The silver female moved out of the den, her golden eyes turning over her shoulder to peek one last glance at three of her children. The others, the dark pelted male and female, were taken from her when she went for a hunt. She only frowned at the thought. How could he take their children away? She frowned. At least…why did he take the two that resembled him and not the others? Did he not realize that cubs needed warmth, and that taking them away can cause sickness to raise from their little bodies.
A low growl emitted from her maw, she did not want to linger on this subject anymore. What was done was done, there is no way to change the past, but the future was now in her hands.
She turned back around, re-entering the den as the cubs continued to slumber. She could not leave them on their own again, no matter how hungry she was. She nestled close to the three cubs, two white in color like her own pelt, and the other a strange salmon pink color, the oddball, born last. It was true what they said about the last of litters usually was the runts. This male cub certainly was that for sure.
Ruya’s eyes scanned over the cubs, matching each of them to their names. Ochieng was the little girl he left. She was her precious little girl, at least, she would be her precious little girl. One day she’d meet up with her other daughter. Perhaps Ochi would as well, and they would have a bond a family should have.
There was Machweo besides Ochi. He was going to be a big boy, Ru thought to herself as she gave him a small lick. He too, she hoped, would meet with his other siblings, wherever Obidiah had taken them. To her guess, they were back in the Pridelands, seeing as that was where Obi wanted to stay. She wouldn’t go back, but she’d send her kids in a heartbeat. It wasn’t fair that they didn’t get to meet their father, or two other siblings.
Ru’s eyes finally settled on the last cub, the little pink male. Otieno is what she named him, after the he was born in dusk. That day Ru remembered as being such a long day. Obi was gone, hunting she presumed, but nonetheless he wasn’t there. She did it all on her own, nursing five healthy cubs until he returned.
But it wasn’t like that now. Faintly, she could see him shivering even next to his brother’s and sister’s warm body. It wasn’t even the chilly time of the day either. The adult mom grimaced. This was never a good sign. She had been sick a handful of times in her lifetime, but it never lasted longer than a few days. Otieno had been shivering almost since the others were taken.
She huddled more closely towards the cub, trying to use her own body heat to keep them warm. She rested her head on the cold ground, before it was lifted again. Her cubs shouldn’t be sleeping on the cold dirt. She’d make a little bed out of leaves or something. That would keep them slightly more warmer.
She left their sides quickly, hurrying towards a nearby tree. A few brown, dead, leaves were already on the ground. Ru took the opportunity to gather them in her maw, bounding back to the cave and placing it close to the left side of the wall. She exited again, only to return with a few more (this time, green in color) and placed them right next to the others.
Spreading the leaves was not a big challenge at all. She took her paws, evened out both piles, before she laid on it to ‘test’. It was no soft grasses like what was offered in the Summer time, but at least it would get them off the cold ground.
One by one she moved each cub to its place on the new bed, being as quiet and careful as possible as to not shake them too much. When that was complete, she smiled a job well done.
That was until Otieno opened his dark crimson eyes.
“Mama?” He croaked out, yawning.
Ru glanced towards her son, moving over to him and giving him a nuzzle. “Shh, go back to sleep honey…” She crooned, licking his white mane tuft on his head.
“I’m so cold…” his teeth chattered, but listened to his mother nonetheless. Within a few minutes, he was back to sleep, the little chatters running through his body.
The nightmare frowned. This was definitely not a good sign… She moved closer to the children, curling her body do the three would be up against her belly, as she wrapped her tail in a barrier. How long they would stay in here, she didn’t know, but what she did know was this. The colder months were coming. She needed to find a better shelter before then, or else these guys wouldn’t make it.
[[WC - 843 ]]
