Mender's Tale

by The Rhombus

Based upon a roleplay with Historian1912 and set in the Seven Hunters continuity. Mender has the reputation as being the best healer in the Mysterious Beyond, helping all who require it, but that was not always the case. Follow Mender as she recalls how a lowly fastbiter eventually found her place in life once she met a most unusual pack. This is Mender's Tale.

32. Chapter 26: Collapse

-v-

As promised here is the next chapter. We hope that you enjoy and, as always, feedback is welcome!

---

Chapter 26: Collapse

"If the fall doesn't kill you, then you probably didn't fly high enough."

~Old flyer saying

---

"Straight ahead, then around tree to the right… then a left."

Verant barely registered the vocalizations of the flyer, who no doubt was gliding somewhere above his head. His only reaction was to suddenly lurch to the right to avoid the tree that he could see and then lurch to the left to do the same for its hidden accomplice. Though he would not admit it to the teal flyer above him, they did make for an effective team.

"Open grass ahead… and there they are!"

Verant forced himself to slow down rather than risk running over anyone and give him time to react if there was trouble. "Any threats?" he asked, now moving at a normal run rather than the breakneck sprint he'd been doing a moment ago. Worry about Mender now. Consider passing out when she's safe later. His sprint had taxed him more than he wanted to admit.

The teal flyer did a double take before realizing that he was losing altitude. "I just see purple in the distance, ah… fastrunner and a fastbiter. Can't see the hidden runners. I guess they're hidden?"

"Let'em know we're coming. I don't want another accident," Verant ordered.

Guido nodded as he struggled to catch the thermals once more. Within moments his forward speed again outpaced Verant's as the fastbiter continued his desperate forward movement in the dense grass.

Please be alright, Mender. Please be alright...

There are moments in one's life that pass like a Mayfly, fleeting and swiftly disappearing into the void of memory, and then there are moments that drag on like epochs, never appearing to disappear. Unfortunately for Verant he had just entered into one of those times as Guido screamed louder than he thought possible.

"Stick!"

For all Verant could have known the sky could have turned into fire and the ground into ash, the winds could have carried the scent of sulphur and the sounds of gnashing teeth, but he paid no heed to his senses at that moment. The only sensations that reached his frayed consciousness was the burning of his legs and the sudden eruption of a pained scream from a voice that he could not forget.

He landed with a thud as a familiar purple form twitched against the verdant grass. That was when he saw the spear embedded in her tail and a nearly hysterical fastrunner at her side. His widened eyes met Verant's for a moment.

"I tried to push her out of the way… but he was too fast!"

Cynnil quickly secured the tail as if it were a ground fuzzy. "Guys, we need the hard water fruit now! We have to get the Orange Death out!"

Both Orchid and Buse quickly grabbed their own hard water fruits before Buse finally used his spear to impale Orchid's fruit. Without another word Cynnil yelled, "Brace!"

Verant tried to make sense of what he was seeing as Buse secured a vine around Mender's snout and Orchid fell upon her front legs, securing them to the ground. Then, as if to answer the unspoken question, Cynnil ripped out the spear causing a pained and muffled roar echo across the canyon.

Orchid began to shake right there as the raptor's body began to twitch in an uncontrolled fashion. "Easy, Mender… easy... we have to get the poison out."

Cynnil and Buse, meanwhile, proceeded to rinse the wound with the fruit's clear water. All that Verant could see, however, was his sister's fresh flowing blood and her attempt to remove the vine from her snout.

That was when Guido landed some distance away and began waving his wings frantically at something unseen in the sky.

Caw!

Guido nodded then. "Okay… now the valley knows!"

"Good," Verant said tersely, "Who did this?"

Orchid removed himself from Mender's front legs as they continued to shake slightly, obviously no longer under her control. "Fastrunner. It went towards the valley."

Mender took the opportunity and got the vine free of her muzzle. "Don't… valley won't know..."

Cynnil was there in an instant. "You've got to stay calm, Mender! Remember, fast heart means fast death. We've got the stick out so maybe…"

As if to answer her friend's demand, Mender's body seized up once more, as if every muscle and tendon had decided to contract of their own accord. That was when Mender's yellow eyes began to roll into her head.

"Stay with me, Mender!" Cynnil yelled, trying to keep her head in place. "Stay with my voice!"

Verant forced himself to tear his eyes from his sister, practically shaking with rage. "Stay with her," he ordered Orchid before tearing off in the direction the only scent he didn't recognize led.

He had a fastrunner to kill.

The fastrunner tried to live up to his kind's name as tree after tree blurred across his panicked vision. Despite the fact that he had planned out his escape route, he knew that nothing was certain in the seconds to come.

Get to the river. Follow the river. Get to the scouts... Get to the river. Follow the river. Get to the scouts.

He repeated the mantra in his head as he jumped over a log which blocked his path. Ignoring the sudden pain in his calf as he landed, he resumed his monotonous and desperate run.

That was when he heard the flyer's alert call.

Shit… shit… shit…

Perhaps it was the pain in his leg from his previous landing attempt, or perhaps it was the agitation from the alert call, but it was then that the fastrunner forgot about a very critical part of the river he was to follow. Namely that it was surrounded by thorny plants.

"Ahhh!"

He rolled into the river's muddy shores as his forward momentum carried his body through the jagged thorns. It was only due to the adrenaline flowing through his veins that he was able to force himself from the thick mud and to ignore the stabs of pain that now echoed across his body. He had to get moving again! His yell surely alerted anyone nearby to his presence.

He forced himself to his feet as the sucking sound of wet mud emanated from his feet. His paranoia was now all-encompassing as he focused on the vegetation around him.

The dense grass and thorny bushes gently swayed in the wind, as if mocking his heightened paranoia. Against this verdant backdrop no sign of immediate danger presented itself.

He allowed himself a deep breath as he proceeded to jog against the cool water. He might get out of this after all.

That was when he saw the bushes in the distance begin to sway against the wind.

---

There he is, Verant thought, spotting the fleeing fastrunner running along the river's edge.

The purple fastrunner was now in a headlong sprint as every movement of his feet flung mud behind him. The lack of any attempt to shake off his pursuer was a clear sign that the prey had entirely lost his sense. Panic had taken full hold.

I can't let him get away, Verant thought, angling towards the fastrunner, He hurt Mender. He might've... he might've... I'm going to make him suffer for what he's done.

As if hearing Verant's thoughts, the fastrunner began to swerve, preempting the winding course of the river which took a hard left turn in the distance. A clear attempt to gain some distance on the advancing predator.

Oh, no you don't, Verant thought, pushing himself harder to decrease the distance between himself and the fastrunner. Despite his efforts the fastrunner was still able to gain a few body-lengths on his pursuer due to its more slender form. But that was when Verant heard it.

"That must be it! Crush the fastbiter!"

Not this again, Verant thought, more angry than afraid, If they're going to get between me and that fastrunner, the fastest way is to go through them. Preferably literally.

As both the predator and the prey followed the curvature of the river, the threehorns aimed their movements directly towards Verant, quickly advancing into the water of the wide but shallow river. Against its green, murky depths their horns gave the water the appearance of white foam. It only took Verant a few moments to realize that they would cross the river in front of him before he could reach his target.

Okay, so I've got one threehorn a bit further ahead than the others. If I angle it right, I should be able to get at his neck then go after the next one... Verant thought as the threehorns came ever closer.

"Stop!"

Verant froze for a moment, recognizing Guido's voice.

"He is not the problem! The fastrunner is!"

The threehorns stopped in front of the fastbiter before looking at the teal flyer in confusion. All that Guido could do to avoid a collision was to swerve at the last moment, colliding into a nearby fern.

"Why are we listening to the flying leaf? Let's crush this fiend!"

"That flying leaf is Guido, you idiot! This must be one of Seeker's people."

The first threehorn turned towards his comrade with annoyance. "Same difference."

That was when a grey threehorn arrived on the scene. "What is going on?"

Guido rubbed his head as he walked away from the fern. "A fastrunner hurt Mender. Verant was chasing him until they stopped him." Guido pointed at Verant and then the threehorns for emphasis.

Finally forced to stop, Verant realized just how tired he was. Wait! He suddenly realized that the fastrunner he had been pursuing was no longer visible.

The grey threehorn roared. "Well, then, what are you waiting for? We have a fastrunner to get away from our valley! Move!"

As suddenly as they had come on the scene, the threehorns ran in the general direction that the fastrunner had travelled. However, Verant knew full well that their efforts were not likely to succeed. He had one chance to chase down the possible murderer of his sister, and he had blown it. Once more he had failed to protect Mender.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm not hurt if that's what you're asking," Verant replied, looking up to glare at Guido. Unless you know where that fastrunner went I don't want to talk right now.

Guido glided down to the surface, apparently not aware of Verant's glare. It was only once the teal flyer landed and began to shuffle along in an odd gait that Verant realized that Guido must have injured his foot.

"Are you alright?" Verant asked.

The teal flyer opened his beak as if getting ready to speak, but then closed it as he looked in the direction that they both had came. It was a faraway look.

"We… you should get back to her."

Verant lowered himself to the ground next to Guido. "Hop on."

