Jordan frowned as the first droplets of rain spattered against her bare arms. She looked over at Cassie, who's earlier tranquil expression had turned into one of real worry. She was glancing back and forth between the north and southern sections of the area.
Finally, she stood.
"This can't be good, Cassie. We should go help them." The older girl set her full bowl on the ground and pitched the bucket of water on the dying fire.
"I was hoping the others would have been back with Sara by now, but obviously they're still looking," Cassie agreed.
"Should we stay together, or try to find them?" Jordan asked.
"We'll look around nearby. Maybe Sara tripped and sprained her ankle or something on the way here. I'm sure she's alright," Cassie said, emphasizing the last sentence as she glanced at the uneasy girl. She noticed Jordan's disposition was a lot like Rachel's, except Jordan was most definitely the worrier of the family.
Ever since she suspected her older sister of being in trouble all those years ago, she never really shook the feeling that something huge was going on, right under their noses.
Right before they started off, Cassie spotted Jake jogging lightly towards them. They met him halfway.
"Is she still missing?" she asked him. He nodded, frowning.
"This whole situation is too weird. Sara's never done anything like this, not even when she was smaller. Toby and some of the other Hork-Bajir are already looking for her too."
"This is all my fault," Jordan said quietly, a tear running down her face.
"No it's not. How were you supposed to know all this would happen? Your sister is will be just fine," Cassie reassured her. Jake didn't contradict her, but he knew something must have happened to his little cousin for her to just disappear for so long. He was already afraid of what he might have to face if he did find her.
He looked at Jordan.
"You guys go up to the caves, and tell your mom I'm gonna morph my tiger and try to sense her trail before it gets too dark."
Jordan had already started away when Cassie said, "Wait, I'll go with you."
"I'll be okay on my own. Just stay here and keep waiting on Sara to come," he said.
"Do you see the sky, Jake?"
It was becoming grayer by the second, and the misty rain was slowly giving way to real drops.
"It's going to take longer to find her because the tiger's sense of smell will dampen with the rain, and you know it doesn't have the endurance to get all the way back to camp before the two hour limit. You'll need someone to lead you home," she explained, a touch of concern in her voice.
Jake hesitated. He knew everything she said was probably true, but he didn't want the unnecessary risk that Cassie, although unconsciously, posed. Right now his focus had to be Sara, and if Cassie came along he was almost certain that wouldn't be possible.
Before he got the chance to speak, Cassie's voice halted him in his tracks.
"I'm sorry, but no matter what you say, I'm coming with you."
She's sounding more like Rachel everyday, Jake thought wryly.
"Okay, then. Hopefully we can do this before any-"
A startling burst of sound sliced through the hazy air.
"Lightning," he sighed.
~~~~
"What are you doing?"
Rachel swiped drops of rain off her face as she gazed past Jake's shoulder at Cassie, who had just walked up behind him.
"Helping my best friend find her baby sister," she answered, pulling the sleeves of the windbreaker Eva had given her past her hands.
Rachel rolled her eyes, but not spitefully.
"You know I love you Cassie, but this is completely dangerous. Even for me. If one of those trees gets hit while we're looking around, we could be hurt, or killed," she said.
Almost perfectly on cue, another shimmering bolt illuminated the foggy air around them.
"I know that, Rach. And I'm not trying to cause trouble. I'm more familiar with navigating outside then either one of you. I grew up on a farm, remember? Now let's go," she said over the muffling storm, starting a slow trot into the dense woods, watery woods.
Jake had already shed his outer clothing, and was standing barefoot in his morphing suit. He pretty much relinquished himself to the fact Cassie was going to come, and honestly, it shocked him how much she was willing to risk for them. He quickly morphed his tiger, making sure to reign in it's natural instincts before following Rachel and Cassie.
~~~~~~
Twenty minutes later, he'd searched a quarter of the north forests, periodically making his way back to Cassie and Rachel, who were carefully looking around on the ground for anything Sara might have dropped.
*I'm not picking up anything in this area. Maybe we should head due west, away the lake,* he said to both of them.
"I don't know," Cassie said, putting her hood up in a move of futility. They were all soaked, and were only getting wetter, which was why she was reluctant to leave. Jake's tiger still had its amazing sense of smell, but only to a certain degree. The rain was dampening it slowly, but surely.
