Furry Art Pile

Sol de Luna, The first Kitsune

By

Vixen Wolfspirit

Chapter 2

The Second Tail and The Lost Warrior

The once lovely Sol stumbles thought the forest and whimpers weakly, her nice lovely silken fur matted with blood and dirt, her fur dull as it's shine has gone. She is tightly muzzled, which as cut in to her once cute muzzle causing it to blister and bleed her paws tied behind her back forearm to forearm so she can't use them at all. Between her legs her fur is dirty with urine and other wastes, she staggers and whines, a high fever having started to take over her mind, as she walks sentenced to death by the village for killing another fox, when she did nothing but wake up near the body groggy and covered in the other vixens blood.

Sol whines her foot paws raw and bleeding from not being able to lay down to rest, rocks, stones and sticks all being walked on constantly since her arms are tied she cant do anything, and laying without her arms to get back up or to use to defend her self she doesn't dare stop moving, she has walked for 2 weeks straight, and on this day she comes up to a cool inviting lake and when starts crying and whimpers swaying and staggering, stumbling and before she can even get in to the lake she trips and falls face first in to the ground yelping but unable to get it out fully as the muzzle keeps her from opening her mouth to even drink.

Alastar StormRage hunts through the woods looking for his next meal of course in hunting he gets thirsty so heads to the pool of water for a drink moving always in the silent from years of practice. As he comes to the lake, Sol lays there on the ground to weak to struggle to get up, to tired to even struggle, she felt like she was on fire all over, she lay seeing death before her as her lovely blue eyes dulled with suffering stare out over the water she can ot drink or cool off in, her breathes comming slowly as she gives up fighting, doent even blink anymore when soome one comes near. He blinks seeing the vixen and quickly darts to her side kneeling near her.

He quickly checks her to see if she is living then pulls his slender flint knife and cuts the muzzle away and helps her sit up. Sol laid barely breathing eyes frozen open with exhaustion, even cutting her muzzle free she doesnt react, she looks like she is staring and you have never seen anyone do this to a poor vixen before, it's just not right. He growls and grabs his waterskin and fills it quickly then gently forces a little water in her mouth working to slowly reintroduce fluids having seen what gorging does to the starved.

She weakly drinks as he forces it in to her mouth weakly opening her strap cut muzzle, her mouth is drier then the sands of a dessert, the leather muzzle use on her shrank in the rains and waters. Alastar pulls a salve to help speed the healing that he made for his hunting knowing he doesn't have enough to handle all the injuries he works on the important ones the salve slowly numbing any pain the injuries had he works quickly not knowing how long she has been out here and knowing the wild will make a move soon.

Looking her over she looks like she has been beaten and tortured then sent off to die, het foot pads are bloody and raw. As he is checking her over, he finds she is burning up with fever. Alastar shakes his head and frees her arms laying them gently in her lap then scoops her up. Knowing the blood will draw in other predators and starts moving fast with her back to his home where he can tend to her needs better his sharp eyes scanning the woods as he goes. Sol whimpers weakly and lays limp in his arms, animals growling at the smell of fresh wounded prey as he carries her back to his home.

He growls back at the other animals making it known that he will fight to protect her and once home lays her in his bed and gets to work putting salve on injuries and cleaning her with wet rags. Noting the condition of her clothing and goes to work making her a strong leather outfit while tending her.

As he washes the dirt and blood from her fur he hers a slight glimpse of her natural lively colors, as he makes the new stronger leather clothing, she lays whimpering and squirming, mumbling delirious with a burning fever.

Alastar is forced to leave to get food but makes sure the house is secure. When he is there he is curing leather and making food going from very soft easy foods slowly, to more and more solid foods monitoring her and getting only a little sleep in-between. He fights the fever with cool water and healthy foods, he gently cleans every inch of her body to help her recover faster then dresses her in the new outfit to ward off any chill in the air.

Sol whimpers, fighting him at times, " ... no... no... don't .. please don't do this ... please I didn't .. do it!" Other times she just sobs inconsolably curled up in the bed. Alastar works hard to sooth her and keep her calm as he works stocking more food then he usually does to handle healing her as well as ends up with a lot of leathers and furs to trade.