It only took a few seconds before Verant could feel the slight weight of the flyer upon his neck. He did not wait for any further confirmation before sprinting against the wind. His aching muscles and Guido's pained feet could wait; he had a sister to comfort.

Hold on, Mender. I'm coming. Just hold on.

---

"Mender, try to swallow this…"

Mender struggled to focus on the purple form in front of her face. In the confusing cacophony of voices and colors, the giant beak that appeared to dance in front of her was at least something to focus on. What was it saying, though? Something about swallowing? Was it time for a meal?

That was when a red leaf and a torrent of water from a fruit were suddenly dumped into her mouth. As if predicting her response her two hidden runner friends forcefully held her muzzle closed.

Mender tried to brush the offending claws off of her muzzle, but the attempt had no force behind it and was laughably inaccurate. Yuck.

"Swallow, Mender. You've got to swallow for us!" a feminine voice echoed at the edge of her consciousness. It almost reminded her of someone from long ago…

Reluctantly she swallowed the disgusting mixture of sweet fluid and bitter vegetation. In the series of spasms that followed she couldn't quite tell if it was from the healing plant or from the strange ailment that seemed to be affecting her.

"How is she?" she heard a blue blur that resolved into her brother ask after skidding to a stop. He sounded worried, but he always sounded worried when she wasn't feeling well.

The giant purple beak that had danced in her vision earlier now seemed to grow still as it focused on the blue blur. It was the feminine voice that answered him, however. A voice that sounded resigned and fatigued.

"We gave her all of the cure that we had. Now it is in Fate's claws."

"There's got to be something more you can do," she heard Verant say. She'd know that voice anywhere. Why does he sound so mad now?

"Verant…" a green leaf on her brother's shoulder cautioned. And it was that tone that finally made something in her fading mind click into place.

She was dying. She was dying and her brother blamed her friends.

Mender raised her arm with as much coordination as last time, merely waving it in the general direction of her brother. Eventually she made contact with her target either due to her persistence or him moving closer. She jerked her head back to avoid the stranglehold that her friends had kept on her potentially dangerous mouth.

"Dod-ger..." her voice rasped with a distinct lack of strength.

"Save your strength, sis," Verant said softly, "We're gonna get you some help."

Rest did sound great right now. But there was something that she needed to say… something that couldn't wait… something… oh right, she was dying.

"Pro-tect my pack."

She looked at the blue face of her brother as it began to blur once more. Though, truth to be told, everything else was kind of blurring as well. Maybe her brother was right about resting. A good rest sounded good right about now…

"Mender? Stay awake, sis," Verant said, moving to nudge his sister, "Mender!"

---

Several years ago:

"Ahhh! Help Flinter! How do I get out of this hole?"

Violet ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She had had enough. First the tiny biters had tried to steal eggs from a two-footer nest and wondered why two-footers were after them. Then one of the deputies tried to court a rock in the shape of a tiny biter and wondered why she was playing hard to get. She simply had to escape from this madness.

"We will follow you until end of time, Great Leader!"

Chomp!

"We will follow…"

Violet changed course as a line of tiny biters began going in front of Chomper one by one, only to be devoured by the massive purple sharptooth. Voices could still be heard from inside his belly.

"I promise I do better if you let me out!"

Violet pumped her legs. This was a nightmare in more ways that one.

"Urgh… Why won't you digest?"

"We're sorry, Mr. Path! Can you let us out?"

Despite being her packmate, Violet couldn't help Path now. All of her attention was in escaping the stupidity that seemed to be spreading like a lava flow. That was when she tripped over something.

Crack!

She cried out as she felt her leg break, but for some reason she didn't feel any pain. Despite this an even worse fate awaited her.

"There is Great Mendsy!"

Violet cringed. Oh no!

Tiny biters. Tiny biters as far as her eyes could see. Then behind them stood other dinosaurs. Spiketails… Threehorns… Two-footers… and they all were calling her name.

"Mendsy!"

"Mendsy, help us!"

"Mendsy!"

She woke up with a gasp.

"Well, that was disturbing," Violet said to herself. I must've eaten something really bad.

"Bad sleep story?" Ducky's soft voice could be heard from a few meters away.

"You don't want to know," Violet replied, "Tiny biters. Ugh." She shivered at the thought of having to deal with that much stupidity again.

Ducky rubbed her eyes as she examined the sky to check the relative time. "Blue petals."

"Ma'am?" Violet asked, not understanding what Ducky was talking about.

"It can help you sleep. Blue petals taste like swamp mud, but they make the sleep stories go away…" She yawned. "Night, Mender. Don't let the tiny biters bite…" The snoring began nearly immediately.

"G'night," Violet muttered before going off to find Ducky's suggested remedy. Why can't I just get a good night's sleep for once?

Little did she know that her sleep story was beginning to become true.

---

"Please, flyer! Tell us more about this healer!"

The flyer hesitated as the female swimmer cradled the youngling in her hands. It was the bloody cough sickness. A death sentence, especially in the Mysterious Beyond.

"All I know is that tiny biters were talking about the healer. I don't know what kind she was… she might be a…"

"I don't give a damn if the healer is a fucking two-footer! Where is she?"

"Dear…" her mate tried to calm her.

"Don't 'dear' me, Flapper! We have lost four, I can't bear to lose another!"

The flyer bowed his head. "She is in that direction… past the barrens and across the River of the Blue Scaly Swimmers. That is where the tiny biters were."

The swimmer barely sobbed a 'thank you' as the swimmer family began to head in that direction, not caring about the darkness of the night or the potential terrors that lurked within. It was then that the flyer noticed other swimmers muttering amongst themselves and rising from their positions, other sick younglings on their backs.

"What have I started?" the flyer sighed as he prepared to fly off, "I hope you are as good as they say, Mender."

---

Several days later:

"What do you think is going on?" Violet whispered to Ducky. They were tracking a swimmer herd but were still quite a ways away. "That other swimmer herd left right as this one arrived."

Ducky remained low to the ground as she whispered in Violet's ear, "This is most unusual, it is, it is. Do you smell anything odd, Finder?"

Spike continued to sniff the air for several moments as she pointed at his nose and made a coughing gesture with his body.

"Coughing sickness…" Ducky trailed off as she looked over the grass at the stricken pack, "Well, their coughing sickness does not spread to our kind, so that is good."

Spike moved closer to the others and whispered at Violet, "Now might be a good time to practice your leaf-eater, Mender. Care to take a listen?"

"I'll give it a try," Violet replied. She strained her ears to hear what the swimmers were saying. I could make more sense out of smells before I was taught them than some of this. Understanding only a few words of leaf-eater put her at a disadvantage.

"Grunt… blarg… sick… blarg… need help… where Mender?"

"Mender… don't know kind… grunt."

"Anything interesting, Mender?" Ducky inquired, "They're are a bit out of our hearing range and you have the best ears."

Violet looked at Ducky, about to disagree, when she rather inexplicably heard her name in leaf-eater. Wait, what? Why do these swimmers know my name? I've never even talked to a leaf-eater before. Well, if you don't count former leaf-eaters... I'm in so much trouble, aren't I?

"I think we have a problem," Violet replied, "I think they might be talking about me."

Ducky and Spike looked at one another as they rushed forward ahead of Violet, attempting to get within earshot.

"She needs to be here! My youngling is dying!

"We don't even know who this Mender is! Do you think the flyer was lying?"

"She has to be here! We need a healer!"

Ducky froze as she listened to the words of the swimmer. With more than a little hesitation she turned back towards Violet. It was as if she was not sure what she was hearing was real.

"Was I right?" Violet asked.

Spike took in a deep breath. "I think we have a problem."

---

Ah, there she is. I wonder what took them so long.

Littlefoot carefully waved from behind a row of bushes as Spike and Violet came into view. Normally this would not be necessary as their scent could be detected on the wind, but it was a courtesy on account of Violet's lack of smell.

Violet was now desperately wishing Ducky had gone back with her instead of Spike. Why she thought she should keep listening to the swimmers is beyond me; Finder could have done that just as well, she complained to herself. "So do you want to explain this or should I?" Violet asked Spike. Please do it. It'll give me more time to run if I get in trouble.

Spike blinked before focusing on Littlefoot. "Seeker, we may have a problem."

Littlefoot snorted. "I kind of figured that when you two were debating who was going to explain things." He then looked at Violet. "What did you hear, Mender?"

Is it too late to run now? "Um, well..." Violet struggled to find a way to explain what she heard. There's no good way to say this, is there? "I think the swimmers might have heard about me." She unconsciously shifted her weight to turn around and run if she had to. Please don't hate me.

Littlefoot may have been prepared for many eventualities, but this was not one of them. After blinking twice at the obviously uncomfortable fastbiter's words he turned towards her counterpart. "Finder, what did you hear?"

"They know about her, and they know that she is a healer. One of the swimmers said that…"

"Those fucking tiny shits! We should have eaten them all!" Cera roared, as the sound of panicking swimmers could be heard in the distance. Littlefoot merely rolled his eyes as he waved the others off from the hunt.

"Well, I suppose the hunt can wait. There are still fish in the stream." Littlefoot glared at Cera and Taunt. "How about you two begin fishing for all of us?"

Taunt placed his hands on his hips. "But it was…"

"She is your mate." Littlefoot smiled. "We will join you once this is dealt with…"

Violet looked from Littlefoot to Cera. What just happened? Um, maybe I should've volunteered to go with them. Darn it.

