“I’ll leave now, Elder. I can go faster alone. Will they allow my help?”

“Joshua said you would come.” Delgrotto nodded his head. “They’re waiting for you, keeping him alive with fluids. We used the blood you had stored for yourself.” He looked down at his shaking hands, tears glittering in his eyes. “It was my decision to steal from you, no one else. Without it, he would have died. It isn’t enough, only to prolong his life until you manage to arrive.”

“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.”