"A wendigo?" Delta asked in wonder, his eyes flashing with ignorant fear.

"Wendigos aren't real." Bat said.

"I thought so as well," Snake shivered. "until one was mauling my shoulder." He sounded sincere, but I didn't believe him. Knowing Snake, he would've made up anything to have the tribe's sympathy.

"We have to give him medical attention!" Hare said.

"That will only do so much." The Shifter said morosely. "The wendigo's bite is contagious. Its disease passes from victim to victim. The only way to truly cure Owl is to kill the creature who gave it, before he is consumed."

"How long until he's . . . Consumed?" Delta asked. He stared at Snake, waiting for him to scream in pain and grow into a beast. Well, more of a beast.

"About three weeks until he starts growing horns." The Shifter said.

"Three weeks!" Bat said. "Why did you bring him back? The last thing we need is a wendigo in our camp! Especially with my pups coming!"

Snake looked hurt, but I agreed with Bat. I didn't want a monster in my camp. Or a wendigo.

"Owl was one of my best friends back in Yootaw! He traveled to Kalurato to visit me. I'm so sorry this happened, Owl. We'll do all in our power to find that wendigo and to kill it." The Shifter said.

Negrita and Horizon looked at each other. Silently they both mouthed Oh dear.

I wanted to kick Snake off a butte and tell him to get eaten by a wendigo. I still wasn't sure if wendigos were real, and I doubted Snake had been bitten by one. I wasn't going to chase my tail and search for a mythical creature while The Shifter followed through with some devious plan.

"There's nothing we can do right now. The desert is dangerous at night and the sun is almost down. Let's have supper and go to sleep. Creek, dear, would you mind taking watch? Horizon, would you take the later watch?" The Shifter asked.

They both nodded reluctantly.

The prey pile was large, but by the time it was my turn to eat, I only got a few scraps of rabbit. It was alright; I had eaten that afternoon so I wasn't terribly hungry. But I was furious at The Shifter and snake, who took heaps of prey, leaving little to the rest of the tribe. But no one wanted to be impolite to their guest or the chief. Horizon took quite a bit as well, claiming he would need strength for his night watch.

We went to bed. Hare offered a spot in our den for Snake to sleep, and he gladly accepted. He rushed to the softest bed that had been prepared for me, marched in a circle, and laid down before I could say no, that's my bed you scum!

"I'm going to sleep outside." I muttered to Hare.

"Oh, no dear!" She said, limping to me. "Your leg-"

"My leg is fine, Hare." I said quickly. "I usually sleep outside anyways. And . . . It's far too cramped in there. I wouldn't be able to sleep anyways."

"Alright. If that's what you want. Don't hurt your leg though!" She said, licking my chin. The cut on it felt raw.

Sego came to say goodnight to me before she went to her familia's den.

"Hey." She said, curling her dark tail around her creamy paws. "Are you feeling better?"

"No." I said honestly. "I feel horrible."

"Is it just your leg, or are you worried about Owl and his . . . Condition?" Sego asked. She licked the fur on my mane.

"Honestly, I don't think wendigos are real. I think he's acting." I said.

"I'm not sure either. But dad thinks it's real. If he trusts Owl, then I trust Owl."

I didn't say anything.

"Owl took your spot." She said, grasping for a conversation starter.

"I noticed." I said as she licked behind my ears. "Can you sleep out here with me?"

"Umm, I don't think so, Astor." She stopped licking me. "Mom wouldn't be happy. Or dad. They're probably right: you like me too much for it to be okay."

"Stop talking before you make things awkward." I said quickly, growing hot under my fur. She giggled. "I'm just . . . lonely out here. Nothing would happen."

Normally she slept with Hawk and Creek, but Hawk was dead and Creek was on guard duty. She would be alone with The Shifter.

"I'd feel better with you out here." I said honestly.

"I thought you liked being alone." Sego said.

I didn't reply.

"I better go to bed. See you in the morning." She said.

I opened my mouth, looking for another alibi, but nothing came out. I watched her as she climbed the slope into her cave. Her yellow eyes twinkled in the dark.

