Guide Us Home

3. Lost

Branch was up in the tree again, still keeping a look-out for lykars, he was determined to find them. Iris had been worried about him, the lykars still haven't shown up and she didn't want Branch to be upset if they didn't come after all. Iris took a deep breath, wrapped her hair around the tree branch that her brother was standing on.

"Hey Branch," Iris greeted. "Are you okay?" She tilted her head, waiting for a response. Branch finally turned to her.

"Yeah," he replied, "still no sign of them." Branch slumped back against the tree and sighed. Iris sat down next to him. "I knew it was that storm! It threw them off track, they could be hurt! Or worse!" Iris put a hand on his shoulder, calming him.

"Branch, if the storm went their way, they would have found a way to shelter from it," she reassured. "They're so intelligent, you know that." Branch didn't respond, just stared down at his feet. "Look Branch, it's been days. Maybe they're not-" Branch perked up his head and stared to the horizon. There was a shape in the water. He pointed it to his sister and got out his binoculars. His face lifted.

"They're lykars!" Branch exclaimed. "It's the pod! It really is!" Iris took the binoculars off of him and took a look. It was the pod, the color of their fur and their markings proved it. "Let's go!" The two abseiled with their hair down the tree and ran to the lagoon. Other must have also spotted them because more trolls were heading for the lagoon, including Tekai and Manta.

"You guys want a lift?" Tekai asked Branch and Iris, giving them her hand. They agreed and hauled themselves onto Manta's back and they ran down to the lagoon. The lykars crossed the lagoon and Luna jumped out onto the lagoon edge, her purple fins sparkling in the sun and her blue-purple eyes shining. The trolls cheered, both music and rivered trolls came out to celebrate. Branch kept an eye out for Spirit, he was so excited to see her. More and more lykars entered the lagoon as they surfaced and leaped onto the rocks and edges. Branch looked around, trying to find his beloved lykar, but there was no sign of her.

"Have you found Spirit?" Poppy asked excitedly. Branch shook his head, then he spotted Kayla and Kotar; if anyone knew where Spirit was, it was them. He ran over to them and greeted them.

"Branch! There you are!" Kayla greeted. "Spirit will be so happy to see you, she's been excited all week!" Branch smiled at Kayla's words, he too was excited to see his best friend.

"Do you know where she is?" Branch asked. 

"She's probably with her friends," Kotar answered. "Most likely Askar." Branch nodded and searched for her. Time passed by and there was no sight of her. Luna was lying down on a high-up rock near the back of the lagoon, watching the pod; Branch decided to ask her if she'd seen Spirit, she was the pod leader after all.

"Luna!" Branch called to her. Luna perked her ears to him and walked over to meet him. Branch climbed up the tall rock to meet her, she helped him the rest of the way up by grabbing his tail in her teeth and pulling him up. He thanked her before asking. "Have you seen Spirit anywhere? I've looked everywhere and I haven't been able to find her." Luna tilted her head, then looked up and around the lagoon. Spirit was a very unique-looking lykar so it would be easy to spot her, but Luna looked doubtful.

"I haven't seen her," Luna eventually said. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her since the-" Luna's expression dropped, Branch looked up worryingly at her.

"Since what?" He asked. 

"The storm..." Luna spoke. Branch's heart sunk. Iris and Poppy came running to him, calling his name.

"Branch!" Iris yelled. "It's not just Spirit who's missing, Askar's gone too!" 

"They must have got separated in the storm," Luna said. Branch was terrified, he didn't know what to say. Six months waiting for Spirit to come back and now she was lost and possibly in danger.