Broken Wings

Chapter 4: A Fox's Past

   I saunter back to the house with Treize. It was really awkward, since less then an hour or so ago she basically tried to kill me, and now we're partners. Instead of me moping around, I decided to ask her a question. Okay, maybe two. Or more.

"So, the big guy set you up to test me?" I prod. She was brand new, and she already had dibs on killing me and this crazy human.

"Yeah, in a way... You know, I wasn't actually going to kill you. I aimed for your dorsal fin so I wouldn't hurt you."

"It's a scale, not a fin."

"Anyway, I can aim properly you know. I am sure I've been in combat more than you," Treize sniffed the air.

I stop and face her accusation.

"Treize, I've been in combat training in the majority of my days at this camp. We get up early and go to sleep late, fighting dummies and each other until our hands are raw. We learn techniques and concepts, all the while being educated on what the humans have passed on to us. On top of that, we have specialty classes that center on our unique features and how to use them to our max potential. You might be from some special secret camp but we were both assigned to this mission. You're not as high on the hill worthy as you might think," I seethe. "I'm sorry, I just feel that being thrown into our campus doesn't make you the veteran."

Treize stops in her tracks, and I, fearing for my life, begin to stretch my wings for a fight. Instead, she peers into my eyes. 

"You don't know what I've done, Elaira, and if you did, you would clam up really quick."

She mutters under her breath, and I hear a reminiscence of "ignorant fool."

I take the bait.

How many people have you killed, then?"

Treize looked at me with a vacant expression. "Enough."

I frown and fold my arms.

She sighs, "Thirty."

My mouth hangs open like it had a broken hinge. Treize begins to walk forward in a proud victory, but my response slows her pace, "Sure," I blurt out. "How do you even keep track of the number?"

"I never forget a single kill. Each death is burned into my brain... It's a serious thing you know. It's someone's life you're taking, even if its for peace of the community," she argues and the wind carries her voice behind her, as I jog to catch up.

When I reached her side, I could tell Treize wasn't kidding. No wonder Ian is making her the assassin, she has more experience. But I still couldn't believe this preppy little fox Anthros had that much power inside of her.

Treize continues, "The others within my old camp don't like it either, but you eventually learn to deal with the aftermath. You have to keep moving on, the next mission, the next kill. We're basically the peace keepers of our region, so its comforting dogma for us... And it's not like we're vicious. Poison usually does the trick..." She goes on this, trying to convince herself that she isn't a trained killer. Yeah, right.  She finally takes a breath or two and pauses. "Have you killed anyone?" she questions.

"Uh...zero." Oh Cree, how embarrassing. "Our camp isn't really the type... I guess..."

Treize did this weird giggle, then just completely burst out laughing. I raised my eyebrow. I wanted to punch that girl to earth. Maybe the humans would eat her, and Ian too. I was getting emotionally sick on all the laughter about this certain subject.

Treize notices my expression and calms her little fluffy self down.

"What?" I flatly say.

"Oh...You are just so..."

"So, what?"

"Innocent," Treize's face turns dark and sad.

I felt kinda bad being so mean right then.

We reach our house just as the curfew bell rings. Dawn already is inside, and she runs to open the door for us.

"Hey, guys! I have a movie and popcorn! And fishy crackers! You know, because the mission coming up and stuff," she giggles. Dawn cheerfully prances around the room singing about fish crackers. Treize laughs, shakes her head and starts to get ready for the movie. Once we were all settled, we broke it to Dawn that we were going on a different mission than we had first discussed. Her only reaction was a quick nod while she fed her face with popcorn--her eyes glued to the screen. I smile and shrug to Treize. I thought Dawn would be okay with the decision, as long as we didn't tell her that we were going all the way to earth and killing a guy. She would probably have a hairball. Panthers can have hairballs, right? Dawn will be fine with Mr. Wolfy, hopefully. After the movie, I make my way to one of the two desks in the house, Treize the other. We break out the unnerving, dark green folders and begin to read and reread, and eventually memorize. I wonder sometimes how we even get this information all the way from earth, but it's better not to ask. After awhile, Treize heads to her cot with a clipboard and the folder. Dawn is probably sleeping, like the rest of the camp. I check the clock on the wall and sigh with a sense of excitement. In 29 and a half hours I, Elaira, would be going on the most amazing journey of my life.