Tailtip poked her nose out of her secret den. Her sister and brother, Crimson and Streak, were still sleeping. Melody looked like she was asleep. As quiet as possible, Tailtip sneaked out of the den.

Something pulled her tail! "ow!"

"Tailtip! You know you're not supposed to go out of the den until you've earned your meat name"

"When do I. I want to go out of the den!"

Melody laughed "When you can eat meat. That's in a few days"

"But I want it to be now" Tailtip whined "I want to get out of the den!"

Crimson and Streak woke up.

"Just wait" Crimson smoothed "Let's play for now"

"I want to play the attacking colony!"

"Okay. Streak will be the PathWalkers. The enemy. And we will be the SnowRunners!"

Tailtip sat down "Go outside of the den" she yipped "Then come in, filthy PathWalker!"

Streak walked outside the den. Tailtip ran inside her secret den and watched behind the moss.

"Three, two, one" she whispered. Then Streak burst into the den.

"I am Streak of the PathWalkers and I am here to take away this SnowRunner den!"

"Attack!" Crimson barked and Tailtip flew out of the moss. She bowled Streak over.

"SnowRunners win!" She yipped. Then Streak rolled around and Tailtip had to let go to aviod being squashed.

"PathWalkers with triumph!" He howled.

"No they won't!" Crimson gekkered. Streak and Crimson rolled around batting each other with their paws. Then they heard the rustling of leaves outside. They fell silent. Tailtip stared at the entrance.

"Into the den!" Melody hissed in a tone she had never used.

"Why-"

"Into the den!"

Tailtip plunged into her little den. She peeked out to see what was happening. A huge fox was in the entrance, blocking out some of the light. His head was held high and Tailtip's family were all sitting and bowing their heads.

"Cheif Reynard" Melody murmured "What brings you here?"

The huge fox leaped forward and slashed his claws against her muzzle drawing blood.

"Don't speak unless spoken to" He growled "I am sending you to the central dens. We need you for hunting. Since your cubs have their meat names, they can begin to hunt for themselves. They will learn in the Central Dens. You have a Moon cycle to prepare" With that he stalked off. Melody shuddered.

"Who was that?" Tailtip asked.

"He was Cheif Reynard, the cheif of our colony. He rules the SnowRunners. He rules us"

"Why?"

"Because he was chosen by the Elder healing fox. He leads"

"But why does he want us to go to the Central Dens? Doesn't he know I still have my milk name?"

"He doesn't know that you're alive. If he did, we'd be cast out of the colony and have to find a new one. And it's hard finding a new one"

"But if Melody hunts, I won't get milk, I'll stave! And my secret den! We might not have one their"

"Exactly" Streak cut in "they would find out about you"

"You can't leave me! I can't hunt! I don't even have my meat name! I'll die!" Tailtip whined

"I know" Melody said "We'll have to make a plan or run away. It's not an easy choice"

Hey everybody! I'm having a bit of writer's block so if you have an idea, put that down in your review. Also, for those who don't know, it says that "Crimson
gekkered" Gekkered is past tense of gekkering, a sound a fox makes when they are fighting.