Desert Pack Camp

Aten stretched, blinking his eyes open to see that it was still dark. He stretched, and decided to go out for a walk even thought it was so late, he was restless. The large fennec fox walked out of his den, and out of the camp, checking to make sure none of his fellow pack mates had followed him. Satisfied to see he had gone undetected, he ran out of the camp, his fluffy tail bouncing as the creamish tan fox ran out of the camp, in to the desert. His legs carried him to a small oasis he had always gone to when he was only a fox cub, where he had played with his big sister and all of their friends and family that were their age. Even though it was the desert, deserts get very cold at night, so he lapped at the oasis water cautiously. Smiling at his reflection, it was almost as if he had his sister back just from coming to this oasis. His warm smile stopped as a wind racked through the Desert Pack territory, he ran to a little cave and curled his tail around him. Feeling the warmth envelope around himself, his eyes soon slid blissfully shut as he fell asleep. Aten woke up maybe an hour later, and he was surprised to see it was still dark and the moon was shining down on to the desert, same as the stars. Grunting to himself, Aten got up, and headed towards the Desert Pack's camp once again. He sat down in his nest, and just looked up at the moon, willing it to go down. He laid his head on his paws, bored as he waited for dawn. Who should be on the Dawn Patrol? the question worked its way in to his mind. Let T.J. choose. She's a good Advisor. Now having nothing to do or think of, he became bored once again, his mind whirling with useless questions and thoughts. He closed his eyes again, just resting as he impatiently waited for the sun to come out. The fennec fox's soft brown eyes opened, happy to see sunlight filtering through is den. "T.J! I need you to sort out the Patrol's today," He called into his Advisor's den.

T.J. padded out from behind the den. "Over here, Aten," she barked. The light fox sat down and smiled. Her black and white tail tip pattered against the ground. Her fizzy fur puffed out to protect he r from the chilly dawn air. T.J. delicately sniffed the air with her blue is nose. "You smell like water... A recent scent. Maybe I could send the water patrol to follow your smell to the source.." she told him thoughtfully.

Atala nosed her way out from her den beneath a desert shrub, her nose twitching. "Anyone say dawn patrol?" The lithe fox scrambled up the side of the hole and shook herself out, the sand flying off her grayish brown fur. "It's early. Do I usually wake up this early?" She blinked, yawning, then suddenly snapped her jaws closed with a click. Atala turned to Aten. "I just heard the words 'dawn patrol'. Am I in the dawn patrol?"

T.J. jumped back from the greyish fox. "Gah!" she yelped. "No.. No.. Not early at all. Actually quite late..." The light she fox scratched behind her ear and yawned. "Late.. Okay, Atala, you'll be on a water patrol. I believe Aten has found a large source."

"Sorry!' Atala yelped. She took several pawsteps backwards and brushed off the remaining sand in her fur. "It's not early...?" She glanced briefly at the sky. "I must've slept too late yesterday," Atala muttered decisively after a moment. She pricked her ears at T.J. and Aten, when she head the words "water and water patrol". "A large source!" The lithe fox jumped to her paws, hazel eyes shining. "That's great. When did you find it Aten?"

T.J. rolled her eyes but then remembered Desert Pack wasn't really nocturnal like other Fennec Foxes. "Hmph. He'll tell us when he's ready, Atala," she said expectantly. "But for now you can go and look for some kangaroo rats, Atala. We'll come with you." She nudged Aten in the shoulder.