Stardust opened his eyes quickly. He gazed around. He jerked up from his sleep and shook his sleep from his head. More yelping from outside caught his attention. Mindful not to wake his littermates, Stardust slipped behind that same rock and listened to the racket.
Stardust could see his mother's distinct gray fur in an opening to the den they had the fox in. His father's black fur blended into the dimly lighted morning, "For the last time! Why were you near our grounds?" Mother's bark rang through the clearing. Stardust noticed the little fox. She's still alive! Relief overwhelmed him as he watched her whine. She had scratches lining her back and sides. Somewhere still dripping with violet blood. Her eyes were small in fear, her breath short and quick. She opened her mouth to speak
"I was getting food! I'm vegan, I hate meat!" She stammered looking up achingly. She slicked back against the wall of the den. His father raised his large paw above her head and looked at her with pity, then hit another blow to her making her whimper.
"She won't crack, come on let's go get some food before the pups are up," Mother growled as she prowled behind Father. Sighing, Stardust observed the fox. Maybe she is nice, but I could be wrong. With a sigh, he removed himself from the rock and walked towards the vixen. The vixen's eyes locked with his trembling.
"It's okay, I don't want to hurt you. What's your name? Mine's Stardust," Stardust soothed her. She looked around quickly, then back at him.
"Peace, my mother calls me Peace," Peace whined. Stardust looked at her. She seemed a little calmer now. She trembled as she sat up, coiling her tail around her black paws. He examined her light gray fur. She was covered in a sleek gray coat. His eyes followed her body up to her face where he saw the blue eyes his father spoke of. Her ears twitched in the slight draft, "Are you one of the pups?" She asked.
"Yes, I am. By the way are you an adult?" He asked referring back to his conversation with his siblings. Peace shook her head.
"So you've never seen a fox before? Hm, yeah I'm what foxes call 'kits' a kit is what you are but you're called a pup," Peace explained.
"That makes more sense!" Stardust yapped. Peace smiled but it soon faded after there was a stir in the brambles. His parents' scent grew stronger.
"I have to go!" Stardust yelped. Stardust silently raced back to the den. Trying not to pant he laid down and pretended to sleep among his littermates. Mother stepped into the den.
"Good morning puppies! I invite everyone to breakfast where we can chat!" Mother called using a sweet motherly voice for once. All his brothers stirred and ambled out of the den. Stardust followed after them, taking the rear and sitting distant from them. He peeped over at Peace who was curled up in a gray ball. Her tail flicked in a wave motion. Stardust suspected she was a little irritated that she had to watch them eat meat. Stardust grabbed a small rabbit his dad had caught and started to chew into it. He looked at Mother as she stood alongside Father.
"So, today your father and I have decided to take you to the Aspens right outside the densite! Oh and let me make one thing clear, there is to be no play fighting until we've cleared things up with the guest..." Mother glanced at Peace with a sickening glare. The others looked at each other eagerly. Stardust sighed, he wasn't ready to see the world. Why can't the world just be the densite? He thought as he followed his Mother through the brambles.
He looked back at Father who carried Peace in his mouth. Probably just to be safe... Stardust thought. Halo gasped as they slid into the open clearing. The grass here felt softer, the dirt hidden beneath the tall delicate grass. Roots from the aspen trees were spurring throughout the ground.
He viewed as Mother nodded her permission to play, all three of his littermates took off running for the aspen roots, smelling them and sniffing all the plants. Stardust groaned as his eyes followed Mother next to Father, Peace lying behind them. He scented the air, it smelled fresh with new scents, some he didn't recognize, he could tell a few, deer, rabbit, but that was about it. He padded forward a little away from the pack. He wanted to explore alone, but of course, that's what all pups wanted to do. Maybe I can find Peace's family out here! Then she doesn't have to be our prisoner anymore! Stardust's eyes shone at the idea.
He swiftly glimpsed at his parents to make sure they were looking away. Their eyes both focused on the other pups. How do they not notice my absence? Or do they and they just don't care enough to wonder where I am? Stardust brushed the feeling of loneliness off and silently stalked through the tall brambles. He tasted the air for the scent of anything like hers. Leaves swayed from the trees, moss danged from them. He didn't know his directions, but he was pretty sure he was upwind, meaning Mother or Father would be able to smell him. He didn't think of it much though, as the breeze changed its course in the other direction. Tasting the air again, he caught what he thought was a fox. He looked down at the dirt ground to see paw prints. Wolf and fox. This must have been where they found her! Stardust thought as he sniffed the tracks. They were faint of his parents and Peace. He also caught another fox scent, not too long ago.
