A Tiger's Tale

Chapter 7

It was growing darker by the minute I reckon this is probably the darkest of nights so far. I really couldn't sleep tonight but I just don't know why, maybe because I couldn't see anything around me but there was definitely something that was keeping me up! I gaze around me, scanning the scene which lay in front of me. I decide to get up but very quietly for I wouldn't want to wake Shikharna, the cubs and Syeed. I paste up and down then I get this strange feeling that over comes me and then I realise that something or someone was watching us but my eyes just wouldn't let me see this creature. I open my eyes wider and then I see the shadow of a cat. A large cat. A tiger. Just casually resting a few feet away from me, it didn't come close. I was anxious, my body filling up with anxiety. I wonder why it was staring at me, Syeed and the family. What does it want? What does it crave? I ask these questions to myself. It soon came to my understanding that it was viewing the female (Shikharna). Why was it staring at Shikharna? It's not even mating season. Or maybe it wasn't staring at Shikharna, maybe it was staring at me or Syeed. Maybe he was thinking that me and Syeed could be a delicious late night snack.....

I decide to go back to where Shikharna, the cubs and Syeed are sleeping. When I turned around Syeed was standing right in front of me, his arms crossed and standing straight and tall as usual.

"What ae you doing at this time of night?" Syeed asked.

"I couldn't sleep. That tiger over there was staring at me. At the family. At you. That's why I couldn't get to sleep, I just want to know what that tiger is looking at," I was pointing at the tiger.

"Relax, he's probably just staring into open space. He's probably going to be gone by the morning, now get some rest we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and we need as much energy as we can possibly gain. Good night".

I listened to Syeed's wisdom and words and tried my hardest to sleep and ignore that big, male tiger. As i slowly closed my eyes I began thinking. I was thinking about what my family was doing right now and I was wondering whether my family was worried about me. I hope they're wishing all their luck for me and Syeed of course even though they haven't met him yet but maybe one day they will. I was now in a deep slumber.

Syeed was up early this morning. He was searching for food on the ground, I myself honestly wouldn't want to eat something that has been on the ground but anything's better than no food at all.... I suppose.

"Hey, hey, wake up," Syeed was poking me and tapping my head and then he hit my head.

"Huh? What? Hey, would you stop poking me?" I asked after being rudely disturbed.

"Look, I told that tiger would be gone in the morning," Syeed said pointing at the spot where the tiger was laying last night. I was getting up off the floor now.

"Oh, you were right. Sorry for doubting you". Shikharna was stretching as she lazily got up off the ground and then she sounded a low-pitched groan which made the cubs jump a little bit. Shikharna looked towards the hills and then looked back at Syeed and I but then turned her head back towards the hills. She lazily walked towards the cubs and groaned at them and then she went out to hunt. Leaving Syeed and I with Kharn and Broken Ear. As I watched the cubs playfully beat each other up I noticed that they were getting quite big now and it won't be that long till they'll be leaving their mother to be stating their own life separately.

Shikharna came back a while after with a small dead deer. As always she let Kharn and Broken Ear feast first before she had her share though it looked like there won't be that much left for her but it seemed like she didn't care, after all anything's better than no food at all no matter how small it may be. I should keep that in mind for when I have yet again another small thing to eat.

When the family had finished their meal we had carried on our long walk.