Hello again! Thank you so much for the kind reviews! And already 4 favourites! Yay! I am really glad that you guys enjoyed the (slightly sad) prologue! In this chapter you will meet one of the main characters, Night!
.:Review Response:.
Burning Aspen on Venus: What if I said I was really really thankful! Doesn't quite work as well but I tried.
snowwolf12132: Thank you! And yes... It was a little depressing...
Badgerkit: As i read your review I realized that Key is not an apprentice and I mixed him up with Feather! No one will notice, so we're good! I think...
Bootystar: Why thank you!
Cloudjumper Kat: Did I forget to add Tansy again? Let me check... Yup I did. Gonna need to fix that... God what is it with me and Tansy!?
ThePaintedKittyKat: Aww, did you really? Thank you!
The Albino Wolf: ME TOO! :3
Without further ado(is that how you spell it?) lets get into the chapter. *Feels like a youtuber*
Chapter 1: Night's POV
Night froze in fear as Swan collapsed in front of her. Night's pale deep green eyes widened. Swam looked up at Night, and gave her a small smile before Night's mother, Hail scooped her up and raced out of camp. The last thing Night saw in camp was Flash race over to Swan.
The second they left camp, Night gasped. She had been out of camp before, but this time is just felt different. The last time Night had seen trees they were bare and leafless, but this time they were filled with leaves of a beautiful shade of green.
Moss was growing on the rocks, the grass was long and full, the red on the flowers growing next to the rock popped next to the grey. It was amazing.
"Whoa." The black pup breathed but her focus on the forest was taken away when a strong russet vixen with a white paw and blue eyes leapt onto a low tree branch, balancing on the small surface she had.
"I want to learn how to do that!" Whispered a pretty grey pup with black and silver specks. This pup was Night's sister, Mint. Night nodded. "Me too." She said.
"Alright, you heard what Flash ordered, we need to get to the Pack of the Plains border! I need every one who isn't injured to help the ones who are, the elders and the kits. Now follow me!"
The pack started to get into action, the russet vixen leading them deeper into the forest. But just as they started moving, something else interrupted them.
"Wait Utopia!" Called out a very light ginger vixen with a blind right eye. The russet vixen turned around and flicked her tail twice.
"What about every one still in camp?" She asked, glancing at a pretty white vixen with black patches and a very worried look on her face. The black and white vixen looked up at Utopia, her eyes pleading for good news. Utopia forced a smile and took a deep breath, she opened her mouth but Flash beat her to it.
"There is nothing we can do for them. I'm sorry." He said look and clear. The black and white vixen immediately broke in tears. Her knees and front legs trembled until they gave away, the vixen collapsing on the forest floor.
"How could you?" She cried out, tears rolling down her face like the heavy new-leaf rain. "Those are our pack mates out there! You just left them to die! And now your just going to let the hunters take them?" Her voice was slightly raspy from sadness as she shouted this out.
Flash just stared at the vixen, a hurt look on his face for just a few seconds before he took a few steps to the front of the group. "Bright, please calm Moss down." Flash said cooly, not waiting for an answer to proceed.
"We need to get to the Pack of the Plains border. Then a small patrol will travel to their camp while Shade and everyone else will stay here to help the injured. Utopia and Shade will be in charge of everyone who will not be going on this patrol with me. The ones who are not injured will help gather nearby herbs and I don't want anyone going deeper into the territory. Now let's go." Flash turned his back to his pack and padded to the front, giving Utopia a small nod.
Night looked up at her mother, confusion shining in Night's eyes. "Why is Moss so sad?" Night asked her mother. Hail looked down at her two daughters looking up at her with their innocent faces.
Hail shook her head, "You wouldn't understand dears. Now hop, let's go!"
Night smiled and ran ahead, leaving Mint to scurry after her. Night tripped over her own feet from excitement and Mint pounced on her sister. The two wrestled, rolling in the green grass, laughing and giggles, not fully aware of what was really going on.
