The wind ruffled Runningblaze's pelt, making them sticking out of place like a thistle bush. Runningblaze yawned, revealing his sharp, small teeth and a bright red tongue. Suddenly, a stench hit his nose, and his eyes widened in shock. The deputy sniffed the night air once more, and it was no doubt that there was danger nearby. He got up immediately and looked around like a night owl, carefully watching it's surroundings. The waves of after-night twined gently around the slow swirls before-dawn, Runningblaze was supposed to be enjoying the fresh air, but his heart beat faster and harder as he got sight of the pair of amber eyes in the bushes. Runningblaze instinctively unsheathed his claws, creeping forward soundlessly.

"Yeek!" A shriek cut through the morning stillness, making Runningblaze's neck fur rise slowly. His pelt brushed against the tree barks, making a hissing noise, and the bush ahead stirred violently. A red head popped up, its amber eyes boring into Runningblaze. Runningblaze growled as the creature stood up immediately, snarling at him. It swished its bright red bushy tail, seemingly threatening and challenging the deputy to make the first move. The tom took a few steps backwards, his breathing deep. He flexed his claws in and out, and arched his back, trying to muster up enough courage to fight the beast before him.

Without warning, the aggressive fox charged forward, flinging itself onto its enemy, shredding the grass underneath. Runningblaze didn't have time to think, and he leapt into battle immediately, his courage suddenly won the fear in his heart. The fox snarled, biting down hard into Runningblaze's neck, and Runningblaze let out a terrified yowl, but not loud enough to alert his clan mates who were sleeping soundly in the camp. Runningblaze tore himself from the fox, his blood oozing out from his neck. He ducked underneath the fox and got ready to rip part the fox's soft belly. Runningblaze failed to detect the milk scent that hung onto the fox, and he wasn't quick enough control his claws, and they went piercing into the fox's belly, hooking large amount of blood out. The red liquid seeped into the soft earth, dampening the small, green grass. The fox let out a final yowl before staggering forward, trying to reach the bush. However, it fell onto the ground, its eyes dull, life robbed from them. Runningblaze heaved a sigh of relief and began licking the blood of his paws. He couldn't help but puffed out his chest, his wide eyes gleaming with pride. He had beaten a fox, and it wouldn't threaten the clan anymore. He inspected the defeated beast curiously, and thought he saw hope in its eyes. Runningblaze laughed to himself, mumbling, "hope? You are dead already."

Runningblaze's ears pricked when he heard the small rustle in the bush, and a fleeting thought worried him: Is there more foxes? He was already worn out and much of his fur torn away, and now there were more foxes for him to fight? He cautiously stepped forward, his whiskers shivering uncontrollably. He stepped over the dead fox, and his confidence built up after hearing no other strange noises. He let his bristling neck fur die down, and gulped down a mouthful of saliva. He approached the bush stealthily, his eyes no longer full of fear, but curiosity. Slowly, but carefully, the tom pushed away the leaves of the bush, revealing three little furballs. 'Are they kits?' The deputy thought, his nose touching the three bodies. The deputy sniffed in the scents frantically, his eyes filled with worry. Two were cold, and laying motionlessly on the hard ground. Runningblaze bit back a yowl of grief, and his spirit lightened up upon finding the last one still alive. Runningblaze grabbed the kit by its scruff, and settled it on the soft grass outside the bush. Immediately, the kit let out a terrified squeak upon being roughly dropped onto the ground.

Whose kit is this? As Runningblaze flipped the kit to another side in order to reveal its face, realization hit the tom like a bolt of lightning. It's a fox cub! The deputy realized, disgust written all over his face. He turned around, looking at the dead fox's two amber eyes, and they knocked on his conscience. I killed the mother, and it's my duty to raise the cubs. Oh StarClan, why did I kill her? If only I had known that it just gave birth... But... Who will want to foster a fox? The animal that will threaten other's lives? Should I just leave it here? It was my responsibility to kill the mother fox anyway. Runningblaze was about to harden his heart and walk off like nothing had happened, and was ready to announce that he, himself had beaten a fox alone, when the remaining fox cub whined. It's whine was soft, but pleading. It's whine pulled Runningblaze's heart back, it made him feel that he ought to take care of it.

Now the sun has risen, it's sun rays landing on the fox cub before him, making it look like a beautiful creature, instead of the one which WindClan always have feared. Runningblaze's heart softened, and he lowered his head, licking the cub affectionately. Smokefoot just kitted, she will have milk to feed this fox cub. I hope Brackenstar will allow this though. Runningblaze grabbed the cub with his jaws, and returned, leaving the dead mother fix behind. Before the deputy left, he turned to look at the fox, thinking, I shouldn't have killed you, I shouldn't have. This time, he admired the hope in its eyes.