"So the little shits talked, but how did the swimmers find out?" Littlefoot pondered for a moment.

"Maybe they learned our language from the valley? It would help the valley if they knew our language," his mate's voice offered uncertainly.

Breeze sighed. "Great… that's all that we need. Sap-suckers who know our tongue."

Spike groaned. "Well, maybe they heard indirectly? Maybe a fastrunner told them?"

"Maybe we ask them?" Petrie offered, which earned a few chuckles from the assembled fastbiters. But they didn't notice the look on their leader's face.

"Hmm… it wouldn't be the stupidest thing that we have done."

"So how are we going to that?" Violet wondered aloud.

Littlefoot smiled. "Alright, Mender, let's go have a chat with the swimmers. It has been quite a long time… although…"

That was when a familiar scent reached his sniffer. The sound of trampling grass followed shortly thereafter.

Littlefoot turned. "Just who we need on this mission. Haven, are you ready to have a discussion with some swimmers?"

---

"Cough…. akk..."

Wave took notice of the child's cough as if it were an apparition or a bad sleep story. She may have never had children, her body wouldn't allow it, but she had to remain strong for her sisters in their time of need.

Her nieces and nephews did not have much time.

"Mender!" she bellowed, "Mender the healer, we need your aid! Please! Our children are sick!"

"Who's Mender, Aunt Wave?"

Wave tried her best to remain calm as the question of her niece reached her ears over the sobs of the parents. "She is someone who is going to make you better, little one." She tried her best to smile kindly, but the wetness in her eyes gave her away.

Dash glanced behind her to make sure her siblings weren't listening. "We're going to die, aren't we?" she asked.

Wave stopped and carefully touched her niece's snout. "Listen to me, Dash. No one is going to die here. We are going to find Mender, and she is going…"

"SHARPTEETH!"

And here we go, Violet thought when she heard the panicked shouts that announced that she and Ducky were in the area. "Are you sure this was a good idea?" she asked her friend.

Wave turned around only to see an adolescent tyrannosaurus and several other fastbiters coming from all directions. They were surrounded. There was no escape.

"It is as good an idea as any. It is, it is," Ducky answered before clearing her throat, "Do not worry. We are not going to eat you today."

Dash hid behind her aunt, more than a little freaked out. Sharpteeth aren't supposed to be able to talk to us.

Wave gulped as her mind reluctantly put together the clues before her. Talking sharpteeth… not killing us… "You… you must be the Seven."

Littlefoot stepped forward. "Indeed we are. You are in our territory, swimmers. May I ask why?"

Did you really need to ask that, sir? Violet wondered, I could have sworn Haven had heard enough to tell you that.

"We.. um…" Wave began before her sisters interrupted.

"Our children are sick! We were told that a healer was here."

"Please, is Mender in this place?"

Littlefoot looked at Mender with an odd expression. "Well, Mender, I think the tiny biters just found you some more patients."

Violet couldn't resist the urge to groan and hide her face in her claws. Oh, sure. Single me out. Don't ask the real healers, including the one standing right next to me!

"We know where Mender is, but first…" Ducky began.

"Oh, thank goodness!"

"Please take us there!"

"Help us…"

"SILENCE!"

The swimmers were nearly frozen into silence by Littlefoot's roar. The signs of panic were now again present. It was then that Ducky gave her leader a glare.

"Perhaps I should handle this, Seeker."

Violet looked back and forth between them. Okay, this is rather chaotic... Yikes.

Littlefoot sighed for a moment, but quickly nodded his acquiescence to the former swimmer's request.

"We have some healers in our pack… and Mender is one of them," Ducky began, as the swimmers gasped in fear, "I take it that whoever told you about Mender did not tell you that piece of information?"

Ducky sighed. "Should I translate for you, Mender?"

"Would it help?" Violet asked, "Do they even have a leader? If I tell them who I am, what's to stop them from acting like tiny biters and rushing me?"

Ducky stared at the swimmers as she spoke into Violet's ear, "They aren't going anywhere. If they do run… the pack would eat well." She sighed. "We need to know how far this has gone. How many people know. They may be willing to talk to the healer that they are seeking."

"Okay," Violet said nervously, "Could you try to explain to them not to start acting like their kids when they're healthy, first?" I really can't handle adults acting like children when they're bigger than I am. I understand desperate parents, my brother definitely acted like one, but even he didn't panic like this. What have I gotten myself into?

Ducky nodded before saying something that Violet could barely understand.

"Swimmers...grunt...calm...bellow...Mender...talk…. Bellow."

Ducky paused as the swimmers nodded and looked around nervously. "Ready, Mender."

"Should we check to see what they want me for first?" Violet asked, "That would be a good way to get them to tell us what we want to know. I help them; they explain where they heard all this from."

Ducky nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, Mender. But these words are your own. They want to hear from you."

"You're translating word for word?" Violet asked, surprised.

Ducky nodded, an uncharacteristically stern look on her face as she stared at the swimmers.

Violet took a calming breath, not liking how much attention was now aimed at her. "Okay..." she said, deciding to talk like she would have had the swimmers been able to understand her, "So, what's wrong? What do you need me for?"

"Bellow...what matter? What do… bellow… have purpose?" was what Violet heard as Ducky supposedly repeated her words. It did not take long for the swimmers to respond.

"Please help us. Our children have the bloody cough sickness. So many have already died, and Mender is our only hope! The flyer said that she never fails!" Ducky repeated back as she gave Violet a sideways glance.

"I'm going to hurt that flyer," Violet grumbled, "Do NOT translate that."

Ducky nodded and then gestured that she was ready again, sending a kind smile Violet's way.

"Do you think you can convince them to let me see one of the kids, preferably one that's typical of the ones that are sick? I kinda want to know just how bad it is now," Violet said hesitantly, knowing she was asking quite a bit. If they're all but dead, there's nothing I can do but make them comfortable. Fortunately for the swimmers, Violet's definition of 'all but dead' was the same as her brother's, which was 'not breathing'.

Ducky nodded and then began to emit a series of bellows and grunts to make Violet's request. Over the next few moments there was some raised voices amongst the swimmers before one of the children darted from the adults and nearly collided with Ducky in her attempt to avoid her mother's grasp.

"I am Dash, Um, which one of you is Mender?" Dash belatedly realized she hadn't figured that out before running out into the open. Mom is gonna kill me for this.

Ducky was careful not to smile in the fastbiter way, knowing that could panic the poor child, but instead gestured towards her violet counterpart, giving her a slight nod.

"This is Mender, young one. But I am Ducky." She was careful to use her leaf-eater name. "I used to be a swimmer too until the Stone of Cold Fire happened. We will examine you together. We will, we will."

"Can Mender not talk to us?" Dash asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"She is still learning your language, dear," Ducky answered as calmly as possible, though the scent the small swimmer was giving off made her want to frown, "I can translate, though."

"So what do I do?" Dash asked after a moment of feeling awkward, having never been around a healer before.

"Just be calm and stand still. We need to get a good smell of you and..." Ducky gestured towards the mother. "Can you tell us about how Dash has been?"

The swimmer hesitated. "She hasn't been coughing as much as her brothers and sisters. I think she might be fine just like Flux's children."

Ducky looked at Violet with a sad expression. "Not if what I am smelling is right…"

"Haven, she's right there," Violet hissed, not liking how they were talking around the sick swimmer. It felt too much like how her parents used to talk around her before outright explaining that she was smell-blind to her and her siblings.

"She can't understand our language, Mender," Ducky answered as she sniffed the swimmer again, noting the scent of fear, "It's alright, dear. You do not need to fear us."

"What exactly do you smell, Haven?" Violet asked, not for the first time regretting her own limitations.

Ducky looked at the female swimmer a moment. "Take a deep breath and then breathe out please." She then looked at Violet as she sniffed the results. "The sickness scent is there… but it also has something else. It smells wrong."

"Wrong how?" Violet asked, "There's something you're not telling me." Yes, I'm more emotional, but I'm not stupid, Haven.

Ducky grimaced. "I am not entirely sure, but I smell her blood in her breath, and it smells wrong. Could… could the coughing sickness lead to blood sickness?"

"Are you asking me? You're the expert, Haven. I've gotten sick in some weird ways before, so maybe..." Violet immediately cut herself off before she started rambling and just speaking her thoughts again. Why do I have a bad feeling the answer is 'yes'?

Ducky shook her head. "Okay, Dash. Thank you for being brave. I know running to sharpteeth was not an easy thing to do. Go back to your mother and ask her to send us your brothers and sisters one by one. We need to smell them and find out what is going on." She smiled in the fastbiter way by raising her tail. "Can you do that for me?"

Dash nodded. "Okay, Miss Ducky." She turned and hurried back to her visibly anxious mother.

Ducky looked back at the others. "Go ahead and get Stern Claw… and Ponder, you should be here as well."

Within moments Littlefoot had nodded to Ruby and gave the gesture for Petrie to summon the others. He knew that even though he was the leader of the pack, Ducky was the leader of the healers.

Violet's head jerked from Littlefoot to Ducky and back a couple of times. "Did you just...? Wha... How?" she stammered, entirely confused.

