The Fox and Her Bow

-5-

I look up from the paper at the Chief.

"I know. It's bad."

"Very bad!" I say, standing up. "He said he'd be here in 2 moons! 1 and a half moons has already past, and we need all the weapons we can make to defend ourselves! And as soon as possible!"

"I know. I have the ironmasters working around the clock, along with the Training levels are rising in difficulty. Though I doubt you'd notice any difference!" He laughed.

I find nothing in this funny.

Our island is about to be attact in the next half a moon! How can you have the nerve to laugh at that?!!

"I suppose." I say. "What do you think you'r going to do? Any battle plans?" This was something I needed to know.

"So far, no. I'm just waiting to hear more news. How the weapons are coming, scouting the island, stuff like that."

I nod.

This is crazy. All our enemys we've fought sound so much less scary, and prepared. How is the Chief going to lead us if he has no idea what to expect like I do? I should lead. I'm the best Warrior they've got anyway, it's kind of like...my job!

"I should lead." I say, unexpectedly.

The Chief looks surprised. He frowns and shakes his head hard. "No. No, you can fight, but you are not leading my tribe to victory." He pounds the table. "That's my job."

"But what if you can't do your job properly?" Fuming, I set my hands on the table, with the letter in the middle. "You can lead the village, but do you really know how to fight such a huge fight like this?" I gesture to the letter.

The Chief scowls. "You do not tell me where my place is." He stands up to his full height. "I am the Chief, the leader of your home. I tell you where you stand. And let me tell you, it's not here." He scoops up the letter and marches off to the back room of his hut. "You are no longer welcome in my village, Fox."

"Wha-"

"Leave now...and never come back."

Refusing to cry until I'm completely alone, I open the door to the hut and run quickly to my own. "What am I going to do now?" I ask myself. Feathers hoots a sad hoot from on her perch by the window. "I know. I'm sad too. But we need to go. And soon."

I grab my blanket and lay it on the floor of the kitchen. I assemble all my bedding, pj's and some food I left in the cupboards, onto the blanket. Tieing it up, I do a quick look-around for any other things I need. My eyes fix on my top dresser drawer, the one where I keep all my arrows in. In the drawer, there is 10 arrows, each tipped with a sharp and shiny point. I had sharpened them this morning, trying to get Addison out of my head, as she's going to be gone for more then I can handle. I take them out and put them in my quiver, with the rest of my arrows.

After slipping the quiver over my shoulder, I pick up the bag and open the door. Feathers flys out the door, needing no word of what we're about to do. She flys off towards the Forest.

I sigh when I walk out the door as I look out across the village one last time. Of course I'll come back, but not to stay. Maybe for supplies, or food, but I was not coming back for my house. The Chief had said to never come back, and because I don't really want anything else my village can offer, I won't.

But what about Addison?

I stop in my tracks. What am I going to do about Addison?

I need to let her know. But how?

Then, to my left, I see a shop selling paper. Nobody's behind the counter, so, very carefully, I peel a few sheets of paper off the pile. I count five sheets, a perfect amount of paper for writing letters and notes to my best friend.