Ginger Forest

Chapter 6

"Here is my den, Trixie. You may sleep here if you'd like, if not, we can construct a guest den for you."

"Oh! Um, don't waste your, uh, strength on me. I know how to make my own bed-er.. nest. Haha.." 

"No, it's my pleasure. Please choose."

"Um.. Guest den!" Trixie yelped nervously. The other coyotes were eyeing her as if to say, 'You're TOO close to our Alpha.' Her tail flicked. "I don't want to have to put SOME OF MY PACK on DEN DUTY," Iron said loudly, winking at Trixie. Their cruel gazes turned to overexaggerated loving glances. "That's better. Shrew, Thistle, Rain, Daisy, Moon, please get to constructing a den for our lovely guest."

"Yes, Alpha." 

Shrew grumbled, Daisy muttered something to Thistle, and Rain rolled her eyes at Moon.

Iron looked at the fox next to him, "Would you like to go hunting with me? Maybe a little bit of fresh air after that fight." he wasn't revealing the large gash on one of his shoulders,  as he was extremely fluffy.

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"Y'know, I haven't learned how to hunt yet... I was raised in captivity. Maybe you could teach me...?" Trixie asked Iron. He turned and smiled warmly. "Ah, if I must. Well, it depends on what you're after. We'll start out with a rabbit. They can hear, very well, and are very swift as well. You have to step lightly and observe your every surrounding. Emphasis on the word every. If you don't and say, stumble and step very loudly, it will run. If you step on a twig or a dry leave, it will linger but move suspiciously and be more alert. I see one, over there."

A white rabbit was sniffing around, digging up some berries.

"Here's your chance, stalk up behind it in this position;" he crouched low to the ground, his belly brushing the grass and back straight, "move forward as silently as possible. Now hurry up, it's fixing to leave." 

Trixie crouched low to the ground and moved forward, shaking but silent. There was a rustle in a bush, and the rabbit took off.

"Oh, it got away. Don't worry, Trixie, everyone messes up-"

"It wasn't me! There's someone in the bushes. Shut up."

"Oh, well, in that case I'll just--" his words were cut off by a blob of orange, red, and gray flying out of the bushes. The foxes were back, and boy, were they mad.

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Iron was caught by surprise at the large mob of foxes that suddenly sprang an attack on him. Trixie was overcome by three of the seven, she identified them as the beta, the rude mother-fox, and one of the others that chased her out of the camp. He had a large scar along his side, from Iron. "You again! We told you we'd be back!"

"A-actually, y-y-you didn't..." Trixie started, the beta cut her off.

"Silence! You're coming with us! The alpha would like to have a, word, with you.."

"N-no."

"What was that?"

"No."

" You're coming with us, and that's final!" she sprang at Trixie, ripping at her nape with a vicious snarl. The light ginger vixen bit back as a reflex, hitting the stronger, more experienced fox in the nose. There was a large, bleeding cut on it now. The mother fox bit into her leg, while the male scratched at her back. Iron pushed against the six foxes attacking him and managed to defend Trixie, the foxes fled once again with malicious glares. "Get me back to camp. Or yourself." 

There was a large gash on the side of his face and multiple bites on his neck and paws. One of his eyes was cut and swollen, while his tail hung limply at his side.

Iron collapsed on the ground right as a patrol of coyotes emerged into view. "Wha- Iron? What happened? I knew there was something off about that fox! She attacked him! You'll PAY for this, Trixie!" the female Shrew muttered to when Trixie first came said that.

"I KNEW we couldn't trust you!" that was Shrew. He pinned her down with a snarl. "I bet you only befriended my brother just so you could muzzle into our pack and ruin us! You killed him, didn't you?!"

"I didn't! It was the other foxes! My old pack!"

"Traitorous fool! You were a spy! A SPY!" Shrew opened his muzzle wide and lunged, stopping when Iron groaned,

"It wasn't her fault. Don't... Don't hurt her.."