FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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This will only take a moment and I wanted to do it for my friend for a holiday gift. She makes 100% glass jewelry along with steam punk necklaces from scratch and I believe that she deserves more credit then she is currently receiving. If you could I would love it for her to get more traffic on her site if only for the season. You can find her glass jewelry at [www.fusedelegance.com](%5C) and her steam punk work at http://www.etsy.com/shop/threecraftygirls. For the price they are wonderful and thank you for your time.

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Glazed with the heat of the sun drenched day and at the mercy of the wonderful cool gusts of wind that paid mercy to the savannah, the gazelles bound through the tall brown blades of grass to the abundant and fresh fields of nourishment where they laid harvest to the plants and grass for decades. Amongst them was a chubbier, slower gazelle, the weakest of the pack by far as she became more of a burden for the tribe. She was shorter, wider and some would claim curvier than her fit counterparts. Smooth, caramel like brown fur coated her back end along with tufts of white fur that puffed out like the fluffiest of clouds. A round apple shaped rear and a delicate swoosh of a tail that always jittered around as if she had no control over it showed her uneasiness. A large, bountiful white chest made her far less aerodynamic to the winds at at the mercy of the predators of the land.

"You're so slow..." Tin'lok, a slimmer gazelle of which she called her best friend, called back to her with a laugh as he ran in place awaiting her to come up to him. "Cheli if you keep this up you'll only serve to die tired to the lions." He joked, though it didn't rest easily upon her with the realization that daunted her each day.

"Oh come on Tin..." Cheli called over to him, Tin a nickname she only used for him as her full name was Chelice and she had to shorten his name to some degree in all playfulness. "We can't all have long legs thin bodies." She huffed out as she came up to her friend, Tin'lok taking the honor of doing a lap around her with a chuckle as he smacked at her full rear. "EEK!" She gasped as she gripped her bottom before turning to him with a look of dread, ears flattened down in a hostile manner, "DON'T slap my butt Tin'lok." She warned as he laughed.

"It isn't my fault...I can swing my hand in any direction and it more than likely to hit it." He snickered at his own joke with a cheeky smile. "Come on...don't be such a poor sport." He played as he rushed off through the grass to the herd with a wide smile. She made a rather dissatisfied groan of anger as she bounded after him to the best of her ability, taking far longer then the rest as she approached the others, the thinner, stronger pack mates looking to her mostly with mocking grins and the females granting her nothing but a shake of the head and mean whispers in her expense to each other. 'Nice to see you too...' She thought to herself as she bent over from the knees to pick up a rather appetizing fern until a female stepped on it with her hoof.

"Don't you think you've had enough Chelice?" A more beautiful of the female gazelles said with a grin and a raised brow of black fur. Several of her friends standing behind her with the same uppity look to them.

"I'm hungry." Cheli said as she leaned back up, her shorter stouter horns glimmering in the overhead sun.

"Oh well THERE'S a shocker." She chuckled out with a shake of the head along with her friends. "Maybe if you spend more time running and less time eating you can deserve such a meal..." She said as she rubbed her foot into the wonderful herb and ruining it with her grinder like hoof.

"I'm not built like you, any of you...I'm made more to be a mother." Cheli defended herself with her long more oval shaped ears drooping in a mix of anger and sadness.

"Oh yes...let's give all the fat..." She said poking into her gut with her finger, feeling like a dagger with such insults, "slow and useless genes to our future generations." She mocked as she shoved her with both of her white palmed hands.

"Well maybe I can give them some of my strength." Cheli refuted as she pushed her back causing the slim vixen to fall to her butt as Cheli smiled at her victory. She may have been slow, but her body did allow for considerable strength with it's size. "Couldn't out run that could you?" Cheli giggled to herself.

"CHELICE!" A loud booming voice called from behind her as the pack leader approached her with a stern gaze that sent shivers rattling down her spine, "What have I told you about picking fights?" He asked while folding his arms over his powerful chest.

"I didn't pick this one though Filom!" Cheli defended as she looked back to her, now crying on the ground as her friends comforted her. 'Oh you have to be joking...' she thought, Filom looking most dissatisfied with this. "You have to believe me...she stepped on the fern I was going to eat...called me fat." She defended as Filom extended his arm back and slapped her swiftly across the face.

