Prologue

It was the dead of the night, the forest filled with the darkness of the shadowed new moon and a fog that lingered between the trees, hovering over the ground and dampening the usual noises of the life that only appeared at night. An eerie feeling suffused the area, a feeling that would make even the bravest think twice before submerging themselves in the darkened land ruled by the trees and, for now, those creatures that roamed the night.

Yet none of that seemed to bother the unusually large, scarlet-furred fox that stealthily padded her way through the trees, her deep blue eyes that glinted green in the scarce light around her carefully sweeping the area around her, her white-tipped ears trained on her sides and behind her so that she missed nothing that might try its luck at sneaking up on her, even as a part of her attention remained always on a small bundle tied securely against her chest, a most precious thing this particular fox couldn't afford to lose.

Suddenly, from within the bundle came a small whimper that interrupted the almost otherworldly hush of that foggy, midnight forest even as the bundle moved ever so slightly of its own accord, the layers of fabric shifting slightly as the fox froze, her heart beating rapidly as all her senses went on the highest alert. Though she was fairly certain they had covered enough distance that they were relatively safe for the moment, the fact that they had already crossed the border from their old territory into neutral lands where ferals were known to roam meant she couldn't take even the smallest chance of being discovered. So she looked, listened, and scented in every direction, ensuring that small sound hadn't alerted anyone potentially dangerous to their presence.

Although she was one hell of a fighter, and, in fact, had been one of the head warriors alongside her mate - ex-mate now - of their pack, meeting a feral out here, especially while protecting her little bundle, could spell doom. Of course, she could easily take down one, even two ferals, but the fuckers tended to run in groups of four or five, which presented a much, much more dangerous situation, one she wasn't sure she could handle. Without anyone else to rely on, she couldn't risk being caught up in such a situation, and thus, she had to be as stealthy as possible until she could get closer to her ultimate destination: the human territories.

When her senses picked up nothing unusual, she breathed a sigh of relief and, after a few more minutes of monitoring, just to be on the safe side, she decided to take a small break and check on her little package. Looking around, her eyes caught on a good-sized hollow in a nearby tree that was perfect and trotted over to it, ducking inside. Luckily, there was enough room to lie down, which she did carefully, disturbing the bundle as little as possible.

Once settled, she gently nosed open the top flap she had purposely left just a little loose, revealing the tiny head of a fox kit, its eyes closed in peaceful slumber, causing her to once again sigh in relief that her daughter had not awoken as she had feared. 'It seems the potion is holding,' she thought to herself.

'I told you it would, you simply needed to have faith,' responded a soft voice in the back of her mind as a presence unfurled itself as through having woken from a slumber itself.

'You were right, Arys,' she begrudgingly acknowledged to the voice, smiling softly down at her precious kit. 'It certainly was worth it to go to that witch.'

'Indeed, it saves us a lot of potential trouble and ensures the little one will have no memory of this night,' Arys pointed out. It had been her idea to find a witch that would be willing to create two sleeping potions for them; one for their now ex-mate, which she had deftly slipped into one of the many beers he drank each night, and one specifically made to be safe for young ones, that would put their precious angel in a gentle but deep slumber, undisturbed by anything going on around her, for eight hours. That way there would be no need to stop for feeding, and the poor thing wouldn't have to endure the long journey. Of course, they hated to use a potion on her, but it really was the only option in order to keep them all safe as they escaped, and they had made sure it was as safe as possible. 'It may not be our favorite method, but she's safe, and that's what matters. Alyra, you did the best you could for our little kit."

Alyra smiled wearily in acknowledgment of her fox spirit's words. 'Thank goodness our little Amber prefers to sleep in her fox form,' she said with a light laugh. 'At her age, her human form is much more vulnerable to harm. I'd be afraid to go at a simple trot, much less run if we needed to.'

'Agreed,' Arys smiled. 'Kits, even newborn, are much sturdier than human babies.'

With a sigh, Alyra gave her kit a soft kiss, then carefully replaced the flap over her head before carefully rising in the limited space of the hollow. 'Well, I guess it is time we got going again. We're still too close to him, and too far from safety for my liking,' she said as she ducked her way out of the hollow, stretching once she got outside.

'I agree with you, love, but I think it is about time you let me take over. You're tired enough I am afraid you will run yourself into the ground unless you let me help you.' Even as Arys spoke, Alyra yawned deeply, causing the fox spirit to laugh softly. 'My point exactly.'

Alyra smiled tiredly. 'You might not be wrong, my friend. It probably is best I take you up on your offer. Take care of our Amber, will you?'

'You know I will,' Arys affirmed as Alyra let go of the control, allowing her fox spirit to take over as she curled up in the back of her own mind, exhaustion sweeping her into the realms of deep sleep in no time at all. Arys looked down at the most precious bundle with a soft, foxy smile strapped to her chest and whispered, 'Well, my sweet one, I guess this is where our adventure truly begins." And, with a flick of her tail, she trotted off, once again, through the forest.