When they arrive, they find a sea lion sprawled on the rocks, panting heavily, his snout bleeding and his eyes red with irritation. Roz kneels beside the sea lion as the animals crowd around, anxious and terrified about what the injured creature might reveal. In a hoarse voice, the sea lion barely whispers:

“The… tide… it’s poisoning us.”

Roz’s eyes gleam with intensity as she analyzes every word. This is no ordinary threat. The sea lion describes how, while swimming with his family, they came across a patch of water shimmering strangely and unnaturally. Unsuspecting, they approached it, only to feel a burning sensation almost immediately. “Like fire on our skin,” he murmurs. The poison in the water burned their snouts, blinded them, and soon the pain became unbearable. In his desperation, he barely escaped, swimming to the island. His family wasn’t so lucky.

Chitchat watches the scene with tears in her eyes. “What will we do, Roz?” she squeaks, her voice trembling.

Roz looks at the gathered animals. Even the strongest among them, like the bears Thorn and Nettle, show the same unease on their faces. Swooper, his deep voice breaking the silence, speaks up: “Do you think the poison tide will reach our island?”