The Rares

Chapter 19

~~~~Russet~~~~

I fretfully paced in front of the infirmary doors. 

My Zephyr, my Zephyr. Who would shoot him? Why?

Zimri nudged my leg. He looked up at me, fear in his eyes.

"Will Zephyr be okay?" He asked.

"I don't know," I told him. "I hope so."

Rhea pressed her nose to Zimri and led him away. He was shaking, and he glanced at me. Zerrec and Cosan were watching me, identical looks of worry on their faces.

The infirmary doors opened, and Isa poked her head out.

"Russet, I need your input."

Zerrec stood up. "What about me or Cosan?"

Isa gave him a long look. "Because she is Zephyr's mother. You have only been around for a week. Cosan hasn't raised him as much as Russet. Argue about it later."

I followed her in and looked down at Zephyr. He was hooked up to machine after machine. One tracked his heart rate, one tracked his breathing. An I.V. drip was connected to his front leg.

"The bullet is in a bad place," Isa started. "If we don't remove it, he most likely won't make it. But if we do remove it, he could die through the operation, or after, but he would still have a higher chance of living, than if we didn't remove it."

My eyes flicked from her to Zephyr. 

"I..."

Remove it, he could die. Don't remove it, he would more likely die.  

Looking at his limp body, I made my decision.

"Do it," I told Isa. "Please, save my son."

________

~~~~Piyano~~~~

Once the pups were strong enough after eating and resting, we set off, traveling back to the Home.  Amia was carrying the female, and I was carrying the white male. The green-eyed pup was walking in between us, his head and tail high.

After a long time, the looming mouth of the cave that was known as our Home was visible. I nudged the green-eyed pup and hurried to the Home.

As we neared, anxiety began to set in. What would Draegan and Wicca think? There were already pups running around at the Home, was there any need for more?

Inwardly, I sighed. Amia and I hadn't been taken from the Dark, and brought to the Light that long ago. We were Awakened very recently, so we don't know all of the True ways yet.

I took a deep breath, and plunged into the pitch-black of the cave, where there wasn't any lighting. The white pup squeaked in surprise, and the green-eyed one straight-up refused to move. I let my eyes get used to the darkness, put the white pup down in between my paws, picked the green-eyed pup up, put him on my back, then picked his brother back up, and continued walking, his claws sticking into my back.

Soon, the mottled gray, white, brown, and black faces of Draegan and Wicca greeted us. I almost let out a breath of relief. I always worried that we would make a wrong turn, and find ourselves in the area of one of the Highers. Amia and I were Newly Awoken to the True Ways. The Highers have been Awoken for a long time- at least a few years.

"Piyano. Amia," The quiet voice of Wicca greeted us. "What have you brought back?"

We crouched down, and lowered our tails, our muzzles to Wicca and Draegan's toes, in the traditional greeting of a Newly Awoken to their Wakers.