Rainbow Reflection

Chapter 21

Micah:

Rosy's cry rips my eyes from the bloodied figure that used to be my father, my mind is struggling to make sense of the broken words that had whispered from his lips. I scan the surroundings even as I look towards Rosy, she is on her knees holding Sam's head and shoulders on her thighs.

"Please help my brother," Rosy begs. I glance at the damage done to his body and hold back the shudder at what I see. Sam is terribly mauled like Wade and Clint, I look back at Rosy but she has turned back to her brother and is leaning over his head as she runs a hand over his shoulder, her fingertips barely touching him.

"Everyone keep your eyes open!" I yell. "We don't know how many dingos are unaccounted for!"

As I turn my attention back to Rosy I notice that she too has numerous bites and scratches but they already have shiny pink new skin showing where they have started to heal. A deep bite on the back of her right shoulder still oozes blood and I realise she needs medical attention. I lift my head to search the shadows beneath the trees alertly, we still don't know how any dingos there had been.

"Micah please!" Rosy is sobbing now as she turns back to her brother and bends forward over his huge feline body, her forehead resting against his ribs.

"How many dingoes were there?" I demand forcefully as I crouch beside her. I run my eyes over her body seeing the numerous healed wounds. Thick pink strips where the hard nails of the dingos had gouged at her flesh, marks where teeth had bitten but failed to get a proper hold. Only the wound on the back of her shoulder is deep, I can see the granulating tissue in the wound but also the distinct colour of bone where the wound is deepest.

Rosy's eyes are slightly glassy with on setting shock as she lifts her head to look at me, when there is no response from her I grasp the point of her shoulder in my hand and squeeze firmly but gently.

"How many dingoes were ..." I say each word slowly and clearly trying to get a response from her.

"There were eight with Hank," Rosy says as she looks around wide eyed. Her gaze darts from dingo corpse to dingo corpse and pauses as she looks at the crippled dingo she had put down.

"Mutto ... he came later, came in time to stop Hank attacking us ...gave us a minute or so to rest and gather strength," Rosy says then takes a deep breath. "Nine, there were nine dingos."

"Are you sure?" I demand firmly. "We can't chance leaving any dogs sneaking around our three dead while we take you back to the quarters."

"He's not one of us!" Rosy snarls pointing towards Rays remains before turning her head slowly to look at me. I find myself looking into her face, her eyes, and feeling as if I am looking into the face of a stranger. Her eyes are a dark blue not violet and as I turn my head narrowing my eyes I get a glimpse of shiny black short hair that curls under at her chin. Lightning flashes picking out red high lights in the dark hair, an eerie feeling skitters up my spine as she slips from beneath Sam's head and shoulders. Another flash of lightning and it is Rosy standing before me.

"Save my children," Her eyes roll back in her head and suddenly Rosy turns boneless. I manage to catch her before she hits the ground, I cradle her in my arms as I slowly stand upright once again. I look down into her exhausted face a few moments before glancing at Sam.

"What was that?" Edwin whispers beside me startling me.

"Rig up some kind of litter to get Sam back to the quarters," I order before turning and heading towards the quarters. I am aware of feline forms slinking between the trees either side of me as I head back towards the buildings. The lightning flashes are so frequent I mostly have a clear view as I walk through the misting rain. It feels like it takes forever before I am walking through the trees that edge the clearing around the buildings.