Gale's Storm

CHAPTER 25

Rock and Lillian wandered through the birch forest at a quick pace. They heard a whinny from somewhere up ahead and sped up.

"Birch Colony? We need help!" Rock yelled. A wild pony turned sharply towards them and whinnied again.

It said to them; "Who are you and why are you here in Birch Colony's territory?" Rock responded calmly with, "You joined the alliance of the shapeshifters to defeat the humans right? Well, we are two of the people leading the shapeshifters and we need your colony's help. Your neighboring colony, River Colony, has been destroyed. Well, At least their camp has been. They are starving and sick and injured and we desperately need your help. Please take us to your camp or go back and bring reinforcements to the small lake where they are making a temporary camp a bit north-west of here."

The pony paused for a moment and then turned to gallop off. Rock turned to Lillian with a big smile on his face.

"Mission accomplished, do you feel like you're helping now? You've always been helping, you know. I'm just sorry you felt like you weren't. C'mon, let's go back and tell her the great news," Lillian said, turning to go back.

Rock followed, it was always awkward to be alone with Lillian now, he never knew what to do. Talk? Hold hands? He just didn't know, so it was always just awkward silence. And this silence followed them back to the lake tonight.

"Gale! We're back! Birch Colony is coming with help!" Lillian shouted as she sped up through the trees.

"Gale is sleeping, but thank you for bringing help. I hope to meet their leader," Moss said to them as they came into the clearing. About 5 other people were awake guarding the clearing, all of them looked starving and sleep deprived.

"You two should do the same, she's on the other side of the lake."

Rock and Lillian nodded and made their way to where Gale was sleeping in her fox form. She was nested in a small fern bundle, sound asleep. Rock suddenly realized how tired he was and unpacked his sleeping bag to rest beside his friend.

Lillian took off her pack and asked him softly; "Could I sleep with you tonight?" He smiled and said back; "Anytime."

She smiled back at him and he scooched over to let her snuggle into the sleeping bag with him. Lillian buried her face in his shoulder and entangled her arm and hand with his. Rock felt his heart skip a beat and he rested his head on hers, falling asleep quicker than he had in weeks.

The next day, Rock woke to find Lillian still asleep and the sun high in the sky. They slept until midday! Gale was already up and helping people all around the pond, from Birch and River Colony. He chose not to wake Lillian just yet and laid in silence, her soft and even breathing one of the only things he could hear.

After a few minutes she started shifting and woke up.

"Good morning-" Rock paused, he had no idea what to call her. Lillian didn't notice and just said "Good morning. What time is it?"

"Sometime in the Afternoon, I just got up, do you want to get up and help around camp?" Rock asked her. She nodded sleepily before getting up with a yawn.

Both of them were up after a moment and they looked around to see what they could do. They noticed a lot of people bringing things from the woods. Medicine, food and other needed things.

"Commander Moss!" Lillian called to the thin woman.

She turned around and so did a very tall and burly woman with dark skin and tightly braided hair. She must be Birch Colony's leader.

"What should we do to help?" Lillian asked the women as they both walked towards them.

"Do you know anything about fruits and vegetables and roots?" Birch Colony's leader asked them gruffly. The two small teenagers shook their heads.