The moon was bright; I couldn't sleep. It was low in the sky, piercing into my familia's cave and through my eyes.

I had to go for a walk. Delta, Horizon and Hare were still fast asleep. I didn't understand how they could sleep with the blazing brand of fire in the sky.

I stretched out into the moonlight. It was fresh and cool. The stars squirmed a bit, unable to get into the perfect position to sleep in. I empathized them. A spark of red jumped slowly across the sky.

I pushed my rear up and backwards and my chest towards the ground till I felt my back release. Tension was building in it during the night. It felt good to be awake, especially while the sun was sleeping.

I climbed over the hollow's wall and walked towards the north. Every stone and weed looked bright. My hips popped and my shoulders ached.

I walked for a long time, but I never got tired. I started running. I ran faster and farther as the landscape rushed passed me. Soon enough I was going so fast I didn't have time to walk around bushes; I simply flew over them. I didn't stop running till I tripped on a stick and fell on my face. Sand rushed up to say hello.

"Ouch," I muttered. The stick had cut my shoulder and the stone beneath the sand had cut my jaw. I tasted blood, but I wasn't hurt too bad.

While my face was in the sand, I noticed a set of coyote paw prints.

I stood up and examined them. They were very fresh; they could have been made within the hour. Hawk's scent lingered on the sage brush. I could smell curiosity and a bit of fear.

"What are you doing out here, Hawk?" I muttered to myself. He was probably just out for a walk, but night time strolls didn't usually invest fear if nothing was wrong.

I followed the paw prints. There was no sign of a struggle, but it did look like he was stalking something.

The prints went behind a large rock, then up a small butte. I could hear voices very faintly now.

I followed the tracks up the butte. Finding paw-holds was difficult; everywhere was sandy. I slipped once and lost my grip, but thank goodness a bush was there to catch my fall.

The top was mostly flat except for a dip in the stone and a rock formation. Hawk was there with another coyote I didn't recognize.

"You shouldn't be here, Snake." Hawk said.

"Who says? I was never banished from this part of the Sonoran Desert." The other Coyote said. His accent was like Hawk's; slightly scratchy and rough.

As quietly as I could, I slithered over the sand and hid behind the land formation. I positioned myself in an arch so they couldn't see me but I could see them. I was right next to the other coyote; he had a light red pelt flecked with gray, like Hawk's but lighter. His eyes were slightly orange and his ribs poked out.

"You shouldn't be around my tribe."

"I didn't know you had found a new tribe and became chief of it till a few weeks ago. Where has the time gone, brother? It felt like yesterday we were all together as a family in the Estrella tribe."

"We're not family, Snake. You gave that up when you betrayed us." Hawk growled.

"Betrayal? I never betrayed you! What father sentenced me was unjust-"

"You know what you did!" Hawk barked. "You're a monster."

"That's a bit harsh," the coyote hissed. "I've forgiven you for what you did. I hoped you could forgive me."

"What you did was unforgivable, reprehensible! Telling father of your deception was the right thing to do!"

"Put yourself in my place, Hawk! What would you have done?" The strange coyote said.

"I would have gone right back and told the truth. I would have told Thorn's parents what had happened instead of living a lie for years. I would have left that dung-pile of a shape shifter out of that mess you made!"

"You better hold your tongue, meat bag." A new voice said. A tiny desert mouse came from behind a bush and sat by the coyote. "You never know who's listening."

The desert mouse grew and shifted into a dark gray coyote with ugly black eyes. A shape shifter! I thought they were just made up to scare pups!

"Snake, what are you doing? Why is he here?" Hawk asked. He was now cowering in fear with his tail between his legs and hackles raised.

"He's returning a solid." The shifter hissed.

Like lightning, the shifter leaped from his spot and bit Hawk's neck. A bit of blood sparkled like the spot I had seen in the sky, and the shifter changed again. He took the form of Hawk, my noble leader who was dying right before me.

I should have done something. But I was afraid. I was shocked and my legs couldn't move. I was afraid of the shifter, and of Snake.

"I'm sorry, Hawk. There's nothing I can do." Snake said.

"Snake, you can change! Don't do this!" Hawk spat out, but the shifter only bit harder. I cringed and started crying; I could feel Hawk's pain.

"You can't change the past."

My legs gave out under me and I fell.

"What was that?" Snake said, but it sounded foggy and far away.

Without trying to get up or steady myself I started to run. I rolled down the hill, panting and crying and getting sand in my eyes.

"Astor-" Hawk yipped before he was cut off. He screamed one last time. It was horrible.

"You little-" The shifter screamed before Snake held him back.

"Don't! I'll deal with him later. If he's dead, it will look suspicious."

I started frantically running again. I had to get back to camp! I had to warn my tribe!

I was running blindly through tears. I could see nothing but splotches of sliver moonlight, glinting like round orbs on my eyelashes. Suddenly my legs stopped pumping and my face fell on a sandy pile of prickly weeds. The saltwater turned to mud. I must have tripped on something.

I spat the dirt out and tried running again, but my back leg spiraled in pain. I fell again. More sand got in my eye. Whatever happened had hurt me pretty bad.

I couldn't get up again. I couldn't focus. I couldn't do anything but crawl slowly under a sage brush. I clenched my teeth together to keep from screaming; I moaned and cried through the pain.

The night shifted into a yellow dawn. My screams eventually faded to whimpers and the pain turned to a constant ache.

I was so scared. I was so afraid. I felt helpless. I was running wishes through my head . . . I wish I was faster . . . I wish I had stopped that Shape Shifter . . . I wished I had pushed Snake off that butte and thrown a rock on his head . . .

I could have done something to save Hawk. But I couldn't change the past. I'd have to deal with the consequences and tell the tribe of his demise.

I started to get up, but when I put my weight on my leg it started to hurt. It wasn't broken, but it felt sore and bruised. I was very grateful it wasn't hurt worse, but I still couldn't walk on it. I would have to limp back to camp on three legs.

Camp wasn't terribly far away, but it felt like it would be a long, awkward journey. Stone was forming in my heart and spreading to my other organs, weighing me down.

I was terrified. More scared than I had ever been before. The image of that terrible creature's black eyes, biting my leader and shifting into him . . . I was worried for my adoptive tribe. I was worried for my safety.