“Hungunh?”
Criani jerked upright at something. She remembered her sleep being broken by a crashing noise, but she wasn’t sure. The only thing she was sure of was that she had startled awake. She calmed her thoughts and didn’t move, closing her eyes focusing on her hearing.
She heard a thump this time, followed by some grunts. Those noises made her eyes fly open.
She had thought she was safe enough in her water cave, but apparently someone, or something, had found its way into her cave.
She stood up and manipulated her magic around on the floor before her, scattering any water that was in her path. She walked silently, probing the water on the cave floor away from her so she didn’t make any noise as she went to the front of the cave, and into the main chamber where the entrance was.
As she neared, she lessened her magic as she slowed to a stop. She could hear scuttling noises, coming from the tunnel that led to her food stores. Criani slowly went down the tunnel, once again pushing aside the water on the floor so she could remain as silent as possible.
She allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the cavern. Suddenly, a jar flew past her head, smashing against the cave wall sending pieces of pottery and left over jam all over the place. Criani fought the urge to growl knowing if she did she would alert whatever was in there of her presence.
She rounded the corner to where she had several natural shelves in the cave walls and where she kept her preserves and food she had gotten. Avani had made jam and sweets for her, and so she kept them here. It was cool enough because it was embedded into the side of a mountain and near water.
That’s when she saw the intruder.
It was as very small young Rivakka. She had seen the adults from a distance, but this one was tiny! It must have gotten lost or somehow stumbled upon her cave entrance while swimming. Criani, not wanting to deal with this young one’s parent, and at this time of night, roared as loud as she could from behind the little one.
She watched as it jerked, jumped and turned around, all messy from licking her jars full of sweet things Avani had given Criani as gifts. It stood looking at Criani for all of a moment, and ran right towards her.
Criani, grunting at the stupidity of a young animal who didn’t know better, decided to teach it a lesson. If it died in the process, well, she wouldn’t have to ask Avani for breakfast. She swung her tail at it and sent it flying back towards the pantry wall, the animal landing, shocked apparently, in a mess of jam and broken jars.
It stood again and this time glared at Criani for a few moments, apparently still trying to guess if it could get past her. Criani swung again with her tail, but the animal ducked and ran past Criani, and towards the entrance of the cave. Criani ran after it, and watched it slip into the opening and swim through it.
Criani followed, but it swam faster than her, and got away just as it reached the opening into the lake. Criani, knowing full well she couldn’t go after it, surfaced and breathed in deep the sweet air.
She then went once around the lake underwater to make sure no more were around, then went back to own home. She looked at the mess after a detailed inspection of all the chambers the cave held, and sighed.
She would miss the precious jars and jugs that held her food, but she could always collect more if she needed. But she was going to have to ask Avani for some advice on how to keep nighttime visitors away.
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