Kitana straightened and stretched.She knew it would be a long journey once more.She said nothing to either of the boys, not feeling she needed to, and shifted to her wolf form.

Eresain climbed up on the Creo with a soft sigh and nudged him forward at a walk. He knew the way but he knew Kitana would want to lead. Eresain turned his head to look at her and then turned back around as the Creo kept walking.

Lupay yawned and followed Eresain in his lion form

Without much thought, Kitana fell behind Lupay and stayed there.She was tired and for some reason hopeless?She didn't know why but she walked on and the landscape turned from dry forest to soggy earth of a swamp forming underneath her paws.They began to sink and before long kitna was deep in mud and she struggled to bound through it until she finally got stuck and couldn't move, the mud too deep that it soaked her belly fur.She whined weak and tired.She panted from her efforts and lowered her head as though to give in.

Eresains head drooped the Creo began to slow down it's breathes were wheezing. He was suddenly aware of the mud and looked back seeing Lupay and Kitana struggling. He raised a hand causing rocks to rise over the mud as stepping stones, "We can't stop here..." His tone was warned they were in a waste land, a home for the Malum. Eresain looked back to them hopeing they wouldn't give up yet.

Lupay snarled as he trudged through the mud, when the rocks rose he struggled to pull imself up on to one. He looked to Kitana and grabbed her scruff in his jaws and pulled her up too. Each of the rocks were not to far spaced. He could sense Eresains tension

Kitana snarled as she was brought up on solid ground by Lupay.When she came to her feet, her legs wobbled as though she were ready to collapse but she pushed on.But only for two rocks, and then collapsed.She whined and tried to raise her head but couldn't.Wolves were ground for this land and she should have known that.

Eresain saw Kitana collapse and jumped off the Creo. He went across the rocks, "Kitana, some on you can ride the Creo ok? But we have to keep moving." He ran his hands through her fur trying to get her up. His throat was dry and sore, the air here was tainted he could taste it. Eresain could no longer hear the trees but only the whispers of Malums thoughts in his head.

Lupay was painting heavily he shifted in to his cheetah form for some relief. He looked at Kitana and nudged her with his nose. He was tense, he could fell the danger.

Kitana whined as Eresain ran his fingers through her fur.With effort she arose and stumbled across the rocks slowly but she was moving.Her ears flicked in all directions, alert to every sound.She ran her parched tongue along her jaw and stumbled a few times as she continued onward.She knew she would last much longer.

Eresain said, "Change back to your original form. I can't let you on the Creo in this form, the Creo would panic." He looked at her seriously knowing she wouldn't last longer in her wolf form. Eresain put his hand on her head and called over the Creo. He willed Kitana to change back.

Lupay followed with his head lower he was thirsty. He panted heavily and looked up at the two. He knew he could go on for a bit longer.

Kitana paused and at Eresains words she shifted.At first she was standing but her legs buckled underneath her and she collapsed and a tired sigh."I can't go on, Eresain.The landscape has sapped too much energy from me."Her voice was rasp and her eyes closed, seeming too heavy to be open again.

Eresain caught her before she fell. He stumbled himself. "I will help you. Just hold on." He lifted her up with a soft grunt and set her on the Creos back. Eresain paused trying to catch his breath then he sent the Creo forward. He followed on foot. He could sense the Malum slowly catching their scent.

Lupay trudged next to Eresain and watched as the Creo walked slowly ahead of them. He started to walk with his eyes closed following their scent to guide him.

Katana leaned forward unable to keep herself straight.In the deepest parts of her mind, a warning screamed at her that something was wrong.

Eresain heard a wailing howl and whipped his head around. A large male Malum was standing at the far edge if the mud. It's pack darted around behind it, the flashed their teeth, there furless skin rippled with the muscle underneath. Eresain spotted a few females amongst them. "Go! We have to out run them. The mud will give us time!" He nudged Lupay on who sprung forward and then gave a sharp whistle to the Creo which picked up its pace. Eresain summoned a smaller Creo and climbed in it. He willed it in to a run as the Malum advanced.

Lupay sprang forward hearing the howl. His paws flew over the dry land. Eresain was right the mud should give them enough time but he wasn't sure if it was enough.

Kitana gasped when she heard the howl and sat up straight.As they moved at a faster pace kitana spoke her voice still rasp."There is no time, Eresain.Climb the trees and leave me here."

