The Sulk

Mistified

Amber woke the next day in a new den. Yesterday a few foxes had helped her dig out a den and Amber had already gotten used to it. But it wasn't the morning light that seeped through the entrance the woke her it was the the loud call of a fox.

Amber groaned and went outside to see a line of foxes. They all were talking to a a white and black fox at the end. The fox's pelt was very odd. It was a snow white but had black streaks in it that led from the corner of his eyes to a line down his back.

Amber watched as foxes left either grumbling when they left him or delighted. Amber wondered if she was supposed to join them. Gladly a fox that looked a little younger then her stepped out. Her pelt was a light brown with flecks of dark gray in it.

"Uh, hello, could you please help me?" Amber asked the younger vixen.

The vixen turned to look at Amber with startling blue eyes.

"Yes, but make it snappy," the fox sounded quiet in a rush, "I don't want to be last in line, they give the worst duties to them,"

The fox groaned the last part.

"Okay, so this may sound stupid, I just joined here could you help me understand?" Amber asked quickly.

The young vixen's eyes widened wide.

"Wait! You're Teeko's apprentice! Go to her den! Maybe if I don't have a late working meal do you want to share a meal?"

"Sure," then the fox scampered away to the line.

Amber sighed in relief, it sounded like she had just found herself a friend. Amber woke herself a little more with a huge yawn. She shook her pelt out and weaved through the line of foxes.

When Amber had gotten to Teeko's den Teeko was already out. Her blazing red fur glowing in the early light.

"Sorry if i'm late!" Amber apologized respectfully, not meeting eye contact with Teeko out of respect,

"You're early no need to worry. and you are an equal to me keep eye-contact," the last words were more of a command.

Amber slowly looked up to meet the older fox's yellow eyes. Teeko noded approvingly.

"Now come," she said and slithered into the crowd with ease.

Amber followed a little more ungracefully, she had bumped into a large raynord who was close to snapping her ear.

Amber sighe mentally when she got out of the Fort. How'd I sleep through that? Amber thought to herself as she remembered her first morning.

Finding Teeko was easy, her bright red pelt stuck out terribly well in the pure white snow of Winter. Amber ran and caught up with Teeko.

"What are we learning today?" Amber asked.

"How to Mist," Teeko said casually.

Amber looked at her, puzzled, "If I may ask, what is Misting?"

"Misting is disapearring from the sight of other foxes and prey. Instead of a fox they see nothing,"

Amber nodded, she understood, slightly.

Amber and Teeko walked silently for awhile until the came to a place thick with underbrush.

"This is one of the best places to hunt. The first thing you will learn is to Mist, I have already told you this, but this is something all foxes can do. We are starting small,"

Amber sat down, her paws were numb with cold. She shuffled them underneath her to keep them warm.

"Listen Amber, keep completly quiet, becuase your not leaving until you catch me a mouse,"

Amber nodded and stopped shuffling her paws.

"The first thing you want to do is..."

***

Amber came out from the frosted underbrush with a small mouse in her jaws. She walked proudly and her teeth shone white.

Teeko had been teaching Amber until she could at the least Mist for a small amount of time. Then Teeko had told her to catch a mouse. Amber had spotted three, but she had gotten so excited the her Mist disappeared and the mice ran away. Then when she had started to get hopeless she had started to crawl out when she had spotted a small white mouse walking along carelessly.

Amber now held the small white mouse in her jaws. Your Misting isn't as good as you think it is! Amber thought trumpently in her head to the mouse.

"Nice job, Amber. You deserve to eat it," Teeko had congratulated Amber.

"But you told me we wouldn't leave until I caught you a mouse,"

"Yes, and you lost three. You'll have to try again,"

Amber gaped. "How'd you know?"

"I was following you," Teeko explained, "now finish your mouse and start again,"

Amber sighed, so many times Misting had made her tired.

She gulped down the mouse and went into the underbrush. She tucked her tail close and Misted. After looking around she spotted a tiny mouse chewing on a seed. Two meals in one! Amber thought and pounced on the mouse. Amber lapped up the seed the mouse had been eating and brought it over to Teeko.

Teeko grinned aprovingly and dug into the mouse.

Teeko told her a little more about what they would learn tomorrow and they left the forest.

Teeko and Amber had made it back to the Fort just in time for the Third meal.

Teeko had told Amber she wasn't hungry but she could pick whatever. Though Amber had only just eaten she was still hungry, the mouse was the size of the seed she had eaten!

She quickly and shyly went over to the pile and picked out a rabbit. She saw the vixen from the Morning waiting to get food.

The vixen looked around while waiting and spotted Amber. Amber waved with her tail and the light brown fox trotted over.

"Do you want to share?" Amber asked.

"Do I ever! Of course I do! I never get rabbit the older foxes hog them up," and the vixen laughed.

Amber looked around and saw older foxes all munching on rabbits and Amber chuckled.

"So, what' your name?" The vixen asked, she had twore off the leg of the rabbit and was now chewing on it.

"My name is Amber, yours?" Amber asked, chewing on the soft belly of the rabbit.

"My name is Aminta,"

"That's a pretty name. My mother would probably find all the fox's names here odd, but I think that they're cool,"

Aminta nodded. "Yeah, I came from outside the Fort too. My mother abandoned me because i'm blind," she shrugged as if it was nothing.

"Wait, you're blind! But you get around so well..." Amber didn't know how to finish.

Aminta grinned proudly, "The first thing I did here was sniff everything and bump into things to find borders!" Aminta laughed.

Amber chuckled, she liked this young fox.  

Though I would have done a picture of Aminta I thought a picture of Teeko was needed in your heads