Sol slowly regains her color, and strength as she begins to sit up to eat and the fever fades. But she doesn't look at him as he feeds her, but is polite and speaks softly to him. "T..t..thank you ..."

He nods being a silent guardian for her not trusting his own voice very much. Having seen words turned against himself and others before, he lets his actions speak louder. In caring for her keeping her warm, safe and well fed, making sure every last injury heals with out much if any scar.

His best furs and leathers used for the clothing she now wears and the covers that keep any chill from her. Sol squirms and looks at him, softly "W.. where am.. I....?"

Alastar speaks to her in a very soft whisper, "A few dozen yards from the lake I found you at." He keeps watch near the door to see if any of those who had caused her the pain look for her.

Shivering a little, speaking in soft thankful tones, "Lake... what lake?.. There is only a river near my ....." Whimpers and looks down curling up on the bed.

He walks to a shelf silently and picks out of his maps that he had worked long and hard on. He gently hands it to her, after peering at it for a long time then he picks up his hunting tools to head out into whatever weather decides to hit. He leaves to get more food while she rest and regain strength.

Sol looks at him watching silently and whimpering softly. "What are you doing?....."

He taps an open container partially filled with meat and smiles slightly as he goes to leave. He never asks her for anything as he works to keep his way of life and help her recover. Sol whines watching him leave unable to do anything, already remembering that she should be dead. But this strange fox is helping her, she moves ver to the meat and eats only a little but does start cleaning up his place trying to be thankful for being rescued. Alastar returns a few hours later with some fresh meat, and starts going about the dirty work of cleaning the kill. Making sure to preserve the skin and meats to keep them fed through any really foul seasons.

Alastar doesn't hide any of his work from her. So if she watches him, she might start to learn how to preserve meats and make leather or work furs the way he has for many a year. Sol sits trembling and watching him, his place slightly cleaning when he returned and the lid was back in the meat. He says nothing about it just sets out the tools he needs. Then leans his hunting tools outside against the wall to clean them later, so as not too make too much of a mess after her hard work.

She swallows nervously, " I.. I'm.. called Sol de Luna.." which translates to light of the moon.

He smiles to her and gives a slight bow. "Feel welcome then Sol de Luna for I open my home to you for as long as you need or want it to be."

"I..." Sol trembles and curls her tail around herself. "Why did you help me?.... I.. I was suppose to die..."

"I felt your time of life was not yet over...We die when it is our time no sooner..." He glanced over at her. "No one may declare otherwise for wrath of those who watch over us." Finishes cleaning the meats and setting up the leather to cure he leans back into his chair which is rather well worn and closes his eyes.

Looks down at the floor Sol quietly speaks. "My tribe... sentenced me...... that it how we put those to death for serious crimes.

Alastar looks at her slowly, "Is your tribe that of gods?"

Keeping the same quiet voice, she answers. "Fox tribe...." Hugs herself and curls up, "I was born to the fox tribe...." Sol's fur colors and eye color are much to vibrate to be a normal fox even if she was born to it.

He snorts out a breath, "A fox tribe has no right to declare life or death unless they are god or demi-god. Nature says when it is time."

The poor, very wrongly exiled vixen whines softly "That's why I was like that... they tie up and sen out if nature frees me. I am to live but I can not go home... if I die then it was meant to be..... I.. I was sentenced cause I.. I was found ...."

"Your past is not a concern now, your present and future are. As you said if you are freed then you live right?" Sol nods to him slowly. He continues. "Then consider this a new life and make of it as you want it to be"

"un huh... but forever exiled from home." she sniffles and whines softly.

"Forever exiled from a tribe that doesn't want you... I would rather stay wild then fight to be part of some tribe, where I constantly look over my shoulders even around friends." Alastar lets slip a bit of his harsh past and reasons for turning to the life of a wild fox.

Sol curls back up on the bed. "They wanted me... well the tods ... they never left me alone... till..." She can't even say what happened to her back at the fox village.