"You ARE fat Chelice...maybe you could of taken some of their advice for once in your life." Filom growled to her as Cheli put her palm to her face to nourish the patch of red he had given her. "You think that just because you are stronger that you can sprain one of our fastest female's ankles?" He asked shifting his head so he was looking into her eyes with the menacing stare, not letting her escape his hazel eyes that look ablaze. Cheli looking over to the female she had injured as she quickly gripped at her ankle and faked pain.

"Oooo it hurrrrrts." She panted out in a pained voice as she doubled over to her back and rolled in the dried grass.

"I didn't push her that hard...she fell onto her butt!" Cheli defended as she looked back up to her daunting chief still with fear placed in her pupils. "She's faking it."

"Oooo...I was just saying to her...that...if she wants to be a mother..." The downed Gazelle grimaced as she gripped at her ankle in pain, far more than a broken ankle would even grant, "She would have to become more fit in order to attract a mate...arugh..." She gasped out again.

"You didn't say that!" Cheli shouted at her as Filom put his hands to her shoulders and shoved her to the ground roughly. Her body tumbling in the grass as she looked back up to him.

"Does it feel nice being picked on Chelice?" Filom asked with a growl as she opened her mouth to answer as he kicked up some dirt with a scraping of his hoof to her in a cloud of dust as she began to cough out from it, shielding her eyes. "Maybe if you could listen for once in your life you could make some friends rather than being the laughing stock of the entire savannah!" He barked out towards her as he turned and helped the girl up into his arms, cradling her.

"Oh Filom...I had no idea you were so...so STRONG!" The plastic of a gazelle complimented as Filom smiled out, her hands running up and down his white pectoral muscles, nothing special but toned down to the very core as most runners bodies are.

"I have to protect the herd somehow don't I?" Filom answered with a wide grin as the girls and her giggled ecstatically, "Chalice you are not to join us in eating today...find your own patch of land if you wish to quell your hunger." He said without so much as turning to her, Cheli's ears falling as she looked to the ground and her once white chest not stained with pure earth.

"Friends...sure can't live without them can you Cheli?" Tin'lok said to her as he held out his hand to help her up, when she grabbed she pulled her half way up off the ground as he let go of her hand causing her to fall back into the tall grass, he chuckled out as if planning to do this while he watched. "Sorry...come on then." He said pulling her to her feet, her patting off the dust on her chest with a sigh.

"You saw what happened didn't you Tin?" She asked as she looked into his eyes, desperately wanting to have someone believe her at this point, she had the highest hopes on her one and only 'friend'.

"Yeah, she called you fat or something and you threw a fit." He snickered out with a grin, Tin'lok often pushed around in the tribe as well, but nothing like Chelice as she frowned at this.

"You can be a real dick sometimes Tin'lok...you know that..." She stated looking down away from him as he shook his head, "I was just shoved to the ground by Filom...and you're here making jokes...who's laughing but you Tin?" She asked looking back up to him with tears in her eyes. "WHO!?" she yelled as she turned and walked through some taller grass towards a section of the feeding grounds that remained isolated.

"Oh come on it was a freakin' joke...don't be such a baby." He called out, loud enough so that others could hear as he looked back and forth at them as if to gain their approval for his insult.

"Stupid Filom and stupid Tin...always believing the pretty skinny things..." She said plucking a fern from the ground and looking it with a hungry gaze before it turned to an angry glare as she chucked it back into the soil. "I don't need this..." She told herself as she looked back to the tribe, then back down to herself as she sighed out, cradling her knees with her arms wrapped around them as she heard a light ruffling in the tall grass as she quickly pulled to her feet and looked towards the sound, ready to book it if anything arose from it.

"Mooom!" A childish voice rang out through it as her ears perked up hearing it as she quickly rushed forward through the thick foliage, guided only by the cries out of a younger creature, "Where did everyone go..." He was heard saying, though his voice squeaked, scared. Cheli was determined, she wouldn't have this young little thing scared out of his mind, it was against every instinct she felt until she saw exactly what it was in the clearing, a lion cub in a small tan sash. "Moooooom!" He called out again as a huge mix of emotions ran through her system, the compassion for the young child lost in the huge expanse and the fear of his parents finding him with her. "Anyone..." He said as his lips were shaking, the fur under his eyes becoming moist, "Please..."

