Moon Stone took a small empty vial out of her pouch and dipped it into the colorful waters of the Glittering Lake. Ever since she had heard of the Lake she had to see it for herself. So when she had heard that there was a boat taking on passengers headed to Mireh she bought herself a ticket. The passage had been a lot shorter than Moon Stone had thought but with it being the wet and windy season the boat had made really good time. She could have done without the rain.

She placed the vial into a small case then placed it back into her pouch. She would test it once she got back to her room. But now she could just relax and take in the site. The suns peaked out through the clouds on occasion making the lake sparkle with its many colors. The gentle grass covered hills were in the background.

"Pretty isn't it." Horro said, breaking the silence.

"This is my favorite spot for a reason." said War'kru from where he lay under a tree.

Moon Stone turned to the two lounging companions. Horro had climbed up the tree and had wrapped his red body around a thick tree limb that hung about the Glittering Lake.

War'kru was laying very comfortably in the crook of the tree and from the looks of the bark and where it had been rubbed smooth this was a favorite spot for whoever came down to the lake.

"Oh it's absolutely beautiful!' Moon Stone exclaimed. This makes the trip worth it."

"You should come back when the suns are not covered by the clouds. The colors and sparkle just pop. " War'kru said from where he lay.

"We should head back now. I see darker clouds up ahead and smell rain. " Horro said as he uncoiled himself from the branch.

War'kru got up from where he lay and Horro plopped to the ground.

"I got what I came for" Moon Stone patted her pouch where the boxed vial lay. "Just wish I had a little more time. "

Moon Stone, Horro and War'kru started on the journey back to their camp site. As they waded through the sea of grass they left a trail behind them leading to the lake they had just left.

"Shhh. Quiet. " Moon Stone said to the other two who had been discussing what their favorite pastime was.

Immediately Horro and War'kru stopped speaking and all three stopped.

"There. Don't you hear it? " Moon Stone whispered.

Horro cocked his head to the side. "I don't hear anyth- Oh wait. "

War'kru also had a listening expression. "What is that? It sounds a little like a flowering hound pup but they should not be any around here. We are too far away from the Issiq border.

A small mournful howl that ended with several small clicks could barely be heard. It took them quite some time to find the creature hidden in the tall grass.

"Oh it's so small!" Moon Stone said as she bent down to get a better look at it. The little cub blinked up at her before letting out another mournful cry. Its small flower looking mane flopped back when it raised its head to the sky.

"I wonder where its mother is? " Horro asked out loud.

"Probably close by, watching us to see if we are good to eat. " War'kru said half jokingly.

"Really!" Moon Stone sat up and looked around. But all she could see was grass and trees and up on the hill she could barely make out a metal structure.

Just then a drop of rain fell on top of Moon Stone. "Well the cub can't stay out here."

She bent down again and started to cooing to the flowering hound cub. "No you can't stay out here little hound. "

"We should see if we can find the nest. But we should hurry or we are going to get soaked!" Horro said.

"Too late for that I think. " War'kru said as more drops of rain fell from the gray clouds that were now obscuring the suns and making everything darker.

Moon Stone moved away from the pup and started looking for tracks. She could see the trail the they had left and a much smaller trail that the pup had taken. Maybe if they back tracked the pups path they could find where the mom and the rest of the pups went.

But first Moon Stone needed to see if the pup would allow her to place it in her pouch.

"Anyone have any food? If we can befriend it, it would make it a lot easier to move it. "

Horro and War'kru started to go through their packs. It was Harro who found some bacon he had wrapped up to use as a snack for later. He reluctantly handed them over to Moon Stone.

"Thank you." Moon Stone said then she proceeded to break one of the pieces up into thirds. Then she got the attention of the flower hound pup by inching forward then placing the bacon piece on the ground.

The pup took a couple of sniffs then woofed up the bacon. The pup immediately started to look for more and Moon Stone placed another in front of it but closer to her.

Slowly she got the pup to come closer and closer and with the last piece of bacon the pup crawled into her pouch.

"Alright let's go." Moon Stone said. Then she led the way with Horro and War'kru following after her. It wasn't far before they found a patch of flattened grass that looked to be where the pup had first found itself lost as the tracks of small footprints seemed to go everywhere.

"Ok. I think we need to fan out a little and see if we can find a path that a much larger animal went. That I am guessing would be the mom and the other pups.

Horro and War'kru started looking and they soon found a rather large paw print pressed into the ground which was slowly filling up with rain water.

"We must go fast. I am close to the ground and will be able to see the trail better than the two of you. " Horro said.

"That sounds like a good plan. Lead the way. " War'kru said. Horro took off and War'kru and Moon Stone ran behind him. The trail seemed to lead them to the structure on the hill side. As they got closer Moon Stone could see that the structure leaned slightly which provided protection from the elements. And she could barely make out a silhouette of a much bigger verson of the pup that was lying asleep inside her pouch.

"I think we are close enough. " Horro said. "If we leave the pup here. It will start to howl and the mom will come. "

Moon Stone felt bad for waking up the pup as she carefully removed it from inside her warm pouch. "There you go. Now just tell mom you here. And all will be well. " She placed the pup lovingly down on the ground and back away.

Then she ran after Horro and War'kru. They stopped a good distance away to watch and see what was happening. The pouring rain made it very hard to see as it not only fell from the sky but dripped into their eyes causing them to shake their heads to clear them.

It wasn't long before the little pup started its mournful howling and Moon Stone could see the mom move from her dry perch into the grass toward the sound.

"Well I guess that's that. " War'kru said as she shook her head to clear her eyesight again. Rivets of water ran between her eyes and down her beak.

"Yes. The deed is done. Let's be off to our own dry place. " Horro said.

Moon Stone couldn't agree more. And the three of them slowly made their way back to their hopefully dry tent.