Mint finally pinned Night to the ground with a smile of triumph, but then something caught Mint's green eyes and she leapt off of Night. Night, all confused, rolled so her back wasn't up against the ground and heaved herself to her feet. She half run half pounced over to where her sister was.
"Whoa!" Night blurred out. Night's eyes were glued to Shadow's paw, blood spilling from all angles of his wound. Shadow was clearly in pain as he leaned against an other apprentice and a warrior for support.
They walked forward for a bit with the two kits padding after them in awe but Shadow's injured paw hit the ground and he hissed in pain making Mint jump.
"Okey, let's go. We're done here." Night barked and ran ahead of Shadow. They were careful to avoid Bright and Moss as they made their way to the front of the group. Mint spotted Utopia and her face lit up with excitement,
"Maybe she could teach us how to balance on branches like she did!" Mint exclaimed. Night nodded and raced her sister to the russet deputy.
"Utopia! Utopia!" Night yelled out as she ran in the shortening grass. Utopia turned her head over here shoulder but kept walking, her eyes watery and thick with sadness.
Mint was the first to realize how sad the deputy really was. "Utopia what's wrong?" Mint asked, her head tilting a little to the left. Utopia gave the two pups a forced smile and swallowed.
"Um, a lot of foxes died today." Utopia chocked out.
"Oh..." Mint muttered while Night took a few steps back. Night opened her mouth to ask if that was why Moss was so sad but she was cut off by her mother, Hail, scooping her up in her jaws. Hail placed Night behind her and did the same for Mint. She quickly muttered a sorry to Utopia, who just nodded, then turned to her kits.
"Girls, don't venture to far and don't go bothering others understand? There are a lot of very sad foxes here." Hail said gently but sternly. Mint looked down at her paws and nodded while Night muttered, "Yes mother."
"Good, now you stay close to me, we are near the Pack of the Plains border." Hail said, curling her fluffy grey tail around her pups and pulling them closer to her. Night sighed and walked in silence, her fur brushing her mother's.
Night narrowed her eyes as the territory began to change before her. The trees were thin and small if any, lots of jagged rocks had rose out of the ground and the grass was short and prickly.
"Is this were the Pack of the Plains live?" Night asked noticing that the group had stopped. She looked up at her mother, but an apprentice overheard her and answered for Hail.
"Almost. This is our side of the border, and they don't dare to cross it. We forest foxes are much stronger than those skinny plain foxes. They have no trees to climb to make them stronger and no tall logs to leap over. They live just on the other side of these rocks." The apprentice said confidently. She was an albino fox with pinkish red eyes.
"Hey Icicle!" Called out a pure white pup with big brown eyes, interrupting the conversation the two sisters were about to have with Icicle. The albino fox turned around to face the young fox trying to get her attention.
"Oh, hey Bunny. What is it?" Icicle asked with a sigh and a small roll of her pinkish-red eyes. Bunny flicked his tail to his litter mates, Key, Scale and Fang all wrestling each other in a pile of pups. Key, Scale, Fang and Bunny were born three moons before Mint and Night, making them eight moons old, almost apprentice age.
"We are having a war, me and Fang against Key and Scale, but we are losing! Fang sent me to come and fetch you so we can win the war!" Bunny explained quickly. Mint tilted her head, overhearing this. Mint jumped forward and smiled to Bunny.
"Me and Night can come! I mean, if you want to..." Mint said, looking down at her paws and then looking back up at the older pup. Bunny narrowed his eyes, thinking for a moment. He wrinkled his nose and shook his head.
"No, I want Icicle to come, she's an apprentice and is a better fighter than both of you put together. Probably. Sorry." Bunny announced and turned to run back to his siblings. Icicle smiled, pleased with being told that she was the better fighter. "Sorry girls, but they need me. I am a great fighter after all." Icicle said too Night and Mint and followed Bunny.