Alastar stands up and sighs, "The past doesn't matter here Sol, make a new life and worry about the past less." Goes to the stack of furs and leathers, "I am going to need to sell these soon."

Sol looks over watching, "... where do you sell?"

"There is a wolf tribe just south of here and a cat tribe to the east, that I am on good terms with at the moment." He works on the furs still.

Sol stands up slowly, "You saved me... I will help you take those to sell if you like." She knew there was a debt to pay and intended to pay it.

"That is up to you, from today forward your life is yours. I will hold nothing over you Sol de Luna." He looks at her.

"You saved my life... and took care of me. I will help you it is the right thing to do after having taken so much from you." She walks over to where he is standing.

Alastar nods and adjusts the bundle into two bundles one smaller then the other "Then you shall handle this portion till you feel you no longer need to."

Sol nods and moves picking up the bundle, "Ok... I can do that."

He shakes his head at her, " Not till tomorrow..."

Oh...* she sets it down, "I'm sorry...... I thought you meant now.

He smiles, "No need to be sorry a storm is rolling in, we wouldn't make any sales today."

Sol moves back sitting down on the floor, "I give your bed back now.. I am all better... I can sleep on the floor."

Again he shakes his at hear, "No," she notices that one of the chairs was modified now into a make shift bed. "Your more use to beds I sleep where ever I find myself."

She shakes her head slowly, l"But.... this is yours.... this isn't my home.. it's yours...."

He stands looking at her, "and I said make yourself welcome so as host I take my chair and you take the bed."

Sol squirms, nodding and bow down a little, showing her submissive side. Then climbs up on the bed waving her tail behind her, of course having tended and changed this amazing vixen before you. You cant help but feel your blood warm at her presence. Just her fur colors say look at me, so vivid and alive, you have never seen a vixen with such colors. He Smiles slightly but walks over to his chair to make a new flint knife.

Sol sniffs the air a little and look towards your door. "Storm is coming, you said?"

"Yes" he nods, as he chips out a new blade slightly smaller then his own but still makes it nice and sharp and strong.

Sol curls up in the corner of the bed, pulling the furs you have over herself, softly "I think you better make sure you have everything you need and it is firmly held... gonna be really really big storm....." Just as she says it, the winds kick up from a storm carrying breeze to a tropical on the verge of a hurricane storm

Alastar sniffs the air, "Hmm, I need to check something." He walked out the back door where the wind is not blowing as hard, double checking ties and making sure the boards cover the windows to the old wall blocking off the cavern before re-entering.

Because sol is present the gods can not interfere in any way. Because a greater power is watching over the young vixen, as the rains start pounding down on the home and the forest. The storm coming is much worse then he thought it was going to be, as lightening arches across the clouds violently.

Sol whimpers and trembles all curled up on the bed covering her self with the blankets of fur. Alastar eyes the storm the walks away from the cave home to glare openly at the storm, looking in its direction and aim then lights a lone signal fire which he knows the storm will snuff shortly to warn the wolf tribe of harsh times coming.

Alastar is a wild one living in a modified cave to protect from weather. Just high enough for lookouts to see from the near by wolf village. He can't live in it, but has earned their trust tend a signal fire for them. As he thought the storm snuffs the flare, like blowing out a match. The lightening shoots down towards the trees striking them, as wind and rain pounding the forest. Great and mighty trees that have stood for decade, even centuries, fall to the storms growing force.

He can only hope the wolf tribe saw the flare before it was snuffed out by natures force. He turns towards the storm front and states softly letting the wind carry his voice. "A harsh trial, but I shall stand here and aid those left after this as always. By the powers I vow, I shall not fail again!" Darts back to the side entrance that is well shielded from the storm. Coming back in, once everything is more secure, short of the cavern which has probably seen more then it's fair share of storms. He will survive he pats the wall of the cave. "Hold old strong friend and we will make it..." walks back into the small cabin with in the cavern.

Sol trembles in the corner of the cabin, quietly mumbling. "..... Wind is angry... so angry... water is angry too.... they are mad .... Earth can only protect... but her pretty forests can not stand against wind and water when they are so enraged."

