Foxfey

<•> Chapter 7 <•>

"The tribe isn't very big, but recently many had kits so there's a lot of little ones. We have three elders, the tribe takes care of them after they served the tribe for years." He said, he paused, "I will let them introduce themselves. Can't spoil everything." He grinned.

She smiled, they walked through the night avoiding holes, roots, trees, and the forests.

Suddenly a howl echoed through the forest and Ciaran stopped and angled his head toward the sky.

"What?" Starla asked.

He waited and the howl came again and this time his fur bristled with alarm and his eyes widened, he whispered, "Wolves."

"What?" She repeated, feeling her own fur bristling by his.

"They are hunting, they must have sensed your magic or our scent." He said quietly.

She looked at him fear creeping up her spine and she shivered. She had never met a wolf, only heard tales from her parents when the ventured into the forest before they came to the city. They claimed they lived in the forest and choose to live in the city.

"What do we do?" She asked quietly looking around as if the wolves were around the trees surrounding them.

"Walk normally if we run they will chase, don't run until I tell you too and when we do don't look back. Okay?" He said eyes forward and tone serious.

She said nothing but let a little nod slid. He started walking a normal pace she tried to slow her now racing pulse. She walked behind him but her breath came rapidly she desperately tried to keep it down but her mind swirled.

She pictured the wolves described by her parents. Saggy silver fur, strong muscles, sharp fangs that could easily rip into her flesh. A piercing howl and deadly bark and yelp of victory when prey is caught, the thought made her want to shrink away to nothing.

Another howl and this time accompanied by barks in reply made her pant nervously, her eyes flicking back and forth rapidly scanning the dense forest around them carefully. She wanted to use Sight but it would take too long and she was scared of losing Ciaran's silhouette.

They kept low, the dark night making them blend in as they crept along not speeding up or slowing down their pace. The half crescent moon shined silver moonlight on their fur in spots making their silhouette stand out before they slipped into the shadow of trees and bushes.

There was a howl much closer and louder, her muscles tensed immediately and she saw Ciaran tense to but he never broke stride. She envied how in control he seemed.

They kept walking and heard yelps and barks, the sound of wolves speaking to each other. Hunting. They were their prey, her heart beat increased and she started hyperventilating but Ciaran didn't look back however he sped up his pace but didn't say a word.

They kept walking and the barks and howls didn't go away, constant pauses between each one closer and louder, she struggled to keep herself back from running, but her muscles screamed at her to run. However she looked at Ciaran steady and calm and that made her relax slightly and ration properly.

However suddenly he slowed and whispered into her ear, "Run."

Then he shot off and she was at his heels, her muscles springing to action and she heard running and heavy thumping behind her. An angry loud howl screeched through the forest and she knew they were being chased. They crashed through the forest, her struggling to keep up with Ciaran who was extremely fast.

He was so fast he practically flew over the rocks, his fur blurring and disappearing under the shadows and light of the moon. She completely forgot her sore muscles and instinct and fear kicked in making adrenaline surge through her veins.

They ran and ran, the howls and yelps echoing in her ears. Suddenly thunder roared making her squeal and stop but Ciaran yanked her along and they started going again. Dark grey clouds covered the sky like a thick blanket, and the rain started pouring down making the dirt turned to mud and slippery. Suddenly she felt her foot slip and she fell into a steep pit. She fell on her back and pain spiked through her. The howl and running of wolf paws made her scream.

Ciaran appeared at the top of the ditch he looked around and then a howl startled him and he also fell into the pit and landed right on top of Starla knocking the breath out of her. He stood up, and suddenly his eyes glowed and then it faded. They saw figures darting around the top of the ditch and disappeared into the night, the howls and yapps of the wolves slowly faded until they couldn't hear or smell anything above the pouring rain.

The ditch was small they couldn't move or the steep walls would block there way. She shifted uncomfortably beneath him, he suddenly looked down and his eyes widened as he just realized how close they were and unable to move.

"Are you okay?" He asked looking down his face suddenly red.

She nodded, "Are you?"

He nodded and she noticed how his chest heaved and his breaths rapid and short, from all the running.

"Why did your eyes glow? How did they not see us?" She asked her pulse was slowing down, and her breaths were slowly becoming normal.

"I used some Foxfey," He answered, "it's called Cloaking, I masked the wolves eyesight so they couldn't see us."

"How did they not smell us?" She asked.

He looked at her face strangely his face was still red and he shifted slightly, "The rain masked our scent I guess."

They stayed there for a couple seconds she noticed how close they were and how they couldn't exactly move, she felt her own face heat up with embarrassment. She was glad the wolves went away and suddenly her head throbbed and she winced.

He looked at her worry in his face, suddenly he leaned down and she tensed their faces inches from each other. She opened her mouth to ask what he was doing when he suddenly leaned down near her ear and licked behind it.

She flinched and gaped at him, "What are you doing?!"

He suddenly recoiled and his face heat up more, "You're bleeding...behind your ear..."

"What?" She reached up with a paw and felt behind her ear she winced when she felt the blood, no wonder her head throbbed.

"It doesn't look serious but.." He trailed off, "Sorry in the tribe we do those things...ya know. Look out for each other..." He looked away.

She smiled and tried to shrug it off, "It's okay, how often do you have to do that..?"

He looked toward her and relaxed the tension lifted. He smiled, "Way more than you think."

She smiled then looked up raindrops still falling. "We should probably get out of this ditch huh?"

He looked up, "Yeah, that'd be smart."

He crouched down his tail brushing her and leaped he scrambled on the steep part and scrambled up out of the ditch.

She got up and looked out of the ditch he let his tail drop, "Use my tail to get out."

"Won't that hurt you?" She asked.

"If you do it quickly not much." He answered glancing over his shoulder at her.

She crouched and leaped scrambling on the side and saw his tail she quickly bit it and used it to pull her up and scrambled out of the den the mud making her slip. She tripped on top of him and they froze then he grinned.

"Looks like you fell on me now," He teased.

"Very funny," She smirked and got up.

He rose and stretched he craned his neck and looked at the sky, "Let's get moving and practice your Sight too. I'll teach you Cloaking next, it's hard but you'll get it."

She smiled and excitement soared through her, "Can't wait."

Author's note: If you like this story so far please think about voting or leaving critiques below! Giving me advice helps improve my writing and improves my stories! Thank you! :)