Foxes surged ahead and some lagged behind, and the most energetic ones ran forward, then dropped back to circle around again, and the yipping, shrieking, and howling onlyincreased. They left the forest and crossed a meadow, where wild foxes gathered at the edges, scoping them out in the moonlight.
“Yip yip yip!” Sage called to them.
A wild fox broke the cover of the forest, running toward them, then a group followed, streaming into the meadow, joining thefoxenand running with them. One wild fox brushed Sage’s leg. She yipped at it, and it yipped at her, then laughed like a maniac and pranced around her, before taking off at a run. Sage grinned and followed it with her eyes, until she lost it in the darkness. More wild foxes came from everywhere, yipping and whistling and laughing, and they lifted the moment from magical to ephemeral.
Grinning wildly, Sage dropped to all fours and bounded like a fox, her chest loosening for the first time in hours. She found her daughter, running on all fours next to a wild fox the same size as her. Sage ran in between them and yipped at both of them. The wild fox laughed recklessly, ‘eee-heee-heeee-heeeee-heeee-hee-hee’ and Paisley imitated the sound, which made Sage giggle. With the laughter, something snapped inside her—some brittle piece of hurt she’d been nurturing and protecting, some broken piece of herself she didn’t want to let go of. Sage slowed and stood up, touching her chest, then hugging herself, as the hurt piece fell away and she was able to trust again.
“Okay,” she whispered into the cool night air. “Okay.”
She would trust that Paisley had not been violated, that there was some reason for their lives being the way they were, and it was not forever, and that somedayfoxenwould have the opportunity to live good lives. They would break the Tether, or thevodwould kill Khain. There would be no reason to hide anymore, and they wouldn't be stuck in Serenity.
Someday…
24— Vvyndicate
The ravine became visible on their right, looking like a dark gash in the land, moonlight throwing strange shadows down the trailhead. In front of Sage, the fluid-looking group of foxes made it to the trailhead first. They divided,foxendropping down onto the trail, while the wild foxes ran along the edge, yipping and laughing.
Sage reached the trailhead and found Frannie and Paisley waiting for her. They picked their way down by starlight, with grace and instinct for help. Behind them, a male started to chant.
“Uruh oo
Uruh ee
Uruh oo
Uruh ee”
Sage chanted with the others, reaching the bottom with no problems. Foxes zipped by from all directions, ignoring the path, jumping over anything in their way. At the bottom of the ravine, a wide brick path made the going easy.
The others fell behind Sage, until she was in front. She turned to find Paisley and saw her and Frannie walking slowly, holding hands. She slowed, not wanting the moment to end.
From behind her, the chant changed:
“Today, tomorrow, always
Today, tomorrow, always
Today, tomorrow, always
Today, tomorrow, always”
Sage looked around and someone in a fox suit placed her offering in her hands.
“Thank you,” she murmured, then she faced forward, still walking, holding the offering out, ready to start the final prayer. She joined in with the others for one verse, then called out over their voices, strong and clear.
“I praise Rhen and seek her,”Sage called, her eyes straight ahead, searching for the Throne of Seven Foxes.“I uphold her. I keep her.”
The other non-shiftingfoxenjoined in, chanting loudly, with no fear, and no reservation.
“I turn from the demon. I offer him no bread.
I take from him no succor. I do not his bidding if I can help it.
If I am forced, if the mark is placed upon me
I will call out to Rhen, and trust my life is still valued
I will wait for rescue, I will hope for release
