Shard’s sight shivered madly and his ears buzzed like a swarm of wasps. But instead of a voice, the scenery changed and he was standing in a large snow field. A fox with blinding white fur walked behind him. It had black freckles coating its body and its head sagged. “Raila, you cannot!” Aashio’s voice echoed from the fox’s head
“I have no other choice, Aashio,” the fox whispered with pain in his voice “ If I am driven out I’ll never survive the winter storms.”
“Please,” Aashio vibrated in a desperate whisper “Please, no! I will be sent away, longing to find you. You will become violent and cruel! I cannot bear to see you that way!”
“I’m sorry, Aashio.” Raila mumbled then he threw back his head into a rusty howl. White mist poured from his lips and formed the body of the dream fox, blown by an unseen wind.
“Raila,” Aashio buzzed frantically “Do not leave me!” Shard’s vision shifted. He was up in the air, kicking and wailing in his mind. Still, he was pushed upwards, higher and higher until Raila was only a small howling speck. He felt a weighed down with grief and hopelessness. Raila stopped howling and stalked away, snarling. Shard was pushed up still. The clouds stretched into a field beneath him. He felt his throat tighten and his lungs go cold, then he was gasping, struggling with the effort to breathe. His eyelids drooped and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Shard opened his eyes gasping, relishing the ability to breathe. He felt the clinging warmth of his den of rabbit fur. It had all been a dream. He still felt a cloudiness behind his eyes and Aashio’s hopeless wails kept coming back to him. “Shard!” O’Lonna jolted him to reality. He leapt down from his ledge to confront her. “You really must be careful, Shard,” O’Lonna chided “One day you’ll break a leg on that fall.” Shard struggled to ignore her and drag his thoughts back to Aashio “Shard!” O’Lonna sounded desperate, but quickly regained he cool “Twist needs your help to make a new nest for Ko. A draft blew some snow into his den and ruined the whole thing.”
Shard felt a sense of dread. Gathering fur for the alpha male’s nest was a great honor, but he would rather be ambushed by foxes than help Twist. Twist was cocky and had a huge ego. Since Twist was nearly black it made hunting in the snow more difficult, but Twist did just fine. Better then fine. As Shard approached him Twist growled “Let’s get this over with.” And bounded away down the snowy rock pile.
When Shard reached the base of the slope he spotted a hare, feebly hoping away. He took a quiet step forwards, but the wind blew through his ears and seemed to form words “No, no, no.” He hesitated long enough for Twist to bound forward and deliver a killing bite.
“I saw it first.” He snarled with the limp rabbit hanging from his jaws. He dropped it and began to claw the fur off the small frame. Suddenly, he bent his head with his jaws open.
“What are you doing?!” Shard hissed
“Hey,” Twist snorted “We’re just supposed to get the fur. Nobody said we couldn’t eat it.” Before Shard could say more the bite was taken. He couldn’t help, but feel a looming dread.
The males continued to hunt. Twist seemed to catch every rabbit and owl in sight. Shard was made to carry the fur and feathers in his mouth making it dry. As the day wore on Twist’s eyes became glazed, but he continued to show up Shard.
“I think this is enough.” Shard mumbled through a thick layer of bedding
“Just one more.” Twist argued, his eyes aimed on a large snow owl. As he pressed forwards ready to pounce he groaned and slumped to the ground sending the bird flapping away in a flurry of feathers.
Shard rushed to Twist’s side, his eyes smarting from the sudden buzzing. Before he could examine Twist’s body the air rushed from his lungs and the scene shifted. Twist’s body shrunk into the form of the first rabbit. It was hastily nibbling a dark green stem. The plant had long tube shaped flowers as big as his paw. They were an exotic pink color with bright orange insides. The petals were shredded by the hare’s sharp teeth. The scene changed again to show the hare becoming slower as the day wore on then Twist’s death blow. Shard’s eyes burst open and he sucked in air. Somehow he knew that rabbit had been poisoned. Words pooled behind his eyes and seemed to buzz “Cockflights, cockflights, cockflights.”
Yeah I know it's long, but post if you love it
