"Did... did that really happen?" Quiver gaped as Splashstone finished his song. It all sounded so fantastical, the spirits of dead cats appearing and speaking to their living friends... well, now that she thought about it, it sounded a little spooky. But the way these TurtleClanners spoke of it, they hadn't seen it that way.
"It did," Dustjump, the old molly who had bound her broken paw, confirmed, her chin held high and pride glowing in her eyes. "We were all there, we all saw them that night."
Quiver crouched down, flattening her ears. "Are they... going to appear again?" She wasn't ready to meet any all-seeing ghosts. What if they didn't like her staying with TurtleClan while she healed? What if they found her as strange and off-putting as most cats seemed to? What if...? She felt her heart rate starting to pick up, heard her own blood rushing in her ears.
"No," Spindlefleck's tail draped over her shoulders pulled her out of her head more than her initial words. "Currentheart and Pearl said they couldn't just appear at will, and they selected Dustjump as their contact among us, besides."
"Oh." Quiver felt her heartbeat slow back to an even pulse at Spindlefleck's words, and Dustjump's nod of confirmation. That was... good. Comforting. Safe. She thought she could get used to the idea of ghosts watching her as long as she didn't have to see them. And everyone was so kind here, she didn't want to let some silly ghosts put her off... maybe it was alright for her to finally relax for a little while, to catch her breath.
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āAlright Foam, take a deep breath and hold it.ā Foam obeyed, filling his lungs as much as he could, holding the air in. Dustjump, her ear pressed close to his chest, was silent. A heartbeat passed. Then another.
āLet the air out,ā Dustjump instructed.Ā
The breath left Foamās lungs with a sigh.
āAgain,ā Dustjump meowed.
Foam repeated the exercise, holding his breath. He could feel a bit of dust tickling his nose, but he couldnāt sneeze, not now. He closed his eyes tight, trying to ignore the sensation. This time, the exhalation came with a sense of relief as the dust drifted away from his nose. Dustjump pulled away from Foamās chest, her eyes bright.
āFoam, youāre all better! You can return to light duties starting tomorrow. No long patrols, and stay out of the water until the half-moon.ā
āYou mean I donāt have greencough any longer?ā Foam meowed.
āYes,ā Dustjump confirmed with a purr, āyouāve managed to recover. It can be a deadly disease, but youāre a young, healthy cat. If anyone would have been able to recover without herbs, it would have been you. Still, we should count our blessings. This was by no means a certain outcome.ā
Brokenmast dragged himself out of his nest, over to Foam. āCongratulations!ā He purred, butting his head against Foamās shoulder. āIāll miss having you around, though. Even if we did have to shout across the den to talk.ā
āI promise Iāll visit you often,ā Foam purred, āand before long, youāll be able to move to the communal den as well.ā
Brokenmast peered down at his splayed legs, focusing hard enough to tremble as he flexed each leg in turn, moving toes, ankle and knees. Over the last moon, his mobility in the limbs had improved remarkably, though they could not yet support his standing weight. āI hope youāre right,ā Brokenmast meowed. āIām really starting to believe it might be possible.ā
āIt is possible,ā Dustjump cut in, āand youāre getting close.ā
Brokenmast opened his jaws, but whatever he was going to say was cut off by a call from just outside the denās entrance. āDustjump, whatās the verdict?ā Spindlepaw. Foam felt guilty, leaving her to her own ends these last few moons. Luckily, Shell had ensured she was always paired with another adult for training each day, so she hadnāt fallen too far behind, but still. Foam was supposed to be her mentor. He wanted to be the one to guide her training.
