The Cream Colored Vixen

Pg.51-60

Turtleheart spat, "You need to let go! I'll be staying up all night tonight. You're not going anywhere." She spun around and left the cave with her head held high. I felt my heart race. I told her I'll see her tonight! What if she thinks I'm a coward for not showing up after confessing I love her?

Sharptail interrupted my thoughts add he walked in. "I talked to Softpierce about training as a different role, and he said it was a great idea. Want to try? You're fortunate to have enough time to train as another main role."

I cleared my throat. "Sure, I'll give it a try."

"Okay. Which main role would you like to join? Hunter or guard?" I stifled a flinch. If I were to train as a guard, tonight I could be a night guards and excuse myself from Turtleheart's limit for me!

"A guard please." I felt excitement surge under my pelt.

"Why not a hunter?" Birdtail snuck in as if she were eavesdropping outside the whole time. "After all, your prince, Thornclaw, is a hunter," she teased.

I felt hot under my fur. "For the last time, we're only friends!"

"Oh! So you've had this talk a couple of times. No surprise. Everyone knows how close you are."

"No," Sharptail interrupted. "She made a good choice. We need guardians more than hunters. She's a natural leader." Pride took over my embarrassment. My mother just snickered and fled the den.

"I'm going to assign you to Ashbristle. Just tell him you're training for a side role," Sharptail instructed. I nodded then bounded happily to the Guardians' Den. I saw two matching dark great pelts in the shadows. One fox was asleep; I assumed Ravenstone took the second shift.

"Ashbristle?" I called, expecting an awkward response. The glowing amber eyes of the dark gray reynard turned towards me. Thank the Sky he wasn't my first mentor, or I'd be scared out of my fur!

"Yes?" A slow hiss crept from his fangs. I began to doubt my decision, but my promise to Quietheart led me on.

"Shar-er-King Sharptail wants you to mentor me for a side role." Ashbristle stood up and dipped his head to me.

"Mentoring a princess by the order of the king? What an honor! Follow me to the border." He jumped into the sunlight and suddenly he didn't seem as terrifying as before.

While I followed my new mentor to the west wall, Softpierce brushed against me and whispered in my ear, "Lesson 8: take as many beneficial opportunities possible." I smiled. "By the way, my last pup got named this morning. The ginger vixen Dawnpaw and the white dappled ginger reynard Nightpaw, opened their eyes yesterday. Morningpaw is our last vixen's name."

"Those are wonderful names, but how are they related to their character? You didn't break tradition, did you?" The three of us climbed to the top of the wall using the ledges to leap with ease.

"Hey! Sidestep's the one who named them, so blame her, not me," Softpierce accused. "Besides, they weren't just named after the time they were born. Nightpaw's pretty solitary and quiet, Dawnpaw looks like the setting sun when she curls up to sleep, and Morningpaw loves the morning chills." I nodded my approvement and brushed my tail in goodbye as he headed back down into camp.

"Do you know the difference between our kingdoms scent and Ice Kingdom scent?" Ashbristle quizzed.

"Yes." I remembered the welcoming scent of Quiteheart's fur, "The foxes from the Ice Kingdom have almost the same scent as fish and flowering herbs while we have the scent of dust and faint heather."

"Very good!" My new mentor congratulated. "But how did you know the exact scent of an Ice Kingdom fox?"

I quickly made up an excuse that wasn't exactly a lie. "Sometimes, when I was a pup, Queen Birdtail took me exploring by the border."