Sethunya stretched lazily, shaking briskly before padding back outside to survey her work. The den was much better now. The rocks had been moved with the help of a thoughtful Shifter, and now it looked less like a cave-in. Some of the boulders were arranged near the entrance, but most of the larger stones would be rolled away to be used in shrines. Really, this was just convenient for everyone. The pride had more large rocks to build with, and she and her mates had plenty of room for a growing family.
Not to mention…she was hoping her older mate would sleep better with the evidence of an old rockslide well out of the way. Sethunya nudged at the small mound of grass she had laid to dry in the sunlight, sweetening the scent of the soft bedding material. She hoped they would be back soon, she wanted to see the look on his face. She hoped he would be better now…
Tendaji trotted back towards the den, his steps solid rather than light. He was big for a wild dog, his size built on muscle, and while he could step lightly it only happened when he was considering it. Since their hunting trip was through, and had been quite successful too, he was headed back to the den to find Sethunya while Makena spoke to one of the guards regarding the gazelle they’d brought back. He’d tried to wait, to be paitent, and while he was usually the best at playing it cool he just couldn’t. He was too worried about having left their mate alone…
“Sethunya?” he called curiously, he was certain this was the right place, it even smelled like it, but it didn’t look it. Where had all these rocks come from?
“Tenny!” the white and red female squealed, bounding eagerly towards her mate. She rubbed against him happily, nuzzling into his strong shoulder before pulling back with a small frown. “What happened to Mak?” she asked anxiously. There had been two of them, in perfect health, when they left only a few hours ago! Had something happened? Ten looked awfully serious, but then, he always looked serious. She would pick it up on her own intuition in a short while, but for now… now she was too worried to pay proper attention.
Was it childish that it hurt?
In spite of the gleeful greeting he received, the fact that his beloved Sethunya’s first words where to ask him where her other mate was punctured the warm glow that had started in his chest. It was foolish. Truly, all that mattered was her happiness. Nothing more, and never anything less. “Makena is fine, he is discussing the hunt,” the dog explained calmly, letting his dark eyes drop off to one side. If he met her gaze she’d be able to pick out the hurt he’d have been able to keep hidden from just about anyone else.
Oh dear, he seemed upset now! Sethunya’s ears laid back uncertainly, her eyes worried as he assured her that Makena was fine and then looked away. She’d hurt him. She caught that glimmer in those dark secretive eyes as he’d averted them from her, and guilt ate at her almost instantly. She hadn’t meant to do that!
“Sorry Tenny, I just…I knew he left with you, I was just worried,” she tried, praying that he would understand all that she’d meant was that. There was no ‘favorites’ with her, she could never have picked one of them over the other, not ever. They were too utterly different to have ever compared anyway…
Tendaji felt guilty at the pleading note in her voice. He was being selfish again, making her hurt like that. It was a silly thing to feel upset about, certainly not worth bothering her with. He didn’t think anything would be worth making that smile slip off of her features. “There’s no need to worry, he’s fine,” Tendaji assured her, though he knew that wasn’t precisely what she meant. Quietly, his ears pricked to catch anyone sneaking up on them, he nuzzled her briefly before straightening and offering her a smile. She didn’t need to be sad just because he was. He didn’t want that.
“Well…” Sethunya started, then hesitated. Smiles from Tendaji were hard to come by, and affectionate gestures like that nuzzle even rarer. He mustn’t be that distraught if he could smile like that. He would be okay then, or so it seemed. So then…maybe this would help cheer him up the rest of the way. She knew about the nightmares and sleepless nights, she was sleeping curled up right beside him after all.
“If you’re sure you’re okay?” she tried, one more time, just in case.
“Truly, it’s nothing to worry about,” Tendaji tried to assure her. He would not lie, but neither would he suffer her to be unhappy. He’d rather lie than let her be sad for his sake, but if he didn’t have to be untrue he’d rather not be. It was easier to keep track of honesty after all. “Did something happen?” he asked after a moment, staring around at the rocks scattered about near the den Sethunya had picked for them. She hadn’t been nearly hurt, had she? Buried alive or…worse…?
Sethunya eyed him uncertainly, but had to relent after a moment. If he said not to worry, then she wouldn’t. He’d always been able to soothe her fears away with that simple phrase. Don’t worry. He would take care of it, take care of everything. Take care of her. He chased away the monsters in the dark and the nightmares she could never quite remember, with his strength and his stories and the way he was always, always, always there…
“What? No, nothing really.” The young female couldn’t help but grin eagerly. “I mean, some cleaning is all. Come and see!” Eagerly, she licked his muzzle and then bounded into the den, excited to show him what she’d done.
She seemed better now. He was glad. Relieved. So long as she was all right, and Makena too, then everything was alright. Everything would be okay. They were all that mattered in his world. An accident was terrible…redecorating was…interesting. Curiosity piqued, especially by her giddy eagerness, Tendaji nodded his quiet agreement and padded after. Whatever it was, she seemed happy. Excited too. But it was just rubble moved about to him…
He blinked, frowning at the back of the den. It was…much larger than he’d thought it was, the eerie collapsed end having been cleared out to reveal the smooth sloping back. It was almost rounded, so oddly perfectly shaped without the cluttered jumble of fallen stones. No cracks or gaps for someone small to get stuck in…and without the piles of rubble…
“Wow,” he murmured, looking around.
Was he surprised? Was he glad? Surprised he seemed to be, and Sethuya wriggled beside him with excitement, eager to see his reaction. She hoped he’d be pleased. She knew how much trouble her older love had been having in trying to grow adjusted to this new life. It was a foolish feeling that she’d never really realized that the apparent collapse of the back of their den might have been part of what was bothering him.
Hadn’t he said that their homes had fallen? Wasn’t that part of what haunted his nightmares? Would this be better for him, would he sleep better with their den looking like this instead? “Well? Do you like it?” Sethunya asked anxiously, hoping he would be better now. She didn’t like to see him like that, knowing that he was hiding discomfort.
“It is very different,” Tendaji finally decided, his dark eyes still roving across the low sloping ceiling and the smooth arch of the back end of the den. Without the rubble piled about, there was something…almost welcoming about it now. “Clearer.” Was that the answer she was looking for? The response she’d wanted? He hoped so, he didn’t know what else to say. He just stood there, looking up at the stone and earth above and around him, almost just intrigued by it. There was something lacking now, a nameless talon in his chest that had gone blunt somehow…
He…looked like he might like it better like this. Sethunya smiled broadly, giggling and pressing against his flank. Better. He would be better now. The reminders of his nightmares had been moved, his fears dragged out of sight. Still laughing, she licked his cheek before the sound of pawsteps brought her ears to swivel around.
“I wonder what Makena will say!” she laughed, twisting to go and greet her younger mate, red tail wagging with laughter. “Shall we tell him that the stones are migrating?” she joked, before bounding off to go and bring her splotchy blue love back to the den. His opinion counted too after all.
Both of them mattered. They were both precious, She wanted them to all be happy here, all of them. Together. A family.
FIN
