Eyeseffendee

18

I didn't sleep well, which was a good and a bad thing. Bad because I felt exhausted, good because I was able to stir myself awake when the moon's bright glow had dimmed to a harsh murmur, and the stars were hidden by dark gray clouds.

As soon as I got up, remembering what Verde had scolded me about, I woke every one up before I did my stretches. Surprisingly, they weren't as grouchy as the day before. In fact, their eyes glimmered with excitement despite the heavy bags beneath them. I gathered everyone for a quick pow-wow before we left.

"Our first priority right now is to remain unnoticed. If we're caught or the Fuegos know we're here, any other plans we make will be ruined. Our goal is to find out exactly what the Fuego and the shifter are up to, and save the Piedra tribe." I said.

"It's wonderful to have goals, but how are we going to accomplish them? And what does saving your tribe entitle?" Mountain asked.

"Um . . ." I muttered, unsure of how to respond. I didn't have a plan, and I had no idea how we would save them. "I'm not sure how, but I think that once we get a closer look at the situation, we'll know what to do."

"That's leaving a lot in the air, Astor. What if they smell us? What if the Fuego catch us? What if they aren't there at all? What if that one coyote has turned into a wendigo? Being strong, fast and smart is only half the fight. The other half happens before anyone steps on the battlefield." Verde said.

I nodded, understanding but still unsure of what to do.

I took a shaky breath. "Okay. So I know that we'll need to free my tribe. If they can fight, we'll have another six coyotes on our side. Seven if Bat's up to it, but her pups are due any day now, so I wouldn't cont on it. Then we'll need to . . ." I paused, thinking of what would happen next. "defeat the shifter and the Fuegos. They'll have around fifteen coyotes, so we'll have equal numbers."

"Do we need to defeat them, or could we just drive them out?" Sky asked. "We're exhausted, and I assume your tribe isn't doing much better if they've been enslaved. Realistically, we won't be defeating anyone."

"I guess so. I think you're right, driving the Fuegos out will do the trick, at least for the mean time." I replied. "But the shifter needs to be defeated. He's an ambitious creature, and I doubt he'll stop spreading his evil plans at my tribe. I don't want anyone else to go through what I've gone through." I said.

Verde nodded. "Understood."

I allowed myself a tiny grin, feeling great relief at his approval.

"Okay, so we'll head to the Piedra camp. It's directly North from here." I pointed to where it was with my nose. "I still think it's a good idea to scout the hollow before we do anything, there's a perfect ledge where we can peer into the camp without being spotted."

"Just don't let Sego distract you." Sarah said wryly.

I blushed under my fur. I was very excited and very terrified to see her.

"Ha ha, shut up. So once we have a clear view of the situation, we'll find out where the Piedra members are being held. If they're doing work, I assume they'll be out hunting a feast for the Shifter. He can really eat."

"What if they're being held captive, trapped in an air pocket cave where we can't get to?" Mountain asked.

Oh yeah. We had like three of those in the hollow.

"Umm, could we sneak them out?" I asked.

"Definitely not. We'd need to walk right into the hollow with nowhere to hide in order to get them out. Even if we did manage to sneak in, the coyote guarding the cave would catch us." Sky said.