Alastar looks out at the storm and sighs, "I tend those old trees and shall do them honor when this is done." He closes his eyes then turns to look for his old lute.

Sol whines and covers her ears as the wind screams, the rain pounds away against the barricaded cave entrance, and lightening strikes at the very earth below. Each makes sol whimper and cower more, the forest screams it's agony to the world.

Alastar having lived in the forest so long, knows the forest is in pain as he manages to root out the old lute from it's hiding place. He walks up near the door, but doesn't open it he begins to play. He plays partially to drown out the painful sounds, partially to move as the focus the song is a mournful one honoring life and the spirits that guide him to live it.

He plays long and hard his eyes closed focused on just the music, so that Sol has something more soothing to hear then the spirits rage outside. But the song help only a little to sooth the scared vixen that hides in his cavern home, but such is not the path for the burgeoning kitsune. As Alastar plays he hears the wind take down a tree close to the entrance, but luckily it does not hit the barricade he is sitting directly behind. But as the tree hits the hard water pounded earth, lightening shoots forth from the sky and strikes the barricade as the base of the wooden wall. Shattering it beyond all reason, the explosive force sending him flying back towards the back of his own home. In all the years he has lived here this has never happened once.

The landing knocks the wind out of him, but he is still barely awake enough to hear sol scream out in terror at the explosion. As he lays there in a daze staring at where his door and front wall once stood. The storm rages wildly as Sol cries, jumping from the corner and running towards you. "They are angry.. you can not ease them... with song... " In his daze as Sol kneels near him, he could swear he sees a faint second tail behind the young female fox. She is amazingly untouched by any splinters of wood and rock.

Alastar groans as he slowly pulls himself up, grunting out softly in pain. "I was born in a storm as angry as this." He struggles to his feet and looks her over, and in a very soft whisper to Sol, "You are like a goddess standing before me."

Sol stands up with him, "N... no ... you can not go out there... You have to stay in here."

"I am not going out there." He smiles kindly to her, " But, I also am not going to let it in here to harm you that is my vow to you." He grabs a twin set of swords much older then himself, then moves to the center of the room staring out at the storm. The fools pride of a fox who feels storms and has lived in them in some fashion or another.

Sol looks at his sword, moving in front of him, placing her hands on his. looks up in to his eyes with her deep blue gem like eyes. Speaking with what seems to be a wise beyond her years voice, quietly she says to alastar, " Those will not stop the rage of the storms lost follower of Gaia.." Sol stands fast in her place, her hands covering his holding them in place with no force at all.

"I need them not to stop the storm but to deflect it..." As he looks back in to eyes, he finds he can not move her aside or even move his hands from under her hands.

Her quiet sage like voice continues again. " You will not need to deflect..." She turns to face the storm and starts walking out of the cave. Softly speaking as she walks, "I was suppose to die... they want me..." As she walks out that second ghostly tail, he thought was just a result of the landing, flicks in to being. Becoming solid and real, Sol now walks with 2 tails out in to the storm.

Alastar having been out in that hurricane, he knows that wind should just sweep the light young vixen away with ease. He watches ready to run out after her, as she place her bare foot paws outside. But as much as he wants to be run out to protect her, his body holds it place against his will. All he can do is stand and watch, but what he sees is amazing. Sol steps out to accept death at forces of wind and water. That fiercely strong wind changes to a soft breeze that makes her red fur wave gently, and the driving hard rain falls around her like a gentle spring shower.

Alastar stares in awe, as he can see the violent hurricane force storm raging around all around her outside. Sol, the vixen he has tended and brought back from death, walks out in to it like it is not but a spring shower. Just then, a bolt of lightening streaks at her as she closes her eyes. To his utter shock and amazement, the bolt splits and wraps around her before shooting straight back to the sky.

As Sol stands there, her fur being gently caressed and washed The sky starts clearing, the moon sending forth it's light, the stars coming out as the storm fading away to a warm clear night. Wet but warm, suddenly she falters, just as he feels he can move again.

Sol whispers, "They are at peace again... all will be well, my warrior of Gaia." She sways and starts to collapse.

