That night, Gabriela was approaching the Village of the Skunk. Walking dressed in heavy clothes to withstand the cold and wearing a large hat to conceal her identity. Everyone in the village was asleep. She walked to the huts, looking into each one, until she found, in the largest hut, her prey, asleep beside Renato.
Marcus, in his hut, gets up, desperate to pee. He comes out of his hut, ready to piss on a bush. He then notices someone looking into Renato's window. He goes to a bush and discreetly observes the person while pissing.
Gabriela sneaks into Renato's hut as Marcus watches from his bush. His urine made almost no noise, coming in contact with the sandy soil. When Marcus finished pissing, Gabriela started to walk out of Renato’s door, taking Rosalina with her. Rosalina looked surly, with chains on her paws. Marcus froze and continued to watch, until the two females disappeared on the trail.
Meanwhile, in Renato's hut, the little skunk rolled on his straw bed. He quickly opened his eyes and sat down, looking for Rosalina with his gaze. He then stepped out of the hut and looked around. Marcus approached Renato.
 - Renato! - he said.
 - Marcus - Renato saluted his friend.
 - Rosalina was kidnapped.
 - By whom?
 - A small person, just like both of us, wearing heavy, long clothes.
 - In what direction did they go?
Marcus pointed to the east trail. Renato looked at the trail, then at Marcus.
 - Let's get together - he said.
Marcus smiled, but then smirked shyly.
 - You're calling me to go with you! - he whispered.
Renato nodded.
 - Of course! - Marcus yipped.
 - But I have to agree that I am the leader and I give the orders - Renato said. - So do your best.
Marcus was nervous, but accepted. That would be his chance to get Renato's attention. The pair walk down the trail, until it branched in two ways. Renato smells the air. He then takes the left path.
 - To the cliff? - Marcus asked.
 - Yes, they went here - Renato said. - I wish you would not question me.
Marcus blushed hotly.
 - I’m really sorry - he said.
 - Relax - said Renato.
They reach a huge cliff. It was six meters deep and twelve kilometers long. The trail ended there, and the forest continued on the other side of the cliff, its banks a mile away from each other. There was dense vegetation growing inside the cliff, with some trees growing to the edges.
 - We'll climb down - Renato said.
Marcus nodded. They began to descend, relying on the skunk’s terrain knowledge. After a few minutes, they reach the bottom.
 - It's too dark - Marcus complained.
 - I’m aware - Renato said. - I know how to navigate here. Just give me your wing.
Marcus gives the wing to Renato, who guides him in the darkness. Marcus felt safe in Renato's presence and he liked to hold the skunk's paw. They reach a river running in the center of the cliff. The treetops were far enough from each other for the moonlight to reach the river, making it the clearest place in the cliff. There was a large tree trunk connecting the two banks of the river.
 - I have to let go of your wing to balance - Renato said. - Let's get this over with.
Marcus was afraid and already began to tremble. However, he nodded, for Renato. They climbed up the trunk and began to walk slowly over it. But Marcus looked down, and when he saw the water running violently under trunk, he feared. He lost his balance and fell, screaming. Renato listened and looked back, seeing Marcus being carried by the water current. He immediately jumped to save his friend.
Renato swam in favor of the current toward Marcus, at full speed. Marcus struggled in the water trying to float. Renato grabbed Marcus by the wing and swam diagonally to the shore, which he grabbed with the other paw.
 - Come on! - he said.
Marcus climbed the bank, and Renato stepped up. Marcus was panting.
 - What happened? - asked Renato.
 - I was afraid to fall and I fell - Marcus said, trying to catch his breath.
Renato shook his head.
 - Silly… - he said.
Marcus sighed.
 - I'm sorry - Marcus said. - Should I go back home?
 - No, not needed - said Renato.
They got up and continued on the path, despite being soaked. As they ventured deeper into the forest and the light of the moon became timid again, Marcus stroked his belly.
 - Are you hungry? - Renato asks.
Marcus nods.
 - Hold on, - Renato said. - Stay here, I'll go back and find something.
Renato would not make any mistakes that time. He was well focused and got the right fruits. He went back to where Marcus was and offered him apples. They ate the apples that Renato had picked up.
Returning to the path, they reach a fork.
 - And now? - Asked Marcus.
Renato smelled the air again.
 - Right - he said.