She couldn't bear it anymore, looking to the child as she cautiously said "Hun where are your parents?" The voice causing the young one to flip his ears up and back up onto all fours, his tail high in the air as he awaited for something to strike. She realized that the questioned was redundant, she also realized that the beings she was so afraid of...was now afraid of her.

"Who...who's there?" He questioned as he hoped up and down on his feet, trying to act tough like his parents had taught him to as he growled out lowly. "I'mma biter...don't you think about eating me hyenas!" He rang out as he hissed some, it sounded more cute than ferocious though.

"Relax sweetie...I'm not a hyena and I'm certainly not here to eat you." She said as she drew herself from the grass and into his sight as he looked over to her with ears even higher. She expected a warm greeting from the miniscule prince, but he backed up as fear of the unknown turned to a danger in his eyes.

He put his hands over his eyes as his butt still shot up in the air as his body was shaking. "Pl-please don't kill me..." He pleaded with the offerings of only manners and humility.

"I'm not here to do that either." She said as she walked over slowly and stroked at the kitten's soft and fuzz ridden back with as warm of a smile as she could muster. "I'm here to get you back home...how does that sound?" She scratching under his ears as they perked up again, his head looking up to her, then away then back up again with his large baby blue eyes.

"Do you really mean it?" He asked, still butt high in the air in the horrid defensive stance. She didn't need to think twice, her tribe's rules were very simple; if you find a lion cub, kill it on sight. This was to assure the gazelle dominance in the savannah as it was the only way any of them could ever pray to kill such a beast with their smaller bodies. It was wrong though, everything about it just stabbed at her motherly senses as pure evil as she kept stroking his smoother back now that his hair wasn't on end.

"Well of course I mean it hun." She giggled as she ruffled the short hair on his head with her hand before standing, the lion cub pushing himself up to his feet and standing as he looked to her happily with an open mouth and a smile. "Do you have a name Mr. Scardey pants?" She giggled down to him.

"I wasn't scared." He said with a pout and a stubborn kitten look as he folded his arms across his chest. "I was ready to pounce at any hyenas that came from the grass...a lion's gotta be prepared you know." He said up to her with a proud nod.

"Oh and the pleading not to eat you up?" She giggled down to him as she knelt with a warm smile.

"You won't tell anyone about that will you?" He said looking into her eyes with the childish look of fear of embarrassment and 'oh please'.

"I would never slander the name of such a proud lion kitten." She smirked as she kissed his forehead as his tail started to wave back and forth happily. "I'm Chelice by the way." she said offering her hand to him.

"Chel...lice?" He asked, making the ending of her name sound like 'lice' more than 'lease'.

"Just call me Cheli hun." she said with another giggle that warmed her body, he was too cute for words.

"All right Shelly." He said with a smile, mouth agape showing his 'ferocious' fangs as he nodded. "I'm Romi." He stated while putting his hands to his side proudly, "Fiercest lion in the savannah." He growled with his tiny claws blared for her in a swiping motion.

She clapped her hands excitedly seeing it as she kept laughing with the high pitched squeak her voice often produced. "Oh you don't need to tell me dear," She stated down to him, "I have seen first hand the fearlessness of the great Romi." She said in a more noble voice to please him. "The wonderful power he exudes and the grace and civility he treats his people with."

"Yup that's me." He said as his tail was swinging much faster now with his waist, the upper class voice getting to the king node in his brain apparently. "I treat everyone in my kingdom with civriany and respeck!" He stated though still in the childish excitement.

"Well Mr. King," She started as she stood to her height with a formal bow. "Where would you live in the warm fields of our fine savannah?" She asked as she motioned to the entire valley, the wonderful land that breathed life into each individual it touched.

"Ummm..." He thought, much like a child asked what his phone number was, looking up and to the right. "I live in a big opening around a lot of grass...and a tree!" He said with his tail waving excitedly thinking of the fun he had in that tree. Cheli looking around and seeing tall grass everywhere and a lot of trees.

"Well..." She said in a sort of defeated tone as she looked down to him with the same warm smile, "I promise to get you back to your parents." She said kneeling and putting her hand on his small shoulder.

"They shouldn't be too far from where I was..." He clarified as he tapped his chin, "I just remember us getting something to drink and I saw this awesome meerkat and just had to chase it." He said looking pumped about the fact he chased a meerkat around.