Ducky looked back to Violet as Ruby sprinted in their direction. "Remember what I said about how rank was not everything, Mender?" She paused. "Do not worry about it, Mender. Let's just focus on making the kids better."

"Is there anything we can do about Dash?" Violet asked, now certain the girl was worse off than she was expected to be.

Ducky did not answer as Ruby came running up to them. "What is it?"

Ducky sighed. "Coughing sickness, but I think it has spread to the blood in one of them."

Ruby's face grew dark. "So that one will soon be food, then. What about the others?"

Violet's look of shock rapidly morphed into a protective glare. You don't just give up on people. If she's willing to keep fighting I'll do what I can to make sure Dash makes it.

Ducky did not have time to answer before the next child came by. A male.

"Do you mind translating?" Violet asked Ducky, her words now having an edge they usually lacked, especially with a senior pack member within earshot.

Both Ruby and Ducky stopped for a moment at Violet's request. Ducky gave Violet a questioning look as she opened her mouth. But that was when Ruby raised a hand. "Proceed, Mender. We will translate." It was spoken as an order, not as an accepted request.

"Hi, I'm Mender," Violet introduced herself through Ducky's translation, "What's your name?" This might work better if I get to know them a bit first. That always worked when I met new adults, especially when I was scared. Prowler's dad actually did this with me when I was introduced to him; his son definitely didn't learn to do that.

The male swimmer cowered in fear at the purple sharptooth in front of him. The only thing that prevented him from bolting was the encouragement of Dash and his mother, "Hi.. Hi, Mender. I'm Bolt."

And I thought my hatching name was unoriginal, Violet thought. "Hi, Bolt. How are you feeling?" There is no way he's letting my sniffer near him unless I get him to calm down.

"I have-" The swimmer coughed uncontrollably for several moments, answering the question for him. "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about. Happens to everyone."I should know. Got sick more often than Staza, and that can almost be considered a challenge. Sorta went along with nearly starving to death, Violet mentally rambled, What am I doing? Focus!

"Should we get the next one?" Ruby inquired.

"Not yet," Violet answered, "He's barely calmed down. And yes, I know I'm slow." But if we don't want Bolt here living up to his name... She directed her attention back to the swimmer. "Bolt, would it be alright if I smelled you a bit like we did your sister?"

Bolt shifted uneasily, but then quickly nodded. This sharptooth had done nothing to lose his trust.

"Okay, now. Just hold still for a moment." Violet slowly moved a bit closer to Bolt and even more slowly sniffed him. No sudden movements; he'd panic same as I would.

Bolt clinched his eyes shut as the fastbiter sniffed around him, her hot breath lashing him with her predatory scent. He barely was able to keep still.

He's definitely sick, Violet thought, but I'm not smelling much of anything as far as blood is concerned... "You smell anything, Haven?" If your sniffer doesn't work from there I might not be the only smell-blind one here.

Ducky hesitantly gave a sniff. "No blood sickness here." She sighed. "What now, Mender?"

"I guess we check the next one," Violet said before turning back to Bolt, "Okay, Bolt. Good job. You can go back to your mother now." I think I just found out what I'd be like as a swimmer…

Ducky repeated her statement and waved another swimmer forward.

"I'm Azul, Miss Mender," a small female swimmer greeted with a bow. It was then that Ducky could see a line of small swimmers stretching all of the way to the adults.

"Looks like we have a lot more to check," Ruby muttered as she glanced at the rest of her pack, "What have we gotten ourselves into?"

"At least they're smarter and better behaved than the tiny biters," Violet said after taking a look at the line herself and turning back to her current patient, "Okay, Azul. Can you hold still for me, hon?" If I keep at this I'm going to start sounding like Staza. Well, she did a pretty good job of keeping me calm a lot, so that might might not be a bad thing...

Azul nodded. She did not seem to have much hesitation. Perhaps Violet's fair treatment of the previous two siblings had begun to have an effect. She only barely heard what Ruby whispered to Ducky.

"A healer's tongue. That is not something we taught her."

"There we go," Violet told Azul when she finished sniffing, "All done. You can go back to your family, Azul." At least there's some good news. She smells like her brother. Dash, though... what am I going to do for her?

---

Littlefoot laid down in front of the meeting area with a weary expression. Within moments the rest of his companions joined him. Only Chomper was absent, keeping watch over the swimmers as a promise of protection. A situation that would have seemed laughable earlier that morning.

"So Path is protecting a herd of swimmers, Mender is now known to the entire Mysterious Beyond as a healer for the ages, we have no less than twenty baby swimmers to somehow heal, and a flyer somewhere that we need to kill." Littlefoot groaned. "Did I miss anything?"

Silenced reigned for several moments as Cera spared her pack leader a glance. "All due respect, Seeker, you sound like me in the morning."

Littlefoot shook his head. "And the swimmers said that the flyer heard the tale from tiny biters… tiny biters…"

Taunt opened his mouth but promptly closed it. He could tell that now was not the time. Instead he took a quick glance at the four healers, with a particular focus on Violet. Ruby's head remained raised assertively, though the slightest twitch of her hand showed that she was tempted to comfort her mate. Cera was merely looking at him to make sure that he didn't say anything stupid. Despite the sudden urge, he restrained it for a moment. However, that was when Ducky and Violet's expressions caught his eye.

Violet looked utterly exhausted, with a scent of worry radiating from her. Though, he noticed with a sniff, worry directed at someone close to her.

The children. She truly cares.

Ducky, meanwhile, had a somewhat conflicted expression. She was situated a bit in front of Violet as was her right by rank, but she was carefully avoiding eye contact.

Oh. I bet Mender doesn't even realize…

"How about we start with how to heal the children first?" Taunt began carefully, surprising several of his packmates, "The murdering of the flyer and tiny shits can come later."

Littlefoot nodded. "I don't think killing the messengers will do any good at this point now that the word is out, but yes, let's start with the children." He looked up at Ducky. "Haven, what is the situation with the swimmers? Is it something that we can fix?"

Ducky hesitated for a moment, briefly glancing at Violet before responding, "One of the swimmers has blood sickness from the coughing sickness. The others only have the coughing sickness." She gestured for a moment as if trying to contemplate something. "Blue Petals and Rot Plants can help, but I am not sure about swimmers."

"We usually eat them, not save them," Ruby admitted before quickly added, "Except for when we were in the Valley, of course."

Would there be really that much difference between us and the swimmers? Violet wondered, If something works for the tiny biters I'd expect it to work for anyone.

Littlefoot looked at Cera, who took this as an opportunity to speak. "Well, I didn't really smell anything special on most of them. That one is certainly going to be food soon, no hope for her; but the others we might be able to save. Assuming the Rot Plants work."

Violet did her best to keep her anger from making her say things she'd later regret, but it didn't do anything for her thoughts. Staza would have my head if she heard me say any of that, she thought after her mental tirade ended, And honestly so would everyone else.

"You look troubled, Mender."

Violet visibly shrank back, a bit alarmed after her recent thoughts.

"Is something on your mind? Did you notice anything else about the swimmers?"

"N-not really, except that the kids are better behaved than the tiny biters ever were," Violet replied mostly calmly. Even if she'd been completely calm just having Littlefoot looking in her direction unnerved her slightly.

Littlefoot paused for a moment, before sighing and rubbing his head in exhaustion. "No, there was something else. You smell upset. Is there something that we are missing?"

"Nothing relevant," Violet replied. Please just leave me alone. It's bad enough with Haven. I don't need the rest of the pack knowing everything just by asking.

Littlefoot paused for a moment before speaking. "Alright, let's gather some Rot Plants as those will be the easiest to find."

"Awww… I wanted to go to the Land of Many Rivers," Taunt jokingly whined.

"Yes, and if you keep talking I might just chase you there!" Cera retorted.

Littlefoot cleared his throat. "And I think Haven and Mender should probably give the healing plants. Haven can read her old kind better than we can, and they are expecting Mender. Any questions?"

Violet kept quiet. Her only question was one she always had. Why do these things keep happening to me? I just want to be able to disappear, so why do I keep getting singled out?

"Alright, dismissed," Littlefoot affirmed with a tired voice, "Hopefully soon we can get back to hunting swimmers instead of healing them."

As the others began to follow their leader's directives, there was an odd sort of confusion in the air. As each pair of mates began to pair off in order to perform their Rot Plant search, Ducky and Violet were left to conduct their search alone. A veil of silence hung around them.

Would it be better if I said something? Or would she just decide to bite me? Violet wondered. The awkwardness that had been there since checking the swimmers was starting to get to her.

"I guess… we should help find some," Ducky said softly, being careful to keep her gaze in a neutral position, as if her companion's rank was uncertain.

Violet looked at Ducky for a moment, confused. Oh. Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Not this rank thing again.

Ducky hesitated for a moment, unsure of herself, before quickly setting off for the forest in order to find Rot Plants. Leaving Violet alone with her thoughts.

How am I supposed to fix this without embarrassing both of us? Violet wondered.

---

The pile of healing plants drove away all other scents with its overpowering stench. It was beside this pile that Ducky and Violet toiled, quickly crushing them into a paste and putting it on green leaves, trying to make a tolerable tasting meal out of the unappealing mass. This was something that Violet would have to take Ducky's word for, as to her all leaves tasted disgusting.