Alastar forces himself to run forward, discarding the swords into his table the blades still sharp after all these year to catch her. Sol falls in to his arms, limp and out cold, like she fainted but very much alive. He gets a slight shock from catching her as the lightening charged her as it surrounded her.

He notices that her second tail is still there as if she was born with it. Carrying her in and lays her in the bed. Sol lays still as she is set down in the bed, Alastar sees before him a wonder of wonders. The new tail appeared from nothing, the storm, that he stood out in as it started and that whipped at him with punishing rain. Was like a gentle spring rain against her, also she had called him a lost follower of Gaia. Then Sol had named him again as her Warrior of Gaia. He has not told her anything of his past as of yet.

He knows Sol isn't a goddess as she almost died until he rescued her. Now he has see the impossible happen before him and knows she is not an ordinary fox. He looks at her then sighs and straightens up around her. His actions are depressed as he doesn't consider himself worthy of the title of follower having run, having hid like he has soo long. He leaves Sol to rest as he goes out into the woods to get materials for a new front wall and clean the mess. Haunted by his past and shamed by his present.

Sol lays silent and peaceful in the bed, sleeping like an angel as the night continues on. A gentle breeze blowing through the trees is all that is left of the violent storm, that raged only minutes ago. As the night slowly turns slowly in to day, the sun rising at dawn. Sol wakes and rises as well in the bed, sitting up and looking around confused, softly speaking like she had fallen asleep laying there. "The storm is over?.... Tod?" Not knowing Alastar's name yet.

Alastar had half finished the new front wall and walked back to the lake. A place he thinks of as his private thinking place. He had sat there staring at luna till sleep over took him. Thinking of his past, remembering how he had come to live as a wild fox alone in the forest.

Alastar StormRage, his name given by his father a priest of Gaia. Was born during a hurricane that had shredded the city during his birth yet had not harmed him. Nor had it harmed his father, but his mom died soon after the storm had ended. His father wielded twin swords made of silver and metal alloy marked with runes of the spirits and gods. Yet they never displayed the slightest power, other then being nearly indestructible. His father, a great priest that has never used the swords to take a single life of friend or enemy. Was double-crossed by the cities lord after the swords thinking they were of great power and only he could use them by his own force of will. Alastar's father using the swords after having sworn never to use them to kill, broke his vow. Using them defended his son till he could fight no longer, and being fatally wounded. Alastar's dying father brought him the swords, and made his son vow to take the swords, to run away with them. So accepting his fathers request Alastar left his home and father behind and has shunned life since.

Sol standing up slowly from the bed , looked towards him. Walking over slowly, shivering a little, she gently touches his shoulder while glancing at the half finished wall then back at him. Softly, "The storm is over.... What happened?... When did it end tod?"

Alastar opens his eyes slowly to look at Sol. "Late last night almost like the spirits wanted to know you were alive..." He stares across the lake then slowly stands up and turns, "I should finish cleaning up the damage." He starts to walk still looking troubled by something.

The swords still stick out of the table, where he had jammed them in his hurry to catch Sol. She looks at him and tilts her head confused, "That I was alive?.... But I fell a sleep curled up under the furs, hiding from the storm."

"You walked out into the storm and fainted after the storm cleared." He grips a large log and heaves with all his strength, moving it towards his home slowly having done this many times before. Alastar is much stronger then your average fox or wolf.

Sol walks over to him, keeping a safe distance, "I did?" She looks down trying to recall it. But she had no memory of doing what he says she did.

"Yes.."He sets the log down, picking up a make shift saw and starts sawing thicker planks to handle the front wall this time. Sol places a hand gently on his back as he puts the log in place.

"Umm I don't remember that... but... I am hungry.. I can cook.. If you want to sit down I will make you breakfast.." Her voice is soft and polite, and caring. She never hated anyone back at her village, and she does hate them even after what they have done.

" I need to finish making the front wall for the next storm. Then we need to check the wolf town to see if my signal got through to them." Alastar works harder then any tod you have seen almost like he is punishing himself for something.

