Hunted (Private)

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel glanced down, "One of the humans." He then lay down and shuffled forward, starting to nibble on the heart.

[Deleted]

Wasaba licked at his wound, and the fur where his blood ran down. "You taste better than human food," she said, nipping at his toes playfully.
Shadows moved across the cave entrance. "They're still out there," she said. "It sounds like more of them."

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel smiled fondly at his mate before raising his head as he too spotted the shadows. "We stay still here, if they need us they'll come in." He said steadily.

[Deleted]

"But how long will they be out there?" Wasana said. "How long will this last?" She licked her lips. "That food was really good... Do you suppose they have more?"

[Ruby_Fehu]

"I don't know." Ezekiel frowned a little and stood up, "Stay here." He said padding out of the cave slowly.

[Deleted]

"Ok..." Wasana said uncertainly. "Be careful."

[Ruby_Fehu]

He looked around and sure enough the human's had set up camp. He gnawed on his lip nervously before approaching the child who had been with the baby. Knowing he couldn't talk he decided to sit down and face him, his head cocked to one side like a domestic cat.

[Deleted]

The boy seemed curious, however the adults setting up the tents and bark humpies were not. One pulled the boy back and a row of them formed with spears, thrusting in rhythm, making to drive Ezekiel back to the cave.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel panicked and reared up before racing back into the cave, not hiding his fear as he reached Wasana.

[Deleted]

Wasana had been watching from the cave entrance. She pulled her partner into a hug. "M... Maybe try bringing them the platter the food was on?" she suggested. It was sitting beside them. Really, it was more of a sled, meant to be pulled by rope. It was big enough for a lion to sit on.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel gnawed on his lip before nodding, he grabbed the rope that the child had been pulling on with his jaws and dragged it out into the open, but he didn't walk to far from the cave. When he dropped it down he hurried back inside the mouth of the cave and stood warily, waiting to see what they did.

[Deleted]

The older humans pointed at the sled. The smaller one went to retrieve it and dragged it out of sight.
Wasana came to watch the commotion, lying beside her mate. They watched as the humans fussed about before an old man stepped forward. His knees were swollen and he couldn't seem to straighten his back. He pointed at them, wincing.
Beside him came the tray of food, loaded just as high as before.
"He has old bone ache," Wasana said. "Do you remember the berry plant we slept under the first day we left home? If you can find it, I might be able to help him manage his pain."

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel nodded once and licked her affectionately, "I'll be back in about an hour." He said before running off, three of the younger humans following him to help him.

[Deleted]

Wasana watched as more humans trickled in from across the grassy plains. There were now about three dozen of them. The new ones wore funny necklaces of beads over their chests and had coloured things in their hair. When they reached Wasana they kneeled, putting their faces to the ground, and added their own small tokens to the pile of food. Namely, a few large, fat birds, and a slab of meat cut from the bone.
Wasana wanted to wait for Zeke, but the food was very tempting. "Thank you," she said, and began to eat. She ate until her stomach was noticeably bigger and ached like crazy.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel returned with the boys carrying handfuls of berries. "Are these right?" He asked her, going over and licking her forehead again.

[Deleted]

By the time Zeke returned, it was all Wasana could do to keep the food down. She tried to keep a straight face as she sat up and said, "Yes. Thank you, darling." She took the berries in her mouth and, using a stone from the cave and a leaf from the bowl she crushed the berries into a frothy paste. Using the bowl the humans gave her earlier, she gave it to the man. He knelt and took the paste away.
There were already three more humans waiting behind the first. Wasana smiled at Zeke weakly. "I think this is going to be a busy day," she said. "There's something about their food. It's the best food I've ever eaten." She looked at the food again. Though her stomach felt swollen and painful, it was all she could do not to throw herself onto the meal. "I feel fit to burst, but all I want to do is eat some more. It's a little frightening."

[Ruby_Fehu]

"So is it nice?" He asked, licking his lips before turning as he saw the three children chatting excitedly, "You know, those human cubs are quite nice. Not like some of the humans-" He paused and stretched, "Anyway, next person." He said taking the rope and dragging the sled back out into the cave entrance.

[Deleted]

Wasana picked herself up. Her stomach was so full, she was having a hard time keeping it off the floor. Even laying down was uncomfortable, but she did and the humans presented themselves.
The next person was an elderly female with the same problem as the first, which made it easy to solve with some leftover berries. The following had indigestion, so Wasana whipped up a potion for that. The third was more difficult.
"He has thin blood," Wasana said, fussing over the human cub. The mother seemed petrified of letting him near a lion, but the father was insistent and sat with the frightened boy. "Only my old master has ever treated something like this. He used a moss growing in the Sandy Forest, many miles south of here, as well as a fungus that grows only on fresh meat in an oasis to the east, in the Irro desert. You could get them... But it would take you a month to get to the forest, and the same to get to the oasis, and that's only if you can find it first go. A three month round trip. I wouldn't blame you for refusing, but this cub's life may be at stake."
She looked Zeke in the eye. "It's up to you, my love."

[Ruby_Fehu]

"You'll be on your own for three months. Will the cub hold out that long? And will you be okay alone?" Ezekiel asked warily. The last time he had been anywhere near a forest was when Lailah had been murdered, he winced inwardly at the thought and gnawed on his lip, he was evidently at battle with himself.

[Deleted]

"He could die any time," Wasana said. "It might be tomorrow, or it might be twenty years from now. But there's no way of telling. If he bumps himself while playing he could bleed on the inside. It could happen any time.
"I'll be fine. Look: these humans aren't going anywhere," she said. They were setting up tents and clearing grass, as if preparing for a long stay. "The only problem is I'll miss you. But I can't be selfish if this young cub will die." Her eyes welled up with tears.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel shuffled from paw to paw. "Fine, I'll go." He finally sighed. He looked at her and gave her a quick nuzzle before turning and running off quickly, shoving through the many humans gathered together.

[Deleted]

"Wait. Zeke!" She called, lumbering to her feet and waddling towards him, hoping he would stop.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel was just on the outskirts of the crowd when he heard Wasana, turning he cocked his head to one side, "What?"

[Deleted]

Wasana walked up and embraced him, burying her face in his mane. "Please, don't ever run off like that. I was going to say: stay the night. One day shouldn't make a difference. I'm not quite ready for you to leave just yet." She pulled back, and looked him in the eye. "Please?"

[Ruby_Fehu]

"I want to get this cub safe. The sooner I leave the sooner I'll be back but on one condition I'll stay." He said softly.

[Deleted]

"What's that?" she said, looking from eye to eye.

[Ruby_Fehu]

"We talk about our future. About cubs." He said seriously. Seeing all these kids. I think it's time we discussed cubs." He said slowly.

[Deleted]

Wasana smiled. "I would love to discuss cubs with you," she said, licking his nose. "Come. Let's go back into the cave. I'd rather have some privacy with the last night alone with my mate."

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel followed Wasana his paws heavy as he realised he was actually tired, setting of that day probably wouldn't have been the best idea after all.

[Deleted]

Wasana settled down in the cave's dark interior. The humans seemed to get the hint when they both entered together - they stayed away, and continued putting together their huts and humpies. They had even started a fire, and one had slaughtered a gazelle and was pulling it apart with small stone tools.
Wasana settled down inside the cave with a sigh. It was hard walking around with so much food in her stomach. It was uncomfortable sitting too, so she lay on her side, raising her head on her shoulders. It was probably just the food that made her feel ill, but it may have also been nerves. Cubs was a sensitive topic for her. She nipped Zeke's ear and said, "So... cubs?"