PREDATORS
by Chimera Bloom
Part 13
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"My gods, what happened to her?" A voice called out to them in the darkness.
Even with their enhanced jungle vision, neither Lineva nor Halauris could see the person speaking to them. Lineva could hear someone moving towards them. From the sound of the footsteps she could tell the person was tall and heavy.
"Who's there?" Halauris screamed out into the surrounding darkness. Even with the moon shinning down from above, they couldn't see the person calling out to them in the darkness.
"That snake! How did she find her again?" The voice asked suddenly appearing before the two jungle cats.
"Stay back!" Lineva screamed backing against the deserted building behind.
Halauris whimpered as she saw the shark emerge before them. Lineva tried to put herself between the shark and Halauris. The warrior didn't know what to expect. But at the moment, it was at least obvious that the shark wasn't there to feed.
Even thought their tribal war had officially ended with the Midali, neither jungle cat was interested in striking up a friendship. And even though the shark was clearly trying to remain at a distance, it did little to put either cat at ease. To make matters worse, Lineva could feel the heron weakening in her arms. The temporary effects of the rollen juice were giving way to the more permanent effects of the venom.
Stories of the Midali were legendary, all throughout the kingdom. Lineva had heard on more then one occasion just how unkind a shark could be to the body of a fallen enemy. The tales were bloody, horrific and gruesome. And it was something that the warrior would do anything to spare Halauris from having to see.
"Just let us go. Let us take her. No one has to get hurt." Lineva said realizing that even though she only saw the one shark, there could be others.
She had fought in the tribal war. She knew how stealthy their kind could be. She also knew that even if they ran at top speed, there was little chance that they could escape a hungry Midali hybrid.
Lineva knew that they would need a distraction. Looking down at Elila she realized that the heron was already lost. It might be necessary to sacrifice the few remaining moments of her life, so that she and Halauris could escape.
It was something that needed explanation. It was something that needed reason. But she knew it wasn't likely that the shark would allow her a few moments to talk things over with Halauris. If she were going to do anything, it would have to be now.
"Okay, just calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." The shark said stopping her impulse to move closer.
Even from this distance she could hear the heron's weakening heart. Elila didn't have much time left. And her tribe couldn't afford to let the heron die. The Midali had no interest in going through yet another war with the Fasara. And if Elila died, she knew that was exactly what would happen.
"Let us go." Lineva commanded through a tone of raw steel.
The warrior looked over at Halauris and could see that the girl wouldn't hold up much longer. As far as she was concerned, the girl had already been more then brave. Normally, the sight of a hungry shark appearing out of the darkness was enough to make anyone woman break down into tears.
But not Halauris, she was visibly frightened. And yet, she hadn't once cried. She hadn't even called out in fear. And Lineva respected that. It wasn't often that she found a woman that had the courage of a warrior.
"Please calm down." The shark pleaded.
She didn't know if the warrior was even aware of it, but her arms were trembling. Several times it looked like the heron would slip right out of them. But through some mercy, Elila had yet to crash to the ground.
The warrior tried to study the shark's body. At one time she would have been able to tell just what the shark was thinking. During the war, they had all been taught to read Midali body language. It came in handy especially during battle.
Some sharks only attacked in a streamline pattern. They would have to face you square on to strike your position. Others would attack from below lifting your body clear into the air with the strength of their limbs. The only problem was Lineva couldn't seem to remember a single thing that she had learned. And as the shark stood there in front of them, the she began to think that the Midali had already moved into attack formation.
"Here, take her!" Lineva screamed throwing the body of the unconscious heron at the rather surprised shark.
Before Halauris could even react the warrior had grabbed her arm and pulled her off into the darkness. They ran as fast as they could trying to make their way back to safety. But somewhere along the line, Lineva realized they were terribly lost.
Yet, she knew that they couldn't stop. The warrior clearly remembered how some Midali liked to hunt in schools. They would quietly surround their prey waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
"I can't…" Halauris gasped out stopping her movements right in the middle of the courtyard.
Lineva was more then frightened. The battle with the Midali had been her undoing. And she didn't want to revisit that horrifying place ever again.
But she had already sacrificed Elila. And she wouldn't loose anyone else. She wouldn't fail, not again. So, the warrior ignored every single protest that her tired body gave and ran back to Halauris' side. Quickly, she bent down and lifted the girl onto her back. And then she ran, further and faster then she had ever gone in her life.
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Carielle looked down at the wounded girl in her arms. She certainly hadn't been expecting that move on part of the warrior. But nonetheless it served her purposes. All she had wanted was to get Elila to a healer anyways.
