There didn't seem to be much point in closing the door; as the interior of the building still would have been accessible. In multiple areas, the floorboards had fallen down into the crawlspace. Wu-Ming observed the awful state of the tumbledown house as he ventured carefully across the questionable floor, seeking only a place to sleep. The last thing he wanted was for his injured friend to take a nasty fall. Onto rough wood, no less. In her condition, it would probably be impossible to even get back out; and he looked at her in well-disguised concern for the hundredth time.
"You feel safe here?"
"Nowhere. But at least I can dry off."
"Yeah, or get killed." He turned his eyes up to the ceiling, wondering how much of the wood below them was from the floor, and how much of the floor had given way because of the ceiling falling down. The wind whistled through the planks constructing the ceiling, barely attached. "I'd feel safer in the forest," he grumbled.
"Then go to the forest. I'm not giving up," she promised, when he looked hastily at her, "But I can't move very far."
"You stay under a collapsing ceiling, doesn't seem like you're bent on survival."
"Hm. Considering how old this place is..." Sheegwa's voice trailed off as she examined the wobbling roof.
"Considering how old it is, it should be destroyed because it's not safe. We need to go."
"Out there." Her eyes met his. "With that thing?"
"It's better than getting crushed!"
"Really?"
Wu-Ming sighed, realizing he would have to frighten her. He stepped close, but lowered his voice. "Imagine...the floor giving out from under you. And you're stuck in the crawlspace, laying on an open wound when the ceiling comes down."
She hesitated only a second longer, then began struggling painfully to her feet; her face a mask of concentration. He hooked his paw around hers and helped her stand. Together, they limped for the entrance, and above them the ceiling groaned loudly, drowning out her gasps of pain as she subjected her injured side to the beating rain and then the nightmare of going down the steps.
"I still think," she spoke between pants and grunts, "It would be better to stay inside. If that thing smells me, it puts both of us in danger."
"It doesn't look that bad."
"Don't lie to me." She looked up, putting all of her concentration on the terrain ahead. "I can't outrun him, Wu-Ming. If the beast shows up..."
"I'm not leaving you."
They stopped between the house and the forest, and she looked at him, breathing hard. "I'm not asking. Consider this your last order."
His cold expression softened as pain made her go rigid. She panted through it while he began surveying the forest. "Stay here," he said, "I'll be right back."
She raised her head, watching him walk brazenly towards the falling house. All by her lonesome, she sat down in the wet dirt with the grace of an elder and focused on paying attention to her surroundings.
When Wu-Ming returned, he was dragging a board in his mouth. The determination creasing her face resolved as she watched him lean the board up on a rock. He looked at her. "Pretty sure you'll be safe under one."
Sheegwa stood up and dragged herself to the makeshift shelter, on tired legs and aching paws. Curling up underneath the board, she closed her eyes and mumbled her gratitude; hoping he believed that she was just as tired as he was. Wu-Ming walked to the end of the board and snuggled up beside it, so the board couldn't fall on her. With her face blocked from his, she tried to fall asleep wiping away her tears; which could only be stemmed by the sudden racket of the house finally giving way. She looked up, eyes wide as the edifice collapsed in on itself, illuminated in the flashes of lightning.
Then, save for the heavy rain and a menacing growl of thunder, the night was quiet. She turned her head and spoke against the board. "Thank you."
"Just so you know, you're at no authority to give me orders anymore," came the answer. "The pack no longer exists."
"Then consider it a favor."
"Yeah, you can't ask me for a favor; I'm already being nice. You know how hard that is on me."
"I'm sorry you're having such a rough night."
"Coulda been worse; you coulda stayed indoors."
She smiled at his gruff voice. "Well, thank you, again. You saved my life."
"And for what? You ain't even gonna use it to look for your kid."
"He wasn't lost!" she exclaimed emotionally, and tried to keep herself composed. "This wasn't an accident. This wasn't a kidnapping. This was a choice; it was..." Her voice trailed off and he listened intently for her voice. "He hates me," she concluded.
"No. No, that's not it."
"He had everything," she said softly. "He had his bed, his family... And he chose to run. He had plans, and that―that is the difference between him and me."
