Dirt was flying under my red fur, dinging its gleam. I took a step back and shook off my now brown pelt. My eyes dragged across the new area in the den, it was hollow. I knew I wouldn't nurse for a long while but I didn't want to dig with pups in my stomach. I step outside, the sky bleeding red as the sunlight died out. Stepping carefully I attempted to hunt again, my paw caused a slight avalanche of dark soil. My green flecked amber eyes darted to the site of the movement, I slightly covered hole reeked of rabbit. I push my slender snout into the hole and move it around, getting some more space. Pulling out I cock my head, what now? I jump and tunnel my muzzle into the larger hole. My large ear flickers, was that the rabbit waking up? Waiting for the right moment I wait until the large burrower comes out, and into my jaws. I begin to smell something familiar over the rabbit scent washing over me. I slowly begin to walk towards the faint smell that had crept through the rabbits' scent.
I pick up my upper lip into a snarl, the fox staring across the stream takes a step back and mirrors my movement. Dropping the kill beneath my paw, the male leaps at me. Placing my paws on his chest I try to push him down, horrible noises echo about the forest as we battle. He opens his jaws around the side of my face but I tilt my head and his jaw snaps around nothing. His paws begin to push me down and I make a small leap to try to reach his neck. He darts his head of the side, pushing of my slightly bleeding shoulders. I hear a alarm call and the male gets crashed down by another, it was Echo! My littermate must've heard the shrieks and came to check it out. Giving a quick lick to my shoulder we begin to chase him until we get him to jump across a choking stream. I give her a quick lick to the ear and prance alongside my sister to retrieve the rabbit. Once at my growing den I share a few bites with her. "What happened with the rest of the litter, split?" I ask, I left early because Leaf was pestering me and never letting me eat.
I gave Echo a lick on her forehead and wished her luck. She was heading off after staying a day or two. I looked at the seemingly hating sky, glowing red. It soon dropped to a dark purple black color as I padded around my territory, checking for the male fox. I caught a fresh whiff of his scent and crouched, my eyes caught a slight movement to the male foxes territory. I narrowed my amber eyes and glared at the figures slumping in his jaws. He leaped the river and I leaped back, he lowered his bundle. Once they were delivered safely to the ground he leapt across the restless waters and vanquished. I looked at the bundle a ways from my front paws, I considered abandoning it. I turned and herd a cry from the mystery heap. Whizzing around I looked at the bundle closer... pups! I race towards them and grab them as the male had, racing towards my den. I set then down gently when I arrive at their new home and flop onto my side. Is milk already there or do I have to, eat something? I guess not because they began suckling and dozing.
I looked at each of them. Two females and three males, one female Sky, the other Ivy. Flame Eagle and Branch were the males. I smiled and whilst they slept against me I began to dream, me and my new-found pups, me teaching them to hunt. I awoke and frowned, the dream was nice but who was going to hunt? I couldn't for I was to busy nursing, I wondered if Echo went too far. I waited until they were all napping until I darted off, I soon found her lapping at a small pond. I nearly tackled her and fulfilled her of my desperate situation, she nodded her green eyed head and we ran to my den. She looked at the surrounding the went off to hunt, the pups now awakening from the absence of their mothers belly. Licking Ivy on the head I scooted the runt a bit closer to me, she squealed as Eagle stepped on her tail. I chuckle and nose the darker one of and resume smiling. Echo soon retreated from her hunting with decent food, splitting it we each got one kill. "What are their names?" She asked, nosing each of them. "The runt is Ivy, the other girl Sky. The dark male is Eagle, while the redder one is Flame. The last is Branch." I said, describing each of them, nodding she yawned and I saw sunlight peek in at the pups. I smiled and closed my eyes, the pups faint squealing hushed as we all began to sleep.
YOU ARE READING
The Den of a Loner: Book One
RomantizmA young vixen and her sister are suddenly dumped with five pups by a hostile male. They begin to raise Sky, Ivy, Branch, Flame, and Eagle as their own. But when suddenly everything is ripped away from Fern, she is shocked. But someone comes and know...
