Foxes of Elmchest
Prequel to 'Silverwolf'
The time of the Praw has come, the one to save all from darkness and doom. But he is pursued and hunted by the dark legions of Inari, and only he, Prince of Elmchest, can save the world from eternal night.
Prologue
Torran raced through the forests of Elchem, the sword by his side was bloodied, but that blood was not his. Grasped tightly in his paws, glinting and flashing in the moonlight that shone between the trees, was a golden crown, beset by precious jewels from far distant lands that had foreign-sounding names and held powers beyond the wildest of imaginations. Though the crown was all that mattered to Torran, it in itself was worthless compared to the real treasure secured inside its' glass top.
But for now the fleeing fox didn't have time to think of such things, for the sounds of his pursuers were growing ever-louder in the distance.
Torran's mind raced, trying to think of a clever scheme to get him out of the mess he'd placed himself in. The mercenary thief's brain was agile and cunning, and full of devious tricks. Many of these very tricks had saved his life countless times before, and yet none of those used previously would help him now.
The creatures chasing him knew the value of the thing he held in his paws, and doubtless would comb and scour any likely hiding places looking for him, until there was no-where else he could go. Even if he did get the object to his employer in time, it would not save his own life, for they only knew that he had taken it, and knew naught of his employer.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that there would be no escape for the mercenary thief this time, and that as long as memory pictured him his days were numbered. The undeniable certainty of this fact made Torran even more determined to get away, for Torran always rose to meet a challenge when one came his way. He was not a one for shrinking back and skulking in the shadows, as his proud title suggested.
But that didn't mean that Torran had lost all his common sense. And though it was against his nature Torran knew that he would have to find a place to hide sooner or later, he couldn't keep running forever. And so it was that, under cover of darkness and his quick scurrying paws, Torran flattened himself and his burden into the small space beneath the protruding root of an oak tree.
Watching silently, Torran's ears rang with the sounds as a thousand-strong band of foxes surged past, each holding a lighted torch and yelling for his blood. Many had swords or other weapons in abundance and evidence, but some kept their weapons hidden, not wanting show them and give away their element of surprise.
After a long time, their voices receded as did their forms and the glowing light of their torches, all swallowed up the darkness of the forest.
Under cover of night once more, Torran allowed himself a silent snicker before he, too, stole away into the night, searching for a safe place to lodge before heading back to his employer.
Far away from this scene of deceit and thievery, on the moon-washed shores of Orion's own peaceful haven, Elmchest, stood a young fox-maid. She was fair, and very pretty. With sea-gray eyes that glittered with the reflection of the moon and the lust to know. She was Elyse, first-paw to Queen Dorean herself, and destined, or so Lyif said, to be the bearer of Orion's own kit.
Even now she traced the constellation in the sky and felt a thrill of excitement as she thought of the Legend she herself was said to be featured in. She had never really thought of it before, and definitely didn't believe it. Legends were for kits, not for mature foxes who had more important duties to attend to.
Even now she was on an errand for her beloved Queen, and errand only the first-paw was trusted to carry out. She felt prickles of motherly affection and love tug at her heart as she looked at the tiny burden cradled against her chest. It was the cutest kit she had ever seen, her own, in fact. She had borne him only a few mere seconds ago, but had made a very fatal mistake.
The first thing she had done was to show her Queen, who believed in the Legends as strongly as if she had lived them herself. The storyteller, Lyif, had told her of the Praw Bearer's Legend, and she was extremely interested that her first-paw should be said to be the Bearer of the that most sacred of kits, the Praw.
The Legend of the Praw Bearer was in poem form, and as hard as they tried, some of the foxes couldn't guess what it meant. But, as was common knowledge, it was known that Elyse was featured in it. The poem consisted of many verses, but it was the Praw's Verse that interested everyone:
'Praw's Verse'
Born unto a royal's first-paw
Is the kit to be the Praw.
Life enchantments it does bring
To be enjoyed by every living thing
But first it will be washed away,
By Queen's order it has been taken away
Upon the sea on a shining night
The first-paw maiden will do what's right
Spoken to by me myself
The Praw shall live another way
But return will it one day that's swell
To free a tyrant's rule and spell.
So beware that bloody night vixen,
When the Praw will have his birthright.
The rest of the poem was not counted important by the others, but by-played an important part in all of their lives. In fact, of all those foxes who lived in the realm, only one knew the rest of the poem with shining certainty. And that one was Lyif.
By the sea, standing next to the harbor where the entire of the realm's ships were moored, Elyse still cradled her baby in her arms. Tears trickled down her face to fall upon the infant as she allowed her sorrow to overwhelm her at the thought of what she was being forced to do.
As tradition, all kit's born to the realm were to be bathed fully in the sea on the night of their birth, the side of the sea facing north of the castle. Only the first-paw was deemed gentle enough by Orion to carry out this sacred, secluded ceremony, but tonight was something entirely different.
Elyse had carried out the ceremony countless times in her young life, but this time an accident was due to occur. Before she had set out from the castle that night, Queen Dorean had whispered something in her ear, something she would be forced to do.
The queen had warned her that if she didn't do exactly as she wanted, she would be dead come morning, her body washed far out by the gentle waves of the sea for none to find her. Her kit with her.
Elyse looked down at the little life cradled against her shoulder, a little part of her. As she looked into her kit's wide, innocent cerulean eyes, tears sprang into her own amber ones. All she could think of was the innocence in this young life, the young life she was being forced to destroy. The beautiful first-paw shook her head to get rid of such thoughts, and as she looked once again into her kit's eyes she saw there hope and fascination, shining as bright and intensely as the sun in the sky at day.
How, she thought, can I bear to end the life of one so innocent, so young? A few more tears leaked from her eyes, but as she looked into the eyes of her offspring, she felt something stirring inside her. When she lifted her head again to examine the sky and pinpoint Orion's position, a new hope and resolution burned in her amber eyes, and with it she made an oath, an oath that in whatever way she could, she would keep her kit alive.
New thoughts filled her mind, and she thought that if her kit was going to live, he would need a name. She glanced around, the guards were out of site. Carefully, as if another being was possessing her, Elyse knelt down by the sea and lowered her son down toward it. She knew how risky the business would be, but it was her, and her kit's, only hope. As she dipped her son into the sea, she whispered a name, his new name, "Verbena", and then, without further hesitation, she let go.
She felt her heart tear in two at the sight of her only son, floating out to sea, unprotected from any danger he may encounter. But than she remembered her resolution, that she would not break down, not ever. She knew what she had to do.
Standing tall and resolute, Elyse walked calmly over to the closest guard, a certain Captain Saylon, and said in a voice that betrayed no sadness whatsoever, "It is done."
Out on the sea, while his mother was being taken to the castle, floated Verbena. The fox kit, wrapped as he was in soft warm blankets, did not feel the penetrating cold of the sea, but he did stare in wonder at the gentle waves carrying him, up at the moon which shone so brilliantly over the earth, and up at Orion, who for this night at least, smiled down upon him.
He himself had at this moment no clue to how important he himself was, to how much he was going to experience in his life. And as he looked about him at the gentle sea waves that even now carried him to the shores of a safe haven, all he felt and knew was the wonder of the world, and a burning desire to find out more about it.
By the gentle rocking of the waves, Verbena fell asleep.
Far beneath the earth, in a land far off, two pale yellow eyes snapped open. They belonged to a black dog-fox named Inari. He shunned Orion and light, and lived only for darkness and evil.
His own name, in the Ancient Languages of Orion, meant darkness, and he was not about to repel that.
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