Eyeseffendee

11

I took this picture along interstate 70. It looked so cool, with all the swirling colors and layers of sandstone. Anyways, enjoy!

The landscape south of the river became treacherous.

We followed a stream that had broken off the main river through winding hills of blonde, green and red stone. Tiny holes, like millions of spider eyes, peeked from the rocks. The sage brush had been plentiful and green close to the river, but it became dry and scraggly farther away. There was no vegetation to be seen on the scorching landscape. The desert was dry, but I had never seen a place like this, completely devoid of life.

"Are you sure the Guerro are this way? I don't think any one could live here." I panted, shaking the tingling from my burnt paws.

"They don't live here. They live in a cave."

"Like, an alcove formed by an air bubble?" I asked, rubbing my dry tongue on the dry roof of my mouth.

"No, a deep cave, more like a tunnel than an alcove. I'm not sure where it is though." Sarah panted.

I moaned.

A hot breeze blew by, providing a small bit of relief from the stagnant, sweltering air. On the breeze, I could smell something wet and metallic.

Rain.

I looked up, and sure enough, a dark, pregnant cloud crawled over the horizon from the North.

The thought of shade paired with cool, thick rain drops made my pelt prickle with excitement, but my mind flashed to Sego and I stuck in her family's den, watching dirty red water swirl over our tiny paws. Water didn't come often, but when it did, I came quickly and heavily, soaking the stony land enough to move it like clay.

"I can smell rain." I said. " if it comes down quickly, we should get to higher ground."

"You're right, but we'll deal with the rain if it becomes a problem. We need to find the Guerro." Saguaro said.

I nodded, remembering that we didn't have all the time in the world. I wasn't sure what condition my tribe was in, but it probably wasn't any better than the last time we saw them.

The rain came down slowly and in patches, as if the sky couldn't make up his mind on whether the earth deserved rain or not. I stuck out my tongue hopefully, waiting for a fat raindrop to find its way to it.

Underneath the rain's scent was something bitterly familiar. The Fuego tribe.

"Sarah," I murmured, "three members of the Fuego tribe are here. I can smell them."

Her drooping ears suddenly become alert as she scanned the horizon. "Where?"

I sniffed again. "They're coming from the North-West. I think they followed us."

"What! Why wouldn't we notice them?" She asked, drawing her eyebrows together.

"I don't know, but we better find these Guerro fast." I said, doing my best to keep my panic at bay. "Let's run."

Even though we were exhausted, parched and famished, we ran with an uncommon determination, the same determination a coyote has when he is only a few leaps away from catching his prey. Or when a rabbit is only a few strides away from being eaten.

A horrible cackle rung through the air behind us. I whipped my head around to see the three Fuego coyotes clambering over a dusty hill, pursuing us with glee.

"They're closer than I thought!" I barked.

"I still don't understand how we didn't notice them following us!" Sarah yelped, picking up her pace.