https://www.deviantart.com/ifritnox/art/2-4-Fakhita-s-sorrow-950964321

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Now Mimas and Erakis got to know the other side of fame.

When the song of their victory over Castor and Pollux spread, Mimas and Erakis got a visitor. A dove came to them and asked them for help. As she told the friends, there was a fox, Anser, who caused the doves many worries.

"Us and the rabbits", the dove, whose name was Fakhita, said. "However, the rabbits don't dare to complain. But we can't raise our young in the forest of time anymore, Anser is hunting them all. Please, you have tricked foxes before. You have to help us!"

How could Mimas and Erakis deny the help? The fox and the red wolf didn't know what they could do, but they followed Fakhita to the forest of time. There, they met the other doves and the rabbits and found they all suffered greatly from the fox's play. Anser was a good hunter, who could even crawl into the rabbit holes and climb smaller trees, to hunt the children of rabbits and doves.

"We don't stand a chance", Fakhita told them, speaking for all.

"Why didn't you ask Lupus for help?", Erakis asked.

"Lupus?", the dove exclaimed. "We can't go to the First Wolf himself!"

Erakis had to admit she was right. One wouldn't want to bother the titans.

"What about Lepus? He is responsible for you."

"But it's the rule of nature that foxes hunt smaller animals. Only Anser, the greatest hunter, is a danger to us."

Erakis and Mimas exchanged a glance. They realized they were the only hope for the young dove and her friends.

Now they had to make a plan. First, they hid and waited for Anser to appear. They wanted to see the fox in action and study his tactic. They talked to the rabbits and doves and told them, they had to be careful for one more day, and then they hid in the bushes.

They didn't have to wait long until Anser came; at dusk, tho there was no night in Andromeda these times, and dusk and dawn were one.

Silently, the red wolf and the fox watched Anser hunt. He was digging around the burrows of the rabbits and got dangerously close to their hiding spot. But luckily he gave up in time. Apparently, he wasn't hungry enough for this hard work. Instead, he started jumping at the trees. Suddenly, a scream was heard. Anser hat caught Fakhita! The dove in his muzzle he ran off.

Mimas and Erakis followed immediately.

"What shall we do?", Mimas called. "I can't think of any tricks."

"Let's wait and see", Erakis decided.

A trail of silvery grey feathers led them through the wood onto an opening, where Anser stopped. The remains of his prey lay strewn about, and many were barely touched. The friends on the fox's trail were shocked by this sight.

Anser sat in the middle of the opening and looked up when they arrived. Fakhita was still alive, the fox held her in place with a paw.

"Welcome!", he greeted the red wolf and the other fox. "Please, come over. Take, what you need, there is more than enough for all of us."

"That I can see", Erakis murmured shakingly. He walked to Anser without trying a trick. "What are you doing, Anser? Why are you hunting, when you're not hungry? Why do you leave their bodies here, instead of setting their souls free?" For in these days, death was nothing more than a short rest. The bodies were hulls, which the souls left to return in the form of cubs and hatchlings, just like the star wolves return still. Back then, it was a rule. Actual death didn't exist and the return was much faster than today. But only, when the body has been devoured completely. If left to the insects, this took time.

"They just have to be a bit patient", Anser answered. "I want to prove myself as a hunter. If I manage to trap all of them here ..."

"That's your plan?", Erakis interrupted. "How could you?"

Anser looked at him confused. "Wait a minute! You're here to stop me, are you?"

"No!", Mimas called and flashed a warning look to Erakis.

"That is why we came, exactly", the red wolf said. "We have been asked for help. And when you won't comply, we will talk to the titans. Had we known you bad it is, we had already informed them!"

"Erakis! We wanted to try a trick!", Mimas hissed, but the red wolf replied: "We have no time for that."

"Really?" Anser slowly let go of Fakhita. "But they will all return."

"They won't", Erakis spoke strongly. "If you kill all doves and all rabbits, where should the hatchlings and cubs come from, that the souls can enter? Where shall they return to?"

Anser thought about that for a moment. He let Fakhita escape. "I didn't think of that."

"You have to eat the bodies", Erakis continued. "Let their souls be free. In the end, this will also help improve your hunting skills. Since the returned animals know your tactics, you will have to come up with new ones. By keeping to compete with your prey, you will prove yourself much more than if you would eliminate all without giving them a chance to adapt."

Fakhita flew to Mimas and Erakis, while Anser nodded to the red wolf's words. "You're right, wolf with the pelt of a fox. Please forgive me! I will make sure this prey will be eaten today!", he promised.

"Do not repeat your deed, and all will be forgotten", Erakis agreed. "Corvus be my witness."

Thus, he could return with Mimas and Fakhita. She told the other doves and rabbits of the agreement. To thank them for their help, Fakhita flew to a big tree with pomegranates and brought Erakis and Mimas one of the fruits, since it had the same color as the two friends.

The red wolf and his best friend soon traveled to the Alkeswoods, where Corvus rules, and asked him and Lynx for guidance. They told them of Anser's doing and their solution.

"We should tell everyone of the rule", Lynx said calm. "Anser is an ambitious hunter, but there will be others that might have the same idea. Sooner or later this sad story might repeat, if we don't prevent it. So I thank you for your help! You did good, stopping Anser, and also telling us."

"I'll ask Pictor to make a new song", Corvus suggested. "Their songs spread the fastest in Andromeda. When Pictor and Deneb spread the news, soon everybody will know the rule: Prey has to be consumed. It's a hunter's duty to free the souls of the hunted, and also nobody shall hunt when their hunger is quenched." The raven flew off and told the singer of the story. Pictor's song was where Erakis gaines the nickname "Crimsonstar", to remind him of the dove's gift.

In the meantime, Mimas and Erakis returned home.

"It was good we didn't try a trick", Mimas admitted. "I guess, the truth was the best thing in that moment."

"Sometimes we have to chose the path of wolves, not the path of foxes", Erakis said smiling. "But let's hope we won't have to make that decision under such dire circumstances again!"

Neither Mimas nor Erakis Crimsonstar knew they would have to face more adventures soon.