From The Ashes

Chapter Twenty-Four

We sprinted the whole way to the waterfall. By the time we got there, we were both panting hard and our legs were aching from over exertion.

I slumped my furry body down on the ground and lapped at some of the lake water. Valen leaned his head down beside me and did the same. I looked over to him and his eyes were glistening with adrenaline. He had enjoyed our race just as much as I had. 

Of course, he'd beaten me by just a couple seconds. He was much more muscular than I was, but there were a couple times where my agility really came in handy.

His bulky body would have a harder time dodging rocks and jumping fallen logs than mine, but in the end his dead sprint proved to be much faster. I licked his snout in pride, and he nuzzled my shoulder. Suddenly, that feeling came over me again.

I turned my head upward toward the cliff, and I could have sworn I saw a dark form quickly shuffle backwards. I growled lowly, signaling to Valen that something was wrong. He looked in the same direction I was and strained his eyes to be able to see. 

"What was it?" he asked me through the mind-link. 

"I swear something was up there on the cliff watching us." He looked over again. 

"I don't see anything Indigo, nor have I picked up a scent. Are you sure?"

I stared at the spot for a little longer, waiting to see if anything in the shadows shifted. When it didn't, I sighed. 

"I guess it was nothing. Sorry for worrying you." 

"It's not a bad thing to trust your gut. We'll make sure to let the others know, just in case."

I rose from the bankside and shifted back, before getting dressed. Valen followed my lead, and we made our way closer to the waterfall.

At this point, the water was roaring loudly and the spray was soaking me from head to toe. Rocks jutted out of the water leading to the base of the spray, but they were too wet and sharp to venture across. Valen turned to me. 

"I'll shift really quick and hop in. I can go under the waterfall and come back up on the other side. If there's an opening big enough for you to come to, I'll mind-link you and you can join me." 

"Are you sure?" I asked while glancing at the black water.

"The water moves a lot faster over here. I don't want you to get pulled under." He smirked at me. 

"I could do this in my sleep." I rolled my eyes. 

"Alright, whatever. But hurry."

He handed me his pack and clothes and jumped in, shifting midair. Icy droplets of water pelted my skin when he hit the surface, making me shiver. He emerged for a moment to look at me, before diving back under the abyss.

It was too dark out to see anything and his black fur certainly didn't help. I waited anxiously for a few moments, balancing my weight back on forth on my feet. I looked back up at the cliff side, still seeing nothing.

Finally, Valen's voice sounded in my head.

"Indigo, you've got to see this." 

I hid our packs in the bushes and shifted. I took a deep breath before walking into the frigid water, shivering as it enveloped more and more of my body. Finally, once I was facing the waterfall, I took a deep breath and dove under.

I opened my eyes to see it was much clearer down here than it seemed up top. I could see where the water from the fall was landing in the lake, creating a rolling stream of bubbles and a slight undertow.