Marcus did not doubt Renato's nose. After all, not only did Renato know the place, but he was also the most capable in rescue missions. What intrigued the bird was how Renato could so easily follow Rosalina's scent. Marcus did not know that Renato and Rosalina slept close to each other, because, at least for Marcus, Renato was the chasteest cub in existence. If innocence was something other than a social construct, then Renato was, at least in Marcus's imagination, the true incarnation of innocence. However, this was just an image that Renato carefully built. Renato did not want to miss Rosalina. He could lie to himself and say as much as he wished that he only wanted to watch over the visitor's safety, but deep down he knew that his desire to save Rosalina had an erotic component.
When it came to Marcus's case, there was also an erotic component in following his friend. He thought Renato was cute: his thighs, his ass, his belly, and his chubby face. Renato was quite attractive. Although Marcus had always been interested in females, Renato made him question whether he liked girls or Renato more.
Renato stops following the trail and sniffs the air a little more.
 - This way - he says, stepping out of the trail.- They're out of the way.
Marcus followed Renato, though he was afraid. They reach a clearing to which no trails go. There is an improvised wooden house in the center of the clearing. They approach and hear voices inside. Renato kicks the door and it goes down. There were Gabriela, Quirina, and Rosalina, who was tied to a chair.
Gabriela, upon seeing the invaders, immediately ran towards Renato, who prepared the staff that he carried. Gabriela, wearing a glove with nails, tried to hit Renato with a punch, but Renato got out of the way and pushed her back with his staff. Although Renato was a good fighter in close combat, he had never seen a firearm before, even if he had heard of them before. Quirina pulled out a revolver and aimed at the little intruder. Marcus, seeing that the conflict had begun, left the house and looked through the window. Renato hits Gabriela on the rib, but something seemed wrong: there was something under Gabriela's shirt that cushioned part of the impact. The bitch hardly felt anything.
Gabriela tries to punch Renato, but the skunk quickly uses his staff to stop the attack, wounding Gabriela in the arm.
 - Let the raccoon go! - Insisted Renato.
The answer came in the form of a shot fired by Quirina. The shot hits Renato's arm, which readily secures the injured spot. "Firearms!" Thought Renato. Marcus, who was staring through the window, began to tremble. He could not even scream, but just watch, so tense he was. Against firearms, Renato could only appeal to diplomacy. Gabriela attacked again, trying to hit Renato with the glove, but Renato again took the blow with the staff. The second shot hit Renato's leg, causing the skunk to quickly lose his balance and kneel down.
- Enough! - Marcus shouted. - We're leaving, just stop!
 - Yes - Rosalina said. - Renato will not continue.
Renato was on the floor, grabbing the leg wound, which would not stop bleeding. He tried not to cry, either because of the pain or because he was being saved by whom he set out to save.
 - We're leaving - Marcus said, his voice trembling, already crying.
 - Renato, please - Rosalina said. - Just go back to your people. They need you.
Renato recovers and gets up. Without looking into the eyes of his opponents, he withdraws from the battle. Marcus goes to Renato to hug him, but Renato does not look fit. He was crestfallen and squeaking almost silently. His wounds hurt less than his pride, hurt by the shame of being so reckless. Renato had gone unprepared on purpose, because he thought that he would be able to fight anyone to save Rosalina and gain her appreciation, because he had acted like an idiot the morning before. He walked slowly to Marcus and said with a shaky voice:
 - Let's go.
They begin to walk the way back with much effort. On the way, Marcus realized he had wet his diaper. He looked back and hoped that Renato had not noticed the pee smell that accompanied them.
On the way, Marcus heard Renato cry. He was standing, covering his face with his arm.
 - I'm an idiot - Renato said.
When Marcus saw it, he felt like crying too. He shook his head and tried to be strong. Marcus approached Renato and hugged him. Renato did not hug back.
 - You did what you could - Marcus said.
 - No - said Renato. - Who sets out armed just with a stick to rescue someone?
 - But you…
 - I wanted to impress Rosalina - Renato's voice began to grow even more shaky. - I wanted her to like me as much as I like her. Since she arrived, I make mistake after mistake. I bet she thinks I'm a fool, even more so now!
Renato fell to his knees and began to grab the earth, crying loudly, out of sadness, anger and shame. Marcus felt his own eyes fill with water. He crouched down and hugged his friend, silently.
Marcus spent fifteen minutes comforting Renato before they could proceed.