The elders - Inbali Iserles

Full of heart, fantasy, and adventure, the FOXCRAFT trilogy follows
Isla, a young fox whose world is shattered when her family suddenly
vanishes.
Isla's search for her missing brother, Pirie, has brought her to
the vast Wildlands. The forest is a treacherous place for a fox cub,
but Isla is talented in foxcraft - ancient arts of cunning known
only to her kind.
Skilled though she is, Isla's grasp of foxcraft is still new. And
she's not alone... A cruel and mysterious fox stalks the forest,
with the power to enslave others to his will. In order to survive,
Isla must learn to trust in the rustic Wildlands foxes.
But there are tales of others - a council of Elders who are masters
of foxcraft, and who warily guard its most potent secrets. If
Isla wishes to master her gifts and find her brother, then the Elders
may be her only hope.