Valley of Weeds

Chapter Twelve [Edited]

Chapter Twelve:

When Cassia and Searn stepped into the vast meadow, several heads rose to get a better view of them. The heads belonged to Searn's other tigresses. Once they saw who it was, they went back to their cubs, who's ages ranged from two weeks to nearly two years. All were somewhat familiar face to Cassia, as hers was to them - at least, to those old enough to see and remember. She had never sopken to any of them while she and Atha were there, because she had only been on the outskirts of the meadow. Her preasence wasn't a secret, Atha had told everyone who her friend was and why she was there. She just didn't want to bond with anyone else, for she had been planning to escape once Atha's litter had been born and was old enough. Bringing someone else along would've just slowed them down.

Her name rippled through the group in the form of soft mumbling, and she dipped her head in greeting. With that, Searn left, probably to hunt for them. Normally, they would've taken turns hunting and cubsitting, but since the vast majority had their paws full with young cubs all the time, that wasn't a possibility anymore. Searn wasn't worried about weak security - he had accomplices in the camp. The accomplices were... a little different.

"Get a move on," a warning came from Cassia's left, and she turned her head to find herself looking into a pair of pale green eyes that were too wide to belong to a tiger.

"Go on," the leopard nodded to the rest of the group. Cassia wordlessly obeyed. The other leopards were probably split into two groups - one helping Searn hunt, and the other staying to guard his mates. No doubt, a couple were off looking for Amur and the others. Searn had eyes in every part of the northeast jungle. The problem with those eyes was that they were spread out too thin.

A tigress who looked to be the youngest adult there padded over to Cassia imediately and gave her a huge smile. Cassia looked her up and down. She was a little thing, with long fur and bright honey eyes surrounded by white patches. She didn't look tired, like the ones who had recently given birth, but too young to have had older cubs.

"Hi," she had a sweet cub-like voice. "My name is Nabi. You're Cassia, right? Atha's friend?"

"Um, yes I am."

"Hey, Searn said that he was going to look for Atha. Where is she?"

"I only agreed to be his new mate if he didn't hurt Atha or the others," Cassia's eyes darkened.

Nabi tilted her head. "Others?"

"Atha's brother and neice."

Nabi's eyes softened. "Oh. I like that she's close to them. Not many tigers are like that."

I know that, Cassia resisted the urge to scoff. Clearly, Nabi didn't have the sharpest mind. Maybe that was why she accepted Searn to father her cubs. Speaking of which...

"So, do you have cubs?"

Nabi shook her head. "No. Not yet, at least. I found out that I'm expecting the other day."

"Congratulations," Cassia blinked and smiled.

"Nabi!" came a distressed call. Nabi sighed before bidding Cassia goodbye and rushing over to an older tigress who was trying to control her tussling cubs. Cassia watched her go, and sighed as well.

Her own cubs enetered her mind - Parvus, Secara, and Raida. Her heart ached, but she kept her head up. She couldn't show weakness. Especially not here, and not now. There was no telling what would've happened if the leopards caught her crying.

Why didn't either of them come? Amur wondered for perhaps the hundredth time. The exact same thought had been ringing in his brain like bells for almost a week. Flower had told them that she and Cassia had ran into Searn. Had one killed the other, then died from their wounds? Amur's imagination had been going wild ever since that day.