Wandering the land

Keiva waddled along a small path that led to the comforting shade of a tall tree. She rest in the shade, on top of a rock where she had a good view of her surroundings. She scanned the area, looking out for signs of predators. A hot, dry breeze blew through her small fur pelt and she layed out even more, trying to cool herself down. Her stomache growled, upset that there was no food. She looked on hoplessly as a small herd of Zebra passed by. Theres no way I can hunt one of them... I'm too small... she thinks to herself with a sinking heart.

A full-grown leopard suddenly shot out of the golden grass, sinking its teeth into a zebra's rear. She clawed at its sides, and bit down harder. The zebra went down, and the leopard released. She looked around, licking her teeth. She yawned, lay down, and prepared to feast.

Keiva looked on in amazement as the leopard killed the zebra so quickly. She saw it lay down and prepare to eat. At the thought and sight of food, her stomache growled at her once more. She winced as she knew what she had to do; beg. She slowly dropped down from the rock and padded toward the leopard. She lowered her head and ears, "Umm..." she whispered, half to herself, "C... can I..." She looked away, embarassed. Then she sudenly looked up and stared at the leopard evenly, "Can I have some?" she said in a more-confident voice. Scaring herself with the sharpness in her voice, she looked away again and whispered, "Please..?"

The leopard chuckled a little. "Of course, little cub," she said. "My name is Shiba." She cleared some space for the cub to eat.

Celine was walking threw the grass trying to catch a field mouse when she heard a Zebra gasp.She looked up and saw a leopard running towards Celine.She gasped and hid in the grass.But she looked up and saw the leopard was not after he but a Zebra.So she prowled up and on the mouse she was prowling and copyed the leopard and caught the mouse but it bit her and ran off.Celine licked her paw and smelled the scent of fresh food..She walked over to the Zebra and looked up at the Leopard.

Keiva nodded gratefully and she stepped foreward to the carcass. She began tearing feebily into the flank, when she saw a tiger approaching. Her eyes widened, as this was the first tiger she had ever seen. She slowly backed up into a small bush for safety.

Shiba watched the small cub back away, and looked in the direction of her wide eyes, and saw a small tiger cub. "It's only a small tiger," she told Keiva. "Like you."

"Hi there Leopard...Could I have a little bit..Please"Celine sat there shaking her tail back and forth and smiling.Then she smelled the air and saw a little leopard in the brush.Celine walked over and got all playful and wagged her tail."Hiya..What's your name?Mine is Celine...Is that your mom over there..?"Then when she said mom she got all sad and sat there sulking.

Shiba watched the tiger cub sulk. Padding over, she asked, "What's wrong, little cub?"

Celine turned her head and tears were running from her eyes."I miss my mommy....Sh..Shes...Dead...I man killed her and took her away and they did the same with my daddy"(Shes a baby i makin it sound like she is one).The cub wiped away the tears and tryed to perk up but couldnt.She could still feel the heartache of loosing a loved one.The cub walked away into the grass but before she did"I dont have anyone...No brothers,No sisters,Mommys,daddys,nothing..."Celine said stepping into the grass.

Shiba felt sorry for the little cub. Poaching was a big problem in Afrika. She opened her mouth to try and stop the tiger, but nothing came out. Heart sinking, she watched the little cub trod off.

Celine thought about what todo next.She cant hunt cause she is to young,the only thing she can eat is spoiled meat,bugs,and mice.At the thought of that Celine made a weird face."Yuck.."The tiger stopped walking and stomped her foot and thought"I am going to try to hunt".She then sling shotted around and ran towards the buffalo baby.The baby saw it charging for him so he turned around and snorted."Oh.No..."Celine ran away and climbed up in a tree.

Vervanda had lost her zebra to Shiba,and she wasn't going to allow a cub to be killed! She shot out of her covering and leapt at the buffalo,besides,she was hungry.

Keiva looked at the other tiger cub walk over to her. She raised her head a bit to greet the cub, then looked away and whispered, "My name is Keiva." She heard the question about if Shiba was her mother. Tears filled her eyes when she remembered her real mother. "No... she's not my moma... I don't know where mine is."

Keiva was still looking away, she lost her appetite, when she saw a cheetah burst from the bushes. She watched in amazement at the speed of this creature. She saw how the muscles flexed under its coat, pushing its legs faster and faster toward one buffalo.

Vervanda had killed the buffalo,and glared at Keiva. "What are you looking at,never seen a cheetah before?"

"Leave her alone!" growled Shiba. She walked over to Keiva. "Have you lost your momma too?" she asked.

Keiva shrank back at the cheetah's words. She looked up at Shiba, "Yes... She just got up and left me there... I still don't know where she went." She lookes back at the cheetah, but turns away, clearly this was not a cat she wanted to mess with.

"It's okay," she told the small cub. "Did she say anything before she left? How did she act towards you?"

Keiva shook her head, "She... didn't say anything... We were laying under a tree and she just all of a sudden got up and left. I tried to follow her, but I couldn't keep up. We were both hungry... mama couldn't hunt because she had a hurt leg. Maybe I was just a burden to her and she left me there." She spat the last words angrily, thinking of how she cried out to her mother when she walked away.

Vervanda,feeling a bit sorry for the poor cub,tore off a hunk of meat and dropped it by the other cats. Then,she went back to her buffalo. It was too easy for her to catch,but then she saw a challenge. A zebra.

Cyclops,unaware of the cats,was grazing not far away. She had almost ended up dinner for a lion once,but she obviously wasn't very careful today.

Shiba watched as the cheetah dropped meat at the paws of Keiva. "So, your mother just walked off?" she asked, turning back to the cub.

Keiva watched the cheetah drop the meat at her paws, "Thank you," she said in a small voice. She turned back to Shiba and answered, "Yes... she just walked off..."

Vervanda crouched low and crept toward the zebra who really must have no sense of smell at all. She stiffened as it perked,but continued on her way when the zebra relaxed. Then,it became aware of the danger and bolted away. Vervanda growled and raced after it.

Cyclops panicked as the cheetah raced for her. She took a sharp turn and almost sent the cheetah into a tree. They both raced across the plains,escaping was a matter of life and death.

Celine climbed back down and lowered herself and walked slowly up to the cats.She sat up and looked at them as her ear went down.

suddenly an other cheetah sprinted after the Zebra that Vervanda was chaseing. "Hi!" he breathlessly threw over his shoulder at Vervanda. But RunningFoot was starting to get tired. lets end this! he thought as he leaped high into the air twards the Zebra.