*
“I don’t know why you’re the one complaining, Pin Pot! As far as I can see, I’m the only one actually doing any walking,” Petsy said to the small elephant on his shoulder as they followed the footprints ever further.
“They should’ve just stayed where they were! They don’t mind putting everyone out do they? That’s what I say!” Pin Pot retorted. “We could’ve gotten them on the boat and back to base in a moment. Now we’re in for a right trek.”
The shadowy tunnel started to tighten around them.
“I mean, they come in they go out, they come back in, they send us running all about. Don’t they know we’re trying to help here?”
“Pin Pot, be quiet,” Petsy whispered sealing his paw over the end of his friend’s trunk. Pin Pot’s ears flared out indignantly then flattened like deflated balloons as a deep growl chilled the darkness. Petsy took a tiny dagger from the pocket of his vest and rotated to locate the stalker. They heard nothing. Black shapes moved like ghosts. Petsy backed up against the wall aiming his blade straight.
A Siamese cat dived from a shadow and latched onto his neck, sinking in her claws and biting repeatedly into his thin fur. Pin Pot darted across Petsy’s shoulders and bravely stuck his trunk into her ear. He blew a tiny dart into her canal and reloaded from his saddle bag. The cat yowled and crumpled to the floor, pawing frantically at her ear. Petsy jabbed into the shadows but his arm was soon stayed by another beast locking onto his wrist while yet another one clamped down on his other arm. Pin Pot was knocked to the ground narrowly missing being struck by the dagger as it fell after a bite to the pad of Petsy’s paw. Petsy turned his head from side to side to avoid another furry head spitting into his face. Within moments the souling was overcome and fell to his attackers. Petsy, on his knees, was swiftly bound.
“Take him to the barricade alive,” Tearclaw shouted, “He can join the monkey and the bear.”
The wounded Siamese spat as she struggled to raise herself, head tilted to one side. She slashed at Petsy as he dragged past, keener for a kill than a sacrifice.
Petsy snatched one final look at Pin Pot who hid in the shadows, so small he had gone undetected. For an instant their eyes locked and the elephant took a tentative step forward. Petsy shook his head as his body rolled and bumped at the end of the rope. Pin Pot raised his trunk and fanned out his ears before stepping safely back into shadows.