A/N: The page breaks are still not working. There must be something broken on the edit/preview section, because I'm not the only one having this problem. Hopefully it'll be fixed soon. Well, here's the next chapter!

Chapter 8

The orange glow came closer to the bottom of the valley, where Ember waited, only half-conscious. She was aware of the river as it turned into a gentle trickle beyond the sandy bank it had deposited her on and another, quieter noise that faded in and out of her hearing. The sound was like an airy hiss, high and fearsome. It surprised her when a voice joined in with the hissing, "Looksss like dinner hasss come early, lovesss."

Could that have just been her imagination? Nothing could live at the bottom of this valley, always in the darkness—could it? Ember slowly turned her head towards the rest of the land on the bank, wincing as a line of pain laced from the side of her face up to her ear. Her vision was filled with a writhing mass of black and yellow, punctuated with several sets of burning red eyes. Mouth opening in a silent scream, Ember shut her eyes and her vision turned black.

"Ember?"

The fox stirred. Her eyes opened, to see that she was still in the valley, looking up at an Absol face only inches from hers. It was the last Absol she wished to see, especially in the condition she was in. "Go away…" she growled hoarsely.

"You really must be stupid," Nightwing grumbled. He straightened and turned away from her. It was then that she noticed that he had a small ball of fire balanced on the tip of his horn. That must've been where the orange light had come from before. Ember looked after him and shuddered when she saw those same creatures were curled up close to her, but their burning red eyes were extinguished for the moment behind purple lids. There were many of them all piled up on each other, snoring behind long red fangs.

Her gaze traveled to Nightwing, who was sitting a few Ninetales-lengths away, his gaze fixed upon her. "What happened to you, anyway?" He asked.

"I'd rather… not talk about it…" Ember said, her voice breaking at every couple of words from a stab of pain deep in her side.

"Fair enough," he murmured. "You know, the Seviper were about to eat you when I got down here."

Ember cut him off with a groan. "Can't you tell… me later?"

Nightwing got back to his paws, "I suppose you're right, Ember-butt," he was standing over her now, the strangest expression in his dark red eyes. He pushed his paw under her side, causing her to squeak in pain. "But it was hard—getting them to eat the Rattata instead of you. I hardly know why I bothered, you look like you're next in line for a death nest anyway."

With a single paw, he lifted her onto his back and began padding away from the snakes, one of which opened its eyes when they passed and said, "Bye, Nightwing. Thanksss for the Rattatasss."

Ember felt a chill come over her at what it said, and how Nightwing nodded to it as if he knew it as a friend. But the Absol was talking again, "But I have my orders. These Seviper are only supposed to eat Rattata. If they get a taste of fresh blood, they might go after the Absol. You know that would be bad. They're happy as long as they have a Rattata once a half-moon."

Nightwing was walking on an incline now, jostling Ember painfully with each step. He had to jump a couple of times, and she watched the ball of fire waver precariously on his horn, almost falling off several times. "Why?" Ember asked when they were looking down at the valley, pitch black when there was no light source down there to illuminate it. Nightwing flicked his head to one side, and the ball of flame hit the opposite rock wall and extinguished.

He was looking over his shoulder at her; the same expression hadn't left his eyes. "Hmm?"

"Why are you… feeding them?" She rephrased.

"I have to," he replied. "They're a danger when they're hungry. We haven't been able to drive them back out onto the moorlands, that's where their enemies are who pushed them here." They were racing back towards Mountain Clan's cave; Nightwing's stride turned smooth and didn't bother Ember as she stared at the ground passing by in a blur.

"Why didn't I… know about them?"

"You're not a member of Mountain Clan," Nightwing scoffed. "It's not like anyone would tell you about that problem outright."

He was slowing down and had turned away from Ember. "Ember!" She recognized Din's voice, filled with relief and shock. Nightwing had taken her back to the point in the Ceremonial Valley where she'd first fallen. Her escort of six was still there, even though they should've just picked the berries by then and gone back to the clan. Other than Din, the rest had berries in their mouths.

"I'm taking her to a healer," Nightwing said gruffly to the other Absol as he continued past them.

Din wasn't so easily brushed off. "Where did you find her?"

They were staring into each other's eyes at that point; Ember could feel a growl vibrate through Nightwing's fur, "I'm sure you know where," he said coolly.

"Was she bitten?" It was Mordecai that asked that, muffled by a mouthful of berry.