"Got any more Rot Plants?" Ducky asked as she wrapped the leaves around a clump of the unappealing mass.

"Last one," Violet said, handing it to Ducky. I think that's the most she's said to me at one time since we started.

Ducky crushed the mushroom into the paste for several moments before wrapping the green leaves around it with a grimace. "I guess that is at good as it is going to get. Yep, yep, yep."

"I'm starting to wish I was entirely smell-blind," Violet said. This stuff smells even worse when you add it to something else. How is that possible?

Ducky held her snout. "To think that I used to eat this stuff when I was a swimmer!" She looked up at Violet with an odd expression. "Who to treat first?"

"You're asking me?" Violet asked, "You're the one in charge, Haven." Did you forget that? Even if you're not sure about our ranks, you're in charge of Ponder where healing is concerned, for ancestors' sakes.

Ducky hesitated for several moments before carefully staring at a point above Violet's eyes and giving a slight bow. "That… was unclear." She then moved into a more confident posture. "The really sick one needs it more, but what if we do not have enough? Should we waste it on one that already smells dead?" The conflicting emotions in her voice was obvious.

"She's not dead yet, Haven," Violet growled.

Ducky stared at her for several moments before gesturing towards Petrie to send for the first of the swimmers. It was agreed that each youngling would be treated one by one in the wooded area. The last thing that they needed was panicking swimmers trampling them.

"You're upset with me?" Ducky asked with some confusion.

"No, not with you," Violet said more calmly, almost exhausted. She didn't want to fight with her friend, even verbally.

Within moments the swimmer at the focus of their previous discussion came through the grass. Despite her excitement and quick movements, there was a noticeable swaying to Dash's posture.

"The healing plants are ready?" Dash's soft voice asked, "The flyer said…" She was interrupted by a coughing fit that lasted for several moments. Both Ducky and Violet were tempted to comfort her but hesitated out of fear of causing panic. The look that Ducky gave Violet conveyed her thoughts however.

"If we run out I'll find more. I think I remember seeing some on the way here when I was in Prowler's pack," Violet said. It's just a bit further away than you'd probably like; we'd have to be out there overnight if we left right now.

Dash watched as the two fastbiters talked in their own language for several moments. Even without a fastbiter's sense of smell or knowledge of their tongue, she could see their expressions. The one that the adults had called Mender looked resolute, whereas the other healer looked downcast. It did not take long for her to assume what was being said.

She had been battling chills for the last several moments and had been dizzy since shortly after the healers had gone to get the healing plants. This was exactly how some of the others had felt before...

"I... I can't be helped, can I?"

Violet gave Ducky a look that strongly suggested she understood what Dash had said. An apologetic nod from Ducky was followed by a quick translation.

"Let's do what we can. I'll look for those plants I mentioned tomorrow." I'll go by myself if I have to.

"You're still breathing, aren't you?"

The small swimmer stared at the other healer as she nodded her head.

"Then we will do everything that we can to keep you breathing. Now can you tell us how you are feeling right now?"

"Thank you," Violet practically sighed. I've had almost everyone I've known give up on me; I'm not doing it to someone else. She did her best to compose herself so as not to worry Dash.

"I feel cold…" Dash admitted, "And I feel like how I do when I swim too fast… and…" she was interrupted by another coughing fit. Ducky translated quickly as she gave Violet a glance.

"This is what Traval felt like before he stopped swimming," she finally finished, using the euphemism of her kind for death.

"I'm leaving. Now," Violet said, "We're definitely going to need more of these plants."

Ducky held up a hand for her to wait a moment. "Let Mender give you the healing plants, Dash. I am sure it will make you feel better."

"You're going to be fine, Dash," Violet said softly, handing over the healing plants, slightly more than Ducky would consider the correct amount. Hopefully Haven won't notice.

Dash quickly swallowed the bundle in one bite before having another coughing fit.

"This tastes awful!"

"It's a plant. They all taste awful," Violet said, fighting back a chuckle at Dash's reaction.

Ducky said a few grunts which may have been a faithful translation or something else entirely for all Violet knew. But before Violet left, Ducky grasped her hand.

"Four eyes are better than two, I will help you look for them, I will, I will."

---

The present:

"What are we doing? They are sharpteeth!"

"Shut up! You know they are the valley's friends."

"I remember what happened to our other sharptooth friends, idiot! They helped Chomper and his parents when they…"

"Enough! "

Cynnil tried to ignore the banter behind them as a group of threehorns appeared to be going out of their way to defend her pack. She could not ignore the shadow of a fastbiter looming like a spector on the other side of his fallen sister. She also did not need to look up from Mender to predict that he was glaring at the agitated domeheads shouting arguments at the threehorns.

Well, better him glaring at them than interrupting us.

She looked up at Orchid, whose purple face almost looked ghostly at the horrors of what might soon be.

He jumped when her hand touched his shoulder.

"Take a break, Orchid. Buse and I can handle it for now."

The purple fastrunner looked at his pack leader as if she had asked him to jump off of a cliff, his beak searching for the right words to protest his orders.

"If Mender is going to have a chance to live through this then we need to take turns," Cynnil spoke slowly as Buse quietly nodded and took Orchid's spot next to Mender's snout, "If we are exhausted then we cannot do what is necessary."

"Cynnil… she… we need to…"

And that was when the yawn cut him off. As soon as his eyes closed with the opening of his jaws, he finally gave up the appearance of being collected and ready. As his shoulders sagged the truth became obvious. He was utterly exhausted.

Orchid smiled grimly. "We will take care of it, Orchid. You focus on sleep right now so that the rest of us can sleep later."

He finally agreed with a silent, defeated nod. With little more than a few moments separating his protest from his compliance, the fastrunner quietly laid down near a large tree. His eyes were closed within moments.

"Can we save her?"

Verant glared at Buse. "You'd better," he said, growling angrily.

Cynnil ignored the fastbiter's tone as she tapped her beak to silence Buse. "She is getting the best care." She then allowed herself to examine her friend's body to give a true assessment to her packmate.

The body of the fastbiter had been a symbol in many ways of the little biter triumphing over adversity, of hope triumphing over despair. For against the body's numerous past scars there was also the plumpness of hard-earned muscle and a generous amount of fat. A luxury her body had only somewhat recently been able to enjoy. And now, as her lungs struggled to keep her shivering, unconscious body alive, she could see an odd paleness on her snout and a distinct scent in the air.

The smallest hint of death.

Cynnil reluctantly turned to her friend before giving the softest whisper. "I don't know."

Never mind how obvious a truth is there is something about putting it into words that gave it a sense of finality. A sense of inevitability. As Cynnil looked out at the landscape around them: the trees, the greenery, the life… it stood in stark contrast to what was being lost right next to her. A symbol of resilience who had long dreamed of seeing the valley was now doomed, it seemed, to die in the valley. All due to a mission of mercy for a illness that was not there. It was no comfort to Cynnil that Mender probably would have found the absurdity nostalgically familiar.

We will make sure this is just another part of your song, Mender! This is not your last verse!

Though as she looked out at the distant faces peering over at them. The domeheads… the threehorns… even a few longnecks… she couldn't help but wonder if their own song might end soon. Some of those looks were curious or compassionate, but the glares of the domeheads indicated something else entirely.

Maybe that is what whoever did this had in mind. 'He who divides a pack, need not hunt a pack.'

That was when something else caught her eye. What are those swimmers doing?

"Ma'am, you need to stop there. No harm is to come to…"

"She saved the lives of my children. She at least deserves a goodbye."

Cynnil felt a chill go down her spine as the swimmer glared at the two threehorns, her unimposing green body standing in contrast to the natural trampling machines that stood in front of her. But there was a firmness in her eyes that could not be matched. It was the determination to perform one's duty. To honor the living while one still lived.

Cynnil took a deep breath before holding up a hand. "It's alright. Let her through."

"Are you sure?" Verant asked, eying the swimmer suspiciously.

Cynnil slowly nodded as she already knew the answer to her question. "Do you smell any deceit on her?"

"You can sincerely want to kill someone," Verant said.

Cynnil looked into the swimmer's eyes as she glared at the threehorns. That was when one of the swimmers tugged on their mother's hing leg with a mournful look.

"Is Mender dying, Momma?'

Cynnil had to look away. "The only thing she wants to kill is the person who did this."

"Then she'll have to get in line," Verant said, nodding towards the swimmer respectfully.

Upon seeing the other fastbiter move aside the threehorns decided to listen to the hidden runner. Orders from Topps or not, getting into a fight with an angry mother and a fastbiter was not a possibility that either relished.

The mother swimmer approached Mender cautiously, expression almost disbelieving. "I heard our mourning cries hurt your ears, Mender, so I'll refrain. But I still mourn for you."

Cynnil watched, transfixed, as little swimmers moved forward one by one. Each one of them moved towards the predator without hesitation or fear. But Cynnil could not remember any of them.

"Easy, guys, we just brought some healing leaves."

Cynnil turned away from the touching scene to see two small dinosaurs approach with rather familiar leaves. Though, much like a pair of wings on a spiketail, these verdant offerings would do letter to alleviate Mender's suffering. There was no need to treat pain when the patient was unconscious. But that was when she noticed their snouts… they were colored like rainbows.

