The Living Wind in the Forest - Fire

Chapter 23

Snow fled in horror, ducking straight through the barrier, thorns sliced her pelt and one sank into her pad, but she didn't mind with the roar of blood in her ears.

Humans, here, why?

"Who doesn't use the entrance when she tells other people to?" Rain joked. Then he was serious as he spotted the panic in her eyes and the blood trickling to the ground.

"Humans, here, now, coming this way," Snow's voice rose. "We need to evacuate!" her voice was a shrill wail.

"Calm down," Daisy's voice said as black spots clouded Snow's vision. "Humans go camping all the time during the summer. I bet that's what they're doing. We can chase them off." She pressed her body against hers.

Snow nodded numbly as Moon shoved herbs down a mouse and gave it to her. Cooperating like a good pup, she choked it down, grimacing at the taste of the herbs. But it seemed to have worked. The black spots slowly faded and she felt warmth swelling up in her.

"Wow, how long did it take for you to find this?" Snow asked, impressed.

Moon looked shy. "Star knew a lot of remedies that she shared with me," he said. "She's been spending a lot of time with me these days."

Snow grinned. "I can't imagine you having pups," she said.

Moon looked shocked, "That's not happening soon!" He lowered his voice. "But Coral and Snowflake should be," he chuckled. "Coral took her out to see the sunset yesterday."

Snow shook her head. I can't imagine so many things happening without our mother to see us.

"Well, about those humans," Rain said, changing the subject. "I'll take a patrol to chase them off."

Snow nodded. "I'll come."

"Oh no you won't," Daisy said in a warning tone. "You're staying behind so Moon can treat those scratches."

Snow looked at her fur and realized it was matted with crusted blood. "Oh, I forgot about that."

Moon rolled his eyes and ducked under the entrance of his den and came out a moment later with a bundle of wet moss and a bundle of herbs wrapped with a leaf, secured with a piece of grass. He came over the Snow and pressed it onto her fur, washing the blood off. Nipping apart the grass stem, he chewed up the herbs and plastered it onto Snow's fur and she winced at the sting.

"Here, lift up your paw, I think there's a thorn in it," Moon said and Snow stared at the blood smeared over the ground.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Snow muttered. I can't believe I completely forgot about that.

Moon licked her paw, and tugged the thorn out with her teeth. "It's not that bad," he mumbled, spitting out the thorn and tossing it outside. "Just wash the blood off and it'll be fine."

Snow nodded. "Thanks." She whipped her head around as she saw movement.

"Oh, I forgot about Twig," Snow said mournfully as she stared at his eyes.

"He's doing–well," Moon said with a hint of doubt in his eyes. "But I'm not sure if he's happy."

"Happy?" Twig suddenly wailed. "I'm never going to hunt again! Never going to feel the wind in my fur when I run with my pack! What if we have to move again?" he whimpered, tucking his nose under a paw.

"I'm sure we can figure something out," Moon soothed. He stared at Snow with a help me expression, but Snow wisely kept her mouth shut.

Snow nosed gingerly out of the den and accidentally kicked up a cloud of dust. Sneezing, she shook out her pelt. Tugging off a cloud of moss from the hidden stack in the back of the prey den, she headed down to the river. Sinking her claws in the mud, Snow dug down until trickles of water started to flow into the ditch. Pawing out glops of mud, she dipped her moss into the water and took a drink. She passed her tongue over her lips several times, trying to get the flavor of mud out of her mouth. Dragging the moss on the ground behind her, she tossed the moss onto the herb patch that Moon was trying to grow herbs in.