Dawn led the way through the tall grass, her head high and her steps confident.  She had walked this path several times before, and knew it well.  The two whelps that followed her were slightly older, but less certain in the journey and willing to allow Dawn to guide them.  Hunter kept a close eye on the open grassland around them, her attention caught by birds soaring overhead or the whisk of wind on the grass.  Dancer watched the surrounding environment as well, but with less open curiosity, her expression guarded.

All three whelps carried backpacks, containers that were originally made for belemoid but fit the younger tsabhua well enough.  Dancer’s pack was filled with jars of preserved vegetables and jams, and clinked if she jostled it too much.  Hunter’s pack only held a couple jars, and mostly held smoked meat that would not go bad during the journey.  Dawn’s pack was the lightest and noticeably fragrant, packed full of dried fruit and herbs for both seasoning and healing.  They were traveling to a neighboring colony as part of an ongoing trade agreement.  While all colonies were sponsored by DPIP, that didn’t mean they automatically got along, and attempts to foster good relations were always welcome.

The journey to their neighbors was not a long one, only a few hours, but the hilly terrain meant they would be out of sight of even the watchpost at the top of their colony’s taller spire.  This wasn’t a concern to Dawn or Hunter, but Dancer seemed nervous, trailing somewhat at the back of the line.

The sun ambled toward midday as the whelps walked, with Hunter pausing for just a moment to pick a couple flowers at the side of the path.  Dawn leaned toward her.  “Are you getting a gift for your crush?” she teased.

Hunter’s ears flattened in embarrassment and she clutched the red flowers to her chest.  “No!” she exclaimed.  “I just thought they’re pretty!”  With a huff, she stopped and let Dancer pass her, falling to the back of the line.  Dawn let her be, though she noticed the older whelp continuing to admire the flowers, and Dancer smiling just a little at the teasing.

The journey passed in a similar fashion, with the whelps chatting amongst each other, until their destination appeared: a mix of prefabricated housing provided by DPIP and the sod buildings that belemoid preferred all clustered at the top of a hill.  The three quickened their steps now that their destination was in sight.  It was a far smaller colony than their own, and much newer.  Dawn was the first to notice something was off, as they stepped onto the dirt path that led to the colony’s center.  She hesitated, and Dancer and Hunter almost stumbled into her.  “What’s wrong?” Dancer asked, eyeing the nearby buildings with concern.

“It’s just….where is everybody?” Dawn replied, pointing.  There were far fewer colonists out and about than she was used to, and they walked quickly, not lingering to chat amongst each other.

Hunter peered over the other two’s shoulders.  “Maybe they’re just on a day trip, or at some gathering?” she suggested.  Dawn wasn’t confident that was the case, but she pressed on, and the three whelps passed through the colony’s perimeter.  No one stopped them, but none of the few colonists they could see came to greet them, either, all caught up in whatever was going on.  They stood in a bunch, watching the oddly quiet activity going on around them.  Dancer was tense, almost like she wanted to run.

Dawn stepped forward as a familiar tsabhua passed by, calling out, “Hey!  How are you?” but he waved her off with a muttered “Not now.”  She stopped, confused.  He had always been friendly before.

“Maybe we should just go,” Dancer muttered, already slipping off her pack.  Hunter nodded in agreement, and Dawn had to agree as well.  Whatever was going on, the people here were not interested in attending to some whelps from another colony.  She led them to one of the sod buildings, which she knew was used for storage, and they emptied their packs onto a shelf just inside.  The trek back would be faster with their backpacks unburdened and all three were grateful for that.  They slipped back onto the trail home, eager to get back to the normal bustle of the Station.