Hounded

and a bobcat sprinted in from the east, apparently the only predators nearby. They nipped at her heels and legs and bloodied her, but she managed to kill them both before they could take her down. I was dismayed by that and took a few steps in her direction to help out, but then I saw it would be unnecessary. Their harassment, combined with the cacophony of the birds, had masked the charge of a magnificent bull elk from the south, who now rammed full speed into her back and sent her flying a good twenty feet or so. The herd of wild horses I’d seen grazing by the lake earlier followed up from the same direction. They mercilessly finished her off, trampling her to death in a mess of blood and mud on their hooves.
    //Druid help / Release small one / Gratitude// Kaibab said through my tattoos, and I picked my way past the tumbled stone circle to retrieve the metal cage. I carried the Kaibab squirrel to the nearest unscarred pine tree and opened the cage door near its base. The creature scampered out and straight up the tree’s trunk, no worse off than it had been when it woke that morning, though it would probably have nightmares when it hibernated.
    //Gratitude / Justice / Harmony// Kaibab said. The forest animals were gathered at the edge of the meadow, looking at me in silence. Once I’d turned to face them, they bobbed their heads at me once before Kaibab released them to fly or gallop away in whatever direction they chose.
    //Relief / Welcome// I replied. I set down the cage and tied myself to a hound’s form once more, then spent some time snuffling around the area where the witches had bound Kaibab. I found their velour tracksuits folded neatly nearby, and I dug up a hole and buried them in it, but didn’t try too hard to conceal it. Some bags of herbs were there, too, but I carried them off much farther and did a better job of burying them, along with the Seal of Arielis that had rested underneath the squirrel’s cage. Before I left for good, I lifted my leg on the seal carved into the ponderosa, ruining the smeared knotweed and dissolving for good any remnants of magical power it held.
    The police, when they eventually came, would have a merry old time trying to reconstruct this crime scene.
    My work finished, I extended my legs into the ground-eating lope for which wolfhounds are celebrated, across the bloody meadow to the forest road, where I headed south. I met Oberon several minutes later trotting up to find me. › So what was all the trouble about? ‹ he asked.
    Had to help out a trapped squirrel is all , I said.
    › That’s it? That’s why you flew off like you had to defend the base from Imperial walkers? ‹
    Well, that’s the short version, but yeah .
    › Your priorities are all messed up, Atticus. Damned if I’d ever haul off like that to help a squirrel. I’m not ever going to run like you did unless there’s a porterhouse waiting for me at the other end. ‹
    Well, we can take our time heading back to the car. Everything’s fine now .
    › I guess it is in the land of squirrels. But I don’t know if I feel too comfortable here. You know, my ears popped again just a while ago, and I thought I heard somebody screaming and a bunch of birds and horses going nuts. This forest is kind of spooky. ‹
    Really? I don’t think so , I said. To me it’s perfectly natural .