āYou can come in, Spindlepaw,ā Dustjump replied. āHeās all better.ā
The little ginger cat came barreling into the den, fur fluffed with excitement. āIs he really?!ā She exclaimed.āI am,ā Foam purred, rising to his paws with a stretch. āWeāll resume your training tomorrow. I hope Shell hasnāt let you get too used to sleeping in.ā
Brokenmast remembered picking Currentheartāheād been Marty, thenāup in his jaws to carry the little tom up the shipās mast. His mother, Mitzi, had meowed worriedly, but Marty had been laughing the whole time as his little paws swung through the open ocean air. When theyād made it to the top, the little tom had looked out over the sea and asked, does it ever end? Brokenmast had pretended not to know, then. But heād known. Everything ended eventually. His own life, the lives of the cats he cared about⦠it all ended someday. But it wasnāt supposed to end like this. Currentheart shouldāve had a life, a mate, kits of his own⦠not this horrible, sudden stop to everything he might have been. Why did some cats die while others survived? Why had Brokenmast survived the attack of those rogues while Margo had been slaughtered? Was there any point to looking towards the future when it could all be ripped away with no warning, no matter how good or careful or kind you were?
āAnd can you extend and retract your claws for me?ā Dustjump watched intently as Brokenmast screwed up his face in concentration, toes trembling with effort as he tried to unsheathe his claws. For a moment nothing happened, but then the golden tomās feet jerked, and his claws shot out for just a moment before disappearing back into their sheathes.Ā
āExcellent!ā Dustjump exclaimed, her flicking back and forth with excitement.
The spotted tom collapsed back into his nest, panting with the strain. His eyes shone with pride, but there was a shadow of fear that never quite left his gaze. āThat was hard,ā he gasped. āBefore my accident, I didnāt even need to think about unsheathing my claws. I could just⦠do it. Will I really be able to walk again one day?ā
āI canāt promise anything,ā Dustjump warned gently, ābut you are regaining mobility. Just a few days ago, you couldnāt unsheathe your claws at all. I suspect your mobility will continue to improve for quite some time. Whether youāre able to get all the way to walking again, well, thatās in the paws of fate.ā
āYour future is carried on Changeās wind,ā a new voice, deep and smooth, rang out from the entrance of Dustjumpās den, but she did not jump. Tidechaser had come for another visit. Dustjump turned away from Brokenmast, trying to hide her smile. The big silver tom had been visiting Brokenmast in her den every day for the last quarter moon. He padded quietly into the den, coming to sit beside Brokenmast.Ā
āTidechaser,ā Brokenmast greeted warmly, straining up to touch noses with the new arrival. Tidechaser shuffled his paws at the unexpected contact, but did not look displeased by it. Dustjump slid around one of the jagged boulders in the corner of her den to give the two toms some space, and to count out her remaining supplies in the herb store.
Ā āWhat were you saying?ā Brokenmastās voice still reached her easily behind the boulder, but, well, if they hadnāt wanted her to listen, Dustjump supposed they would have whispered.
āThat your future is carried on Changeās wind. Itās an old saying amongst the loners around here. The tale must be as old as the beach itself,ā Tidechaser replied.
āA story?ā Brokenmastās voice rose eagerly. āFrom you, Tidechaser? Iād love to hear it, if youāll share.ā
āIām not much of a storyteller,ā Tidechaser admitted, ābut Iāll share it with you all the same, if youād like.ā
There was a brief pause before Tidechaser continued. āMy mother always told me that once, all cats knew the way their lives would play out. The winds of Fate pushed and pulled the tides, constant and reliable. Cats would watch the waves, and could read their futures clearly in the push and pull of the ocean. Every cat knew each moment of their life before it happened. Who their mates would be, how many kits they would have, even the day they would die. But one cat, a tom whose name is long forgotten, despised how predictable life was. There was no joy, no sense of adventure for anyone. Because every cat knew how their lives would go, no cat had any freedom. Determined to change this, the tom sought the Deepest Ones, ancient beings that live beneath the waves,ā Tidechaser paused here, and Dustjump found her ears straining to hear the tomās next words.
