In the snow-covered forest, atop of a large cliff, a cold breeze quietly drifted past a gathering of rabbits. In the moment of panic and silence before Fig turned around, Twitch ducked behind a tree.
“It’s dangerous out here,” Fig said. “You’ll run into the foxes.”
“Nice to see you too,” I responded.
Russet flicked his ears back in a short show of fear; we knew Fig was under the foxes’ control, but he had no idea how. Maybe I could reference something, but transforming between rabbit and fox wasn’t in our experience and any story referenced would be pure myth. Twitch climbed the tree, staying opposite Fig, or more properly, Fang.
Sylvia tried to get some information. “Did you track us all the way from the warren?”
“I did,” Fig said. “I was worried about you.”
“Even when we stopped at the owls?” she pressed.
“What?” Fig’s ears flicked back, then he dismissed the statement. “Of course, I saw that.”
I tilted my head. The gesture was one of surprise, but the execution—his right ear doing a subtle double-flick as it turned back while the left held back just long enough for him to notice and hope that no one else had—the execution was clearly Fang’s. Yet, that was Konal’s memory, not mine.
“You weren’t there.” Sylvia had good instincts, but if she got Fang to panic, he’d attack. “And you should be guarding the warren. What’s going on, cousin?”
“Please, it’s not safe,” Fig whimpered. “We should go.”
“Good idea,” I said to draw Fang’s attention. “Why don’t Fig and I scout the path to the warren, and we can meet up where we planned?” Above, Twitch crossed branches to one of the trees by Russet, careful not to knock down snow. I had to lead Fang away, give Twitch a chance to explain about the shape changing.
“If you’re sure,” Russet said. “Does that mean you didn’t find anything?”
“Where were you?” Fig interrupted. “This part of the woods is haunted. You could have been hurt. Or worse.”
“I was looking into rumors of Cinnamon,” I explained, changing the context to keep Fang off balance. “The owls said she’d been captured by the foxes, but when I looked, she wasn’t there. It seemed like a fox den, but it was clearly abandoned. Why don’t I explain the rest while we scout? I’m sure you’re the only one who’d understand what I saw.”
Sylvia winced, but remained quiet, and Russet gave a nod, tapping the ground twice. Twitch crouched where a larger branch connected with the trunk, hiding himself from the ground. Fig’s eyes and ears darted between us; he knew he was missing something, but wasn’t sure. Best to give him a proper false trail.
“Basil said you’d find me when it began,” I misquoted, emphasizing the when. “Who is to say it hasn’t? We should talk.” I grasped at Konal’s memories for something to add; maybe I could pretend to be him.
Fig grunted in frustration and went to cuff me. Konal would never allow that. I stepped back and let Fang trip over his rabbit-body and sprawl on the ground. That silly pride; he always underestimated prey.
I batted my head with a paw to dislodge Konal’s thoughts from mine. I knew their secret now and Fang would be the easiest to get more information from. It was worth a try. “Little brother, let’s go.”
Fig reluctantly got to his feet. His face scowled in anger, the fox almost visible behind his eyes. At least, once I knew what to look for: the aggressive way he held his ears, the way his lips curled up in a sneer, the subtle growl that we kept mistaking for grunts.
“I’m not your brother,” he grumbled.
“Not by blood,” I agreed, “but perhaps in soul.”
He hesitated, then dipped his nose submissively. “Fine, let’s go.”
“Are you sure this is okay, Brem?” Russet asked before we hopped too far. Behind him, Twitch had climbed down and looked around a tree with concern.
“It’s dangerous, but I’m not lost yet.”
Fig and I headed away from them, giving the edge of the cliff plenty of space. The warren would be a decent trip, but I had no intention of going all the way there. I had to get information, not lose myself, and report back to Russet and the others. Maybe there’d be enough time to undo what was done before I changed.
We traveled a short way, just far enough for the cliff to fade back into the forest. I stopped. “Wait, little brother,” I said, “this body isn’t what I’m used to.”
Fig almost tripped again as he rushed to my side. “Impossible. Did Chimera knock Bremen out? Was there enough time for you to get him in the dream?”
I couldn’t remember specifics, but I knew Fang was always the smaller one, even though we were from the same litter. I had to take care of him after we were orphaned; he wasn’t strong enough by himself. There was a shame there, a way I–he failed that Konal refused to let me find. I took a slow breath. “You always could see my feelings.”
Fig’s mouth hung open. He went to respond, but nothing came out. He couldn’t let himself believe, but there was enough uncertainty that he wasn’t sure. The shame flared; this was another rabbit’s trap I was leading him into.
