Foxfey

<•> Chapter 14 <•>

She felt someone poke her between the eyes. She groaned and opened her eyes, right in her face was a fox.

She jumped up screeching the fox screeched and fell back kicking his legs and scrambled up.

"Stop screaming Calix!" A voice scolded.

Starla's chest heaved from being startled, the tiny foxling was laughing at her and grinning. He had red fur and brown eyes, his right bottom tooth stuck out over his lip and the skin has been rubbed away, it reminded her of that strange desert foxes.

Calix backed up grinning, Starla spotted Momo prancing over glaring at him.

"Did you wake her up?! Calix! Don't disrupt the patients!" Momo whined.

Esther was by the fire she looked up and picked up a plucked bird and padded over she dropped it in front of Starla and faced the two kits.

"Calix! Go find your brother. Me and Momo are busy!" She said firmly but no unkindly.

Calix giggled and stuck his tongue out at Momo and scurried out of the den quickly. Momo glared after him then looked at Starla eyes shining with curiosity.

Esther sighed and faced Starla who was already digging into the juicy bird. "I sincerely apologize Starla. The kits are excited to see a new fox, I had to rush all the foxes away so they wouldn't disturb you."

Starla finished the bird and yawned getting up and stretching she said, "No it's okay, he just startled me."

Momo frowned her tail lashing back and forth in annoyance. "Calix always likes to scare foxes!"

Starla smiled.

"Momo is my apprentice, she will become the Oracle after me." Esther explained.

"That's in a long time though." Momo pouted.

"You still have much to learn. Go sort this herbs please." Esther flicked her tail at a pile of messy new herbs.

"Okay!" Momo said brightly and hurried to the herbs to begin.

Esther chuckled softly so she couldn't hear, "Ah young kits so adorable." She faced Starla and sat down.

"Since you might be apart of the prophecy, you might get dreams from our ancestors. And many foxes will want you in their tribe." She began.

"Why?" Starla asked.

"Many foxes are power hungry. And they think if they can control a prophecy fox then they can control the other tribes." She answered hesitantly.

"What? How does that-"

"I can't explain it all right now Starla." Esther said quickly, "I think it's best you go out and meet the tribe for now. They are eager to meet you."

"Okay..." Starla said.

"I know this all seems crazy and fast moving but try to relax for a bit. Don't let the stress get to you." She said encouragingly.

Starla nodded and got up stretching again.

"Try not to let them talk your ear off." Esther said and padded over to Momo to help her.

Starla frowned but shrugged it off. She slowly stepped through the vines that covered the entrance to the cave. She gasped.

The sky was a bright blue with almost no clouds in sight. The meadow had flowers sprinkled about it with the gleaming forest behind she could see miles into the forest from here. Below the mountain was foxes in groups spread throughout the meadow. Some were playing and others were sunbathing or licking each other and speaking. She took a second to admire the scene before going down.

She stopped at the base of the path and looked around. She saw plenty of foxes she didn't know and looked for Ciaran or Goldenheart. But she didn't see them anywhere, she was thinking about going back to Esther but before she could go much deeper into that a small group of foxes came running up. She recognized Oak and a few young foxes beside him all young foxes not quite adults yet. Starla wasn't much older than them.

There was a silver and grey fox with blue eyes and a white diamond on her forehead she was behind eager Oak.

He pranced up to her excitedly "You! Prophecy fox!" He yapped.

Starla have him a puzzled look, "Its Starla-"

"What's it like being a prophecy fox?" A tan fox asked behind the silver one.

Starla sighed she doubted they were listening to her.

"Your so pretty!" The grey vixen pipped up her voice shy she smiled at Starla.

"Oh um thanks!" Starla responded.

Oak's amber eyes sparkled, "Are you Cairan's girlfriend?"

"Um..." She felt her face heat up unsure what to say.

"Of course she isn't! Acorn and Ciaran are going to be mates!" The grey fox said quickly.

"Acorn? Does Ciaran even like her?" Tan fox asked his leaf green eyes flicking to the grey one.

"I think Starla is better she isn't stuck up like Acorn." Oak replied.

Starla remembered the light orange vixen with harsh brown eyes she didn't seem to like Starla very much. Before she went after Sylvia.

"She isn't stuck up she's tough," The grey vixen defended.

Oak rolled his eyes, "C'mon Silver she is really bossy."

"That's why she is going to be the next deputy after Maud!" Silver the grey fox argued.

"Excuse me but do you know where I can find Ciaran?" Starla interrupted she didn't want to stand there forever.

"Oh right! I don't know he may be on patrol." Oak said cocking his head to the side in thought.

"Do you know where the elder's den is? I promised Mouse something." Starla asked suddenly remembering her promise to the old fox.

"Oh yeah right by that tree on the edge of the forest." Silver pointed with her tail toward a small clump of trees with a bolder.

"Oh um, they said the dens were hidden. How do I find it?" Starla asked.

"Oh follow us!" Oak said and hurried towards it his fox friends at his heels.

Starla rushed after them and stopped, they were around the bolder.

Oak pointed to a strange purplish leaf on the ground beside the bolder "We mark den spots with this leaves the den is hidden by grass besides it."

Starla poked at the grass and was surprised to find her paw went threw a hidden den.

"We made nets so you can slide the grass over when you go in," Oak continued and brushed aside the grass and found a hook it uncovered the den and there was a hole that led into the den underground.

Starla looked at them but they nodded and she crawled in, she closed the grass net over and let her eyes blink rapidly adjusting to the dark, she made out roots sticking out and a slow slope the tunnel led down into a den.

She breathed, she never imagined the tribe like this. How come Ciaran never told her all of this? She smiled and made her way down it, she still found it strange these foxes were her family but she couldn't wait to learn more.