āI donāt remember exactly how the next part went, only that it was difficult for the tom to convince the Deepest Ones to grant his wish. Eventually, though, the tom found a Deepest One who had grown bored of life beneath the waves, and yearned to walk among the creatures of the land. In this, the tom found an opportunity. He offered to give up his body to this Deepest One, granting the creatureās wish in exchange for itās power and immortality. The bargain was struck, and when the tomās body emerged from the waves, he was no longer the one inhabiting itā instead, his soul bounded across the waves, rippling the water and carrying a new wind behind it. The tom began to run, and the wind in his wake battered against the winds of Fate, making them swirl and shift in new ways. From that day on, cats could no longer read their futures clearly in the waves, and all that had been foreseen was now subject to change. Some cursed the tom for that, for disrupting the bountiful futures they had seen laid out before them, but others thanked himā queens who had seen their kits' deaths in the tides suddenly found new hope, and cats who had been deathly ill found themselves with a chance to recover. Eventually, the tomās original name was lost to time, and he became known only as Change. And so, when fate seems grim, remember that Change and his disruptive winds are out there, dashing about, stirring each catās life so that no future is inescapable,ā Tidechaser finally fell silent.
āYou sell yourself short, Tidechaser,ā Brokenmast sounded breathless. āYouāre a great storyteller! Do you have any more?ā he sounded eager.
āMany,ā Tidechaser purred. āStories of cursed creatures that lure cats to their graves on stormy nights, stories of birds that could speak to cats, even stories of spirits sending messages through the reflection of starlight off the water,ā Dustjump froze, her blood running cold, her paws beginning to shake. āBut none for today,ā Tidechaser finished casually. āYou need to eat, and I know you wonāt do it if Iām filling your head with old shorecat legendsā¦ā
Dustjump didnāt listen to the rest of their conversation. Her mind was filled with memories from her strange dream of Pearl, of seeing her reflection in the starlit water though no cat was there. It would be foolish to think any of that had been real. When a cat died, they were gone for good. Her dream had simply been the result of her missing the life sheād had before. Hadnāt it? Despite her best efforts, Dustjump couldnāt quiet her racing thoughts.Ā
āTidechaser,ā she meowed, poking her head around the boulder where sheād been sorting herbs. āI need more dandelion, and you know the jungle better than I do. Would you accompany me?ā It wasnāt a complete lie. Tidechaser did know the territory better than any of them, never mind that Dustjump had memorized where all the best patches of common herbs were moons ago.
āOf course,ā Dustjump thought she heard a note of satisfaction in his reply, but she didnāt dwell on it.
āWeāll go now,ā she said brusquely, brushing past him on her way out of the den. āAnd do make sure you get something to eat, Brokenmast. Iāll be checking with Shell to make sure you did.ā Dustjump didnāt pay attention to her patientās mumbled reply, he might complain about it, but she knew heād do what she asked. Right now, her mind was occupied with the image of Pearl, wreathed in Starlight.
Out in the jungle, Dustjump allowed her pace to slow while she pondered how to broach this subject with Tidechaser. Just because heād been sharing old myths from the area didnāt mean he actually believed them. Would he think she was crazy if she told him about her dream? Or would he have an answer for her?
Finally, she worked up the courage to speak. āThat story you were telling Brokenmast,ā she began hesitantly, ādo you think itās true?āĀ
Tidechaser cocked his head thoughtfully. āI think that there are many things beyond the understanding of mortal cats,ā he said finally. āI think that there are powers greater than us, that push and pull on our futures in ways we will never truly understand. I donāt know if thereās really a spirit called Change running around out there, shifting our fates with his winds, but I think its a good way to understand things that would otherwise seem inexplicable. So I suppose, in that sense, I do think the story is true.ā His words were slow and measured.
