you.”

Midnight stopped. “Well, how’d you know I’d come?”

Feather sighed. “It’s obvious. It was spoken to me and to the pack that you would by your father. And you did come, and I knew you would because you wanted to be with your family, and fulfill the task your mother told you to complete.”

Midnight decided just to go with the fact that Feather knew just about everything that went on her life. She never liked to thin about things to hard, it always made her confused and angry. She normally didn’t question the way things were though. It is what it is, after all.

Feather sniffed the air. “Well, we’re pretty close. About another three days and we’ll be hunting with the pack!” She looked back at Midnight. “And you will take my place as co-leader.”

Midnight jumped back. “What? No, I couldn’t!”

Feather laughed. “Well, if your father died I wouldn’t be the one to lead the pack after him! Don’t worry, you’re not alone in this. You’ll get some training.”

Midnight sighed as the fox walked onward.

“The pack cannot be lead by a fox. If it was, then it would parish.” Feather told her, as if knowing that Midnight still pondered the fact that she was supposed to be the co-leader. “I am not strong enough, and I am old. Very old, and that is pretty obvious, as you can see.”

Midnight smiled. It was true, Feather looked very old, but in her old age, Feather seemed very humorous and active. Midnight couldn’t bare the thought of living to see the day that this full-of-life fox passed on. She flinched and shoved away the terrible thought, and continued on, now much more confident about what awaited her back at the pack.

 

Two days passed, and Midnight and Feather were half starved by the time they caught sight of prey.

“I’ll get it.” Feather whispered and darted after the small Jack Rabbit at lightning speed. In a matter of seconds the rabbit was dead and Feather was trotting up to Midnight with the kill dangling in her jaws. “Dig in!”

The two ate savagely, and then groomed themselves. After a good rest, and a quick drink from the river to wash down the rabbit, they continued traveling. They weren’t that far from where Midnight’s father was, but they weren’t looking for him. They were looking for the pack, which was much farther on. Another day’s journey.

“Feather, what did my father go on a journey for?”

Feather shrugged. “He never told me. He’s probably exploring new territory in hopes of expanding the pack’s land, or he’s trying to make piece with the Raphee…”

Midnight raised an eyebrow. “The what?”

Feather laughed. “And neighboring pack. We’ve been enemies for a long time, and good ‘ol King is going to fix that. It will prevent many battles in the future.”

Midnight nodded.

They traveled onward, not stopping as frequently to drink, or to rest. The Place Where the River Parted wasn’t far from where they stood, and they finally rested.

“Well, all that traveling finally paid off. We’re not far now.” Feather said, yawning.

Midnight smiled. In a few hours, she would step foot into the pack’s territory for the first time. She had never thought that today would come, she had been born thinking her father was dead, but her mother must have not known either, then.

Feather turned to face Midnight. “How did your mother die?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2

 

Midnight sighed. Bringing back the memory of her mother’s death was always heartbreaking. She didn’t remember exactly what her mother had said to her, but she knew how she had died.

“And illness…” Midnight looked at her paws, which were dirty and hurting. “it got really bad, and there was nothing me or any of the pups could do to save her, or ourselves. All of my siblings died one by one, because there was not enough food. And I survived, only me, and I tried to hunt for her for a while, but then it got her bad one night. And she told me to go in search of the Place Where the River Parted to find my father.”

Feather sat down next to Midnight. “Did she ever tell you about your father?”

Midnight nodded with a smile. “She said he was a handsome dog, and that he was very brave and very wise. She said he ruled over more than one hundred dogs at one point; every dog a different breed.”

Feather sat down. “Yes, all of that is true. But, most of those dogs have died, and ever since your mother had to leave him he hasn’t even thought about getting more dogs. Slowly the pack is shrinking, we are only twenty-four strong now. He was very sad when he found out Silva was dead, but when you return, things could change.” Feather smiled. “You could be a hero. Because of you the pack will be able to grow and become strong again.”

Midnight didn’t know what to say. “Well…that’s not necessarily true…he might not do what we think he will…”

Feather laughed. “Aw, don’t be so modest!”

Midnight gave a little smile. “Let’s keep going.”

Feather nodded slowly and got up. She shook of and gave her paw a quick lick.

 

A few hours passed, and by then a few members of the pack were spotted. They didn’t come and greet Feather and Midnight, though, they simply looked up, gave a quick smile, and continued on what they were doing.