Not wanting to waste anymore time Carielle ran into the Aquatic Hall looking for the nearest healer. She knew that Elila would recover as long as she received the proper medicine. But even moving at her fasted speed, she knew that Elila didn't have much longer to go.
"Baysha?" She screamed spotting the healer on the other side of the ceremonial pool.
Startling everyone in her path, she easily jumped into the waiting water below. She swam a short distance careful to keep the heron above the water at all times. By the time she reached the healer, Baysha had already seen the problem. The heron's medical condition was blatantly obvious. Elila's normally white skin had turned a thick shade of navy blue. But thankfully, Baysha was coming towards them with a long tube of thick green anti-venom.
"The snake found her again?" Baysha asked wondering how it was that the heron seemed to be so terribly unlucky.
"Carielle, I need you to keep her afloat while I administer the medication." The healer directed.
Quickly, Carielle did as she was directed. She held her breath hoping that somehow she had gotten Elila to the healer in time. Carielle had lost too many friends and family in the war to ever accept such horror again.
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She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her own hands had marred her beauty. There were deep red cuts running the length of her body. And it made her feel terribly dirty and ashamed.
Recently, she had been having such a hard time controlling her temper. Anger seemed to get the best of her. There were many times that Narlene had worried that she would act out in public. That she would loose control and strike out at some unsuspecting tribe mate.
But all the regret in the world couldn't change what she had just done. Carefully, she ran her hand over the longest scratch. It ran from the very middle of her stomach all the way down to her thighs. It was deep and ugly as it marked her flesh with an angry red swell.
Narlene turned away from the mirror. She couldn't look at herself anymore. She couldn't look at the marks. But she knew that she had to treat them. Reaching for a long tube of ointment and a bottle of antiseptic she began the slow process of treating her self-inflected injuries.
"Oh Kellis... I had wanted this to be perfect. But I don't know how I'm ever going to explain this to you." Narlene whispered as she tended her wounds with a soft and gentle touch.
The antiseptic stung as it disinfected the wide berths of her broken skin. But the cream was cool and thankfully it alleviated some of her discomfort. Finally, when all her wounds had been tended she turned to face her own reflection. The welts were just as angry looking as before. But at least now, Narlene knew that she had done everything possible to fix her error.
Quickly, she slipped into her sandals and pulled on her loosest dress. Even though the black material was soft and glittery it still stung as it rested against her wounded flesh. But she could tolerate it, at least for a little while. In all truth, Narlene didn't have much intention of staying clothed for much longer.
"What do I say? I know you're going to ask me about this." Narlene said to her reflection.
At the moment, she couldn't seem to think of a valid explanation for her injuries. Kellis was far too intelligent to believe some sort of ridiculous story of an accidental fall or a surreptitious collision. No, if she were going to explain away her swollen welt to the warrior she would have to do better then a case of calamity.
"Oh... that's perfect." Narlene whispered as she eagerly moved her hand lightly up her thigh.
Her abdomen and upper thighs hand been injured the most severely. And as her fingertip grazed across the tightly knitted scratches, she knew that she had the perfect explanation. And best of all, it would go hand in hand with her long term plans.
Walking back into the other room, Narlene went to check on the warrior. She could instantly tell that Kellis seemed to be getting decidedly worse. Even the warrior's skin seemed drawn, pale, and swollen. Narlene seemed to remember that these were all very important symptoms of something, she just couldn't remember what.
"Kellis, honey? I'm sorry that you still don't feel well. But there's nothing that I can do about that now. I have to go out for a little while. And I do hate to leave you like this." Narlene whispered, gently wiping the matted blonde hair away from the warrior's face.
"But this will be good. This will give you a chance to rest. We have a big night ahead of us and I need you to be at your best." Narlene whispered becoming troubled by the spasms tearing through the warrior's body. They seemed to be getting worse. It was almost like Kellis was having a seizure of some kind.
"Now since I have to go out I need you to be quiet while I'm going. It's getting late and people will be coming back soon. And no one can know that you're in here." Narlene said walking back over to her luggage bag.
It took a few seconds of sifting, but eventually Narlene found what she was looking for. She pulled out a thick navy blue scarf and wadded it up into a tight forming ball. She hated to have to do this. After all, this was one of her favorite scarves.
"Now, I'm just going to put this in your mouth while I'm gone. It's just to keep you quiet." Narlene whispered.
