Sabre: The Grasslands Book 1

Chapter 11

When Kypress and the team got back to camp, it was in the middle of the night. Ledge and another male were guarding camp. "Ledge!!" Tara squeaked. Ledge licked Tara's head. "Your mother was horribly worried! It's good that you are safe." Ledge told her. Tara's little body wagged happily. Kife set Tara down outside of one of the dens. Tara trotted happily inside. Kypress yawned. The team split up. "Goodnight Kypress." Carp said as he rubbed against Kypress's head. Kypress pushed away in surprise. Carp smiled. "Goodnight." Kypress said back. Carp went into another den. Kypress watched as Saria licked Kife's muzzle and said goodnight. Kife purred and turned away into his den. 'Are they mates??' Kypress wondered. Kife hadn't mentioned that he was mates with Saria. 'I guess he forgot' Kypress shrugged. Of course she wasn't in love with Kife. She had better things to do. Kypress awoke the next morning. Everyone was busy. They were all talking about either Tara coming home or Lunea and GrassLily's fight. Kypress lapped up water that had formed overnight as a puddle. The cold, crisp water tasted wonderful in Kypress's parched mouth. It was officially fall. The leaves were falling and we're all over the rock camp. The air smelled like pine needles and maple. Dagzer had been stressing out about meat. There was only one carcass, that they had finished yesterday. There were Cubs that needed to be suckled, but the mothers had no milk. Renn was always hungry. Kypress decided to go out on her own hunting. The sabertooth cats in the clan hunted in packs, but, she took down deer by herself for a year. Kypress ran to the grassland. The grassland that was once scattered with animals was bare. A couple of deer prounced about, eating what grass they could. Prey was scarce this year, and Kypress realized that the tribe should have hunted more. All of the animals were hibernating or hiding in the forest. Kypress stalked the deer for half an hour before she broke into a run. The ounces on the deer and dragged it into the ground. Dust and dirt caked Kypress's claws. In one last attempt to survive, the deer swiveled its head and hit Kypress's rib cage with its horns. The deer got up and limped away. Kypress lay stunned on the ground. Her rib cage burned and she couldn't breath. If she could just get back to camp, she would be okay. Killira would treat her. Kypress struggled to get up and pushed on to the camp. She made her way up the slope into the woods and to the rock camp. She fell into camp, her ears pounding. "Kypress!" Carp yelled as he nudged her with his head. Killira came and helped Kypress get into the den. Killira put herbs on the wound. "You have some bruised ribs." Killira told her. "Be more careful next time and never go hunting without  others." Killira said shaking her head. Saria strode into the den. "Kypress! Are you okay? I heard about your ribs!" Saria said with a worried expression. "She'll live.... Barely." Killira chuckled. "Yeah, that deer was fast and too strong for me. My mother did it. I'm not sure how." Kypress told them as she cleaned and smoothed her dust covered fur. "For Sabertooth's sakes!! You are a year and a half old! You couldn't have possible taken down that deer by yourself!" Killira told her. Kypress rested for the rest of the day. She talked with Killira while she organized the herbs into piles, Saria had to go out with a patrolling group. "Winer is coming, tomorrow I think Dagzer will send you on a hunt. You should be well enough to go." Killira told her. Killira smiled, her fangs glistening. 'I wonder why she doesn't have a mate?' Kypress wondered. Killira was always so nice and kind to everyone. "Why.. Why don't you have a mate? You are always so nice!" Kypress told her. Killira froze. "Why don't you have one?" Killira replied. "Well..I.." Kypress struggled. "Exactly. I just don't want one yet. I know, we don't have that many Cubs, we only have Tara and two others, but, maybe one day. I'm only a year older than you." Killira said. "Okay, okay, fair enough. Well, goodnight Killira." "Goodnight Kypress the loner." Killira laughed as she punched Kypress on the shoulder. Kypress smiled. She took a deep breath and got ready to face the next day.