When Píp the spirit cat finally came to her senses after the relentless hunt, she found herself standing on a beach, in her mouth the elusive trout spirit. Rain pelted the sand and her fur, so she dashed for the trees further up the beach, seeking shelter.
With a few powerful leaps, she scaled the trunk of the closest tree and perched on a thick branch under its canopy. Looking out over the sheer endless sea, she could not help but be amazed. An enormous thunderstorm was rolling over the waters, and with each lightning strike, deafening thunder rolled over the beach, each clap louder than the previous.
In the turmoil of foaming sea and swirling clouds, she could see the shadows of giant flukes and bodies larger than trees, blowing fountains of golden light up into the sky, which would play among the clouds for a second and then crash down as lightning.
The rain intensified, and Píp huddled against the trunk of the tree, which shivered and pulled its canopy tighter over her head.
Thanks. Píp murmured to the tree.
Then she devoured her prize, dropping a small gift down onto the roots of her guardian.