A Leaf of Holly

==Blurb==
“What’s the point of wars, rulers, hate and love if we’re all going to die and fade into the background eventually. Everyone dies and gets forgotten, it’s like we’re a leaf of holly, going to get trampled on and forgotten, because a leaf of holly is nothing compared to the world.”
A young fox named Holly has never found her place in the world. She has always been tugged into worlds of magic and adventure where all her satisfaction will be found and her ambitions will be soothed. Holly’s parents aren’t approving but on night all her dreams might become real, but not in fantasies, she must snap back to reality to save them.
==Dedication==
This is dedicated to some friends in real life and the trilogy that made me fall in love with foxes, Foxcraft, by Inbali Iserles. 
==Prologue==
The wind tugged at Night’s fur as she padded along the bank of the river, clouds and trees covered the stars as Night looked up, hoping to find comfort in them. 
What is reality if all of Moon’s visions promising, hope light, and a better future are never coming true Night sat down on a cold boulder I told her she was mad. There is no hope for us, we might as well-. An owl interrupted her thoughts by hooting. A sign? No... I’m just a hunter and a fighter, nothing else, and Moon told me owls brought death. Is this really the end for us all? Night pressed her head against the rock, remembering how the Guardians of the Forest and Night had pleaded for help but the Isle of Seven foxes had refused, pledging that they would erase them from memory. The scene swept her off the rock and back in memory.
 “Please!” Violet begged, her orange fur dull and ungroomed “We need your help, the-” The vixen had been interrupted by a large grey fox as he shoved her off the rock. 
“No!” The grey fox, Fang, had growled “There is no room for you here, go with your misfits and leave, you have always been weak, liars and beggars. Take you so called ‘magic’ and leave. We shall erase you from memory and leave you to rot in the shadows because you are not true foxes” Cheers rose up from their side of the clearing and Night curled her claws into the moss. 
I’ll show them She had been one of the first to fling herself across the field and sink her teeth into the necks of her enemies. “We aren’t leaving without a fight” She had yowled, her words muffled by fur. At her brave words many other foxes joined Night, fighting for their lives and the lives of their descendants.
They had lost 6 foxes that day, including Violet who had launched herself at Fang, fighting him to the end, the wounds she inflicted on him did kill him eventually but not fast enough, they had lost, not only a new home but they had also lost hope, faith for a better future.
Night shuddered and as she stared at the river, about to go back to camp, she thought she saw a fox. Not herself like she had first thought, but a younger fox, black, like her and with green eyes. Night gasped, finally believing once more although doubt clawed at her belly. She would not tell the others, yet, but at least she now had faith, believing that Moon’s good omens would come true.
==Chapter 1==
Holly chased a fox through the undergrowth “And don’t come back” She yowled triumphantly as he disappeared. She settled down, pleased with herself when all of her senses told her he was actually gone, for good. A whispering through the trees didn’t suprise her when a friend, a large bird of prey, swooped down to greet her.
“I see you’ve chased another one off” Olive sounded pleased “You’re really becoming good at this” Holly grinned at him but dipped her head modestly “You taught me how to” Before he could reply a scuttling sounded. Mouse. Without hesitating a heartbeat she leaped on it, biting down on its neck.
“Want some?” Holly asked Olive “I can catch another.” Olive shook his beak and Holly swallowed mouthfuls of the juicy mouse.
Just as she finished, a loud voice called “Holly, were you not listening to a single thing” The voice came from everywhere but she couldn’t see it. “It’s hard to believe that I’m even the slightest bit related to a creature as dumb as you” The voice created a crack in Holly’s world and she blinked to find herself standing under a pine tree with her brother, Leaf and aunt, Maple. “Well.”
Holly shuffled her black paws as the glare of her aunt bore into her. “I got distracted” Her voice came out stiffly. Maple’s glare intensified and Holly squeaked “I’m sorry Maple.” 
Leaf gave her a sympathetic glance as Maple replied coolly “You were collecting pine needles as a punishment for yesterday” Holly let out a groan as she remembered yesterday but nodded and started making a pile, wincing as they pricked her paws. “Is this enough” She wanted to yowl her words but managed to ask quietly. Maple looked disdainfully at the pile but nodded.
Leaf moved forward to help her pick up the pine needles but Maple blocked his path. “This is Holly’s punishment so it’s her’s to carry out” It was Holly’s turn to give him a sympathetic look because she knew he was going to be yelled at later for trying to help. 
“It’s fine, Leaf” Holly murmured as she leaned down to pick up a mouthful of pine needles, as she did they pricked the sides of her mouth but she kept them as she padded to the dens, they would be left out in the sun to dry before used inside the dens which were dug out hollows in between tree roots.
Battle training next Holly thought dryly as a large male fox walked up to her. She remembered he was only a few moon cycles older than her but still called her “cub”.
“Is the cub ready to fight me” Eagle sneered “Because last I saw you, you were curled up in the cub den” A few foxes gave mutters of agreement and Holly could see Alder murmuring something into Leaf’s ear, telling him to stay back.
