Warrior Eevees #2: Pearl's Shadow

15- The Deal

The first place Pearl decided to search would be further upstream. The stream that Silent and his littermates had been hunting near flowed in from the Wildlands.

Maybe he wasn't in the Wildlands, of course. But Pearl wanted to make sure he wasn't, since Silent being lost on Lake Tribe territory while she searched the Wildlands would be nowhere near as dangerous as leaving Silent in the Wildlands while she searched Lake Tribe territory first.

It was a warm day, but Pearl felt very cold. Her heart was beating against her ribcage, but then why did she feel so calm? It was hard for her to forget her skirmish with the Forest Tribe, the last time she had tried so hard to help Silent.

This would be different. She was older now, stronger. The leader of the Lake Tribe.

Diver had been so much older and more experienced. Diver had lost his head.

Run back to the village and get backup.

No, it would take too long.

If Diver had stood no chance against the Mightyena, Silent would...

Don't think about it.

They wouldn't eat kittens...

They tried to eat Shore and Leap, all those season cycles ago...

Last time I took an eye.

This time I may have to take a life.

Pearl had never killed anything reasonable before. She hoped she would be able to do it. She needed to be able to do it.

There.

She was in the Wildlands, now. The swampy, mucky mess of land that sat below the Lake Tribe's marsh. Cut into the muddy side of the bank was a huge scar in the earth, where giant, clawed feet must have ceased wading to walk across the land.

Pearl hesitated where she lay, invisible. There was no need to leave the water yet, the huge pawsteps seemed to follow the bank.

No wonder the Lake Tribe didn't find them, they had been investigating the north side of the territory very heavily, since that was where the Mightyena had been in Pearl's kittenhood. Now, the pawsteps led toward the west.

Should have searched here sooner.

How would I have known?

I should have had patrols searching in every direction. I'm so stupid...

No time to worry about that.

Pearl slid into a small stream that followed the pawsteps. Her shoulders nearly brushed the bank on either side, but there was still enough water for her to bury herself, to stay unseen. To avoid being heard, though, she would have to slow down. Powering through the water with her tail would risk accidentally breaking the surface and splashing loudly. She churned the water with her paws, listening hard for any sign of Silent.

There.

A low, growling voice rumbled through the air somewhere to her right. She would have to leave the water now. Carefully, gently, horribly aware of how her pink fur clashed with the muddy ground, she eased herself from the water and dropped into a stealth crouch.

A blue Vaporeon could be mistaken for a reflection on the wet ground. Pearl would not have this advantage. Pearl had to be stealthy. Pearl was unused to stalking.

She fought not to flare her fins nervously, moving so low and slow that her belly fur brushed the ground. She held her tail level with her back, holding it above the mud. Her paws fell into the clawed pawprints left behind by the Mightyena.