River awoke to Florence's mother shouting. "Florence!? Florence???!!!", Chervil called "have you seen her?" she asked River. "No...we were in a fight...and I told her to go away...". "We have to find her!" Chervil yelled. River raced out of the den, Chervil and Dawn ran behind her. "FLORENCE!?, FLORENCE!?" River called. River shook her head and "Augh!, she always has to be in the center of things!" she sat down on the muddy grass, it was starting to rain. Chervil looked concerned "What did you say to her..?" River groaned "I told her to go away.." she said with a pained expression . Chervil sighed "Why would you say that?" Dawn peeped. "I dunno I just-" River looked up to the pouring rain. Chervil shook her head "You're young." River looked at the ground for a minute, "cmon lets just go find Florence.." Dawn scrunched her face up "What was that supposed to mean?" she squeaked. "You should go to bed," River told her "it's getting late and it's pouring." "okaaayyy" Dawn woofed and started heading back. "Wait! I'll go with her" Chervil said, looking apologetically at River "I wouldn't want her getting lost. River nodded and continued to call out Florence's name. "FLORENCE!!! FLORENCE!!!!" River called. She skidded to a stop, she scented something. Florence!. River followed the scent, soon after she smelled the sharp tang of fresh blood. River's heart pounded. She skidded to a stop, caught on a thorn bush was a tuft of fur, FLORENCE'S fur. It was red with blood. River was scared, but she pushed herself onward, she had to find Florence!. She finally came to a large cave in the middle of the jungle. She peeked inside, there was Florence, and another strange jaguar. River crouched outside the cave and peeked a little. It was a male jaguar he looked worn down, he had sharp claws and fur that looked once soft but was now rough as the bark of a tree. Florence was in there too, but River couldn't see her face because her back was facing in River's direction. He was saying something but it was difficult to make out. River scooted closer and craned her ears. "Florence...what we had in the past.. it was.." he stopped for a moment "Amazing. I wish it could go back to the way it once was.." River scrunched her face up, who was this guy? An old friend or something? "Florence, I loved what we had, I loved you, and well, I still do!" River's jaw dropped and so did her stomach. She felt sick. RIver waited for Florence to say something back but she didn't, River couldn't even see the expression on Florence's face. River ran back into the field and covered her face, tears gushing out of her swollen eyes, snot streaming out of her nose. Deep painful regret filled the pit of River's stomach. Why'd she chase her away like that. Florence probably thinks I don't even love her anymore , now she is with another jaguar. RIver smacked herself in the head and weeped deep ugly cries. Florence had someone better now, a jaguar. River wiped the tears away from her eyes. She really thought Florence had loved her and she loved her back. What a stupid mistake she made. Suddenly a scream came out of the cave!! It sounded just like Florence. River raced up to the cave and ran inside. "GET OFF ME GET OFF ME!!" Florence shouted. "I DON'T LOVE YOU, YOU STUPID IDIOT!" The male jaguar was on top of Florence doing who knows what. River gasped and smashed herself onto the disgusting jaguar, "get off her! She said no, don't you know what that means!?" The jaguar looked up at her with frightened eyes "TIGER!" he shrieked and tried to pull himself out of the cave. "Yeah, what about it you creep?" then she wacked him in the face with her claws. He ran out of the cave and into the jungle "AND BEAT IT!" river spat. "Are you okay!?" River cried and ran over to Florence. Florence wiped tears from her eyes and sniffled "Yes, if it wasn't for you.." and River blurted "I'm sorry!". Florence touched her nose to rivers'. "Its okay..." she whispered, "I know you didn't mean it".
River and Florence both walked back into the jungle-tribe camp together, their tails entwined. "FLORENCE!!!" Chervil shouted joyfully as she ran to meet the two. Seconds later, Dawn came running up to Florence and River, she nuzzled Florence happily. Florence purred. Chervil straightened up. "Come on," she called to them, leading them to her den. "We have much work to do". Florence realized she was talking about the plan of how they were going to make all the tribes realize that their enemies are not each other. The three of them followed Chervil to the cave.
