“It was not stealing, Elder, I would have given it all freely to save the life of a child.” Rio caught Rachael by the shoulders. “You’ll be here when I return.” He made it a statement. A command.

“I’ll be here.” She kissed the side of his mouth, his jaw. Her lips moved gently against his ear as she whispered to him. “You’re a good man, Rio.”

“I’ll follow as soon as I’ve rested,” Delgrotto said.

“Sleep here, Elder. I’ll return quickly,” Rio said and went out to the verandah, pulling off his shirt as he did so. Rachael hobbled after him. “Do you want me to go with you?”

“No, I can travel much faster alone. I want you to stay off your leg for a couple of days and give it a rest. I’ll be back as soon as possible.” He tucked the shirt and then his jeans into a small pack that he secured around his neck.

“Clever.” She realized they all had to travel with a small pack, the elder included. “Good fortune, Rio.”

“Be safe, Rachael.” He caught her head and dragged her to him, kissing her with fierce possession, with tenderness. She felt the fur rushing over his skin, felt his hands curl into huge paws and marveled at his ability to be so precise in his shifting.

She blinked and the black leopard melted into the forest. “Great. Leave me to entertain the guests.” She took a deep breath and went back inside. To her relief, the old man had already sunk into a fitful sleep. She covered him with a thin blanket and went out to sit on the verandah with the small leopards.

The rhythm of the forest changed at various intervals during the day. Dawn activities were quite different from the lull in the afternoon. She read a book and listened to the continual chatter in the forest, trying hard to study which bird sang which song and what sounds emerged from the various species of monkeys.

She heard the old man stirring as the sun set, and she forced herself to go back inside to be as pleasant and accommodating as she was able. “I trust you slept well.”

“Please forgive an old man’s rudeness. Traveling the distance really took more strength than I realized.”

“I can imagine. Rio was very tired when he arrived home the other night after packing Joshua all those miles by himself. Without food or drink or medical attention.”

The elder looked at her, his expression as calm as ever. “Touché, my dear.”

She pulled open the vegetable bin, slapping vegetables on the counter. “I’m not your dear. Let’s just get that straight right now. Are you hungry? I haven’t had dinner yet, and Rio wouldn’t want me to let you starve.”

“By all means, I would enjoy sharing a meal with you. You shouldn’t be on your leg. I make a decent soup; why don’t you let me fix it?”