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"Awww, thanks!" Bernon beamed. "I try. I think if I'm the most creative, Mike's the most….practical? And Tanrial, you're probably like the smartest and most powerful, magically speaking."
(I have to go to bed now, seeya later!)
“True, that’s true.” She said, a smile playing on her lips.
(Seeya!)
At that moment they reached a point in the path where it veered away from where they wanted to go. Mike paused to get his bearings on the river and look for a clear way forward, while Bernon took the opportunity to readjust the straps of his backpack.
As they were about to move on, there came a small cry from the woods o their right. It sounded a little like a distressed kitten.
Bernon turned around. "Did you hear that?"
“I did, but probably best if we don’t check it out, it might be a trap.” Tanrial said, turning around and looking in the direction where the sound came.
"You're entirely correct," Mike agreed, standing on tiptoes to try and see over the bushes. "We should leave while it's still a ways off. Even if it is a baby animal, it's mother is probably right nearby."
“Yup, and mothers don’t like their children being touch or whatever so, let’s go.” Tanrial took a step backwards and turned back around, away from the bush.
They started to walk again, and at first it seemed like that would be that. But then the cry came again, plaintively. Whatever it was seemed to be following them.
Bernon glanced over his shoulder, then looked meaningfully at Mike. Mike eyed him irritably.
"What's that look for?" he asked.
Bernon just stared at him, blinking his big brown eyes pleadingly.
Mike massaged the bridge of his nose and sighed. "We're not Animal Rescue. This isn't the beginning of something wonderful. Help me here, Tanrial. Tell him to keep walking."
Their small pursuer squeaked again, louder and even more pitifully.
“No, no we can’t, Bernon. what if it’s dangerous? What if Ryker sent it? We. Can’t.” She sighed and shook her head, “Let’s keep walking.”
Bernon gave her a pained expression, but nodded. "You're probably right. Let's go."
They walked without stopping for the next hour, stubbornly refusing to look behind them. Every time the squeaking stopped, their hopes lifted. But each time, a few minutes later, they would hear the sound of something tripping through the undergrowth behind them and the cry would start up again.
Finally, Mike made an exasperated noise. "Oh for crying out loud. If Ryker did send it, we'll be leading it straight to the villages at this rate."
"Maybe," Bernon said persuasively, "it would be a good idea to investigate and get rid of it if we have to."
Tanrial rubbed her forehead and sighed before throwing her hands up in the air, “Fine! Fine, we can check it out.”
Bernon whipped around and bounded back to find the source of the noise almost before she finished speaking. He disappeared into the brush, and there was an interval in which the only sound was the rustling of branches and some alarmed squealing. Then he came back out, holding a sandy bundle of fur in his arms. "Guys, I'm really confused. This is a baby cheetah. With wings."
(brb, eating supper right quick)
“What the-“ Tanrial took a step forward, “I’ve never seen that before… ever.” She said, wide eyed.
Mike went over and took the cub from Bernon, expertly looking it over. "It's a baby forest beast. They live all over where I come from. No two look alike." He stretched out one fluffy, dust-brown wing and parted the feathers with his finger and thumb. "This one's been bitten, right here. It's pretty thin and dirty too, so it must have been out here alone for a while. There's a good chance that its mother is dead."
The cub suddenly let out a tiny growl and clamped its teeth around Mike's finger. He only barely flinched, using his other hand to firmly pry apart the tiny jaws. "They're not afraid to make you bleed, even when they're young. Bernon, get out some meat and cut it into small pieces. Tanrial, I'm gonna need some help taking care of its wing. Might as well do this right if we're gonna do it at all."
“hey buddy,”Tanrial said, taking the cub from Mike, “I wonder what hurt you?” She mused, scratching behind its ear.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" Bernon asked, rummaging through his pack.
"Girl," Mike answered, sitting down and digging through his own things for a first-aid kit. "Maybe seven years old."
"Seven!? Isn't that all grown up for a cheetah?"
"These things have the same lifespans as humans do. In fact, in another year or so she'll be able to turn into a human if she wants. I'm actually surprised she isn't talking to us right now, they usually do."
The cub stared at Tanrial with wide blue eyes, her fur puffed up nervously. Her spots were faint and more brown than black, a sign of how young she still was.
“She’s a cute little thing, probably afraid that we’ll hurt her and that’s why she isn’t talking.” Tanrial said, looking right back at the cub and offering her a small smile.
"Could be." Mike scooted closer, uncapping a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. "And we're about to make her even more scared of us. I need to clean her wing, stretch it out for me will you? Stay sharp, she'll want to wiggle away when this starts stinging."
Tanrial nodded and did as Mike instructed stretching out the wing carefully, “I’m so sorry but you’ll feel loads better after this.” She said quietly to the cub.
Mike applied a small amount of the sterilizing liquid to the wound, and sure enough the cub hissed and squirmed as the bite foamed up. Mike helped hold her, allowing the peroxide to do its work for a few more seconds. Then he cleaned the wing with some water, dried it, and wrapped some gauze around it, careful to avoid breaking the cub's growing flight feathers. "Luckily forest beasts heal pretty fast. A wing injury can be serious if its not treated right. Can you tell if she's hurt anywhere else?"
“I don’t think she is, not from what I can see or feel so I think she’s good to go.” She said, shrugging one shoulder as she gently placed the cub back on the ground.
Bernon came over with a bowl of fish filet. "You sure she'll like this? What if she's not weaned yet?"
"She's weaned. He baby teeth are almost all gone." Mike took some of the meat and offered it to the cub. She sniffed it cautiously, then ate it, her tail twitching. After she finished the first bite, her eyes brightened and she went over to the bowl, purring happily as she ate.
Bernon smiled in excitement. "She likes it!"
“Good, otherwise she’d have to go hungry.” Tanrial said, crossing her arms as the cub ate the meat given to her.
"What should we name her?" Bernon asked.
"Woah, hey," Mike said. "For one thing, she probably already has a name. For another, we are not becoming her foster parents, alright? We've got enough to worry about already."
"But she's just a baby," Bernon argued. "Nobody else is going to look after her out here! Do you want her to starve?"
At that point the cub at back, licking her whiskers. She stared up at them, and in a soft, sweet voice, said, "Can I have more?"
(off to bed now, seeya later ^^)
“So you can talk?” Tanrial crouched down in front of the cub and cocked her head to one side but smiled, “Sure, yeah you can have some more.”
(Seeya later ^^)
"Hang on," Bernon said, pulling out another fish. "I just gotta slice–gah!"
At the sight of the meat, the cub's eyes sparkled and she leapt at Bernon, snatching the fish out of his hand and scratching him slightly in the process. She trotted a few steps away with her tail held high and dropped her prize on the ground. "I'm a hunter," she proclaimed proudly. "Fierce, rarrr, stay away!"
Mike sighed and handed the peroxide to Bernon. "See? She's not a pet."
"I know that," Bernon muttered. "I just don't think we should leave her to fend for herself."
Tanrial sat on the ground and watched the cub eat, “She might be able too, you never know. Do you have a name?” She asked, cocking her head in question.
(whoops wasn't expecting a reply so soon XD)
The cup stopped eating for a second, eying Tanrial. "I am Snatch. Who are you?"
(Lol, I went to bed shortly after anyway)
“I’m Tanrial, and these are my friends, Bernon and Mike.”
"Weird names. What do they mean?"
Bernon blinked. "Um….I mean, they don't really mean anything, I don't think. They're just names."
Snatch wrinkled her nose. "You're humans, aren't you? Mommy told me about you."
“Well, those two are humans, I’m not.” Tanrial explained, standing up and standing next to her friends.