Seasons The Fox Heart (Book one) Redfire

Chapter 10

After returning to the earth, Redfire sat down and began to eat with his friends. He gulped his food down carefully but hungrily. When he had finished, he licked his lips and grinned with satisfaction. Relief shot through him as none of his friends asked him what took him so long. However, Redfire could not escape this chilling glare from Lightwing. Does he suspect something? Redfire cleared his throat and addressed the group, "We should keep going," he said.
"To where?" asked little Lavender.
"To the Foxheart to find our tribe," exclaimed Peony cheerfully.
"Yes," nodded Redfire. "We'll find them." Peony nodded in agreement and stood up shakily.
"Come on, Lavender,"
"Coming," she called. She giggled happily and followed Peony out of the earth. Silverbird, who hadn't spoken a word, stood up and padded after the girls. Redfire rose to his feet but halted and looked at Lightwing, who was still glaring. "Something wrong?" he asked the fennec fox. Lightwing huffed and pushed past him and limped out.
What's his problem? Redfire mumbled before trotting out. It was morning still but no longer early morning.
"Let's go," called Lightwing. "We should keep going before Shadow finds us." Without waiting for a reply, Lightwing padded off, dragging his tail in the dust. Peony followed behind with Lavender and Silverbird at either side, Redfire took the rear. The young red fox lost all his focus about his mission. About Shadow and the threat she posed. About his mother, who had died trying to save him. But he thought about his fire powers. Lightwing did say the red foxes have fire powers. Why hadn't his mother told him about it? Why keep this a secret? And what about the Voice?  What's the  connection? Thoughts pondered in his head for longer than he had hoped. There are so many unanswered questions with no one to answer them. He knew Peony didn't know anything about she was just as surprised as him when she found out. Silverbird might know a little, but not as much as a fox who actually had the powers. And Lavender was just a kit. That only left one person. Lightwing! Redfire still felt a little hostile to Lightwing, but he might be able to tell him more than he let on. Redfire was so focused that he did not realize Lightwing had come to join him.
"Hey," he said. Redfire jumped and snapped out of his thoughts. "Calm down," said Lightwing, annoyed. " I was just coming to talk to you."
"Oh, great," sighed Redfire relieved.
Lightwing huffed. "So, have you been able to use your powers." Redfire felt his heart skip a beat. Does he know?
"Uh-n..no, well- actually yes."
Lightwings eyes widened. "Really."
"Yes, I used it to protect me," answered Redfire. "But it was an accident."
"Hmm," said Lightwing, closing his eyes. Redfire tilted his head puzzled. What is he thinking?
Redfire's mouth took control of him before his brain could think. "May you tell me more?"
Lightwing opened his eyes and tilted his head. "You want to hear more."
Oops, thought Redfire, I shouldn't have asked him. He might lie to me.
"Ok, Lightwing shrugged, I'll tell you more." Redfire kept his pace slow to match the old fennec fox and listened carefully.
"You know there's not only one Voice, he began quietly, there's two. But this one is evil. Legend says it's the oringal Voice's evil brother. Long ago in their world, there was peace and harmony. Their tribe experienced the king having twin kits. One being the Voice the other, her brother." Redfire found himself gasping. "However, when the twins grew older, the brother had desires of overthrowing the kingdom and corrupting it. His sister knew this could not come to pass. So she used all of power and banished him to his own evil place, separating him from their kingdom forever. She gave the four fox kind powers because she wanted us to protect those who could not protect themselves and save our kind from evil. But, her brother was not finished. He placed a terrible curse on those who would eventually and unexpectedly heed to his will." Lightwing paused unwillingly to go on.
"What was the curse?" Redfire asked. Lightwing remained silent. "Lightwing?"
Lightwing looked up saddned. "Their eyes would be as red as blood itself. A sign they are willing to kill innocent foxes and let their blood coat the ground. The Voice has tried to stop it... she is unable to."
"How do you know so much?" Redfire asked.
Lightwing dropped his gaze again. "Because I knew someone who had the curse. She was a fennec fox... beautiful vixen...her name was Amber."  He chuckled. "She would always tease me and force me to play games with her."
Redfire smiled and looked up at Peony. "Sounds like someone I know."
Lightwing nodded. "She warned me about the tribe talking about her and the curse. Her parents tried to keep it a secret, but... word got out." Lightwing stopped walking and dig his claws in the ground angrily. "I tried to protect her. I told her I wanted to mate her and have kits with her. She desired the same. But one day...it all came to an end. She had no warning. The tribe leader summoned her to his earth, I waited there with my breath held, and then..." Lightwing looked up with blurred eyes. "I heard her scream, then I saw our leader come out with blood-soaked claws. A guard brought her body out, and they buried her. I don't know what became of me, but I attacked our leader, I slashed and slashed and slashed at his pathetic form." Lightwing smiled with satisfaction as if he could still see the leader there. "I then electrocuted him, and he died. And then I ran, far, far away from the tribe. I knew they would kill me for what I did. But what choice did I have?"
"Not to kill him," whispered Redfire. "Lightwing, I know that was hard from you. If I lost Peony, I don't know what I'd do. But killing is not the way to do things."
Lightwing turned away. "Whatever."
"Redfire!" Lavender! Redfire ran up to catch up with the others. No, no, no, Peony!
"Redfire, help me." The young red fox halted in front of Peony, who had a paw with unsheathed claws held at her throat. Belonging to a red dog fox.
"Don't move," shouted the dog fox, tightening his grip on Peony, or I will kill her."