~Whisper~

I don't know what I was doing when I lashed out at Jay. It's a miracle he accepted my apology. I watch as the Firepack Deputy trots away, I decide to meet Leafpack. I stride over to a fox with a dark black pelt.

"Er, hello. I'm Whisper Fire, I am Jay's friend." I introduce, Joy joins me. "And this is Joy." I add on. The dark She nods her head.

"Dark Leaf, pleasure to meet you. I've heard quite about you." Dark cracks a friendly smile. My fur pricks, did Jay complain to Dark about me?

"Oh, don't worry." Dark reassured me as if she could read my mind, "it was good stuff." I grin at her, stalking away to the end of the den towards Autumn.

"How's your leg?" I question. She looks at it,

"Its good." She shrugs. Joy bounces over to us.

"Here." She offers, gently laying a bundle of herbs on the ground in front of Autumn. Autumn looks at the herbs warily, sniffing them. She flashes Joy and thankful glance, taking on of the herbs in her jaw, crunching down on the leaf. I walk away with Joy.

"How did you know what herbs to find?" Surprise was obvious in my tone. Joy chuckled at me.

"Remember those times when I said I couldn't join you for a hunting patrol?" She recalled, I thought back to my kithood.

"Yeah." I answer, my ears pricked. She smiles at me.

"Well it was because I kept getting in trouble, so I had to do herb duty all the time." Joy explained with a giggle. I join in her chorus of laughter, after catching our breath a parade of foxes barrel through with prey in their jaws. I slightly crouch at their appearance, narrowing my eyes to slits.

"Back down, we are part of Leafpack." A gray fox told to me, his deep, gruff voice muffled by the blockage of prey. I nod, giving the newcomers space. My tail is still stiff, ready for action.

"Whisper!" A voice sounds from the forest. My mouth opens, agape at the sight. It's Oak, he found us. He skids to a halt in front of me, towering over my slightly less broader frame.

"Oak!" I cry in bliss. Jay and Joy dash their way next to me, greeting our packmate. Joy giving a quick nuzzle to her He.

"Seems like you've made quite the progress." Oak compliments, slight disappointment and sadness hanging in his voice. Oak, Leaf, Dawn and Twig went in place of Jay, Joy and I after our first shared prophetic dream. We were too young at the time to go by ourselves to complete the journey, senting the wrong foxes for the job led to destruction. Leaf died, Jay saved Oak and Twig. And.....you know what happened to my She.....Dawn. I shake my head, pushing away the grueling memories it's brought forth.

"What brings you here?" Jay asks, cocking his head. Oak nods.

"Yes, Night sent me, he told me that he wanted to tell you that we made room for the two packs, Frostpack agreed but on a certain circumstance." Oak's gaze hardened. My lips pressed into a thin line.

"What?" Joy whimpered, slightly afraid of the aftermath.

"Frostpack said that if you guys don't return with the two packs in three moons, Frostpack will take back the territory with some of our herb supply and part of our prey pile." He explained.

My ears flattened on my head, my teeth bared in a slight snarl. "What in the name of the guardian foxes do they want with our herb supply?" I demanded.

Oak sighed. "They said that if they gave up land that would be giving up some prey and herbs. Their pack would starve even more. If you don't return to the packs with the other packs before the three moons have passed, they say that they suffered for three moons for nothing." I watch as my Firepack friend shook his head.

I grimace. This is insane! Those Frostpack badgerhearts don't care if the forest blows away! They just care about their precious food and pack! I think bitterly. Oak noticed my expression.

"I agree too Whisper, but we can't waste any time." Oak pointed out. I nod, agreeing with the wiser fighter.

"May you lead Leafpack back to camp so they can claim their reserved space?" I asked Oak. He grinned, humming a 'yes' in response. I thank him, trotting off to tell Leafpack the plan. They are wary at first but they meet Oak and they lighten up, agreeing to go to my home forest to claim their territory.

"First thing in the morning we break." Jay announces. Murmurs of agreement rumbles in the crowd. Jay shoots me an 'are you ready' look. I nod.

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A yowl rings across the clearing as I snap awake. Oak is up and ready while Leafpack is finishing scraps of prey.

"Ready?" Oak barks. A chorus of 'yes's' are heard from the crowd. I quickly say my goodbyes to everyone, wishing Autumn a safe journey with her leg.

"Move out!" Oak commands, leading the pack into the forest. I look back at Jay and Joy. They are ready, pelts groom and eyes narrowed with determination.

"To the mountains." I say marching north. They nod

"To the mountains." They repeat my line, following me. Three moons left. We can do this.