It's their children! Maybe one of them might know some way to fix what we cannot.

Cynnil looked over at Buse who was silent and looking at something behind her.

"Easy, fastbiter. They are the valley's healers. Well, the children of our healers. They are away at the moment."

Cynnil sighed in relief at the adult swimmer's words and quickly translated them for the protective fastbiter. Just as before, Verant nodded and took a position behind the young ones. Whether they liked it or not they had just been added to his zone of protection.

The two rainbowfaces appeared not to notice as they slowly approached the fallen fastbiter in something between a shuffle and a slow walk. As they moved forward their beaks were clasped closed and their expressions were blank. It reminded her of what Mender had once said about her one encounter with the adult rainbowfaces: "their embarrassing questions were bad enough, but they had to be so… so… calm about it! At least if they had laughed at me I would have been used to that!" As it was the children did not appear cold in their demeanor as their scent gave away something akin to mourning. But their eyes… it was like two sharpteeth examining a potential hunt. Cold and calculating. But maybe that is what they needed right now. Cynnil and Buse could not exactly be objective when their best friend was dying right in front of them.

Cynnil was smart enough not to pin hopes on the children, however. At least not in a form that Verant could readily understand. Though sacrilegious, it was better that Verant's angst and rage be directed at Fate than innocent children.

"Do either of you children know of any way to fix this? I owe her so much…"

Cynnil watched as the elder swimmer looked down at the two children mournfully. Against her almost begging demeanor, neither child nodded in the affirmative. There would be no rainbowface magic here.

"All we could find was our parent's store of 'no pain leaves'. We are sorry, Ms. Swimmer."

Cynnil swallowed hard as the swimmer closed her eyes and nodded her understanding of what the child had said. It was then that Datum laid down his portion of leaves at Mender's feet. As she watched his beak move she could make out the words that he whispered.

"And we are sorry, Ms. Mender."

She had to look away at that point. She was a leader and she had to keep her cool for the sake of them all. Even when staring into the eyes of hopelessness.

"There's Spotter!"

Cynnil jerked her head so fast that it made her disoriented. It only took her a second to see what Buse had noticed. A rapidly approaching brown flyer with several valley flyers in tow.

"Why do I get the feeling that we're about to get more bad news?" Verant asked, following the hidden runners' gaze to where the flyers were approaching.

Cynnil watched, transfixed, as the flyer approached at a breakneck speed. The other flyers quickly dispersed, giving the agitated flyer a free path down to the ground. In the end he dove at the ground with all of the velocity of a striking predator before suddenly opening his wings and landing with a decisive thud near the tree where Orchid was sleeping, causing him to jump with fright at the sudden intrusion. Without missing a beat he then bounded towards the dinosaurs in an awkward quadruped run that would have amused Cynnil if the situation was not dire. It took him only a few seconds to reach them.

And when he did he merely stared at Mender in mute shock before looking at the others with an almost pleading expression.

Cynnil swallowed as she tried to compose her words. "She got hit with the Orange Death. We are doing all that we can, but the rest is up to her."

She watched as the flyer stared at her blankly for several moments before looking once more at the fallen fastbiter. His former packmate. His friend.

"Is attacker dead?" Spotter spoke in a cold, icy monotone. For once Cynnil was glad that he was no longer staring at her.

"He escaped thanks to some stupid threehorns," Verant said, trying not to descend into an angry tirade.

The resulting silence was deafening as the flyer stared blankly at the verdant valley in front of him as if he were in a totally different place.

"We have flyers looking for the fastrunner, Petrie," another valley flyer carefully stated as he and another flyer landed closeby.

"A fastrunner." he repeated, "So Wrok is using fastrunners now. So there were none of his hidden runners here."

"Some of Ignis's were around here, though," Verant said, "We each thought the other was the enemy, and, well, things got ugly."

Cynnil blinked. This is not good. "How ugly?"

Verant sighed. "One dead. Their idea of investigating something unknown was to try to ambush that something. I reacted to the threat, and now one's dead."

"So Wrok try to make us ruin alliance with Ignis and blame valley for attack?" Petrie noted as the eyes grew more focused. In Ignis's mind she could see the flyer put all of the pieces into place. "The rest live and talk to you?"

"They were who waved us down to warn you that something was wrong," a valley flyer noted, still in shock of seeing how wrong things had gotten in his absence.

"Then Wrok fail," Petrie said coldly before looking in Verant's direction. "We will avenge her…"

Verant glared at Petrie, highly disagreeing with the flyer's implication.

"...injury," Petrie finished upon seeing Verant's gaze. Petrie's glance in her direction said it all however: I'm sorry for your loss. "Spotter will talk to Seeker. Wrok make first bite, but we will make the last."

And just like that he took off into the air without another word. He left with as much speed as he had arrived. No doubt ready to pay back Wrok for his brutal assault on their very own.

"Petrie is saying that this is battle, isn't he? Just like before."

Cynnil turned back towards the swimmer, realizing that she had forgotten she was even there. The swimmer's wide gesture in the direction of the memorial mound said it all. For the first time since the Battle for the Valley lives had been lost in an attack from the outside. Once more the valley would have to choose a side.

Cynnil nodded. "Yes."

Her eyes followed the swimmer children as they carefully organized the no pain leaves into little balls, just as if they had been training in the procedure. A quick correction from Axiom to one of their leaf balls confirmed the source of this knowledge.

The mother smiled at her children's quick handiwork. "They all want to be healers like her. From what I have heard of your song it was before your time, Cynnil the Healer, but she saved all of my remaining children. There are certain debts that can never be repaid."

Cynnil nodded. "Can you tell us your part of her song? We will need to know it for when she… gets better."

What she was greeted by in return was a smile that almost broke her heart. "It would be my honor."

---

Several years ago:

The young swimmer's chest heaved with difficulty as a wet cough again escaped her throat. It was a cold reminder of the sickness that surrounded the swimmers, despite the steady improvement of the other younglings. Perhaps out of instinct or subconscious concern, the mother nudged her daughter in her sleep. Only then did her breathing return to a more regular, if still labored, cadence.

None of the swimmers saw the two pairs of yellow eyes staring at them from the darkness.

"She's getting worse," Violet whispered very softly, sounding quite loud to her own ears but almost unhearable by the swimmers nearby.

Ducky nodded. "The others sound better, though. She might be the only one of the swimmers to go to the Great Beyond in this place." Without wasting any more time she carefully examined her surroundings. Her sniffer was superior to Violet's, but not her ears. "What do you hear, Mender?"

"You and the swimmers. Not much else," Violet replied, "How do they sleep piled together like that?" I don't remember crowding that close together with my siblings, but then again there's a lot of things I don't remember.

"All babies sleep like that, silly. It keeps them warm, yep, yep, yep!" Ducky answered in a soft whisper as she carefully gave the air a sniff, "There is one thing that I do not understand, Mender. You are not a swimmer. You were not raised as a swimmer. And you do not know their language yet… so why did you want to help them?"

"Is there a reason you don't?" Violet asked, her confusion mirroring Ducky's own.

Ducky sighed as she briefly stopped at the boundary of the pack's inner territory, the smell of five-day old excrement greeting her nose. "I used to be a leaf-eater, Mender. I still love my family, and we helped the valley. But we cannot help our food in our own territory. Otherwise what will we eat?"

"They're not from our territory, Haven. They rather specifically made a point of finding us, finding me. I don't think we're in any danger of starving. Trust me; I know what that feels like," Violet replied, not really seeing Ducky's point. It's not like we do this all the time. "Plus, if we keep the little ones from dying they'll grow up to be something that's actually worth eating and possibly have kids of their own." If she buys that I'm going to go get Ponder and Breeze; something would definitely be wrong with her.

"Well, you believe the first part of what you said," Ducky said with good humor, "And I do not blame you, Mender. I do not. But what will we do when others come? Or when someone we hunt starts asking for help? We got far away from the Great Valley for a reason…"

"Well, if it becomes a problem, I could just leave..." Violet suggested.

Ducky growled in annoyance despite her best efforts. "That is not what I meant, Mender! We had to get far away from the valley so that we could finally be what we are. I do not know how many now know about you, but I know many know about us… They know that we must kill and that we do, but we helped when we had to." She looked at her friend with tired eyes. "What do you want the Mysterious Beyond to think of you, Mender?"

"It can think whatever it wants. Last time I looked I was dependent on you guys to not starve to death. Hopefully everyone will eventually forget I exist," Violet said as the duo continued their forward motion, sounding rather irritated herself. Why does everyone keep acting like I matter that much? I understand the tiny biters acting like that, but they're not really very smart. I don't even know healing as well as the others, so why is everyone noticing me instead of them?

"You don't mean that, Mender!" Ducky scolded in a harsh whisper, "Any fastbiter is dependent on others; that is why we have packs. Leap and the swimmers you helped to save sure will not forget that you exist anytime soon. How many dinosaurs can claim that?"

"Okay, now I'm confused. You were saying that helping the swimmers wasn't really a good thing. Now you're saying it's a good thing. Am I missing something again?" Violet could feel a bit of a headache coming on.

