Chapter 7: Shock

"This is my den," snapped Vorago carelessly, flicking her large bushy tail at the snarled roots of a tall elm tree. Sagepaw peered into the inky blackness underneath the thick tree roots. It smelled dank and unreliable, the scent of fox permanently stamped in the hollow. He shivered nervously.

"Come on in," Domito invited, obviously trying to behave civilized, "I'm sure it smells strange to you, but you'll get used to it, I promise."

Sagepaw seriously doubted that, but took a deep breath and entered the fox's den anyway. The air was cool but stale and Sagepaw wrinkled his nose up as the scent of fox hit him hard. He followed Domito to the back of the den, where a huge pile of moss was gathered. There were two spots on the moss that were flattened, probably where Vorago and Domito slept at night.

"You can sleep here," Domito said, leading Sagepaw over to a corner of the den. A bundle of moss was waiting for him, looking enticingly comfortable. "If a vixen has cubs, this is usually where they sleep, in the corner of the den, where it's the warmest."

Sagepaw nodded and graciously stepped on to the soft bed of moss, kneading his claws into the deep sea of green. He glanced around, spotting Vorago glaring at him menacingly. Apparently Domito noticed too.

"Vorago," the scrawny fox said, stepping over to his mate, "he's our responsibility now. Stop being so mutinous and brighten up a little."

"How can I brighten up if there's a cat living in my den that I have to take care of?" screeched Vorago, her eyes flashing.

Sagepaw ducked his head down, afraid of the she-fox. He hadn't forgotten how easily she had batted his father away. The sooner I can start that training with Tawnypelt, the better, thought Sagepaw, wondering if he could get some sleep now.

"Why don't you go hunt? Cool off a little? We need some breakfast anyway," suggested Domito, herding Vorago out of the den, into the sunlight. Sagepaw heard Vorago answer sharply but Domito replied with a stern kindness and he eventually heard the vixen's paws patter away.

Domito returned to the den, yawning widely, his pearly teeth glinting in the beams of sun that splashed the inside of the hollow. Sagepaw looked away; he hated seeing those teeth. He didn't want to think about what would happen if Domito or Vorago got hungry in the middle of the night and wanted a snack.

"Don't mind her," Domito said, mistaking Sagepaw's silence for anger at Vorago, "she's just got to get used to your presence. She's a wonderful fox once you get to know her."

I'm sure she is, thought Sagepaw sardonically, licking his paw placidly.

"How come you don't seem to mind me?" asked Sagepaw in between licks.

"I trust Acerbitas and I trust the Star Walkers," Domito said simply, "if you are destined to save us, who am I to judge and discriminate against you?"

Sagepaw looked at the fox, impressed, despite himself. "I appreciate your help," Sagepaw meowed thankfully, glad that at least one fox wasn't bent on tearing him to shreds.

"Would you like to see our territory?" asked Domito.

Sagepaw was surprised to find that he was excited. He wanted to explore this new land, he wanted to make friends (no matter what species they were), and most of all, he wanted to make StarClan, and his family, proud.

"Yes, actually, I'd like that," Sagepaw said, a note of happiness creeping into his voice.

Domito nodded and placed his red tail upon Sagepaw's shoulder, guiding him from the cave, back into the sunlight and the surrounding trees and vines.

If I'm going to live here for a while, Sagepaw thought, I might as well try and enjoy myself while I'm here.

xxx

"This is the Vine Tangle," Domito said, nodding at a great mess of green, whip-like vines. "We take our cubs here to practice hunting and fighting. There's plenty of prey around here."

Sagepaw stared in wonder at the thick twisted vines, curling around and around each other, creating a huge ocean of tendrils. There was barely enough room for a small cat to crawl around underneath it. Sagepaw could smell the strong scents of mice and vole. He could tell why the prey lived here: it was sheltered and safe. Except of course, from the foxes. He could imagine the cubs playing here, their clumsy dog paws darting out at the mice.

"It's amazing," stated Sagepaw.

Domito looked pleased. "This is where the Fire Tail's territory ends," he said, "not to say that we can't go past these markers, we just usually stay within them."

Sagepaw nodded. So far Domito had shown him the Cub Hole, an wide, underground den where pregnant vixens went to give birth, the Curer's Abode, a friendly-smelling den where the Fire Tail's Curer, the equivalent of a medicine cat, lived, and the Gracious Circle, a oval-shaped clearing in which a tinkling stream ran through, where the foxes would eat and drink together every night.

"So is that everything then?" asked Sagepaw, marveling at the sheer size of the territory. If only ShadowClan had that much space!

"Pretty much," Domito said, "you've already seen the GlassPuddle and the Sun Greet place. The rest of our land is mostly hunting grounds and dens. The Fire Tails live around the forest. You'll soon know where every fox's den is."

Sagepaw wasn't sure he wanted to know where every fox's den was, but he was glad that all the foxes didn't sleep together in one den, like the warriors back in ShadowClan; that would have been a little too much for the already overwhelmed apprentice.

"Now what?" asked Sagepaw, hoping they could go back to the den and sleep.

"Well you could hunt instead of sitting around on your tail all day," snapped a familiar voice from behind him. Sagepaw whirled around and was unsurprised to see Vorago standing before him, a dead mole at her feet.

"I don't know how to hunt yet," Sagepaw responded, the vixen's attitude beginning to irk him, "but if you'd like to teach me, I'm willing to learn." Sagepaw grinned tauntingly at the she-fox, knowing she'd never want to help him.

Vorago opened her mouth to respond but before she could, a new voice cut in, one that Sagepaw didn't recognize.

"Well, well," the newcomer said, "if it isn't some of the Fire Tails. I'm not surprised they're hanging out with a cat, are you, Dolosus?"

Sagepaw fixed his eyes upon the two other foxes who were now padding towards Domito and Vorago. The one who had spoken was an unnaturally-colored black fox, with blazing white ears. His companion was a female with glowing amber eyes.

"Get out of our territory, Furtim!" Vorago barked at the male, forgetting her anger towards Sagepaw.

"We don't really want to," the fox named Furtim said, "and anyway, it's two against two. Let's see how good you and your mate really are."

Sagepaw began to tremble. This was bad. The scent wafting from these foxes was different from the one he smelled coming from Vorago and the other Fire Tails.

"I'll tear you both apart, you White Teeth scum," hissed Vorago. Sagepaw noticed Domito glance worriedly at him. Sagepaw figured the White Teeth were another Clan of foxes but he couldn't see why Domito looked so upset at their presence. They were just like an enemy patrol of cats, right?

"I can't wait to rip you and that little cat morsel to shreds!" shrieked Dolosus, the female, and she launched herself at Vorago.

A high-pitched yelp echoed through the air as the four foxes flung themselves at each other, teeth bared and eyes gleaming. Sagepaw screeched in alarm and then, remembering the Vine Tangle, darted underneath the layer of climbing plants and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping, praying to StarClan, that the fight would be over soon.