A Foxes Journey Book One: Bright Light's Story

Chapter V: Vision

By sun up, Bright Paw had seen all of the territory and had luckily stayed on Ice Tail's good side for the rest of the morning. When they returned to the camp, Bright Paw saw as Turtle Paw and Sorrel Paw were being praised on their hunting skills.

"Nice catch, Sorrel Paw!" Turkey Feather called over to Sorrel Paw as she stood up higher. "That's the biggest squirrel I've ever seen." It was Bright Paw's squirrel.

"Hey, Turtle Paw, that turkey chick must have been hard to get! I can't wait to be an apprentice," squeaked Coal to Turtle Paw happily impressed with the older fox.

"You two are the best hunters in the Range!" Moss Fur proudly said to the pair of apprentices.

Briar Pool came out of the healer's den, Bright Paw just looked down as her mother came over to her.

"How did training go this morning?" Briar Pool eagerly asked Bright Paw.

"I don't think Ice Tail likes me. He's mean and strict and he thinks that I can't do anything right or follow the Code," Bright Paw said to her mother upset about the way her mentor was treating her. Briar Pool shook her head as she realised how strict Ice Tail could actually be.

"Ice Tail, is a strict mentor, but he'll lighten up as you progress as any mentor does when their apprentice progresses ," Briar Pool told her. "He is such a strict mentor because he's had three apprentices. They all died. He doesn't want to lose you as well. It is his first time having an apprentice in forever and he just wants to get it right this time." Bright Paw felt more encouraged than ever at the encouraging words her mother had given her.

Dark Breeze who had just got back from another hunting patrol gave Bright Paw an anxious look because the prey was beginning to go scarce and she was the youngest apprentice the Range had. Bright Paw walked up to the prey pile and got a stale vole and was going to eat it when she noticed that Little Song wasn't eating anything. So Bright Paw took her prey over to Little Song and shared it with her. Little Song took one bite of vole and pushed it over to Bright Paw, as if she was done.

"Bright Paw, can I ask you a question?" Little Song asked Bright Paw eagerly. Bright Paw just nodded her head that she could.

"Do you recognize this prophecy? Fire, Water, Sky, and Snow will become one before the mountain falls. Then in the midst of a battle a fox will fall and stare up into the sky and out of it will fall flames, water, and snow," Little Song asked Bright Paw steadily. Bright Paw gave one very confused look to Little Song and took her vole and ran into the apprentices den where she fell unconscious.

"Bright Paw, we are waiting for you. Fight for us our Snow," A fox's voice echoed in Bright Paw's head as her sight blurred. She saw foxes in her Range fighting back and forth. She didn't know why they were fighting, but she knew her friends, mother, and mentor were dead. In the middle of the camp, Bright Paw saw Dark Breeze bleeding from her throat, her dead eyes staring into the sky. Then, out of the the sky fell flames, rain, and snow. Bright Paw let out a feeble yelp, but no one could hear her. She heard a rumble. Rocks tumbled overhead flinging all around Bright Paw. The huge mountain that the Range was named after fell and crumpled to the ground. It buried the whole territory. Bright Paw was safe, but stuck in a dark hole. And no one could hear her feeble yelping for help.

"Bright Paw, Bright Paw!" yelped Sorrel Paw as she tried to wake Bright Paw. "Bright Paw!" Bright Paw heard herself gasping and hyperventilating. Little Song, Dark Breeze, and Moss Fur ran to her because Alder Paw had gotten them.

"What's wrong, Bright Paw? Why were you yelping?"

"The mountain. It's falling. It's falling," Bright Paw said softly before she closed her eyes. Fight. Fight. Fight Bright Paw. You have to fight for us our Snow. Suddenly Little Song heard a whisper in her ear that said, She is the Snow the one you have been waiting for.

Dark Breeze and Little Song began talking quietly. "She is the Snow, Dark Breeze," Little Song said to her.

"How do you know?" asked Dark Breeze. "I thought Turtle Paw and Sorrel Paw had the best chance of being in this prophecy."

"She is as white as snow and I was just given an omen on the wind."

"You can't decide the fox of a prophecy by the color of their pelt and no omen can be that believable!" Dark Breeze snapped back at Little Song who merely shook her head at Dark Breeze.

"I'm not," Little Song replied calmly. "Healers have a sixth sense about these things. Once I asked her if she had heard of Fire, Sky, Water and Snow will become one before the mountain falls. Then, shortly after, she had a vision, I can tell."