"It is a good thing that you help others," Ducky began with exasperation, "But you also need to help yourself. You keep on acting like you cannot do anything right, but you have helped more people than most do in their entire lives. But… with that…"

She hesitated for several moments as she moved her claws as if she were crawling through something, "...with that comes the need to decide what you want to do. If Seeker had ordered you to help hunt the younglings what would you have done?"

"Followed orders," Violet said as if were the most obvious answer possible, "What else would you have expected me to do?" If you're not the pack leader you follow orders. It's that simple.

Ducky nodded as she sniffed the ground for several moments, "The pack missed out on a meal, you know? Seeker did not want you to betray your reputation."

"He didn't have to do that," Violet said, now feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Ducky was resolute. "A person's dignity is not something that should be trampled on. But this may create problems for us later." She then pointed to the east. "A small biter seems to have found our territory; but at least it is not a tiny biter."

"Are you trying to make me want to kill this biter?" Violet asked, only halfway joking. If it were tiny biters they'd be leaving with far fewer of them than they arrived with. I am NOT dealing with them again unless I have to.

"No, but if anything larger gets in, then I am sure the others will take care of it." Ducky sniffed the air carefully as she tucked her spear into a loop in her vines. "Shall we run? If we don't stop we should have the plants by morning, yep, yep, yep."

"Think you can keep up?" Violet asked. I can probably outrun you now if I don't hit another tree.

Ducky smirked. "Is that a challenge, Mender? Let's run!"

Initially confused by Ducky's question, Violet was a bit slow to start off but soon caught up with her friend. Did she do that on purpose? Sneaky little... I'll show her. She put on another burst of speed intending to outpace Ducky.

---

Two of them are heading away from the pack. Interesting.

Neither of the two fastbiters noticed the pair of yellow eyes gleaming from the trees. The hidden runner to which they belonged had intentionally stood downwind. Though she did not understand the entirety of the conversation, she could determine a few facts.

Of course the Mender would be a member of this pack, and she is not alone. This is just what we need.

Cynnil did not make a sound as she sprinted to the east. Her leaders would need to be told of this.

They might just have found the healers that they needed.

---

Six hours later:

"Yawn…. Damn, this is boring."

Taunt struggled to keep his eyes open as he examined the horizon in front of him. Even if he had the liberty to sleep the infernal snoring from Chomper would have kept him from his slumber. Path could wake the dead with his sleep noises… He checked the sky once more to see it lighten slightly. Soon the Bright Circle would arise and he could finally catch up on his sleep. But that was when he saw it.

A flash of purple and green heading his way. The colors barely being discernable due to the Bright Circle's morning light.

"What's that?" With a violent shove he drove his body into Chomper's side, waking him partially.

"Sorry, Momma. I didn't mean to eat all of the longneck…"

Normally Taunt would have found this amusing but not today. "Wake your ass up, Path! We have company!"

The flashes of color soon resolved into two exhausted fastbiters, one of whom had barely stopped short of hitting a nearby tree.

"Heads up, Mender!" Path roared, inadvertently waking up the rest of the pack as the chorus of groans and grunts could attest to. Taunt, meanwhile, decided to sprint over to meet his two companions as they collapsed to the ground.

"You girls alright? Is someone following you?" Taunt carefully raised his spear as he ran behind them and carefully examined the lands beyond. That was when the exhausted breathing gave way to soft laughter.

"My legs," Ducky muttered with some amusement, "I think I left them by the river. They got tired. They did, they did."

"Are those the plants?" Ruby's voice suddenly called out as if the exhausted, collapsed fastbiters had not been noticed..

"Yes," Violet replied tiredly. She made a wobbly attempt to stand up before lying back down, too tired after running the entire day.

Ruby quickly grabbed some of the plants before sprinting off without a word. It was a most odd response that caught the notice of the new arrivals almost immediately.

"Goodness, how long did you two run?" Littlefoot's voice asked tiredly as he offered an arm to each of them to assist them to their feet, "You look like what happened to us after some of Thud's training sessions."

"Nothing that shouldn't have been normal for me," Violet replied between gasps, "I think I'm getting out of practice." I shouldn't have had that much trouble standing back up. I used to be able to run a while longer.

Ducky rose, still trying to catch her breath. "Seriously? No wonder why nothing ate your old pack. Nothing could catch you." She sucked in a deeper breath. "Guess we all should work on that, actually."

"Um, why did Ponder rush off like that?" Violet asked worriedly once she'd caught her breath.

Littlefoot hesitated for a moment as he looked to the swimmers in the distance. "One of the swimmers is not doing so well."

"No," Violet whispered before rushing off in the same direction Ruby had gone. No, Dash. I'm not letting you die on me.

Ducky began to walk that direction before she nearly fell over. Littlefoot and Spike both secured her arms at the same moment, causing her to look at Violet's retreating form sadly.

You cannot save them all, Mender. We did all that we could.

---

"How is she?" Violet asked as she approached Ruby and a barely conscious Dash. Please don't be too late.

Ruby struggled to help the swimmer eat the plants, but Dash's weakened state prevented her from eating much of its unappetizing sap. This made the rose-colored fastbiter shake her head sadly.

"I don't think we can save her. She can't take in the healing plants."

The soft sobbing of the mother could be heard in the distance as the other swimmers looked on. It was obvious by their scents that their joy at having their younglings saved was being tempered by the knowledge of what fate had befallen one of their own. The scene certainly fit Violet's perspective as she considered the pain of the parent in front of her. A parent would do anything to save their children.

That was when an idea descended upon her mind.

"I'm sorry, Mender. But I don't think we can save this one. We can't save this one, I think."

"I've got an idea, but we should probably get Dash out of sight," Violet said surprisingly neutrally. Remember, you're still talking to someone that outranks you by a whole lot, she reminded herself.

Ruby looked at Violet with a confused expression, but followed along. "We are groan… mumble.. something else. We will… grunt... to take… bellow... the forest."

Violet couldn't understand much of what Ruby said, but after several exchanges between her and the mother Ruby finally gave Violet a nod to continue as she gestured towards the dense canopy of the forest. The two swiftly carried their fading patient into its dark abyss, being careful not to scratch Dash with their sharp claws. Within a few moments they were seated at the edge of the stream.

"What now, Mender?"

Ruby stared at Violet with confusion as the fasbiter closed her eyes for several moments as if to recall something deep inside. Then, without a word, Violet grabbed a handful of the healing plants and shoved their entire noxious mass into her mouth.

"Mender?"

The taste of bitterness collided a hint of pain and smoke to create a hellish taste in the fastbiter's mouth. However, she put all of that in the back of her mind despite the constant protests from everything in her instincts. She had to do whatever it took to help this youngling regardless of its species or fate. She was a healer, and it was her duty. She swallowed the disgusting plants without a moment's hesitation.

She felt it before she consciously realized what was happening. There was a sudden heaviness in her crop and a lurching in her gizzard as the putrid plant matter began to rise once more in her insides. Carefully forcing Dash's mouth open she did what instinct demanded.

Ruby watched in a mixture of surprise and horror as the violet fastbiter began to regurgitate the mass of healing plants into the young swimmers mouth. Despite the sheer absurdity of the situation, she couldn't help but be amazed at how Violet avoided biting the swimmer and how Dash accepted the partially digested gunk with all of the trust of a hatchling. If she hadn't known better she would have thought that Violet were a mother.

Violet pushed her head away from the sick child as she gasped for a breath of air. In that moment her mind was blank as the instincts of the moment overrode all competing obligations. Ruby seemed to pick up on her state immediately.

"Good, Mender; you got Dash to eat her healing plants. I am going to take her back to her mother now, okay?" Ruby spoke with a soft voice and careful pauses. It was the kind of voice one would use to speak to a hysterical person or a child. Or an upset parent.

"Don't tell anyone I did that. Please," Violet gasped, "They'll think something's wrong with me." How did my mom do that when I was little?

Ruby nodded as she carefully placed Dash on her back and proceeded to sprint out of the forest. Leaving Violet alone with her thoughts for a few moments.

Please let this work, Violet thought as she watched Ruby leave with Dash, There's literally nothing else I can do now.

It did not take long for Ruby to return with a familiar green fastbiter. They arrived to find Violet staring at the ground, obviously lost in thought.

"Are you alright, Mender?" Ducky's soft voice called from closeby.

"I'm fine, Haven. I'm just tired." In more ways than one.

Ruby lived up to her sharptooth namesake as she rubbed her chin in thought. "I never thought about feeding the swimmer like a momma. That was good thinking, Mender."

"You did what?" Ducky asked in surprise.

Violet gave Ruby a quick glare. Can no one keep a secret around here? "Well, Dash was having trouble eating, so I helped her."

Ducky looked at Violet and then at Ruby, before again looking at Violet. "You did the right thing, Mender. But it is surprising that you could do it."

Ruby gave Violet an apologetic look for having thought aloud. "It is something that only mommies and daddies do. It is instinct."

"I got sick once when I was little; my mom took care of me," Violet said in explanation, "It's just something I remembered."

Ducky peeked through the trees. "And that might just save Dash. It might, it might."

Ruby offered Violet a sweet bubble after giving a slight bow to indicate it was not a ritual. "To get the bad taste out of your mouth."

"I'm starting to think leaf-eaters can't taste anything," Violet said as she took the sweet bubble from Ruby gratefully. It might have helped Dash, but that sure tasted awful.