Eresain stared at Kitana he shook his head then jumped off the smaller Creo and in to a tree. He whistled for the larger one to come under the tree. Eresain reaches down a hand to pull Kitana up, "Hurry take my hand!" He ha to raise his voice over the Malums snarling and barking. They were nearly acrossed the mud by now, their jaws were snapping at the air and saliva gathered around their lips. They were hungry and wouldn't stop until they ate their preys warm flesh.

Lupay panicked and turned in to a sparrow in mid step. His flew up to the tree and perched on the highest branch. He screeched and chirped for Kitana to hurry. He could tell the Malum would not stop.

Kitana had to call upon the last of her strength to throw up a hand to Eresain.She could feel how tired her body and mind were.As she closed her eyes, she could only hope they would be someplace away from harm when she opened them again.

Eresain grabbed on to Kitanas hand just before she fell unconscious. His other Han slipped slightly but he caught his balance. He pulled Kitana up, who was like dead weight, and leaned her back against the trunk of the tree. Eresain looked down from the leaves, he leaned forward and saw the Malum snarling and barking up the tree, several of them jumped in a vain attempt to reach them. Eresains sides were heaving as he tried to catch his breath, his chest was sore and each breath sawed through his lungs. He lifted one hand causing vines to stretch over the open space in either side of the branch so if one of them were to fall they would be caught. Now all they could do was wait.

Lupay shifted back in to human form. His hair was sticking to his forehead where he was sweating. He slid in to the vines Eresain had made knowing they would hold him nd closed his eyes. He was spent and tired. Soon he had closed his eyes and his breath slowed in to a deep sleep, his dreams were haunted by the Malums snarls if anger and desperation.

Kitana lay in blackness.She didn't know whether she was dead or not.Only that she could feel the energy inside her replenishing.'Eresain....'She tried to reach into his mind.Could he hear her?She could not tell.

Eresain looked to Kitana hearing her feeble thought 'I am here.' His thought was a tired rasp. Soon, his eyelids became heavy and he started to fall asleep. It had helped that he got rid if the Creo but only slightly. He kept a hand on Kitanas hand and closed his eyes. Eresain soon fell asleep tipping in to his side landing softly on the vines. He could sense that Lupay was in a deep sleep even while he slept. His dreams were dark and blurry for he wasn't able to get anything clear with his low energy. The Malum began to calm down, a few of them had left and now only four were sitting at the bottom of the tree.

Lupay curled on to his side, he felt safe for sleep was his escape. Soon the bad dreams err replaced with normal ones.

Kitana sighed through her sleeping breath.It was rest they needed but Kitana knew their troubles were over.She fell into dreams then and she thought endlessly or Eresain and Lupay- including her close friend Kamaji.

When Kitana awoke, she felt more awake than ever.There was silence but she realized she was still in a cloud of fog and she couldn't possibly smile.When she sat up and looked around, she saw that she was in a tree.For a moment she was confused but then the memories flashed to her and she blinked.As she looked around, she didn't see Eresain with her but only Lupay.Panicking, Kitna leaped from her tree and fell to the ground with a slushy sound of mud beneath her boots.She bolted and shouted Eresains name as she ran.

Kitana shifted to wolf form as she heard the whistle and bounded through he mud and skirted rocks before she spotted Eresain near a pool of fresh water.She realized her throat was parched but whined as she slid to a halt and stood about her back paws and rested her front ones on Eresains chest and licked his cheek.'What happened while i was out?'She asked in a soft voice.

Eresain watched as Kitana bounded towards hm. Her paws were on his chest and he smiled slightly. He rand his hands through her soft fur and answered through thoughts, 'I was able to pull you up in to the tree. I had to make a canopy but after that we were all asleep. I'm not sure for how long.'
Eresain turned his gaze to the water and the crouched down by it cupping his hands just under the surface. The water flowed in to his hands and he took a drink finally feeling better. 'You should get something to drink too.

Lupay bounded over in his wolf form and lapped up te water without a word. He was just as thirsty as the others and spared no time.

Kitana shifted forms, chuckling as she did so and knelt beside Eresain.She took one hand and cupped a bit of water and sipped it quick before all of it fell to the bank. She felt better than she had and knew they still had a long way to go."We should be more careful from here on."She said seriously to the two boys as she stood."We don't want to risk another encounter."Kitana gazed out over the forest and thought they should rest a while longer but compared to what she could tell, they were all okay."I wonder if..."Kitana didn't want the answer to the question she was going to ask so she just shook her head to clear it and headed back the way she had come."Let's get moving."She called over her shoulder.