CHASE

Chapter 41

The autumn wind nipped at Chase's fur in the morning. It had grown quite cold over the past few days, making it difficult for Chase to gather the energy to get up in the morning, especially when she saw those gray clouds rolling across the sky. 

The forest was covered in fallen leaves. Chase was getting rather tired of the way she managed to crunch one right as she was about to catch a rabbit. It was getting harder to be stealthier with such brittle leaves on the ground. Her kits, who were still learning to be excellent hunters, were growing frustrated too.

"Ah, quit your whining. Soon enough the snow will fall, and then you'll really get to complain," Rock would tease his pups.

It had been nice having the whole family together again. Rock would teach his kits his own hunting skills in those warm summer months. They would wander down to the river sometimes, where it was much cooler, and watch the current flow. 

The autumn months had ushered in soon after. Chase didn't think it would be long until the snow began to fall. Her kits were nearly grown, making it hard to believe they'd barely been bigger than the size of her paw in the spring.

Chase stretched out her aching joints and slowly woke the rest of her family members for a meal. They ate outside in the cold air, gnawing away at the freshly-caught kill.

"Why don't we all go hunting later?" Rock suggested. "Better catch the last bit of rabbits before they all go burrow in their little holes for the winter."

Fennel and Heron were quiet and awkwardly shuffling.

"Do you boys have something to say?" Chase teased.

"Well, we kind of wanted to hunt on our own," Fennel admitted.

Rock blinked in disbelief. "On your own?"

"We're old enough," Heron assured them.

"Oh, let them hunt. I was hunting alone at their age. They'll be fine," Chase assured Rock.

"Well, you were also a strange fox at your age," Rock grumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily wondered.

Chase's personal life had not been shared much with her kits, or much with Rock, for that matter. She had never explicitly gone into detail about her situation back home, and she'd never even told Rock she had a mate. Her kits, meanwhile, knew nothing of their mother's past, not even the fact she'd keep an eye out on cats once in a while.

"Your mother was--"

"Oh, save your stories for later," Chase said, batting him with her tail. "You're free to do as you wish, Heron and Fennel."

They both grinned at each other before taking off in a storm. Lily rolled her eyes as she watched her brothers go.

"They've been talking about doing a solo hunt all week," Lily stated. "Been pacing around the den and everything."

"They're always like that though," Rock thought. "Always been rambunctious."

Chase supposed so, but Rock didn't know the kits as well as she did. Fennel and Heron, while a bit more energetic, didn't usually act so frenzied or anxious. She'd been noticing them acting more antsy for a while now, though she hadn't really had the courage to ask why. She wondered if they were just looking for a little independence. Chase had already achieved that at this age.

"Why don't we go on a walk in the forest, then?" Chase suggested.

"I'll stay back. I'm going to end up finding the kits and judging their skills," Rock stated.

"All right. Lily?"

"I'll come," Lily agreed, her ears perking up at the suggestion.

Chase smiled and walked into the woods with her, admiring the colors of autumn. As she glanced at Lily, she thought back to her kithood. She wondered if her parents had another litter of kits, if her siblings had found families of their own, or they were still with her parents. The possibilities were endless. Chase didn't like to dwell on these thoughts long though. Otherwise she got thinking too much, about Rush, about Yew, about Moonstar...

"Yuck! It smells like cat around here," Lily said, lifting her nose to the air.

"Well, the territory isn't far," Chase said, turning to the side. She felt herself gazing at the cats' territory more and more these days, though she wasn't sure why.

Since becoming mates with Rock and having kits, Chase hadn't had much time to think about cats, to think about her short-lived goal of uniting the cats and foxes. Cats only came up in conversation if they crossed the border or Rock muttered something. Chase had noticed him muttering nonsense about cats a little more often than normal, though it wasn't concerning to her at this point.

"Have you ever been in the cat territory?" Lily asked curiously.

"No," Chase lied. "And you shouldn't stray near. Those cats will take you down in an instant, no matter your size. They messed my mother up real good when I was just a kit."

"I wasn't thinking about it, really. I've never even really seen one around here. Just smelled their awful scent," Lily stated. 

Chase had gotten used to the scent after all this time. Yew used to joke she smelled like cat after hanging out with Moonstar. There she was, thinking about Yew again...

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Chase asked.

"What is it?" Lily wondered.

"Is everything okay with Fennel and Heron?" Chase wondered. "They've been acting kind of antsy. But I don't want to pry and be an overbearing mother."

Lily continued walking in silence, swishing her bushy tail in the air.

"I'm not really sure myself," Lily stated. "But I've noticed it too. I think they want to be more independent or something. I've heard them complaining about the forest, the same routine. But that's just me overhearing things! I haven't spoken to them about it directly."

"There's no need for you to. I might at some point, if they get worse. Rock hasn't noticed much. I think he's offended the boys went off and hunted on their own today, to be honest," Chase said, chuckling some. 

"Really?" Lily asked, giggling too.

To be honest, Chase understood where her sons were coming from. She had been desperate to get away from her family for so long. Yew had promised an escape from that. And then she had come here, even leaving the forest she had once grown up in. It was difficult at the time, going through all that, but she wasn't sure what state she'd be in if she still lived with her family this day and age.

Chase turned and looked at Lily. She looked so grown-up now and had turned into a beautiful vixen. Chase wouldn't be surprised if she found a mate this mating season, though there was certainly no rush.

Chase's heart was beginning to ache these days when she realized how much her kits had grown, how they'd all have their own families soon, how...how not all of them might stay with her, or they'd go on the hunt or not come back. She didn't like to dwell on these thoughts too long. But seeing Lily happy made her happy. Lily seemed to enjoy life here, and Chase was glad. 

Soon, it would be winter, and then spring would be upon them. Chase wasn't interested much in having kits this time around. Having three had been enough, and she wasn't sure she could deal with Rock leaving again so soon after another litter.

My time as a mother has come and pass, I think, Chase thought as she smiled at Lily. Lily gave her a confused smile in return and kept walking.

Right now, all I can do is be there for my kits and keep supporting them, wherever their paths may lead.