He examined me, looking for clues that I was Konal. He desperately checked, watched my breathing, my ears flick, how I sat on the ground. “Is it really you? I was afraid Chimera wouldn’t let you out.”
“Almost, brother,” Konal warned with my voice. I wondered how many subtle warnings Fig had given us, before pushing the conversation to where I might get answers. “Chiron can’t hold us forever.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Fang whimpered. “He’ll send you back.”
“How?” I asked. “Is he going to have Basil do it for him?”
“I don’t know.” Fang grunted in frustration. “Chimera is… He hates both Basil and Chiron, like they were before and he is now? I don’t get it. All I know is he’s stronger than we are.”
Konal’s anger flared inside me; he wanted to protect his brother. I kept control; he wanted to know as much as I did. “Because Basil’s a seer?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because they both hate the warren.”
I, or Konal, grunted in frustration. “This again? Brother, what did the warren do to him?”
“He still won’t tell us, and he still won’t let it go,” Fang said. “We’re not even eating the bodies. It’s just killing.”
“This isn’t like him.” Konal still had trouble separating the playful smaller fox from the monster he had become. He hadn’t lived through the horrors of the warren.
“It is like him! You always made excuses for him, like he’s some long-lost family. Yeah, he took care of us when you got injured, but he’s always been this bad. What do you see in him?”
My ears burned hot from embarrassment. “That doesn’t matter now. What matters is his obsession is going to get us killed. Again. Chimera found me when I went to scout the den. He said he would kill us, all of us, if it meant destroying the warren.”
“No!” Rabbit ears flopped as Fang hit himself with his paw. “He said Talus would live. He swore he would make sure she lived.”
“All he cares about is what happened between him and the warren! Do you think he was bluffing to scare Bremen?”
“I don’t know, brother.” Fang winced and sulked. “He loves her. Or Chiron used to love her. Maybe Chimera doesn’t. Maybe Chiron is gone.”
Konal demanded, “Does he threaten you?”
“He doesn’t have to.”
Konal and I both winced at that. The foxes were as trapped as we were. The seer-commands that Chimera used were not just for hunting prey.
Fang looked around suddenly and sniffed the air. “They’re not following us, are they?”
“No, brother,” I said, “but Bremen did let us talk.”
A fox howl split the air. Chimera had found them.
We ran, ducking through brush and around trees. Maybe Chimera had only found a trail. Maybe Russet still had some of the scent-erasing herb so the trail would end abruptly. A second howl from Talus ripped that hope into fear. They were close.
Fang followed me as I circled ahead of the howl. I felt the strength of a fox push my body past my limits. Also, I knew where they were headed; we could get ahead of the chase.
When they saw us, Sylvia’s legs gave out. Her front legs refused to move as she landed and she slid to a halt in the wet leaves. She tried to murmur something, but could barely breathe. Russet shrugged off his backpack and began looking for his running herb. He kept an ear pointed at Fig.
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I could hear Twitch in the canopy above, keeping watch over us. How much had he been able to explain? He called down, “Talus is circling around.”
Chimera was only a few strides behind them, but broke off the chase as he got near. Instead, he composed himself and strode into view, like he’d walked the whole way and the life-or-death struggle was simply a game to him. It wouldn’t have been a game to Chiron.
“Bremen! How nice to see you again!” The fox’s voice attempted cheer, but was spoken through sharp fangs. “And look! The warren watch is here to protect you. I wondered if they were completely useless.”
“Did Cinnamon end up being too much trouble?” I asked. He knew about storytelling, so I couldn’t do that, but if I could get him to talk, Russet and Sylvia could catch their breath. “She always was, you know. Remember when you brought her that mouse, and she ended up letting it go?”
I hadn’t looked for that memory; was Konal helping us?
“You’re bluffing,” Chimera snarled. He looked behind me to Russet and Sylvia. “I’ve heard you shriek. I hope they sound as nice.”
“Chiron, if your ego can calm itself for a moment, I would like to point out that you are the one who revealed us to the storytellers.” It was hard to hold back; Konal wanted to fight as much as I did. “Twitch and Bremen had no idea what we were.”
“I said, you will call me Chimera!”
“Of course, I almost had them convinced that we could save Cinnamon. I was going to deliver them all right to you.” For a moment, a flush of anger overshadowed my fear. “You had to make yourself known, and you had to let them know what we’re capable of. We could have lived long happy lives if you had not had to have your revenge!”
I didn’t say that. That was definitely Konal.
“I will not be reduced to arguing with a rabbit.” Chimera backed off. “You’ve started to merge. He will get you tonight.”
