~Jay~

My heart beat.

The only thing I hear is........

My heartbeat.

It's pulse surges powerful pumps but is a bit faint. I groan it is cold. I shudder at the frigid touch. I press my lips in a thin line, bracing for blinding light as I opened my eyes.

Searing light invaded my vision, I groaned, narrowing my eyes as my pupils attempted to adjust to the light. Heavy steps boomed and echoed as I heard a voice,

"He's up!" A feminine voice called. A few hollers returned, them to muffled for me to understand.

"J-Jay." A familiar voice says. No. I think in disbelief, I look up and down, catching the sight of Ray...in a cage. I groan as I sit up, white, thin, bark-like object crunching under my movement. I gasp, I was on a bald pelt stump, my friends and Sunpack were in cages.

"We've never been properly introduced." Ray speaks, others nod.

"This my deputy Silver," she introduces, her tail whipping into the direction of a light gray fox, gray dapples spotting his pelt. His leafy green eyes were kind and adventurous and ready for action.

"My healer is Star." The leader introduced me to a black fox with white dapples and eyes the color of Autumn's pelt.

"I'm Clay." A gray He stood up, amber eyes gleaming with ambition and care. I cracked a smile,

"And live already met Coal and Morning." Ray chuckled. Her eyes went s bit dark, "I am deeply sorry for the conundrum we've caused. You are a very honorable fox Jay Fire. We were wrong about you and your friends. I'm glad to have met you, even if it means we are stuck in a bald pelt healer's den."

"Thank you, you're very honorable yourself. And you've met my trio." I return, my ear twitches. The footsteps of bald pelts yelling ringing in my ears. A bald pelt She came up to me, stroking my head. I wince at her.

What are they going to do to me? My heart beat bumps up along with the beeping next to me.

The bald pelt hushed me, continuing to pet my head. I looked at her with wide eyes, my mouth curling slightly out of fear. 

"Shhh." The bald pelt cooed me. My ears flattened against my head, a low rumble on my throat as I growled. I snapped at her finger, my teeth almost biting into the flesh of the She. My tail thumped heavily against the stump, warning the bald pelt off as my pupils dilated. 

"Get the muzzle." She barked, causing me to flinch. The bald pelt left my side.

"What did she say," the soft voice of Joy questioned me,

"She said....to get the muzzle." I answer, not peeling my eyes from the entrance. I pressed my lips in a thin line. What was that supposed to mean? Another bald pelt came in, this time a He. His furless paws coated in a teal membrane.

"Okay buddy, I'm just gonna our this one you." He spoke to me as if he knew I understood. He pulled out a molded item. My legs screamed run, but the rope around my neck tightened when I tried to move a lot. I snarl at the He, my hazel eyes warning and burning with fire.

"Calm down fella." He assured me, I didn't back down, forcing my cold haze to meet his own. I huff angrily, shaking my head resisting as the bald pelt forced the mechanism on my snout.

It held a putrid scent, a smell of sweat and bald pelt.

"There. That wasn't so hard right?" The bald pelt at my head. I circled my muzzle, my teeth glinting.

"Now, let's see how you're doing." He grinned. A friendly grin. Not a mean or devious one, a nice one. He palmed my chest, causing me to lay flat on the surface. He spread my fur apart on my stomach, where I was shot.

"All scabbed up, might need some stitches. I just gotta get my thread." He mumbled to himself. My ears perked at the work thread. I shifted over, nuzzling a roll of thread toward the He and returning it to the bald pelt. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open agape. He snapped out of his daze.

"T-thank you." He stuttered, reaching out as he received the thread. He looked at me with sincere eyes,

"This might hurt a bit." He cautioned me, my ear twitched as I nodded. A pine-needle like object poked my skin, the bald pelt removed the object. My eyes were heavy as the bald pelt layer my down gentility.

Worried howls sounded from where the cages were as I let myself lull to sleep.

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   My limbs ached from earlier as I stood up, sniffing the air. Where am I? 

"Hello?" My voice echoed blankly around the darkness. I walked forward, exploring the unknown world. I trek in the land, the land of nothing. I whip my head around suddenly, met by the same blackness. I sigh in annoyance. A flash goes by, foxes dart into battle, slashing Frostpack with their claws. A certain fox catches my attention as she traipsed towards a wounded Frostpack fox, Dawn. My heart lurched. I ran towards the She.

"Dawn!" I gasped, leaping in front of the former Firepack member, she took no interest, running through my body like water. 

"Wha-." 

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      I jolted awake, my paws slightly trembling as bald pelts discussed with one another. I lay in a cushioned cage, I narrowed my eyes to see through the blinding light to find out what was going in outside of the bars hat the cage held.

"I'm telling you, this fox can understand what I'm saying." The bald pelt that treated me earlier grinned at the other. The other bald pelt that was dressed in a pelt alike the their one sighed, walking away.

"Let me show you and I'll get out of your skin." The bald pelt called out desperately, 

"Jay." A voice whispered, I look over. Joy. 

"What kind of dream did you have?" She inquired. Did we dream share again? 

"Uhh, Leafpack and Firepack battling Frostpack, Dawn included." I answer the Firepack fox. Her lips pressed into a frown, 

"Me too." She nodded along with Whisper, who's eye held anxiety and....slight anger?

"We are getting out." I declare with a strong hush. Sunpack and my friends grin, agreeing with me.

"Okay buddy, let's try to finish this." The treater cooed me, unlocking my cage. I tensed, springing out when the crack was open enough. I earned a squeal of surprise from the bald pelt as he fell back, catching himself. I darted to the kennels, unlatching the holders from their locks and yanking the bars from the cage's grasp. I soon freed everyone quickly. The other bald pelt barged in the den, others joining him.

"Come on!" I yelped, the others followed without hesitation as we charged through the bustling crowd, and an open door a bald pelt left as we ran.