Quickly, the woman shoved the silk right into the warrior's waiting mouth. She was careful to avoid the warrior's feline fangs. And within seconds Narlene was pleased to see that she had effectively gagged her.
She heard Kellis cough and moan. It was clear that the gag was interfering with what little air the warrior had been getting before. But Narlene couldn't be concerned with that now. She knew that Kellis would survive.
After all, Kellis was strong. She could certainly handle something as silly as a silk scarf. So, without another backward glance, Narlene slipped out of the room locking the warrior inside. As she turned her key in the lock Narlene knew without question that she was doing the right thing. In time, Kellis would come to thank her for this. Because in the end, they would only have each other.
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"I think we're safe." Lineva wheezed falling down onto the ground. She let her body crash into the soft dirt knowing that she had used up all the resources she had left in her sturdy frame.
"Oh my god." Halauris whispered feeling like they had just done something terribly wrong.
"Elila... " The girl uttered obviously thinking of the terrible fate that had befallen the heron.
"We didn't have a choice. She was already dying. And that shark would have killed us." Lineva muttered trying to rationalize her abandonment of the heron.
"We have to go back for her." Halauris cried out wondering if there was anything left of the girl to find.
"NO! We can't." Lineva answered wondering where they even were.
"We have to get help!" Halauris screamed.
"Halauris listen me... what happened was awful. Yes, we had to sacrifice her. But we can't go back. And she wouldn't want us to. She would want to know that we were safe. She would want to know that she didn't die for nothing." Lineva gasped out trying to calm the girl.
For the time being, Halauris seemed content with the warrior's answer. She fell into the ground weeping onto the soft grass. She didn't even object when the warrior pulled her into a gentle embrace.
Lineva tried to calm the frightened girl. And in all honesty, the warrior was just as terrified as she was. But Lineva knew that she couldn't give into her emotions. She had to stay calm and rational, at least until they reached safety.
But as the warrior looked around, she realized that they had a very serious problem. Lineva had no idea where they were. Her only thoughts had been to get as far from the shark as possible. She hadn't given a single thought to direction. And now, as she gazed up at the unfamiliar building surrounding them, Lineva began to wonder if they were truly out of harm's way.
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The healer's nimble hands danced across the heron in a quick and easy pattern. Truthfully, Baysha didn't really know that much about heron physiology. And the fact that Elila was a half-breed certainly didn't make treating her any easier.
But the healer didn't need to be an expert to know that her patient was suffering from the effects of a lethal amount of venom. Baysha really wasn't sure how such a thing could have happened. This morning, she had given the heron medication before Elila returned to her tribe. She had seemed fine then, in fact Baysha had thought that she had nearly recovered.
And yet apparently that had not been the case. The healer knew that cobras had a special addiction to the taste of heron flesh. Anyone who had spent anytime in the swamp or the greenery basin knew that. But Baysha couldn't even pretend to understand the strange effect that venom had on a heron's body.
Either Elila had run into the snake again, or her body had somehow managed to store the venom. Luckily, the healer had managed to pour a full dose of anti-venom done the girl's throat. And the liquid seemed to be doing the trick.
As the healer ran her hand across Elila's chest, she could feel the girl's heart rate returning to almost normal. Although, Baysha silently admitted to herself that she wasn't exactly sure what normal for Elila was.
But there were other indicators that the heron was out of mortal danger. Her fever seemed to be going down. Her skin appeared less blue, flushed and swollen. Even the pupils of her eyes were alert and responsive. All in all, Baysha felt fairly confident in Elila's ability to recover.
"How is she?" Carielle asked with thick tones of concern lacing her voice.
The healer had to admit that she found Carielle's concern a bit odd. Carielle had seemed completely out of sorts when Elila had first arrived on their doorstep. And now, it would appear the shark was truly worried for the heron's well-being.
"Well, I think she's going to live." Baysha answered thankful that all the other sharks seemed to staying away.
It was hard enough to medically treat an outsider. The healer had been grateful that she had at least been given the chance to do without an audience. Once they had lifted the heron's body from the liquid floor of the Aquatic Hall, all the other sharks had cut them a rather wide berth.
Baysha knew that most of it had to do with the fact that Carielle had cautiously remained nearby. No Midali would dare to question Carielle's authority. After all, out here in the Gallion Village only Pedryn was her superior.
But the healer knew that it was more then Carielle's silent yet steely presence that had kept the sharks away. It was Elila herself. As Baysha had fervently worked on the heron, she had heard the whispers rising up from the watery depths below. They knew that a heron had been brought in. Carielle's rather splashy entrance had seen to that.