"Did you go and get yourself lost in the grass looking for him then?" She asked, though knowing that is what of had to have happened.

"Yeah...he was really fast...I almost got him though!" He said clenching his fist before his ears drooped, "Well not really..."

"Well you just let him off with a warning this time didn't you?" She giggled down to him as she started to walk towards the closest watering hole that she knew of. The whole area knew of it, it rarely dried up and there was a peace between the animals as long as they were drinking. Though, granted, some animals would not stop drinking and lay there as protection are clearly marked as easy pickings.

"Yeah...." He said a bit meekly before puffing out his chest and beating it with one of his curled up paws, it sounded like hitting a pillow, "YEAH!" He said with a renewed passion in his voice, "He'll go run off and tell his lil' friends about the fiercest lion in all the world and they will be shaking in their dens." He folded his arms, eyes closed with a smirk draped across his fluffy face.

Cheli kept giggling at the sight of the little beasty claiming his dominance over the land as she trudged through some thicker grass. "How old are you honey?" She asked back to him without turning her head.

"I'm twelve years awesome."

"Twelve years awesome?" She snickered in the light hearted tone.

"Yup, can't just say I'm old or people will start thinking that."

"That's a fantastic way to look at it actually."

"How awesome are you Cheli?" He asked with his usual kitten curiosity.

"Well I'm the most awesome next to the great Romi." She said dodging the question as she hopped over a puddle of brownish water that smelled like something died in it.

"No I mean like in years." He quickly replied.

"Well first off hun, a Woman's...umm awesome." She said bounding up onto a rocky ledge as she gripped his paws and pulled him up with a grunt. "It's an indescribable secret of untold power that could start brush fires all over the savannah." She warned shaking her finger back and forth in front of him.

"I can put 'em out!" He promised, wanting to see that sort of thing happen.

"Well...are you sure your lit...BIG kitten body can take the power into him and turn it into good?" She asked with a raised brow, having a very serious look in her eyes.

"I already told you I will be a kind and noble king!" He said stomping his foot, being a bit antsy to the secret she was toying him with.

"Are you suuuuure?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"Double yes!"

"Absolutely one-hundred percent certain that this won't destroy the world as we know it forever?"

"Umm..." He had to think, "On second thought maybe it would be best not to know." He said with a sigh, "I don't want anyone getting hurt from the fires." Cheli looking to him with a wide smile hearing this, he would be a good leader of the lion packs when the time came.

"I'm sixteen hun." She said down to him.

"Wow I was thinking you were a LOT more awesome than that!" He said with a wide open mawed astonishment you could only hope to have one day. He was also looking around the area for any brush fires that were 'sure' to spark from the secret and looked a bit happier when he realized he could in face handle the power. Cheli rolled her eyes, why you don't tell your age to kids to begin with it seemed.

"Thanks." She said with a roll of her eyes and a slight sigh, the kind any mother would give to a younger child that didn't know the ins and outs of life yet.

"Nooooo problem." He said enthusiastically as he rushed forward as Cheli picked up her pace to make sure he didn't go and get himself lost again. He cleared a few high bushes as they found themselves at the oasis in the area, all manner of beasts gathering around the oval shaped opening in the river and drinking heartily. The smaller, more eatable, races always on the lookout for the one predator that was out for an easy meal and always ready to run at a moment's notice. Cheli saw no gazelles and much more disheartening, no lions either.

"Was this where you were drinking sweetie?" She asked to him as she knelt at his side and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Nah, never been to this one..." He said noticing all the looks they were getting from the animals at the safe zone.

"Well..." She said, wondering how far he ran exactly as she walked slowly over to two hyenas, a male and a female. They were shoulder strong men, wider at them then most creatures in the area but the rest of their bodies looked to be weak, more pack hunters then anything. "Hey guys...do you know where a lion's den is around here?" She asked as

"Are you looking to die?" The male asked looking up to her, looking to have little in terms of an actual neck as it just sort of hung through through the black spots of his brownish-gray face.

"It was just a question I mean.." She went on before being cut off.

"No no...like, the lions are gonna eat you the instant they see something so meaty grace them with the service of delivered meat." The male said as he wiped his mouth clean of water.

"Oh...well no, I'm looking to deliver this big strong lion back to his parents." She said placing her hands on Romi's shoulders so he wouldn't run off, a leash with no straps.

