Time ticks like water in a still cave. After a turn of events out of their control, the renegades have scattered with a promise to reunite in a year and a season. They are not the only ones who have disappeared from the South Forest. While hope blos...
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Silversand scrambled after Whipper up a tree as the dizziness waned. Patched clouds had bloomed across the sky like sheets of cottongrass heads. Each puff had a dark center and hazy edges: an eye of grey.
"I hope Jay's okay with this," whispered Silversand. The Raindai had been an anxious, wind-triggered wreck since Wing had left for the Darkwood. She couldn't tell if it was Wing's absence setting him off, or something else.
Another, smaller chord made Whipper stumble. Silversand jumped to help, but he caught himself and ran down the tree again before she could check if he was okay. They split up into Winter's camp.
Main camp was near-empty and tense as a strung bow. Winter was not present. Neither were Autumn or Summer, her second and third-in-commands, or any other Mountainair. Hawkfeather was planted in a stand-off between second-rank Whitefang and camp commander Corabel. All three had their hackles up. Was this a power spat? Whitefang technically ranked above Corabel, but Corabel was taller and had more A-ranks who backed him. Silversand gripped the stone as Whitefang lunged at Hawkfeather instead. It was not in a second-rank's place to challenge the top-rank of the army. She had to get Whipper.
Whipper was a ball of anxiety when she rejoined him in the grasses. "She's still not there."
She hugged him. "Firebrand? We need to investigate, then. But Whip, something's happening in main camp."
Together they scooted back to the walled encampment. They reached the inside of the wall just in time to see Altera—her public name seemed to be Jackdaw, but Winter and the other northern Coppertails all referred to each other differently—stride through the gate.
"What's going on here?" she said in an even tone.
The silence was deafening. Corabel, Whitefang and Hawkfeather—Hawkfeather—all bowed and stepped back. Whitefang strode past Altera out the front gate and didn't look back.
"Thank you," she said, and left again.
Whipper and Silversand exchanged a look. Silversand gasped and grabbed Whipper's paw as another creature entered the camp.
It was Radar. Hawkfeather was talking to Corabel now and scarcely spared the Vipra a nod. He scarcely got one in return.
Sonar bounced up to his brother, bubbling over with excitement. "Radar, look! Look what Wingsy can do! Wingsy, roll!"