And now, they were all clamoring to know why. As she patiently waited for the emerald green anti-venom to work, Baysha heard the rumors circling around. They all wanted to know who the heron was. Before long, everyone knew that it was Elila. And from that point on, every Midali in the tribe seemed to be wondering why the daughter of the Fasara Alpha was amongst them.
"You think?" Carielle snapped not wanting to play guessing games when it came to things like life, death, and war.
"I'm sorry. I can't know for sure. I don't know enough about her body. We need a swamp healer." Baysha admitted wondering where they would even find one. Since the swamp had never been formally invited to participate in the Gallion they were known to keep a low profile when in the Village.
"But there is one thing I'm confused about." Baysha admitted eyeing her superior a bit cautiously.
"What's that?" Carielle asked wondering if Pedryn would once again have to treat the heron. She had hoped to keep her cousin as far as possible from Elila. But it just didn't seem like that was going to even be a remote possibility.
"There's no bite mark." Baysha said turning the girl's wrist over in her hand. Carielle moved closer to take a better look at the heron's unmarked flesh.
"I've looked her over from top to bottom, there's no bite mark. I don't know how she was even exposed to the venom." Baysha admitted.
Carielle cautiously knelt over the heron. She could tell from the crumpled state of Elila's dress that the healer had indeed looked everywhere. But Carielle could see nothing out of the ordinary. And she had to admit that she was just as confused as Baysha.
"Her skin had almost turned completely blue. Even her lips were the color of sky. I thought heron's only turned blue if they were bitten?" Carielle asked the healer.
"So did I. In fact, I've always heard that the blue stems from the initial bite. To heal them most effectively you have to make sure that the initial bite is disinfected and treated." Baysha said hoping that Carielle might know something more about herons then she did.
"And you didn't find anything?" Carielle asked again wondering if there was a place that the snake could have hidden the mark.
"Trust me, I looked everywhere. No snake bit this girl." Baysha said adamant that she had done a thorough examination.
"Then how did the venom get inside Elila?" Carielle asked feeling like they were missing a very important fact.
"I have no idea." Baysha answered hoping that once the heron regained consciousness she would be able to tell them.
Carielle glanced around the Aquatic Hall realizing how silent everything had become. All the Midali seemed to be patiently waiting for some sign or indication. She knew that there would have to be explanation. They couldn't just start an awards banquet with Elila passed out in the back of the hall.
She knew that there would have to be answers for the many murmured questions circling through the water. But fortunately, Carielle knew that it wasn't her responsibility to provide them. Pedryn would have to be the one to explain the heron's presence to the tribe.
"I have to go speak with Pedryn. You will stay with her?" Carielle whispered to the healer.
"Of course." Baysha answered grateful that the shark was finally going to collect her cousin. In all honesty, the healer didn't understand why Pedryn hadn't been sent for before. Baysha could have used another healer especially in strange circumstances like this one.
Carielle calmly walked out of the hall ignoring the sound that her wet clothes made as they clung to her body. There was nothing that she hated more then wet clothes. But there was nothing she could do about it now; she didn't have time to change. She had to find Pedryn. And she could only hope that her cousin would be able to handle the news.
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"Miss, excuse me… Miss?" Narlene tried to avoid the sound of the voice that seemed to be homing in on her position.
Once again, she tried to avoid the rather annoying sales girl as she ducked behind another rack of lacy bedroom clothes. She hated to be rushed but between this woman and Kellis' weakening health Narlene knew that she just didn't have much time. Hurriedly, she ran her hand through the rack finally landing on one item of some interest.
It was nothing like the one that she had before, but it would suffice. It was a powder blue lace teddy that could only be described as sheer. But it came with a long blue robe that Narlene knew would look devastatingly perfect on her.
"Miss, I'm sorry but we're closed. You're going to have to leave and come back tomorrow." The sales girl said finally having caught up to Narlene.
Narlene eyed the girl trying to determine the best approach. The girl was obviously of rodent descendant, her tiny hands were a dead give away. Her eyes were small and dark as they blinked rapidly under the bright lights of the small boutique.
There was nothing that Narlene despised more then a rodent hybrid. There were all so small and shifty. And their classically nervous demeanor was enough to make Narlene want to scream.
But Narlene could instantly tell that a hard approach wouldn't work this girl. This small rat was terribly frightened of her. And Narlene could completely understand why After all, she did have feline blood running through her veins. Under normal circumstances there heritage alone would make them natural enemies. But this was the Gallion Village; everyone was supposed to be on their best tribal behavior.