Dustjump licked her lips. āA-and the other stories you mentioned? Do you believe in those as well?ā
āSome of them,ā Tidechaser meowed. āWhy do you want to know?ā
What was she doing? She couldnāt tell him that she thought sheād seen a spirit catās reflection on the water in her dreams. He hadnāt said outright that he believed any of the stories at face value. What if he thought she was raving mad?
āNo reason,ā the lie tasted bitter on her tongue. āIām⦠curious about you.ā That was true enough, at least. āYouāve lived with us for moons now, but I feel like I hardly know you. Youāve never really told us anything about yourself.ā
āThere was no reason to,ā Tidechaser meowed coldly.Ā
āIām not trying to pry,ā Dustjump said gently, pushing away thoughts of her strange dream. āI know better than most cats that the past can be precious. I donāt blame you for keeping some things to yourself. But, well, today in my den, that was the first time I really felt like I was seeing beyond the mysterious stranger. Is there⦠anything that you would feel comfortable sharing with me?āĀ
Tidechaser relaxed visibly. āWell⦠I was born on the cliffs above the beach, on a wet and windy day. I had two littermates, andā¦ā
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Sand thought that he might burst with pride as he sat among his campmates in a circle around Current. The young ginger and white tom sat up straight, chin high but expression calm, ears forward as he listened to Shell, whose speech honoring a traineeās growth had become something of a right of passage into a full adult status in their group.
Sand had always believed that Current had it in him to be an extraordinary cat, wise and brave and kind, and over the last two moons, Current had finally seemed to realize it himself. He had not lost his adventurous, sometimes goofy personality, but had instead gained a more confident and serious side that he would turn on the moment he left the camp. The young tom had grown fiercely dedicated to helping and protecting his campmates, and after a discussion with Shell last night, it had been decided that Current was ready to join the ranks of their group as a full adult. From the squirming kit Sand had carried out of the waves all those moons ago, to the bold, troublesome apprentice, to the kind, confident young cat that sat before him now, Current had come a long way indeed.
āCurrent, do you promise to remain loyal to your campmates, come what may?ā Shell asked.
āI do,ā Currentās response held no note of hesitation or uncertainty. This was a cat that understood how deep the bonds between the shipwrecked cats ran, and would defend those bonds with his life.
āThen I grant you your full status as an adult of our group. Currentāā
āWait,ā The single word stopped Shellās speech in its tracks. Sand cocked his head curiously. This wasnāt part of the newly established procedure, but he trusted his apprentice.
Current scanned the gathered cats surrounding him, and when he spoke, his words were as much for them as for Shell. āMoons ago, when we first arrived here, many of us took new names to represent the great change that had transformed us from strangers to a family of survivors. When I took my new name, I did not fully understand that. I thought only of an exciting new name, like we were all playing some sort of game. But I understand it now.āĀ
He would never have admitted this two moons ago, Sand thought. That alone was evidence of how much he had changed.
āAre you saying you wish to take another new name?ā Shell asked uncertainly.
āNot exactly,ā Current shook his head. āMy name has become part of me. Regardless of the reason I took it, it marks a turning point in my life. But I am not the same cat that I was all those moons ago. Iāve changed and grown in so many ways, and I would like something added to my name to reflect that. Now that Iāve reached another turning point in my life, my acceptance as a full adult among all of you, it seems like the right time.ā
Sand felt the truth, the rightness of his campmateās words deep in his bones. Current had changed, and he deserved a name that reflected that change fully.
āWhat would you like added?ā Shell asked warmly.
āI want all of you to decide,ā Current meowed. āYou were the ones that watched me grow up. What do you think would best reflect my journey to adulthood?ā
At this, the gathered cats began murmuring among themselves.Ā
āItās a good idea,ā Brokenmast said to Tidechaser. āIt seems right for his name to change along with him. But how should he change it?āĀ
āPerhaps āRushing Currentā,ā Tidechaser suggested. āHe has always charged headfirst into everything, but now rather than being swept up by the undertow of his boldness, he has become the guiding force behind the current.ā It was a good idea, but something about it didnāt quite fit, in Sandās opinion.