Runningblaze padded into the camp, the fox cub dangling in his jaws. Many of the warriors took the initiative to go out patrolling the borders and hunting, making Runningblaze's job easier than the other deputies'. Others were laying down, enjoying the warmth of the sun and dozing off. Sandpaw was sharing a squirrel with Thistlepaw, the ginger apprentice occasionally whispered something into her den-mate's ear, and Thistlepaw's eyes were full of admiration. Having known Sandpaw since she was a kit, Runningblaze knew that his niece was boasting again. He shook his head, and entered the big den surrounded by ferns, just on top of the Meetingrock.

"Brackenstar?" The deputy dipped his head respectfully, and found a place to sit after the leader flicked his tail. He slowly placed the fox cub onto the ground, and it let out a soft wail after hitting the ground. The golden-colored leader sat up immediately, eyeing the fox cub suspiciously, his eyes full of guarded curiosity.

"Are you out of your mind? It's a fox cub! Why did you bring it here?" Brackenstar questioned, fuming at his deputy's reckless act. He shifted his paws after a moment of silence, sending the moss flying to a corner of the den. "Why?" He demanded again, looking more furious than before.

Runningblaze just calmly faced his leader, looking straight into his eyes, before replying, "I killed its mother. I have the responsibility to raise it. I failed to notice the mother's fox milk scent, I just charged into battle without thinking. I should have figured out why the mother fox was so aggressive; she wanted to protect her cubs! I have left the body there, and brought the only alive cub here. Please, Brackenstar, let me and Smokefoot raise it into a great warrior."

"No!" Brackenstar was particularly roaring. "You are sending WindClan to its doom if you keep that! What if it harms us? Cats and foxes are destined enemies, it was like that even before we were born! How can a fox live within us? The other clans will think that we are out of our minds! WindClan will be seen as a clan full of fools!"

Runningblaze hesitated for awhile, looking lost. He stared at the fox cub for a moment, and as if he found strength in it, he looked up, locking eyes with his leader.

"I will teach it the ways of a cat, and I promise that it will not harm us. If it ever caused an injury on any of my clan mates, I will personally kill him," Runningblaze promised, determination in his eyes. The fox cub laid quietly on the ground, as if knowing that it's life depended on the conversation, and it dare not disturb them with its pitiful whining. "Let me make a change, and prove to others that cats and foxes can be friends."

"It's impossible! Foxes feed on us, they steal our kits, they kill our warriors. We have all the rights to hate and kill them! You are raising a monster!" Brackenstar bared his teeth at his deputy. "Now I doubt myself for thinking that you are wise, but your decision in keeping this monster proved otherwise! Foolish cat."

"Well, that thought was planted deep inside your mind since you were young, and I'm going to change it. Trust me, please."

"You are going to disgrace WindClan if you keep that brat." Brackenstar growled, inching closer to his deputy, his knuckles rising.

Runningblaze just snorted, stood up and turned around, squeezing out of the den, ignoring his leader's cries of protest.

WindClan:

Leader: Brackenstar (Golden-colored tom with piercing amber eyes)

Deputy: Runningblaze (Silver and white tom with a crooked ear)

Medicine Cat: Dawnberry (Reddish she-cat with white belly and paws)

Warriors:

-Goosefern (Pure white she-cat with icy blue eyes)

-Brightpool (White she-cat with ginger patches)

-Blueflower (Blue-gray she-cat with a slightly crooked tail)

-Tigerstripe (Muscular ginger tom with darker stripes)

-Patchfur (Tortoiseshell she-cat with wide green eyes)

-Flameheart (Flame-colored tom with unusually long claws)

Queens:

-Smokefoot (Gray tabby she-cat with patches of white)

[Mother to Ashkit (Light gray tabby tom) and Silverkit (Silver and white she-kit).]

-Cloudpoppy (Fluffy white she-cat with a long tail)

[Mother to Pebblekit (Small gray she-kit), Whitekit (White she-kit with black paws) and Blizzardkit (Cream-white tom).]

Apprentices:

-Thistlepaw (Pale gray tabby tom with an unruly pelt) Mentor: Patchfur

-Sandpaw (Pale ginger she-cat with emerald green eyes) Mentor: Flameheart

Elders:

-Mousefoot (Striped brown she-cat with white paws and chest)

Well, I'm still thinking if the fox cub should be raised under the care of Smokefoot. So what do you all think? Should he be cared by Smokefoot or Cloudpoppy? Or do you want him to be abandoned?

Adopted from Kira-QueenOfDarkness.

-Stuffed Watermelon