*
Simon hobbled after Meg. Trees and bushes prevented line of sight between the human streets and the complexes where the Others lived, but the buildings had been located close enough to make use of the utilities the humans had to provide for the Courtyard and yet as far back from human sight as possible. Not an easy compromise, and yet the terra indigene had made it work. Had no alternative but to make it work, because someone had to keep watch and report behavior that would indicate the humans had become too much of a danger to Thaisia and all the creatures who lived there.
Despite his sister, Daphne, being shot and killed a couple of years ago, being able to hear the cars driving by hadn’t made him feel edgy. But he felt vulnerable now. He couldn’t rush forward to challenge an enemy or run fast enough to get out of the way if the enemy was too strong to face alone. Right now, he couldn’t protect his pack, couldn’t protect Meg.
He caught up to her when she reached the kitchen garden. It was, maybe, two stones’ throws from the Green complex, but he panted with the effort to walk even that far.
At least Meg seemed to be feeling better. Dr. Lorenzo had put a smaller bandage on her knee, mostly to keep it clean—and to discourage anyone from licking the healing cut.
He hadn’t licked the cut last night after Meg fell asleep on the sofa. Neither had Nathan. But licking her hand and foot, which had dangled off the sofa right in front of Wolf noses, had soothed them both enough that they could sleep for a couple of hours before their injuries made them hurt again. Didn’t seem like a bad thing to do, and if she’d been awake, he was sure Meg would have agreed to let them have a couple of licks for medicinal purposes, but maybe he should have asked permission first. After all, Meg was Meg, not a bottle of medicine.
“Look, Simon. The seeds we planted are sprouting!”
Little green things. Not edible yet. Wouldn’t be edible for weeks and weeks.
He wanted some water.
Simon looked at the pump nearby. The pump and the well had been there before the city had put in pipes for its utilities, and the Others still used that water, along with water gathered in rain barrels, for the food they planted.
<Meg? Water?>
<Meg will pump water for us?> Nathan asked, joining him.
She couldn’t hear terra indigene speech and he couldn’t shift to ask.
“Arroo?” Simon hobbled to the pump, followed by Nathan. “Arroo?”
Meg looked at the pump and then at the garden. She limped to the pump. “You think the plants need water?”
He didn’t know about the plants, but the Wolves would sure like some.
Nathan whined, then licked the pump’s spout.
“Oh, you want water.” Meg studied the pump for so long the Wolves sat down to wait.
“I wasn’t paying attention to the water when we planted the seed part of the garden, but I think I can do this,” she finally said.
Well, yes, she could work the pump, and water did come out. It wasn’t a trickle that could be lapped, and the bucket that should have been under the spout to catch the water wasn’t there. Eventually they got their drink, mostly from licking the water that was dripping off each other.
“Sorry,” Meg said. “There must be a trick to it.”
Simon stood there, unable to shake off the water because the movement would make his shoulders and forelegs hurt.
Someone coughed lightly.
He tried to pivot and almost lost his balance.
<It’s Vlad,> Nathan said.
Vlad let out a gusty sigh that sounded more like a laugh. “I leave the three of you alone for just a little while, and look what trouble you get into.”
<Didn’t get into trouble,> Simon growled. <Just got wet.>
“The bucket gets blown around, so it’s kept in the toolshed,” Vlad told Meg, pointing to the small structure.
“I wasn’t coming out to do anything except look at the garden,” she said. “But Simon and Nathan wanted a drink.” She looked at the Wolves. “You’re very wet.”
“They’ll dry,” Vlad said.
<See how much sympathy you get when Meg dumps water on you,> Simon grumbled.
<Meeting has been called,> Vlad said, no longer sounding amused. <There’s something you need to see before we decide what to do.>
<I can’t shift today.>
<No humans are invited to this meeting, so you don’t need to look human.>
<Meg shouldn’t be out here alone.> A Hawk passed over Simon, a reminder that there were terra indigene keeping watch.
<She won’t be alone. And we won’t be far. We’re meeting in my apartment.>
“Vlad?” Meg said, looking from the vampire to the Wolves.
“Business meeting. Simon is needed,” Vlad said easily.
“But he should rest today,” she protested.
“I know, but this can’t wait.”
She wanted to protect him, and that pleased Simon in all kinds of ways because he wanted to protect her too. But a leader couldn’t always be protected, so he started back toward the Green Complex and Vlad’s apartment.
Vlad talked to Meg for another minute, then caught up to him.
<Nathan will stay with her,> Vlad said.
<He can’t protect her against intruders.>
<No, he can’t, but he can sound the alarm if needed. And several of the ponies just showed up, including Tornado and Twister. No one will get near Meg while they’re grazing around the complex.>
Telling himself to be satisfied with that, Simon walked into Vlad’s apartment. When he saw who else was in the room, he knew this wasn’t just about yesterday’s attacks but something more . . . and worse.