Activity

“Where is the she-wolf?” Ash asked. The flying dog made a few motions then turned and soared away.

“She said,” Farley translated, turning to him with her ears perked. “That she wasn’t strong enough to carry all of us and Akaya said to come back after she dropped us off.” Without waiting for an answer she trotted to one side of the island and began cleaning her auburn fur. Ash cocked his head at her. He hadn’t realized foxes did that.

“How was the ride?” Ash dipped his head to look Faith in the eyes. “Does she eat hedgehogs?”

Faith laughed. “It was fine.” (Feel free to edit her response, @birds-rock)

“Good for you,” Ash replied, stretching one of his forelegs out in front of him and itching it with his antlers. “I’ve decided that maybe deer aren’t meant to fly after all.”

They sat for a moment in companionable silence, watching the skies for Silent’s return. Ash tried hard not to freak out. The fox was a carnivore, as was the mink, and they’d both probably eat him if he dropped down dead right there. Well, maybe the mink wouldn’t. But the fox probably would. Thankfully, she wasn’t big enough to kill him herself, so that was a relief. But the gigantic lizard thing was, and the she-wolf certainly was. Ash shuddered, a memory of his grandfather flashing through his brain. He had been a proud, strong buck in his day, but then the wolves attacked. They had narrowed in on him, working together to wear him down. Ash had escaped with his mother and sister and Rye, then despide his mother’s admonitions had crept back to see if he could help his grandfather. It had been too late. The howling still rang in his ears.

Shaking himself, Ash forced his mind to concentrate on the task at hand: getting off the island, and hopefully before the predators of the group got hungry. Should he take Faith with him, if he could? No, she’d probably want to stay with her friends. Odd, for a hedgehog to be keeping company with foxes, wolves, minks, and whatever Silent was.

Just about as odd as a deer, he thought with a wry smile.

“Here she comes!” The mink – Ferguson, was that his name? – hollered, waving a wet paw at the sky. Indeed, a black speck was growing rapidly larger against the retreating storm clouds.

Silent landed with a thud, ducking her head. She was wet from wings to tail, and dejected-looking too. Ash found himself feeling almost sorry for her, but he quickly pushed that thought out of his mind and adapted a tense but unaggressive stance.

The she-flyer hesitated a moment before making some motion to Farely. Instantly Ash realized something was wrong, very wrong. Farely squeezed her eyes shut and curled into a tiny fluffy ball, obviously understanding the news. The most-certainly bad news.

“What is it?” Ash demanded. “What’s wrong?”

————————–

@rebekah12 @birds-rock (have fun on your vacation!!) @crazywriter (you still with us?) @jasmine