Syphira stood up and yawned.
"PA'UAN!!!" she called.
The little wolf came bounding out of the Apprentice cave, ready to start training.
"Where we going Syphira?" he asked.
"To Storm Tree. The hunting's good there." the old fox said, looking straight ahead.
"You mean the tree that got hit by the sky light?" Pa'uan asked.
"Same one."
"But apprentices aren't allowed there." the wolf protested.
"Only Elders are allowed, but they can bring apprentices along." Syphira countered.
"All right!" Pa'uan cheered.
The two walked down the dirt trail until they came to the giant, twisted tree. The Storm Tree's bark was blackened, yet leaves still sprouted from its branches. It was autumn, the time for new pups, cubs, kits, eaglets. The leaves on the Storm Tree were blood red and majestic. Sacred stones with small runes were placed in a circle around the base of the tree.
"Whoa! It's huge!" Pa'uan exclaimed. The Tree was five wolves thick, and about a hundred wolves tall. "Huge" was just an understatement. Suddenly, a small fluffy tail caught the little apprentice's eye. He snuck up on the creature and pounced, the rabbit moved out of the way just in time and bounded off into the forest.
"Deer pellets!" Pa'uan cursed.
"Maybe next time." Syphira said simply.

Flamme headed out her fur sticky from the mixture that had been put on them

Tikki and Riker Moved silently through the Forest The Young Martin staying close on the tiny fox's heels. " Tikki, where are we going.." he whispered spiraling his flexible body around a branch. Tikki sighed flattening her ears, " That's not important its only important we stay quiet and don't get caught.." she said before coming to an abrupt stop and signaling Riker to do the same. She could hear someone up ahead, after only a moment she confirmed it was Syphira and her apprentice the wide eyed young wolf. the two were probably hunting, but even though they were friend and not Foe, Tikki couldn't risk getting caught by even them, besides they were close to the Storm tree which was off limits to her and Riker. She glanced at the focused Martin " silence one break of a twig and it will cost us.... not to mention I will have a lot of unpleasant explaining to do.." she sprang from branch to branch barely rustling a leaf. Riker was strangling to keep up and stay quiet, but even he only sounded like the wind rustling the trees. Once they were directly over the two Tiki stopped a moment to judge their movements and distance, but soon bolted off a bit further out of ear shot. Riker was slow to catch up and was moving a bit faster at the cost of his silence. when he was a yard or two away from the storm tree he made a grave mistake. He sprang for a branch that was weak and it snapped under his weight though he dug his claws into the bark of the trunk and managed to get out of sight the branch made an extremely loud noise.

After a few hours of hunting, Syphira and Pa'uan brought a couple of squirrels and a rabbit back to the clearing of Star Village. Pa'uan's mother, who was heavy with her second litter, came to greet them.
"Hello Pa'uan! Looks like hunting was good!" she said, her long black fur shining in the sunlight.
"We went to the Storm Tree!" her son answered back.
"Oh my! Isn't that restricted to Elder's only?" his mother gasped.
"It is, Lusa, but I was supervising. He was my 'escort'." Syphira joked.
Lusa breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good. So he wasn't going illegally. The Ancestor's word is law, you know. Pa'uan! You're a mess! Rinse your feet in the spring!" Lusa said.
"Yes Mother." Pa'uan groaned, before walking off into a clump of bushes.

After they Left Riker sprinted through the treetops to catch up to Tikki. the sly Fox was at the edge of the boarder waiting for him. " Good Job, getting that close to the tree is dangerous for anyone without prevision... but it was the quickest way to get here.." she said moving a branch so he could see beyond the boarder. the area was sandy and unfit for living. in the distance you could see the still chard and smoldering mountain. " That is the land beyond our boarders..." she sighed " I wanted to show you this because the new leader that we have may throw us into a world like that which is beyond. "

Little Riker nodded as he gazed at the desolate land before him" so what are we gonna do?... we cant just let this happen.." he said somewhat panicked.

Flamme hunted coming back with a few rabbits. She sighed. Back to normal life...... she thought

"Hello Flamme!" Pa'uan said, his paws soaking wet.

"Why are you so wet?" Flamme asked holding back a laugh

"Mud. Mum told me to wash it off. I went hunting at the Storm Tree! The other apprentices will be so jealous!" he said excitedly, his tail wagging.

Flamme looked at him concerned. "Don't tell anyone else......... you might get in deep trouble." Flamme whispered