The Heart of Rain

Chapter 5

The next morning a cold breeze flew threw the barn. Dusty shivered, he opened his eyes to see a sheet of white on the ground. Dusty looked at Rain who was curled up in her nest. Her belly swollen with kits Dusty smiled.

She Opened her eyes "hello dusty."

"Hi." Purred Dusty " Want to go hunting?"

"I would love to." Rain mewed. "I'm starving!"
Dusty hopped onto his feet. "Come on then!"

Dusty and Rain ran  threw the oak trees. Snow stuck to their bellies And noses.
Dusty spotted a squirrel Running up a birch tree. He sank his claws into the
Hard wood. He scurried up the tree, after it. The squirrel jumped on a tiny branch, Dusty  jumped in the air and grasped it firmly In his jaws and jumped down onto the soft earth.

"Show off!" purred Rain. " Just wait until I've had These kits So I can catch a Squirrel faster than....."
Rain froze and opened her jaws to sniff the air.

"I smell a strong scent, almost like a..."

"FOX!" Yowled Dusty " RAIN RUN!"
" I can't leave you Dusty."
"Do it please, Rain"
"I .. I .. I  Can't, I can help you!"
The fox dove for Rain but Dusty bit the back of its leg before it could get her.
Rain ran up a tree as Dusty fought the fox below.
The fox sank his teeth into Dusty's matted pelt.
Dusty yowled In pain, The fox bit back blood trickled down his side.
He flicked his tail angrily. He hissed at the fox and sprang up to claw its muzzle. The fox hit him and he fell onto the ground and layed there for a moment.

Dusty scrabbled back onto his paws then jumped on the foxes back. They tumbled down a slope into the Icey river.
Rain raced down the Ravine, calling Dusty's name.
Dusty was going to fall into the river.
"Dusty NO!" Yowled Rain
Dusty claws let go of the foxes back as they fell into the river.
The fox gasped for air as dusty clawed at its eyes.
Dusty clawed the foxes neck. Blood gushed from the neck of the fox .
The fox went under the water Dusty went down under to. Is this the end?
" DUSTY!" He could hear her yowl his name.
She raced down stream, to find him lying on the side of the bank gasping for air
"DUSTY!"
She grabbed his scruff and pulled him to the barn. She laid beside him, and used her body heat to keep him warm. She ran up the stairs of the barn to get cobwebs to stop the bleeding. She gently placed them on his wounds.

"Thank you Rain." he rasped.
"Are you feeling ok?" She asked

"Yes I think I just have a chill"
"Just rest, you will be ok soon, I promise." Rain whispered into his ear.