Fang was cowering, stuck in a rabbit’s body. His alpha and his older brother were locked in a battle of wills, and he was afraid to support either side. I was hurting him, but it was the only way to help them.
Russet had given Sylvia a few laps of running herb. She managed to wheeze at him, “How are you so calm?”
“I’m not,” he replied. “There’s just more important things right now.”
Twitch called from above. “Talus is here.”
She approached slowly, walked up to Fig and gave him a lick on the ears. “Fang, pull yourself together. Chimera, every time you think you’ve gotten the last brave rabbit, another one comes along.”
“Enough!” He growled. “They will break. Bremen will break.”
I interrupted, “Perhaps, but even Cinnamon and Fang can regain their hope.”
“You mean Fig, right?” Sylvia asked.
I gulped. I had meant Fang. Konal needed to save his brother.
“Chimera.” I hopped up to him. “You have no idea what the spirit of a rabbit is. Even in the face of despair, we will find hope. Why don’t you ask Basil if we will give in to our fear?”
“Basil is dead!” Chimera loomed over me. He commanded, “You will submit.”
The sick feeling struck my shoulder. It flowed from the bite to fill my limbs. It was stronger, closer to the fourth day, but I had another ally this time. I could feel Konal within me, strengthened by the need to free his brother. Hatred for Chimera burned; we had to kill him to free Fang. Rabbit and fox strove toward the same goal.
I dropped to the ground in pain, gasping for breath. The sick feeling withdrew, beaten. “I have bowed to you long enough, Chiron.”
Russet stepped between Chimera and me. “Why must you be so cruel?”
To my surprise, Talus agreed. “Yes, Chimera. You talked about revealing ourselves to the warren, trapping them underground with us for the winter. Isn’t it time to say why?”
Sylvia hopped up to Russet. Her voice was steady despite her fear. “Maybe we should ask Basil? He’d tell us.”
Chimera plowed through my friends with the speed of a diving hawk. I didn’t have time to flick my ears before I was pinned to the ground with the fox above me. We locked gazes, vying for control. He needed my spirit to break; killing me wasn’t enough.
Talus advanced on Russet and Sylvia. Fang was still unsure.
Chimera recoiled, his voice only loud enough for me to hear. “The fox-soul delays, Konal betrays. Death calls for the stoat, we’ll see your throat.”
Everything happened so fast. Talus managed to pin Sylvia to the ground; Russet kicked the fox hard in the head, but she didn’t budge. Fang watched in horror as Chimera recovered from his vision and smacked me across the ground and into a tree. Twitch rushed down the tree and leapt, landing heavy on Fig’s back, pinning the fox-in-rabbit’s skin to the ground.
Brother.
“I’ll kill him!” Twitch screamed, paw on Fig’s throat, and teeth at the back of his neck.
Talus froze, still holding Sylvia on the ground.
Chimera laughed. “An interesting bet. Can he change before you bite through his spine?”
“Chiron!” Talus let Sylvia go and looked at Chimera in horror. “Did you mean what you said? Do we mean nothing to you?”
The fox’s ears twitched, but he let the name slide. “That brute is a useful tool. Even if Konal makes him less so.” He let out an over-dramatic sigh. “You expect to distract me while your friends flee to Cinnamon’s old place. How quaint. Let him go and I will kill you quickly.”
“No.” Twitch pressed his claws tighter against Fig’s throat. “My friends get to leave.”
“Free to warn the warren.” Chimera pondered. “No. That won’t do.”
Konal screamed in my head. He would not let Fang die again. I barely managed to stand and hop-step closer. The tree had only left bruises, but the struggle between Konal’s brother and mine had us at odds.
Talus growled. “Chimera, have you no honor? What was all this about if you’re just going to let him die?”
“My dear, this is about destroying the warren,” he countered. “No matter. He won’t kill Fig. They can’t sacrifice their own. That’s the weakness of prey.”
Fang whimpered. Unable to overcome his fear, he couldn’t push Fig into submission. He couldn’t transform. “Brother... Alpha...”
Konal fought harder. The selfish desire to kill I could stop, but this was protection. I didn’t want to stop him from protecting anyone. Yet, I had to. I had to protect Twitch.
“I’m a predator,” Twitch growled. “I kill their kind to survive.”
Sylvia and Russet were huddled together. Russet had his last pepperpuff between his forelegs.
Talus winced. Despite choosing Chiron, she did have some feelings for my brother.
The pressure in my head threatened to split it open. The line between fox and rabbit wavered, allowing memories to mingle. Fang, helpless, being dragged over the cliff to his death. All because I trusted that cursed rabbit. I shook my head clear of the foreign thoughts.
