Ella's Wild Beasts

CHAPTER 21

Over the rest of the rainy season they continued to prep for the coming cold season. Now their stores were full of food and other supplies. During the times it wasn't raining she went foraging with them and discovered many herbs and other plants. The burrow now held the sweet scent of dried herbs. Ella thought ahead and collected many seeds and had them put away for after the cold season, when she would try to make a garden.

   Today was finally the day she finished the crude winter clothes, it was so nice to be wearing a new outfit, even if it was poorly crafted. Just in time it seems as when they went out the ground had a thin layer of frost and her breath billowed out in clouds. "The cold season has begun." Ravi said. She shivered with a mix of the cold and fear of what was to come. The time of plentiful fresh food was now gone. They had told her once the frost arrived it would not melt till the season ended.

   She beckoned Caius over. He striped as he walked over, Ella only tried a little to not show her satisfaction at his little show. When he stood in front of her he was in his glorious beast form, holding his new winter clothes in his jaws. They had told her when the cold season beast men stayed in their beast forms and usually kept their females warm in turns. Warm clothes by themselves would be a lifesaver in these times. It took a lot to even have them let her outside but she really needed to go to the shore. She had a sudden thought that there might be coconuts. There was plenty she could do with those.

   Ella took the clothes and pushed them into her new pack, she also took Ravi's clothes, as he had already shifted. Quickly she climbed on Caius. She had found through trial and error he was easier to ride like a steed, his neck fur was thicker and his body shifted less as he ran. When they grabbed their large baskets they had all weaved together during the long storms they took off down the stream to the shore.

   It took less time than when she made the journey herself months ago when she first woke up in this world but it still took a few hours. By the time they arrived her arms and legs were cramped and her face was numb from cold. After dismounting she stretched her aching muscles and they waited in beast form. Looking at them curiously she asked. "Not changing back?" They both let out soft growls as they looked around. Ella began to feel uneasy as their fur began to bristle and they moved to stand between her and the forest. Soon she heard the sound of several things crashing through the forest, and her beast were now full on snarling at the approaching threat.

   Just before it became visible the sound of fighing ensued in the bushes. When a small, naked child burst onto the beach. She couldn't have been much more than a year old and kept screaming for her mother. "MAMA! MAMA!" Ella immediately pushed past her guards and ran to grab the child. The moment she had her she heard screams for help coming from the tree line. It sounded like a woman. Looking at the small child she knew it must be her mother. Looking at Caius and Ravi with tears streaming down her face, she only uttered two words before all hell broke loose. "Help her."