Eyeseffendee

4

"A wendigo?" Delta asked in wonder, his eyes flashing with ignorant fear.

"Wendigos aren't real." Bat said.

"I thought so as well," Snake shivered. "until one was mauling my shoulder." He sounded sincere, but I didn't believe him. Knowing Snake, he would've made up anything to have the tribe's sympathy.

"We have to give him medical attention!" Hare said.

"That will only do so much." The Shifter said morosely. "The wendigo's bite is contagious. Its disease passes from victim to victim. The only way to truly cure Owl is to kill the creature who gave it, before he is consumed."

"How long until he's . . . Consumed?" Delta asked. He stared at Snake, waiting for him to scream in pain and grow into a beast. Well, more of a beast.

"About three weeks until he starts growing horns." The Shifter said.

"Three weeks!" Bat said. "Why did you bring him back? The last thing we need is a wendigo in our camp! Especially with my pups coming!"

Snake looked hurt, but I agreed with Bat. I didn't want a monster in my camp. Or a wendigo.

"Owl was one of my best friends back in Yootaw! He traveled to Kalurato to visit me. I'm so sorry this happened, Owl. We'll do all in our power to find that wendigo and to kill it." The Shifter said.

Negrita and Horizon looked at each other. Silently they both mouthed Oh dear.

I wanted to kick Snake off a butte and tell him to get eaten by a wendigo. I still wasn't sure if wendigos were real, and I doubted Snake had been bitten by one. I wasn't going to chase my tail and search for a mythical creature while The Shifter followed through with some devious plan.

"There's nothing we can do right now. The desert is dangerous at night and the sun is almost down. Let's have supper and go to sleep. Creek, dear, would you mind taking watch? Horizon, would you take the later watch?" The Shifter asked.

They both nodded reluctantly.

The prey pile was large, but by the time it was my turn to eat, I only got a few scraps of rabbit. It was alright; I had eaten that afternoon so I wasn't terribly hungry. But I was furious at The Shifter and snake, who took heaps of prey, leaving little to the rest of the tribe. But no one wanted to be impolite to their guest or the chief. Horizon took quite a bit as well, claiming he would need strength for his night watch.

We went to bed. Hare offered a spot in our den for Snake to sleep, and he gladly accepted. He rushed to the softest bed that had been prepared for me, marched in a circle, and laid down before I could say no, that's my bed you scum!

"I'm going to sleep outside." I muttered to Hare.

"Oh, no dear!" She said, limping to me. "Your leg-"

"My leg is fine, Hare." I said quickly. "I usually sleep outside anyways. And . . . It's far too cramped in there. I wouldn't be able to sleep anyways."

"Alright. If that's what you want. Don't hurt your leg though!" She said, licking my chin. The cut on it felt raw.

Sego came to say goodnight to me before she went to her familia's den.

"Hey." She said, curling her dark tail around her creamy paws. "Are you feeling better?"

"No." I said honestly. "I feel horrible."