Secrets of the Silver Fox

Part Two

He broke the silence, his eyes sliding to my sister's ring on my right hand. "Mutare."

I blinked and twirled the ring on my finger. "How do you know what it is?"

"It means change."

"I know the old language. How do you know that is what the ring means?"

The ring had swirls covering knuckle to knuckle. My sister had noticed it while walking a market in France. I had never asked how she knew what it meant, but it had become her most treasured item. The only thing I had left of her.

He looked at me earnestly. "It's worth remembering." He took a deep breath. "Change is inedible. If we can count on anything, it is change. And we need a lot of change."

"And if things are fine the way they are?"

He huffed a pained laugh. "You believe the Unknown World is fine?"

I didn't answer.

"But it does not matter. Fine or not, things always change."

"Bet you're wishing things didn't change or you wouldn't be sitting here bleeding all over the forest floor."

He tried to laugh but it was too painful for him. "At least it will be over soon."

"If your son is so strong why didn't he save you?"

"We are having a disagreement."

"About how fat you are?" I raised a brow.

I don't know if it was because he was dying and didn't care or if he just needed to tell someone but he continued. "He is young and stupid. He fell in love with a girl. The girl turned out to be a hunter."

"Your son sounds like a moron."

The male didn't deny it. "She attacked him, tried to kill her. In the process I killed her. He hates me for it."

"But she was a hunter?"

"But he loved her."

"He is a moron."

The male tried to shrug. "He was in love."

"Love makes you weak."

He slowly shook his head. "Only if you love the wrong people."

"And your son loved the wrong hunter."

"Baras is a-"

"Bear-ass?"

"Baras."

"Bear-ass."

"B-a-r-a-s. Baras."

I scrunched my nose and narrowed my eyes. "You mean you named your son Baras instead of Bear-ass?"

"Yes."

I snorted. "You're a moron too. What a waste of an opportunity."

He just blinked shocked, until a pained smile grew. "Yes, I guess I did miss an opportunity."

"And now he hates you."

"Yes, but not because of his name."

"Bet you wish you didn't save his life now." I huffed.

"Never." The male was so confident I blinked.

"But he hates you."

"At least Baras is alive to hate me."

"Do you still love him?"

"Of course. I would do it again."

I took a breath. "The only creature that loved me is dead."

He looked pained, this time for me. "I'm sorry."

"They say you killed my sister."

He leaned his head against the tree behind him. "I am sorry, but I do not even know who your sister is."

"They say a golden bear," I pointedly looked at him. "Named Angus," I glided my eyes over him. "Killed her. Are you not a golden bear named Angus?"

"I am, but I promise you, I did not kill your sister."

"I don't see any other golden bears named Angus around, do you?"

"No, I do not."

"If you didn't kill her, then who did?"

"I do not know."

But I had an idea.

"Why would they say you killed her if you didn't?"

He took a breath. "Maybe you should ask whoever they are."

"I tried but unfortunately, that's not it works."

"No, that is not how the Fox Council operates."

I raised a brow. "So you do know who they are."

"Foxes in purple cloaks have been hunting me for weeks. Only one group fits that description."

"If you didn't kill my sister, why are they hunting you?"

"I have a feeling you know more than I do."

I was starting to think so too.

"They need someone to blame," I said aloud.

"Blame for what?"

"The death of my sister."

"Why not blame the real killer?"

I blinked. All the pieces falling together. The truth I had known for months coming to the surface. "Because the Fox Council killed my sister."

I saw the shock in his eyes. "Why would they kill your sister?"

In one fluid motion, I stood up. "Because she was better than them."

"Who was your sister?"

I looked at the ring. "She was change. And the Fox Council hates change."

"What are you going to do?"

I didn't answer. I just turned around and walked away.

"You will just leave me here?" He yelled, his words turning to a cough.

"Yep."

I heard him huff. "Kids."