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 crumbles 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 stretched 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 going up.

At last I stop and again there are leaves, grass, and Hunter.

He always finds me.

So many want to touch my fur, but everything hurts, 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 Quiet Voice, his mate.

But why is Hunter gathering vines before we walk the trail? I need to lie down!

I stumble on the way to the truck and hope others don’t see my weakness.

We try to remain in front, but the scent of death is rising, and I fall behind. Hunter walks slowly beside me, like Boss did with Shyla.

We come to where the shiny boxes rest, and now there are so many. They growl and flash along the stone path.

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 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 and watch the distant thunder clouds.

See… look how far we’ve traveled…

… and there’s your stick…

… you can hunt again…

… You go home to Quiet Voice. I’ll just lie here and go to sleep…

… and look…

… over the mountains… a rainbow!