He lay there, absorbing her words and trying to formulate his own. Finally he found enough sense to ask, "What do you want, Sheegwa? I mean, what do you really want, right now?"
Through the pouring rain, he detected a sniffle, but her voice was strong and steady as she said, "I want to sleep."
"Okay, go to sleep," he muttered. And when she was quiet, he trained his eyes and his ears to the unfamiliar world raging around them.
When Wu-Ming awoke, he realized his own plans had fallen through. Kind of like a roof. He bared his fangs in a giant yawn and opened his eyes―waking up quickly at the sight of Sheegwa attempting to tie the rat skin around her body to cover up her wound. "That's...disturbing," he said, after observing her for a moment.
"Will you help me?"
He stood up and left the rock, allowing the board to slide off and thump to the wet dirt. He sat up on his haunches and looked at the hide for a moment, then began to wind the rat's long tail around her body. "How does it feel knowing that I think you're crazy?"
"I don't want to scare them."
"So you're gonna march in there wearing a carcass."
"We'll say it's a...trophy."
"Right."
She looked at his uncertain expression. "They'll have to get used to seeing prey, don't you think?"
"Yes. And they'll have to understand that animals get hurt, sometimes they die, and sometimes there's nothing they can do."
Sheegwa stared at his looming face, wondering desperately what happened to him. His eyes flicked up to hers and he quickly looked away again. He didn't have to ask what she wanted now. Of course she wanted to ask. Everybody always wanted to ask, like it was any of their business. He stepped back and announced his judgment before he had given it a proper examination. "That looks good. We should hit the road," he said brusquely, and ignored her hesitance as he turned towards the alley.
She fell into step beside him, and he could sense her impending question. He could see her looking at him.
"Can I ask about your―"
"No."
"Come on! You know everything about me. I'd trade you one story for another, if I had anything left."
He looked at her as they plodded along the trail.
"We're friends, right?" she pushed.
"Yeah, I guess. Sure. But we don't talk about that."
She scowled in displeasure. "You made me talk about it."
He tilted his head in acknowledgment. "Yeah, but, uh...I'm not very nice."
Sheegwa and Wu-Ming arrived at the alley in the evening. The gate shone forebodingly under the overcast sky. Sheegwa spared a look at the hide, gladdened to see that she hadn't bled through it; then crawled carefully through the gate. Her nieces were in the middle of playing tag, and running straight towards her. They skittered to a stop, forgetting about the game.
"Yímā?" Yuri asked gleefully, bounding past her sisters. She sat up on her haunches to embrace Sheegwa, who stood motionless, unsure of how to respond to a child's affection. Unsure of how she felt about being loved by a kid after losing her own. Yuri dropped to all fours and went to her injured side. "What's this thing?"
"It's...good to see you, too, An-Lin."
She knew she had messed up when the child's face puckered. "I'm Yuri."
"Sheegwa!" Mama's exclamation diverted her from the ugly conversation. "Where is Siao-Po?"
"I don't know, and I don't care. I'm done with him."
More pairs of eyes than she preferred watched her walk through the alley. Or, more precisely, they were looking at her makeshift bandage.
"What happened out there?" Dongwa asked.
"Nothing. You save me some fish?"
"Uh, no," Sagwa said hesitantly, "We weren't sure when we'd see you."
"Yeah, why are we seeing you?" Lik-Lik demanded. "And where's the small fry?"
"He's with humans, okay? Leave me alone," she grumped, as she walked in towards the water. But, as she crouched and swung her paw in a futile attempt to catch her dinner, a sudden yowl resonated through the alley. Seeing her kneel in pain, no longer focused on catching fish, her parents were running to her in a flash; and while Mama tried comforting her daughter, Baba gently lifted the rat skin to observe her gaping wound.
"Great wall of China!" he sputtered. "What happened to you?"
"Nothing, just leave me alone!"
"Alright...alright..." he said, as he and his mate walked dejectedly away. As Wu-Ming went to her side and caught a fish without getting told off, the family studied their close interactions and wondered what had happened...and if the unfriendly feline could possibly find it in his cold heart to tell them.