Sol sniffs the air, then looks around at the mouth of the cavern, before softly speaking. "Its going to be a good day.. you can take your time... tod"

He works hard to make the front wall and clean the woods making a large pile of wood for the next winter. Sol walks to the barrel of meat, sniffing at it as she opens it. taking out some for Alastar and herself, before starting a small fire to cook with. She sits beside the fire and prepares the meat to cook over the fire, my twin tails swaying side to side of their own accord behind her. Alastar is panting hard by midday, but the woods in a large area around his home has been cleared. The fallen trees adjusted give home to the wildlife.

Sol looks up " .... tod..." As she still doesn't know your name yet, as you still have not told her. So she still calls you tod, "I have food ready if you want to eat." She hasn't even notice her own second tail yet.

"Thank you, Sol." He walks over to sit down and rest, picking up the cook meal she make for him. Alastar is a tod ashamed of his name, his birth, and for the deaths he feels are his fault.

Sol smiles softly looking at him, wanting praise, and the meat is very well cooks and tender as well. He smiles kindly to her, "This is far better then any meal I have had in a long while."

Sol sits up and smiles swaying her tails more, softly replying to him. "Thank you tod...... your not like the other tods I knew!"

"Oh? That's probably a good thing," eats and when done he stands up. " I need to make those deliveries and see if the town needs help with repairs"

Sol nods slowly, "They all chased me... Town?... I'll help!!" She stands up and walks over to the bundles, picking up bundle he made for her to carry.

Alastar nods slowly and hefts his large bundle up onto his back, flipping a large hat on his head before picking up another bundle that had sat in the shadow of the one he divided. He smiles to Sol, "Then lets go. Oh here this are for you Sol." He reaches over onto a table, picking up the flint dagger he was making. Handing it to her as he hangs an odd pouch on his waist.

Sol tilts her head and takes the dagger and looking at it. Then she looks at the pouch he puts on, before looking up at him. "What are these for tod?"

"That is for self defense, a couple wolves are not exactly the kindest in this town." The rune honoring the wind is imprinted on it out of habit. He adjusts his load so as not to crush the pouch on his hip and turns to walk out of the cavern home. Sol tucks the flint dagger into the belt of the skirt, that Alastar gave her to wear. Then she turns to follows him carrying the smaller load then him. As he would not give her more.

Sniffing as she walks carefully behind him, following his path, she looks up at his back. " tod.... do have a name... Calling you tod doesn't feel right, my name is Sol de Luna..." Sol has told alastar her name before, "... may I please know yours... tod?"

"Mine is more of a curse then a name. I have become use to being called Tod, for it bares less trouble." He sniffs the air for scents of predators, "As the lands I travel have very few if any tods through them."

Sol nods a little, swaying her tails as only a vixen can. "But tod means male... so I am calling you male...." Looks up at him, as he leads the way. "You don't call me vixen, why should I call you tod?"

"Because my name sake brought misfortune upon my family." He spoke softly as pace continued slow but unending.

Sol looks down a little and sniffles softly, "I have no family anymore tod.... they will never say my name again.. I am an exile." She trips over a root exposed by the nights rain, yelping as she falls toward the muddy ground. Alastar turns at her yelp moving quickly, he catches her in his arms before she lands face first in the mud.

She blinks being caught and looks up at him, her blue eyes looking in to his. They sparkle with a life of their own, her voice is soft as she smiles. "Thank you tod..."

Alastar seeing how she is behaving now, after seeing what she pulled off last night. Causes him wonder if it really happened, but she has 2 tails so it did. Sol is innocent and polite, a vixen like her should not be out in the wilds alone. But its not like he can leave her in any of the cities either. He thinks to himself, " what am I to do with you Sol de Luna?"

"We need to keep moving..." He helps Sol back to her paws, very softly "I'm Alastar StormRage." For some reason, when facing her he can't hold anything from her and her cute figure.

Sol stands up and smiles softly, "Yes Alastar...." She moves to keep up with him, knowing his name now. Sol follows Alastar to the Wolf village, where her next adventure is waiting for her and Alastar StormRage warrior of Gaia, her guardian and protector.

End Chapter 2

copyright: Vixen Wolfspirit 2007