"Oh is he lost?" The female asked putting her hand to her chest nervously as she looked down to the kitten whom seemed rather happy despite his circumstances.

"He was chasing a meerkat and may of gotten ahead of himself in the thrill of it." Cheli answered with a simple nod of the head.

"He was REAL fast." Romi added in his own defense.

"Ohhh...hehe..." She seemed to chuckle out down to him as she knelt down and patted at his shoulder. "I'm sure, hehe, he was just the fastest lil' thing...hehe..."

"Hey stop laughing at me!" Romi said looking frustrated at her.

"She's not laughing kitten, she's just a BIG crybaby." The male said with a smirk, always blaring his sharp looking fangs regardless of his facial expression, like his skin was pulled too tight and held off with clamps.

"Hey shut up you dick, I was trying to make him feel better!" She growled up at him with drool leaking out the side of her mouth.

"Yeah good shit," He said with a real laugh, "He's more mad at you know then ever with your giggle snort crying."

"Yeah well at least all of my friends aren't girls!" She defended and pushed at him.

"Hey now, that's a low blow and you know it sister." He said, though saying sister in more of a friend tone then an actual sibling.

"If there was something to hit!" She growled over at him as they both began growling at each other, hyena loved fighting, though they often lost with bigger predators so they learned to deal with fighting each other. At least one of them would win in that case.

"Hey...HEY!" Cheli yelled at the two as they looked over to her with her hands on her sides and tapping her hoof. "You gonna point me to a den before you slap each other around or what?" She asked in a bit of an angry tone.

"Yeah sure, go that way and sooner or later you'll wind up there." The male said as the female jumped on him and twisted his wrist, "AHH AHH uncle!" He cried out as he squirmed, Cheli sighing out and grabbing Romi's hand as they walked eastward towards the den. A faint laughing heard behind them as they heard the female yell.

"YEAHHHH whose the crybaby now BITCH!?" Cheli keeping her hands over Romi's dome ears to prevent him from being exposed to such language. She made headway through the grass and finally released his hearing as he looked up to her.

"Why were they fighting Shelly?" He asked.

"Because they are idiots Romi." She said with a smirk down to him as he did the same with a laugh that would bring a smile to even the gruffest of faces.

"Well I think even idiots deserve a place in my future kingdom." He said with a king like stance, "They have to be good at something..."

"Well they are good at making fun...can be used to inspire people I guess." Cheli replied pushing through a thick few blades of grass. "Would you allow gazelles and lions to live peacefully?" She asked with a smile to him.

"Well gazelles are food." Romi answered with a nod, "We could live with them, but them I'm guessing we would starve and such, and well..." He put his hands behind his back and kicked at the dirt, "I don't really like being hungry all that much."

"Oh well there are plenty of things to eat in the savannah honey...have you tried any of the leaves?" She asked, though noticing his very displeased looking face. "Fruit?" The same face but with scrunching eyes and a shake of the head. "Grass?" He stuck out his tongue. "Well...maybe peace will never really come between our tribes..." She said defeated.

"Well I wouldn't stop the process, but right now we waste so much of the gazelle it's just silly." He said up to her, "We eat the meat we like and leave the rest..." He sighed out, "The organs are nasty but at least they fill you up you know." He said, "And I think we should honor each Gazelle for feeding out tummies..."

"That you should!" Cheli said back to him with a wide smile across her face, liking the idea of being honored with her last breathe.

"Ya huh." He nodded excitedly, "Some lions just think of you guys as meals though, I was thinking the same way...but..." He said looking to her with a purr, "After meeting you I can tell that you are just as wonderful as my mother."

"Well..." She said, not knowing how to take it at first before ruffling his hair to an 'aww geez' given out by him. "I am honored to have you think so highly of me dear and think yoooooou are quite the handsome little stud." She giggled out as she watched him fix his hair.

"I'm not handsome, I'm manly." He corrected her quickly, wishing he had some sort of pool of water to make sure his fuzzy top wasn't in complete disarray; until he saw it, it would keep bugging him.

"Excuse me for being so foolish my manly king." She giggled out again as she clapped her hands together once and watching him lick at his paws and try to flatten his hair which looked completely fine.