“Maybe you’ll talk him to death.” Chimera glared at Twitch. “What would you want?”
“I let him go and you let us walk away,” Twitch offered.
“Not going to ask us to leave?”
“We will save the warren,” Twitch said. “And all the rabbits you’re holding captive.”
Fang still couldn’t get the better of Fig, but he was starting to calm. Chimera talking so casually about his death did not help. Although, maybe Fig finally had something he could do to help the warren.
“You want us to let you go so you can hunt us down later?” Chimera laughed.
“And you’ll find us tomorrow. This is only a head-start.” Twitch nibbled at the base of Fig’s skull. “Otherwise, I kill him, and we see if we can make it to Cinnamon’s before you catch us.”
Pain danced from my shoulder to my stomach and chest. Konal would not let Twitch bite through Fang’s spine. He tried to force my limbs to move, tried to force me to change, but he could not get control. He needed to kill me in my dreams first. I closed my eyes; my ears throbbed from the pressure. He wanted to live. He wanted his brother to live. He used to be their alpha before his leg was bitten. He had to protect them.
“And will I keep my word?” Chimera asked. He wasn’t the young fox I remembered.
Talus growled, “Chiron had honor. His word meant something.”
“I need no honor to hate the warren.” There was a slight shift in his voice. Was it Chiron? “I do have honor. If you let him go, we will give you a small head-start.”
“One day,” Twitch demanded. “Until dawn tomorrow. Until the fourth day.”
Peripherally, I was aware of Russet trying to see if I was okay. He was making some gesture that Konal didn’t recognize. A code that I should have seen. He seemed so far away.
“Very well.” Chimera sat back, looking haughty and detached. “You have until dawn tomorrow and my word that the three of us will let you be. Konal will still claim Bremen tonight. That is not something I can truly stop.”
I glared at Fang. I got him killed; I needed to get him free of Chimera. And the weasel would pay for threatening his life. He started to realize who was looking at him.
“The talker lies!” Konal shouted. “He has a prey’s soul.”
What had I done?
Fang’s face went from fear to anger. Before Twitch could pull back, a fox whirled up from under him. Russet lobbed his Pepperpuff, but it was too late.
Fang bit Twitch around his midsection. Teeth sunk deep into fur; fangs pierced skin and the flesh beneath; bones crunched. For the first time in a long time, I was completely paralyzed with fear, unable to move or react. Horror filled me. Fang was going to shake my brother.
The Pepperpuff struck Fang directly on the bridge of his nose and exploded into a cloud of stinging dust. The fox choked and dropped a broken and bloody Twitch on the ground.
Chimera barked, “Fang! To me!”
Fang reluctantly made his way back to Chimera. Unsuccessfully wiping the pepper from his eyes with a paw, he growled.
“I will not have my word compromised! Not by you! Not by some rabbit!” Chimera’s glare caused Fang to drop to the ground in submission. He looked directly at me and said, “Death called for your friend. You and the warren have one day. No more.”
He turned to leave. “Fang. Talus. Let’s go!”
Fang looked at me through red, pepper-filled eyes, tears coming from that and perhaps worry for Konal. Then he growled at Russet and turned to go.
Talus glared at Chimera, then turned to me. “He’s not the Chiron you cared about.” I was in too much shock to care.
When they left, Konal’s presence faded. The stunned numbness remained, leaving only enough space for tears. It didn’t even hurt, but the tears kept coming. I watched as Sylvia tended to Twitch and Russet helped the best he could.
I hesitated, then approached, my voice weak and without hope. “I... Is he...?”
“Dying. The bite’s too deep.” Russet folded his ears down. He turned toward me. “Bremen, it wasn’t you.”
I didn’t listen; I knew it was me. Konal and I were locked in battle, and I let him beat me. Beat me with my own compassion; beat me because I started to empathize with these monsters. Because I wanted to be like my father. I approached Twitch and managed to choke out, “Brother, I’m sorry.”
He lifted his head a little, a thin trail of blood coming from his mouth. “I’ve been eating carrion for several moons. That’s no way for a weasel to live.” He coughed roughly. “I wish to follow the same path as the fox called Bremen. I am honored to give my life here, saving my brothers.”
“I killed you,” I objected. “I don’t deserve such a gift.”
Twitch put a bloodied paw on my shoulder. “Stories are based on trust. I trust my brother to save this warren. Trust that I forgive you. Although I could not live in your world, I die in it; a world where I was a friend.”
As his eyes faded, his last words were: “Don’t let Konal take that from you.”