āMaybe Current-Octopus,ā Splash sniggered to Foam, who rolled his eyes lightly at that, āsince he seems to like them so much.ā Sand flicked an ear with annoyance. Splash was a great cat, but sometimes he couldnāt quite read the moment.
āCurrent of the Storm?āĀ
āWildcurrent?āĀ
None of the names were right. None of them represented the young tomās growth, his love for his campmates, his bold heart. Suddenly, Sand had it. āHis name should be Currentheart.ā
Currentās eyes locked with Sandās as the name rung out above the din. The other cats gradually fell quiet, sensing that something important was happening here. āHe should be Currentheart, because he has always, always been bold and brave. Sometimes that got him into trouble, when he didnāt think things through. But as I have watched him grow, somewhere along the way, that boldness stopped serving himself and started serving the cats around him. Think. Current has a way of lifting others up, of reaching out to the cats around him even when they donāt think they need it. Tidechaser, who was the first cat to really reach out to you?ā Tidechaser blinked slowly, and nodded. āSpindle, who told you stories in the nursery when you felt alone?āĀ
āCurrent did,ā the young molly looked at her paws. āI know all of you loved me and cared for me, but Current made sure to tell me what was going on. What heād seen while training. It got me into trouble once but⦠I appreciated it.āĀ
Sand nodded and moved on. āSplash, who challenged you to new heights by providing a rival to compete against?āĀ
Splashās eyes glinted with pride, and Sand knew that it was pride not only in himself, but in his friend as well. Current really had come to be special to each and every one of them. āCurrentās heart has always been the strongest thing about him, and when I look at him now, I see a cat who will put others first, no matter the cost to himself, who will never let anyone feel sad or alone or afraid for long. So his name should be Currentheart.ā Sandās jaws closed with a definitive snap, bringing his speech to an end. When his eyes met Currentās once more, he could see love and gratitude brimming in their amber depths.Ā
āThank you,ā he meowed unsteadily. āThank you, Sand. For teaching me. For believing in me. For seeing me. Yes, I want to be Currentheart. I donāt know if Iām really all the things you say I am but I swear, I will try to be.ā
āThen Currentheart it is,ā Shell purred.
āCurrent, we name you Currentheart in honor of your boldness and your loving heart, and we welcome you as a full member of our group.āĀ
Somehow, that didnāt seem like a good enough end to it. Sand tilted his head back, opened his jaws, and yowled āCurrentheart! Currentheart!ā up into the clear blue sky. After a pawful of heartbeats, the rest of the camp joined in.
Brokenmast gritted his teeth and nodded. There was no uncertainty in Dustjumpās question, just the calm caution of a healer confirming with her patient that they were ready to take the next step in their recovery. And he was. He knew he was.
Two moons ago, Dustjump had announced that the driftwood splints that had kept his back straight had done all the good they were ever going to do- the bones had healed fully, and all that was left was increasing Brokenmastās mobility. When the uncomfortable, stiff splints had come off, Brokenmast had breathed a sigh of relief, believing the hardest part of his recovery to be over. Heād been wrong.
