The Cream Colored Vixen

Pg.91-100

Turtleheart, Mudfern, Lionweight, and Featherripple stood at the mouth of the Cave of the Sky.

"Are you sure we have to leave Birdtail out of this?" Featherripple asked to Turtleheart.

"She's in battle. We cannot retrieve her," she replied.

"I just think all healers must do this together," the flame colored reynard reassured.

Lionweight's dried mud was starting to moisten and leak off, and fur was starting to stick up in places. "Let's just go before it's too late."

"Hold on," Featherripple halted the golden baron. "I don't think you should be going in."

"Why not?" Mudfern defended.

"He was never a healer."

"Then why did we bring him here?" Mudfern snapped.

"Enough!" Turtleheart shouted. "I brought him here for a reason."

"And what is that, Sweetie?" Mudfern quickly calmed down.

"I had a dream. A Sky Kingdom fox told me to bring all of you."

"How about Birdtail?" Featherripple interrupted.

Turtleheart bared her teeth. "I told you why we couldn't bring her." The healers got into a loud argument. They were deaf to the thunder overhead. Lightning struck violently on a boulder close to Lionweight. The impact loosened a rock that loosened another until the stone under the golden baron collapsed, and Lionweight plunged into a sticky crevice of mud.

He tried to scream, but mud clogged his mouth. His claws scrambled on the sides of stone.

"The Sky Kingdom is angry!" Featherripple shouted. Mudfern had already started scooping mud to get to the baron.

"No, no! Lionweight work with me." It was hard to tell if the retired healer had raindrops or tears on her cheeks. "Do it for your pups. Do it for our pups!" Soon, Mudfern was unable to reach any more mud in the crevice, and the mud became still.

Turtleheart held a blank expression. "This was our sign. Lionweight once depended on mud, but we have now seen it has killed him." Mudfern cried on the slippery stones. "What makes you stronger can also destroy you."

"We need to warn the others. Whatever it means, our ancestors killed to deliver. It must be important." Featherripple brushed his tail over the grieving baron in effort to comfort her.

"Very well," Turtleheart answered. "Mudfern?"

"Let me stay," she moaned.

"You'll get sick in the rain," Featherripple said with emotion clouding his words. Mudfern just sniffed. Turtleheart came over and lied by the baron. Something shiny caught her eye. She reached for it, and Mudfern looked up from her paws. Turtleheart pulled up a hollow, rounded object that echoed on the stone from the mud. It was smooth on the inside and a lined pattern formed on the outside.

Turtleheart washed the object in the stream and set it beside Mudfern. It was a creamy brown color, and it shined jade green. "It's beautiful, Turtleheart."

"With every loss, new life grows from it."

* * *

"Well?" Echotail demanded. Birdtail gave her a warning glance.

I swallowed then puffed out my chest. "Yes," I paused to gaze at Quietsong. "I know this vixen."

There were several gasps of alarm. Thistlelight shouted. "Traitor!" A few Ice Kingdom foxes joined in. I saw shock in my mother's eyes and disappointment in my father's.