Chapter Seven: Trapped

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Cold and lonely, damp and stiff,

I cannot sleep, I cannot shift;

I watch them in their daily lives;

They do not know it's here I hide.

"Is there anything edible around here? A fish in the pool? A mouse?"

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"Is there anything edible around here? A fish in the pool? A mouse?"

"Shut up, Silversand."

The Royal was draped belly-down over the main hall boulder. She stuck out her bottom lip as far as it would go. "A bug?"

"Shut up!"

The two days since the twins had returned had dawned hot and painfully sunny. Sethral dropped her head to her paws and scowled out the window. The Hyenars had vacated the clifftop in favour of the cooler forest, but the Drakons had no such sensitivities. Travel to the nearest cliff ascent would be impossible until they parted. Whipper at least could catch bugs in the caves to tide himself over, but even the Coppertails had to admit that things would start to get serious if this went on for much longer. Jay at least had calmed down. The wind these last two days had been completely still.

Silversand groaned again.

Whipper, perched opposite Sethral on the window ledge, tipped his head back to look at her. "Silver, you're not helping."

"I'm hungry!"

"We noticed," said Taz, but Sethral whirled.

"And so am I! We all are! And your moaning and moping about all over the place is not helping or putting anyone in a better mood! So either get your fat tail over here and watch for Drakon gaps like the rest of us, or else shut up and deal with it!"

The cat ran away down the main tunnel. Sethral flung herself back on the window ledge. Whipper hadn't moved. She threw him a worried look. Already suffering in the heat, he had the double disadvantage of not having a scrap of fat to burn when times got lean. And he refused to take more bugs than the caves could handle. Sethral couldn't argue with that, but she could tell it was taking its toll.

Jay and the twins had begun to search the fort for some sign of the second exit that Silversand said must exist. So far it had been to no avail. Sethral could leave if she dove out the window and made it to the clifftop without being seen, but she was out of energy to fly anyone else there. She ran foraging trips for Whipper when the sun cooled, if the Drakons weren't hanging around. It wasn't cool now.

Jay emerged from the main tunnel, his pelt rumpled. He looked like he had licked water into his fur to cool himself. 'Anything yet?'

Sethral dropped to the floor and shook her head.

The Northlander huffed as he noticed Whipper on the ledge behind her. The Forester was hauled unceremoniously from his perch. 'Get back in the caves where it is cooler,' flicked Jay, dropping him on the floor. 'The last thing I need right now is you getting heatstroke sitting overtime on a watch you were not supposed to have. Go sleep.'

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