Holly took a pace forward and hissed indignantly “You’re only a few moon cycles older than me” The fight began, it wasn’t an actual fight, it was battle training although it didn’t feel like it. 
Holly jumped on to his back but he whirled around, throwing her off. She kicked at him as Eagle pulled her tail. This continued but the fight was over quickly with Eagle standing triumphantly on top of Holly. He leaned down and hissed in her ear “Cub, you’re weak, you’ll never mean anything to anyone, try growing up before fighting me again” This stung, but not as much as it would for Eagle once she actually fought him.
Snickers from foxes shook her back to reality and Eagle got off her, letting her sit up to see foxes gathered around watching her and laughing at how pathetic she was. Few sat expressionless, including a fox called Needle who was Eagle’s sister but had never spoken a word to her. Holly shook her black pelt out and saw Leaf and Alder, Alder had her tail curled around Holly’s brother, comfortingly, reassuring him it would be alright. 
Eventually all the foxes had left the clearing, including Eagle, Holly sat alone on the warm grass. Holly shrank beneath her pelt as she remembered all the insults, even as the sun faded and the stars appeared, their voices still echoed in her mind. And a thought shook her Is this really where I’m meant to be?
==Chapter 2==
Holly was cold, colder than she had ever been before. She was cold, not because of the season, it was sun season, the warmest one, but because of her Isle-Mates. I’ve tried so hard. Her thoughts didn’t mean anything to her Can’t they see that! Why must they all be so mean and narrow minded. 
Holly got to her paws and stretched, her back touched a root as she did so, the roof of her den was low and the entrance narrow. Holly remembered that as soon as they had seen she was a failure they had made her make a den for herself in the narrowest possible entrance between the roots. She squeezed out, surprised she hadn’t been rubbed raw, and padded into the clearing where the pine needles had been left to dry the day before.
Hunting is the best option, I guess Holly sighed as she padded out of camp Not like I’m any good at it. Holly wished with all her heart that her dreams could be reality so that she could actually hunt and not completely suck at it.
Suddenly Holly’s nose twitched, she picked up the scent of prey. Squirrel? No. Vole? No. Shrew? No. Mouse! Holly dropped into a crouch, stalking forward a few paces. A few more steps- Something made Holly look up. A woodpecker. She gazed at it, envying it’s wings, the fact that it could fly away from any danger, the fact that it could soar above the treetops, seeing the entire world. 
Holly let out a sigh. Although it wasn’t loud it was loud enough for the mouse to sense danger. Holly hissed angrily as it scuttled away and almost heard the insults of her Isle-Mates. I’ll get the next one. Even Holly couldn’t convince herself that she would ever catch and kill anything. I might as well try.
Holly was still stalking through the undergrowth when she head a sound, voices. She pricked her ears to listen, but didn’t at all like what she heard.
“Banish her!” The angry voice of Boulder took Holly by suprise. “She has been nothing but a burden to us since the moment she was born”
Dread filled Holly as she realized who they were talking about, but she didn’t understand the next part. “As good as her mother isn’t she. At least Leaf takes from their father” This was voice of Robin “The Guardians were a bunch of weaklings and she is to”
A stone thudded in her belly as they continued. “So we’re at an agreement?” Maple was there! Holly had been listening to all the Isle’s leaders talk about banishing her. Even her own aunt wouldn’t stand up for her! “We banish Holly?”
6 voices murmured in agreement and Holly couldn’t listen to this anymore. She ran deeper into the undergrowth, only catching a sparrow because it was young and stupid. As she raced back she heard something, and smelled something to. Burying her catch, she climbed up the nearest tree and peered around. The thing she saw was weird, it looked like lightning, smelled like lightning and disappeared as fast as lightning would but it didn’t burn anything and it came in the direction that they were all forbidden to go. No LostPaws settlement. She observed, puzzled but a voice shook her out of her thoughts.
“Umm... Holly?” It was Alder, “What are you doing up there” Holly climbed down. “Nothing” She replied awkwardly “Just looking around” Holly dug up the sparrow and put it in her mouth so Alder couldn’t ask anymore questions. Alder shrugged and left Holly to walk back to camp like she wanted.
As she dropped it into the prey pile, Leaf padded up, his white tipped red brush twitching uncomfortably. “Holly, I’m sorry.” Leaf drooped his head as Holly tilted her head questioningly “I can’t come with you, I need to stay with Alder, she’s my mate” Holly now understood what he meant, the rumour had spread more quickly then Holly ever could have imagined was possible.
Holly dipped her head “I understand” She murmured, burying her face in his shoulder “I’ll miss you.” She left Leaf, knowing this wouldn’t be their last day together. 
She was surprised when Needle approached Leaf and the two started arguing, she wondered what they were arguing about but pushed that aside as, even though the day had barely begun, squeezed into her den and curled up, letting darkness wash over her.
More coming soon
Category:Literature
Category:Onyx’s Stuff
Category:Original Stories (Unfinished)