My muzzle is buried in damp.
I hold on.
Hunter’s magic vine bites my shoulder. I smell new blood.
I hold on.
Hunter’s movements grow faint, as my cave erodes with every breath.
I hold on.
He is above me now, where the leaf eaters graze, and I hear his droning bark. There is fear in his movements and a new sound: the distant howl of shiny boxes, as they come closer.
I am starting to slip.
More droning yips in the distance, and I can feel the faint vibration of furless paws hurrying. It shifts the soil around me and I slide, my claws slowly tearing from my skin.
Suddenly, I hear the cliff face behind me give way as the steady trickle of pebbles become a torrent of stones. The slope becomes a river, as something traps me from behind.
I decide it is time to fall and turn to fight my way free, hoping to land on my feet, but Hunter’s distant voice stops me,
“Echo, leave it!”
I slam to a stop, wrapped in Stick Hunter’s magic vine.
Above me, a lesser hunter stands upside down; his hind paws planted on the cliff, looking like a gray tree demon. One of his forepaws paws clasps a magic vine above, the other holds mine.
I keep very still…
… because Stick Hunter told me to…
… and right now, it seems like a really good idea.
More rocks rush past, but they are going down and I am slowly going up.
At last I stop and again there are leaves, grass, and Hunter. He always finds me, but so many want to touch my fur, and everything hurts, and I need to lie down, but the reek of Hunter’s fear is so strong that I can’t rest, not yet, because Hunter has lost his stick. He hides it well, but without teeth and claws, he is defenseless, and I must stand with him; the same way I protect his mate.
But why is Hunter gather vines together before we walk the trail? I need to lie down!
I stumble on the way to the truck and hope the others don’t see my weakness.
We try to remain in front, but the scent is rising, and I fall behind. Hunter walks slowly beside me, like Boss did with Shyla.
We come to where the shiny boxes rest, but now there are so many. They growl and flash, far down the stone path.
I am confused by the sound and just want to find a quiet place to lie down and rest. Hunter makes the truck sound, but I hurt all over and can’t load up anymore.
Just let me lie down.
Forever.
HUNTER STOP! DON’T TOUCH ME!
I’m sorry, Hunter, don’t be mad, but that was only a very small bite. I know I promised not to, but don’t try to pick me up again.
Let’s just walk to the sand. It’s quiet there. I can lie down there and watch the distant thunder clouds.
See… look how far we’ve traveled…
… and there’s your stick…
… you can hunt again…
… now I can finally rest…
… and look…
… over the mountains… a rainbow!
