Eyeseffendee

13

Grits of sand blew in the wind, stinging my face and sifting through my fur. There was no scent of rain on my nose . . . the air was hot, and stank like fire and decomposing animals.
I squinted my eyes, looking out through dark lashes. The bright, cloudless sky contrasted the cliffs, rising up around me like an ocean of red and blue, cut by a straight line of black. The black ran for miles to the left and the right . . . I couldn't find the source of this endless black river. A blue and red shape held up by a pole was decorated with white human words.

Hare had told me about this black river. Although there were no beasts thundering down it now, I could feel the fiery monsters' rumbling, running faster than any living creature.

This was the great road, built by humans: Eyeseffendee.

A great gust of wind made me wobble. I crouched down and closed my eyes tightly to shield myself.

When the gust calmed down, I cautiously looked up. A pair of russet-brown paws stood ahead of me. I raised myself slowly and stood face to face with a stern-faced coyote.

"Good to see you, Astor." Hawk said.

My first instinct was to growl, but I quickly realized this wasn't the Shifter. His eyes were kind and contemplative, not greedy and spiteful.

"Hawk!" I barked. "You're really here . . . The Shifter . . ."

"I'm aware of what happened." Hawk smiled sadly. "While I am upset, I know that my tribe is in good paws, as long as you are there."

I frowned. "What do you mean, as long as I'm there?"

"It would seem that fate, or some other, larger force, has called me someplace else. I'm not happy about it, but I have work to do, and so do you. Your work is in the Piedra tribe; you must be their chief."

My throat closed off. What did he say?

"Ahhh," I choked, grabbing a hold of my voice, "What?"

"You must be the chief of the Piedra tribe. I apologize, if I wasn't clear enough." Hawk said calmly.

"I-no, I-I can't be a chief. No, I can't do it." I stammered.

"I think you can. But if you don't mind me asking, why not?" Hawk asked. He was sincerely interested to know, which made my eyes misty. I missed him as my chief, and as my friend, more than I realized.

"I . . . I'm a loner. I don't belong with the Piedra tribe. They wouldn't want me as their leader, anyways. What about Negrita? Or Horizon? It's his birth right, he should be chief."

"Both good options," Hawk sat down, curling his dark tail over his paws, "but Negrita has his heart elsewhere. He left Errehsona, his home land, many years ago when his sister was shot and stolen by humans."

I didn't know Negrita as well as I thought I did. I knew he was from Errehsona, a land to the south west of Kolorato, but I didn't know he had a sister.

"Oh." I muttered.

"And as for Horizon," Hawk said with an air of irritation, "He is too prideful. He thinks he deserves the position of chief simply because of his blood. It is tribe law that the eldest child of the chief or their mate is leader, but tribe law also states that if the chief's children are not fit for the position, someone else must fill the role."

"So what if he's cocky? He'd be better than me." I said.

Hawk smiled, like I had said the wrong thing but he would quickly correct me. "Those who feel they should not be leader are best fit for the position. Those who believe they should be leader, bring their fellows down by pride. It's true that Horizon has leadership skills, but being 'cocky' won't help our tribe."