"Really? But there are people still up at the register." Narlene cooed trying her best to come off soft and sweet.
Truthfully, she had known the boutique was closed even before she came in. She had to force her way passed a mechanical lock to even get in the place. But she had no intention of going home empty handed. Kellis deserved a perfect night together and Narlene was determined to make that happen.
"Yeah, they're just waiting to check out. But we're closed." The rat answered nervously holding her hands defensively across her chest.
Narlene had to stop her every natural instinct to take a good long swipe at the girl with her strong jungle-cat hand. The girl was so small and tiny; it would be easy to roll her right over. But Narlene reminded herself that she wasn't here to play silly games with the rat. She was here for something beautiful.
"Well, this is all that I want. Can't I just go check out?" Narlene warmly smiled at the girl hoping that the rat would give into her request.
The rat seemed to look around while she considered the cat's request. Even though she was a rodent that didn't mean that she was stupid. She had seen Narlene sneak into the boutique. And she had no intention of rewarding such rude behavior.
"Sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You can come back tomorrow." The rat said smiling sweetly at the cat. She could see a few other sales girls still on the floor. And even though there were some customers still present, it didn't excuse the cat's behavior.
"I can't…I just got married tonight. I need this. You don't want my wedding night to be unmemorable do you?" Narlene asked trying to appeal to the rat's sense of romance.
Truthfully Narlene had no idea if rat's even had a sense of romance. She had to admit that her knowledge of rodents was very small. But she really didn't need to know that much just to bat them around on the floor.
"Sorry…But congratulations." The rat said trying desperately to stay firm and focused.
She had spent her life being bullied by people like Narlene. And even though she did feel for the cat's circumstance she didn't even believe that it was the truth. There wasn't even a wedding band wrapped around the cat's neck. The rat didn't know why Narlene wanted the teddy, but she knew that it was most certainly not for a honeymoon.
"Listen, all I want is this. Now I want to walk over to that register and you're going to check me out personally. And you're going to stop being such an incessant pain. You're making me cranky." Narlene said feeling the familiar waves of anger rise up.
To accentuate her point, Narlene walked dangerously close the rat. After everything that she had already done this evening beating up one defenseless rodent certainly wasn't above her. And just to make sure that the girl understood her intentions, Narlene growled ever so slightly. She opened up her mouth, but only a little. She wanted the rat to get just a glimpse of her feline teeth.
"Of course…" The rat whispered escorting Narlene over to the counter.
Narlene was delighted to see that she was finally getting the service that she deserved. And even more delicious was the fact that the rat was literally trembling before her. Their kind was always so easy to intimidate.
"Here you are." The rat said putting her new blue teddy into a soft white bag.
"Well, thank you so much." Narlene said smiling madly. The rat flinched under the cat's stare and she nervously backed away from the counter. But Narlene only turned to leave. She didn't have any more time to spend frightening a mere rodent. After all, she had a warrior eagerly awaiting her return.
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She found her all alone and frightened kneeling in the clearing. Her normally powerful frame had fallen over into the muddy grown. And all though the shark couldn't be positive, she would swear that Pedryn was crying.
"Hey…" Carielle whispered.
She didn't want to startled her cousin. She knew from personal experience how physically painful that could be. It was much better to alert Pedryn to her presence. After all, if she had been crying Carielle knew that the interruption would be most unwelcome.
"I'll be there in a minute." Pedryn snapped not bothering to turn around.
Carielle felt her body freeze in place. She knew that tone. It was a tone of ice and violence. Carielle didn't know what exactly was bothering her cousin but she was beginning to think that she didn't want to be involved.
Tonight was a time of celebration. Tonight they honored the most accomplished warriors of their tribe. And tonight, Pedryn would fill in for her Alpha in a most sacred of roles. Pedryn should be filled with pride and joy. But instead, the shark was angry and obviously very emotionally unstable.
"Ah, Pedryn…" Carielle said knowing that she had to let her cousin know that the heron was inside the hall.
Pedryn was going to have to explain her presence to the other Midali warriors. Carielle was pleased that thus far her tribe seemed to have taken the heron's presence with a silent grain of salt. No one was being violent or even demanding. They were all clearly waiting for some kind of guidance from their Alpha.
"I need a minute Carielle." Pedryn hissed. She tried to put as much warning into her tone as possible. She didn't want to hurt Carielle. But she was in no mood for talk.
