CHASE

Chapter 42

The air was growing colder, the leaves more brittle, and Fennel and Heron were still acting strangely around Chase. It was in subtle ways at first. They seemed distracted during conversation, they kept wanting to hunt alone, and she could sometimes hear them grumbling complaints about the way their home was run.

Though Chase would tell Rock about it, he often told her she was overreacting. Still, it was hard for Chase to sleep at night beside her sons knowing that something was possibly troubling them.

On a particularly rainy day, when many of the foxes were content simply staying in their dens for the day, Chase approached the two about it. Lily was off speaking to one of her close companions, Daisy, while Rock decided to go off for a hunt.

Fennel and Heron were, meanwhile, laying in the den, twitching in anticipation for the sun to come out so they could go off and hunt on their own. Rock had forbid they hunt in the rain, afraid they might lose track of where they were going. Chase had to admit he still often treated them like pups, even if all three of their pups were mostly full-grown by this point. Chase had even been living with Yew at this time when she was their age, away from her family.

"Fennel, Heron. Do you two have a second to talk?" Chase asked.

"What is it?" Heron asked, raising his head.

"Is something wrong, Mom?"

"Nothing is wrong with me," Chase assured them. "I didn't want to say anything, but I noticed you two have been acting anxious for a while now, and I wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"It's fine," Fennel said quickly.

Chase eyed her son. "You two can be honest with me, you know. I don't want us keeping secrets. We're a family, aren't we? So, what is it? A nice vixen one of you met? A secret hunting spot?"

The two paused for a moment, made eye contact briefly with each other, and then Heron began to speak.

"We...we don't think we want to stay here," Heron stated.

"I think Heron and I want to explore the forest on our own. Make a life somewhere else," Fennel added.

Chase was not expecting to hear that. She could not stop her heart from breaking slightly at the thought. Her beautiful sons, who she had raised since birth, were already ready to leave the den. She opened her mouth, a part of her wanting to immediately say no, that this was a safe place, and that they were far too young, but she knew better than that.

"Mom?" Heron asked, noticing a few spare teardrops that had begun to roll down her cheeks.

"Ah. Ignore me. Sorry," Chase said, turning away.

"We won't go then. Not if it makes you or Dad upset," Fennel promised, stepping forward to comfort his mother.

"No," Chase said defiantly. The two stepped back and took a seat. "That's not what I want. I don't want you to have to choose whichever option appeases me and your father. I know you two don't know much about my past. I understand where you're coming from."

"You do?" Heron asked.

Chase nodded. "I did not get along well with my family. I left the forest I had grown up in at a young age and traveled here, meeting your father. There was always a part of me that needed to leave too. So I...I understand where you're coming from, and you two are free to leave whenever you choose, if you feel ready that is. It's almost mating season, so to leave sooner rather than later would be good, I think."

"Are you sure?" Fennel asked.

"I can't make your decisions for you. You're both practically adults now."