The blades of the sun

Prologue

Fox curled next to her mother. Cloud was great for keeping her warm, her white fluffy pelt made the weather feel like green leaf. Beside her was her sister Snow,  she was kind but she knew Creek loved her more then he loved Fox. She didn't mind though, Cloud made up for it. She shivered as she felt Clouds body become colder and fox grew confused as her rhythmic breathing started to go jagged.

" Cloud?" Fox meowed to her mother to reassure herself that Cloud was okay. Her mother didn't answer. Snow stretched her front paws and yawned.

" Is something wrong?" Her sister asked her, Fox shrugged and nudged her mother. Now Fox was starting to get panicked, What if she's dying?  Fox thought to herself. She shook the thought from her head, her mother wouldn't just suddenly die out of nowhere. Unless the berries me and Snow found could harm her...

" I'll go get help, Branch will know what to do!" Fox meowed to her sister and sprinted away to the healer's den. Branch was sound asleep but that wouldn't stop Fox. " Branch! I think somethings wrong with Cloud!" Fox yowled to the healer. Immediately he sprang up and yawned.

" Whats the matter with her? This better not be a game, joking about serious things is bad." Branch stared at her sternly. Fox shook her head and remembered what she saw earlier.

" At first she was really warm then she stared to cool down. Her breathing got a bit strange some and Snow got worried." Fox shuffled her paws anxiously. She will be fine...  

Fox followed Branch out of the den and they made there way over to her mother's nest. " Did you by any chance give her anything yesterday?" Branch asked. Fox thought for a heartbeat and then remembered the red berries she gave her mother. She had told them to go play before she ate it and when they came back she was sleeping already.

" We found some red berries and she ate them," Fox answered and hoped everything was okay. But she shivered as she saw Branches eyes widen.

" You fed her death berries!" Branch yowled. Fox froze, was her mother dead? She quickly hurried to the nest and Snow was waiting. Branch quickly entered with herbs in his mouth.

" Will she be okay?" Snow asked, worry in her tiny eyes. Fox hoped she would be okay, but the way Branch said death berries made Fox feel even more worried. She turned when Branches eyes drooped and he turned around with sorrow in his eyes.

" I'm so sorry but your mother is dead..." Branch told them. Fox felt like she could wail for the rest of her life, but she knew she had to be strong for Snow.

" I can't believe it. This is all my fault!" Snow wailed. Fox stared at her in disbelief, it wasn't her fault at all. Fox felt her heart sink, she wanted to comfort her sister but she couldn't find any words to express her sorrow.  Branch left them to grieve and heartbeats later Creek stormed into the den.

" Is Cloud okay?!" He meowed, worry all over his face. Fox looked at her paws in shame, this would be even harder for him. " Well? Is she alright?" He repeated.

" She's dead..." Fox sadly told her father, how would she explain her mother's death to him? Creek wailed in sorrow and Fox had never seen her father this sad before.

" How did she die? Did someone do this to her?" He hissed and looked at her accusingly. Fox shuddered, she wouldn't let Snow take the blame that was for sure.

" I-I accidentally fed her death berries, Snow had nothing to do with this. Punish me not her." Fox wailed, she had caused her mothers death and she would never forgive herself.

" How could you kill your own mother!?" Creek yowled. Fox stared in horror as he slashed his claws at her ears, she went to scramble away but he kicked her to the ground. She got up, only to be hit back down by a powerful blow to her shoulder. She yowled in pain and saw Snow staring in horror. " Your punishment has only just begun. I will starve you to death and cover you with scars." He hissed in her face and whipped around. He told Snow to follow him and she did.

Fox panted and felt blood trickle along her wounds. Everything I just had has blown to ashes! Fox silently wailed, she flinched as she saw a bright light. Cloud! She thought as she saw her mothers spirit.

" It's okay little one. You are no longer safe here, you must leave." Cloud meowed. Fox didn't know what to say. How would she escape? Creek would surely be guarding her nest. Cloud pointed her hollow tail towards a bit of the den and Fox spun around. An exit! Fox thought as relief flooded through her.

" What about Snow?" Fox asked. What if Creek treated her the same way too? She shuddered at the thought of leaving her sister to her cruel father.

" You must follow the flame that will light up your life..." Cloud spoke and faded away. Fox felt sorrow cling to her fur, this might be the last time she would see her mother! Without thinking anymore she charged through the exit. She kept running until she was far away from her old home.

I'll follow the flame that will light up my life, I'll do it just for me and my future kin.