Dustjump had never lied to him about his path to recovery, but part of Brokenmast had expected the healing of the fractures in his spine to do more for him, that once theyād healed heād be able to walk again. But apparently, healing the damage in his spine and retraining his back half to function the way it once had were two distinct processes, not entirely unrelated, but not a one to one connection either. Heād been able to start some of that work while the splint was on, but most of it had to wait for the bones to mend fully. Over the last two moons, Brokenmast had regained much of the feeling in his hind legs (though he still woke up with his hind legs numb if he slept in the wrong position), and had then worked hard to regain a complete range of motion. A moon ago, heād been able to stand for the first time since his accident, albeit with support from the hefty reeds Dustjump had been binding his legs with and help from his campmates. A half-moon ago, heād taken his first steps with Tidechaser and Dustjump supporting him on either side. And today, he was going to walk out of the den on his own for the first time.Ā
Dustjumpās eyes shone with pride. āIāll go and get him,ā she purred. āYou join us when you feel ready.ā The light brown tabby ducked out of the den, leaving Brokenmast alone with Foam, the only cat aside from Dustjump who knew what he would be attempting today. When the young brown and white tom had first moved into Dustjumpās den with a deadly cough, Brokenmast had felt mildly concerned for his acquaintance, but heād also felt a tiny bit resentful of having the space heād come to think of as belonging to him and Dustjump invaded by another cat. But as Foam had lain recovering in his nest, with nothing to do other than sleep and talk all day, he and Brokenmast had struck up a true friendship, to the point where Brokenmast had been sad to see the other tom leave the den once heād recovered. However, true to his word, Foam had continued to visit, sometimes to bring food or talk, and sometimes to assist with his recovery. Between him, Tidechaser and Dustjump, Brokenmastās old loneliness seemed a distant memory.
āIām ready now,ā he informed Foam, bowing his head. Foam bent over with a purr, sinking his teeth gently but firmly into Brokenmastās scruff and heaving up. As Brokenmast felt the pull on the back of his neck, he pushed up with all four paws, settling into a standing position. Going from laying or sitting to standing was still very difficult for him to do alone, but he could feel himself growing stronger all the time. Soon heād be able to rise to his paws unassisted.Ā
Foam gingerly touched his nose to Brokenmastās ear. āI know you can do this,ā he murmured.
Brokenmast nodded, not daring to break his concentration with a verbal reply as Foam helped him to the entrance of the den. The other tomās supportive bulk disappeared from Brokenmastās side, and he paused for a moment, preparing himself for the task ahead.Ā
He stepped out into the light.
It was a clumsy step, solid and hard, like his paws were made of wood, but it was his step, and his step alone. He found his goal, the broad, spotted back of Tidechaser, currently facing away from him, deep in conversation with Dustjump. The molly glanced over her shoulder, catching sight of Brokenmast with a flick of her ear for acknowledgement. She leaned close to Tidechaser to whisper something, her tail brushing along his back, and then Tidechaser was turning around, his gaze confused at first, then going wide as he caught sight of Brokenmast.Ā
Brokenmast took another step. Then another. The journey across the campās clearing seemed to take moons, and he was panting by the time he made it halfway across, but he was determined to make it all the way there. His gaze was trained on his goal, the large form of Tidechaser watching him with pride and joy shining in his eyes. Brokenmast kept moving forward.
With a final step, he reached his friend, his heart pounding and his breath heaving. But he was here at last, here at Tidechaserās side, and heād done it all by himself. Tidechaser bumped his head against Brokenmastās with a purr so hard that it shook his entire body. āYou did it,ā Tidechaser murmured. āYou really did it. Brokenmast, youāre amazing. Congratulations.ā
The rest of the cats in camp closed in around them, offering words of praise and encouragement, but to Brokenmast, Tidechaserās words were worth more than all of them combined.
Shell parted her jaws, panting slightly as she trotted along in front of Tidechaser and Foam. She allowed herself to slow down just a bit, falling in beside Foam.Ā āThis really was a marvelous idea,ā she murmured into his ear. Foamās eyes shown brightly, his tail shooting straight up with pride.Ā āWhy donāt you lead us up to that patch of jagged stones up the beach, and we can set the last markers there?ā
āSure!ā Foam chirped, taking the lead. In the two moons since Shell had honored the young tom as a full member of their group, he had proven himself a hard working, reliable cat.Ā
The night before, he had approached her with an idea to mark out a territory for the survivors to roam, and borders to check regularly. Shell had been uncertain at first, but his logic had been sound. Foam pointed out that, when Current had left camp the moon before without Sandās permission, no cat had known where to look for him because they had all been roaming different areas of the beach and jungle. If they had clearly set boundaries, all the cats could learn the same area well enough to know where to look for missing cats, where to find the best prey, and where to keep an eye out for threats. Seeing his point, Shell had called Foam and Tidechaser aside this morning with the goal of setting boundaries for the survivors--Foam because it was his idea, and Tidechaser because of his familiarity with the wider area. It had turned out that patrolling with the two toms had given her the chance to know both of them better--she even felt a little less apprehensive towards Tidechaser now.