Mint sat down and curled her speckled grey tail around her paws, looking at the ground sadly. Night narrowed her eyes and glared at Icicle.
Let's see how good of a fighter you really are! Night though, baring her teeth. Night stormed over to were Bunny, Key, Icicle, Fang and Scales were fighting and she cleared her throat to get their attention, but it didn't work.
"Hey!" Night yelled. Fang perked her ears and stopped the fight. Night dipped her head to Fang in thanks before focusing on Icicle once more. "You and Bunny really hurt my sisters feelings back there!" Night spat. Bunny lower his head in apology. "Sorry..." He muttered but Icicle just rolled her eyes.
Night stared at Icicle for a few moments, thinking of something to say that would offend her but the only thing that came out was, "Oh yeah, well I bet you're not even that great of a fighter. You can't sneak attack anyone with that silly pelt of yours!"
Mint, Key and Fang laughed making Icicle flatten her ears and wrinkle her nose, showing off long white fangs, growling. Icicle absolutely hated being laughed at. "Is that so? Then let's go! Let's fight then! If you think I'm such a bad fighter, you're surely better?" Icicle snarled sarcastically.
Night swallowed her spit. She didn't think she could actually fight a trained apprentice. But she couldn't back down now. So Night bared her teeth and ruffled her fur. Icicle narrowed her eyes and gave Night a taunting smile.
"First one to get pinned down for three seconds loses!" Icicle snarled and then leapt forward, catching Night off guard. Icicle put one paw on Night's chest and an other on her stomach and then pushed her down. One, two, attack! Night counted the seconds in her head. She was already on her third one.
Night snapped at Icicle's front paw, her jaws colliding against Icicle's pelt. Icicle let out a startled yelp and in that split moment of distraction, Night rolled out from Icicle's grip and sprang to her feet, leaving Icicle off balance as she had pulled out from under her so quickly.
Night head-butted Icicle hard on her flank, sending her to the ground. Night leapt onto to her and pinned her to the ground, a grin creeping onto her face as she counted the seconds. But on the first second, Icicle kicked Night forward with her hind legs, making Night land on her back. It winded her for a few seconds. Icicle pinned her down, but Night couldn't fight back. She was to busy trying to get her breath back.
"I win! As always." Icicle said with a sly smile. Mint quickly padded over to Night and nudged her.
"Are you alright? You fought really well out there." Mint told her. Night coughed and nodded, just getting back to her paws. They walked back to where their mother was, but Hail wasn't there. Mint spotted her talking to a large black fox with grey eyes. Some knew him as Crane but the girls knew him as father.
"Hey," Mint said, poking Night with a paw. Night turned to her sister, listening. "You didn't have to do that you know." Mint pressed. Night shrugged and sat down close to Mint.
"It's okey. Icicle is kind of a jerk any way." Night muttered. Mint smiled at Night and licked her sister's forehead.
Night spotted Flash jump up on one of the peaks, without his usual strong and brave look on his face. Instead, it was flushed with sadness and grief. Something bad really was going on, Night realized.
"Foxes of The Pack of the Forest!" Flash shouted from the tall rock. Heads turned to look at their leader, most badly wanting hear what was going to happen. "I will be travelling to The Pack of Plains camp with a small patrol as there seem to be no Pack of the Plains patrol patrolling this border at this moment. May and Torch will be tagging along with me. We will ask if we can stay will them until our territory shows no signs of hunters... Which may take a while. If they agree to let us stay Torch will come back to advise you and you will join me and May at the Pack of the Plains camp. You will be on your best behavior and be very respectful. We will be leaving now." Flash announced. Torch flicked her russet tail and padded to Flash, May doing the same.
Flash dipped his head to Utopia and muttered a few words to Shade as the two watched Flash, May and Torch cross the rocks onto The Pack of the Plains territory.
Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter of this story! Don't for get to leave a review! And see you next chapter which should be up in about a week or so.