Amur of Russia

Chapter 1

Amur paused in her running to catch her breath and listen to the sounds around her. She rotated her ears behind her and could hear the poacher's boots crunching in the snow as he quickly grew closer. She then rotated her ears to her left and could her the faint mews of her cubs as they cried for her milk. She must get back to them soon or they would die. If she went to them now it would result in the poacher finding and killing them to, regardless of the fact they were just cubs. In the poacher's eyes, they were just more tiger pelts and organs to sell for money. He didn'care that they were endangered and protected. People payed good money to have the skins as "trophies" and organs as "medicine", regardless to the fact it was illegal.  

Suddenly a loud sound went off behind her, making her jump and let out a yowl of pain and rage as a searing hot feeling shot through her ear, setting her off running again. She heard him give a loud shout, clearly angry about missing her. If that bullet had gone a little lower it would have hit her head and killed her. Luckily it had only grazed her ear, and that would heal fine. Next time, she may not be so lucky.  

Amur was quickly tiring in the deep snow and knew she must loose the poacher soon or die. She heard the sounds of a stream nearby and quickly veered  off to her right, soon coming to the stream, the poacher not far behind. She quickly plunged into the freezing water and began to swim upstream the best she could, hoping he wouldn't follow. After she had been swimming for awhile she spotted a small cave in a jumble of rocks and roots just off the shore and wearily climbed into it.  She listened carefully for signs of him, but, hearing nothing, fell into an exhausted sleep.

A while later, as the sun started sinking towards the horizon, Amur awoke and checked for signs of danger, but nothing seeming amiss, quickly set off for her cubs. When she finally reached the den she could only hear one feebly calling out. She quickly slipped into the den and laid down, nudging the crying cub and urging him to drink. While he nursed Amur gently licked and nudged the other cub, but she was cold and lifeless. The strongest had lived and the weakest has died, there was nothing she could do about it now. Amur then began to devote her attention to her young son, gently washing him all over. She would do her best to make sure this one lived. Drowsiness soon over took her and she finally fell into a restful, peaceful sleep.

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So that's it! Really short, not real pleased with it, but still figuring out how to make it better, thinking about adding another part, what do y'all think? Yay? Nay? Maybe?

Awhile before I had first written it I had read about these beautiful endangered Tigers, and since I love tigers, I got an idea for this story. Hope y'all liked it, I know I did when I first wrote it. Please let me know what you thought of it.