The vixen felt her fur stand up as she bristled in the burrow before she lowered her fur to stay calm but there was a flicker of sadness in her eyes before it left. She sighed but turned around and poked her head outside the burrow.

"My sister would have said the same and maybe my former mate. I can help your mate Candy in the forest and once everything is done I'll leave. You can even wash the smell of a lone fox in the water but my farm is outside the forest. Which is worse being in a den in the forest or being outside the territory? Would you rather I treat his tail in the rain?", asked Nightshade keeping her voice even.

The brown and white vixen really meant no harm but she wasn't willing to get her herbs wet. She popped back into the den and carefully scratched a third name on a den wall.

~
Candy sighed softly as he looked down at the den and said "it's alright, it's raining so that should help wash all our scents away and we can both take a bath in the stream after to make double sure nobody will smell anything. I'm sure it'll be much easier to tend to us without the rain in her eyes.... Besides we're still in forest territory and miss nightshade here is a trader, we're perfectly within the rules to be here." He gave his mate a reassuring nudge before taking a few steps away to shake the water from his pelt and quickly made his way into the den. He didn't say anything about how the others would feel about nightshade having a den on the territory but she had said it was temporary so he would trust that she was telling the truth.

Firestorm | M | Red Fox | Forest Skulk | M: Arrow

A drop of water fell on Firestorm's ear. "Ack!" He spluttered. Steady drops of water fell from the clouds above. His white tail-tip twitched in irritation; he hated getting wet. He shook the water off but was soon soaked again, as it just kept coming down heavier. He began to walk back to the dens. "Let's get out of the rain," he told Arrow, flicking his tail for her to follow.

"Alright. I guess you guys are right." She follows Nightshade into the den after shaking. The soil scent smells fresh. Like worms and work. Still not relaxing, Nori sits in a far corner. This feels wrong. Going in another fox's den. But Candy is in here. I have to protect him.

Nightshade heard the sound of paws of entering the den and poked her head out from a tunnel before emerging and walked over to Candy. She glanced at his tail, crouched down and studied it with her belly brushing the ground and inspected it closely.

Standing up and looking around only to see Nori looking uneasy in a far corner which had Nightshade concerned.

"Nori if you would like you can sit a little closer to the entrance. You will get little drops of rain and some feeling of air so while you will still be in the den however you will feel less like you are in one. You would also be able to keep a eye on your mate as I treat him", offered the expecting vixen.

She went into another tunnel before coming back out with a bundle of herbs as she worked on seperating the herbs.

"Very fluffy. I can see why you both like it", said Nightshade friendly to the two grey foxes, "I won't ask what happened. I am not one to ask questions. The good news is that you will not lose your tail but let me put some herbs on it".

She studied the herbs before grabbing the ones that was needed and started carefully putting herbs on the fluffy tail.

Nori flinches. "No, I'm fine." Cramped spaces have never felt right. Nori watches her mate get treated and she wraps her tail around her hanches. Her mind slowly wanders while her gaze fixes on the names on the wall. What are those for?

~

Candy couldn't stop his fur from visibly fluffing up from the praise nightshade had given him, he'd always been a sucker for compliments and it definitely showed in the way he held his head just a little bit higher. He knew he was handsome and he took pride in how clean he kept his coat but it wasn't often that others actually commented on his looks. Nori was usually the only one to shower him in compliments so hearing one from someone they'd just met was enough to make him want to yip with glee. He suppressed the urge though, he was a grown fox with a gorgeous and highly talented mate, he couldn't be seen by anyone yipping like a kit over a strangers compliment. Though he could at least thank the kind trader "thank you for the compliment, I take pride in keeping my coat as clean and beautiful as possible."

~

Despite beaming with happiness he couldn't help feeling a bit worried for his mate. She never had liked small spaces like this, he wasn't entirely certain why since he'd never wanted to upset her by asking. He just knew what was needed was a distraction, he smiled brightly towards his mate as he patiently waited for the trader to finish whatever she was doing and said "oh you know we should really start thinking of kit names now, do either of you have any ideas? I vote we name one fish!" He'd thrown out a joke name to try and lighten the mood as he glanced at the two vixens excited, hoping he could help ease some of his mates anxiety.

Leave it to Candy to change the mood for the better. "I think I had a relitive named Fish. Well, I vote Walnut(Bugs' character) and Tanager." Nori smiles and looks between Nightshade and her mate. Tanager is a red bird. If one kit had particualy red side, it might be perfect. Walnut is a cute name, but also the tastyest part of a squrrial's house.

Saraid perked up at the offer and thought about it. It would be good to catch a rabbit especially as they are very hard to catch so if both Nodorak and herself teamed up then there is a higher chance.

"That sounds perfect. One or two rabbits should be good", replied Saraid thoughtfully.

The vixen let out a yawn and shook herself before turning around and felt her claws iching to dig into a rabbit or two.

"Let me know when you are ready for the challenge", said Saraid with her eyes gleaming.

Nightshade's ears flicked in the thanks she was given but she tensed slightly at the mention of names though she remained focused on what she was doing as she grabbed another herb, got it ready and put it on the tail.

"I guess there is Dawn, Snip, Blossom, Dot or Flecks for kit names", suggested Nightshade quietly.

Eventually she wrapped the tail up with a vine while being as gentle as she can until the tail was wrapped up with the herbs attached to it. She stepped back to study her work.

"Keep it wrapped up so the herbs stay on and do their work for a few days then you can remove the vine as well any left over herb. Your tail should look brand new", continued the brown and white vixen calmly while bundling the left over herbs back up.