Chapter 15

'So there, that's why I ran away.'

Kwazzi shook his head after listening to the fillies tale. 'Ashima, you're not a burden me heartie, we love having you around and I know ye want to get out and do things with us but you've got to have patience.'

She laughed until tears began to come to her eyes.

'What's so funny?'

'Have patience.' She threw her head back, finally catching her breath once she'd stopped laughing. 'Oh that's a good one coming from you.'

'Yeah yeah.' He rolled his eyes then looked back at her. 'So, now that you've run away, what's your plan?'

'Plan?'

'Yeah. You can't expect to sit on this little island for the rest of ya days matey.'

'I guess I hadn't thought about that-' A flash of lightning came uncomfortably close, striking the ocean just to the left of them. The filly stood up, pushing the cat around behind her, sniffing the air. 'Storms getting worse.' She watched the waves increasing in size, washing up closer and closer to them. I've got to get Kwazii out of this. She thought, looking up at the sky as the wind blew the rain in her face. If the waves got any higher they'd get covered and most likely swept out to sea. It's all your fault he's out here too.

'What's the matter matey?' Kwazzi asked, his paw going to her shoulder.

'Wind is picking up, so are those waves-' She motioned to a huge wave coming inland. 'You've got to get out of here Kwazii, it's only going to get worse before it gets better.'

'I'm not leaving without you matey.'

The filly rolled her eyes then sniffed the air. The wind and the rain were making it hard to get a good scent but the years of growing up on the welsh highlands had well equipped her to deal with storms and track the faintest scent. 'There's more land out there, and I can smell bat droppings.'

'What on earth does bat dropping have to do with anything?'

'Bats only live in caves.'

'And caves provide shelter-'

'Now you're getting it.' She smiled but it quickly faded with another clap of thunder and bolt of lightning. 'Where's your Gup?'

'I kinda crashed onto the beach, it's not going anywhere-'

She sniffed the air again, feeling the breeze of the wind between her ears. Ten minutes. She could feel the full extent of the storm approaching, swishing her tail anxiously as she watched the surf. The island would go under when the storm got more ferocious, they'd get swept into the surf. She looked down at Kwazzi, the cats tail twitching nervously. Her eyes narrowed as determination set in. She'd gotten him into this mess, she'd get him out of it.

'You got a rope in your Gup?'

'Course I've got a rope in me Gup. Always carry one.' He turned to her. 'Why ye asking?'

'Because we're going diving. It's too dangerous to stay here.'

'It's too dangerous to be out there.'

'Trust me Kwazzi, I've been in many a bad storm and right now we're in more danger-' Nine minutes. 'If we can get to the other island and into the cave we'll be fine.'

'But the Gup isn't working-'

'I'm going to pull it, your going to be inside it. You'll be safe that way.'

'But what about you-'

'I got you in this mess because of me, I'm going to get you out of it.' The cat went to reply but she cut him off. 'No arguments Kwazii. The storm is getting worse and we're running out of time-' She tossed her head, sending rain drops flying from her mane. 'Get on my back.'

'What-'

'Get on my back Kwazii! Now!' She commanded, stamping her front hoof. ''I'm not going to be responsible for another death.'

Kwazzi wondered for a moment what on earth she was talking about, grabbing hold of her mane to swing up onto her back. 'You sure about this?'

'Yes. Now hold on!' She dug her hooves into the sand, bolting out into the storm. The force of the wind and the rain made the going slower but the filly bravely galloped on through the pouring rain. A huge crash and explosion behind her made the filly slide to a stop, spinning around.

'Shiver me whiskers.'

'Horse feathers.'

The tree they had been sheltering under was blown to smithereens, bursting into flames from the lightning strike. The filly shivered, staring at it. If they'd been under it- Another clap of thunder brought her back to reality, spinning back around to race back to the Gup.

'Yeow!' Kwazzi was surprised by the sheer speed of the filly, clinging onto her back for dear life. The Gub B came into view, the filly galloping straight for it- 'Don't crash into my Gup mate!'

'I know what I'm doing.' She slid to a stop beside the Gup, the cat leaping off her back as the waves crashed onto the beach, the water up to her ankles and rising. 'Get the rope Kwazzi, tie it to the Gup then I want you to tie it around my chest.'

'Already in it matey.' He grabbed the rope out, attaching it to the tie under the nose of the Gup then hurried towards the filly as she backed up in place. Quickly he tied it around her, the filly guiding him as to how she wanted it tied. 'That it?'

'Yes, that's fine.' She stepped forward, testing the weight then looked back at him. 'Get in and hold on.'