"I will excuse this blasphemy." He said, extending the u far too long, as he kept licking at his hands and patting the top of his head, if anything making it look more frizzy and creating unneeded cowlicks. "But...mmmrph..." He groaned out through his closed mouth, "Does...I don't look silly do I?" He asked up to her, his lip twitching in a bit of discomfort over his rather simple hair.

She knelt down to his side, a bit above eye level as she pushed down some of the hair with her fingers and then parted some fur on his forehead apart to give him a bit more defined eyebrows. "There, now you are ferocious!" She growled at him as she swiped her hands playfully, mimicking his older kin.

"Hey, you can't do that!" He said folding his arms in front of his chest and looking a bit offended at the simple miming.

"Oh and why can't I?" She asked with a raised brow as she continued to move her less than menacing jaw, maybe not to grass, around in a circle with her soft arms scratching at the air with her clawless fingers.

"'Cause." He retorted quickly as he looked away with his eyes closed, typical stubborn kitten.

"'Cauuuuuse I do it better than you?" She asked as he snapped back his head to look at her, "I understand I'll stop." she promised, looking over her finger nails and puckering her lips, mocking.

"Na-uhh." He quickly said, unfolding his arms and balling his fists behind him and sticking out his head head.

"Ya-huh, I'm the fiercest thing in all the savannahs of the world."

"Yeah well I am the fiercestest thing in, uhhh, the whole world." He came back with a stomp of his foot, a tad bit of what she hoped was mud splattering around him. She wanted to say something along the lines of 'Oh hun your foot' but resisted as he was beyond adorable to her at the time being.

"Oh yeah..." She said placing her fingers on his right shoulder and pushing him slightly, "Prove it then." She challenged with a grin across her face, as intimidating as a prickless toothpick. Puffing out his chest to the loosening of the small golden tuft over his chest he bellowed out a roar that sounded more like a toddler not getting exactly as he wanted.

She had to hold back the what would be seen as mocking case of the snickers as she backed up in pretend fear, stumbling a bit over a branch as she mistakenly fell to her backside. "Whoa...my king I am sorry I doubted your might!" She said folding over to her front and bowing to his 'majesty'.

"It is quite alright," He said as his half lidded eyes looked over his claw as she she did to him prior, "Just don't let me see you mocking your king's abilities again Shelly." Apparently becoming on a first name basis, though he sounded more like a taunting manager lecturing you over the most minor of mistakes on a report.

"Oh I will be sure not to defile your goddess given gifts again my lord." She said standing and patting him on the back of the butt as he mocked her.

"Hey!"

"Come on, let's get you home." She said with a barely audible giggle, a squeak one would call it, as they traversed further through the brush as he was rubbing his but through his sash. A good fifteen minutes or so passed as she kept low from the grass length shortening to her dread as came over a hill and saw the large den of lions looking around in turmoil as she kept low to the ground, a single look in the wrong direction would have her being a raw rump roast platter for the lot of them. Romi poked his head out and looked over to the nervous looking masters of the plains as he smiled wide, open mouthed as his tail rattled at some bushes.

"Alright!" Romi chanted out as he near pounced her crouched face and hugged it tightly as he pulled back, "Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you..." He kept repeating, at least his manners were in the right place to that extent.

"Four qwellfrom." She mumbled out through his belly fur as he backed away, grabbed her hand and tugged her forward. "What is it hun..." She asked as she didn't budge an inch.

"You GOTS'ta come and meet my mom and dad!" He said continuing to pull at her hand, he was stronger than gazelle bucks but nothing to her frame at the time being.

"I'd rather now hun, I don't think they would...you know take kindly to me." She said pulling her hand back as he looked confused for a second as he gripped her hand and pulled it back with both of his.

"They will think you are great Shelly." He promised with an eagerness you wouldn't find in any adult.

"I think they would think that too sweetie but in a different way." She said as he kept pulling with all his might against her hand, making a little headway but nothing to write home about.

"Oh well yeah, they are adults, like...they would like your conversation skills or something." He went on as he fell to his back from the pull of her arm. She wondered for a second if he didn't like her 'conversation skills' but it mattered not at the threat presenting itself to her now.

"Listen Romi..." She trailed off, not clear how to break it to him, and even less sure his still growing mind would take it all in. "They would kill me if they saw me." She answered quietly, a wisp of chill from her voice seemed to silence even the quietest of clicking bugs in the air to them. He looked beyond confused as expected, his dome ears falling back as he looked at her for what seemed to be an eternity. The yearning eyes of the child looking at her again, appearing just as lost as they were when they met.

