Baylor tried to stand, but his knees buckled. I knelt to give him a surface to push off, and he made it up. His head swiveled.
"Oh, I stood up too fast..." he trailed off as he collapsed over my back. I stood and turned to Lunaria.
"Lunari-- Luna, t-thank you. Really I-" I trailed off, unsure what to say. "I need to talk to you about something. When can we meet?"
She cast a quick glance at Baylor. " Tomorrow night I can probably get out..." she trailed off.
"What's wrong?" I tilted my head down to see her snow covered face.
She shook her head, "Nothing. You should probably take him back to the others before he wakes up. He's healed just enough to live regardless, but he still has injuries enough that the huma- the others won't be suspicious." Finally, she looked up at me.
"Luna, I'm sorry I had to come to you. It was too much to ask. Thank you." I turned to take Baylor back, wishing Luna could come with me.
"J-Jax," I swiveled my head, dropping a pile of snow on my hooves. Luna looked up at me for a moment, "If anythi-" she looked back down. "I'm glad to help."
I leaned toward her, then turned to carry Baylor back. The link in the back of my mind weakened, but never fully dissolved, as I trekked to camp. When I arrived, Details and James were about to leaven with a team to move the tree. Everyone stared at Baylor, until James ran over and lifted him off of me to carry him to the doctor's tent. Half of the men ran to the tent, and the other half pushed over to me. They patted me and fed me sugar cubes and cookies, calling me a "good ol' boy" and a "mighty fine beast".
Had I not brought him to Luna, I would have been standing in the tent, fighting for Baylor's life next to him. Knowing that he was safe, however, let me accept the treats and think about Luna. I'd be in her debt forever. I needed to tell her about what Ace told me before it was too late. We wouldn't cut anymore to the north, but the next group would surely squeeze her land on the other side.
Delta trotted over to me with a scowl. "What was that?" He hissed at me, ears flattened.
"That, my dear friend, is Baylor." I swished my tail sarcastically.
He bared his teeth. "Exactly! Jax, what is with you lately? You've been in a daze all week, and now your human could be dying, Jax. Dying. And you don't even care! That's not even the end of it! You brought him in on the North side of camp and you smell like sap. What's with that? Some kind of detour? When Baylor could be dying! Jax, what is wrong with you?!" He gouged the earth with his hoof.
I stepped backwards, "Delta, he's not dying. I was in the North getting- er, help. He'll be fine, I promise."
His ears were still flat on his head. "I don't know what this is about, Jasper, but I don't like it." he growled, then whipped around to march away.
"Delta," he slowed slightly. "Tomorrow night. I'm going back. Come with me and you'll understand."
He grumbled and trotted back to James.
I tilted my head to the moon and reached to the link in my mind, certain it wouldn't work. Beautiful Luna, please don't let this be a mistake.
As I had hoped, there was no response. Nothing but a pulse in the strength of the link.
