The otter carefully paddled to the pool’s edge, placing the small shape gently on a float. The others gathered around, guarding it. Tom slowly approached, heart pounding.
It was soaked, muddy, and barely moving. The creature was small, maybe the size of a rabbit. It had short fur, large ears, and eyes that barely opened. It looked like a pup of some kind. But not an otter pup.
“That’s not theirs,” Emily said quietly. “They brought it here. They were trying to help it.”