Chapter Ten: Rising Storm

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A fickle cook, the world she be.

Take heat and water, wind so free,

And whip it into towered form,

For nothing beats the dark of storm.

For nothing beats the dark of storm

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"Drakons they're fast. Was Taz sure they could actually keep up with those two?"

It was the first question of the cat's two-sun's-paw-length-and-counting ramble that Sethral actually felt obliged to answer. To be honest, she had not expected such a thing so soon. "Taz and Fletch are Rocklanders, Silver. World's fastest runners? Ring a bell? The moment those Mountain lumps hit unfamiliar territory, Taz'll be able to beat them to Greenfalls by a solid day."

"When can we eat?"

"Did you hear my answer?"

"You didn't answer me; I just asked about food!"

Sethral made an irritated noise. Silversand's brain went too many places too quickly for any sensible creature to keep up. "I'll let us down midday. Whatever you want for food, catch then."

Silversand moaned and leaned off her back as though keeling over from hunger.

"Do you want me to dump you off?"

The Royal corrected her position. She turned her eyes skyward and mimed Sethral behind her back. Sethral folded her wings. The mocking faces were wiped clean as the Royal seated herself dead center with a terrified squeak. Sethral leveled out and smirked at the now-familiar stream of language issuing forth from over her shoulder. In a huff, Silversand flopped down and sulked at the forest as though it had personally insulted her.

The Royal's sullen silence lasted exactly eighty-one heartbeats: a new record. Her one-sided chatter did not abate again until the two stopped to eat at sunhigh. Silversand caught food, then stood with head cocked until she could hear the Mountainairs in the distance. She and Sethral arrived at the latest meeting spot just after Taz and Fletch.

"They haven't changed tracks, Whip," said Silversand.

"Then they're still headed for the pass," said Fletch. Now only half a day ahead, the mountain pass to the South Flats was a target as worrisome as it was likely.

"They can't be expecting any Coppertails this early in the season," said Taz. "They only start taking that pass when the midsummer storms hit, and sometimes not even then. It's still Wing Moon."

"Maybe they're not waiting for the Coppertails," said Fletch.

Sethral nodded. "They could also be headed for Greenfalls. It's right there."

"Well they're not acting like it," said Taz.

"Sethral, head for the eastern meadow-river next," said Whipper. "We'll meet you there."

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