Ducky shrugged. "Believe it or not, they tasted great as a swimmer."

---

The present, the Barrens:

Desolation. There was something to be said of the beauty to be found in scarcity. In how barren rock and simple landscapes could focus one's mind on the deeper truths of existence. And, under more normal circumstances, Nalan would have welcomed the tranquility found in his surroundings. However even the most devout found little to welcome when it came to bad news.

Damn fastrunner. I do not want to be the bearer of bad news to Questor.

Because as Nalan knew, he would be the one tasked with carrying out the punishment for failure.

Despite his misgivings he allowed his neck to stretch into the warm breeze, peering out from the crevice like a sapling rising from the soil. Against the backdrop of the sandstone pillar he had sight of everything for miles around: the stream, the mountains, the barren rock. It was only then, as the welcome wind soothed his anxious shoulders and neck, that he caught sight of something emerging from the stream. Something utterly out of place in the barren lands.

Something purple.

Thank Fate. I did not want the duty of murdering your family, fastrunner.

He hurled his body off of his perch without a sound before opening his wings in a flourish of movement. Without making a sound he quickly glided towards the fastrunner. When he finally landed with a thud moments later he tried not to be annoyed by the omnivore's surprise.

"So?"

The flyer's eyes watched the fastrunner with an unreadable, harsh glare. It was the glare of a predator.

"I.. I got her," the fastrunner said once he got over his startlement, "She should be dead by now."

The flyer nodded. "Good. Questor will be pleased that you did not fail, Sawyer. Your two daughters will be pleased as well."

"Is that it? Will you let them go now?" Sawyer asked worriedly.

Nalan forced himself to keep the emotion out of his face. Even if he had a choice in this matter he had to trust in Fate's plan, as declared by its messenger.

"That is up to our leader," he said simply.

Sawyer sighed in resignation. There was little hope that Questor would release his daughters, but as a father he had to ask anyway. When he looked back up at the flyer he noticed that the flyer was no longer meeting his gaze.

Not even Fate could remove regret.

"Let's get you back to the scouting party," Nalan forced out, "Fate has gotten us this far; do not lose hope!"

He took flight without looking at the fastrunner's response. No flyer could outfly his regrets, but that didn't mean that Nalan couldn't try.

---

Wrok's territory:

"I will alert Wrok and the other Deputies, do you need to drink or anything?"

Penol stiffened a bit, startled, before shaking her head.

Greenshade seemed to study the female for a moment before clicking her beak twice. Penol could only assume it was instructions for the guards as they began to fade into the dense foliage of the swamp.

"I told them to give you some space, but they will still guard you. If you need to drink the stream is over there," she pointed to her left, "and the relieving spot is right behind you. Make yourself comfortable."

And with that Greenshade bounded off into the bushes. She faded into the mysterious verdant maze just as quickly as the others.

What was I thinking? Penol asked herself once she was seemingly alone, I'm just an assistant. What exactly did I think I was going to be able to do?

It was then that the rustling of some leaves behind her reminded the hidden runner that she was not exactly hidden at the moment. The guards were still there, of course.

I guess she had a point, Penol thought, moving to the relieving area, Um, this is going to be awkward...

She saw the male out of her the corner of her eye and, not wishing to attract much attention to herself, took her position on the other end of the relieving spot. To where the scent of markings was the least intense.

Please tell me this isn't going to be like this all the time, Penol thought, suppressing a sigh, If I'm never alone, I'll never be able to do my job...

" The feathers make the runner, but the runner preen' the feathers, a runner must be swift and hidden, no matt'r the rain or weather...

Penol suppressed a laugh. He can sing pretty well, but he'd be doing himself a favor if he forgot this song. She subtly glanced in the guard's direction. Should have known he was preening himself. If Wrok and Ignis think alike at all, he had better not be doing that when Wrok shows up, or else he'll be in huge trouble since he's supposed to be watching me.

She tried to not look like she was looking at the guard. I wonder what that's like, not being held back by the Low Ways or bound to certain roles by the High Ways. He could choose to join any pack he wanted, choose the life he wanted. If he wasn't stuck in this doomed pack... like I am.

"I appreciate the audience; you look quite good yourself."

Penol practically tripped over herself, not knowing how to react. Well, this is a problem. It's nice to be noticed, but this guy is rude, this is extremely improper, and I've got a job to do. Which I probably have now put in a bit of jeopardy. How do I get out of this?

As if to provoke the matter she noticed that the male had an odd sparkle in his eyes before he resumed his preening.

What is prettier than a 'andsome lady, what is finer than a High-hatched girl, the feathers are green and pretty, what is better to bring to the bushes and go for a twirl?

"W-what?" Penol practically gasped as she strangled a laugh, caught between two very different reactions. This is getting ridiculous. I'd probably get lectured back home for standing around listening to this. Even if it is kinda funny. And admittedly crude. Ugh, what am I supposed to do?

It was then that the insufferable male began to walk towards the bushes.

Penol gave an angry hiss and snapped at the male when she felt he got too close. "Just what do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

For his part the male jumped back with widened eyes and an even more surprised scent. He stared at the female for a few tense moments before doing what she least expected.

He laughed.

"Can't fault a male for trying… I'm sure Wrok will appreciate the feistiness."

The male watched her intently, though the gaze no longer had the almost predatory gaze to it. It was almost like she was being studied. Like she was a new recruit… or prey. But yet… the eyes were not cold. They were almost amused.

Which pissed her off all the more.

"Stay away from me," Penol hissed in warning, backing away from the male. I've got to get out out of here before I do something stupid. If this keeps up I might just attack him.

For his part the male did not advance. He merely looked at her curiously.

"You were hatched low and brought high, then?"

"More like unexpectedly dragged into it," Penol admitted, too shocked that someone had figured that out to watch her words. And the training I got probably just saved me. If I'd lost it and attacked him, I'd end up beaten. Then killed in some some horrific manner if Wrok decides he has no interest in me. Now how do I avoid that happening anyways before I figure out how to kill him?

"And there it is... the High Ways… deciding on the best way to tell off a guard without upsetting the esteemed pack leader?" the male asked with an infuriating smirk. Was he reading her mind?

Okay, something is very off here, Penol thought, He's talking completely differently now. That's not normal. I stumble through what I say sometimes, but most that use High-hatched Speech are high-hatched to begin with and know no other way of speaking. This is probably going to end very badly for me.

She clicked her beak. Well, if there was one thing her cousin had taught her it was to sometimes take the initiative.

"How did a guard learn High-hatched Speech?" Penol asked, hoping to catch the male off guard.

The male's eyes gleamed as if he were pleased. "Ooooh… now that is impressive. You see right through my ploy." He then dropped the fake haughtiness. "In the outlier packs the difference between high and low is not the same as in your lands, Penol. The high rise from the low; they do not hatch from it."

He looked up with a smile. "Now my turn… why do you want to kill your cousin?"

"I don't want to kill her. I just want all of this..." Penol gestured widely, as if she could encompass everything around her. "...to end."

She was not sure what to expect when the words left her mouth, but the male nodding with understanding He almost looked relieved.

"And the truth finally comes out. I knew there was more to you than an ambitious wench. That was a nice little lie to my spy though. I doubt he would have 'captured' you if he knew you were a potential liability… There are many ways for this to 'end' after all."

Penol froze in shock. Wait... does that mean he's... I just killed myself, didn't I? As if to answer her question Wrok walked closer to her step, by step, by step… when he finally did stop his beak was a mere feather's breadth from her ear.

"But I quite like it. Welcome to the pack, Penol. And maybe in time you will agree that things should end in the way I prefer…"

---

The Great Valley:

Orchid watched the young swimmers as their bodies gently rose and fell with each breath. In the fading light of the setting Bright Circle their bodies almost glowed with a verdant hue that rivalled that of the lush vegetation around him. For any onlookers and for the spirits above it was a reminder of their resolve. A swimmer herd would form a protective circle around an injured herdmate. The fact that she and her children were here said it all.

Behind them, at equidistant points, were his packmates. Cynnil, his leader, the hidden runner that he had to admit that he had just begun to understand. Buse, the hidden runner that had been endowed with an utter lack of tact, but that nonetheless was a loyal and helpful friend. And the reason he was here right now… Mender.

Her body lay where they had last treated it as its breaths came in a uniform pattern. If he ignored the scrape on her tail he could almost imagine that she was sleeping. But, as both her scent and position indicated, this was not a normal rest. This was the sleep story before the end. The 'last nap' as Mender had sometimes called it. She had seen it many times, but ultimately she could not see her own.

Orchid clinched his eyes shut, ignoring the sting of his tears. The fact that they had done all that they could do did not matter to his emotions at that moment. All that mattered was that he had failed to save his teacher and his friend. Mender had been there for countless leaf-eaters and sharpteeth alike, a healer for the ages, but in her time of need no healer could do what was necessary.

I'm so sorry, Mender. I will do what I can to make sure that I live up to your song.

As he dutifully continued his watch around his comrades and the living reminders of his friend's legacy, he did not notice a pair of eyes peering down at the scene from the hill above. The eyes of a young rainbowface.

The rainbowface's cold calculating eyes were gone in that moment and something else took their place.

Determination.