CHAPTER IX

Savanna was working with her usual diligence while mumbling possible vegetable combinations to herself,

"What would go well on either side carrots? Hmm... Ah, lettuce. Yes that would give them a good, extra crisp flavor..." Suddenly she became aware of someone walking through her farm,

"Please go around, so you will not trod over any of my vegetables." she requested. The person seemed not to hear and came right up behind her,

"Savanna... help me." someone whispered. Savanna turned around,

"Lillian! Where have you ..." Savanna trailed off when she turned to face her friend who was holding a shivering human child.

"Great Spirit!" she whispered, "I'll go get help. You stay here." Savanna said and ran off toward the village. Lillian could barely stand, she was so tired. She absentmindedly spoke to the infant,

"You see? All you need is to be almost eaten and people will do anything for you." she said as she slowly sat down. She held the child close to her body to keep it warm,

"Don't worry. It won't be long now. Soon we will be enjoying some of Ruth's best vegetable soup, lying in the lap of luxury." the last words were a whisper.

Lillian lost all coherence and was mumbling to herself when Omuse arrived with Savanna. Omuse picked up Lillian carefully,

"Now what have we here?" he asked. He opened Lillian's makeshift robe and saw the child snuggled against her breast, "Savanna go to the council's hut and inform them that we need Ruth herself to prepare an anti-infection salve. Go quickly!" he commanded.

Over the next few days, everything was touch and go. Lillian slowly came back to the world. She could not feel anything outside her body, nor could she even manage to open her eyes, she was too weak,

"Where am I?" she asked. She felt a warm, wet cloth padding her forehead,

"You're home Lillian." said a soft voice. Lillian moaned softly,

"No! I can't be dead!" she said. Lillian heard a muffled laugh,

"No, you aren't dead. You walked back here with the human kit in your arms. Both you and the kit are going to be fine. You both will have some nice scars though. What happened?"

"Attacked by wild wolves. Had to save her when infection set in." Lillian said. Lillian felt the warm cloth return to her forehead,

"Shhh, go back to sleep. You are safe. Go back to sleep." those were the last words Lillian heard as she faded from the world again.

Over the following weeks Lillian slowly returned to health. She recovered more slowly than the child since she had taken the majority of the injuries. She was however able to watch as Savanna slowly became attached to the child. Savanna was gentle, just as if the child were her own fawn. Lillian watched fondly as Savanna played with the child, keeping it busy. Omuse visited every day and was often the center of the child's attention. To the infant, he seemed like a huge warm furry mountain, made specifically for playing with. Omuse was as gentle as Savanna was, never being rough, always willing to play and romp. Omuse seemed to be the child's favorite when it came time for her to sleep. It came to a point that if Omuse was not the one holding her when she went to sleep, she would cry until he was there holding her. Lillian saw all this and had an idea, which she voiced to Savanna and Omuse one night after the child was asleep,

"Why don't you two come with me when I take her back to the others. She smells like you two even more than I do. I think, if the eldest male sees you and detects your scent on her, he will be more willing to try living with us, for a time at least. Besides you two look like you have become rather attached to her. It would be a shame to break you up." Savanna and Omuse discussed it between them. Omuse spoke up after they had finished,

"Savanna and I could hardly bear it if she were taken from us. We would be glad to help you, Lillian." Omuse said. Lillian turned to Savanna,

"What about you?" she asked. Savanna bowed her head,

"It would be a pleasure." Lillian was pleased with this arrangement, and hopefully the human male would be as well.

Several more weeks passed and Lillian was able to walk again. She decided to go for a walk to stretch her lags. The village seemed different somehow, she saw several of the younger furrs slightly older than she remembered,

"Have I been away so long?" she wondered to herself. Lillian wondered around aimlessly for a while. She simply walked around as if in a dream. She had missed her home greatly even with the relatively short time she had been gone. A familiar scent caught her nose. She recognized the scent immediately,

"Erica!" she yelled to the weeding vixen, who had her back to Lillian. When Erica heard Lillian calling after her, she stood up and turned around,

"Hi, Lillian!" she waved. Lillian stopped a few feet from Erica with her eyes wide. Lillian had caught a new scent on her friend,

"What happened to you?" she asked. Erica rubbed her paws over her tummy,

"What can I say? Roy and I have been mates since the day after you left. So how are you? You look a little mangy, Lillian. Have you been sick?" she asked. Lillian nodded,

"Yes, actually I almost died, I think. I don't remember all of it. But I will be leaving again soon. I think the humans will finally come to live with us." Lillian kept speaking to Erica and didn't notice Ruth hobbling up behind her,

"Well it's certainly nice to see that you are alive again." Ruth said good-naturedly. Lillian excused herself from Erica and turned to face the ancient vixen,

"Yes, thank you for using your medicine. I would have died for sure if you hadn't." Lillian said. Ruth continued her statement,

"To say nothing for the human kit. You will be returning soon?" she asked. Lillian nodded politely,

"Yes, and I hope this display of generosity will be the clincher for the humans to come live with us. Oh, I almost forgot, Ruth they live underground in what I think is an ancient cellar of some sort. They have strange devices of some kind. I think they may be, guns."

There was an overly long pause. Lillian had never imagined that Ruth's face could create such an expression as she saw now. Ruth just stared for a moment,

"Could you say that again?" she asked. Lillian was happy to oblige,

"I think they may have guns." she slowly pronounced each word carefully so as to appear to know what she was talking about. Ruth was incredulous. She began mumbling to herself,

"Guns. I never expected them to have guns. This could go two ways..." Ruth continued speaking to herself while Lillian stood by waiting for a response. Ruth quickly stood up straight,

"Lillian you must go back to the humans at once."

Lillian could hardly believe her ears,

"What?! I can only just barely walk, and you want me to go back to that awful place so soon? Ruth how could you? This is my home! Am I not welcome here? I've made a huge sacrifice going to live with the humans. I think I deserve something for that! I am not asking for much, I just need time to rest." Lillian screeched at the ancient vixen. Ruth's ears laid back against her head for a moment at the extraordinarily loud onslaught,

"Lillian please, don't yell so. Things have happened that I don't think you are aware of. We were contacted by the West Wind Clan. They report that some strange clan has been lurking about their forest's borders.

They lost every messenger they sent out to the other clans, all save the one that spoke to us because we are so close. They fear they will be attacked and we have agreed to send our warriors if they request help. Imagine what they would do if they knew we had guns. If they see we are strong they should agree to join us." Lillian understood,

"Then, if they join us, eventually word will spread. Every clan will want to join us. Every furr will be united." Lillian's eyes glossed over at the thought. Ruth continued,

"I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for you, but if you succeed, you will personally be responsible for bringing all the clans together. No furr has ever had such renown. You will be assured a place on the council of elders, I will see to it myself. Even if you don't succeed, you deserve it just for being willing to try." Ruth turned to go, but had a few more words, "The reason for the haste is winter is coming soon It would be very difficult to move the humans if there was snow on the ground." Lillian turned away from Ruth as she spoke her answer,

"I will go tomorrow."