āYou did an excellent job teaching him,ā she commented to the pale tom, flicking her ears in Foamās direction.Ā āThank you.ā
Tidechaser blinked, stoic as ever, but Shell thought she could pick out a hint of pride in his eyes.Ā āHe was a quick learner,ā he replied.Ā
Shell opened her jaws to add something more, but stiffened at the scent that hit the roof of her mouth.Ā āI smell blood,ā she hissed.
Tidechaser narrowed his eyes, tasting the air.Ā āYouāre right,ā he growled,Ā āand itās fresh.ā
āFoam!ā Shell called, bounding ahead to catch up with the young tom to warn him of the potential danger, but he was already tasting the air, his hackles raised and fur spiked with alarm.
āI smell cat-scent mixed in with the blood,ā Foam breathed.
Shell felt her stomach twist as Tidechaser slid up beside them.Ā āHow do you want to handle this?ā He said lowly, and for once Shell would not have minded if he had simply taken the lead instead of deferring to her. But that was a foolish thought, she knew. The survivors had chosen her to lead them, and lead them she must.
She was silent for a moment as she considered the situation. If there was something out there attacking cats, they could all be at risk. But on the other paw, there might be a cat out there that needed their help. She couldnāt risk leaving another cat to suffer, even if there was danger.Ā āWe approach slowly,ā she decided.Ā āStay low, and stay together until we find the source of the scent.ā
The three cats crept forward, belly fur brushing the sand as they stalked across the beach, following the blood-scent. Shell wasnāt sure how much time had passed when Foam let out a startled yowl, charging forward. Shell let out an annoyed hiss, preparing to reprimand the young tom, when he called out,Ā āover here! I found him! A-and heās breathing!ā
In a heartbeat, Shell and Tidechaser were up, racing along the beach after Foam as they approached a heap of ginger speckled fur. Shell narrowed her eyes. That pelt, that scent... she knew this cat! Heād been on the ship with them!
āSergio!ā Shell meowed,Ā āSergio, what happened?āĀ
The ginger tom groaned, cracking open an eye.Ā āWas... attacked... so many...ā His head flopped back onto the sand limply, and Shell saw a trickle of blood run down his face from a wound behind one ear.Ā
āIāll get help,ā Foam offered, tearing off in the direction of camp.
Shell started towards the rumpled heap of fur, but then Tidechaser was in front of her, blocking her way.Ā āWhat are you doing?ā she hissed,Ā āhe needs help!ā She tried to duck around him, but he cut her off again. Shell slid her claws out, ready to force her way past him.
āJust wait!ā Tidechaser growled,Ā ālisten to me. I know you want to help, but you canāt move him.ā His tone was urgent, serious, and Shell regarded him with a searching gaze, waiting for an explanation. Tidechaser crept over to Sergio slowly, placing a paw delicately along his back.Ā āSee this wound here, along his spine... I think it might be broken.āĀ
Shell shuddered at the thought. A broken back... could a cat even survive that? How awful would it be to find another survivor only to lose him right away? Tidechaser met her gaze, seeming to read her thoughts.Ā āI canāt tell you what will happen to him. My knowledge of such matters is lacking. But I do know that we shouldnāt move him until weāre sure of the damage.ā
āDustjump will know what to do,ā Shell murmured.Ā
Tidechaser nodded solemnly.Ā āAll we can do for now is wait.ā