"Are you sure you haven't picked up anything, at all?" Rachel yelled over the thunder, stepping over the slippery broken sticks and brambles. For once in her life, she hadn't been able to avoid mud, as she'd fallen in it moments before. The insistent rain had all but washed it away, though.
*Not really...well, no-wait! I think I've got something!* he spoke in their heads, breaking into a light run. Cassie and Rachel had trouble keeping up, but neither of them complained as they followed the tiger through another small clearing and up a hidden but worn trail. Finally he stopped, whipping his huge striped past the two heavily breathing girls.
*This is too weird.*
"What? What is it, Jake?" Rachel said impatiently.
"Look Rachel," Cassie said, pointing at the direction of Jake's gaze. She slowly kneeled down to touch a small patch of wet blue fur that had caught on a rotting log.
*What is Ax doing back?* he thought spoke.
~~~~~~~
Right then, Rachel heard a tinny voice, coming from just beyond the patch of evergreen they were standing among.
"Did you hear that?" she said out loud, but Jake had already lept over the fallen log and ran through the thick foliage to the edge of a small ravine.
At the bottom lie Sara, barefoot and dirty, her arms tightly around her small body.
*Sara! Wait right there,* Jake called. She seemed only slightly frightened by the voice in her head, and her big blue eyes were focused on Cassie and her older sister, who'd thrown down her flashlight and was climbing down.
"Rachel, wait!"
Cassie flicked the rain out of her face as she watched the blond girl lose her grip and slide down to the bottom, slicing her leg on a protruding stone.
Jake had already begun morphing back to human, but Rachel needed help then.
Cassie took a breath, and set down her own flashlight.
The last thing Jake saw before his human eyes cleared was Cassie's small hand disappearing into the hole.
~~~~~
"Cassie!"
He peered over the edge and released a shaky breath when he realized she'd purposely gone down there. He quickly calmed down completely, and spotted Rachel crawling over to her sister, who was reaching her arms out toward her. It looked like both of them were hurt.
"I'm coming, baby! Just wait for me," Rachel was saying over and over, wincing from the mud burning into the deep cut that ripped itself into her shin on the way down . Cassie was able to get there before her, though, and looked Sara over quickly.
The little girl was obviously shaken and exhausted, but other than some obvious scrapes and bruises she appeared unscathed.
Until, Cassie felt the warm purple lump resting on top of the girl's left ankle.
"It hurts!" she cried, drawing her leg back. Cassie nodded, as Rachel sat beside her, taking her sister into her arms.
"I know, Sara, but Cassie's gonna help you," Rachel soothed, wrapping her tattered windbreaker around her. The little girl sucked her thumb quietly as she let Cassie gently prod around her foot. She sighed, looking up at Jake, who was now standing beside them, fully human.
"Think you can carry her back to camp?"
"Of course. But not until you and Rachel go on ahead and let the others know we're coming."
Rachel stood up shakily, biting her lip.
"I'm not going anywhere without my sister."
"Rachel, you're hurt and you need to get out of this rain. We'll take care of Sara," Cassie said, eying her friend's ugly wound.
"I'll just be right ahead of you," was all the other girl said, starting to climb out of the ravine before grabbing her head.
They all saw she also had a small rivulet of blood running from her forehead as well.
"Rachie!" Sara cried as Rachel started to fall over. Cassie awkwardly caught her before she collapsed.
"No, no, I'm fine, Cassie."
Jake knew the longer they stayed out here, the worse all of them would be, plus they still had no clue where Ax was. His hoof prints were now muddied and practically invisible, leading to nowhere.
"Here, take Sara. I'll stay and get Rachel before to morph out of it before she passes out," he told her. Cassie went over and collected Sara into her arms from him, but she was shaking her head.
"We'll wait for you," she answered, her voice nearly drowned out by the thunder.
"Go on!"
"We need to stay together!
"LISTEN TO ME!" he yelled, and even Rachel was able to force her eyes open at his panicked tone.
"Take Sara back to camp NOW! I can't lose you out here!"
~~~~~
Cassie blinked, staring into Jake's eyes. She saw enough to know she could not argue with him then.
"You better be right after us, Jake," she said, a little shakily.
"Go on, Cass."
The girl gently hoisted Sara and herself out of the ravine, and with one last glance two of the most important people in her life, she carefully ran back to camp, her tears of both relief and worry mixing with the cold rain.