A Foxes Journey Book 2: The Lost River

Chapter II: The Darkest Night

The two Range's made their way through the thick forest that night. Even though it was night, they still kept going, trying to find a good place to sleep for the night because if they didn't they would be worn out the next day and unable to keep going on their journey.

"Momma, are we home yet?" asked Frost who almost jumped out her paws with joy at the thought of finally being home again.

"No, not yet and we probably won't be home for quite a while yet my love now go run along and play with Mountain for a while," Bright Light said to her and when Frost heard this she stopped jumping because she was sad that they had not found a home yet.

"Ahhh!" Mountain screeched at the top of his lungs out of fear. "An owl is flying toward me and it is big and scary! And I think that it is going to eat me!" A giant owl came down swooping back and forth at Mountain trying to pick him up finally he was able to and so he picked up Mountain by his little front paw. While he was still screeching and wailing uncontrollably. The owl was flying up to get higher when Ice Tail suddenly jumped up as high as he could and bit the owl's foot clean off. Mountain fell, but Bright Light ran over to where he was falling and caught him. The owl was on the ground, and could not stand up straight. The other foxes finished it off quickly settling down for their dinner for the night.

"Is he all right?" asked Bright Light. Little Song came over to her to see how Mountain was doing.

"Yes, but he does have a pretty deep puncture in his side and his front paw is either fractured or broken. The owl must have not clenched down on him with his talons otherwise he would not be alive right now. He is very lucky that that didn't happen to him now let's get him over to my herbs so I can fix him right up."

Bright Light carried Mountain for the rest of the journey after Little Song had dressed him in herbs. It soon was dawn, and the tods went out on a patrol to hunt while the elders, apprentices, pups, and vixens slept. Bright Light snored drowsily not wanting to be woken up, but Ice Tail woke her up anyway.

"Hey, Bright Light," Ice Tail said to wake her up.

"What?" she said drowsily, still half asleep, but as she laid there she started to smell fresh prey.

"I got your favorite prey for you and this time it is big enough for both of us to share it," he said excitedly because it had been a long time since they had eaten prey together.

"A cottontail rabbit? If prey is running this well then that means that it should be plentiful for us all year. Thank you StarRange for that and all of this prey," she asked and told Ice Tail excitedly. Ice Tail nodded he too was happy that the prey was running so well for them. Bright Light ate it with Ice Tail while their pups were feasting on a fat squirrel that Ice Tail had also caught and brought in. Bright Light had eyed it happily when Ice Tail brought it in for them to feast on, remembering her apprentice years. She watched Mountain extra carefully to make sure that he didn't hurt himself in the process of eating.

"Hey, Moss Fur. Is there any chance that we could get some water? My pups are famished," Bright Light asked her leader hopeful that there was some water around.

"No, but perhaps...We could find some in a stream so they could drink," he paused. "Oh my, StarRange. It's snowing. Bright Light, Ice Tail get your pups inside one of our dens now before they freeze to death in this weather."

" Oh, no," said Blue Flower. "Oh, no it can't be snowing. StarRange please let it stop snowing!"

"It is." said Ice Tail. "The pups. We need to keep them warm Bright Light lets do as Moss Fur suggested and get them into a den now!"

"And fed, and watered. Make sure they get a big filling of food, so they don't go hungry. The elders need to be taken care of as well, but the pups need to be.... " Blue Flower started to hyperventilate. Blue Flower started gasping more and more as the more worried she got.

"Calm down, Blue Flower there is no need to have a huge panic attack over this now is there," Moss Fur said calmly to Blue Flower who tried to calm herself down some.

"We will make sure the elder's and the pups take their fill. The pups will also be taken care of as will our apprentices."

"Is it going to be a cold winter?" worried Blue Flower working herself up over it again. "Is it going to be as cold as the last one, or even colder, like the one when Bright Light was a pup. If so we won't be able to keep moving because of how cold it will be."

"Oh, shut up already!" Turtle Star growled. "Everyone will be taken care of Moss Fur said so himself so quit being a worry flurry and think about something else for once. You aren't even expecting pups, your pups are apprentices so maybe you should just keep your mouth shut and watch them. You should be worried about your remaining pups first off and if you had the decency you wouldn't worry about everything else so much. Let, Bright Light and Ice Tail deal with their own pups and for StarRange's sake quit worrying and hyperventilating."

"Turtle Paw!" Bright Light growled. Turtle Star narrowed her eyes arrogantly at Bright Light. "I mean Turtle Star, you shouldn't be so mean. Blue Flower, has every right to worry because she will soon be an elder and it is an elders job to worry about themselves and the young of the Range."

"Yes, she does Bright Light I agree," said Ruby. "We need to be on our guard. The Fox Killers are always out in the winter. They love how the blood looks on the snow in winter especially since it will be harder to see them in this weather."