Foxfey

<•> Chapter 9 <•>

They started to ignore each other, Starla was still angry and he was angry at her for insulting the tribe. They started traveling again at sunset, catching some prey and drinking some water in silence, they walked quickly she kept behind him and they avoided each other's gazes angrily.

Her parents weren't traitors, no matter what Ciaran said. She convinced herself she had every right to be mad at Ciaran, but that didn't stop guilt from turning in her gut.

They walked for hours through the forest in quiet. They had been walking for three days so far. Only four more days to go and she would meet this Foxpaw tribe. She had a sudden thought, if Ciaran thought her parents were traitors would the tribe too? Would they see her as a traitor? She gritted her teeth, she hoped not. She wanted to be with Pyke, but he was at their den safe and probably eating some fancy dove he caught that was plump and tasty.

The homesickness hit her again, she used Sight and did that a couple times but Ciaran didn't say anything, she doubted he even noticed. She thought about the prophecy.

'A fox of wind and color, a second fox of water and trust, a third fox of fire and traitors blood. They will bring together the seven Magic tribes, and stop the bloodshed that runs through the cracks.' She repeated it in her head over and over. She couldn't possibly be the prophecy fox, she wasn't a traitor and neither was her parents. She wasn't made of fire, and neither was her personality. Why Ciaran dragged her along on this journey that may turn out to be foolish was beyond her. She couldn't go back she would get lost if not eaten by those wolves. She could only follow Ciaran she hoped that the tribe might turn her away so she could go back. But she shook the thought away, the tribe was her family, even if she had never met them. Didn't that mean something? She was confused and hurt, she glanced at Ciaran who looked ahead silent and tense. She suddenly felt bad, but she wouldn't budge about her parents.

She ran in front of Ciaran and stood in his way lifting her chin he stopped and looked past her but after a moment made eye contact with her. She saw anger and the guilt worsened.

"I'm sorry I insulted the tribe and your ancestors...our ancestors." She corrected herself.

He stared at her, the anger in his eyes softened but still remained. He paused then said quietly, "You could also be 'A fox of wind and color,' because of your name. Starly." He brushed past her flicking his ears forward.

She flinched and felt more guilty but the weight on her chest lifted slightly she followed him biting her lip. She was thinking of another way to apologize, they walked on in quiet again.

~~~

They walked on for longer than they ever have before. She wanted to insist they stop and rest or eat but she sensed he didn't want to talk to her. He must be really dedicated to the tribe, they were his family after all, and his father was the tribe leader. But at last he stopped, they hadn't found a stream in awhile and her throat felt parched.

She stalked into the night he just curled up. She came back with a couple mice and dropped two in front of him before settling across from him and eating her other two prey. He looked at her in surprise but started slowly eating the mice.

Since she had lived in the city she learned to catch mice, rats, and even birds. Sometimes they would get birds that feel from big wooden poles with wires on them. They got stunned and fell sometimes dead, and they got a free meal before any raccoons got to it.

They strayed away from the raccoons, they were smart and used their paws to grab things and open cans. They could fight better than the street cats so they usually didn't bother the critters.

"I'm sorry for getting mad." Ciaran paused and looked at her, "I shouldn't assume you are of traitors blood."

She smiled, "I'm sorry too."

"You really miss them don't you?" He asked softly.

She felt the bitter taste in her mouth and she nodded.

"I would miss them too." He said.

She looked at him. Their anger had fizzed out slowly but was now gone, and now they felt tired. As if their bones were exhausted from the fighting. She did trust him even if he had spoken sourly about her parents.

She shifted and made a decision. "They had gone out at night. Looking for food for me and Pyke." She said quietly her eyes forward but cloudy. As if looking at something far and distant.

He stopped and looked at her eyes wide with curiosity.

"We begged them to take us and they gave in." She sighed and felt tears prickle her eyes. She felt like she was seeing it happen all over again. "The street was quiet and we came out of the alley with a few birds, but then there was a van. Trappers. My parents hid us in the alleyway behind a fence while they tried to lure the Trapper away."

She paused and took a shaky breath.

Ciaran flicked his tail, "You don't have to tell me Starla."

She closed her eyes and shook her head, "But the Trapper got his stick around my mom's neck and was trying to hail her into a cage. My dad bite him and he took out a shiny object." She slowly opened her eyes and looked at Ciaran, the giant boom ringing in her ears as if it was happening in front of her again. "He killed both of them and drove off, leaving the bodies."

Ciaran's eyes were wide and pity and sympathy mixed in.

She turned away and felt the tears fall silently, she remembered crying for her mom, Pyke holding her back not wanting to let her see their motionless faces.

"I'm so sorry Starla." He murmured quietly.

She sniffed and wiped the tears away with her tail shaking, "It wasn't your fault."

He intertwined his tail with her and she looked at them surprised and lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.

He smiled reassuringly, "Thank you for telling me."

She smiled back but felt the hole in her chest widen a bit, a hole that was reserved for her parents that were now dead.