134.Kaya
Kaya
We reached the river, and it was moving fast. I knew it had to be freezing. I was scared, knowing we would have to float down and cross further down. Not only that, but cold water scared me, but there was no other choice. It was the only way I knew for sure that Howi's pack would not follow, and once we were on the other side, we would be able to hide our scent. But hiding a scent took time. We had to find a skunk and get sprayed, and we only had time to do that once we crossed the river. Traveling this frozen, turbulent water would buy us the time we needed to be kept from being tracked.
Cade and Robert both looked nervous as I stripped out of my clothes. We would all need them once we got across if we planned to enter a human settlement, and seeing as I could not carry Sol as a wolf the whole time, we needed the clothes. I took off the baby board. I knew Sol would need to eat soon, but after we were across the river, I would feed her. I shifted into my small white wolf. Cade came up and tied my clothes tightly around my legs to keep them on me. Then he secured the Baby board around me. I knew it was not easy and not the most sturdy it could have been, but it was the best he could do.
Next, he shifted, and Robert tied his clothes to his legs. When Robert turned, he took his clothes in his mouth. Unfortunately, he had no one to secure his clothes. But he had insisted he be last to shift. I signed that if I needed help, Cade should have all the access he could to help. I tried to calm my heartbeat. A fast heart rate and panicking would mean death. I mind-linked the others to tell them to remain calm at all costs. Cade and I were the first in the water, followed by Robert and me.
The water cut through my fur, chilling me to the bone. I paddled, trying to keep my back above the water where Sol was secured. She needed to stay dry. The current was fast pulling us downriver faster than I thought it would. We remained close to the side we started on we needed to cross. I mind-linked Cade. "Okay, just be careful." I tried to stay calm, but as we moved further into the river, I started to feel my heart rate pick up.
Images of the day I almost drowned started to flood my mind. I began to panic. I didn't realize I was no longer trying to cross but staying level to keep Sol from getting wet. When Cade came up next to me. Robert moved to the other side. They both kept as close to me as possible. It was like we were a wolf raft; with all three of us moving, we synced up with our legs pushing and pulling simultaneously. After what seemed like an eternity, we were now closer to the other bank of the river. Cade climbed out first. Turned to bite into my neck and pull me from the icy water now that I was close to him.
Robert crawled out after me. Cade shook out a lot of water. Robert doing the same thing. But with Sol on my back, I couldn't. Cade shifted back to his human form. Taking Sol from my back. Once free, I shook off like the guys had. Robert had already shifted. Spitting out the clothes before then. His were the most dry, having stuffed them into his mouth. Cade and mine were drenched and would be dangerous to put back on. We needed to get warm and dry.
We still were working against time. I knew Howi and his pack would soon track us. They would know we went downriver, and he would send people after us. Only we had bought time, so if we managed alright, we would be able to skunk ourselves and cover our scents. We still wouldn't be safe until we were far away, but we would not be tracked, and that was what mattered right now. "Kaya, you did it. Sol is dry and still warm." Cade mind-linked me. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
I couldn't believe I had done it. I shifted, becoming human. I was freezing. I knew Cade and Robert must have felt the same. "Kaya, I think she is hungry." Cade signed. Just then, Sol started crying. "Fuck give her to me." I mind-linked. I took her out and realized she also needed a change. I had stuffed some nappies next to her in the board long before we had gotten to Crescent Moon Pack lands. I had forgotten I had. My mother did that with my baby brother, and it just seemed like second nature to do it, having seen her do it so often.
I changed Sol quickly, tossing the dirty cloth to the side. I would typically have washed it, but it was different from how we had access to do laundry the last few days. "I will start a fire." Robert signed. I just shook my head. "Robert, you have to go get a skunk." I mind-linked him. "Look, you have learned hunting from the best. You know how to locate animals, and I need you to hunt a skunk. It needs to be brought back alive. They won't be sleeping in their dens this time of the year. But you can find some near an area of brush. They like to hang out there. Please go get one and bring it back alive."
"Anything for you, Luna." I smiled at him. Then I leaned back against a tree, still naked. Cade started a fire, which I moved closer to. I needed to get warm just as he did. I instructed them how to prop our clothes up to dry out. They would only partially dry out when we needed to leave, but we were working with what we got. Cade mind linked to me "Kaya, I think we should travel in our wolf forms at least until we get into a human settlement." "Cade, I can't run with Sol strapped to me. The river was hard enough, and we were moving slowly." "I know I will carry the baby board." "And how will you do that?" "I will bite the top of the board and carry it in my mouth like a dog with a frisbee."
I looked at him funny, not getting the reference. He continued to mind-link me, "Kaya, it will take too long on foot. Our clothes will still be wet. We have to travel as wolves. It will cut the time." I nodded. Cade wouldn't have offered if he had not known he could do this. We had a plan, and we would stick to it. Then Cade looked at me. "What is the closest town?" I read his lips. I told him, and he nodded. "I am going to make arrangements with Mark. We will have money when we get there and can head home." "Okay." I signed and looked down at Sol. She had no idea the lengths we were going to keep her safe. She had no idea how loved she was.
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