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Chap felt his breath turn thick and stifling in his chest. Wy
Her mantic sight had risen. The little fool had somehow used it to find him and madeherself sick again! He did not have his kin to call upon for aid in cleansing her.
Chap ground his paws into the clearing's floor, binding himself to the forest through Earth, Air, and his own Spirit. He leaned down and nosed Wy
He could taste it. Rampant energies ru
If only this were the end of it.
Wy
The last thing Chap needed was someone to watch over in the forest. And worse still, a human wandering the territory of the majay-hi. Wy
"Where do you think you are going?" Wy
Chap was half-ready to snarl at her-witless girl.
Wy
"Chap?" she said, scrambling to her knees.
He had no time to scold her. What he needed was a quick way to put the pack at ease.
Chap circled watchfully around to Lily's side. He touched his head to hers and called up a flurry of memories of every time and place he had shared with Wy
Lily pulled away with a grunt and shook herself. She eyed him for a moment, and then hopped off a pace and paused to stare at Wy
The male jerked away-with a snarl as his twin sister inched close behind him. Lily butted him in the side and growled back, then turned to his sister.
The pack began mingling, touching heads as they passed each other. Their growls became broken with huffs and whines, and Chap saw it was still not enough. Perhaps there was nothing that could balance against human interlopers.
Chap barked for Lily's attention. When she returned, he gave her memories of Wy
Lily pulled away. But she turned her long head to Wy
"What are you doing?" she said. "Stop playing around. This is serious!"
Oh, how he wanted a voice, just to tell to her to shut her month. He waited with his eyes on Lily.
She inched closer, and Wy
Wy
A deep snarl filled the clearing.
The elder glared at the three of them-a human touchingtwo majay-hi. He turned away with a clack of his jaws and headed back up the slope. Soon all the pack drifted after him, all but the steel-gray twins, who held back a moment to study the trio curiously.
"What is happening?" Wy
Lily pulled out from under Wy
"I heard you," Wy
Chap looked up into her worried face.
He had called up Nein'a's name for the deer, and somehow Wy
Chap let out a deep sigh. He had no time for this.
Another aberration had surfaced from Wy
How much more trouble was this little woman going to be?
Wy
She guessed that Chap had somehow learned of Nein'a through the pack, but how far off was Leesil's mother? Would Most Aged Father want Nein'a close to Crijheaiche-close to other Anmaglahk? Or would he put her where she could never interact with them or any of her people?
The inky old majay-hi in the lead was out of sight, and the others were getting well ahead. Wy
Without mantic vision, Wy
"Chap!" she panted. "Chap, wait!"
He circled back, fidgeting anxiously.
"Ican… ca
The white female let out a howl that startled even Chap. The cry faded, and she drew a breath to offer another one. The pair of steel-grays returned immediately, and the leader and the others appeared shortly after.
Wy
Chap spun toward the white dog, and they touched heads. She loped off to the elder and did the same. He jerked away and snapped viciously at her, but she curled her own lips in response and would not retreat. Chap trotted up behind her, leaving Wy
A lanky silver male with a light blaze down his chest raised his head and snorted at her.
Chap remained still as the white female slid her head along his and paused. An instant later, she began to howl again.
It came out like a moaning bellow that carried through the trees. The dark elder snarled.
Chap circled back to Wy
"I am not the one who snuck off first," she grumbled at him.
Chap let out a rolling exhale, like a growl without voice. He twisted paws into the ground as if securing his footing.
Wy
The chattering crackle of a leaf-wing filled her head. This time the strange way it shaped was clearer than the last.
You… ride… keep up…
Wy
The leaf-wing vanished from her thoughts, and Chap lowered his muzzle, almost mournfully.
Perhaps neither of them truly believed she had heard him the first time. Now it was certain. It might have been a wonderful new thing if not for making her sick every time… if not that it was onemore wild symptom of what she had foolishly done to herself in Droevinka.
Chap lifted his muzzle toward the white female, and the flutter of a leaf-wing rose again in Wy
…Lily…
Wy
…yes…
Wy