Chapter 34: Encounter With a Loner

As Twister trotted through the forest, Twig lunged at the white wolf, bored, attempting to tackle her. Twig almost made it, but the white wolf dodged it again. Twig then climbed up a tree and lunged for Twister, but missed again and landed on Akumu.
"Hey!" Akumu growled, turning around to bite Twig's paw. Twig yowled and jumped off, then lunged at Akumu, who quickly dodged Twig's attack. Twig slid under Akumu and kicked the wolf in the stomach, although the only affect it did was that it winded the she-wolf. Akumu howled and pinned Twig with her hind leg, and kicked Twig into the tree.
"Enough," Darner said. "We're not going to get anywhere faster with your fighting."
"C'mon Darner, they're good fighters," Rusty said to the raccoon.
"Yes, they are, but we need to keep going," Darner replied.
Ash sighed, bored. He sniffed the air, trying to detect any signs of Tiggerkat. But there were none. As soon as this is over, we can get back to training, Ash told himself, and maybe Tiggerkat will be smart enough to stay.
"Y'know, what if Tiggerkat's dead?" asked Stone.
"Then who cares?" Twig snorted, "She's already an easy target for the Firebenders."
"Well then she'd easily get tortured, and then it's our fault and we'd feel guilty," Twister pointed out.
"I'll admit I'd feel sorry for her if she did," Darner sighed.
"She could be getting hurt right now," Akumu was wide-eyed.
"Then let's hurry--" Twister began, but was cut off.
"Missing, someone, I hear?"
Ash looked in the direction of the voice. A figure was in the tree, surrounded by leaves. It stood in the branches, eyeing them. Ash couldn't make out what it was, but put his guard up, in  case he'd need to fight.
Stone sniffed at it, "Who are you? Do we need to chase you out?" she growled.
Akumu stepped forward. "What do you need to know about it?" the she-wolf demanded. The whole patrol looked ready to fight, even Rusty and Dust.
The animal jumped out of the tree and came around. "I could help," it responded. Finally, Ash could see what it was: a fox.
Stone sniffed him, "You're a Firebender," she growled.
"Indeed, more likely a runaway," responded the fox. He turned his back on them, thinking, then turned his head to look at them. "So you're missing someone?"
"Yes, but we can find them on our own, thanks, we don't need any foxes' help," snarled Twig.
The fox looked unaffected by Twig's harsh words. Darner nodded at the patrol for them to keep going on. They did so there and then, leaving the fox behind. Ash didn't look back at the fox, not very concerned about it. Ash perked his ears, however, when he heard rustling. He looked around, wandering what it could be: the fox, Twig, a Firebender, or something else.
"Ahh!" Ash exclaimed as the fox jumped in front of him.
"I could help you," the fox said, flicking his tail. "I saw a tiger on two feet walking by."
"That's who we're looking for," Twister nodded, "Where'd she go?"
"East," the fox replied. Everyone looked at Dust, who rolled his eyes. "I'll help you. Name's Ember, by the way."
"I dunno, I've just been calling you Firebender," grumbled Stone.
"You can trust me," Ember reassured.
"Yeah, very reassuring," Twig snorted, unsheathing her claws, "But I'll have my eye on you."
Ember smiled, "Good, you'll make a great Bender... Anyway, she went this way."

Author's Note:
Thanks to A01315 for Ember! :3 Too bad there's a lot of grumpy Benders on this patrol... LOL.