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“There is always another way.”
I took his hand and squeezed it, marveling again at how much bigger than me Adone was. “Then we’ll find it.”
“You are right.” He rose and offered a hand to help me stand. “We should continue traveling.”
I tucked Tumbles under my arm and let Adone pull me up.
The pesky monitors that had backed away zipped in close again, preparing for more action, no doubt.
“I brought Tumbles with me because I didn’t want to leave him for the scorpions to chase, but I guess I should see if he wants to be free.”
“No one wishes to live in captivity.”
“Nope. Not you, me, or Tumbles.” I held the little creature up so I could watch his eyes while I spoke. “I’m going to let you go now, sweetie. Run—or roll—free.” I lowered him carefully to the ground, sad that this was goodbye. I flicked my hands toward him. “Go. I’m sure you have friends who are wondering where you are.”
Tumbles looked from me to Adone and cooed. He squatted and his spiky fur flattened.
I shrugged. “I guess we can leave him here. This is his land. He knows where to go.”
With the monitors hovering nearby, we started across the top of the hill, and I assumed we’d continue on high ground as far as we could before slipping and sliding down into the open valley. Where there was one scorpion pit, there would be another. At least we could tell when they were coming.
Tumbled yipped behind us. We stopped and looked back. He sat on the top of the hill, watching us forlornly. Another yip, and he rolled away from us, back in the direction we’d come from. Stopping, he looked at us and yipped again.
“What do you think he’s saying?” I asked.
“Yip?”
I nudged his arm, appreciating his joke. “Do you think he wants us to go with him?”
“Why would he?”
“Because we’re his new friends.”
“We can’t take time to play with little creatures.”
“Maybe he knows a better way to find water.” I lifted my voice. “Hey, Tumbles. Do you know where there’s water around here?”
He yipped.
“See?” I asked. “He does, and he’s going to show it to us.” I started toward Tumbles.
“I do not believe this creature understands us,” Adone said, keeping pace.
“You never know. Besides,” I swept my arm toward the valley, “I don’t think it’s wise to cross scoopeen territory.”
“We would need to run fast.”
“We need to keep them from discovering we’re here. The best way to do that is stay off the low sections where they live.”
Adone scanned the area. “We could head to the right,” he pointed, “and avoid the valley.”
“Or we could follow Tumbles.”
The tumbleweed beast continued to slowly roll across the desert, stopping to look back at us and yip.
“I guess it doesn’t matter in which direction we walk.”
“You’re right.” I pointed to our right. “But Tumbles is traveling that way.”