She had come out here to be alone. The furtherst garden from the Aquatic Hall seemed like such a quiet place to sit and gather her thoughts. But within moments, her thoughts had turned dark and ugly. Her body had rapidly filled with guilt. And now all she wanted was to let the earth swallow her whole.
"Listen, it's obvious that you're having some kind of moment out here…but we have a problem." Carielle said trying to stay a safe distance away from her cousin.
"Then handle it!" Pedryn snapped wishing that her cousin would show more initiative.
It was obvious that she was the better choice for Alpha. It constantly seemed like Carielle needed her hand held for the most simplistic of tasks. Pedryn respected her cousin's ability as a warrior. But as a leader, Carielle left much to be desired.
"Pedryn, what is going on? You should be happy tonight. Why are you out here all alone?" Carielle asked letting her tone convey her annoyance.
She knew that Pedryn was in no mood for confrontation. But Carielle felt that she couldn't just leave. Her cousin was obviously very upset. And there was still the heron to discuss.
"I don't have to explain myself to you." Pedryn hissed finally rising from the ground.
Carielle almost visibly winced when she saw her cousin rise to her full towering height. She knew that if they ever got into a physical confrontation there would be little that she could do to defend herself. In nearly every way, Pedryn was most definitely her physical superior.
"No, you don't…I just want to help." Carielle whispered trying to calm her cousin's flaring temper.
"There's nothing that you can do to help. Please, just leave me alone." Pedryn said softening her tone just a bit.
She really hadn't meant to start a fight with Carielle. She just wanted to be left alone with her grief and misery. Crying was demeaning enough on its own merit, she certainly didn't want an audience.
"The ceremony is about to begin." Carielle whispered knowing that every single member of their tribe was gathering in the Aquatic Hall anxiously awaiting Pedryn's arrival.
But Pedryn didn't give her another response. Her cousin only turned her back, walking deeper into the water gardens. Carielle followed knowing that she didn't have much choice in the matter. Truthfully, she would have loved to give Pedryn a few moments to collect herself. But now was certainly not the time.
"Carielle, please…" Pedryn pleaded not wanting to emotionally break down in front of her cousin.
"I'm sorry. But I have to tell you about Elila." Carielle said hoping that her cousin would find a way to solve their little problem.
At first, Pedryn didn't say anything. She simply froze in place listening to the sounds of the garden swirling all around her. Somewhere in the distance she could hear a humming bird. And directly to her right she could see a swirling moth. And for just a moment, she closed her eyes and took it all in.
She tried to focus on the bright beams of the moon. She tried to listen to the beat of her own heart. She even tried to stare at the black behind her own eyes. But nothing she did blocked out the words that her cousin had just spoke.
Carielle wanted to discuss Elila. And Pedryn couldn't begin to imagine why. She hoped it wasn't because of something untoward that the heron had done. Pedryn had no desire to create anymore bad relations between their tribes.
Even though her mouth opened to ask why, Pedryn couldn't seem to get the words out. Elila was the reason she had secluded herself outside in the first place. Elila was the reason why Pedryn felt like she couldn't go through with the ceremony. And now, Carielle felt the need to discuss the heron at quite conceivably the worst moment possible.
"She's here." Carielle whispered when she noticed that her cousin seemed unable to respond. Pedryn's eyes narrowed on the grounds surrounding them. She didn't know what her cousin was talking about. She couldn't begin to guess what could have brought Elila back out to their territory.
"She's inside…in the hall." Carielle added when she saw Pedryn scan the grounds around them.
"Why?" Pedryn finally managed to whisper.
She really didn't know what could have brought Elila back out to their grounds. But she only hoped that the heron had come alone. She knew that other jungle cats would not be welcome amongst her people.
"The snake…Elila was all blue…and she could barely breath." Carielle muttered not sure how much detail her cousin really needed to know.
"Is she all right?" Pedryn asked worried that the heron was suffocating on venom.
"Yeah, for now. Baysha worked on her. She gave her a lot of anti-venom. She said that Elila seems to be doing better. But I think she could really use your input on the subject." Carielle said hoping that her cousin would be able to pull it together long enough to conduct tonight's ceremony.
"Of course." Pedryn whispered realizing that once again, the heron apparently needed her services.
Both of the sharks silently walked back into the hall. Carielle kept carefully glancing at her cousin hoping to read her mood and thoughts. But whatever was bothering Pedryn she was apparently going to keep to herself. Truthfully, Carielle realized that she probably knew what was bothering the towering Alpha shark. She only hoped that seeing Elila wouldn't make a difficult situation painfully worse.
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CONTINUED...