Frost on the Grasslands | Shelha Series 1 | ✔

Chapter Fifteen: Northern Borders

"Scaredy-cat," said Ice. Echo fluffed violently in embarrassment.

Kastar put a paw on Ice's head and pinned it to the ground, hampering further speech. 'What do we want to do with her?' he flicked while Ice writhed, hissing. Elm looked ready to lie down in resignation, but Echo was under her. The herd Ice so badly wished to attack had been taunting her earlier, and now she would go nowhere if she wasn't touching fur. Ice did not take well to her adopted sisters being threatened.

Elm shook her head. "Ice, can you stay with us for the rest of the day, and promise that you won't go tearing off on another suicide mission?"

Ice nodded sulkily.

Elm flicked to Kastar. "Then let her go. Ice, we'll have to leave this area if you pick another fight with the Longthistle herd. I don't want you to get hurt in a fight that we can't reach in time."

Ice's foraging trail left in a suspicious direction the next morning. Elm rolled her eyes. Ice considered stealing food off the Longthistles' "territory" to be a form of revenge—if a slightly milder one—but at least she never got caught.

Echo woke up, found herself alone and dashed to Elm's side with a squeak. Feeling sufficiently safe plastered there, she went back to sleep. Kastar returned from foraging with enough food for two creatures and stifled a laugh as he found Elm exactly as tied up as he had clearly been expecting. He dropped half the bounty in front of her and Echo.

All three were just finishing their meal when Ice barreled into the clearing like her tail was on fire. "Elm!" she gasped, "The Longthistles just cornered a group again; they're just kits and three of them are males! We've got to help them!"

Elm was already on her feet, Kastar behind her. Three male kits would stand no chance against the all-female Longthistle herd.

The scene was already serious when they arrived. A miniature female was sobbing behind twin males barely three paw-lengths tall apiece—just under Echo's size. Thistle was standing Copper-lengths away. Longtail lay off to the side, spitting as she licked a bleeding paw. The last tiny male had planted himself between his companions and their aggressors, hissing furiously. There was blood on his teeth.

"What are you waiting for? snarled Longtail at her co-alpha. "Smack the stupid Draklet out already!"

The remaining herd members seemed reluctant to back Thistle up. Kastar took a deep breath and dropped off the embankment.

Thistle leaped backwards as the new arrivals landed. She bared her teeth. "You brats again."

Ice and Echo snuck in to comfort the other kits. Well, Echo was comforting... Ice staked herself between the four and the danger and looked like she wished she had a Drakon army to unleash.

"Go home, Thistle," said Kastar quietly. "We promise we'll get off your territory, but we're taking these kits with us."

"Kill the brown one," hissed Longtail. Thistle took a step forwards. Elm's tail curled around the male kit, who bit it. Kastar growled. A Highlander's edge was clear in his voice.

There was a number of long, tense heartbeats, then Thistle retracted her step. Longtail snarled in frustration as her co-alpha turned and walked away.

The brown kit swayed backwards and collapsed. Elm checked him and found a deep bite in his side—nothing life-threatening, but it probably hurt. She picked him up and carried him back towards the territory's edge.

Back in the clearing in the tall grass, Elm laid the brown male in her own nest and herded his companions in beside him. Ice immediately took to stalking the clearing's perimeter, listening for Longthistles and scowling fiercely.