"I doubt it. Those greedy creatures were a couple Absol-lengths away from her still when I arrived," he replied. Nightwing was picking up speed again, his claws digging into the slope. Ember managed to wave a tail at Din, who appeared like he was going to follow Nightwing and question him more.

Silverpelt, her healer, took Ember from the Absol and shooed him away without difficulty. The bed of moss the healer placed her in was comfortable, it didn't bother her sore body. After eating a dose of bitter berries, Ember fell into a deep sleep with nightmares accented by slithering black bodies and glistening ruby fangs.

(scene change)

Ember thought she was awake when she heard the voice of a familiar Ninetales; she could feel her body again in tingling sensations across her wounded shoulder, paws, and face. But the voice… it could not have been real. There was no way her father could be in Mountain Clan with her. No, it could only be another facet of her nightmares—where she can hear her father's voice, his disappointment, but not be able to respond to it.

She stirred and flexed one paw, feeling soft moss beneath it. Her father's voice became louder, as if he was whispering into her ear, "Ember, what am I going to do with you? Can't you last two days without having your pelt ripped up, disobeying an order, or getting sick?"

"Father…" She felt him nuzzle her very gently. The feelings weren't part of the dreams, which must mean she finally was awake. She found that she could open her eyes, and was looking at Tetzleflame's narrow head. "Father, you're here…"

"Yes, in Mountain Clan," he replied. The glimmer in his eyes faded. Now, more than ever, Ember could see how old her father looked. His pelt had lost its youthful luster long ago, the fur had also lost the creamy color, replaced by a gold that became darker as he grew even older. And his eyes… his eyes reflected his age as well, if not better, than his loose pelt and thin frame. They could look right through another, as they were doing with Ember. He must've seen wounds a lot worse than Ember had ever felt, even now.

The Ninetales sighed, "Ember, there's something I have to tell you," he continued. When her ears pricked, he sighed again, "I've already gotten word around the forest about this, I suppose Flamedance should be telling the story to the Whitefang Pack now…"

"What is it?"

"How Eaglefire Pack was started," the old fox murmured. His voice rose so that she could hear him, "I used to live in the mountains, living in harmony with Mountain Clan before the forest was even here… as the designated leader of a small group of our kind. We lived in a smaller cave that was close to this one. The place where our forest is now was once a wasteland where a couple of the dragons called Salamence lived. They preyed upon the Absol and us for food, because the Rattata that live around here were not big enough to sate their appetites…

"I had moved our kind to the mountains after we had a bad encounter with the other carnivores that lived in the moorlands, just so they could be eaten by those two dragons…" Tetzleflame's gaze was distant, as if reliving the past. "So I talked to the Elemental Elders of that time to see if they'd help my pack and I drive the dragons away, once and for all. When they agreed to help, the planning began.

"We already knew the Salamence were immune to fire, so our kind could not attack the dragons directly. It turned out that electricity and ice, two of the Absol's special elements, were effective on them, though. So when it came time to attack the Salamence, it was with a full crowd of Absol.

"The dragons didn't leave without a fight. Before they retreated, they took down several of the Absol fighters." The Ninetales paused and his eyes flicked to Ember, who was listening intently. "Long story short, the dragons came back twice more before they were driven away for good. It took several twelve-moons for grass and trees to grow in the space they left behind, so we had to share resources with the Absol for that time. They were ill at ease with us after the battles with the dragons, as they had lost fighters when we had lost none.

"With the young forest came some of the Rattata, who moved there as a new area to spread across. There were enough to live off of, so we moved down there as well, and put some distance between the Absol and us. The first real territory of the Eaglefire Pack that you're familiar with, Ember, was formed before problems arose. Those Salamence had three children before they left. They were fully evolved when the first ancestors of the modern Whitefang Pack came to the forest. They terrorized the eons and us mercilessly.

"I went back to Mountain Clan to ask for their assistance. They agreed, but on a condition. After they drove away the three Salamence, they demanded that Eaglefire Pack surrender a Vulpix around tyro age to them once every ten twelve-moons. At first, I agreed wholeheartedly to their demands. But as time went by, I forgot how much I was indebted to the Absol, and so did the rest of the pack. I refused the Absol their tyro, and in return they refused to let any of our kind come and visit the Ninetales that live here, on pain of death." Tetzleflame bowed his head, and Ember thought that he was done. But before she could get out her question, he continued, "That was thirty twelve-moons ago. I've discouraged the pack from venturing up this mountain, because the Absol were serious. Those that went to Mountain Clan would not come back.

