Foxeye held her breath in anticipation. The ten-year old elfess clung to a cliff, watching the forest intensely. Behind her she could hear movements from the hunters and their wolves, waiting for her to spot game. This was her first hunt with the Tribe, and she was definitely not going to let themdown.
Every muscle in her little body tensed as the branches began to sway. Hesitantly first the long snout of a long-leg protruded, and then the whole body followed. Foxeye's mouth fell open when she saw the majestic creature come out to grass at the first greens of the new season.
**Foxeye! What's that sound?**
It was Silversun sending to her. The young huntress bit her lip and sended quickly,**A long-leg, Chief! And he's coming your way!**
She jumped down from the cliff and landed lightly between the stirring hunters. Her eyes was alight with excitement when she grabbed her short bow and scrambled up behind Silversun on his wolf-friend when they dashed forward in two separate groups to get the long-leg caught between them. But just a second before it was time, just a moment before the long-leg would have been caught, Foxeye yelled and fell off the wolf!
Silversun tried to repair her unbelievable mistake, but it was too late. The long-leg was alarmed too early and fled into the dense forest where the wolves couldn't get him, and the elves had to stop the night's hunt without game. Cursing someone cried out," Where's that loudmouthed cub? I told you she wasn't ready!"
Silversun frowned, but he had to admit that it was right. If Foxeye hadn't yelled and thrown herself off, they would have had that long-leg secure between the two hunting parties. But when the Chief looked around to give her a reprimand, the red-haired cubling was nowhere to be seen.
"Foxeye? Come here! Foxeye, where are you?"
The hunters started to send and search close by, but they were all hungry and irritated. The wolves paced around in circles, and finally Silversun gave up. The Chief formed a cone around his mouth with his hands and yelled, "Foxeye, we'll wait in the Holt! Find your way yourself, we're leaving now!"
He knew well that she could find the way, it was not more than a night's walk from here. Perhaps a third of that on wolfback, but she had no wolf-friend yet. And so the hunters left.
A pair of mossgreen eyes, filled with tears, watched their backs. But Foxeye prided herself of not shedding a single tear yet. The little cub wrapped her arms around her chest and crawled closer to the tree where she had hidden herself from their eyes. The hunters had sounded so angry... and she understood them. She had ruined the hunt and now they would have to hunt tomorrow night too. But how could they understand? Foxeye didn't even understand herself why she had done what she had. She only knew that it was necessary, something had tugged at her and it had definitely not cared about the circumstances! Even now she could feel that tug on her mind, somewhere in some undefined part of her being. It demanded that she should come down from this tree... down and further into the forest. Somewhere was the source of the call and Foxeye was going to find it. So the red-haired cubling climbed down, lifted her cheek high and started off towards the rising Daystar.
The Daystar had rose two fingers over the horizon when she finally arrived. It was a small clearing in the forest, just below a hill covered with stones and rocks. Her acute senses told her that wolves lived here, so it was with uttermost carefulness Foxeye peeked out from the forest. Her eyes were open wide. Could it really be..? The cub sended doubtfully towards a small opening in the hillside.
**Wolf-friend? Is it you in there?**
Minutes came and went. She sended again now and then, but everything seemed to be still. The cub would have said that the old den was deserted, if it hadn't been for the fresh scent of wolves. But then a muffled sound told her that someone was coming, and after a few more seconds a little muzzle sniffed in the cool morning air. Foxeye gasped and almost rushed forward, fell on her knees and tried to coax out the wolf-cub again. ** I saw you, little friend! Wont you come out? We will have so much fun, my friend... my first wolf-friend!**
On slightly trembling legs, the little cub came out again. Brown eyes blinked at the light, bright compared to the dusk in the den, and between the gray and furry ears had a leaf stuck. Foxeye laughed and reached out, gathered the cub in her arms and cradled it with a joyous smile. It yapped and spun around, biting her hand in a teasing way. Foxeye laughed again and held him close.
**Fang. You're Fang, and you're mine.**
The whole day came and went as she traveled towards the Holt. Fang slowed her down, and it wasn't until late the following night she reached the familiar surroundings again. Then the cubling was surprised by Snowcloud's sudden appearance. The elfess floated down from high above, a scolding look on her face and with a sharp reprimand," Where have you been, Foxeye? Everybody is out searching for you, why haven't you come home earlier?"
She laughed, not able to keep on with her harsh words, and hugged Foxeye tightly. "I've been worried sick, you little mischief-maker..."
The red-haired cub smiled and hugged her Chieftess. In the background, someone snorted, probably Snowcloud's mean son Blizzard. Then she tossed the white strand in her hair away from the delicate face and laughed."Do you want to know what I did, Snowcloud?"
The older elfess nodded and Foxeye's grin widened even more. Then the little girl sat down and opened her backpack. And up peeked two black-brown eyes under two huge, gray and furry ears, and the little pink tongue hanged out between his glistening namesakes. Foxeye smiled at Snowcloud's astonished look."I had to put him there when he couldn't walk... He's Fang, and he's my first wolf-friend. That's why I behaved so strange when we hunted, he was calling for me!"
That night no one slept in the Holt... they howled and laughed, and everybody remembered when they for the first time had found their own wolf-friend or other bond-mate. The night belonged to Foxeye, and to the grand cub, Fang.
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