Songs - Part 4

Shre'ka shifted restlessly, flicking an ear to dislodge an annoying bitefly. She was perched atop a rocky outcropping dotted with shrubs, vines and other vegetation that overlooked a small clearing. The others had left her there early that morning. Now the sun was high overhead, its heat unobstructed by clouds. The shrubs offered her some shade as well as concealment from potential prey, but as the day grew warmer, she longed to retreat to the cool of the forest shadows.

Irritable and uncomfortable, she scanned her surroundings, looking and sniffing for anything unusual, then took a quick sip of water from the skin slung over her shoulder. Her legs cramped from remaining in a crouch for so long, Shre'ka decided to risk standing up and walking about, just for a few minutes. Leaning her bow and arrows against the rock, she rose, then abruptly had to steady herself with a hand as a wave of unexpected dizziness overwhelmed her.

She blinked, trying to focus, and shook her head. It must be hotter than she thought. She felt short of breath and began to pant. That didn't seem to help, and she backed her ears as her heart began to race, feeling panic rise inside her. Her eyes widened as a sharp singular pain stabbed through her abdomen followed swiftly by a wave of weakness. She gasped, her ears flattening with worry. Sa'uuk's mercy! What was wrong?!

Her eyes caught a small dot of something bright and red on the stone beneath her. She became dimly aware of something tickling the fur of her thighs, like an insect crawling along her skin. She tried to brush it off, then stared in shock as her hand came away bloodied. Shre'ka's ears fell as she looked and saw blood covering her thighs, trickling down her legs to spatter in large ruby drops across the rock. She began to shake.

"No!" she moaned. "Please, no!"

Another pain wracked her. She cried out, reeling, the sun swaying before her eyes like a kaleidoscope of brightly colored spots, then collapsed.

*****

Slinking through the jungle's shadowed depths, a vek'na alpha paused, its broad nose testing the breeze sifting among the trees. It whined with eagerness, its ears pricking up, as it caught the scent of fresh blood nearby. Springing forward to follow the scent trail, it gave a growling howl, calling to its packmates. With answering cries, they joined him as he loped easily through the jungle searching for their either wounded or freshly killed prey.

*****

Zas'khan shifted the din'gu's carcass across his shoulders for better balance, then continued to trot back to the outcropping where Shre'ka awaited them. Out in front of the hunting party, he glanced behind him, seeing Mar'lo and Hra'tan not far behind. Each big male bore the weight of a slain din'gu as well. Bo'ku, trailing further back, carried one, too, and Kast'na and Sa'di were carrying one between them. Ma'na'nat, walking beside her mate, carried a string of various birds draped over her slim shoulders like a garish feathered mantle, and Fa'o was helping Dan'oa carry a kin'to she had slain with a skillful shot from her bow.

Zas'khan grinned. They may not have found a tran'ta or tu'volth, but the hunt had still proved to be a good one. The only bad thing was Shre'ka would feel left out. He backed his ears, but swiftly pricked them up again. His mate would no doubt be displeased, but he wasn't. He wanted her and the cubs she carried safe and now they would be. There was plenty of meat for the tribe after bringing down the small herd of din'gu. The hunting party would still fish and hunt small game on the way home, but that didn't hold the danger hunting big game did.

He neared the edge of the clearing and called, but received no answer. Frowning, he peered out across the clearing, looking intently at the outcropping. Seeing nothing, he was about to call again, when he noticed something break from the jungle along the far edge of the clearing, headed toward the rocky formation.

A vek'na! Zas'khan's ears fell and his eyes widened. With a roar, he dropped the din'gu he was carrying to the ground and charged across the clearing. The vek'na looked his way, baring its fangs in a snarl. Zas'khan hoped his appearance would frighten the animal away, but the vek'na continued to the outcropping and reaching it, sprang upwards, its claws scrabbling across the rocks.

His fur bristling in fury, Zas'khan dropped to all fours, racing forward to reach the ridge mere moments after the vek'na. In one powerful leap, he vaulted onto the beast, drawing his knife. The vek'na screeched as Zas'khan drove the blade deep into its flank and into its chest. With an agonized howl, the animal tumbled heavily to the ground, taking him with it. Zas'khan managed to scramble free, and ears flat, raced to the top, looking frantically around for his mate. Spotting Shre'ka's crumpled form, he crouched beside her, distraught, cradling her body in his arms.

"Shre'ka!" he roared, giving her a shake. "Mri'tan! Answer me!" He patted her face, feeling fear grip his heart with icy claws as her head lolled limply about.

Warning shouts managed to pierce the roaring in his ears and he whirled around to see two more vek'na appear at the top of opposite ends of the outcropping. Lying Shre'ka gently back, Zas'khan snarled, drawing his knife, holding it defensively between himself and the beasts as the predators stalked closer. He roared at them defiantly, knowing he probably had no chance against the both of them, but determined to protect his mate, regardless.

The vek'na snarled back, ears flat and teeth bared, then charged. Zas'khan braced himself, hoping to be able to kill at least one of the creatures, when the hiss of arrows came to his ears. Almost in unison, both vek'na fell to the ground, tumbling to the side from the momentum of their charge. One whined, trying to rise, but Zas'khan swiftly moved to kneel upon it, and quickly finding the soft spot between its neck and shoulder, drove his knife into its heart.

He sat a moment, panting, then returned to his mate. Stunned, staring at her in dismay, he finally made sense of the calls coming to his ears. He looked up.

"Hurry!" he called. "Get Fa'o! Shre'ka is...hurt!"

He saw Mar'lo and Hra'tan had neared the outcropping, both divest of their din'gu and with bows in their hands. Hra'tan nodded up at him and turned to run back for the healer apprentice.

A furious growl sounded behind Zas'khan, raising the fur on his back. He turned to see the vek'na alpha clambering over the back of the outcropping. Before he could react, it sprang upon him, claws outstretched, and the two tumbled off the edge of the rock to the ground below. Landing heavily on his left shoulder, Zas'khan roared in pain as the old injury to his shoulder during the Trials gave way. He frantically thrust his right arm in the vek'na's way as it lunged forward, and felt its jaws crush the limb, snapping the bone like a twig. Zas'khan screamed as the vek'na alpha lunged foward again, its maw closing about his neck.

His brother, Mar'lo, roared, clawing and stabbing at the beast to kill it or drive it away. He finally succeeded.

But not before it had torn out Zas'khan's throat.

To be continued...