“Feather, do any of them know me?”

Feather nodded. “One, Recco. He’s your dad’s brother. He’s not here though, he’s probably with your dad.”

Midnight smiled. “I want to meet him. Is he nice?”

Feather nodded. “A kind fellow, he’s very helpful when it comes to building.”

Midnight sighed as she thought about arriving at the pack’s base, and seeing her father for the first time. She’d been waiting for this moment all her life. She had no intention on resting anytime soon, although her paws hurt a little because of the distance they’d covered. She glanced at Feather to make sure she wasn’t tired.

“Are you tired, Feather?” Midnight asked.

Feather smiled, her eyes closed. “No, honey, I’m old, but not weak.”

Midnight laughed to herself. The elderly fox’s humor was good to have around when they were trekking through miles of desert without rest, food, or water.

“Okay, just making sure.”

As they walked onward, Feather began to grow slower. Midnight didn’t want to ask why, it might offend Feather. Midnight was beginning to smell a smell that was like happiness and friendliness, a scent that was what a pack of good health and cooperation would have. Midnight knew what the scent belonged to.

“Are we there, Feather.”

Feather smiled. “Yes.” Looked at Midnight. “I know you’ve probably been wandering why I was walking slow.”

Midnight nodded. She know longer questioned the fox’s strange ability to know what she was thinking.

“Well, there’s no since in wasting energy when we’re already in the territory of the pack. Their hospitality will soon be open to us. There is a surplus of food, Midnight, and there’s more than enough for every dog to have more than his or her fill of food and water. But don’t stuff yourself just because you can. Many dogs that were knew to the pack have died because they bloated themselves.”

Midnight nodded. “I’m not that hungry as it is.”

“Good.” Feather smiled. “That means I’ve fed you well.”

Midnight nodded, and closed her eyes. She remembered her mother. Silva had always wanted to keep her pups in good condition, and had died trying to do so.

“I wish I could have done the same for my pups…” Feather looked away.

Midnight froze. “What pups?”

“I had a litter, once, and I tried very hard to keep them alive. I lived alone after my mate died, and I was no professional hunter! So there wasn’t much I could do to feed them, so I set out for help.” Feather sighed. “if only I hadn’t been so stupid as to trust a hawk to guard them while I hunted them.”

Midnight blinked. Hawks were the last creature anyone should go to for help! The creatures were fowl and only cared for their own kind, and never did they even think for a second about others and their needs.

“But I guess I did something as dumb-witted as that through how desperate I was, and of course when I returned from my unsuccessful hunt, a plump and satisfied hawk was hovering over a few bones with a cruel smile on her face.”

“What did you do?” Midnight wondered, knowing that if it were her pups she would have taken the bird and buried it alive.

“I thought about it. I sat down, shaking my head in anger, and thought. The bird just stared at me, as if she were about to start pecking at my head. But when she flew at me I grabbed her by the wing and tossed her into the tree, knocking her out.” Feather smirked. “I was a pretty smart fox, and so I let her live so that she could suffer as I saved what I had left of my pups.”

Midnight shook her head, puzzled. “But I thought the bird ate them…how can you save them?”

“The pups were very tiny, so tiny the bird could swallow them whole. So I split her open. There they all were, only one remaining alive. So I picked it up and cleaned it, and left the bird there to die a slow painful death.”

Midnight’s fur was bristling. “That’s what that evil thing gets!”

Feather laughed. “But the pup lasted no longer than a week. And I was beginning to wish I’d kept the bird for a meal. I still had no skills in hunting, so there was nothing for me to eat. Every now and again I would find a field mouse, but it didn’t do much for me and the pup.”

Midnight sat next to Feather, who had settled down in sadness. “Well, it’s the circle of life. You did what you could, didn’t you?”

Feather nodded. “But it wasn’t enough.”

Midnight looked at her. “But that’s how life goes, and we just have to learn to live with it.”

Feather smiled. “Very much so. You are learning very quickly, Midnight.”

Midnight was puzzled. She hadn’t learned anything, and if she had, what? And what was Feather training her about? She didn’t learn a thing about fighting, or defense, or hunting, so what was she learning?

“Um, Feather, I haven’t learned a thing since we started this journey…”

Feather laughed. “You just don’t realize it! You’re

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