Kwazzi got in the Gup, closing the windscreen as the filly looked back at him. He gave her the thumbs up and nodded. 'Ready!'

Seven minutes. The filly activated her helmet then surged forward, gaining momentum as she dragged the Gup and turned it around, heading back into the ocean. She grunted, straining her muscles as she pulled the Gup back to the water. One hoof infront of the other she pulled, finally reaching the water again.

Six minutes.

The filly dived down into the water, towing the Gup behind her as she swam for land. Her chest was burning, her lungs straining to get her every breath. Don't you start bleeding nose. She begged, gasping as she struggled against the strong current. She put her head down, pulling and swimming with everything she had. She was not going to let someone else die because of her.

Her nose began to bleed, starting to fill her helmet with blood. Oh no. Not now. She needed to get Kwazzi to safety. Fighting for every stroke of her legs against the current she struggled on, hoping that land appeared soon.

Three minutes.

She could see the slope of the ocean floor, rising towards the surface. Bingo. Land. With renewed vigour she surged forward, dragging the Gup from the water onto the beach. Dragging the Gup through the sand she reached the grass, gasping for air as she deactivated her helmet again.

'You alright matey?' Kwazzi asked kindly as he ran to untie her, gasping as he saw the damage the ropes had done to her. They'd cut into her flesh, huge deep cuts that were bleeding freely. Not to mention the blood pouring from her nose. 'Ashima-'

'No time Kwazzi!' She exclaimed, the torrential rain pouring down upon them, the thunder and lightning getting closer. 'On my back, now!' The cat leapt up, the filly jumping into a full gallop towards the cave. Blood kept dripping from her nose as she ran, her lungs aching as she struggled to breath. One minute.

There. The cave. She galloped on in, sliding to a stop and sitting down to catch her breath as the blood poured from her nostrils. Outside they could hear the sounds of trees breaking and smashing to the ground, the howling wind tearing up everything in its path. Inside the cave though they were safe.

Kwazzi looked at the filly in shocked amazement, absolutely speechless as she sat gasping for air. Shiver me whiskers. He'd never seen anything like it, the amount of blood coming from her nose was making the cave look like a crime scene. 'Ashima-'

'I'm. Fine.' She replied strongly, catching her breath again. She was exhausted, she was sore. She was in pain but that was nothing new. She was used to pain. Slowly her nose stopped bleeding, the filly getting shakingly back to her feet.

'Maybe you should lie down matey-'

'I'll be fine.'

'You don't look fine.'

'Then stop looking.' She replied, stepping back to the entrance of the cave. She could hear trees getting blown over, branches being ripped off in the wind. The rain was pouring so hard you could barely see five feet infront of you when the lightning lit up the night sky, the storm worse then any she'd ever been through. The storm wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. She was thankful they'd made it to decent shelter.

She stepped back out into the rain, allowing it to wash the blood from off her fur then walked back inside, shaking the water from her coat.

'Argh, matey!'

She looked over, the cat standing there with an unamused look on his face, re-soaked by her shaking. She couldn't help but chuckle, he looked so unhappy. 'Sorry Kwazii.'

'Aye, it's alright me hearty. I'll dry off.' His touch flickered and he gave it a slap to get it working again. 'What do we do now?'

'Wait.' She sighed, walking over to a spot beside the wall where there was a bit of sand and she laid back down, finally finding a little relief from her sore and tired muscles. 'That storm isn't going anywhere-' A clod breeze blew into the cave, the cat shivering. 'Come bunk down beside me Kwazii, no sense in you shivering over there.'

'I might just take you up on that offer.' He walked over, sitting down beside her. 'Are you sure you're alright?'

'I'll be fine Kwazzi, I've had worse then this. Don't worry about me, worry about getting you back to the Octopod. You can't get through to them on your helmet radio?'

'Already tried, storms interfering with it.'

'Alright. I guess we'll just have to wait the storm out.' She sighed. 'Sorry for bringing you into this mess, I didn't mean for this to happen. I thought-'

'Yes?'

She shook her head. 'Never mind. We'd better get some sleep, hopefully the storm will have blown itself out by then. Save your battery on your torch too.'

'Alright.' He turned the torch off, the cave enveloping them in its darkness. 'Night matey.'

'Night.'

The filly heard Kwazii's breathing deepen, the cat drifting of to sleep almost immediately. Carefully she got up, trying to not waken him as she laid him on the sand. Sorry Kwazii. The cat didn't stir, the filly turning to leave the cave. Stepping out of the cave she looked back at him then galloped off into the storm….