He shoved through the bushes and froze. Before him, stood a red vixen. She stood in long blades of grass quietly. The red vixen crouched down, and her ears moved around listening for sounds of prey. He saw her eyes get big and watched as she glided into the air with a silent leap and landed on a squirrel. She was so graceful and agile. And her fur was soft like how a cloud looks but orange like fire. Her paws faded to grey rocks and her tail light grey. He smiled.
She wiped her head around at him, "Get away filthy wolf!" She growled. Stardust blinked, not knowing what to do. She had emerald green eyes that sparkled with confusion. She picked up her squirrel and darted into the woods. Stardust's heart pounded at what just happened. He gazed into the distance. Maybe I should- His thoughts were interrupted by happy yelping
"Oh Stardust, thank the stars!" Mother's voice barked as she rubbed her scruff on him. Father wasn't far behind, Peace walking beside him, and the other pups bounding towards them. "Where did you go?!" Mother asked him angrily. She licked his ear.
"Mom... I just got confused with scents and got lost," Stardust lied. Mother eyed him with concern.
"Don't do it again!!" She growled. Mother picked him up by the scruff and carried him off to the densite where the rest of the pups were at.
The sun was at mid-point. Stardust groaned as his parents wedged him between them, making sure he didn't wander off on the way back to the densite. We're two branch lengths away from the entrance, I'm not blind! As they entered the camp, his siblings trotted towards the Study Den, where they normally were at this time of day. He paced after them. Pluto sat in the corner behind Cosmo, trying not to be seen. Halo sat on the other side. Stardust sat down farther away from Cosmo, next to Halo who looked horrified.
"Okay, today we will review the herbal training. Maybe one of you can learn to use the wounds from battles with the territory of other wolves, or scavengers!" Mother exclaimed. Stardust beamed with joy. This was his favorite lesson! He had always wanted to be the healer of a pack. Or, Theta as the pack would call it by ranking name. He just didn't know a different pack for him to study as a student, or the Lota, the medicine trainy. He shook the thoughts from his head and watched his mother place three different herbs on the floor of the study den. Basil, Stardust thought when he saw the glossy and oval-shaped leaves on the first plant. He then moved his gaze to the next plant. a green plant with toothed leaves and a spike at the top. Easy, nettle! He grinned seeing the last easy herb. A feathery leafed plant that was light brown. Basil, nettle, and dill. Stardust confirmed. "You first Cosmo," Mother barked.
"Um, posly, mirogled, an comtry," Cosmo tried to say. Stardust rolled his eyes.
"No, this isn't marigold. This one isn't parsley," Mother pointed to the shining round leafed plant, then pointed to the delicate soft plant, "And this one isn't comfrey, Pluto?"
"Erm... is it an allium?" He asked. Alliums are purple fluff balls idiot. Stardust thought.
"Incorrect, Starry, what about you?" He asked. Stardust felt all their eyes watching him.
"Basil, dill, and nettle," He snarled, his patients getting very low. Halo nodded with admiration. I don't need your approval to live my life. Mother seemed to catch his attitude towards his brothers.
"Well, since you're so smart, why don't you tell me the uses of these herbs and where and when they grow!" Mother growled back. Stardust smiled, he knew all of these plants by heart. This was a beginner lesson.
"Well the basil, the basil treats snakebites, common colds, and inflammation. All types of basil grow easily in warm, sunny weather. And nettle can treat an infected wound or treat poison or a stomach ache. And lastly, the pooping herb, this herb dill, helps when a creature is constipated. They grow in warm spring environments and need lots of sunlight."
Mother growled. They all padded out of the den their lesson was over, as usual. Stardust slowed his pace, making sure his brothers wouldn't notice him. His jaw gaped and he tasted the air. The fox's smell was drifting over from the rocks in the back of the den. He lowered his head and crept into the tiny opening of the cave she lay in. Star leaned over her limp body. She was sleeping deeply. Her sides heaved in agony even in her sleep.
"Hey," His voice softened. He nudged her, and licked her ear, "Wake up," Stardust sat down waiting for her to rise. She only grumbled and twitched an ear. Her pelt was coated in the blood that had dried her sleek fur to her body, making her starving stomach look even smaller, "Please, the sun is still up, I'm meant to be at hunting practice. Well, we don't really hunt, we only stalk around like idiots anyway but if my mom sees me here when she comes home from the border check she will get mad!" Stardust watched her flip onto her back where she glared at his face angrily.
