Light and Dark

Chapter 2: Generosity Saved the Cat

"Jinkx! If I have to tell you to not draw blood one more time, you will be on flea duty for a half a moon!" Anaiyu scolded her son. "But moooooooom," Jinkx whined. "It's not my fault Shade bleeds so easily."

"Everybody bleeds that easily!" Shade retorted.

Anaiyu sighed as she stalked towards her quarreling sons. They were only 2 weeks old, but all of her cubs had opened their eyes and ears and had grown thorn sharp teeth and claws. Anaiyu had decided that now would be the best time to get them used to training.

Jinkx was by far the best and most well accustomed to the idea of fighting, but not so much hunting. Shade was trying to be like his older brother, but his skills were leaning more towards hunting. Ifrit was neither like Jinkx nor Shade. He was strong and silent, whereas his older brothers were more chatty. And he excelled at both hunting and fighting. And last but not least was Leru. She was quiet, and her coloring often gave her a disadvantage, but she was determined to not let it get her down. Leru was just as strong as her brothers, and what Anaiyu loved the most was that Jinkx, Shade, and Ifrit all treated her equally and stood up for her. Anaiyu was so proud of her cubs.

The family had stepped outside their den for fresh air. They were playing at the base of the kapok tree; Jinkx, Shade, Ifrit, and Leru all playing tag and intertwining in and out of the gigantic roots.

Anaiyu watched as Jinkx stalked Ifrit from 3 feet away. Then, Jinkx stalked a couple inches forwards and leaped. Jinkx was about to land on his younger brother when Ifrit spun around and swatted Jinkx out of the air. As his older brother landed with a thump on the ground, Ifrit pounced on top of him. Anaiyu laughed, while Jinkx went hot with embarrassment. Ifrit climbed off and chuckled. The cubs then raced back to Shade and Leru.

A twig snapped. Anaiyu's head immediately snapped up. The cubs froze. Leru came up to her mother's side. "Momma, it's another jaguar," Leru said. She sniffed the air as her mother watched her in fascination and awe. "Judging by its scent, the jaguar is a female with 2 cubs." Leru nodded in the direction where the scent was coming from. "Very well done, Leru. I hadn't even smelled them coming," Anaiyu said.

There were some bushes that were a couple feet away from the kapok tree. Anaiyu got between the bushes and her cubs. Jinkx, Shade, and Ifrit started to squirm, but Leru shushed them.

Suddenly, a head popped out of the bushes. And then a chest. Then two paws and a body. Anaiyu could count this jaguar's ribs. The unknown jaguar walked out of the bushes, her long, slender tail trailing behind her. She looked around and when her eyes came upon Leru and her family, they widened. She immediately took an attack position, bracing herself.

Anaiyu stepped forward cautiously. "You've nothing to fear," she said. The two jaguars went up to each other and sniffed each other's snouts, as was customary in jaguar culture. The other jaguar calmed down enough to where her muscles relaxed. Leru could see every muscle, tendon, and bone underneath this female's pelt. She really was skinny.

"By your scent, you have cubs with you," Anaiyu stated. "Where are they?"

Answering her question, the other jaguar turned towards the bushes and let out a mrrow. As if on cue, 2 skinny cubs cautiously stalked out. Jinkx, Shade, and Ifrit all came up and stood with Leru, all four of them a ways behind their mother. The stranger's cubs went underneath her, seeking shelter. They each poked their tiny heads out from behind their mother's front legs.

"If I have nothing to fear, then why are your claws out?" The other mother asked suspiciously. Anaiyu looked down at her sharp claws. Leru watched in disbelief as her mother's claws slid back into her paws. "By what do you address yourself?" Anaiyu asked formally. "I am Thorn. These are my sons Vine and Snake," Thorn replied, gesturing to her cubs. Vine sand Snake nodded their heads shyly.