A Small and Unexpected Visitor (Part 1)

"Splash!"  Umbreon's voice rings over the camp clearing, ringing slightly in my head.  Figures.  The second I lay down for a moment to take a short nap and clear my head, someone else needs me.  But, that comes with the territory of being leader.  Resisting the urge to turn into a puddle and pretend I didn't exist, I pushed myself up with my tail and exited my den.

"What is it, Umbreon?" I asked, trying to sound cheerful.

"Espeon and Bolt are hungry again.  They suggested oh-so-subtly that I should take someone and hunt again," he said with a small smile.

I shook my head.  "Does Bolt ever stop eating?"

Umbreon tilted his head in mock pondering.  "I don't think so.  Maybe that's how he always has so much energy!"

"If that were true, then Clover and Inferno would be eating just as much.  We'd have no food for anyone else!" I laughed.

"Very true!"

"All right," I said, addressing the issue.  "Take Surf.  And tell Bolt that, next time, if he wants more food, go get it himself!"

"Gladly..." Umbreon grumbled.  "Surf!  Hunting team!  You're with me!"  Surf appeared from the pond with a splash and trotted over to join Umbreon without another word.  As they left, I sat down and curled my tail around my paws.  I was tired, but not that tired.  I could help out around the clan.  Snow was on the lookout for trainers.  Maybe I should go help.

I stood up and shook out my fins, scattering tiny water droplets.  I hoped it would rain soon.  Rain is good for everything.  Except Inferno.  He hates water.  As I walked past Espeon's and Umbreon's den, she waved her split tails at me in greeting, so I gave her a sunny smile.  Then, Bolt slid into her den as I walked away.  Huh, I thought to myself.  That's odd.  Bolt is usually cracking jokes with Inferno at this time.  It wasn't unheard of, but still.  Dens were supposed to be private.  Then again, if Espeon didn't want him there, she could have kicked him out.

As I exited the camp, Snow's head snapped in my direction, but she relaxed once she realized it was me.  "I thought you might want some company," I said as I jumped from the ground, to a rock, to a branch, to the lookout platform.

"Thanks, but I don't often get lonely," Snow replied quietly as I sat down.

"I know.  I just wanted to help," I replied.  Snow only nodded, then returned to her silent vigil.  I faced the opposite direction, to cover the whole range.  This was perfect.  I could help and think at the same time.  Which was probably why Snow liked it so much.  She was very contemplative.  I let out a quiet sigh and watched.

 

About half an hour later, Umbreon and Surf caught me in the middle of daydreams of Eevee kits.

"Splash?" Surf's masculine voice called.  "What are you doing up there?"

"Just helping Snow," I replied, rising to my paws.

"Well, can you help us now?  We're going to divide up the prey."

"Be right down!" I called.  The two disapeared inside the camp, laden with food.  Rather than jump back down, I dove into the ice-coated slide that Snow made.  It was much faster, well hidden, and it went right into camp.  It was perfect in case of a trainer emergency, as well, with almost no risk of being spotted.  Plus, the ice made it much smoother and more fun.

Umbreon looked up as I ran over.  "Three Magikarps, two Pidgeys, and six Patrats!" he called proudly.

"Nice haul!" I exclaimed.  "You guys really cleaned up!"  I did a quick count.  "Eleven pieces of prey, eight of us.  Everyone choose one!"  Surf and I immediately nabbed a Magikarp each, and Bolt was at the pile and grabbed the fattest of the Pidgeys from under Umbreon's nose before anyone saw him clearly.

"Hey!" Umbreon yelled as the hyperactive Jolteon raced back into his den and started tearing his food apart.  Umbreon laid his ears back and placed a firm paw on a Patrat instead.  "That was for Espeon..." he complained, just as she padded up behind him.

"It's ok, tough guy," Espeon purred as she rubbed her cheek against his.  "I can still have this one," she said as she took the other Pidgey.  The perfect couple picked up their prey in perfect sync and walked back to their den side by side.  Inferno ran up to the pile and grabbed a fair-sized Patrat before trotting back to his den happily.  Finally, Clover bounded up to what was left of the pile.

"Snow would want... a Patrat," she said to herself, taking one for each of them.  As Surf and I moved the last two Patrats and Magikarp into the frost hole that Snow made to keep the food fresh, Surf smiled warmly at me.  We rubbed fins.  And then-

"TRAINER!" Snow yelled from the top of the lookout post.  Without another word, the camp became a flurry of motion.  Surf dove into the pond, melted and vanished.  Clover dropped the two Patrats and leaped into a fern bush, with her tail and ears making her blend in perfectly.  Inferno raced into a cleft in a rock just big enough to fit him, complete with a corner to keep from being seen.  Umbreon ran out of the den and into a bush, fading until he was just a shadow in the middle.  Bolt, barely visible as he was moving so fast, blasted into a hole between two roots of a tree, which, courtesy of Clover, wound up the inside of the tree like a spiral staircase and came out at the top.  Espeon used her telekinesis to pull up a wall of wood from the bottom of her log den, creating a false end of the log.  Snow shot out of the escape tunnel like a cannon, and without breaking stride, dove into a deep hole in the ground.  Finally, confident that everyone was safe, I turned into a puddle in the center of camp, so I could watch and call the all clear when it was safe. 

For a few tense moments, nothing happened.  Then, just as I was about to give the all clear, I saw movement, and heard the grass rustle.  I held my breath as it paused.  Something moved out of the corner of my eye.  It was very light yellow-orange and fluffy... and sticking out of the rock!  Inferno's tail was showing!  But before I could warn him, the intruder outside came inside the camp.