<----•••---->

The morning was bright. When it came I was frustrated at my lack of sleep, but I was glad the night was over. It was horrible. I woke up often, and whatever broken sleep I got was plagued with nightmares. I could only remember two.

A rattle snake was laughing and taunting me as it nipped my toes. Dozens of black mice ran across my face and tore at my muzzle.

Sego was howling in pain as the shifter was biting her spine. She tried to get away, but sharp, prickly weeds tied her down. I tried to get to her, but Creek was biting my ear. She kept yelling stay away from my daughter you mutt! You aren't friends! Not anymore!

I didn't wonder what they meant.

I was terribly relieved when Sego left her cave. She looked completely fine. I limped to her, wagging my tail. She smiled and got a tiny lizard from the prey pile. There wasn't much left after last night's feast. I sat by her.

Bat left her cave, stretching. She looked heavier; her pups were just around the corner.

"Such a lovely morning." Bat said.

"Oh, Bat, do you want my lizard? I'm not very hungry." Sego said softly.

"No, dear. You should have it. But be sure to catch plenty more later!"

"I will." Sego replied, and started eating.

"Do you want some?" She asked me.

"No thanks." I said. "I'll probably just be sitting around waiting for my leg to get better. And besides, I stay full for longer when I have nothing to do."

"Alright." Sego said. She must have been hungry, because it was gone in two heartbeats.

The shifter had Negrita organize the patrols, which confused everyone. What was wrong with their fearless, honorable leader? Perhaps he was feeling under the weather. But The Shifter decided he wouldn't be so lazy and went hunting with Horizon and Delta.

"Astor, make yourself useful and fix up the dens. If you're out and about we might as well put you to work." He purred, grinning.

I didn't say anything, but I hoped my glare made him feel uncomfortable. I was glad to have some work, but doing what the shifter wanted, even if it was as simple as fixing dens, made me want to rip off my tail and smack him with it.

They left, making the camp feel empty again. I was glad Bat and Hare were there too keep me company, and I was terribly glad The Shifter was gone, but I felt too exposed. Snake was still moaning in my familia's cave.

As I was fixing the bedding in Negrita and Bat's den, Bat talked to me.

"I'm so nervous! This is my first litter. I know, mothers have given birth for millennia, but I've heard some ghastly tales. Hare's first two litters were miscarriages. I'm so glad to have her in the tribe though. She's a great aunt, and she knows so much about herbs and healing." She said.

I wasn't interested at all in what she was saying, but she seemed to enjoy talking to me. I nodded and shrugged when it was appropriate as I limped around and piled up their bedding.

"But I have so many questions that even Hare can't answer! What if my pups fall out of the den? What if one's choking and no one else is here? What if a snake comes and eats them? I just don't know!"

Besides talking to Bat and fixing the dens, there wasn't much to do around camp. It was very boring. When I had fixed each of the dens to the point where I couldn't weave them any tighter, I started playing in the mud by the river. It felt cool and relaxing between my toes.

As I played, my mind wandered to Sego. (As usual when I had nothing to think about) I was really worried about her. The shifter could easily snap her neck in the night and no one would know till morning.

I know; she can handle herself. Sego's a tough girl. But I felt a need to protect her. She'd nip me for saying that, but it was true. I wish I could have gone on patrol with her, but Hare would have chewed my ears off for even poking my leg.

As I was thinking, pushing a particularly red lump of mud around, I saw Snake limp away from his cave. The bite in his side had been cleaned by Hare, but it was very ugly and raw. He sent a scowl my way and limped out of camp.

I waited a second, dusted the wet sand off my paws and followed him over the ridge.

Snake limped along for quite a while. He'd struggle through all kinds of weeds and bushes, trying his best to keep his wound clean. I laughed a bit at his struggle.

He stopped behind a little hill made from slip rock, panting. I didn't go behind it, but I stayed close enough to hear.

In the distance, I noticed the hunting patrol. The Shifter was moving away from them and towards Snake. Whatever made Snake limp away from my familia's comfortable den to talk to the shifter was no good.