"Well geez, I was going to get some herbs to heal you up but fine. Be that way..." He turned and began to walk off. He was stopped by a yelp from behind him. He jerked his head back around to the fox who had now sat up and gotten in a downward dog position,
"I'm sorry, it's just that I'm worrying a lot about my mother, she is probably scared to death from my disappearance..." She stood back up and looked to her small paws,
"I understand," He paused glancing around to make sure no one was watching them, "Is your mother a red fox with green eyes?" He pondered. His mind went back to that one moment that the fox when he saw the fox. Her memorable scent raced back to him. His ears flattened and he shook his head of her image,
"Wait you think that my mother is... Fate?!" The gray fox's frown soon switched to a grin, then she busted out in laughter, "BAF HAHAHA!! Good one!! That's my sister..." She sat down and rolled her eyes. Stardust frowned in embarrassment.
"Do you think that your sister could help us? You know, get you home?" He asked, ignoring her outburst of laughter,
"Yes, she is very smart. She knows this forest like the back of her paw,"
"Good, I saw her catching a squirrel the other day. I don't think she snapped the neck right, it was still moving..." Stardust's mind skimmed over what the fox kit had said. That they were still pups or kits... But if they were the same age as him why were they able to hunt? Jealousy burned in his belly. He suddenly felt hate for his overly protective mother.
"She doesn't kill animals, just hunts for sport, she lets them go afterward. She eats berries like me!" Her small voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He glanced around again and nudged her to the back of the den.
"Stay here, I'll get some herbs," He whispered, knowing his parents could be home any minute.
She didn't respond with any words, only a nod. Stardust watched her slink back against the wall trying to get her grey fur to camouflage into the grey rocks. He whipped around and rushed off through the clearing. Stopping in the middle of the clearing where all of the ends were visible, he gazed around, looking for the herbal den where all the healing supplies were. He spotted the den that was dappled with sunlight from the trees and coated in lichen and moss.
He started racing towards the den. His tongue flapped out of his mouth as he ran. He was just about to reach the den opening when he bumped into Pluto "Starry, we have been looking all over for you! Why weren't you in hunting practice?" Pluto tried canning his face for the emotions Stardust had.
"Do you seriously call that hunting practice? You're not hunting! All you're doing is stalking around like a bunch of dorky wolves with some cobwebs on their tails they can't reach! You look like you are trying to eat your own butt!" His growl made Pluto flinch.
"W-w-well I-I-I just got w-worried..." He stuttered.
"W-w-well I-I-I don't care! If I ever die you wouldn't care so why now? Now go away and let me patch up my scratches from my duel, not my fight, since nobody seems to care enough about taking care of my wounds! AND STOP RUNNING IN FRONT OF OTHER WOLVES LIKE ME!!" He howled. He watched his brother run off kicking dirt up behind him. He flipped around and grabbed the long-stemmed flowers with his teeth. They were petaled with white flowers and yellow in the center. As he raced out of the den he chewed the flowers and spat out the stem on the ground. They flew back behind him and he kept chewing them until they felt like a soft mixture.
"Your back finally!" The fox chirped. He ducked his head under the tree bench and into the den again. The fox laid out on her stomach, leaving her worst scratches exposed. Stardust put the juice of the yarrow onto his paw. He started with the cut that looked infected. The cut was spread across her shoulder. He began to clean it with his tongue. The dry blood peeled off of her fur. The fresh blood started dripping from the wound. He licked up some of the yarrows and lapped it onto the cut. The fox breathed a sigh of relief when the cold juices hit her shoulder. He copied this action until all of her cuts had stopped bleeding and were covered up in the yarrow poultices.
"Now, how does that feel?" He said,
"It feels much better," She rolled over onto her back stretching, "Hopefully I won't get anymore..." he yipped. Stardust cringed in pity.
"I will make sure you don't," He promised, "Do you know the way to your home?"
"Yes," She replied. She licked her forepaw gently.
"When my parents come home, if they try to come into this den, there is an exit behind that rock. If they come in, move the rock and scoot out of the den. Run as fast as you can. Don't look back and keep running. No matter what. Just get away from my crazy pack." His mind swirled to his mother. Frantically he whipped around and looked around for his mom. Instead, he saw the dark night sky. This took all day! Rushing back to his den, he slid into the opening of the pup den. His siblings were all settled down in their nests. He rushed over to the old moss that he called his den.
He laid down quietly and curled his white tail around his fluffy fur. He yawned trying to make himself sleepier. Blinking, he realized how tired he was. Closing his heavy eyes, he set his head on his white paws. Sleep drifted him off into a dream of hunting in the aspen forests.