"There we go. All set up," Kelline anounced proudly, pouring some water into one of the new bowls and adding the meat to the other one. Vey padded over and bagen to lap the water noisily. Kelline laughed at the slock slock sound her tongue made on the water. 

By the time Vey had eaten and drank her fill and Kelline had wrote about her new friend in the journal, it was evening again. When the dusty gold light fell over her page, Kelline looked up in surprise. 

"Well I'll be. You've been here a whole day now, haven't you girl?" 

Vey panted happily, kicking her neck to satisfy an itch. In the evening light her fur turned a metallic copper color, the light blue patterns turning a dusky brown. 

"What do you say we go back down to the beach? A little walk to celebrate a sucessful day." 

She headed out, Vey a loyal shadow at her side. When they reached the sand Kelline broke into a run. Feet flinging sand into the air, she raced along the coast. Vey charged after her, the four legs moving in the beautiful style of nature. Together they flew down the beach, water splashing around their ankles and feet slapping the cool sand. 

Finally Kelline wheezed to a halt, completely winded. Vey trotted a few steps ahead, then turned back. Hands on knees, Kelline gasped to get her breath back. While she waited, Vey splashed into the ocean to cool off. 

As her breathing quieted, soft sounds reached Kelline's ears. Someone was shouting nearby.

"You stupid girl! I said to buy the four inch nails, not the two! What are we going to use these for now? You wasted our money!" 

A scream of pain rang across the sand. 

Kelline glanced up. Two figures grappled with each other outside a tiny shack. As she squinted to see better, the taller of the two struck a powerful blow to the other's ear, knocking her to the ground. 

Before she knew what she was doing, Kelline took off again, running straight toward the scuffle. As she drew closer she could make out the details. The figure lying on the ground was a scruffy, dark haired girl. Blood ran from her nose, thickening the sand around it into clumps. 

Looming above her was a tall, slightly over weight man. Drunken fury danced in his eyes and he drew back his leg, preparing to kick the girl lying before him. 

"Stop!" Kelline screamed, thrusting her hand forward. 

A surge of power shocked through her, flying out through her fingers. The man staggered backward, one of his legs completely encased in a block of ice. 

For a moment everything was still. Then the man yelled and Kelline bolted.