"No they won't..." He said, the excitement leaving him as fast as helium would a needled balloon. "I promise they won't." He continued on as he let go her hand and nodded, "I'm the king, they'll listen to me, I have infuwence." He stated, mispronouncing the big words as expected; she wanted to be cheery and chuckle at it, though it was far from the right time.

"Yes they will Romi..." She said calmly, quietly, hoping he would settle to the voice.

"No they won't!" He near yelled stomping his foot to the now dry dirt, her hands quickly going over his mouth and silencing the kitten's overly loud demands.

"Shhh shhh shhhhh..." She pleaded with her lips as she shook her head, "Romi...they won't listen." She stated, cold as a blank stone slate. "They will see me, helping you...and, even if I helped the little boy that would be king..." She swallowed, it being harder than she thought looking up in his gradually moistening eyes as he never broke eye contact. "They would see it as an insult for me to be assisting you, they would kill me, eat me and if it came down to the council here, you too for accepting my aid." She said as her lips quivered, feeling his cool tears running against the short brown fur of her fingertips, if it was possible to feel anything colder then ice she now knew the horrible chill. Her hands coming loose from his mouth as his mouth was trembling more than hers.

"Shelly..." He said as tears still ran down his face, his fur darker as a result of which.

"I need you..." She stuttered out as she gripped his shoulders, "I need you to be strong for, like I know you are." She said against her wishes, "I need you to tell them you found your way back all by yourself...that you didn't need any help from anyone, and especially not a gazelle." She told, her eyes fighting to remain as dry as they were in the reflection of what they were struggling against.

"B-but you did save me Shelly...I wouldn't of found my way back if it wasn't for you..." He said to her, the most mature he had sounded all day but with the horrible soul crushing crackle of a brokenhearted child, she missed the cocky regal tone more than one could imagine.

"No I didn't..." She shook her head.

"Yes..." He was cut off.

"No....you...didn't."

"Shelly..."

Her eyes slanted as she put a finger vertically to his lips, the look of an angry mother all children feared painted across her white speckled face. Her own lips were twitching at their sides, shifting against her control as she stated quite simply, "I never want to see you again Romi." She forced out, "You are weak...you whine, and you can barely call that scream of yours a roar." She would of barked if her voice wasn't so hushed. He couldn't let this precious angle get hurt, and she certainly wouldn't be the cause of which if he did. "Now..." She said as her lips folded over into her mouth, "Now go, be strong for at least once in your life."

He didn't have a response, no one at his age could as he quickly turned and booked it towards the cavern the lions called home as the larger, ripped to shreds, males looked down quickly as a mother quickly darted out and embraced him. She couldn't hear anything of what they were saying, if she could she didn't think she could bear it as she spun and quickly made her way back down the hill and back towards home. Lingering images of the crying cub reigned in her head, prodding her like spears to her emotional sides as the long walk home seemed to only be lengthened by her well being.

"Well there's a grumpy tump looking face." Tin said to her as she approached the large tree that sheltered her heard from the terribly hot sun. "What happened, still mad with chief?" He asked looking at her face, intrusively.

"Not now Tin...I'm really not in the mood for it." She said to her 'friend' as she walked far past him and the others, the chief having his new candy on his lap calling him everything he wanted to hear. She found a lone spot as the sun finally set and laid down as her black and cream striped horns cut along the roots of the tree. She didn't mind it at the moment, she felt like she wouldn't mind anything outside of the hurt she felt in her chest. Flashes of her horrible words to the undeserving kitten haunted her, every shutter of her eyes brought his face back into her mind, crying. What hurt the most was that she would likely never see him again, the eager enthusiasm of the proud cub making her giggle, the constant shift of his moods to remain proud but vulnerable and the way he always puffed out his chest when he was trying to prove things that simply weren't. The same went for her though, she knew deep down the tribe would never allow her a child, would likely never even let her close to one. Romi was her first and likely last with the gift of motherhood, the wonderful warmth it brought now abolished by an indescribable empty chill that slithered down each vain like the worst of snake venom. Her eyes finally buckled under the pressure, she cried herself to sleep that night.