shouted, despairingly. This got the other foxes’ attention. They all dropped what they were doing to crowd around the ditch and see their dead leader.
“ Father!” one shouted, obviously one of his pups. For a minute, they all just stood there, not knowing what to do. Then the first fox turned to where Rust was standing, every bit as shocked as the foxes were.
“ Who did this?” she demanded. As she had called Flame by his name, Blaze guessed that she was his mate. Rust was actually lost for words and just stood there, mouth hanging open. “I said who did this?” the fox demanded again.
Blaze mustered up his courage, and called out, “I did!”
Icefire gasped at his boldness. The vixen narrowed her eyes and slowly made her way over to Blaze, “How dare you?” She hissed when she was face to face with Blaze, “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“ Uh . . .” Blaze stuttered, very much intimidated by the vixen.
“ I’ll kill you!” she shouted, and opened her jaws to deliver a fatal bite. Before she could, though, Rust darted in front of Blaze and swiped his claws across the she-fox’s nose. She jerked her head back.
“ You will not touch him!” Rust shouted.
A maniacal rage came into the vixen’s eyes. “You haven’t heard the last of me!” she shouted, outraged, “I will have revenge!” With that, she raised her head to look at the other foxes and shouted, “Come! We’re leaving!” Without another word, the pack of foxes quickly left the camp. The vixen gave Blaze one last venomous glare before following them. Once she was out of sight, Rust turned to look at Blaze.
“ You. . .” he said slowly, eyes wide with disbelief. “You saved me.”
“ Um, yeah, I guess.” Blaze said warily.
Rust quickly gathered his wits, putting a more professional face on, “And you disobeyed a direct order to do it.”
Blaze could see where this was going now, “I’m sorry.” he said, “I couldn’t stop myself.”
Rust just stood there, studying Blaze for another few seconds, then asked, “And where’s the other one, the one who helped you?”
“ Jasper? He’s uh. . .”
“ I’m right here.” Jasper said, coming forward to stand beside Blaze.
For a moment, Rust studied Jasper, too. Then he said, “Here in Icefire, we value bravery and loyalty. Any saloli who has enough of both to disobey a direct order to save their chief is a saloli who is welcome here.”
Blaze couldn’t believe this! Had he head him correctly? He had been sure that he was going to be chewed out, at the very least, but he was being congratulated for what he had done, alongside his best friend.
“ In tribal life,” Rust continued, “there is only one thing a saloli places before obeying his chief, and that’s doing what he thinks is right. You two obviously have that capability. I think you are going to be valuable additions to Icefire. If you weren’t so young, I’d make you full members of the tribe right now.”
Jasper beamed. Blaze swelled with pride. Rust turned to look directly at Blaze, “I want you to know what you have done for us.” he said, “You have rid us of a very dangerous enemy. Icefire will never forget this. Thank you.”
Turning back to Icefire now, Rust shouted, “All right, we have wounded to take care of, and I want to know how many we have dead. Let’s go!”
For a few minutes, Blaze and Jasper just stood there, not sure what to do, while the other saloli hurried back and forth to fulfill Rust’s orders.
“ You two can go back to your branch, now.” Someone said. They turned around to see that it was Faith. “You’ve had a big night.”
“ Thank you.” Jasper said, sounding relieved. He immediately turned to head back to the trainee’s tree. Blaze, however, stayed behind.
“ Could I talk to you, Faith?” he asked. The old saloli nodded sadly.
“ Yes, I
“ Father!” one shouted, obviously one of his pups. For a minute, they all just stood there, not knowing what to do. Then the first fox turned to where Rust was standing, every bit as shocked as the foxes were.
“ Who did this?” she demanded. As she had called Flame by his name, Blaze guessed that she was his mate. Rust was actually lost for words and just stood there, mouth hanging open. “I said who did this?” the fox demanded again.
Blaze mustered up his courage, and called out, “I did!”
Icefire gasped at his boldness. The vixen narrowed her eyes and slowly made her way over to Blaze, “How dare you?” She hissed when she was face to face with Blaze, “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“ Uh . . .” Blaze stuttered, very much intimidated by the vixen.
“ I’ll kill you!” she shouted, and opened her jaws to deliver a fatal bite. Before she could, though, Rust darted in front of Blaze and swiped his claws across the she-fox’s nose. She jerked her head back.
“ You will not touch him!” Rust shouted.
A maniacal rage came into the vixen’s eyes. “You haven’t heard the last of me!” she shouted, outraged, “I will have revenge!” With that, she raised her head to look at the other foxes and shouted, “Come! We’re leaving!” Without another word, the pack of foxes quickly left the camp. The vixen gave Blaze one last venomous glare before following them. Once she was out of sight, Rust turned to look at Blaze.
“ You. . .” he said slowly, eyes wide with disbelief. “You saved me.”
“ Um, yeah, I guess.” Blaze said warily.
Rust quickly gathered his wits, putting a more professional face on, “And you disobeyed a direct order to do it.”
Blaze could see where this was going now, “I’m sorry.” he said, “I couldn’t stop myself.”
Rust just stood there, studying Blaze for another few seconds, then asked, “And where’s the other one, the one who helped you?”
“ Jasper? He’s uh. . .”
“ I’m right here.” Jasper said, coming forward to stand beside Blaze.
For a moment, Rust studied Jasper, too. Then he said, “Here in Icefire, we value bravery and loyalty. Any saloli who has enough of both to disobey a direct order to save their chief is a saloli who is welcome here.”
Blaze couldn’t believe this! Had he head him correctly? He had been sure that he was going to be chewed out, at the very least, but he was being congratulated for what he had done, alongside his best friend.
“ In tribal life,” Rust continued, “there is only one thing a saloli places before obeying his chief, and that’s doing what he thinks is right. You two obviously have that capability. I think you are going to be valuable additions to Icefire. If you weren’t so young, I’d make you full members of the tribe right now.”
Jasper beamed. Blaze swelled with pride. Rust turned to look directly at Blaze, “I want you to know what you have done for us.” he said, “You have rid us of a very dangerous enemy. Icefire will never forget this. Thank you.”
Turning back to Icefire now, Rust shouted, “All right, we have wounded to take care of, and I want to know how many we have dead. Let’s go!”
For a few minutes, Blaze and Jasper just stood there, not sure what to do, while the other saloli hurried back and forth to fulfill Rust’s orders.
“ You two can go back to your branch, now.” Someone said. They turned around to see that it was Faith. “You’ve had a big night.”
“ Thank you.” Jasper said, sounding relieved. He immediately turned to head back to the trainee’s tree. Blaze, however, stayed behind.
“ Could I talk to you, Faith?” he asked. The old saloli nodded sadly.
“ Yes, I
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