Canyon jumped to his feet, forcing his mind awake, while Timber shed his clothes and shifted into a wolf. He lay down in the rustling grass and fell asleep.
Canyon patrolled the area. After three hours, he woke Timber up.
It’s dusk. We gotta get moving,he said inruhi.
Timber rolled away from Canyon and shifted to a human. He slowly pulled on his clothes without saying a word. Hiseyes were dark and droopy, and the injured arm hung mostly uselessly at his side.
“What…” Timber looked around. “What are we doing here again?”
Giant spider ring any bells?Canyon said, watching Timber carefully, not liking what he saw.
“Giant spider. That’s right.”
Timber stood there, arms hanging limply, saying nothing more.
This way, Canyon said, walking backward, motioning to his big bro. Timber followed, slowly, with weak, tentative steps. Canyon looked away to the darkening sky. He said a silent prayer to Rhen, asking for help for his brother, and for Wulf, too.
They had to get the fuck out of this hole.
Canyon led Timber through thick forest, down ravines, over and around boulders for hours, and when the moon was high in the sky, they found a stream.
Canyon pulled fishing line and a hook out of his ruck and fished while they walked. He caught several good-sized catfish, and they stopped long enough to clean, cook, and eat them, well-seasoned with some Old Bay seasoning from his pack.
Timber perked up a little when he had food in his belly. He walked faster, and he even started a conversation.
“Think Trevor’s looking for us?”
Maybe not. We don’t check in like we’re supposed to.
“You’re right. He probably thinks we’re fucking off somewhere.”
I don’t think we’re getting anywhere.
“You got any ideas?”
None.
“Walk till we get some.”
Canyon grunted agreement.Stay ahead of the bug.
***
When the sky lightened, they stopped in another meadow.
You sleep first,Canyon said.
Timber didn’t argue. He shifted and laid down, falling asleep quickly, while Canyon set up camp. Four hours passed slowly, with no threats, except Canyon’s constant worry, especially when Timber started to pant in his sleep.
Still, Canyon had to wake Timber. If he hadn’t needed sleep so badly himself, he wouldn’t have. He shook him awake. Timber got up slowly, but he dressed and ate the last of their food—some beef jerky.
Canyon lay down and fell asleep quickly, finding himself in a dream. The dream female was there, far ahead of him, beckoning to him. She stood next to a giant boulder that had one pointy protrusion. She circled it, and then she beckoned to him again. Stalks of purple, bell-shaped flowers surrounded her. She picked an entire stalk out of the ground and held it out to him.
The dream dissolved and Canyon woke up. He got to his feet and found Timber already passed out, sprawled on the ground nearby.
Bro,Canyon whispered inruhi.Hang in there.We’re getting out of this fucked-up hole, today.
Canyon shifted into a man and dressed quickly. He’d recognized the plant the dream female had held up as Foxglove, and he knew enough about how dreams worked that he was hot to search for some Foxglove, and maybe a big-ass, pointy boulder.
