Sixteen Moons | Shelha Series 3 | ✔

River Rising

"Again!" gasped Taz.

Wing stopped short and Dusk ran into his backside. Across their path were tracks, blisteringly fresh this time. The melt in each was still dripping.

"Is it trying to lead them to us?" hissed Taz.

"It's hurt!" gasped Sethral.

"It's a he," said Wing shortly. He ran his nose along the pawprints. "He's more scared than we are. If he's following, it's not to bring them after us."

There was a scattering of blood in the snow beside the tracks.

"Wing—"

"It's just a cut paw."

The mutt looked about to say something else, but broke off as Dusk's forehead pressed against his shoulder. The Nightlock was starting to shake again.

"Stay with us," said Wing.

Dusk drew a shaky breath and nodded.

"Are we following it?" said Taz.

"Is that safe?" said Sethral.

"Follow," said Wing. "We don't want to lead that patrol to Rockhall, or anyone who might be chasing him and could find our tracks here. I don't want an attack if we see him, but we can try and find out where he goes."

Taz spun around. "I heard something."

There was no mistaking the look on Wing's face; this was something he had been hoping to keep hidden. "It's Ryatzi," he said. "Keep going."

Sethral did not stifle a snarl. "He's following us? Why? Are we in danger?"

"Sethral," said Fletch.

"I want to know!"

"Don't we all," growled Taz. "Not the time, Seth."

Sethral gritted her teeth. "I want to know what's up with Radar."

Something flickered in the forest. Dusk went stiff and Jay almost screamed.

"Stay together," said Wing. "It's not Iris." He closed his eyes. After a moment, his tail flicked Sethral's side. "I can't smell them," he said quietly.

"I thought Winter wanted us alive," said Taz.

The presences disappeared.

"Why?" whispered Fletch.

Sethral knotted her fists in the twin's shoulder fur. The feeling in the forest moments ago had been identical to the night she, Wing and Silversand had been shadowed at the edge of Winter's territory.

Wing spun around and pulled Jay down the Pyrya's trail. Creatures bounded to catch up.

It quickly became clear the creature they were following did not know many evasive tactics in the forest. They tracked it for some distance, then pulled up as it ran down a Labyrinth tunnel.

"I vote no," said Taz.

"Seconded," said Fletch.

Sethral wanted to punch something, but Dusk had walked up and put his forehead on Wing again. Jay dropped a wing over him.

Wing closed his eyes. "Well, we've lost the patrol. Taz and Fletch, where are we?"

"East of Rockhall, north of the river and the army's fake-Southline road," said Fletch. "The big empty stretch."

"Wait," said Sethral.

They all looked at her.

"It's stranger than that," she said. "When Whipper, Silver and I last spied on army camp, we heard a patrol talking about it. Apparently it's the worst part of the forest to be assigned to for hunting. There's more accidents here than in the rest of the forest combined."