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“Leave. Now.”
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Marble’s words stung Iris’s heart, her tone colder than the snow beneath their paws. What was she talking about? Iris hadn’t even had a chance to explain herself. She glanced at the foxes gathered behind Marble, their faces shadowed with anger and sadness. Did they all believe she had put them in danger?
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Her thoughts raced. She understood she’d made a mistake—she had put the Skulk in danger. But there had to be more to it. Sun bears didn’t usually wander anywhere near fox territory, especially not a cub. Sun bear territory was far from here. How had it happened?
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“Marble… I understand your… uh… anger, but—”
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“Understand my anger?” Marble interrupted, her voice sharp and unyielding. “If that bear had been full-grown, it could have killed the entire Skulk. You acted foolishly, Iris, and we cannot afford to risk another incident like this. I’m sorry, but we can’t accept you in our group anymore.”
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Iris opened her mouth to protest, but Marble’s expression made her pause. The leader’s gray eyes flickered with something—sympathy? Regret? But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
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“Now, leave,” Marble growled, her tone colder than before. “Or I’ll make you.”
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Iris’s gaze swept over the others. Most of them avoided her eyes. She could see sadness in their tense postures, but also anger simmering beneath the surface. The exception was Onyx, who stood tall beside Marble, his amber eyes glittering with something that sent a chill through Iris. His claws dug into the frozen ground, and his lips curled into a faint smile.
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“I’m not leaving! You don’t understand—” Iris started, but Marble shook her head, silencing her with a slow, deliberate motion.
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“I didn’t want to do this, Iris,” Marble murmured, her voice laced with finality. She turned to Onyx. “Make sure she leaves. For good.”
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Iris’s heart dropped. “Wait—”
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But she didn’t have time to finish. Onyx moved like a shadow, his black fur blending with the dim light of the den. He slammed into her with all his weight, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs.
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Iris tumbled backward, landing hard in the snow outside the den. The icy cold stung her fur, but she scrambled to her paws, growling.
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“Onyx, stop! What are you doing?!” she yelped, her warm breath misting in the air.
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Onyx didn’t answer. His teeth were bared, and his amber eyes burned with hatred. He lunged again, claws extended. Iris ducked, but he caught her shoulder, his claws slicing through her fur. She winced in pain but didn’t back down.
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“Tooth and claw, then?” Iris growled, her voice trembling but determined.
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The two foxes collided again, a flurry of fur and snow. Iris fought with everything she had, her sharp teeth snapping inches from Onyx’s face. He was stronger, but she was faster, dodging his blows and landing quick strikes of her own.
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Around them, the forest was eerily silent. The other foxes had followed them outside but kept their distance, forming a loose circle. Iris caught glimpses of their faces—some filled with sorrow, others with grim determination.
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“Enough, Onyx!” one of the younger foxes called out, his voice shaky. “She’s leaving! Isn’t that enough?”
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Onyx ignored him, his focus entirely on Iris. He lunged again, and this time, Iris couldn’t dodge. His weight slammed her into the ground, pinning her. His claws dug into her sides, and she let out a sharp yelp of pain.
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“Stop it!” Iris gasped, struggling beneath him. “I didn’t do it! I didn’t bring the bear here!”
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Onyx leaned closer, his voice a low, venomous whisper. “Liar. You endangered all of us, and now you’ll pay the price.”
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The words sent a shock through Iris. There was something in his tone—something more personal than anger. Was this about more than the bear?
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“I didn’t do it!” she repeated, her voice rising with desperation.
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Onyx snarled, but before he could strike again, Marble’s voice rang out.
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“That’s enough, Onyx.”
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The black fox hesitated, his claws still digging into Iris’s fur. Slowly, he backed away, his eyes never leaving her. Iris struggled to her paws, her legs trembling.
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“Go, Iris,” Marble said softly. Her voice was steadier now, but there was a note of finality that made Iris’s heart sink. “Don’t make this harder than it already is.”
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Iris looked around at the foxes she’d called family. None of them met her eyes. Except Onyx. He stood tall, his smile returning as he watched her with satisfaction.
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She turned and started to walk away, the snow crunching beneath her paws. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—confusion, anger, and a deep sense of betrayal.
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But as she stepped into the forest, a thought struck her. Something about this didn’t add up. Onyx’s hostility, the bear showing up out of nowhere… It wasn’t just an accident.
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She paused, glancing back at the den one last time.
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“….” Iris wanted to say something, she wanted to yell at all of them.. but she couldn’t speak.. she could feel cold tears threatening to fall.. she turned around, her blue eyes gazing into the cold forest.
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And with that, she disappeared into the trees..
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