the cat from the prophecy, Sagepaw," Vorago said quietly, "I will protect you from now on, you have my word."

Pleased and surprised, Sagepaw gently laid his own tail upon the fox's shoulder. He let out a tentative, soft purr.

"Vorago?"

"Yes?"

"You are the weirdest fox I've ever met."

The vixen had to laugh at that.

xxx

Woo-hoo! Vorago is a changed fox! Yay! D Sorry, I'm kind of attached to her. Anyway, if you've left reviews, thank you so much and please continue reading and reviewing. Props to Moosey for the chapter title! Thanks again