I slowly sit up, blinking as I can see again. My hearing is still a touch off. I say,
"Why did you follow me Jackson? I got two of my friends killed. This isn't how it works..."
I don't understand. Everyone abandoned me when my friends and family died, saying I was 'bad luck'.

The question surprised him. Why did I follow her? Is she angry at me? Did she want to be alone? His eyes widened as he became a human again. "I'm sorry, I can leave if you want!" His ears flattened back on his head.

"N-no. I don't want y-you to leave." I say, suddenly nervous.
Is he going to leave me too? I bet I am too much. I get too many people killed. It's my fault I know it.

"You do? I thought you were angry at us because we couldn't do anything to help Spirit." His voice cracked when he said her name and he looked away- he couldn't bear to let her see his face, she'd think he was angry at her, knowing Maya. But he wasn't. He was just angry at the humans, the ones who forced them to live in the woods instead of in a regular society. Then Spirit wouldn't have died because of rocks.

I cautiously stand up, and put my arm around Jackson.
Maybe this is a ruse, and he will just shrug me off and leave me like everyone else did.
"It wasn't your fault." I say, uncertain.

His stomach felt like it flipped as he put his arm around her too. Hearing the uncertainty in her voice, he stroked her hair lightly, the way he had done when she fell asleep in his lap. "I know... but I still blame myself. I can tell you feel the same."

I nod, a new throb in my head. It aches, but I don't care. I'm not alone anymore. I can be myself, and not have to worry that he will leave. I can be happy. I feel content for the first time. Andrew and Spirit's deaths still hang over me, weighing me down, but for now I can hold it.

Silk decided to wander off. Wait no, good alibi

I smell something. Im going to check it out, she said

*Josh (Wolf, Feathery Black Wings)*

I know I can't lead Benjar to the others, so I keep running as best I can. Then I stumble and fall, and I can't make myself go on. I yell at Scar to run, and soon the massive tiger is bounding away. Benjar stops, sneering down at me. I can do no more than pant and glare up at him, and this seems to amuse him. He picks me up in his massive jaws and begins to limber through the forest.

Blue's ears twitch. "Someone's in danger...." she said. She grabbed a dagger from her box and began running in the direction she heard the noise from. She sees a someone carrying Josh through the forest and pauses. She looks down at the dagger she brought with her then looks away. "I.. I can't." She said quietly.