"But then there's you and Kashen… and you two are still alive," a tone of surprise colored his narration. "Most of the Absol that were adults back then are probably elders now, old by Absol standards—"

"Kashen and I had… to prove that we were… intelligent to the Absol," Ember said.

"Ah," he murmured. "So that's how they disguised it."

Ember watched her father as he shifted to a more comfortable position. "Father… why are you telling me this now?" She had seen the Shelgon only briefly, when it had attacked her group back in the forest. It occurred to her that the creature could be what he was talking about.

"Because the elders and I have kept it a secret from the modern generation in the forest… apparently one of the creatures stayed in its unevolved form until now. The rest have a right to know, since we're going to have to deal with it, with or without the Absol's help," Tetzleflame's eyes moved over her form. "I should get Silverpelt. She'll probably nag me for keeping you awake."

Ember watched him get up and saunter out of her field of vision. Keeping her awake, indeed. She didn't feel as if she could go directly back to sleep after hearing that…

(scene change)

"So, you're saying that that creature out there is going to become one of these Salamence dragons?" Blazewind asked. Murmurs of discontent passed through the group of eons that surrounded Flamedance in a wide circle.

"That's right. That's exactly it," Flamedance sighed. "Tetzleflame has gone to the Absol in the north to ask for their assistance. He's doing this before it evolves, so we may have the upper hand against it."

"Well, thank you, Flamedance," the leader of the Whitefang Pack mewed, the only sign that gave away how affected she was by the news was the way her voice quivered.

Flamedance dipped her head to the Flareon and swept her tails out to the rest of the group. "I wish I had better news to share," the Ninetales said as she got to her feet. "But…" she shook her head. A split developed in the group so she could pass, and Flamedance paced to the edge of the clearing before waving one tail in farewell and calling out, before she disappeared in the underbrush. The crowd dispersed, leaving the eons to mutter to themselves.

A pair to the back of the clearing exchanged incredulous glances. "Well, that was unexpected," Kashen remarked.

Freda batted at one of his long ears, "Of course," she murmured. "It must've been awkward for Flamedance to have to tell us instead of Tetzleflame."

"She is Tetzleflame's mate…" he blinked innocently at her when she stopped playing with his ear. "What?"

"Flamedance and Tetzleflame?" Freda demanded.

"Yeah… you didn't know?"

"No," the young Flareon ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Well, you didn't know either of them well," Kashen said quickly. His sudden defense for his mate saved the awkward moment, as she looked back up at him with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Anyways, I was thinking…" she turned away again, "…Maybe… no, never mind."

"You can tell me," he gave her ear a couple reassuring licks and purred gently. When Freda didn't reply, he nuzzled into her cheek, "Please, Freda?"

At one time she would've cuffed Kashen over the ear for being too mushy, but she was past that. Instead, she looked back at him again and mewed, "Perhaps I should make the announcement soon… tell the pack I'm going to have kits."

The only hesitation Kashen showed was when he paused in mid-stroke of the soft fur behind her ear. "Okay. It would be better to tell before it became obvious, right?" He chuckled and resumed grooming the top of her head; he was surprised when she moved and he found a large red paw on his forehead. Freda was leaning closer to him when an excited exclamation came from nearby.

"Freda, are you really having kits?"

Both Kashen and Freda flinched away from each other as if stung. The Umbreon didn't relax when he turned and saw the owner of the voice, Randry. Her tail was straight in the air, eyes bright. "Freda's having kits, Freda's having kits…" she sang.

"Randry, please," Freda pleaded. "Let me tell the pack, please…"

Either the Eevee didn't hear her or she didn't care, as she continued the chant. They were attracting attention from the other pack members by that point, and the ripple of excitement was obvious. "Well," Kashen mewed. "At least you don't have to make the announcement, Freda."

"Thanks," the Flareon snapped with a growl of annoyance. She said louder to the rest of the pack, "Yes, that's right, I'm having kits!" A ripple of warmth passed through her fur. At least that was over…

Myrone's lavender pelt caught her eye. The Espeon was waving her tail frantically, motioning with her head to the east boundary of the camp, the direction of Eaglefire Pack's land. She looked frightened.